myTlfe have by no means qualified me, made me-hefitate in committing
myj ^apersto the Prefs.; being much-better'Calculated to perform the
voyages,^arduous la®?they might be, than to write an accdfint of them.
Howeirbfj they are now offered to the Public with the fubmiffion that
becomes me.
I was led, at an early period of life, by commercial views, to the
country'North-Weft'of Lake Superior, in North 'America, and being
ra^owed^ny Nature ‘ ‘with an mquifitiVe^mind and enterpriffng4 fpiritj
po'ftMngfW o ^cohMutibn ahdr ffame‘ of body ^Iqual^ to themoll
afduous''undertaten^, SSdhexng tamihar with toilfome exertion^ in the
proieghtibn of mercantile purTuits/I hot only contemplated the practicability
o’Ppenetratmg" acrofs the continent of America, but was confident
in the qualifications, as I was1 animated by the defirej to undertake
the perilous enterprize.
The general utility of fuch a difeovery, has beep univerlally acknowledged;
while the wifhes of my particular friends and copmercial
affociajcs, that if jjhould proceed m the pur|i|jt ° f .-it», ^ ^ b u ^ d ^
quicken die execution of this favourite projeCt o f my own ambitioft.:
and as the completion of it expends the boundaries of geographic
fcience, and a'dds new countries to the realms of Britifh conririerce,
the danger _I |iaye encountered^ and the toils I have differed, have found
their recompense; nop will the many tedious and ’weary days, or the
gloomy and inclement nights which j have paffed, have been, paffed
P R E F A C E . v
v The fir ft voyage has fettled the dubious point of a practicable North-
Weft paffage; and I truft, that it has fet that long agitated queftion at
reft, and- extifiguilhed the difputes relpe&ing h for ev;er. Aq.enlarged
difeuSpn o f that dbbje^ wlll be; foundto occupy the concluding .pages
o f this volume. H
In this-voyage, I was not only without the neceffary books and inftru*
ments,i but alfoyfokv wyfel’f deficient in the fcieoces of aftronomy and
navigation; 'Idid not heft tate,therefore,M undertake a winter’s vbyige
to this country, in order -to ‘proebre 'the; one and aequira the other*
Thefe.-objefe heirigs^aceompliiftied, I returned, to determine the practicability
i ofo a commercial communication through! the continent o f
North Aoterida^thefeweeu the Ariantse and Pacific; Oceans, which i*
proved by my feiiond journal. Nor do I hefitate to declare my decided
opinion, that very great and efefitial ad vantages may be derived by 'ex?
tending bur trade from one fea to the other.
Smatig account of #he fur trade ctf: Canada from that country, of the
native inhabitants, -a n d o f the Cxtenfive diftriC% connected with it,
forms a preliminary difeonufes,; which wffl$: I troft, prove interefting to
a nationwhofegeneral policy is blended with, and whofe pr.ofperity is
fupporteid $>y^ the purfui# df ©bmmerce. It will alfb qualify the reader
to purfue the fucceedingvoyages whh fup^iQr intelligence andfatisfac-
tjon.
■ Thefe>voyages will not, I fear, afford the variety that may be expected
from them ; and that which they offered to the eye, is not o f a
nature