Amongst other things the map marks all of the Company's depositories for the collection of food-stuffs, animal skins and other forage from the country, much of which was only navigable by river. It should be viewed in conjunction with another survey map showing Lake Superior in the Heritage Charts collection A513
Henry Hanwell was an employee of the Hudson Bay Company from 1766-1817. He first appears in the company records as being apprenticed to Captain Joseph Richards of the Hudson Bay ship Prince Rupert in 1766, age 16.
He was with Richards on the Prince Rupert in 1780 and subsequently with Richards on the King George (1781) and the Seahorse (1782, until Richard;'s death. Hanwell next appears as First Mate in 1784 -1788 on the Seahorse at the time of the making of this survey. By this time Hanwell was 38 years old and presumably a capable surveyor.
The area covered by this Map is part of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario on the Hudsons Bay. Depicted are: The river Nelson with settlements down it as far as Cumberland House on the 'Scatchawan' (Saskatchewan) River which was used as a depot for east-bound furs and west-bound trade goods. It was also a depot for pemmican (dried meat such as bison, moose, caribou and deer), used to feed the voyageurs on their long journey to Lake Athabasca. The pemmican was brought downriver from the prairies or upriver from Lake Winnipeg. Cumberland House was approximately 40 days' paddling time from the Hudson's Bay Company base at York Port, also marked on the survey at the conjunction of the Nelson River and Hudsons Bay. Further south still the river Albany is prominently marked with Albany Fort marked at its mouth.
The survey also includes more of a topological than topographic depiction of Lake Superior, which depicts the Pidgeon River adjoining in the NW corner of the lake. The Pigeon river is now the boundary between Canada and the United States. Along the course of the river are various places which are now lost to the ravages of time and employment but amongst those places which survive from the map is the Lake of the Woods and a hint beyond that of 'Winefieg' (Winnipeg) lake.
This almost child-like manuscript survey was made by Henry Hanwell (1750-1826) in 1788. Despite it's topographic failings it is an important document for the time. It's purpose was to guide Hudson Bay Company employees and associates to the inner lands of some of the most inhospitable country in the world in the name of profit and gain. Amongst other things it marks all of the Company's depositories for the collection of food-stuffs, animal skins and other forage from the country, much of which was only navigable by river.
