May 12, 1793. North by East.

May 12, 1793. (227 years ago today) Alexander Mackenzie’s Journey of Discovery (Day 4)

MacKenzie generally records the course of the river in his journal by describing the distance travelled, in each particular direction the canoe points. This information he will use later, when making maps of the journey. As in this record of their travel on May 12th…

      

 “Some of the Indians passed the night with us, and I was informed by them, that according to our proceeding, we should, in ten days, get as far as the rocky mountains....At four in the morning  we proceeded on our voyage, steering West three miles, including one of our course yesterday, North-West by North four miles, West 2 miles and a half, North-West by West a mile and a half, North by East two miles, North-West by West one mile, and North-North-West three miles. After a continuation of our course to the North for a mile and a half, we landed for the night on an island where several of the Indians visited us…”

-Here is where his record of direction really helped me to pinpoint his location. His direction of travel on this day has pointed the voyage, “NORTH by EAST two miles”, as described above. After looking at the entire river (with either Google Earth or a good map), I was surprised to find that when going upstream there is only one place in the entire journey across these plains where his direction goes Easterly, and that happens only for the two mile stretch as described above. Since the direction of the river valley hasn’t changed since then, we can pinpoint this as his EXACT location on May 12, without any doubt.  

You will find that the valley (going upstream) trends North by East for two miles, just a few miles up from the present site of Dunvegan (NWC 1805). It’s interesting that he passed by that site without note.

The site of their encampment this day was on an island, about 5 ½ miles upstream from that pinpoint. That would place their camp of May 12, 1793, approximately 14 miles west of present day Hines Creek, Alberta. 

 (ed. Note: The terms I use in these articles and quotes, for the indigenous people, are the names that he used...i.e. The Beaver Indians he refers to are actually known as the Dane-zaa)

“The land on both sides of the river , during the two last days, is very much elevated...and on the western side, presents in different places, white, steep and lofty cliffs. Our view being confined by these circumstances, we did not see so many animals as on the 10th...we killed an Elk, and fired several shots at animals from the canoe…”

May 11, 1793. Achrometer.

Alexander MacKenzie, May 11, 1793. (from his Journal, Day 3 of the epic voyage)

“The weather was overcast. With a strong wind a-head, we embarked at four in the morning, and left all the fresh meat...the canoe already being too heavily laden.”

    

     Although the explorer noted losing his pocket-compass in the water yesterday, he doesn’t say if he has a spare one or not. I’m assuming he did, however, because his recorded directions of travel remain just as accurate, as the voyage continues. The photo I’ve chosen is of an 18th century pocket-compass, made in England, and likely very similar to the one he lost.

     Over various observations made during his time at Fort Fork, MacKenzie had determined that his “achrometer” was 1 hour forty-six minutes slow to apparent time, at his departure on May 9th: so he had determined it to be 22 seconds slow, in 24 hours. Although I’m not sure which one he actually used, chronometers were already quite advanced technology in 1793. He may have used one like the one shown here from 1763. He needed accurate timekeeping for his reckoning.

     Navigators of the day determined their latitude, usually with incredible accuracy, by measuring the sun’s angle at noon, when the sun is highest, and/or by measuring the angle of the North Star from the horizon. Determining longitude however, was in those days was a different matter. On his last trip to England he had studied astronomy and navigation, and there he learned to observe the moons of Jupiter. Discovered and observed by Galileo, the satellites of Jupiter orbit the giant planet at a predictable and rapid rate, and can be observed by the navigator on Earth and then used as a celestial “clock”. His “Cassini Tables” told him the precise time (at Greenwich on any given day) when the moons of Jupiter would transit or eclipse. The difference between that and his actual time wherever he is, allowed him to determine longitude. This was the method used by land navigation and cartographers in the 18th century. It did not work on the ocean, however, as the satellites of Jupiter were too hard to see from a moving ship. I think MacKenzie had a really high quality telescope; and certainly there was no "light pollution" in those days.

     Using Google Earth, I have found that his Lat measurements for the winter Fort were very close, and his longitude only out by about 8 miles. Not bad for this vintage technology!

     The journey on the river on May 11 is against an increasing current, with 14 miles attained until running the canoe onto a “stony flat”, after which repairs to the canoe were required. 

     The encampment of this day was at or near the mouth of The Burnt (Saddle) River, (which drains the areas we know as Spirit River, Rycroft, Woking, Wanham etc.), about 10 miles SE of present day town of Bluesky, Alberta. This is where he meets a Chief of the Beaver Indians, who are on a hunting party. MacKenzie’s hunters asked permission to go to the native lodges and stay overnight with them, which they did. MacKenzie visited with the Chief and his friends until late…“It was near twelve at night when he took his leave, after I had gratified him with a present of tobacco.”

May 10, 1793. My Pocket-Compass.

Excerpts from the journals of Alexander Mackenzie. May 10, 1793 (day Two)

 

"The weather was clear and pleasant, and at quarter past three in the morning we continued our voyage...The canoe being heavily laden, became so leaky, we had to land, unload and gum it...at this circumstance happened about twelve...our latitude 55.58.48...When the canoe was repaired, we continued our course for one mile and a half, when I had the misfortune to drop my pocket-compass into the water...At half past six in the afternoon the young men landed, when they killed an Elk and wounded a Buffalo. In this spot we formed our encampment for the night."

"From the place we quitted this morning, the west side of the river displayed a succession of the most beautiful scenery I had ever beheld"

(note: the party's encampment was about 9 miles S of the present day town of Brownvale, Alberta)

May 9, 1793. 227 Years Ago Today

      

My backyard is the home of the fur trade. I grew up in the 1960's on a homestead farm just 12 miles from the "Mighty" Peace River, in Northern Alberta, Canada.  But I never learned this, until now...

     Today, on this day May 9, 1793, 227 years ago; Alexander Mackenzie cast his 25 foot long birch bark canoe into the strong current of the Peace River from his winter quarters at "Fort Fork" and embarked on his journey to find an overland route to the Pacific. The location of the winter fortifications that they built at Fort Fork in the fall and late 1792, is easily located about 6 miles SE of the town of Grimshaw, Alberta. 

      In his "slender vessel" were 10 people, which included his cousin Alex. MacKay, two native guides, 6 NW Co. voyageurs- (Landry, Ducette, Beaulieu, Bisson, Courtois and Beauchamp) and a dog, plus 3,000 lbs of provisions and trade goods. By the 14th of May they would pass through our local areas that we now know as Dunvegan, Cotillion, Clayhurst etc. He followed the Peace River upstream through the Rocky Mountains with great difficulty, to the headwaters, and beyond.  

     

     Following advice of the natives he headed south on what we now know as the Parsnip River, past what is the present day town of "Mackenzie". They prevailed  on their quest, with many hardships, and on July 22nd reached the salt water of the Pacific. He of course later became "Sir" Alexander MacKenzie for his efforts on this expedition. This voyage happened, right through my backyard, 12 years before Lewis and Clark crossed America. 

     I'm following this incredible journey on Google Earth, using it along with his original journals to verify his Lat/Long calculations and encampment and adventure locations.The book that inspired me to do this is his own account; of which I am respectfully quoting excerpts from it, to fully illustrate each day of the epic voyage. ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF GOOGLE. This is a non profit blog.

VOYAGES from MONTREAL
THROUGH THE CONTINENT of NORTH AMERICA

TO THE
FROZEN and PACIFIC OCEANS
IN 1789 and 1793

WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE RISE
AND STATE OF THE FUR TRADE

By  ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, ESQ

 This book can be downloaded free- https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35658/35658-h/35658-h.htm

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