Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XXV 1768-1773 Reports Op The great River ?company Despatch Samuel Heabne On A Mission Op Discovery?Norton's InstrucTions?saluted On His Departure Prom The Fort?First And Second Journeys?Matonabee?Results Op The Third Journey?The Company's Servants In The Middle Op The Centuby?Death Op Governor Norton. Several northern Indians, who came as usual to trade at Prince of Wales' Fort in the spring of 1768, brought further accounts of the Great River, as they persisted in calling it. They produced several pieces of The Great copper, as specimens of a mine long believed Rlver. by the traders to exist in that locality, and this decided Governor Norton to represent it to the Company as a matter well worthy their attention. Visiting England that very year he was given the opportunity of doing so in person. In consequence of his representations, the Committee resolved to despatch an intelligent person by land to observe the latitude and longitude of the river's mouth, and to make a chart of the country traversed, with such observations as might lead to a better knowledge of the region. A capable mariner, Samuel Hearne, then in theCompany's employ as mate of the brig Charlotte, was selected for this important mission.1 Before starting on his journey in 1769, Hearne received full instructions from Moses Norton, the Governor. He was provided with an escort and was urged to cultivate, as he went, friendly relations with the Indians, to smoke his calumet of peace with their leaders in order to establish a friendship with them. Equipped with proper instruments, he was required to take account of latitude and longitude of the chief points visited; he was to seek for a North- 1 From the good opinion we entertain of you, wrote the Company to Hearne, and Mr. Norton's...