CHAPTER VI
SPANISH AND RUSSIAN AMERICA ON THE PACIFIC

MAcKENZIE summarises his view of the results of the
Arctic voyage in a letter to Lord Dorchester, written in
Montreal on 17 November, 1794. He says that he “followed
the course of the waters which had been reported by Mr.
Pond to fall into Cook’s River. They led me to the Northern
Ocean by the 16th July. The sea was then covered with
ice at some distance from the land. We saw a number of
white porpoises and observed a small tide. Farther it was
needless for me to go. Besides it would have been very
dangerous to attempt to coast with such a slight vessel as I
had. ‘Therefore we returned by the way we went. Tho’
this expedition did not answer the intended purpose, it proved
that Mr. Pond’s assertion was nothing but conjecture, and
that a North-West passage is impracticable.”

Mackenzie realised that his knowledge of navigation and
astronomy was not sufficient, and his instruments in-
adequate, to enable him to make reliable observations, and
was determined to remedy the lack at the first opportunity,
which, however, did not present itself until 1791. In the
meantime he pursued the routine of the fur-trader. On his
way out to Montreal he met Philip Turner, the astronomer,
who was en route to Fort Chipewyan to fix the position of
important places in his itinerary. Mackenzie sent word that
the English party was to be well looked after, as they were
explorers and not interested in commerce. He adds that the
expedition was not well furnished for travelling in the

OI