With this citation we take leave of an interesting work: in which we have only to regret that the prefs has been very carelessly corrected, fo as to disfigure the pages with many faulis, befides thofe enumerated in a long lift of errata. In particular, from p. 180 to 191 of Vol. I. E is almost invariably fubitituted for E, as Eginetans, Egos Potamos, &c. &c. Thefe, however, are matters which a fecond edition will eafily fet right; and, though we do not deny that amidst fo various matters, fome few may be liable to objection, we doubt not that to a fecond edition the work will foon arrive; not only by the demand of profeffional men, but of all liberal enquirers into history and general morality.

ART. IX, A Journey from Prince of Wales's Fort, in Hudfon's Buy to the northern Ocean, undertaken by Order of the Hudfon's Bay Company, for the Difcovery of Copper-Mines, a North-weft Puffage, Sc. in the Years 179, 1770, 1771, and 17-2. By Samuel Hearne. 4to. l. 11s. 6d. and Davies. 1795.

Cadell

UDSON's Bay, as connected with the expectation of difcovering a north-weft paffage, which, notwithstanding fucceffive difappointments, is not wholly defpaired of by fome, has long been regarded as an object of anxious and eager curiofity, Many indeed have gone fo far as to complain that the Hudfon's-Bay Company, indifferent to the views of philofophers, and tenacious only of their own confined branch of commerce, have neglected every opportunity of difcovery, by checking, or, at least, not fufficiently encouraging, the ardour of adventurers. The journey, however, of Mr. Hearne (and a most perilous one to himself, as well as expenfive one to his employers, it must surely have been) thows these prejudices to have been ill-founded; and though little acceffion has refulted either to commerce or to the ftores of knowledge, from this additional experiment, it is certain that there has been no want of zeal on one part, or of liberality on the other, to accomplish what the philofopher may hope, or commercial fpeculators require. Mr. Hearne made three diftinct expeditions from Prince of Wales's Fort, the object of all, as appears by his inftructions, was to gain a knowledge of the Northern Indian company, to obferve if any copper mines exifted near what is called the Copper River, and, above all, whether a paffage through the continent exifts. In the two firft expeditions, this traveller

was

was unfuccefsful, but, in the third, he accomplished his purpofe. Having arrived at the Copper-mine River, he carefully furveyed it and its vicinity, explored what are called the copper mines, and finally returned by the Great Athapulcow Lake. The journal, with regard to the accuracy of its obfervations respecting the latitude of places, and, indeed, in fome other inftances alfo, has been controverted by Mr. Dalrymple. But if there be any error, it feems to have arifen not from want of fidelity on the part of Mr. Hearne, but parily from defect in fcientific accomplishments, and principally from the untoward accident of breaking his quadrant. The volume altoge

ther is certainly a very useful and entertaining addition to our geographical collections, and in particular the defcription of the Northern Indians, seems to have been the result of much careful obfervation, is written with great good fenfe, and will well repay the reader's curiofity. Some parts of this we shall felect, as giving a curious, though fhocking picture of manners. The following account of the furprise of fome Esquimaux, by Mr. Hearne's Indian companions, ftrongly marks the native favage character of that people.

"At this time, (it being about noon) the three men who had been fent as fpies met us on their return, and informed my companions that five tents of Efquimaux were on the weft fide of the river. The fitu ation, they said, was very convenient for furprising them; and, according to their account, I judged it to be about twelve miles from the place we met the spies. When the Indians received his intelligence, no farther attendance or attention was paid to my furvey, but their whole thoughts were immediately engaged in planning the best method of attack, and how they might iteal on the poor Efquimaux the enfuing night, and kill them all while afleep. To accomplish this bloody defign more effectually, the Indians thought it necessary to cross the river as soon as poffible; and, by the account of the fpies, it appeared that no part was more convenient for the purpote than that where we had met them, it being there very fmooth, and at a confiderable distance from any fall. Accordingly, after the Indians had put all their guns, fpears, targets, &c. in good order, we crossed the river, which took up fome time.

"When we arrived on the weft-fide of the river, each painted the front of his target or fhield; fome with the figure of the fun, others with that of the moon, feveral with different kinds of birds and beafts of prey, and many with the images of imaginary beings, which according to their filly notions, are the inhabitants of the different elements, earth, fea, air, &c.

"On enquiring the reafon of their doing fo, I learned that each man painted his fhield with the image of that Being on which he relied moft for fuccefs in the intended engagement. Some were contented with a fingle representation; while others, doubtful, as I fuppofe, of the quality and power of any fingle being, had their shields covered

to

to the very margin with a group of hieroglyphics. quite unintelligible to every one except the painter. Indeed, from the hurry in which this bufinefs was neceffarily done, the want of every colour but red and black, and the deficiency of skill in the artist, most of those paintings had more the appearance of a number of accidental blotches, than of any thing that is on the earth, or in the water under the earth;" and though fome few of them conveyed a tolerable idea of the thing intended, yet even these were many degrees woife than our country fign-paintings in England.

When this piece of fuperftition was completed, we began to advance toward the Efquin aux tents; but were very careful to avoid crofling any hills, or talking loud, for fear of being feen or overheard by the inhabitants; by which means the diftance was not only much greater than it otherwife would have been, but, for the fake of keeping in the lowest grounds, we were obliged to walk through entire swamps of fliff marly clay, fometimes up to the knees. Our course, however, on this occafion, though very ferpentine, was not altogether fo remote from the river as entirely to exclude me from a view of it the whole way on the contrary, feveral times (according to the fituation of the ground) we advanced fo near it, as to give me an opportunity of convincing myfelf that it was as unnavigable as it was in thofe parts which I had furveyed before, and which entirely correfponded with the accounts given of it by the fpies.

"It is perhaps worth remarking, that my crew, though an undifciplined rabble, and by no means accuftomed to war or command, feemingly acted on this horrid occafion with the utmott uniformity of fentiment. There was not among them the leaft altercation or feparate opinion; all were united in the general caufe, and as ready to follow where Matonabbee led, as he appeared to be ready to lead, according to the advice of an old Copper Indian, who had joined us on our firit arrival at the river where this bloody bufinefs was first propofed.

"Never was reciprocity of intereft more generally regarded among a number of people, than it was on the prefent occafion by my crew, for not one was a moment in want of any thing that another could fpare; and if ever the fpirit of difinterefted friendship expanded the heart of a Northern Indian, it was here exhibited in the most extenfive meaning of the word. Property of every kind that could be of general ufe, now ceafed to be private; and every one who had any thing which came under that defcription, feemed proud of an opportunity of giving it, or lending it to those who had none, or were most in want of it.

"The number of my crew was fo much greater than that which five tents could contain, and the warlike manner in which they were equipped, fo greatly fuperior to what could be expected of the poor Efquimaux, that no lefs than a total maffacre of every one of them was likely to be the cafe, unless Providence should work a miracle for their deliverance.

"The land was fo fituated, that we walked under cover of the recks and hills till we were within two hundred yards of the tents, There we lay in ambush for fome time, watching the motions of the

Efquimaux;

Elquimaux; and here the Indians would have advised me to stay till the fight was over, but to this I could by no means confent; for I confidered, that when the Efquimaux came to be furprifed, they would try every way to escape, and if they found me alone, not knowing me from an enemy, they would probably proceed to violence againit me when no perfon was near to affitt. For this reafon, I determined to accompany them, telling them at the fame time, that I would not have any hand in the murder they were about to commit, unless I found it neceffary for my own fafety. The Indians were not displeased at this propofal; one of them immediately fixed me a fpear, and another lent me a broad bay onet for my protection; but at that time I could not be provided with a target; nor did I want to be encumbered with fuch an unneceffary piece of lumber.

"While we lay in ambush, the Indians performed the last ceremonies which were thought neceffary before the engagement. Thefe chiefly confifted in painting their faces, fome all black, fome all red, and others with a mixture of the two; and to prevent their hair from blowing into their eyes, it was either tied before and behind, and on both fides, or elfe cur fhort all round. The next thing they confidered was to make them elves as light as poffible for running; which they did, by pulling off their stockings, and either cutting off the fleeves of their jackets, orr lling them up clofe to their arm-pits; and though the mulettoes at that time were fo numerous as to furpafs all credibility, yet fome of the Indians actually pulled off their jackets, and entered the lits quite naked, except their breech-cloths and fhoes. Fearing I might have occafion to fun with the reft, I thought it also adviseable to pull off my ftockings and cap, and to tie my hair as close up as poffible.

By the time the Indians had made themselves thus completely frightful, it was near one o'clock in the morning of the feventeenth; when finding all the Efquimaux quiet in their tents, they rushed forth from their ambufcade, and fell on the poor unfufpecting creatures, unperceived till clofe at the very eves of their tents, when they foon began the bloody maflacre, while I ftood neuter in the rear.

"In a few feconds the horrible scene commenced; it was fhocking beyond defcription; the poor unhappy victims were furprised in the midit of their fleep, and had neither time nor power to make any refiftance; men, women, and children, in all upward of twenty, ran out of their tents stark naked, and endeavoured to make their escape; but the Indians having poffeffion of all the land-fide, to no place could they fly for fhelter. One alternative only remained, that of jumping into the river; but, as none of them attempted it, they all fell a facrifice to Indian barbarity!

"The fhrieks and groans of the poor expiring wretches were truly dreadful; and my horror was much increased at feeing a young girl, feemingly about eighteen years of age, killed fo near me, that when the firft fpear was ftruck into her fide, fhe fell down at my feet, and twisted round my legs, fo that it was with difficulty that I could difen. gage my felf from her dying grafps. As two Indian men pursued this unfortunate victim, I folicited very hard for her life; but the murderers made no reply till they had ftuck both their fpears through her

body,

body, and transfixed her to the ground. They then looked me fternly in the face, and began to ridicule me, by afking if I wanted an Ef quimaux wife; and paid not the fmallest regard to the fhrieks and agony of the poor wretch, who was twining round their spears like an eel! Indeed, after receiving much abufive language from them on the occasion, I was at length obliged to defire that they would be more expeditious in difpatching their victim out of her mifery, otherwife I fhould be obliged, out of pity, to aflift in the friendly office of putting an end to the existence of a fellow creature who was fo cruelly wounded. On this requeft being made, one of the Indians haftily drew his fpear from the place where it was first lodged, and pierced it through her breaft near the heart. The love of lite, however, even in this most miferable state, was fo predominant, that though this might justly be called the most merciful act that could be done for the poor creature, it feemed to be unwelcome, for though much exhausted by pain and lofs of blood, she made several efforts to ward off the friendly blow. My fituation, and the terror of my mind, at beholding this butchery, cannot eafily be conceived, much lefs defcribed; though I fummed up all the fortitude I was mafter of on the occafion, it was with difficulty that I could refrain from tears; and I am confident that my features must have feelingly expreffed how fincerely I was affected at the barbarous scene I then witnessed; even at this hour I cannot reflect on the transactions of that horrid day without fhedding tears." P. 148.

We were much entertained with the following curious and extraordinary narration.

"On the eleventh of January, as fome of my companions were hunting, they faw the track of a strange fnow-fhoe, which they followed; and at a confiderable diftance came to a little hut, where they difcovered a young woman fitting alone. As they found that the understood their language, they brought her with them to the tents. On examination, the proved to be one of the Western Dogribbed Indians, who had been taken prifoner by the Athapufcow Indians in the Summer of one thousand seven hundred and feventy; and in the following Summer, when the Indians that took her prifoner were near this part, fhe had eloped from them, with an intent to return to her own country; but the distance being fo great, and having, after fhe was taken prifoner, been carried in a canoe the whole way, the turnings and windings of the rivers and lakes were fo numerous, that the forgot the track; fo fhe built the hut in which we found her, to protect her from the weather during the Winter, and here fhe had refided from the first fetting in of the fall.

"From her account of the moons paft fince her elopement, it appeared that she had been near feven months without feeing a human face; during all which time the had fupported herself very well by fnaring partridges, rabbits, and squirrels; fhe had alfo killed two or three beavers, and fome porcupines. That fhe did not feem to have been in want is evident, as the had a fmall flock of provifions by her when the was difcovered; and was in good health and con

dition,