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 342

T. C. ELLIOTT

West

Go's post in Saskatchewan River to cross the Rocky Mountains to explore the country and with a view to establish Trading posts, Mr. McGillivray was taken ill and obliged to remain behind. Mr. Thompson proceeded with the Expedition crossed the upper part of the Columbia and called the first River he reached McGillivray the next after himself. McGillivray and Thompson were both partners in the North- West Company. They traded with the Natives but formed no Establishment at that time. 10 x Q. Did McKenzie explore and what parts of the Columbia or its Tributary Branches: in what year and was he then in the service of the Company ? A. Sir Alexander McKenzie did not explore any part of the Columbia or its tributary branches he proceed from the Athapescow district by Peace river crossed the Mountains and travelled to the Pacific far to the Northward both of the Columbia and Thompson Rivers, this was in the year 1793 at which time he was a partner in the North-West Company. Q. In what year was the first English ship sent to the Columbia for the purpose of collecting Furs and carrying supplies to the Company's Agent sand trading with the natives on the Columbia River? Has a ship been sent every year since the first? A. The Isaac Todd which sailed from England in 1813 and arrived at the Columbia River in April 1814; was the first ship that took any Produce of the North-West Company's trade collected on the West side of the Rocky Mountains and carried it to China from whence she brought a cargo of tea to England for account of the East India Company; all that had been collected in former years having been sent by the Interior to Canada but as early as 1786 the East India Compy had vessels on the Coast and purchased Land of the Natives as related by Meares in his Memorial see States papers annual Register 1790 page 287. The Isaac Todd took at the same time all that had ever been collected by the American Fur Company at the Establishment of Astoria. The Americans arrived in the Columbia as before observed Summer 1811, the Furs that were collected the following Winter, they were not able to send away the ship that was to have conveyed them 10 These statements as to the movements of David Thompson are incorrect. In the year 1800, on the waters of Peace River nearly all that year.

He was

company with Duncan McGillivray, he made a trip from Rocky Mountain House on the Saskatchewani westward into the Rocky Mountains, but neither of them

in

reached the summit, as their survey notes clearly show. Narrative" (Tyrrell), page 8t.

See "David Thompson's