The Old Man
Afterwards Became More Communicative And Unsolicited Began To Relate The
Tradition Of His Tribe Respecting The Discovery Of The Copper-Mine, Which
We Thought Amusing:
And as the subject is somewhat connected with our
future researches I will insert the translation of it which was given at
the time by Mr. Dease, though a slight mention of it has been made by
Hearne.
The Chipewyans suppose the Esquimaux originally inhabited some land to
the northward which is separated by the sea from this country; and that
in the earliest ages of the world a party of these men came over and
stole a woman from their tribe whom they carried to this distant country
and kept in a state of slavery. She was very unhappy in her situation and
effected her escape after many years residence among them. The forlorn
creature wandered about for some days in a state of uncertainty what
direction to take, when she chanced to fall upon a beaten path which she
followed and was led to the sea. At the sight of the ocean her hope of
being able to return to her native country vanished and she sat herself
down in despair and wept. A wolf now advanced to caress her and, having
licked the tears from her eyes, walked into the water, and she perceived
with joy that it did not reach up to the body of the animal; emboldened
by this appearance she instantly arose, provided two sticks to support
herself, and determined on following the wolf. The first and second
nights she proceeded on without finding any increase in the depth of the
water and, when fatigued, rested herself on the sticks whose upper ends
she fastened together for the purpose. She was alarmed on the third
morning by arriving at a deeper part, but resolved on going forward at
any risk rather than return; and her daring perseverance was crowned with
success by her attaining her native shore on the fifth day. She
fortunately came to a part where there was a beaten path which she knew
to be the track made by the reindeer in their migrations. Here she halted
and prepared some sort of weapon for killing them; as soon as this was
completed she had the gratification to behold several herds advancing
along the road, and had the happiness of killing a sufficient number for
her winter's subsistence, which she determined to pass at that place, and
therefore formed a house for herself after the manner she had learned
from the Esquimaux. When spring came and she emerged from her
subterraneous dwelling (for such the Chipewyans suppose it to have been)
she was astonished by observing a glittering appearance on a distant hill
which she knew was not produced by the reflection of the sun and, being
at a loss to assign any other cause for it, she resolved on going up to
the shining object and then found the hill was entirely composed of
copper. She broke off several pieces and, finding it yielded so readily
to her beating, it occurred to her that this metal would be very
serviceable to her countrymen if she should find them again. While she
was meditating on what was to be done the thought struck her that it
would be advisable to attach as many pieces of copper to her dress as she
could and then proceed into the interior in search of some inhabitants
who, she supposed, would give her a favourable reception on account of
the treasure she had brought.
It happened that she met her own relations and the young men, elated with
the account she had given of the hill, made her instantly return with
them, which she was enabled to do, having taken the precaution of putting
up marks to indicate the path. The party reached the spot in safety but
the story had a melancholy catastrophe. These youths, overcome by excess
of joy, gave loose to their passions and offered the grossest insults to
their benefactress. She powerfully resisted them for some time and, when
her strength was failing, fled to the point of the mountain as the only
place of security. The moment she had gained the summit the earth opened
and ingulphed both herself and the mountain to the utter dismay of the
men who were not more astonished at its sudden disappearance than
sorrowful for this just punishment of their wickedness. Ever since this
event the copper has only been found in small detached pieces on the
surface of the earth.
...
On the 10th of May we were gratified by the appearance of spring though
the ice remained firm on the lake. The anemone (pulsatilla, pasque
flower) appeared this day in flower, the trees began to put forth their
leaves, and the mosquitoes visited the warm rooms. On the 17th and 18th
there were frequent showers of rain and much thunder and lightning. This
moist weather caused the ice to waste so rapidly that by the 24th it had
entirely disappeared from the lake. The gentlemen belonging to both the
Companies quickly arrived from the different posts in this department,
bringing their winter's collection of furs which are forwarded from these
establishments to the depots.
I immediately waited on Mr. Colin Robertson, the agent of the Hudson's
Bay Company, and communicated to him, as I had done before to the several
partners of the North-West Company, our plan and the requisitions we
should have to make on each Company, and I requested of all the gentlemen
the favour of their advice and suggestions. As I perceived that the
arrangement of their winter accounts and other business fully occupied
them I forbore further pressing the subject of our concerns for some days
until there was an appearance of despatching the first brigade of canoes.
It then became necessary to urge their attention to them; but it was
evident from the determined commercial opposition and the total want of
intercourse between the two Companies that we could not expect to receive
any cordial advice or the assurance of the aid of both without devising
some expedient to bring the parties together.
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