June 30, 1793. (Day 53)
Excerpts from the Journal of Alexander MacKenzie,
on his epic Voyage Of Discovery to the Pacific Ocean.
The visitors to the island were glad to see the old man there, and he was equally glad to “see” them.
“The blind old man gave a very favourable account of us to his friends, and they all three were very merry together...Our strangers conducted themselves with great good humour throughout the day. According to their information, we should find their friends above and below the carrying-place. They mentioned, also, that some of them are not of their tribe, but are allied to the people of the sea coast, who trade with the white men.”
Trading with white men on the coast had been going on for two decades already. And in fact, Captain George Vancouver had been on a survey of the North Pacific coastline during his 1792-94 expedition, and just seven weeks earlier Vancouver had been at the place where MacKenzie is now headed, although he didn’t know that until he returned to England. They narrowly avoided an 18th century “exploratory traffic jam”. The Spanish had been on this coast since 1774, and in 1778 Captain Cook was there to claim “territories useful” for England. Ships had been in contact and trading with the natives for 20 years before MacKenzie got there on this overland journey. Of course those ships sailed “round the horn”, all the way around South America, to get to the western coast of North America. Cape Horn had first been rounded in 1616.
Picture 1. Captain Cook's H.M.S. Discovery and Chatham with Mt. Baker in background. Original painting by Captain Steve Mayo (2012).
Today’s was the shortest journal entry of the entire trip. There isn’t much going on except for the building of the canoe. An average build time for 1-2 expert canoe makers, building from scratch, was 5-7 days. This time will be shorter, and although he doesn't say so, I am assuming that they reused most, if not all of the wooden pieces from the old canoe, which were already shaped. The frame, ribs, sheathing could all be re-used, which would save a lot of time. Also he has everyone literally pitching in, to help build and finish it.
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