July 13, 1793. Our Dubious Journey.

July 13, 1793. Excerpts from the journals of Alexander MacKenzie, 227 years Ago, To-day.

“The weather this morning was clear but cold, and our scanty covering was not sufficient to protect us from the severity of the night.”

      The high elevations of this plateau and the proximity to the snow covered peaks can bring some cold temperatures, even in the middle of summer. Although he doesn’t say so, I assume they left their blanket-coats stashed back with their canoe, as they wouldn't want to carry any extra weight, and wouldn’t reasonably expect to need them, either.

     “About five, after we warmed ourselves at a large fire, we proceeded on our dubious journey. In about an hour we came to the edge of a wood, when we perceived a house, situated on a green spot, and by the side of a small river. The smoke that issued from it informed us that it was inhabited.”

     

     The journal entries for this day mostly deal with MacKenzie’s interaction and negotiations with the local inhabitants. Interested readers should read today’s entry for themselves, as usual his writing style makes it quite difficult to summarize it. However, the gist is this. When he came up to this house on Ulgako Creek in the early morning, he went right up to it without warning, and he frightened the people inside. One man escaped, but Mackenzie detained the women and children, and calmed them by giving them presents and assuring them they meant no harm.  “Our prisoners consisted of three women, and seven children, which apparently composed three families. One of the women then informed us...that from the mountains before us, which were covered with snow, the sea was visible…”

     That must have been some very welcome news. His ultimate goal is nearly in sight. Checking with Google Earth, the Dean Channel (and tidewater) likely could be seen from the top of this range, and the channel is only about 30 miles from those peaks, as the crow flies. While negotiating, Mackenzie asked one of the women to show him their “fishing machines” which she readily consented to do. He found that they had caught about twenty small fish in it. He traded her a large knife for the fish, which she did not expect, but was certainly happy to receive.  

     “After some conversation with these people, respecting the country, and our future progress through it, we retired to rest, with sensations very different from those with which we had risen in the morning.”

Picture 1. A Fur Trade Large knife ca. 1800

     “At noon I obtained a meridian altitude, which gave 52.58.58. North latitude. I likewise took time in the after-noon.”