REPORT OF MR W. E. CORMACK'S JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF THE RED INDIANS
IN NEWFOUNDLAND
By W. E. Cormack
Read before the Boeothick Institution at St John's, Newfoundland
Pursuant to special summons, a meeting of this Institution was held at
St John's on the 12th day of January 1828; the Honourable A.W.
Desbarres, Vice-Patron, in the chair. The Honourable Chairman stated,
that the primary motive which led to the formation of the Institution,
was the desire of opening a communication with, and promoting the
civilization of, the Red Indians of Newfoundland; and of procuring, if
possible, an authentic history of that unhappy race of people, in
order that their language, customs and pursuits, might be contrasted
with those of other tribes of Indians and nations; - that, in following
up the chief object of the institution, it was anticipated that much
information would be obtained respecting the natural productions of
the island; the interior of which is less known than any other of the
British possessions abroad. Their excellent President, keeping all
these objects in view, had permitted nothing worthy of research to
escape his scrutiny, and consequently a very wide field of information
was now introduced to their notice, all apparently highly interesting
and useful to society, if properly cultivated. He was aware of their
very natural anxiety to hear from the president an outline of his
recent expedition, and he would occupy their attention farther, only
by observing, that the purposes of the present meeting would be best
accomplished by taking into consideration the different subjects
recommended to them in the president's report, and passing such
resolutions as might be considered necessary to govern the future
proceedings of the Institution.
The President, W.E. Cormack, Esq. then laid the following Statement
before the meeting.
Having so recently returned, I will now only lay before you a brief
outline of my expedition in search of the Boeothicks or Red Indians,
confining my remarks exclusively to its primary object. A detailed
report of the journey will be prepared, and submitted to the
Institution, whenever I shall have leisure to arrange the other
interesting materials which have been collected.
My party consisted of three Indians, whom I procured from among the
other different tribes, viz. an intelligent and able man of the
Abenakie tribe, from Canada; an elderly Mountaineer from Labrador; and
an adventurous young Micmack, a native of this island, together with
myself. It was difficult to obtain men fit for the purpose, and the
trouble attending on this prevented my entering on the expedition a
month earlier in the season. It was my intention to have commenced our
search at White Bay, which is nearer the northern extremity of the
island than where we did, and to have travelled southward; but the
weather not permitting to carry my party thither by water, after
several days delay, I unwillingly changed my line of route.
On the 31st of October 1828 [Sic: 30th of October 1827] last, we
entered the country at the mouth of the River Exploits, on the north
side, at what is called the Northern Arm.
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