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PREFACE
T H E literature descriptive of Northern Canada, from the
days of Hearne and Mackenzie to those of T y r r e l l and H a n -
bury, is by no means scanty. A copious bibliography might
be compiled of the records of its exploration w i t h a view to
trade, science, or sport, particularly i n recent years; whilst
the accounts of the search for S i r John F r a n k l i n furnish no
inconsiderable portion of such productions i n the past. These
books are more or less available i n our P u b l i c Libraries, and,
at any rate, do not enter into consideration here. Such
records, however, furnished almost our sole knowledge of
the Northern Territories u n t i l the year 1888, when the first
earnest effort of the Canadian Parliament was made " to
inquire into the resources of the great Mackenzie B a s i n ."
Through the instrumentality of the late S i r John Schultz,
then a Senator, a Select Committee of the Senate was
appointed for that purpose. Sir John had always taken a
great interest i n the question, and was Chairman of the Committee
which took evidence, oral and by letter, from a great
many persons who possessed more or less knowledge of the
regions i n question. The evidence was voluminous, and the
reader who lacks access to the Blue Book containing i t w i ll
find the gist of the Report i n the Appendix to this volume.
A treaty with the Indians of the region followed this
Report i n 1899; but, owing to the absence of roads and markets,
and other essentials of c i v i l i z e d life, not to speak of the
vast unsettled areas of prairie to the south, the incoming,
u n t i l now that railways are projected, of any great body of
immigrants was very wisely discouraged, and this i n the
interest of the settler himself. The following narrative,
therefore, has lain i n the author's diary since the year
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| Title | Page 7 |
| OCR | PREFACE T H E literature descriptive of Northern Canada, from the days of Hearne and Mackenzie to those of T y r r e l l and H a n - bury, is by no means scanty. A copious bibliography might be compiled of the records of its exploration w i t h a view to trade, science, or sport, particularly i n recent years; whilst the accounts of the search for S i r John F r a n k l i n furnish no inconsiderable portion of such productions i n the past. These books are more or less available i n our P u b l i c Libraries, and, at any rate, do not enter into consideration here. Such records, however, furnished almost our sole knowledge of the Northern Territories u n t i l the year 1888, when the first earnest effort of the Canadian Parliament was made " to inquire into the resources of the great Mackenzie B a s i n ." Through the instrumentality of the late S i r John Schultz, then a Senator, a Select Committee of the Senate was appointed for that purpose. Sir John had always taken a great interest i n the question, and was Chairman of the Committee which took evidence, oral and by letter, from a great many persons who possessed more or less knowledge of the regions i n question. The evidence was voluminous, and the reader who lacks access to the Blue Book containing i t w i ll find the gist of the Report i n the Appendix to this volume. A treaty with the Indians of the region followed this Report i n 1899; but, owing to the absence of roads and markets, and other essentials of c i v i l i z e d life, not to speak of the vast unsettled areas of prairie to the south, the incoming, u n t i l now that railways are projected, of any great body of immigrants was very wisely discouraged, and this i n the interest of the settler himself. The following narrative, therefore, has lain i n the author's diary since the year |
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