SEA
er.
Knife.
Begh ............... RE D
Milano BOL OT CAO:
Vés-outhlablisssscommandanse, BUHdINL Taidedssera nsiimnisststesesse DIanket.
No other name known for... Clothes.
el anses QADOR Thobinnsmaraanditonenmnner MORIN KRat-AAlsstous sie ni NON:
Roth iSiT saura bsssesdssss: DELOTÉ.
Nau-dai-zy ....... iearsastnct JATTET, Dai-ve-engh ss sn Here.
Ai-yid Haas TOBTE, Dhellé ia haies MOBteTOUT.
Tea BhON rareté NOT E-haw-yawt-zet-hee .........,......... Quarrel. BURBZ ee snsenirncdesriiasetatsus MIROLINE, Kool meet ... Spear.
KeTI-HéN-66: soisssioicsnes ea does sers CUATA, Beb-deet-tlihn ........................., Distress. Nau-kaw-nai .…..........,.....,... Enemy.
Bidab yen etes PIPQO Ee-ai-deet-ee ..................,,.,....... Slave. Bai-kaw-ho-thid-du...…..................... Chief. Adeebifs scsi ess esse WU, Enthlingeé issues. On:
ANR Orne res EWO:
LAMABHAE E renresharntnitses LRPEÉ:
INR VER nérminatasmemisuson OUT El-lau-ke-thee..…......................….. Five. Bbcitau-gee iris DIR Et-ci-ting-gee ........................… Seven. Tlaw-citing-gee..…..........,.....… Eight.
Kallaw-ko-nen-no... ...........…......... Nine.
104 W. F. WENTZEL'S Koons ss séismes LOI M of vi Auuk-ee-ko-nen-n0................. … Twenty. many dis Taw-ghee-ko-nen-no ...... miettes Thirty. D de and Ting-ghee-ko-nen-n0............,.......... Forty. bublicatic NINNL EE Y scissessssnnas sresésse YOU DOBiT: j: hurt, wil ER ROBdAN sine Ended. TE nundate Tlegh-hé RES coins VO Mhe mole Heel-ai ...... d'État ds dass dater entite No. of the cou Tow-an-nee.........……. NE ET sie How. The res! Et-law-ho ......…. Msn. NV NET, of the Nor TINENALLOB.. sos coscvtene rs …....…….…... Where. Mare too fi Ve HlB ss rms ame NN AA Mo enjoy !] Men denses anna Né his public Did di-zin-na ....... éiatetanessissstse TOUAY, urnish the Sa-chongh-ai ........... MR ns nee To-morrow. Mention th Noble issue dre PRISE RES PE Look. jy the acc Nin-ni-net-ci............…. PP AS NE Yours. btain subs Et-lau-ee-taw............. RS DRE Le With what. I could a Ko-yau-gai Miss hr Under. cur to an Ko-dau-gai dr ti den rer eentet DO: Setween th
Mnder the c ose of th pme time L M However, Bent which ons {Oo yo
This, dear sir, is an authentic accouut of this country and if
inhabitants with à few hints on some Indians who aïe not unk
its immediate dependency, upon which 1 might have enlarg had not the scarcity of paper obliged me to put an end tot letter.
If T attempted this imperfect description it was not will bi : us : : rats à ; Dubts and view of gaining praise to myself or giving information to vi :
. , oundless a sir, but as I have already observed, to show with what read | eeM 1$ sin
Bpect,
I should always attend your wishes. But were I to declani
favor of this undertaking of which you are pleased Lo deg
my opinion il), 1 would abuse your confidence and comm
(1) Mr. Roderiek MeKenzie had the intention of publishirg a History of the \
West Company ; see: “ Reminiscences.”?
Bat of violence against my own sentiments. TI conceive that many disadvantages must naturally arise to the detriment of Pirade and injurious to the true welfare of the Company from its ublication. Contentions wul revive, and commerce already gin. Burt, will then be ruined; swarms of adventurers will, I fear, nundate the North. Those whose rewards are still buried under he mole of a beaver lodge, cr wandering over the remote deserts of the country, will then but too severely feel its effects. | The restlesness of people’s ambitious notions of the treasures pf the North-West will again revive, and enterprising geniuses ». Mare too frequently exhibited in these times for us Norwegians Mo enjoy the swects of peace for any length of time. Besides, his publication, when handled with a masterly pen, will at once
y urnish them with a guide, an interpreter and a preceptor, not to TrOW. Mention the immediate advantages which will accrue to them
by the accuracy of the descriptions of places the most likely to
s Bbtain subsistance from, and most favorable to traders. what. I could add many others of a like nature which must infallibly r cur to any person concerned who reflects on the late contests
Between the North-West Company and the X. Y. Company
nier the consequences of which the interests of commerce and country an ie hose of the companies still groan, and from which it will be HO/aie RO! Le Mme time before we recover.
it have enr However, as I am somewhat doubtful about my own judg- DH Are Bent which I do not believe infallible, [ submit these considera-
il ons to your better judgment and experience, hoping that my ras not will | | |
Wé ï bubts and fears with respect to its consequences may be as formation 0 Vi
th what readin
to I to declare
buadless as my ardent desire to deserve your confidence and eem is sincere. Being at the same time with deference and spect, à pleased 10 des 4 Dear Sir,
AG COR Your most devoted and humble servant,
a History of the \'4SSS
FEnD. WENTZEL.
Starvation.
LETTER No. 4.
McKenzie River, April 30th, 1811, Mr. McKenzie,
Dear Sir,
Depending entirely on your generosity for forgiveness in no writing so fully as might have been expected from a persm buried as we are in this country, I beg ieave to state Drieir that 1 am gratefully sensible of your kindness towards me an hope for a continuance of your good will.
This last winter has been the most melancholy and mo disasirous that could ever have befallen to any one single ma to support without becoming torpidly stupid or totally sense. less. (1) Our distresses and sufferings have been so great, ihat, di four Christians who were left at this establishment last Fall | am the only survivor, and in a state more easily conceived th described, when TI inform you that, from the 13th of December 1810 to the 12th January, we knew, nor saw any kind of me but dressed moose deer skins and green parchment skins. À! this date we received only seven plues (2) of fresh meat and wer upon this little supply no less than eight mouths, of cours i was but twc meals.
From that period to the 11th of March, we lived upon nothix else but dried beaver skins ; our number was then increased thirteen, and fifteen during the space of twenty-two days. W destroyed in order to keep ourselves alive upward of th
(1) See : Mr. Keith’s letter, 5th January, 1812, from Great Bear Lake.
(2) The value of seven beaver skins.
4 the snow
2 fortune !
2e vould red
BP Canadian Fe
+ 4 Banque du Pe
hundre
EA that tir DE interva All my drier à , Henry, [am have st news y the maj of Nove clothing Hares
2 and larg particula ever yet four anc
My ow
in reflecti
my only
animal to
But, to us Eshould I Could
(1) Large (2) Cooloo, (3) Mr. J
“daughters stil
L 30th, 1811.
iveness In not from a person ») state brielr wards me an
holy and mo ne single ml * totally sente.
o great, Uat, 0!
ent last Fall] conceived thal h of Decemb
kind of met nent skins. À!
meat and \Wêr
ar Lake.
s, of cour À
Bd upon notlile en increased two days. \£
pward of thrit
hundred beaver skins besides a few Lynx and otter skins. Since that time to the present day we have a meal now and then; at
intervals we are still two or three days without anything
All my men are dead of starvation, viz: Louis LeMai dit Poudrier and one of his children, François Pilon and William
. Henry, my hunter.
[ am unable to describe my own position; all my Indians
have starved more or less ; from one small band only, I received
news yesterday evening that five were dead of hunger; but of the majority of the Natives, I have not heard of since the month of November, they were already at that period gnawing the clothing they had upon themselves.
Hares have totally failed throughout all parts of the country and large cattle (1) have been uncommonly scarce at this place in particular, and the cold has been, this winter, the severest I'have ever yet known. The ice on the Grand River is no less than four and a half to five feet thick, and at this late date none of the snow has yet disappeared in the woods.
My own position is yet precarious tho’ I support my feelings Musie in in reflecting that no blame can attach to me; these ihoughts are est.
my only comfort. I am quite alone at the Fort, not even an animal to keep me company. Such are the vicissitudes fickle fortune ! a place where TI had never great cause to © aplain! But, to use an Indian phrase, Cooloo, (2) T am still a ve, why
| should I complain.
Could I persuade myself that my little friend Johnny (3)
would recollect me, [ should request a few new anes of him
(1) Large game, (2) Cooloo, ‘tit is indifferent,*” ‘‘ qu’importe.’?
(5) Mr. John McKenzie, son of the Hon. Roderic MceKenzie, Lieutenant in the
#Canadian Fencibles and for many years post-master at Terrebonne, One of his duughters still lives in Torrebonne ; another is married to Mr. Mereil, tuiler in the
anque du Peuple at Montrerl.
108 W. F. WENTZELS
for which I would make any return in my power I have som: music to which he is welcome by only sending a note, fx] have entirely given up the flute and only scrape, now anû then, on the fiddle. I beg you will please remember me to him; Wen I a better scholar I would offer myself to begin an acquaintnn by letter with him, but I know my inability. I am an Indy he is à Christian, he will not like such a rough correspondent.
CRELEREEELEEEENEEEEPTNTINTS CCEREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEE EEEEEEEEET) CRREEEEEELEEEEET]
Remaining with the utmost respect, Mr. MacK
Your most obedient tho’ feeble servant, be | TZEL Wii. FERD. WENYTzœL The aff;
Ehe same | Of returns Arather moi Mbrpect a D de prin
onvinced DS hat di BBentlomon
Athabasl
ndians Cor Wined the ring o nl and, in th Dent at Sa e first inst
en
cl 1) The destr
nie reckicsi
. Lhave som 1g a note, for!
now and the, , to him; we n acquaintané am an Indin, orrespondent.
LETTER No. 5.
MacKenzie River, Department Great Bear Lake,
A RS DMr MacKenzie, ble servant, De
ERD. WVENTIEL The affairs of the Concern in this Department are yet much on Dissatisfieq
; : 4 Indians.
he same footing they were the preceding year; thi° appearances Bof returns last Fall throughout all Athabaska were, however,
rather more promising, (particularly in this quarter where we
Mbxpect a good increase), considering the melancholy destruction
on Soit oh SPP
D£ the principal establishment last winter. We are at present onvinced that the Indians trading there were the perpetrators
MBf hat disaster {1}, Some proposals were made among the
Mbentiemen Proprietors to retaliate, but it proceeded no further. Athabaska itself is in fact dwindling down to nothing. The ndians complain of the want of beaver, (the Iroquois having
Wined the country) (?)}, and they formed a conspiracy last
; bring to massacre all the Whites of Fort Chipewean and Big
: land, in the Peace River, as well as Moose Deer Island Establish-
À # ent at Slave Lake. The Chipewean tribe appears to have been e first instigators, and altho’ the affair seems to have been laid
+ K1) The destruction of Fort Nelson ; sce Mr. Keïth’s letter of the 15th January,
re 2) The North-Westers often took up [roquois Indians with them as hunters, to vide (he trading posts with game. These Indians having no interest in the country ÆMntcl reckics:iy and at all seasons, and were much disliked in the North-West,
aside and forgotten, still we are alive to the most painful app. ay to C ad therc bld usele:
he old s books ant Mr. MeLe alter to n
The At but alimos ound. 1H
hensions for the safety of our lives. In this quarter, about ty
same time, the Loucheux {1} were near creating an uproar at ty
Good Hope on account of a deficiency in beads at (he Fort: ve
it would appear the Concern did not consult their own inter
with the care required. For two successive years, à presin
demand had been made for beads, it being well understood th
the Loucheux tribe would scarcely trade anything else, andi
he want of this, their favorite article, they preferred taking hat
to their tents the peltries they had brought to trade ; this neghs
empted to
must necessarily diminish the amount of returns, These India nother in
are moreover very clamourous and much addicted to war xx elighit ant
are dreaded by all the surrounding tribes, except the Esquimun ond of t}
beads however will pacify them. Quntry, à ather thei
D get r'id o
[ have also been informed that the pamphlet respect
spirituous liquors in the North-West, &kc., whith seemed to}
kept a secret in Montreal, had however been given for pen
. ? 1Q et] to a Mr. Sutherland at Cumberland House (a clerk in the Respectir ranger ar kplained t
ABlormaiior
Hudson's Bay Company’s service, the very first year it was si
in the North, and that he made several extracts thercfrom. E
obtained it from à distinguished partner in the Concern. Ii
not know how far this was consistent with prudence ; there Drders of t
however no necessity for doing it. pre Super! Ing asari ÊThe Copp nd of the le DAParcr Lo th / acKenzie
mit Likewise, all the old journals and account books, &e., ofA of Athnabask, baska, o! which you had taken so much care while you mans
the affairs of the Department, have all been taken to Lac La Ph during the reign of Mr. Arch : Normand MeLeod and left
for what purpose it is not easy to tell, but when Lwas one An 15 à la oad outlet the Whit d these fl
(1) The ZLoucheux or Querelleurs Indians inhabited to the west of, and near thel part of MacKenzie River. They were very shy and quick sighted, which mai Voyageurs say that they could see on both sides at once, and they called theuL
cheux.
t painful appr arter, about ll nuproar al Fr at the Fort: ve ir OWN interx cars, 4 presin understood th ne else, and ir red taking bi ade ; this negla 1. These Indi cted to war 4 the Esquimin
nphlet respecis hith seemed th iven for per clerk in the Hi
st year it Was #i
ts therefrom. À je Concern. li
Ldence ; therètr
Q 1h ooks, &e., OfAù “hile you mani ken to Lac La Pa
où and left (#4
vhen I wasoni
est of, and near thel
ie Hieh maiti sighted, whieh mi
they called then L
av to Canada two years ago, I saw them laying scattered here
Mr there in the garret of the Athabaska House mingled with the
Did useless agrès ot canoes, some upon the beams, others among he old sails, old kettles, sponges, &e., kc.: pages of different books and journals strewed all over the apartment. T'acquainted Mr, MeLeod and Mr. Kenneth McKenzie and was desired by the alter to mention the circumstance to you
The Athabaska library is also, I may say, not only neglected, but almost destroyed ; scarcely à complete set of books can be bound. By these different circumstances à person might be empted to think with great truth that one tlung kept pace with pother in the decline of once famed Athabaska, formerly the elight and school of the North. The Canadians, who were ever ond of the place and thought seldom æ@r ever of their native ountry, are now disgusted at the treatment they receive and ather their money as fast as the squaws gather berries, in order D get rid of the ‘5... pays maudit.”
à : . Lake.
ranger and having yet no proper interpreter to get myself kplained to the Natives. It would however appear, from what formation [ could pick up from the Indians inhabiting the prders of this extensive lake, that it is not quite so extensive as ake Superior, as had been before supposed. There is no such à ing asariver discharging itself from it into the Frozen Ocean ÊThe Coppermine River is about four days” walk from the east Coppernd ofthe lake; and the Natives also affirm that the sea is much Hiver. Barer Lo that end of the lake than it is from where Sir Alex.
acKenzie turned back on the Grand River, which they mainin is a large lake which communicates to the sea by a very oad outlet, and not à bay of the Ocean as generally believed
Be (ie Whites. They had their information from the Loucheux,
d these from the Esquimaux who are the second tribe of
Respecting this place, T can &s vet say but little, being à Great! Bear
Indians from the sea, or the neighbouring nation to those borier. ingit. The Sea Tribe are called “ Sharp Eyes,” from what rex I could not learn, except from the fabulous tradition of {y Esquimaux, who assert that they kill people with their eyes jy by looking at them. 1# Hoping I have not presumed too far on your kind indulgens in the foregoing, I beg leave to conclude with my most hum, respects to Mrs. MacKenzie and Mr. Harry McKenzie, and rem with gratitude mosi respectfully,
Ï Roderick Dear Sir, Des Your most obedt. servt.
Wii. FERD. WENTAx, Sat
M The late which had ith the anada, ha hose con nthat acc nd fortune Bnder whi espondenc ] at once
Such is t e mome!
Dr. ButI ipate in )ncerns 0 dicated si
1) Now, Forti
o those border. | m what reason adition of th:
their eyes ju
ind indulgenc:
y most humbk
zie, and remai
dt. servt.
