David Thompson's Narrative Of His Explorations In Western America, 1784-1812

by Joseph Burr Tyrrell (Editor)

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

716 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2008

About the author

Joseph Burr Tyrrell (November 1, 1858 – August 26, 1957) was a Canadian geologist, cartographer, and mining consultant. He discovered dinosaur (Albertosaurus) bones in Alberta's Badlands and coal around Drumheller in 1884. Canada's Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Alberta was named in his honour.

Tyrrell was born in Weston, Ontario, the third child of William and Elizabeth Tyrrell. He was a student at Weston Grammar School before graduating from Upper Canada College in 1876 and receiving a law degree from the University of Toronto in 1880. However, after articling for a law firm in Toronto, his doctor advised him to work outdoors due to his health.

He joined the Geological Survey of Canada in 1880, leading or participating in numerous explorations. He led the 1893 and 1894 expeditions into the Northern Barren Lands – down the Dubawnt River – the first visit to the Kivalliq Region Barrenlands by a European since the explorations of Samuel Hearne in the 1770s. His younger brother, fr:James Williams Tyrrell accompanied Tyrrell on the expedition, which included the first European contact with the Ihalmiut, an Inuit people, now almost extinct.

Tyrrell married Mary Edith Carey in 1894 and they had three children, Mary (1896), George (1900), and Thomas (1906). Mary Edith was founder and first president in 1921 of the Women's Association of the Mining Industry of Canada.

In 1894, Tyrrell stumbled upon biographical recollections (11 books of field notes, 39 journals, maps and a narrative) of Canadian overland explorer, cartographer and fur trader David Thompson and, in 1916, published them as "David Thompson's Narrative".

Tyrrell went into the gold-mining business in 1898, a career that would last more than 50 years. He was mine manager of the Kirkland Lake Gold Mine in northern Ontario for many years starting in 1926.

Tyrrell retired to northeast Scarborough on the Rouge River, where he established substantial apple orchards and interest in grafting and breeding. The expanded orchards, later managed by his son George, are now the site of the Toronto Zoo. He died in Toronto in 1957 at the age of 98.

Reviews

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. While there are lots of interesting aspects to this book, I particularly enjoyed Thompson's descriptions of native cultures. Many of the tribes he describes had had little or no contact with Europeans. He knew native languages and lived among several different nations for years. He lived with them long enough to see how the cultures were changing and people moving. He includes interviews with elders whose memories stretch back before the 1730's. He covers every culture from Hudson Bay to the Mouth of the Columbia. He seems to be the first European to contact the Interior Salish and Sahaptin tribes living along the Columbia River between Kettle Falls and the mouth of the Yakima.

I also found his hand waving estimates interesting. Some he got right and some he got very wrong. For example he got the height of the Canadian Rockies within 10% but he missed the elevation of Lake Columbia by a factor of two.

One negative, this book (at least the Kindle version) was a bit jumbled and hard to follow in places. There were long footnotes by others that were simply inserted into the middle of sentences.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

An astonishing account of the adventures “the world’s greatest cartographer.” Thompson mapped over 1.9 million square miles of North America! In typical Canadian fashion he was largely forgotten until Joseph Tyrell (another outstanding Canadian explorer) completed Thompson’s journal with Thompson’s notes provided by his family.

[Dan Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is fascinating to find myself in the head of David Thompson writing over 200 years ago of his experiences surveying, hunting, trading and exploring in his travels in Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific, decades before Lewis and Clark and in much more difficult terrain. The intensely physically demanding nature of travelling by canoe, snowshoe, horseback and foot is understated. His many and very respectful encounters with First Nations tribes are full of amazing descriptions and observations. One of those books that's sad when it ends. I got onto this because RM Patterson and Adam Shoaltz refer to his narrative as they retraced parts of his journeys and described what he and his men endured at various places along the way. I hope the many sketches he made are preserved somewhere (although not likely). A fascinating insight into a pivotal time in Canada's history.

[Ebook Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ebook wasn't available, but found it on Barnes & Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/davi...

[John Thousand · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

[S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this e-book instead on Barnes & Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/davi...
(The Amazon link led to a blank page with a picture of a dog.)