Hudson's-Bay was first explored in 1610, by that enterprising navigator and discoverer, Captain Hudson. Some knowledge, indeed, of these northern regions, had been previously obtained, in consequence of a project formed in England for the discovery of a north-west passage to China and the East Indies. On this enterprise Captain Hudson made three voyages in the years 1607, 1608, 1609, or 1610. This bold able navigator is said to have penetrated as far as 80° 30′ north latitude but it must be candidly confessed that the fact is doubtful: nor can the probability of his progress so far to the northward be reconciled with the best maps that we have of those countries, which, however, must be considered as extremely imperfect. Subsequent attempts were made for further discoveries; and in the month of December, 1770, Mr. Hearne was employed by the Hudson's-Bay Company to under take a journey over land, which seems to have ascertained, in one point at least, the extent of America towards the north. This gentleman, who was extremely well qualified for such an enterprise, proceeded over land with a company of Indians as far as the Copper-mine river, at which he arrived on the 14th of June. 1771, and following it all the way to the sea, found it encumbered throughout all that part of its course with shoals and falls. On the 17th of June he came within view of the sea. The tide was out when he surveyed the mouth of the river; but from the marks on the edge of the ice, he supposed its rise to be about twelve or fourteen feet. As it was then the time of ebb, the water in the river was perfect-" ly fresh. Mr. Hearne, however, was convinced of its being the sea, from the quantity of whale-bone and seal-kins which the Esquimaux had in their tents, and also by the number of seals seen on the ice. At the mouth of the river the sca appeared full of islands and shoals as far as he could see with the assistance of a good pocket telescope. From his account, the mouth of the Copper-mine river appears to be nearly in 72° north latitude, and 119° west longitude. At the distance of a few miles up the river he met with an elevated station, which commanded an extensive view of the sea, of which the coasts towards the right and left bore north-east and northwest by west. It is somewhat singular that this enterprising

traveller, who explored a country totally unknown; neither stayed long enough at the mouth of the river to determine the latitude by observation, and ascertain the height of the tide, nor tasted the water of this sea. The last method would have been the surest means of ascertaining that it was not a vast fresh water lake. It would have afforded a much stronger proof than could be drawn from the view of the whale-bone and seals, as the former might have been procured from some other part; and the latter are not uncommon in the lake of Baikal, in Asia. Mr. Hearne also visited the Copper-mines, about thirty miles south-east from the mouth of the river. The copper is found in lumps, and the Indians beat it out by the help of fire and stones. He appears also to have been the first European who had penetrated to the great lake of Athapuscow, which the natives reported to be 120 leagues in length from east to west, and 20 in breadth. The estimates of savages ignorant of determinate measures, must, however, be very inaccurate. Our traveller describes this lake as stored with a great quantity and variety of fish, and thickly interspersed with islands covered with tall strait trees like masts. The northern shore, according to his account, is rocky: the southern, level and beautiful, affording pasture to many wild cattle and moose deer, the former of which he describes as larger than the black cattle of Great Britain. The animals in general appear to be the same as in the regions contiguous to Hudson's-Bay. The Esquimaux, near the coast of what he conceived to be the Arctic ocean, are of a dirty copper-colour, and of a shorter stature than those more to the south. Their kettles are made of lapis ollaris; and their knives and hatchets of copper. Mr. Hearne finished his adventurous journey the 30th of June, 1772. The great hardships which he had suffered, and the services which he had performed, were suitably rewarded by his employers. He was made governor of Prince of Wales Fort, on Churchill river, where he was made prisoner by the French in 1782.†

* See description of the sea of Baikal, art. Asiatic Russia, from Pallas, Bell, and Tooke. D'Anville appears to have been totally ignorant of this lake. See his Map 1746.

† Morse, p. 111.

The Hudson's-Bay Company established in 1670, claims an extensive territory on the east, south, and west of that inland sea, supposed to reach from 70 to 115 degrees west longitude, and from about 49 degrees north latitude to the shores of the frozen ocean, being not less than 1350 geographical miles in length by an indeterminate breadth. This vast empire of ice and snow can be of little value in regard to its vegetable productions, and in all probability will never be colonized by Europeans or their descendants, unless at some future period convulsions in the more southern parts of America should oblige some fugitives to seek an asylum in those uninviting regions, as it has sometimes been the case in other parts of the globe. These countries are valuable only for their trade in furs, and the fisheries on the coast of Labrador. The Indians, by means of the rivers which discharge themselves into Hudson's-Bay from the west, bring their furs from far distant regions, and barter them at the factories for all kinds of British manufac. ture.* The annual exports of the Company are estimated at 16,000l. and the returns above 30,000l. yielding above 3,7007. to the revenue. This trade is extremely advantageous to Great Britain; for the articles which the Indians take in exchange for their furs, are all of British manufacture, and frequently such as in the mercantile phrase are drugs, those savages not being very nice in their choice. The furs also which are brought to England, furnish articles of an advantageous trade with other nations.

CENTRAL PARTS OF NORTH AMERICA.

THE central parts of North America were almost totally unknown before Mr. Hearne performed his journey. Since that time the still more difficult and laborious enterprises of Mr. Mackenzie have thrown some additional light on their obscure geography. This adventurous traveller, in his two journeys or voyages, for they were both performed mostly in canoes on the rivers, reached the Pacific, and apparently also the Arctic Ocean. He commenced his first voyage in June, 1789. Em

Morse, ubi supra.

barking in a canoe at Fort Chepiwian, he proceeded along the Slave river till he reached the Slave lake, which is evidently the Athapuscow of Mr. Hearne, the centre of which they both fix in 62' north, although they disagree in regard to the longitude, Mr. Hearne fixing it in 125°, and Mr. Mackenzie in 115° west. The latter traveller describes the Slave river as very considerable, and found the lake covered with ice, although in the month of June. He then entered the river now called by his name, and proceeded to its mouth, which appears to open into a wide æstuary, interspersed with islands, where he met with several whales, a sufficient indication of his having reached the sea.* Mr. Mackenzie's whole voyage occupied the space of 102 days, being completed on the 12th of September. On the 10th of October, 1792, he began his second journey from Fort Chepiwian, and proceeded up the Peace river, or Unjiga, in a south-west direction, till he reached the stony mountains. The canoe being with some difficulty transported over the heights, he and his companions embarked on a small river on the western side, which soon brought them into the Ouragan, or Columbia. After proceeding a considerable way on that great western river, Mr. Mackenzie travelled over land to the Pacific Ocean, in 52° 20' north latitude.† In some parts of his route he observed a beautiful and variegated country, consisting of hills and lawns, adorned with groves of poplars, and enlivened with numerous herds of elks on the uplands, and of buffaloes on the plains. Beavers are common in these countries; and the tracks of the moose deer were sometimes discovered. Among the variety of volatiles, the beautiful humming bird sometimes made its appearance. Some of the Indian tribes inhabiting those regions, especially towards the north, were observed to be of a low stature, with round faces, high cheek bones, black hair and eyes, and their complexion of a swarthy yellow. Towards the Pacific Ocean, the people are fairer and taller. One man in particular was

Mackenzie's Trav. p. 64.

† An expedition of discovery has since been fitted out in 1803, by order of Congress: its course was up the Missouri; and the interior was found to be rich in furs, and abundant in timber. Janson's Trav p. 220, &c.

not less than six feet four inches in height. Their eyes are not dark like those of the other Indians, but of a gray colour, with a tinge of red. The dress of the men is only a robe made of the bark of the cedar tree, rendered as fine as hemp, and sometimes adorned with borders of red and yellow. To this robe the women add a short apron. They have canoes, of which some are forty-five feet in length. The regions are watered by several considerable rivers. The principal of those that are known are the Unjuga, which is supposed to run a course of about 1700 British miles before it falls into the Arctic ocean, the Saskashawin, which, rising on the eastern side of the long range of mountains, passes through the great lake of Winnipie, and after a comparative course of not less than 1000 miles, falls into Hudson's Bay, and the Ouregan, or CoJumbia, which, after a course of about 700 miles, discharges itself into the Pacific Ocean. Those rivers, however, are very imperfectly known in geography; and ages may revolve before they acquire any historical or commercial importance.

The countries here imperfectly sketched from scanty materials, are the seats of various native and unconquered tribes. These, however, exhibit only a very small population; and what we have long been accustomed to call Indian nations, are only clans or families, of which the enumeration would be tedious. In a work of this general nature, it suffices to say, that the principal tribes are the Esquimaux, who appear to extend over the whole northern extremity of America, from Greenland to the northern Archipelago. The Iroquois, or Five Nations, are more to the south. The Creeks and Cherokees are in some degree civilized, and will probably in time become intermixed with the people of the United States. To these might be added numerous tribes both in the interior and towards the Pacific Ocean; many of them are totally unkirown to the Europeans, and the knowledge of them would afford little instruction. The manners and customs of the American savages, like those of the Hottentots, have been so often and so amply delineated, that the theme is become obsolete. Their manners and ideas are such as are natural to a savage state. Their wants being few, and their mutual dependence on one another but small, their union is very imperfect, and