The Hudson’s-Bay Company’s charter is said to confirm to that body the whole and sole right of trading with the Indians, within the limits of Hudson’s Straits; and they have no less than six factories established at the mouths of as many different rivers, which empty themselves into the Bay. The northernmost of these factories is called Churchill: it stands on the west side of the Bay, in latitude 58°. 50′. N.; longitude, 93°. 4′. W. The port is tolerably good, and ships of any size may anchor in it. At the entrance is a danger, called Cape Mary’s Rock; but it is easily to be avoided. On entering Churchill River, ships pass between two points of land. One of them forms a sort of peninsula; and it has a large strong fort of stone upon it, the erection of which is said to have cost the Hudson’s-Bay Company 30,000l.: it was formerly mounted with twenty 32-pound guns. The opposite Cape (Mary) has also a small battery, which formerly had six guns on it; yet, with the most culpable pusillanimity, did the traveller Hearne (who acted as chief at that time) yield this strong position to the French Admiral La Perouse, without so much as attempting a defence; who, in the year 1782, spiked the cannon, and destroyed the factory. Since that time, the fortifications of Churchill have been suffered to remain in their present dilapidated state; and, as a trifling security against any sudden invasion in future, the new factory was erected at a short distance higher up the river. It is matter of surprise, that the Company do not repair the large stone fort, which is made uncommonly strong, both by nature and by art. As it stands upon the extremity of a peninsula, a body of men passing the isthmus to attack it by land, would be completely exposed to the enfilading fire of the fort. It would be difficult also for an enemy to force the gates, because there is a small half-moon battery built on that side, expressly for their defence. Besides, there are dwelling-houses in the interior of the fort, sufficiently large for the reception of the whole factory.
The shore about Churchill River is high and rocky, producing only a very few insignificant trees and shrubs. Farther north, towards the country of the Esquimaux, this small vestige of vegetation dwindles away even to a simple bush or two, and these are only to be found at a considerable distance from each other.
Proceeding southward, towards a more genial country, we arrive at York Factory, standing upon low swampy ground, completely covered with wood: its latitude is 57°. 2′. N.; longitude 92°. 40′. W. This place was also visited by the French in 1782, who burnt the factory, and destroyed a small battery at the entrance of Hayes’ River. But Perouse was grievously disappointed in the chief object of his voyage: and as it is so intimately connected with the subject on which I am writing, perhaps it will not be thought improper to describe the disappointment which the French suffered in the expedition; particularly as the fitting-out of the squadron must have cost the French nation much money; and their burning a few miserable mart-houses in Hudson’s Bay could only injure individuals, and most probably was not felt at all by the public.
Perouse entered Hudson’s Bay in 1782, having under his command a line-of-battle ship and two large frigates. With this force he of course insured the capture of the annual ships, together with their rich cargo of furs, oil, &c.; and as the escape of the three ships does high honour to the skill and intrepidity of their commanders, it is well worthy of notice. The ship which was bound to Churchill, was commanded by Captain Christopher; and the French admiral fell in with her at sea, just previous to her arrival at that place. A frigate was immediately dispatched in pursuit; but the night drawing on apace, Captain Christopher resolved on a bold manœuvre, which he accordingly carried into execution with great success. Perceiving that the Frenchman was ignorant of the coast, and, by his following the English ship, that he was determined to govern his own vessel by her motions,—whereby he hoped to avoid all danger, and in the end secure his prize,—Captain Christopher sent his men aloft, and furled his sails, pretending to come to an anchor. The enemy immediately conjectured that it would be dangerous for him to proceed farther; therefore he directly brought his frigate to anchor in reality. Captain Christopher rejoiced that his deception had so far succeeded to his wishes; and he made sail to sea with the greatest dispatch. Night coming on, and the Frenchman being a long time in getting up his anchor, the Englishman was soon out of sight, and escaped in safety to the northward. Fired with this disappointment, Perouse burnt the factory; and proceeded to York, to secure the other ship, then lying at that place, under the command of Captain Fowler. As there was not depth of water sufficient for his ships to enter York, he anchored in Nelson River, and made every disposition for an attack upon the ship and factory by the dawn of the next day; but, to his utter mortification, he found in the morning that the bird had taken wing;—for Captain Fowler had perceived three large ships at anchor in Nelson River the evening before, and, wisely conjecturing that they could have no good intentions towards him, put to sea during the night. Perouse dispatched a fast-sailing frigate in search of him, which soon had sight of the runaway; but Captain Fowler finding the Frenchman to have much superiority in point of speed, tacked about, and stood in for the land to the south of York, hoping thereby to entice the Frenchman into shallow water: the enemy, however, discovering his design, and fearing lest, in further pursuit, he might incur the risk of shipwreck, put off to sea; and Captain Fowler pursued his voyage to England in safety. The season was too far advanced to attempt any other exploit; and having therefore burnt the factory at York, Perouse returned to Europe; highly chagrined, no doubt, at being thus foiled by a pair of English sailors, and at having failed of success in the principal aim of his expedition. As there are many shoals and dangerous rocks in James’ Bay[23], he did not think fit to send a ship to destroy the southern settlements: and to the credit of this unfortunate navigator, I must state, that he publickly averred, if he had been aware of the factories being the property of individuals, he would assuredly have quitted them without molestation. It is remarkable that the Bay ship (as she is called) got safe to Moose Factory, and returned to England, without being at all aware how very narrowly she must have escaped falling into the hands of the enemy.
The next factory to the south of York is called Severn; but the shore at this place runs off much too shoal to allow a ship to approach the coast; therefore a schooner of about eighty tons is employed to take the furs to York, and to bring back the necessary supplies. This is also the case with Albany, the next factory towards the south; except that the latter place sends its furs, &c. to Moose, instead of York Factory.
At the very bottom or southernmost part of Hudson’s Bay, which is styled James’s Bay, we arrive at Moose Factory; standing, like all the rest, on a river, bearing the same name. This place has a good anchorage, and the climate is milder than in any of the other factories. It is annually visited by a ship from England; as at Moose the furs are collected together from the lesser mart-houses of Albany, East Main, and Richmond, for the purpose of being shipped off to Europe. We must now proceed round the bottom of the Bay;—and the next settlement is at East Main River, nearly opposite to the western shore of Labrador. The factory was established at this place for the purpose of trading with the natives of that vast peninsula; but their internal mart-houses verge generally towards the south, and the marten skins from this factory are said to be the finest in quality of any which are received from Hudson’s Bay. The inhabitants around this settlement are a roving race of people, styled, by the Europeans, Mountain Indians, to distinguish them from the Esquimaux, who inhabit the sea-coast to the northward.
At some distance to the north of East Main is a bight, called Richmond Bay: here is a house belonging to the Company, but not a permanent establishment; as the people who arrive from East-Main Factory in the spring, return again to that place in the fall of the year, to remain for the winter. The annual voyages to Richmond are undertaken for the purpose of procuring oil, as there is a good white-whale fishery in this Bay. The white whale[24] is not much larger than a first-rate porpoise; neither does it yield any whalebone fit for use: but the oil is nearly equal in value to that of the seal; and it was sold in England, in the year 1813, at fifty-six pounds a ton. The fish itself is perfectly white.
There is also a small whale fishery at Churchill Factory, but it is not very productive: perhaps it would be more advantageous for the Company if they were to convert the remains of it into a new fishing establishment in some more efficient situation.
I have now reached that part of my Journal which I before alluded to, as being the most proper place to introduce the account of the disastrous termination of two attempts made by the Hudson’s-Bay Company to settle a permanent white-whale fishery at Richmond Bay.
When first the Europeans went to settle at Richmond, the Esquimaux, who reside about this part, kept them in a continual state of alarm all the winter, by lurking about the woods, in their sledges drawn by dogs. At length an English boy was missing from the settlement; and, after some difficulty, two Esquimaux were seized, and confined in separate apartments. In order to recover the absent youth, the settlers made use of a stratagem. A musket was discharged in a remote apartment; and the settlers entering the room in which one of the Esquimaux was confined, they informed him, by signs, that his comrade had been put to death, for decoying away the boy; and they gave him to understand, at the same time, that he must prepare to undergo the same fate, unless he would faithfully pledge himself to restore the absentee. The Esquimaux naturally promised every thing; and on being set at liberty, he made the best of his way into the woods, and, of course, was never afterwards heard of. They kept the other native for some time a prisoner: at length, he tried to effect his escape, by boldly seizing the sentinel’s firelock at night, but the piece accidentally going off, he was so terrified at the report, that they easily replaced him in confinement: yet either the loss of liberty, a supposition that his countryman had been murdered, or that he was himself reserved for some cruel death, deprived the poor wretch of reason. As he became exceedingly troublesome, the settlers held a conference as to the most eligible mode of getting rid of him; and it being deemed good policy to deter the natives from similar offences, by making an example, they accordingly shot the poor maniac in cold blood, without having given themselves the trouble to ascertain whether he were really guilty or innocent.