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CHA P. II.

The Northern Part of the AMERICAN Dominions now fubject to GREAT BRITAIN; particularly the Countries bordering on HUDSON's-BAY, CANADA, or the PROVINCE of QUEBEC: the Inlands of! NEWFOUNDLAND, CAPE BRETON, and St. JOHN: NOVA SCOTIA and NEW BRUNSWICK,

The Countries bordering on HUDSON'S-BAY; a particular Account of the Climate, Soil, Vegetables, and Minerals. The late Attempts to trace the Country to the Northwestward, both over Land and by the Coaft. A Defcription of the Beaver.

THE moft northern part of America subject to the English, parti

cularly the countries bordering on Hudfon's-bay, which are fituated between 50 and 70° of N. latitude, and extend between 25° E. and 30° W. longitude, including Hudfon's-bay, are bounded on the N. by unknown lands and feas about the pole; on the E. by the Atlantic Ocean; on the S. by the Gulf of St. Laurence and Canada; and on the W. by an immenfe country, very thinly inhabited by a favage race of Indians. Were we to extend the country claimed by Great Britain, as far as her mariners have difcovered to the N. we might ftretch it to 81° 30' N. latitude; for fo far Captain Hudfon and Captain Baffin failed, and gave their refpective names to the bays.

The knowledge we have obtained of thefe countries, is owing to the repeated attempts that have been made to discover north-weft paffage to the Eaft Indies. But though thefe countries, which extend fixteen hundred miles in length, are claimed by Great Britain, and diflinguifhed by English names, as, the eall coaft of Hudson's-bay by that of New Britain, and the welt by that of New North Wales and New South Wales; yet very little advantage has been made of them, except by the IIudfon's-bay company, who have feveral fettlements on the coaft of Hudfon's-bay.

Formerly the Hudfon's-bay company, jealous of an interference in their monopoly, exerted all their influence to quafh a fpirit of difcovery in thefe regions; and when Captain Christopher Middleton, in confequence of the fanguine hopes entertained by Mr. Dobbs, was fent out, in the year 1741, to trace the coafts to the north-westward, the cause of the failure of that attempt was imputed by fome to the fecret practices of the company. The prefent governor and committee, however, naake amends for the narrow prejudices of their predeceffors, for every thing has been done by them which could be required toward perfecting a fearch for a north-weft paffage. In the year 1761 an unfuccessful attempt was made by order of the company, by a Captain Chriftopher, who repeated his voyage the enfuing fummer, but found neither inlet nor river which could contribute to the interefts of

commerce,

In December 1770, the company caused a journey to be taken by land, which was performed by Mr. Hearne, in the company's fervice, attended by fome trufty northern Indians. In this he was employed more than eighteen months, returning 20th June 1772: in that time he proceeded to lati

tude 72°, and about 25 W. longitude from fort Prince of Waler, from a which he departed. Mr. Hearne travelled 1300 miles before he arrived at 1 the fea; his moft weflern diftance from the cost of Hadfon's-bay was near 600 miles, and a vait tract of continent firetched farther on in that direction, a The moli powerfil race of Indians inhabiting thefe regions are the Arathapofcow. who make continual flaughter among the inferior tribes, of which the in wellward are called Dog-ribbed Indians. Some other tribes he was informed inhabited the country about and beyond the arctic circle; these were called Copper-coloured and Northern Indians.

Whilft Capram Cook was employed in his laft voyage, a confiderable objest of which was to explore the wellern coaft of North America in high la titudes, and to afcertain, if, by means of any large rivers, the interior parts of that continent could be rendered acceflible by thipping, and a communication opened with Lake Superior, the armed brig the Lion was fent out from England, in the fummer of 1776, to Davis's Straits and Balhn's Bay to explore the coals, and obtain a paffage on that fide, with a view to cooperate with Captain Cook, who it is fuppofed would, about that time, be trying for a paffige on the opposite fide of America. This attempt not being made to the fatisfaction of the board of Admiralty, another commander was fent out the next year, in the fame fhip, for the fame purpose; but this voyage proved no more fuisfactory than the former.

So intenfely cold is the climate, that Mr. Ellis, who wintered in a creek, about five miles above York Fort, in only 57° 30′ N. latitude, was fcarce aide to preferve his own life and the lives of his party, although every precaution was taken to fence againft the cold, by conftructing an house of thick pieces of timber, and each crevice clofe ftuffed with mofs, and plaftered over with clay; yet at the beginning of November, the cold became fo intenfe, that all the bottled beer became frozen, although packed up in tow, and placed near a good fire. Abroad, the cold became infupportable, unless they were entirely incaled in the warmeft furs. No kind of liquid indeed could withstand the cold, for brandy, and even fpirits of wine, froze; the latter only to a confiflence of oil. If the men touched iron, or any other folid furface, their fingers were frozen faft to it; and if, in drinking a dram of brandy out of a glats, they chanced to touch the glass with their tongue or lips, in pulling it away the fkin was left upon it.

The hares, rabbits, and partridges, which in fummer are brown and gray, change in winter to white. Every animal is here furnished by rature with extraordinary furs, to refift the cold, which fall off as the warm weather returns; and even this is the cafe with the dogs and cats brought hither from Europe.

In the fouthern part of this conntry the foil is fertile, the furface being a loofe dark mould, under which are layers of different coloured clay.

There are many forts of minerals here; particularly kad and iron ore, and the natives who live to the northward, frequently bring pieces of copper to the factory. There are likewife a great vanery of tales, fpars, and rackcryfials of different colours, as red and white, the former refembling rubies, and the latter, which are very tranfparent, fhooting into pentangular pifins. In the northern parts is found a kind of coal: the ofteftes, or ften flan, is fourd here; and alfo a tone of a black, fmooth, and thening furface, that cafi y fe parates into thin tranfparent leaves, which the natives fe as lookinggalles. The country likewife abounds in various kinds of marble, fome peckled with green, blue, and red, and others prifcftly white.

Among the animals are deer, rabbits, beavers, and other beafts: with a great variety of birds, as fwans, wild-geefe, plover, ducks, and many others that fly to the northward in the fpring to breed, and return to the fouthward in autumn. There are likewife eagles, hawks, partridges, pheafants. crows, and owls.

As the inhabitants of this country are cloathed in the skins of beavers, and as the principal trade confifts in thofe fkins, with which they have fupplied us by means of the Hudfon's-Bay company, it will be proper to give here a defeription of that curious animal. A large beaver is about twenty eight inches in length, from the hind part of the head to the root of the tail, and weighs fixty or feventy pounds, but their colour is different; in fore places they are black, in others white, and in others almofl of the colour of the deer. It is an amphibious animal. The beaver or as it is likewife called, the caflor, lives to a great age; the females generaly bring forth four young ones at a time. Their jaws are furnished with two cutters and eight grinders; the upper cutter is two inches and a half in length, and the lower fomewhat longer, the upper jaw projects over the lower one. The head is fhaped like that of a rat, and is fmall in proportion to its body; its fnout is long, its eyes fmall, and its ears fharp and round its legs are about five inches in length, with paws formed like a man's hand; but the hind feet are webbed like the toes of a goofe. The tail is fhaped like the blade of a paddle, and is four inches broad where it joins to the body, five or fix in the middle, and three at the extremity: it is about fourteen inches in length, and about an inch in thickness. It is covered with a fcaly fkin, the fcales being near a quarter of an inch long, and folded over each other like those of a fish,

The industry, forefight, and good management of thefe animals are extremely furprifing, and fcarce credible to thofe who never faw them. When they want to form a fettlement, three or four, or more of them affemble together, and first pitch upon a place where they may have provifions, fuch as the bark of trees, roots, or grafs, with every thing neceffary for erecting their edifices, which must be furrounded with water; and if their be neither a convenient lake nor pond, they make one by flopping the course of fome brook or river. For this purpofe they cut down trees, above the place where they are refolved to build, and take their measures fo well, as always to make the tree fall toward the water, that they may have the lefs diflance to roll it when they have cut off the branches. This done, they float it to the place appointed, and thefe pieces they cut bigger or lefs to fuit their convenience. Sometimes they nfe the trunks of large trees, which they lay flat in the water at others they faften flakes in the bottom of the channel, and then interweaving fmall branches, fill up the vacancies with clay, mud, and mufs, in fuch a manner as renders the dam very tight and fecure. In thefe works their tails ferve them for carts and trowels, and their teeth for faws and axes; their paws fupply the place of hands, and their feet ferve inflead of cars.

The conftruction of their houfes is no lefs admirable; they are generally built upon piles, at fome diftance from the fhore, but fometimes close to the banks of the river; they first make holes at the bottom of the water for planting fix polls, upon which each of their edifices is built in a moft curious manner; their form is round, with a flat roof; the walls are two feet thick, and fometimes more; they are formed of the fame materials as the dams juft mentioned, and every part is fo well finifhed, that no air can pollibly enter:

about two-thirds of the edifice is raised above the water; in this they lodge, and are careful to keep it clean. They have generally three or four different avenues to each houfe, which they enter under water. To provide provifions against the winter, they draw the flicks they cut from the trees, and thrufling one end into the mud, let them lie under the water to preferve the bark green and tender for their winter provifions. There are fometimes found eight or ten beavers in one houfe, at others not more than three or four; and let them be as numerous as they will, they all lodge upon one floor.

The beavers are excellent food, but the tongue and tail are the mofl delicious parts. The Indians fometimes roall thefe animals in the fame manner as we do pigs, firfl burning off their fur.

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The coalls are frequented by fals, and the rivers and lakes have very large flurgeons, pike, and trout; with two very delicious kinds of fifh, the. one called titymag, the other refembling an ecl, fpotted with yellow and white, and called by the auves muthoy thefe are reckoned fatteft in winterat which feafon they are caught, by making holes in the ice, and letting down a baited hook, at which the fith greedily bites. At the mouths of the rivers, efpecially thofe more to the north, are plenty of fine falmon, trout, and a fish called a fucker, which refembles a carp. There come in with the tide a great number of white whales, which are eafily taken.

The Perfons, Drefs, Manners, Culloms, and Religion of the Indians, on the western coaft of Hudfon's-Bay; with an account of the feveral English Factories there.

THE natives are of the middle fize, and of a copper colour: they

have black eyes, and long, lank, black hair; but their features vary as in Europe. They are of a cheerful difpofition, good-natured, affable, friendly, and honeft in their dealings.

In fummer the men are cloathed in a clofe coat made of a blanket, which they buy of the English fettled in their neighbourhood. They have a pair of leathern flockings, which reach fo high as to ferve alfo for breeches, and they make their fhoes of the fame materials.

The clothes of the women differ from thofe of the men only in their generally wearing a peticoat that in winter comes a little lower than their knees. Their ordinary apparel is made of the skins of deer, otters, or beaver, with the hair or fur or them. The fleves of their upper habit are generally tied on with firings at the fhoulders, fo that their arm-pits, even in the depth of winter, are expofed to the cold, which they imagine contributes to their health their difeafes indeed are but few, and thote chiefly arife from colds caught after drinking fpirituous liquors, which they buy of the English ; and it is a melancholy truth, that thofe who live near the fettlements of the Hudfon's bay company, are, by drunkennefs become meagre, fmall, indolent, and hardly able to encounter the hardflips of the country; while thofe who live at a diflance are hereby, vigorous, and active.

They dwell in tents covered with moote and deer-fkins fewed together. Thefe are of a circular form, probably becaufe fuch form is moll capacious and convenient for their fitting round the tire, which is in the middle. They are formed of poles, which are extended at the Lotom, and that at the top Ian to the centre, where an opening is left to adran the light and let out the fmoke. They firew the floor with the tops of pine trees, and he with their

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