JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE THROUGH THE
others., what reafonable caufe can they affigm.to government for denying
thenavigation of the bay to Nelfoms River and,;.by its waters, a pafl'ago
to and from the interior country, for .the ufe of the adventurers, and for
the foie purpofo oftranfpbi% under the moft fèvere and binding res-
ftrictions not to interfere with their trade on thé coaft, and the country
between it and the a&ual eftablifliments of the Canadian traders*.
By thefe waters that difcharge themfelves into Hudfon’s Bay at Port
Nelfon, it is propofed to carry on the trade to, their foufee,- at the
head of the Safkatchiwine River, which rifes in thp Rocky Mountains;
not eight degrees of longitude from the Pacific Ocean. The TaCoutehe
or Columbia river flows alfo from the feme mountains, and difcharges.-
itfelf likewife in the Pacific, in latitude 46.' 20:A Both of them are
capable of receiving {hips at their mouths* and are navigable throughout
for boats.
The diftance between thefe waters is only known from the report o f
the Indians. If, however, this communication fliould prove inaceefli>-
ble, the route I purfued, though longer, in confequence of the great
*. Independent o f the piofecution o£ this great objeft, I conceive, that the merchants fiom,.Cma’da!
are entitled to fuch anindulgence, (evenif they ffiould be confidered as not poffefling a rightful olaimi)
in order that-they might be-enabled to extend their trade beyond their pr?fent ‘limits, • and have
it in their power, to fiipply the natives with. a.larger quantity o f ufeful a r t ic le s th e enhanced value o f
which, and the prefent difficulty o f tranfporting them, will be fully comprehended when I relate, that
the traft o f tranfport occupies an extent of from three to four thoufand miles, through upwards o f fixty-
large lakes, apd numerous rivers; . and that the means o f tranfport arc flight bark \canges.:. .jltimuflf
alfo be obferved, "that thofe waters are intercepted by more than two hundred.rapids,..along, which the-
articles o f merchandife are chiefly carried. On men’s-backs, and'over an hundred and thirty’carrying»
places, from- twenty-five pac.es to thirteen miles in iength^wh.ere*t|je canoes and Mrgbes.i|^d;egedby
the fame toilfome and perilous operations., ' ' •
afl gib
NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA. 411
angle.it makes to the North, will anfwer every neceflary purpofe.
But whatever courfe may : be taken from the Atlantic, the Columbjp
is the line of communication from the .Pacific Ocean, pointed out
by nature, as it-is. the only navigable river in the whole extent of
Vancouver’s minute f i# e y o f that W t : its > banks alfo/orm the firft
level country m all the-:Southern extent of continental coaft from Cook’s
entry, and, confequenfcly, the moft Northern fltuatiOn fit' for Colonization,
and fuitable to th^-re^dence of a ciwiked-people.. , By opening this iriter-
cqurfe between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and forming regular efta-
bliftiHientsthrough the interior, ^nd.at botfrextremes, as'well as along the
coafts and-iflands,- the entire command'of the^furArade of..North America
nughf be,obtained, frdm latitude 48.' North to * e p o le ,^ e p f that portion
o f it which the Ruffians f e e in the Paciffef To this may be added the
fiffimg m b o t f r f^ and the of the fo ^ ^ ta r te r s 'k the
Such w^uld bfe;the;ffeld for commercial enterprife, and in i^ u U le
thG Produc|sPf’.^ ^ h en fupported by M Operations-of
that credit and capita which Great. Britain fo pre-eminent^ polTeffes.
Then would this Country b’gfik to be remunerated Tor the Cxpen#'it
has fuftained in d i f f e r in g and %rveying^he coaft of the Pacific
Ocean, which is at-prefent left to A b ie fic^ who without
regularity or capital, or the d ^ re p f’cdneiliattng-ffitureioiiftdenc^ l6ok
■ n i the intereft th e^m m , S ar
the Anns they can procure, and in any manner that fusts them, and having
exchanged them at Canton for the produce i f China, return to their
own country. Such adventurers, and ma^y of them, as I have been
informed, have been very fuccefsful, would inftantly difappear from
before a well-regulated trade-
It