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A Perthshire Highlander by birth, he entered the service of Hudson's Bay Company, 1832 and was sent to the Mackenzie River District 1834. For the next eighteen years engaged in exploring the upper waters of the Liard and Yukon Rivers (Ah what a life :}}and establishing the fur trade in the region. Built Fort Dease in 1838 and made his way to the Pacific by way of the Stikine. In 1842 he ascended the north branch of the Liad to Lake Frances, crossed the divide and reached the headwaters of the Pelly, a trbutary of the Yukon. In 1843 he reached the juction of the Pelly and the Lewes, and five years later he built Fort Yukon at the forks, and desended the Yukon to the mouth of the Porcupine. In 1852 made a remarkable journey on snow shoes from Fort Simpson to Crow-wing Minnesota about three thousand miles. Became a chief factor 1867 and retired from service of the Company 1871.
Tiré de Burpee, Lawrence J., Encyclopedia of Canadian History, Makers of Canada Series, vol 12, 1927.
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