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60 T. C. ELLIOTT

these manuscripts by Dr. J. Franklin Jameson, editor of the American Historical Review. Dr. Jameson's letter to the writer, dated at London on September 21st, 1921, contains, inter alia, the following excerpt from what seems to be the original journal of Captain Carver; "May 6 arrived at La praire Chien or the Dog Plains here I found Capt. James Tute Mr. James Stanley Goddard and a Party with (sic) some Goods in order to proceed from this to Find out the Great River Ourigan that runs into the South sea and a Northwest Passage if possible their orders was from Major Robert Rogers Com- mandant of Michillimack-inac who sent orders by Capt. Tute for me to Joyn this party as a draughtsman" Dr. Jameson adds that the handwriting is plain.

Dr. Jameson reports this to be the only mention of the name Ourigan by Carver in this journal. The writer has since obtained from London a transcript of the journal from May 6th to its close and the following entries give the further story of this abortive search for the Northwest Passage : "May 21st. Took my Departure from Ottogaume Town 5 in Com- pany with Capt. Tute Commander of the Party Mr. Goddard a Lieutenant Mr. G tier 6 interpreter and Mr. Reaume having two cannoes and Eight working People one Chipeway Chief one guide with these we proceeded up the Mississippi with a Determination to Winter at a Place Call'd by the french Fort Lapraire 7 not far from Lake Winepeek it being the Furthest Trading post the French ever had in the Northwest." * * *

May 28th This day came to where the Chipeway River Joyns the Mississippi the same evening we was given to understand that the Guide and the rest of the Indians with us declin'd Going any Further up in the Missisipi Capt. Tute call'd a Counsel to consult upon what method would be most ex- pedient in that case it was Generally agreed to take our course up the Chipeway River the Reasons was first that we had not

5 Prairie du Chien.

6 Gauthier (or Gautier), a family prominent in the fur trade at that period.

7 Fort La Prairie, a trading post on the Assiniboine or Saskatchewan rivers in the plains country between Lake Winnipeg and the Rocky Mountains, the exact loca- tion of which cannot be stated. See page 90 of Bryce's "Remarkable Hist, of the Hudson's Bay Company" for possible location. This reference opens a very inter- esting line of inquiry as to actual trade in the country west of Lake Winnipeg between 1760 and 1770, prior to the organization of the "Northwest Company."