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THE WESTERN MAILS

DEAL SHIP LETTER L e t t e r w r i t t e n w h i l e "En Route" from F o r t Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca t o York F a c t o r y v i a Norway House . See map on l e f t f o r t he r o u t e taken and the Posts mentioned , h i g h l i t e d i n y e l l o w . A l s o see o t h e r l e t t e r s i n t h i s c o l l e c t i o n t o John S t u a r t who was a C h i e f F a c t o r i n t h e H.B.Co.,returning t o England i n 1 8 3 6 , r e t i r e d i n 1839 and d i e d January 14,1848.

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THE WESTERN MAILS

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cui/iLvejcL cL^. Deal and. yeceLv/Y- London 18 Qck, Leiien. LA piom dlQ.y0yden,_'dodejk (c. 1782-1810), ke enie/ied ihe AenvLce

ike. do/iik IdeAi Company in l802. fle~Fecame a ckLef. inade/i ivUk ike dudAon'A Day Company ai ike izime of. ike union in l821. //c WOA appointed ckief- facto/i in 18y ond WOA in ckaaye of ike.-.6thahAA£a diAijiick uken iki-A ieiten. WOA wnitten.

The f i r s t p a r t o f th e l e t t e r are p e r s o n a l m a t t e r s , t h e m a i l s and h i s sons e d u c a t i o n . " U n t i l I reached Norway House, t h e 11th u l t o , I a n t i c e p a t e d leave o f absence , b u t i t must be def ered t i l l '39 [1 8 3 9 ] then i f God spares me, I s h a l l t a k e a t u r n t o t h e c i v i l i z e d World ,on F u r l o u g h , b u t whether I w i l l c r o s s t h e A t l a n t i c or n o t , i s u n c e r t a i n . . . .Mr.E -•- Smith went down,and the charge of Atha-basca [ d i s t r i c t ] r e s o l v e d on your humble Ser v a n t , I p a s t t h e l a s t season a t F o r t Chipewyan [ on Lake Athabasca ] . F. B e c t c h e r , by appointment went t o G. Slave Lake -P. [Peace] R i v e r , a s t h e year b e f o r e , o u r success i n t r a d e would have been v e r y good had G.S.Lake r e t u r n s been equal t o l a s t y e a r , o r even t h e p r o c e e d i n g one,but un-l u c k i l y i t h a r d l y came up t o t h e h a l f o f t h e l a s t years amount. S t i l l the D i s t r i c t shows an amount of L 10,534 [ E n g l i s h pounds] f o r the B r i t i s h m a r k e t , a l l s a l e a b l e F u r s . - o t h e r p a r t s of th e N o r t h e r n Department, xiri 11 a l s o e x p e r i e n c e a d e p r e s s i o n i n Returns on o u t f i t '37, and t h e c u r r e n t o u t f i t i s not l i k e l y t o be t u r n e d t o b e t t e r advantage, l e t t i n g a l o n e , t h e e f f e c t s o f a bad season, such as the l a s t , t h e r e i s s t i l l a much g r e a t e r e v i l l u r k i n g about, i . e . t h e s m a l l Pox, i t has [caused] a w f u l ravages among t h e P l a i n s T r i b e s i n t h e Saskatchewan, & v e r y l a t e accounts from [ F o r t ] C a r l t o n [N. Saskatchewan R i v e r ] , s t a t e s i t t o be among the Beaver H i l l Crees, as y e t we know not of i t s h a v i n g proceeded N o r t h w a r d l y , b u t a rumour t o t h a t e f f e c t was c i r c u l a t e d i n t h e e a r l y p a r t o f th e l a s t w i n t e r and th e N a t i v e s , as i s g e n e r a l l y th e case on such o c c a s i o n s , f e l t s e n s i b l y alarmed,& i n a c t i v e l y r e s u l t e d t h e r e from,and w i l l l a s t u n t i l t h e cause i s removed. V a c c i n a t i o n has been r e s o r t e d t o , a s th e most e f f e c t u a l means of a v o i d i n g t h e Contageon - My w i n t e r r e s i d e n c e w i l l be [ F o r t ] Dunvegan [ o n t h e Peace R i v e r ] , i t i s c o n s i d e r e d e x p e d i e n t t h a t I should see most of the Posts f a l l & S p r i n g , w h i c h I admit i s v e r y p r o p e r , b u t i t i s a t t e n d e d w i t h i n c o n v e n i e n c e , a r r i s i n g from my b e i n g so much out o f the way,when t h r e Expresses [Hudson Bay Co. ] pass and repass. Mr.Campbell [ Robert, C h i e f Teader, H.B.Co. ] i s now a t F t . Chipewyan t o r e s i d e t h e r e b o t h W i n t e r & Summer w i t h t h r e e men , t h e o t h e r Posts are a l l o w e d o n l y two each & n i n e & tw e n t y i n c l u d i n g a Guide i s al l o w e d f o r the Summer Voyage, w i t h w i t h the s t r a n g e s t i n j u n c t i o n s a g a i n s t employ-i n g any n a t i v e s t o a s s i s t i n t h e t r a n s p o r t over P. l a L - [ P o r t a g e l a Loche,Clear-water R i v e r t o Lake Methy] I have adhered t h e r e to,and i n t e n d keeping t o the l e t t e r o f t h e law. Our Boats are deep, 64 pi e c e s forms the Lading t h a t each have - we have s e v e r a l days advance on t h e l a s t y ear, y e t I am not v e r y c e r t a i n of r e c h i n g by Water. -My w i f e & c h i l d r e n , are gone toR.R. [ Red R i v e r s e t t l e m e n t ] w i t h a view t o t h e i r improvement. S i n c e r e Regards & Esteem/A.M.M.Leod. John S t u a r t E s q u i r e . " Note: " I n September l a s t , t o my no s m a l l s u r p r i s e .who sho u l d I meet one day as I was p a s s i n g t h e F o r t Gate a t Slave Lake,but my son Alexander on h i s way t o McK -R - [Mackenzie R i v e r ] t o s u p p o r t R _ Campbell, i n t h e l o n g contemplated p r o j e c t of e s t a b l i s h i n g Leases Lake [ Post ] , t o which p l a c e t h e y were t o have i n c o u r c e of the p r e s e n t Summer. Alexander h o l d s t h e s i t u a t i o n of an a p p r e n t i c e C l e r k -"

VNote: •< Edward Smith a p a r t n e r i n t h e N o r t h VJest Co. was made a Chi e f F a c t o r on the amalgamation of t h e N.W.Co. w i t h t h e Hudson Bay Co. i n 1821 .As t h e l e t t e r i n d i c a t e s he was i n charge a t F o r t Chipewyan u n t i l he went on le a v e i n 1837-38. Smith d i e d i n 1849 .