THE GREAT EXPLORATION.
Grand Portage on American soil--Anxiety about the
boundary--David Thompson, astronomer and surveyor--His
instructions--By swift canoe--The land of beaver--A dash to the
Mandans--Stone Indian House--Fixes the boundary at Pembina--Sources
of the Mississippi--A marvellous explorer--Pacific slope
explored--Thompson down the Kootenay and Columbia--Fiery Simon
Fraser in New Caledonia--Discovers Fraser River--Sturdy John
Stuart--Thompson River--Bourgeois Quesnel--Transcontinental
expeditions.
A number of events conspired to make it necessary for the North-West
Company to be well acquainted with the location of its forts within the
limits of the territory of the United States, in some parts of which
it carried on operations of trade, and to understand its relation to
the Hudson's Bay Company's territory. The treaty of amity and commerce,
which is usually connected with the name of John Jay, 1794, seemed
to say that all British forts in United States territory were to be
evacuated in two years. This threw the partners at Grand Portage into a
state of excitement, inasmuch as they knew that the very place of their
gathering was on the American side of the boundary line.
DAVID THOMPSON, ASTRONOMER AND SURVEYOR.
At this juncture the fitting instrument appeared at Grand Portage. This
was David Thompson. This gentleman was a Londoner, educated at the Blue
Coat School, in London. Trained thoroughly in mathematics and the use
of astronomical instruments, he had obtained a position in the Hudson's
Bay Company. In the summer of 1795, with three companions, two of them
Indians, he had found his way from Hudson Bay to Lake Athabasca, and
thus showed his capability as an explorer. Returning from his Western
expedition, he reported to Mr. Joseph Colon, the officer in charge at
York Fort, by whose orders he had gone to Athabasca, and expressed
himself as willing to undertake further explorations for the Company.
The answer was curt--to the effect that no more surveys could then be
undertaken by the Company, however desirable. Thompson immediately
decided to seek employment elsewhere in the work for which he was
so well qualified. Leaving the Bay and the Company behind, attended
only by two Indians, he journeyed inland and presented himself at the
summer meeting of the North-West fur-traders at Grand Portage. Without
hesitation they appointed him astronomer and surveyor of the North-West
Company.
Astronomer Thompson's work was well mapped out for him.
(1) He was instructed to survey the forty-ninth parallel of latitude.
This involved a question which had greatly perplexed the diplomatists,
viz. the position of the source of the Mississippi. Many years after
this date it was a question to decide which tributary is the source of
the Mississippi, and to this day there is a difference of opinion on the
subject, i.e. which of the lakes from which different branches spring is
the true source of the river. The fact that the sources were a factor in
the settling of the boundary line of this time made it necessary to have
expert testimony on the question such as could be furnished by a survey
by Thompson.
(2) The surveyor was to go to the Missouri and visit the ancient
villages of the natives who dwelt there and who practised agriculture.
(3) In the interests of science and history, to inquire for the fossils
of large animals, and to search for any monuments that might throw a
light on the ancient state of the regions traversed.
(4) It was his special duty to determine the exact position of the posts
of the North-West Company visited by him, and all agents and employés
were instructed to render him every assistance in his work.
Astronomer Thompson only waited the departure of one of the Great
Northern brigades to enter upon the duties of his new office. These
departures were the events of the year, having in the eyes of the
fur-traders something of the nature of a caravan for Mecca about
them. Often a brigade consisted of eight canoes laden with goods and
well-manned. The brigade which Thompson accompanied was made up of four
canoes under trader McGillies, and was ready to start on August 9th,
1796. He had taken the observation for Grand Portage and found it to be
48 deg. (nearly) N. latitude and 89 deg. 3´ 4´´ (nearly) W. longitude.
He was now ready with his instruments--a sextant of ten inches radius,
with quicksilver and parallel glasses, an excellent achromatic
telescope, one of the smaller kind, drawing instruments, and a
thermometer, and all of these of the best make. The portage was wearily
trudged, and in a few days, after a dozen shorter portages, the height
of land was reached in 48 deg. N. latitude, and here begins the flow of
water to Hudson Bay. It was accordingly the claim of the Hudson's Bay
Company that their territory extended from this point to the Bay. At the
outlet of Rainy Lake still stood a trading post, where Verendrye had
founded his fort, and the position of this was determined, 48 deg. 1´
2´´ N. latitude. In this locality was also a post of the Hudson's Bay
Company.
No post seems at this time to have been in use on Rainy River or Lake
of the Woods by any of the trading companies, though it will be seen
that the X Y Company was at this date beginning its operations. At the
mouth of the Winnipeg River, however, there were two establishments, the
one known as Lake Winnipeg House, or Bas de la Rivière, an important
distributing point, now found to be in 50 deg. 1´ 2´´ N. latitude.
There was also near by it the Hudson's Bay Company post, founded in the
previous year.
Thompson, being in company with his brigade, which was going to the west
of Lake Manitoba, coasted along Lake Winnipeg, finding it dangerous
to cross directly, and after taking this roundabout, in place of the
127 miles in a straight line, reached what is now known as the Little
Saskatchewan River on the west side of Lake Winnipeg.
Going by the little Saskatchewan River through its windings and across
the meadow portage, he came to Lake Winnipegoosis and, northward along
its western coast, reached Swan River, the trappers' paradise. Swan
River post was twelve miles up the river from its mouth, and was found
to be in 52 deg 24´ N. latitude. Crossing over to the Assiniboine (Stone
Indian) River, he visited several posts, the most considerable being
Fort Tremblant (Poplar Fort), which some think had its name changed to
Fort Alexandria in honour of Sir Alexander Mackenzie.
John McDonnell, North-West trader of this period, says:--"Fort Tremblant
and the temporary posts established above it furnished most of the
beaver and otter in the Red River returns, but the trade has been almost
ruined since the Hudson's Bay Company entered the Assiniboine River by
the way of Swan River, carrying their merchandise from one river to the
other on horseback--three days' journey--who by that means, and the
short distance between Swan River and their factory at York Fort, from
whence they are equipped, can arrive at the _coude de l'homme_ (a river
bend or angle) in the Assiniboine River, a month sooner than we can
return from Grand Portage, secure the fall trade, give credits to the
Indians, and send them to hunt before our arrival; so that we see but
few in that quarter upon our arrival."
The chief trader of this locality was Cuthbert Grant, who, as before
mentioned, was a man of great influence in the fur trade.
The astronomer next went to the Fort between the Swan and Assiniboine
Rivers, near the spot where the famous Fort Pelly of the present day
is situated. Taking horses, a rapid land journey was made to Belleau's
Fort, lying in 53 deg. N. latitude (nearly).
The whole district is a succession of beaver meadows, and had at this
time several Hudson's Bay Company posts, as already mentioned. Thompson
decided to winter in this beaver country, and when the following summer
had fairly set in with good roads and blossoming prairies, he came,
after journeying more than 200 miles southward, to the Qu'Appelle River
post, which was at that time under a trader named Thorburn. Thompson was
now fairly on the Assiniboine River, and saw it everywhere run through
an agreeable country with a good soil and adapted to agriculture.
Arrived at Assiniboine House, he found it in charge of John McDonnell,
brother of the well-known Miles McDonnell, who, a few years later,
became Lord Selkirk's first governor on Red River. Ensconcing himself
in the comfortable quarters at Assiniboine House, Thompson wrote up in
ink his journals, maps, astronomical observations, and sketches which he
had taken in crayon, thus giving them more permanent form. He had now
been in the employ of the North-West Company a full year, and in that
time had been fully gratified by the work he had done and by the cordial
reception given him in all the forts to which he had gone.
Assiniboine House, or, as he called it, Stone Indian House, was found to
be a congenial spot. It was on the north side of the Assiniboine River,
not far from where the Souris River empties its waters into the larger
stream, though the site has been disputed.
One of the astronomer's clearly defined directions was to visit the
Mandan villages on the Missouri River. He was now at the point when this
could be accomplished, although the time chosen by him, just as winter
was coming on, was most unsuitable. His journey reminds us of that made
by Verendrye to the Mandans in 1738.
The journey was carefully prepared for. With the characteristic
shrewdness of the North-West Company, it was so planned as to require
little expenditure. Thompson was to be accompanied chiefly by
free-traders, i.e. by men to whom certain quantities of goods would be
advanced by the Company. By the profits of this trade expenses would be
met. The guide and interpreter was René Jussaume (a man of very doubtful
character), who had fallen into the ways of the Western Indians. He had
lived for years among the Mandans, and spoke their language. Another
free-trader, Hugh McCracken, an Irishman, also knew the Mandan country,
while several French Canadians, with Brossman, the astronomer's servant
man, made up the company. Each of the traders took a credit from Mr.
McDonnell of from forty to fifty skins in goods. Ammunition, tobacco,
and trinkets, to pay expenses, were provided, and Thompson was supplied
with two horses, and his chief trader, Jussaume, with one. The men had
their own dogs to the number of thirty, and these drew goods on small
sleds. Crossing the Assiniboine, the party started south-westward, and
continued their journey for thirty-three days, with the thermometer
almost always below zero and reaching at times 36 deg. below. The
journey was a most dangerous and trying one and covered 280 miles.
Thompson found that some Hudson's Bay traders had already made flying
visits to the Mandans. On his return, Thompson's itinerary was, from the
Missouri till he reached the angle of the Souris River, seventy miles,
where he found abundant wood and shelter, and then to the south end
of Turtle Mountain, fourteen miles. Leaving Turtle Mountain, his next
station was twenty-four miles distant at a point on the Souris where an
outpost of Assiniboine House, known as Ash House, had been established.
Another journey of forty-five miles brought the expedition back to the
hospitable shelter of Mr. McDonnell at Stone Indian House. Thompson now
calculated the position of this comfortable fort and found it to be 49
deg. 41´ (nearly) N. latitude and 101 deg. 1´ 4´´ (nearly) W. longitude.
The astronomer, after spending a few weeks in making up his notes
and surveys, determined to go eastward and undertake the survey of
the Red River. On February 26th, 1798, he started with three French
Canadians and an Indian guide. Six dogs drew three sleds laden with
baggage and provisions. The company soon reached the sand hills, then
called the Manitou Hills, from some supposed supernatural agency in
their neighbourhood. Sometimes on the ice, and at other times on the
north shore of the Assiniboine to avoid the bends of the river, the
party went, experiencing much difficulty from the depth of the snow.
At length, after journeying ten days over the distance of 169 miles,
the junction of the Assiniboine and Red River, at the point where now
stands the city of Winnipeg, was reached. There was no trading post here
at the time. It seems somewhat surprising that what became the chief
trading centre of the company, Fort Garry, during the first half of this
century should, up to the end of the former century, not have been taken
possession of by any of the three competing fur companies.
Losing no time, Thompson began, on March 7th, the survey, and going
southward over an unbroken trail, with the snow three feet deep, reached
in seven days Pembina Post, then under the charge of a leading French
trader of the company, named Charles Chaboillez. Wearied with a journey
of some sixty-four miles, which had, from the bad road, taken seven
days, Thompson enjoyed the kind shelter of Pembina House for six days.
This house was near the forty-ninth parallel and was one of the especial
points he had been appointed to determine. He found Pembina House to be
in latitude 48 deg. 58´ 24´´ N., so that it was by a very short distance
on the south side of the boundary line. Thompson marked the boundary,
so that the trading post might be removed, when necessary, to the north
side of the line. A few years later, the observation taken by Thompson
was confirmed by Major Long on his expedition of 1823, but the final
settlement of where the line falls was not made till the time of the
boundary commission of 1872.
Pushing southward in March, the astronomer ascended Red River to the
trading post known as Upper Red River, near where the town of Grand
Forks, North Dakota, stands to-day. Here he found J. Baptiste Cadot,
probably the son of the veteran master of Sault Ste. Marie, who so long
clung to the flag of the Golden Lilies.
Thompson now determined to survey what had been an object of much
interest, the lake which was the source of the great River Mississippi.
To do this had been laid upon him in his instructions from the
North-West Company. Making a détour from Grand Forks, in order to avoid
the ice on the Red Lake River, he struck the upper waters of that
river, and followed the banks until he reached Red Lake in what is now
North-Eastern Minnesota. Leaving this lake, he made a portage of six
miles to Turtle Lake, and four days later reached the point considered
by him to be the source of the Mississippi. Turtle Lake, at the time of
the treaty of 1783, was supposed to be further north than the north-west
angle of the Lake of the Woods. This arose, Thompson tells us, from the
voyageurs counting a pipe to a league, at the end of which time it was
the fur-traders' custom to take a rest. Each pipe, that is, the length
of time taken to smoke a pipe, however, was nearer two miles than
three, so that the head waters of the Mississippi had been counted 128
miles further north than Thompson found them to be. It is to be noted,
however, that the Astronomer Thompson was wrong in making Turtle Lake
the source of the Mississippi. The accredited source of the Mississippi
was discovered, as we shall afterwards see, in July, 1832, to be Lake
Itasca, which lies about half a degree south-west of Turtle Lake.
Thompson next visited Red Cedar Lake, in the direction of Lake Superior.
Here he found a North-West trading house, Upper Red Cedar House, under
the command of a partner, John Sayer, whose half-blood son afterward
figured in Red River history. He found that Sayer and his men passed the
winter on wild rice and maple sugar as their only food.
Crossing over to Sand Lake River, Mr. Thompson found a small post of
the North-West Company, and, descending this stream, came to Sand Lake.
By portage, reaching a small stream, a tributary of St. Louis River, he
soon arrived at that river itself, with its rapids and dalles, and at
length reached the North-West trading post near the mouth of the river,
where it joined the Fond du Lac.
Having come to Lake Superior, the party could only obtain a dilapidated
northern canoe, but with care it brought them, after making an enormous
circuit and accomplishing feats involving great daring and supreme
hardship, along the north shore of the lake to Grand Portage. On hearing
his report of two years' work, the partners, at the annual meeting at
Grand Portage, found they had made no mistake in their appointment, and
gave him the highest praise.
The time had now come, after the union of the North-West Company and
the X Y Company, for pushing ahead the great work in their hands and
examining the vast country across the Rocky Mountains. The United
Company in 1805 naturally took up what had been planned several years
before, and sent David Thompson up the Saskatchewan to explore the
Columbia River and examine the vast "sea of mountains" bordering on the
Pacific Ocean. The other partner chosen was Simon Fraser, and his orders
were to go up the Peace River, cross the Rockies, and explore the region
from its northern side. We shall see how well Fraser did his part, and
meanwhile we may follow Thompson in his journey.
In 1806, we find that he crossed the Rockies and built in the following
year a trading-house for the North-West Company on the Lower Columbia.
Thompson called his trading post Kootenay House, and indeed his
persistent use of the term "Kootenay" rather than "Columbia," which he
well knew was the name of the river, is somewhat remarkable. Coming over
the pass during the summer he returned to Kootenay House and wintered
there in 1807-1808. During the summer of 1808, he visited possibly Grand
Portage, certainly Fort Vermilion. Fort Vermilion, a short distance
above the present Fort Pitt, was well down the north branch of the
Saskatchewan River, and on his way to it, Thompson would pass Fort
Augustus, a short distance below where Edmonton now stands, as well as
Fort George.
He left Fort Vermilion in September, and by October 21st, the
Saskatchewan being frozen over, he laid up canoes for the winter, and
taking horses, crossed the Rocky Mountains, took to canoes on the
Columbia River again, and on November 10th arrived at his fort of
Kootenay House, where he wintered. On this journey, Thompson discovered
Howse's Pass, which is about 52 deg. N. latitude.
In 1809, Thompson determined on extending his explorations southward on
the Columbia River. A short distance south of the international boundary
line, he built a post in September of that year. He seems to have spent
the winter of this year in trying new routes, some of which he found
impracticable, and can hardly be said to have wintered at any particular
spot. In his pilgrimage, he went up the Kootenay River, which he called
McGillivray's River, in honour of the famous partner, but the name has
not been retained. Hastening to his post of Kootenay House, he rested a
day, and travelling by means of canoes and horses, in great speed came
eastward and reached Fort Augustus, eight days out from Kootenay, June
22nd, 1810. From this point he went eastward, at least as far as Rainy
Lake, leaving his "little family" with his sister-in-law, a Cree woman,
at Winnipeg River House.
Returning, he started on October 10th, 1810, for Athabasca. He
discovered the Athabasca Pass on the "divide," and on July 3rd, 1811,
started to descend the Columbia, and did so, the first white man, as far
as Lewis River, from which point Lewis and Clark in 1805, having come
over the Rocky Mountains, had preceded him to the sea. Near the junction
of the Spokane River with the Columbia, he erected a pole and tied
to it a half-sheet of paper, claiming the country north of the forks
as British territory. This notice was seen by a number of the Astor
employés, for Ross states that he observed it in August, with a British
flag flying upon it. Thompson's name among the Indians of the coast was
"Koo-Koo-Suit."
Ross Cox states that "in the month of July, 1811, Mr. David Thompson,
Astronomer to the North-West Company, of which he was also a proprietor,
arrived with nine men in a canoe at Astoria from the interior. This
gentleman came on a voyage of discovery to the Columbia, preparatory to
the North-West Company forming a settlement at the mouth of the river.
He remained at Astoria until the latter end of July, when he took his
departure for the interior."
Thompson was thus disappointed on finding the American company installed
at the mouth of the Columbia before him, but he re-ascended the river
and founded two forts on its banks at advantageous points.
Thompson left the western country with his Indian wife and children soon
after this, and in Eastern Canada, in 1812-13, prepared a grand map of
the country, which adorned for a number of years the banqueting-room of
the bourgeois at Fort William and is now in the Government buildings at
Toronto.
In 1814 he definitely left the upper country, and was employed by the
Imperial Government in surveying a part of the boundary line of the
United States and Canada. He also surveyed the watercourses between the
Ottawa River and Georgian Bay. He lived for years at the River Raisin,
near Williamstown, in Upper Canada, and was very poor. At the great
age of eighty-seven, he died at Longueil. He was not appreciated as he
deserved. His energy, scientific knowledge, experience, and successful
work for the Company for sixteen years make him one of the most notable
men of the period.
SIMON FRASER, FUR-TRADER AND EXPLORER.
As we have seen, the entrance by the northern access to the Pacific
slope was confided to Simon Fraser, and we may well, after considering
the exploits of David Thompson, refer to those of his colleague in the
service.
Simon Fraser, one of the most daring of the fur-traders, was the son
of a Scottish U.E. Loyalist,[4] who was captured by the Americans at
Burgoyne's surrender and who died in prison. The widowed mother took her
infant boy to Canada, and lived near Cornwall. After going to school,
the boy, who was of the Roman Catholic faith, entered the North-West
Company at the age of sixteen as a clerk, and early became a bourgeois
of the Company. His administrative ability led to his being appointed
agent at Grand Portage in 1797. A few years afterwards, Fraser was
sent to the Athabasca region, which was at that time the point aimed
at by the ambitious and determined young Nor'-Westers. By way of Peace
River, he undertook to make his journey to the west side of the Rocky
Mountains. Leaving the bulk of his command at the Rocky Mountain
portage, he pushed on with six men, and reaching the height of land,
crossed to the lake, which he called McLeod's in honour of his prominent
partner, Archibald Norman McLeod. Stationing three men at this point,
Fraser returned to his command and wintered there.
In the spring of 1806 he passed through the mountains, and came upon a
river, which he called Stuart River. John Stuart, who was at that time
a clerk, was for thirty years afterwards identified with the fur trade.
Stuart Lake, in British Columbia, was also called after him. On the
Stuart River, Fraser built a post, which, in honour of his fatherland,
he called New Caledonia, and this probably led to this great region on
the west of the mountains being called New Caledonia. Stuart was left in
charge of this post, and Fraser went west to a lake, which since that
time has been called Fraser Lake. He returned to winter at the new fort.
Fraser's disposition to explore and his success thus far led the
Company to urge their confrère to push on and descend the great River
Tacouche Tesse, down which Alexander Mackenzie had gone for some
distance, and which was supposed to be the Columbia. It was this
expedition which created Fraser's fame. The orders to advance had been
brought to him in two canoes by two traders, Jules Maurice Quesnel and
(Hugh) Faries.
Leaving behind Faries with two men in the new fort, Fraser, at the mouth
of the Nechaco or Stuart River, where afterward stood Fort George,
gathered his expedition, and was ready to depart on his great, we may
well call it terrific, voyage, down the river which since that time
has borne his name. His company consisted of Stuart, Quesnel, nineteen
voyageurs, and two Indians, in four canoes. It is worthy of note that
John Stuart, who was Fraser's lieutenant, was in many ways the real
leader of the expedition. Having been educated in engineering, Stuart,
by his scientific knowledge, was indispensable to the exploring party.
On May 22nd a start was made from the forks. We have in Masson's first
volume preserved to us Simon Fraser's journal of this remarkable voyage,
starting from the Rockies down the river. The keynote to the whole
expedition is given us in the seventh line of the journal. "Having
proceeded about eighteen miles, we came to a strong rapid which we
ran down, nearly wrecking one of our canoes against a precipice which
forms the right bank of the river." A succession of rapids, overhung by
enormous heights of perpendicular rocks, made it almost as difficult
to portage as it would have been to risk the passage of the canoes and
their loads down the boiling cauldron of the river.
Nothing can equal the interest of hearing in the explorer's own words
an incident or two of the journey. On the first Wednesday of June he
writes: "Leaving Mr. Stuart and two men at the lower end of the rapid
in order to watch the motions of the natives, I returned with the other
four men to the camp. Immediately on my arrival I ordered the five men
out of the crews into a canoe lightly loaded, and the canoe was in a
moment under way. After passing the first cascade she lost her course
and was drawn into the eddy, whirled about for a considerable time,
seemingly in suspense whether to sink or swim, the men having no power
over her. However, she took a favourable turn, and by degrees was led
from this dangerous vortex again into the stream. In this manner she
continued, flying from one danger to another, until the last cascade but
one, where in spite of every effort the whirlpools forced her against
a low projecting rock. Upon this the men debarked, saved their own
lives, and continued to save the property, but the greatest difficulty
was still ahead, and to continue by water would be the way to certain
destruction.
"During this distressing scene, we were on the shore looking on and
anxiously concerned; seeing our poor fellows once more safe afforded
us as much satisfaction as to themselves, and we hastened to their
assistance; but their situation rendered our approach perilous and
difficult. The bank was exceedingly high and steep, and we had to
plunge our daggers at intervals into the ground to check our speed, as
otherwise we were exposed to slide into the river. We cut steps in the
declivity, fastened a line to the front of the canoe, with which some of
the men ascended in order to haul it up, while the others supported it
upon their arms. In this manner our situation was most precarious; our
lives hung, as it were, upon a thread, as the failure of the line, or
a false step of one of the men, might have hurled the whole of us into
eternity. However, we fortunately cleared the bank before dark."
Every day brought its dangers, and the progress was very slow. Finding
the navigation impossible, on the 26th Fraser says: "As for the road
by land, we could scarcely make our way with even only our guns. I
have been for a long period among the Rocky Mountains, but have never
seen anything like this country. It is so wild that I cannot find
words to describe our situation at times. We had to pass where no
human being should venture; yet in those places there is a regular
footpath impressed, or rather indented upon the very rocks by frequent
travelling. Besides this, steps which are formed like a ladder by poles
hanging to one another, crossed at certain distances with twigs, the
whole suspended from the top, furnish a safe and convenient passage
to the natives down these precipices; but we, who had not had the
advantage of their education and experience, were often in imminent
danger, when obliged to follow their example."
On the right, as the party proceeded along the river, a considerable
stream emptied in, to which they gave the name Shaw's River, from one of
the principal wintering partners.
Some distance down, a great river poured in from the left, making
notable forks. Thinking that likely the other expedition by way of the
Saskatchewan might be on the upper waters of that river at the very
time, they called it Thompson River, after the worthy astronomer, and it
has retained the name ever since.
But it would be a mistake to think that the difficulties were passed
when the forks of the Thompson River were left behind. Travellers on
the Canadian-Pacific Railway of to-day will remember the great gorge of
the Fraser, and how the railway going at dizzy heights, and on strong
overhanging ledges of rock, still fills the heart with fear.
On July 2nd the party reached an arm of the sea and saw the tide ebbing
and flowing, showing them they were near the ocean. They, however,
found the Indians at this part very troublesome. Fraser was compelled
to follow the native custom, "and pretended to be in a violent passion,
spoke loud, with vehement gestures, exactly in their own way, and thus
peace and tranquillity were instantly restored."
The explorer was, however, greatly disappointed that he had been
prevented by the turbulence of the natives from going down the arm
of the sea and looking out upon the Pacific Ocean. He wished to take
observations on the sea coast. However, he got the latitude, and knowing
that the Columbia is 45 deg. 20´ N., he was able to declare that the
river he had followed was not the Columbia. How difficult it is to
distinguish small from great actions! Here was a man making fame for all
time, and the idea of the greatness of his work had not dawned upon him.
A short delay, and the party turned northward on July 4th, and with many
hardships made their way up the river. On their ascent few things of
note happened, the only notable event being the recognition of the fame
of the second bourgeois, Jules Quesnel, by giving his name to a river
flowing into the Fraser River from the east. The name is still retained,
and is also given to the lake which marks the enlargement of the river.
On August 6th, the party rejoined Faries and his men in the fort on
Stuart Lake. The descent occupied forty-two days, and, as explorers have
often found in such rivers as the Fraser, the ascent took less time than
the descent. In this case, their upward journey was but of thirty-three
days.
Fraser returned to the east in the next year and is found in 1811 in
charge of the Red River district, two years afterward in command on the
Mackenzie River, and at Fort William on Lake Superior, in 1816, when the
Fort was taken by Lord Selkirk. After retiring, he lived at St. Andrews
on the Ottawa and died at the advanced age of eighty-six, having been
known as one of the most noted and energetic fur-traders in the history
of the companies.
Thus we have seen the way in which these two kings of adventure--Fraser
and Thompson--a few years after Sir Alexander Mackenzie, succeeded amid
extraordinary hardships in crossing to the Western Sea. The record
of the five transcontinental expeditions of these early times is as
follows:--
(1) Alexander Mackenzie, by the Tacouche Tesse and Bellacoola River,
1793.
(2) Lewis and Clark, the American explorers, by the Columbia River, 1805.
(3) Simon Fraser by the river that bears his name, formerly the Tacouche
Tesse, 1808.
(4) David Thompson, by the Columbia River, 1811.
(5) The overland party of Astorians, by the Columbia, 1811.
These expeditions shed a flood of glory on the Anglo-Saxon name and
fame.
FOOTNOTE:
[4] The United Empire Loyalists were those British patriots who left
the United States after the Revolution.