Biography
Scottish researcher Sir Alexander McKenzie became famous for the discovery of the path that crossed the North American continent from the east to the West in the widest part. Having perpetuating his own name on the sea stone in the Bay of Dean, the traveler wrote a book that narked about the campaign of 1792-1794, and for merits to the Fatherland was produced in the Knights of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.Childhood and youth
About the early biography of the traveler Alexander McKenzie knows a bit. Born in 1764 on the islands at the west coast of Scotland, the boy held a child in the port city of Storunov, who belonged to Westsen Isles district. His father Kenneth Cork McCenzie was engaged in trade, and when the rebellion of Jacobites began in the country, entered the service of the ensign. Isabella Makiver's mother, who originated from the merchant family of Lewis Island, led the farm and raised four children.
Together with a relative, compiler of the maps of the region of India, Colin McCenzie, Alexander graduated from school and settled in New York in 1774, at Uncle John's uncle. There, women and children of the family witnessed the American War for Independence, and men who can handle arms took part in the battles as lieutenants of the Royal Divisions.
When the loyalists who supported the United Kingdom lost, the young Mackenzie in the company Aunt was sent to Montreal, where by 1779 the future researcher received a student in the Finlay trading company, Gregory & Co.
Expeditions and research
In 1787, when the employer Alexandra united with the largest supplier of fur - the North-Western Company Montreal, the young employee was sent to the lake Atabask to replace the American businessman and Cartographer Peter Ponda.
Taking part in the construction of Fort "Chipevayan", Mackenzie decided to test the theory of indigenous peoples that the local rivers flow to the north-west. On July 3, 1789, the sales representative undertook the first expedition on the water from the Covenant in the hope of finding the North-West passage to the Pacific Ocean.
On a wooden canoe, Alexander, accompanied by Indian conductors, reached a large slave lake, and then hit the expanses of the Arctic Ocean. According to historians, the young man called his route "River Frustration," because he did not lead to the long-awaited island of Cook on Alaska. Later, geographers renamed the water and called him in honor of the official pioneer of Alexander McCenzie, who, returned to Chipievian, began to prepare for a new campaign.
In order to thoroughly find the area of the upcoming research, the Scot has learned the existing cards and met the latest achievements of the British in the field of coordinate definition.
In 1792, McCenzie went on re-searched by the North-West Pass, accompanied by Alexander Makkaya cousin, 2 Verdrani's conductors and Canadian travelers Joseph Landry, Charles Duraset, Francois, and others. The Scots team was influenced by endurance and unpretentiousness: the rowers could work at 12 o'clock a day, and the hunters had a growing eye and hard hand.
Choosing the Canadian Dellet of the Water River Bowl as the original point, the travelers have moved to the West, but soon the current turned to the south and made it stopped for the wintering in the fortifications known as Fort Fort Fort. When the ice started, the expedition continued the path, hindered by narrow ducts and foothill. The flow has become unpredictable, and the McCenzie team had to overcome considerable distances, the provisions and canoe behind them.
Thus, reaching the fork, Alexander chose the southeastern influx of Parsnips, at the mouth of which a river was discovered flowing towards the west. Overcoming several tens of kilometers, the researcher stumbled upon a large watershed, which led to the upper reaches of the Fraser River, and decided to move to the south in the hope that the bends and turns would eventually decide it to the Pacific Ocean.
A few days later, the natives of the natives refused to continue the journey due to the militant tribes living in one of the nearby canyons, and the expedition had to go to the land, shutting up a canoe in the cousin of the mountains. The transition along the right branch Fraser was hampered by the abundance of the booster, which had to bear on himself. Only on the shores belonging to the carriers of the Language of Bella Coula, travelers again went on the water, using the transport of local friendly tribes.
The rate of the expedition considerably accelerated, and, overcoming the loop thresholds of the river mountain part, on July 20, 1793, Mackenzie found himself in the bay washed by the waters of the Bay of Queen Charlotte. As a result, Scotman made the first registered transcontinental intersection of North America, ahead of the expedition of Meriouser Lewis and William Clark for 12 years.
The burning desire to continue the journey into the open waters of the Pacific Ocean, Alexander was stopped by the leaders of the warlike people of Heiltsuk. Before the departure, the head of the campaign was able to perpetuate his own discovery in the rocky inscription:
"Alex McCenzy from Canada, on land, July 22, 1793."
Later at the very western point of the Scottish, Sir Alexander McKenzi Provincial Park was organized, where on the stone at the very edge of the water, the inscription was preserved, made in the 90s of the XVIII century.
Currently, the place is open for tourists who can repeat the last segment of the expedition route with riding or on a boat. In good weather, wishing to stay in the campsite in the northeast from a memorable place and make a sea walk through the Ding Channel.
In addition, excursions on the paths laid indigenous peoples for the transportation of fat are held on the territory of the historical object, which are especially attractive for lovers of long-range walks in wild places. The program includes a visit to a 40-foot pyramid located on a rock, a memorial plaque, which marks the location of the fortified village of the first nations, and petroglyphs located on a cobblesty beach in Harbor Elcho.
Of course, now travelers do not have to deal with difficulties that have fallen into the share of Alexander, by 1794 the return path to the Fort "Chipevayan" and writing the book "Travel of Alexander McCenzie from Montreal on the River of St. Lawrence through the continent of North America."
When this story was published, the Scottish researcher was dedicated to the knights, and then invited to civil service to the legislative assembly of Lower Canada. Being a delegate from Historical County Huntington County, Alexander participated in the meetings of the Assembly for 4 years and endured solutions recorded in special journals that have so far.
By the same time, the portrait of the traveler, written by the English artist Thomas Louurenis, stored in the halls of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. In 1812, the researcher returned to Scotland and the residue of life spent in a family mansion acquired for the ancestor's money, George Geddes Admiral McCenzie.
Personal life
Information about the personal life of Mackenzi is pretty scarce and sniffing. It is known that in 1812, a 14-year-old girl who came from the rich kind of fish-trades, who had known the territories around the Scottish castle Avoch became the wife of a mature man.For 8 years of marriage, the spouses were born three children, 2 sons and daughter who were brought up by governess while parents were on trips between the estate and the English capital.
Such a routine of life was probably due to the affairs of the trading company Hudson Bay, belonging to the Father's cousin Lady McKenzy, George Simpson.
Death
Historians believe that by 1820, Sir McCenzy's health worsened because of Bright's disease, reflected in the kidneys and the cardiovascular system and caused Alexander's death, documented on March 12, 1820.
The researchers buried not far from Avoch Castle, in a rural parish on a black island.
In 1989-1993, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the expedition, Alexander, employees of the Lakehead Research University tried to repeat the path of brave scots, but could not overcome the last 350 km of the distance, which took place.
Memory
- River Mackenzie
- Sir Alexander McKenzy Provincial Park
- Public School Sir Alexander McKenzie in Toronto
- Elementary school Sir Alexander McKenzy in Vancouver
- Rose Alexander McKenzie