Samuel Hearne and Matonabbee's Trek to the Arctic Ocean

After

Samuel Hearne died in London in 1792. His book, A Journey from Prince of Wales Fort in Hudson's Bay, to the Northern Ocean… in the Years 1769, 1770, 1771 & 1772, was published in 1795. It was one of the first accounts published in Britain to give a careful description of First Nations people, particularly the Chipewyan Nation, as well as a description of the animals and plants of the North. His book has since become a Canadian classic.

A winter view of Athapuskow Lake, by Samuel Hearne, 1771 Copyright/Source

The End of Matonabbee
Hearing that Hearne had given up Prince of Wales Fort to the French, Matonabbee hung himself in shame. That winter his 6 wives and 4 children died of starvation.

	When Hearne's book was published three years after his death, it was a huge success. His chapter on the Chipewyan Nation is still one of the best writings we have on Native people at the time of first contact with Europeans. His descriptions of animal behaviour show he was also one of the great early naturalists.