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Only top-level descriptions Yukon Archives Murray, Alexander Hunter
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Alexander Hunter Murray fonds

  • yuk yuk-621
  • Fonds
  • Copied before 1988 (originally created 1847-1851)

The fonds consists of letters written by Alexander Murray. The Hudson's Bay Company trader and explorer wrote an account of his travels down the Peel, Bell, Rat, Porcupine and Yukon Rivers in 1848. Along the Yukon he traded with the Indians and attempted to give them a better deal than the Russian traders. He lists the Indian tribes of the area and describes their customs, as well as provides translations of basic terms from their language into English. He describes the geography of the area around the Pelly and Lewis Rivers. A detailed daily meteorological journal is attached at the back. The Public Archives of Canada has published this manuscript as "Journal of the Yukon" by A. H. Murray (82/98). Alexander Murray wrote a number of letters to Donald Ross of Norway House. The letters are sent from 'Peels River', 'River Youcon' and Fort Simpson. In them, Murray describes his travels on several rivers, discusses the fur trade with the Indians and the competition he faces from Russian traders, bemoans his lack of adequate supplies, and describes, among other incidents, an Indian massacre. A note about how the B. C. Archives acquired these papers is included with the fonds (87/34). Also included is part of a hand written letter sent by Alexander Murray on the Peel River to Hudson's Bay Company Chief Factor, Murdoch McPherson, on May 16, 1847. The letter makes particular reference to the mismanagement of the Lapierre House Post by Edward McGillissay, and mentions the activity of the Russian Traders in that region (82/152).

Murray, Alexander Hunter