The
earliest opportunity of visiting them; when, having presented the general
circular and other introductory letters with which I had been furnished
by their agent Mr. Simon McGillivray, we received from them the most
friendly and full assurance of the cordial endeavours of the wintering
partners of their company to promote the interests of the Expedition. The
knowledge we had now gained of the state of the violent commercial
opposition existing in the country rendered this assurance highly
gratifying; and these gentlemen added to the obligation by freely
communicating that information respecting the interior of the country
which their intelligence and long residence so fully qualified them to
give.
I deemed it expedient to issue a memorandum to the officers of the
Expedition strictly prohibiting any interference whatever in the existing
quarrels, or any that might arise, between the two Companies; and on
presenting it to the principals of both the parties they expressed their
satisfaction at the step I had taken.
The opinions of all the gentlemen were so decidedly in favour of the
route by Cumberland House and through the chain of posts to the Great
Slave Lake that I determined on pursuing it, and immediately communicated
my intention to the Governor with a request that he would furnish me with
the means of conveyance for the party as speedily as possible.
It was suggested in my instructions that we might probably procure a
schooner at this place to proceed north as far as Wager Bay; but the
vessel alluded to was lying at Moose Factory, completely out of repair;
independently of which the route directly to the northward was rendered
impracticable by the impossibility of procuring hunters and guides on the
coast.
