Character guide

Unknown Narrator

major

Also known as myself, mine, your

He commands a mixed crew of Canadians, a German, and Indigenous hunters, recording every course, rapid, and dram of spirits with the same exacting hand. His authority is quietly tested — a frightened foreman proposes hauling the canoe overland, and he threatens to take the man's office himself rather than indulge the fear. He matters because the journey's survival, and the reader's trust in the record, rest on his stubborn composure.

Mr. Mackay

supporting

Also known as Accordingly Mr. Mackay, sunset Mr. Mackay

He is the second presence in the canoe, entrusted with hunters and sent ashore to try the woods for game while the narrator wrestles the leaky vessel along the rocks. When a young Indigenous companion bolts, Mackay pursues and brings him back — firm but not cruel, since the man is soon released with shoes and a handkerchief. His quiet competence anchors the middle stretch, where provisions dwindle and every small errand becomes a matter of survival.

The Indians

supporting

Also known as Indians, Beaver Indians, My Indians

They appear as fire rings, beaver lodges, and moose-skin shoes stitched by women who never leave the canoe, their movements read like weather by the narrator. The English Chief, once loyal to the Hudson's Bay Company, now pleads fatigue and refuses a request — the first crack of jealousy in a fragile alliance. Their absence and presence alike shape the journey's middle, as the expedition chases reindeer tracks and empty camps toward country they cannot read alone.

The Eskimo

minor

Also known as Eskimo Indians, Eskimo

Indigenous people met in the Arctic regions.

The Chipewyans

minor

Also known as Knisteneaux, Chipewyans, Knisteneaux and Chipewyans

A prominent Indigenous group encountered during travels.

M. Le Roux

minor

Also known as Le Roux

A French trader or explorer mentioned in the narrative.

Mr. Mackenzie

minor

Also known as Mackenzie, Mr. Roderic Mackenzie

A relative or associate of the explorer Sir Alexander Mackenzie.

Rocky Mountain Indians

minor

Also known as Rocky Mountain Indians, Indians

Indigenous people living near the Rocky Mountains.

Sir Alexander Mackenzie

major

Also known as Alexander Mackenzie, Mackenzie

He launches on June 3, 1789, with four Canadians, a German, two wives, and an Indigenous leader whose loyalty to a rival company makes him both indispensable and uncertain. Every league is logged — twenty-one miles west, nine north-northwest — as if precision could tame the river's shifting currents and the crew's competing appetites. His journals matter because they turn a commercial gamble into a document of endurance, where trade goods, pemmican, and observation are all weighed in the same ledger.

The English Chief

minor

Also known as The English Chief

A leader among the Indigenous guides or traders.

The Red Knife Indian

minor

Also known as Red Knife Indian

A member of the Red Knife Indigenous group.

Jupiter

minor

A person or possibly a dog mentioned in the narrative.

The Russians

minor

Russian traders or explorers encountered in the Pacific region.

Dogrib Indians

minor

Also known as Dogrib Indians

An Indigenous group encountered during the expedition.

Captain Cook

minor

Also known as Cook

The famous British explorer referenced in the journals.

Mr. Meares

minor

A British maritime fur trader mentioned in the narrative.

Red Knife Indians

minor

Also known as Red Knife Indians

An Indigenous group known for their copper tools.

Macubah

minor

A named individual encountered during the journey.

The Hare Indians

minor

Also known as Hare Indians

An Indigenous group living in the northern territories.

Mr. Finlay

minor

Also known as Mr. J. Finlay

A trader or explorer associated with the expedition.

Mr. Arrowsmith

minor

A cartographer or mapmaker referenced in the text.

Turlington

minor

A named person, possibly a trader or crew member.