N^o 13

Fort Chepewean June 3^rd 1822

Dear Sir,

I continued travelling with the Expedition from the 15^th of June to the 19^th of July when we reached the Hyperboreean Sea[.] [T]he Commander immediately proceeded to take observations and found a considerable error, in the geographical calculation of M^r Hearne, who had placed the mouth of the Copper Mine River in Latitude 69-30 – whereas by the more correct observations of Captⁿ John Franklin it was asscertained to lie in Latitude 67-40 – North and 115-06 LonWest Longitude[.] On our way down Copper mine River we fell in with three Parties of Esquimeaux Indians – who on seeing us, made all possible haste to fly from us and thus avoid an interview – altho they could not possibly escaped hadve us, if the measures proposed to obtain intelligence with them, had been adopted by the Commander – however as good fortune would have it, one old man and his wife, from their infirm State, could not make good their retreat, therefore an opportunity offered & was accordingly not lost, of conferring with them, but no Solid information could be derived from them – respecting the Sea Coast – or the distance we had to travel before reaching Churchill – they were ignorant of Such an Establishment being in existence[.] The Sea was open two months in the year, they lived in Snow Houses during winter, warmed there Dwellings with lamps[,] cooked their victuals in Stone Pots, made fire with moss – Killed no other Kind of Whales but the Black whale, were Successful in their destruction of Seals & fish, and finally generally laid up a

considerable

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