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Show .) ·l APPENDIX TO PART I. the ammunition and provisions: of the latter I shall furnish Spnrh his proportion; and at any time should a m:.Hl accompany him fot· a day's hunt, furnish him with four ot· five balls and extra powder, and on his rctum, tal\e what is left away from him. The pt'OYi~ions must be issued agreeably to the followiug proportion. · Fot· four day~ N. 80 lbs. of fresh venison, elk, or b~tffaloe, or 60 lhs. fresh bear meat, with o1w quart of salt for that period. The remaindct· or what is killed keep in the open air and ft·ozen, if so, as long as possible, or salt ami smoke it, so as to lay up meat for my party, and us all, to descend the rivet· with. H you arc obliged, through the failure of yoU!' huntct·, to issue out of out· reserved provisions, you will deliver, for four days, 18 lbs of pork 01' bacon, and 18 lbs. or flour only. This will be suflicient, at ,d must, in no in stance, be ex· ceedccl. No whiskey will be issued after the present barrel is exhausted, at half a gill per man per day. Our boats arc tUI'necl llp ncar yout· gate: you will make a barrel of pitch, and g-ive them a complete repairiug; re, ely for us to descend in. I have delivered to you my journals and obsenations to this place, with a letter accompanying them to his excellency general James vVilkin.,on, ,~hich, should I not return by the tilllr hereafter , specified, you will convey to him and de liver personally, requesting his pennis~ion to deliver the others committed to your charge. You will observe the strictest di~cipline and justice in your command. I expect the men will conduct themselves in such a mataner that there will be no com plaints to be made 011 my rctum, and that they will be re:.tdy to account to a hi gher tribunal. The date of my return is uncertain ; bnt let no information or reports, except fwm under my own hand, induce you to quit this place until one month after the ice has broke up at the head of the river, when, if I am not arrived, it is reasonable to suppose that some disastrous events detain us, and you may repai1· to 't. Louis. You are taught to discriminate between my baggn ~e and the United States' pr.o· perty. The latter deliver to the as~istant military agent at SL. Lollis, takiur; his receipts for the same-the former, if in your power, to Mrs. Pike. Yout· party is regularly supplietl with provi!-lions, to induclc the 8th Dccl!mber, 1805, only, from which time you arc entitled to (ll·aw of the United States. (Signed) z. l\1. PIKE, Lt. t\PPENDIX TO PART I. [ No. 17. J OBSERVATIONS (),.; TJJl,., TkJ\J)E, YlEWS, AND POLICY OF Tin.: NORTH WEST eOl\1- PANY, A.)) 'J liE NATI ONAL OGJ l~CTS CO, .r ECTI!:D WITH THEIR COM.NJo~ ncr:, AS 11.' INTEllES'fS TilE GOVERNMENT OF TilE UNITED STATES. TilE fur trade in Canada, has always been considered as an object of the Iit'bl importance to that colony; and has been cherished by the rcsp( ctive governors of that trovince, by every t·egulation in theit· powet·, under both the French and English aclm inist rations. The great und almost u11limited inllueuce the tradca·s of that countl'y had ac(]uirecl over the savages, was severely felt, and wilt long he remembered by the citizens on our fron tiers. E,·ery attention was paid by the c<~hinct of St James, in Olll' treaty with Great Britain, to secure to their subjects, (the Can~1<lians) the privilege of the I11dian trade within out· territories, and with what judgment they have improved the aclv~mtages obtained, by the mother country, time will soon unfold. 1 r~ the ycat· 17 GG, the trntle was first extended from Michili mackinac, to the north west, by a few desperate adventurers, whose mode of life on the Yoyage, and short residence in civilized society, obtained for them, the appellation of " Coureurs dc!S Bois." Ft·om those trifling begining-s, arose the present north west company, who notwithstanding the repeated attacks made on their trade, have withstood ev ry shock, and ar·e now, by the coalition of the late X. Y. company, established on so firm a basis, as to bid defiance to Cl'ery opposition, which can be made by private in dividuals. They, by a late pm·chasc of the king's posts in Canada, extend t~1cir line of trade from Hudson's B ay, to the St. Lawrence, up that rtver on both sides, to the L akes-from thence to the head of Lake Superior, at which place the north west company have theit· head q~arters; from thence to the source of Hed ri vcr, and on all its tnbutar·y streams, through the countt'}' to the l\lissouri-through ~he waters of Lake \ Vinipi<:, to the Sasku~hawin, on that river to lts source-up Elk river to the lake of the llills-up Pc.tce river to t.he Rocky mountains-from the lake of the Hills, up Slaye river to Slave Lake, and this year have dispatched a Mr. Mackenzie on a voyage of trade and di-;cove t·y down Mackenzie's river, tr> the not·th. sea i and also a 1\tr. M'Coy, to cross the Rocky mountains and proceed to the western ocean with the same objects in vic;v, They hav• e had a gen••l cnl ·'\ n I) y tl 1e name o f 'J' n' ompson, makm· g· a gcogt·a-plucal sur vey o f t 11 e north we~t part of the cont.m cnt-who, for |
