Journal of the Voyage to the Pacific

by Alexander Mackenzie

Superb firsthand account of 1793 trek across western Canada to the Pacific. Places, Indian tribes, plants, animals, more. Fully edited and annotated. 6 maps. Bibliography.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Canada, Adventure, Travel, Biography

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1801

About the author

Sir Alexander Mackenzie (or MacKenzie) also known as Alasdair MacCoinnich (1764 - 12 March 1820) was a Scottish explorer. He is known for accomplishing the first east to west crossing of North America north of Mexico, which preceded the more famous Lewis and Clark Expedition by 12 years. His overland crossing of what is now Canada reached the Pacific Ocean in 1793. The Mackenzie River, the longest river system in Canada and the second longest in North America, is named after him.

Librarian note: There are more authors with this name. Go to Alexander Mackenzie (1838 - 1898) for the Scottish author and historian.

Reviews

[Patrick\ · Rating 4 out of 5]

An every Canadian must read. Good read.

[Ken Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book along with "Undaunted Courage" and "Astoria" are about the three early crossings of North America. The toughness and sheer grit of our forefathers is a testament to the human spirit.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

MacKenzie's travels rank among the great adventures in North American history, and this edition of his journals depicting his greatest trek--across the Rocky Mountains and down the Parsnip and Frazer rivers until ultimately cutting over to the Pacific Ocean near present-day Bella Coola, BC in 1793--is very nicely done, with useful but unobtrusive scholarly helps and annotations. The writing is less than stellar, and there are many passages of the course of his journeys that are simply listings of direction and distance over the course of a day, but the danger, exhilaration, and sheer physical courage and stamina that characterized these travels is well-depicted on the whole. One does wish the journey could have had a more able chronicler, one perhaps better attuned to the nuances of description and drama, but given the practicality of MacKenzie's purpose (looking for a serviceable route to the Pacific to aid the fur trade--a failed mission), he included more detail of interest to historians than many of his peers might have. As almost always with the tales of European newcomers to North America, the role played by aboriginal inhabitants in the survival of his band (no lives were lost and no one left his command) is immense and understated, but it is noted repeatedly by MacKenzie, and again, that sets him apart from many of his contemporaries. A remarkable first-hand account of a journey of historical import by one of Canada's most intrepid adventurers.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This long book about the life of a very busy man. In many parts the story is riveting. In spite of being the first person to explore, "The Great" river, later named the MacKenzie River from Great Slave Lake to the Barring Sea, he was more a business man than an explorer. He was also the first white man, with about 10 others in his brigade to cross the Rocky Mountains taking the Peace river and then walk over land to the Pacific. They sighted the ocean from the area of what is today, Bella Coola. These journals give the reader a good idea of how difficult travel was, the grit and determination of some and the relationships they had with the many people in the land.

[Amerynth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and engrossing, Alexander Mackenzie's account of his travels across Canada is well balanced between exciting adventures and descriptive details of his trip. The book makes for a quick and entertaining read, as Mackenzie describes that hardships of taking a canoe halfway across Canada (and marching the rest of the way) past Native American tribes, some of whom had never seen a white man before. Unlike some of the early explorers, Mackenzie seemed to have a fairly progressive attitude toward native people (unless they stole something, which made him a bit Cook-esque) which also helped me really enjoy this book. One of my favorite North America exploration accounts for its readability and story.