Fish River, it is evident that a bark canoe is quite unfit for navigating the Arctic Ocean; and Mr. King's progress would, in all likelihood, have been little greater than that of his late commander. Moreover, without the co-operation of the Hudson's Bay Company, the attempt would, most likely, have been futile. Mackay, Sinclair, and all the men experienced in the navigation of the Arctic rivers are in its service; and no Canadian voyageurs could have been procured in Canada adequate for such an enterprise. As a self-depending scheme-that is, one not dependent on the co-operation of the Hudson's Bay Company-it was, however, undoubtedly the most feasible that could have been projected. CHAPTER X. Organization of an Expedition for Arctic Discovery by the "Instructions THE projected expedition of Mr. King was not at all satisfactory to the managers of the Hudson's Bay Company. He had made himself very obnoxious to them by severe strictures on their operations, and his return to their country in command of an expedition would have been exceedingly distasteful to this was one reason for their taking up them the subject themselves. Another more weighty reason was the necessity which they felt of doing something to place themselves in a position to make an application to the British Government for a gratuitous renewal* of * That renewal was obtained in 1838-9 for twenty-one years from 1842, after much negotiation; during which the Government made pressing claims for an annual payment in their grant of the exclusive trade of the region which was to form the field of the operations of the expedition. The Morning Chronicle, the best informed of English papers on North American affairs, thus refers to the measures which the Hudson's Bay Company at length took for the completion of the survey of the Arctic coast of the continent. "As to the expense of the expedition, although it must have been considerable, yet, considering that the Company was established for the purpose, among others, of making discoveries in the territories granted to them, and in the adjoining country of America, the credit due to them on that score is only that of perform return for this renewal,-claims which were waived principally in consideration of the expedition undertaken for Arctic discovery. The first grant to the United Company (formed out of the rival North-West and Hudson's Bay) of exclusive trade with the Indians over all the extra-provincial parts of North America was gratuitous for twenty-one years from 1821; but it was the intention of the framers of the act, under which that grant was given, that an annual rent should be demanded on its renewal. The words of the act are "from and after the expiration of such first period of twenty-one years, it shall be lawful for his Majesty or successors to reserve such rents in any future grant or licences to be made to the same or any other parties, as shall be decided just and reasonable, with security for the payment thereof; and such rents shall be deemed part of the land revenues of his Majesty." N ing the duty under which their charter was originally granted." Influenced by these views, the Directors, in the spring of 1836, instructed their local agent, Mr. George Simpson, to make arrangements for the equipment of an expedition under their own auspices. For the planning and conduct of such an enterprise, no one in their territories was so well qualified as my brother; and he was at once called upon by Governor Simpson to enter upon it, which he did, not only with zeal and alacrity, but with the highest delight. The purpose of the expedition, as first stated to my brother, was to connect the discoveries of Captains Ross and Back; and with this view he drew up the following plan for its operations. 66 * Engage, at Norway House, ten good men ;* eight of whom to accompany the expedition to the sea, and two to be employed with a party of Indians, during the summer of 1837, in collecting provisions at the point of rendezvous, for the retreat of the expedition, and for the fall fishing at Fort Reliance. With these ten men, and the requisite outfit (as per list), the expedition should start as soon as possible from Norway House, in two * "Good men" is a term applied in the Indian country to able and willing boatmen. canoes, and overtake the Portage-la-loche boats and get them to embark five bags of pemican each, (say twenty bags,) at Ile à la Crosse, to be brought on by the Mackenzie River craft to Fort Resolution, and thence by one of the canoes despatched this fall from Fort Reliance. The canoes to push on to establish Fort Reliance, and to procure the co-operation of a party of Indian hunters there, to be employed in collecting provisions during the fall and winter,-to aid in transporting the boat, one canoe, and stores, to the head of Great Fish River in the spring,-to accompany the expedition down that river to Lake Beechey, there to make a deposit of provisions and, if they can be so induced, to cross over and meet the expedition on their return at the mouth of Back's River. "If, for fear of the Esquimaux, the Indians could not be prevailed on to meet the expedition at the coast, they must remain at Lake Beechey, at a point to be fixed upon, till the return of the expedition from the sea, and accompany it back to Fort Reliance. "This part of the journey to be effected by means of the canoe already noticed, which would be left at Lake Beechey on the descent. These arrangements having been made with the Indians, the party to proceed in their boat with the |