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-Intrepid Welsh people have -explored the world for centuries. | 0:00:00 | 0:00:04 | |
-Many have chronicled their stories -in words, pictures and maps. | 0:00:04 | 0:00:09 | |
-I'm researching their testimony -and following in their footsteps... | 0:00:09 | 0:00:14 | |
-..to the world's -most interesting places. | 0:00:15 | 0:00:18 | |
-They explored remote areas... | 0:00:18 | 0:00:20 | |
-..not knowing -who or what they'd encounter. | 0:00:20 | 0:00:24 | |
-I'll be tracing the history -of an eminent cartographer... | 0:00:24 | 0:00:28 | |
-..known worldwide -by the moniker Stargazer. | 0:00:28 | 0:00:31 | |
-This is the story of a man -who walked thousands of miles... | 0:00:38 | 0:00:42 | |
-..making maps that were integral -to America and Canada's history. | 0:00:42 | 0:00:46 | |
-He was 'the greatest -land geographer who ever lived.' | 0:00:47 | 0:00:50 | |
-The first to map the -largest river in the American west. | 0:00:50 | 0:00:53 | |
-He wrote about Native Americans. | 0:00:53 | 0:00:55 | |
-He was a Welshman, -though few remember that. | 0:00:55 | 0:00:58 | |
-I want to find out -if he could speak Welsh. | 0:00:59 | 0:01:02 | |
-In the year 1777... | 0:01:07 | 0:01:09 | |
-..a young David Thompson attended -this school in Westminster. | 0:01:09 | 0:01:13 | |
-It was called -Grey Coat School back then... | 0:01:14 | 0:01:17 | |
-..though it wasn't a girls' school. | 0:01:17 | 0:01:19 | |
-It was a charitable school for -the area's disadvantaged children. | 0:01:19 | 0:01:23 | |
-But Thompson wasn't really -David's surname either. | 0:01:24 | 0:01:27 | |
-His family was ap Thomas. | 0:01:27 | 0:01:29 | |
-Seven years later, -the Welshman set sail for Canada... | 0:01:29 | 0:01:33 | |
-..to a land where -the white man had never ventured. | 0:01:33 | 0:01:37 | |
-At the tender age of 14, -David excelled at mathematics. | 0:01:39 | 0:01:43 | |
-He studied navigation -and was a proficient carpenter. | 0:01:43 | 0:01:47 | |
-His skills won him an apprenticeship -with the Hudson's Bay Company... | 0:01:47 | 0:01:52 | |
-..which imported fur from North -America for the millinery trade. | 0:01:52 | 0:01:56 | |
-In 1784, David set sail -aboard the Prince Rupert... | 0:01:56 | 0:02:01 | |
-..from London to Hudson Bay, to -a barren region of northern Canada. | 0:02:01 | 0:02:05 | |
-Crossing the Atlantic took three -months. He was a long way from home. | 0:02:06 | 0:02:10 | |
-A year would pass -before the ships returned. | 0:02:10 | 0:02:13 | |
-I bid a long and sad goodbye... | 0:02:14 | 0:02:17 | |
-..to my noble, my sacred country, -an exile for ever. | 0:02:17 | 0:02:21 | |
-Thompson worked for the -Hudson's Bay Company for 13 years. | 0:02:23 | 0:02:27 | |
-He was a clever boy -and learnt quickly. | 0:02:28 | 0:02:30 | |
-But life was hard. | 0:02:30 | 0:02:32 | |
-A serious accident changed his life. | 0:02:33 | 0:02:35 | |
-When he was 18, he broke his leg. | 0:02:36 | 0:02:38 | |
-He was bed bound for months. | 0:02:38 | 0:02:40 | |
-But he used the time -to study the work of a surveyor... | 0:02:40 | 0:02:43 | |
-..and a new science in cartography, -astrology... | 0:02:44 | 0:02:47 | |
-..in order to pinpoint -exact locations. | 0:02:47 | 0:02:50 | |
-That data, along with detailed -descriptions of the landscape... | 0:02:50 | 0:02:54 | |
-..enabled him to draw maps. | 0:02:54 | 0:02:56 | |
-He saw there was much more to life -than selling fur. | 0:02:57 | 0:03:01 | |
-He left the Hudson's Bay Co for its -competitor, the North West Company. | 0:03:01 | 0:03:06 | |
-It was a more modern firm -which allowed the Welshman... | 0:03:07 | 0:03:10 | |
-..to explore -new territories and map them. | 0:03:10 | 0:03:14 | |
-The fur traders -were embroiled in the battle... | 0:03:15 | 0:03:18 | |
-..over the control of North America. | 0:03:18 | 0:03:21 | |
-A battle between a fledgling USA, -Spain and British Canada. | 0:03:21 | 0:03:25 | |
-David Thompson was sent to -the south, to the Missouri River... | 0:03:26 | 0:03:30 | |
-..to try and gain -the monopoly there. | 0:03:30 | 0:03:33 | |
-They'd heard a representative -from Spain was already there... | 0:03:34 | 0:03:38 | |
-..working with a tribe of Mandans. | 0:03:39 | 0:03:41 | |
-But this man was no Spaniard. | 0:03:41 | 0:03:43 | |
-Thompson's journey to -North America didn't begin here... | 0:03:44 | 0:03:48 | |
-..but this is where -I must start my journey. | 0:03:48 | 0:03:51 | |
-Something remarkable -happened here... | 0:03:52 | 0:03:54 | |
-..in a Native American settlement -high up the Missouri River. | 0:03:55 | 0:03:59 | |
-A little over 200 years ago... | 0:03:59 | 0:04:02 | |
-..few white people had ventured, let -alone reached, as far west as this. | 0:04:02 | 0:04:07 | |
-But in 1798, -within six months of each other... | 0:04:07 | 0:04:10 | |
-..two Welshmen -had reached these parts. | 0:04:10 | 0:04:13 | |
-Potentially two Welsh speakers. | 0:04:13 | 0:04:16 | |
-Both had risked untold dangers. | 0:04:16 | 0:04:18 | |
-They had mapped large swathes -of the river and land... | 0:04:19 | 0:04:22 | |
-..for the very first time. | 0:04:22 | 0:04:24 | |
-David Thompson was one, -John Evans was the other. | 0:04:25 | 0:04:28 | |
-His mission -was to find Welsh-speaking Indians. | 0:04:28 | 0:04:31 | |
-This major coincidence evoked -much foolhardiness and courage. | 0:04:32 | 0:04:36 | |
-It was one of the most adventurous -periods in American history. | 0:04:36 | 0:04:40 | |
-John Evans came here, having been -prompted by Iolo Morgannwg et al. | 0:04:41 | 0:04:45 | |
-He was -trying to find the Madogwys... | 0:04:45 | 0:04:48 | |
-..a tribe of fair-skinned -Native Americans... | 0:04:48 | 0:04:51 | |
-..who, according to them, -spoke a similar language to Welsh. | 0:04:52 | 0:04:55 | |
-It would prove that Madog and fellow -sailors had sailed to America. | 0:04:56 | 0:05:00 | |
-But John Evans had also ended up -working for the Spanish government. | 0:05:01 | 0:05:05 | |
-His aim was to map a route -from the Missouri to the Pacific. | 0:05:05 | 0:05:09 | |
-He traded with local people. | 0:05:09 | 0:05:11 | |
-David Thompson was here representing -the North West Company. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:15 | |
-They had missed each other -by six months. | 0:05:15 | 0:05:19 | |
-In 1796, only a handful of -white people had ever been here... | 0:05:19 | 0:05:23 | |
-..two of whom were Welshmen. | 0:05:24 | 0:05:26 | |
-In order to reach the Mandan camp... | 0:05:29 | 0:05:32 | |
-..David ap Thomas -walked for 33 days... | 0:05:32 | 0:05:35 | |
-..in temperatures -37 degrees below freezing. | 0:05:35 | 0:05:38 | |
-He failed to find a guide, -not because of the weather... | 0:05:39 | 0:05:42 | |
-..but because of the threat -from the Sioux. | 0:05:42 | 0:05:45 | |
-In the end, -they reached the Missouri... | 0:05:48 | 0:05:51 | |
-..and were -warmly welcomed by the Mandans. | 0:05:51 | 0:05:54 | |
-I was warmly greeted by Cory -Spotted Bear, himself a Mandan... | 0:05:54 | 0:05:58 | |
-..who's trying to safeguard -the language and culture. | 0:05:58 | 0:06:02 | |
-So this is where they lived. | 0:06:02 | 0:06:05 | |
-This is the lodge here. | 0:06:05 | 0:06:07 | |
-Ma-ah goh-tee -in the Mandan language. | 0:06:07 | 0:06:10 | |
-David Thompson and John Evans -would've lived in lodges like these. | 0:06:10 | 0:06:15 | |
-They would've met the same people -and witnessed the same rituals... | 0:06:15 | 0:06:20 | |
-..for a brief period before -smallpox wiped out the Mandans. | 0:06:20 | 0:06:24 | |
-Two intrepid explorers, not knowing -they were fellow Welshmen. | 0:06:25 | 0:06:29 | |
-The Mandans were here -for 300 years... | 0:06:32 | 0:06:35 | |
-..before the white man arrived. | 0:06:35 | 0:06:38 | |
-For what is left -of the tribe today... | 0:06:38 | 0:06:41 | |
-..it must be a bittersweet memory -but also an inspiration. | 0:06:42 | 0:06:46 | |
-Both sexes -have a character of being kind... | 0:06:48 | 0:06:51 | |
-..in the intercourse -with each other. | 0:06:51 | 0:06:53 | |
-In our ambles through the villages, -everything was orderly. | 0:06:54 | 0:06:58 | |
-No scolding, no loud talking. | 0:06:58 | 0:07:00 | |
-What about us Welsh people? | 0:07:01 | 0:07:03 | |
-Looking around -and seeing the houses and boats... | 0:07:03 | 0:07:07 | |
-..and a few old tales, you can -understand how places like this... | 0:07:07 | 0:07:11 | |
-..had fuelled the myth about Madog. | 0:07:12 | 0:07:14 | |
-Hearing about the Mandans' cultured, -friendly and peaceful nature... | 0:07:14 | 0:07:19 | |
-..it's nice -being associated with them. | 0:07:19 | 0:07:21 | |
-From the outset, -Thompson had a keen interest... | 0:07:22 | 0:07:25 | |
-..in the lives, language and -customs of the Native Americans. | 0:07:25 | 0:07:29 | |
-Here in Dakota... | 0:07:29 | 0:07:31 | |
-..he recorded 375 Mandan words... | 0:07:32 | 0:07:34 | |
-..and described the village. | 0:07:34 | 0:07:36 | |
-Throughout his life, his interest -set him apart from other explorers. | 0:07:37 | 0:07:41 | |
-He was one of the first -to record Mandan customs... | 0:07:41 | 0:07:45 | |
-..and give an account -of their way of life. | 0:07:45 | 0:07:49 | |
-They were farmers -rather than nomadic hunters. | 0:07:49 | 0:07:52 | |
-Things changed in 1947, exactly -150 years after Thompson's visit... | 0:07:54 | 0:07:59 | |
-..when the villages of three -Native American tribes were sunk. | 0:07:59 | 0:08:04 | |
-It was a large-scale Tryweryn. | 0:08:04 | 0:08:06 | |
-1,700 people, including Mandans, -had to leave their homes. | 0:08:07 | 0:08:11 | |
-Edwin Benson remembers. | 0:08:11 | 0:08:13 | |
-We've lost a way of life... | 0:08:16 | 0:08:18 | |
-..a culture and our old customs. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:20 | |
-We were heart-broken. | 0:08:21 | 0:08:23 | |
-We had to leave the old river, -our homes and the community. | 0:08:23 | 0:08:27 | |
-Edwin Benson is unique. He's the -only first-language Mandan speaker. | 0:08:29 | 0:08:34 | |
-In those days, many people -spoke the Mandan language. | 0:08:34 | 0:08:39 | |
-I don't remember learning it. | 0:08:39 | 0:08:41 | |
-I was brought up with it. -It's my mother tongue. | 0:08:42 | 0:08:45 | |
-He, like other children -of the tribe... | 0:08:45 | 0:08:48 | |
-..attended an English-medium school -and was scolded for speaking Mandan. | 0:08:48 | 0:08:53 | |
-Like many minority languages, -few families sustained the language. | 0:08:53 | 0:08:58 | |
-Nowadays, there are no -first-language Mandan speakers left. | 0:09:01 | 0:09:06 | |
-I talk a little to Cory -but no-one else. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:10 | |
-It makes me feel lonely -and very sad. | 0:09:10 | 0:09:13 | |
-The language -has all but disappeared... | 0:09:14 | 0:09:17 | |
-..despite Cory -and others' efforts to learn it. | 0:09:17 | 0:09:20 | |
-But it is -a minority's second language. | 0:09:20 | 0:09:23 | |
-The deterioration happened -when white settlers arrived... | 0:09:27 | 0:09:31 | |
-..including the two Welshmen, -John Evans and David Thompson. | 0:09:31 | 0:09:35 | |
-The journey to the Mandan village -was part of the epic adventure... | 0:09:45 | 0:09:50 | |
-..that David Thompson led. | 0:09:50 | 0:09:52 | |
-The extreme weather, -the dangers and even the politics... | 0:09:53 | 0:09:57 | |
-..would've prepared him -for what was to come. | 0:09:57 | 0:10:00 | |
-He travelled 4,000 miles in all. | 0:10:00 | 0:10:03 | |
-But that was nothing compared to the -adventures that were ahead of him. | 0:10:03 | 0:10:08 | |
-On the journey -to the Mandan village... | 0:10:09 | 0:10:11 | |
-..David Thompson had noted -the bend in the Missouri... | 0:10:12 | 0:10:15 | |
-..and later mapped it. | 0:10:15 | 0:10:17 | |
-Another river -would soon come to rule his life. | 0:10:17 | 0:10:21 | |
-He spent most of the next 15 years -in the Canadian Rockies. | 0:10:22 | 0:10:27 | |
-I too -am leaving Dakota and heading north. | 0:10:27 | 0:10:30 | |
-I'm going by plane and car... | 0:10:30 | 0:10:32 | |
-..while David Thompson -went by foot and horseback... | 0:10:33 | 0:10:36 | |
-..and along the rivers in a canoe. | 0:10:37 | 0:10:39 | |
-When the fur trade -was at its peak... | 0:10:43 | 0:10:45 | |
-..it was a challenge to get the furs -from the hunting area to the sea... | 0:10:46 | 0:10:50 | |
-..to export them. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:52 | |
-A huge market -was developing in China... | 0:10:52 | 0:10:55 | |
-..so a route to the Pacific -was vital. | 0:10:55 | 0:10:58 | |
-There were none in the 18th century. | 0:10:58 | 0:11:00 | |
-The giant Rocky Mountains -were in the way. | 0:11:00 | 0:11:03 | |
-Thompson was tasked with -mapping a route over the Rockies... | 0:11:06 | 0:11:10 | |
-..from the fur centre -to the uncharted Pacific. | 0:11:10 | 0:11:14 | |
-I've come to Alberta in Canada, -another of Thompson's provinces. | 0:11:19 | 0:11:24 | |
-The one thing -that connects this area... | 0:11:24 | 0:11:27 | |
-..with the Mandan region is oil. | 0:11:27 | 0:11:30 | |
-Crude is the new fur, -as someone once said. | 0:11:31 | 0:11:34 | |
-For the traders of Alberta -and north Dakota... | 0:11:34 | 0:11:37 | |
-..like it was in Thompson's day... | 0:11:37 | 0:11:39 | |
-..the difficulty -was transporting fur to the sea. | 0:11:39 | 0:11:42 | |
-Similarly, there was a price to pay -for development and progress. | 0:11:43 | 0:11:47 | |
-. | 0:11:51 | 0:11:51 | |
-Subtitles | 0:11:52 | 0:11:52 | |
-Subtitles - -Subtitles | 0:11:52 | 0:11:54 | |
-Present-day Alberta, Canada. David -Thompson was 29 when he came here. | 0:11:56 | 0:12:00 | |
-He made a name for himself as an -explorer, cartographer and trader. | 0:12:01 | 0:12:05 | |
-His business... | 0:12:05 | 0:12:07 | |
-..meant travelling hundreds of miles -to collect fur from native tribes. | 0:12:07 | 0:12:11 | |
-He travelled through unpopulated -areas inhabited by wild animals... | 0:12:11 | 0:12:15 | |
-..from dangerous bears -to large herds of bison. | 0:12:16 | 0:12:19 | |
-His fellow travellers -were white explorers... | 0:12:21 | 0:12:24 | |
-..and Native American tribes. | 0:12:25 | 0:12:27 | |
-In September 1798, as he -was on his way to collect fur... | 0:12:27 | 0:12:31 | |
-..Thompson stopped at a trading post -on the territory of the Cree tribe. | 0:12:31 | 0:12:36 | |
-There he met a 13-year-old girl -called Charlotte. | 0:12:37 | 0:12:40 | |
-He was only there a day but he knew -he'd made an impression on her. | 0:12:40 | 0:12:45 | |
-She certainly -made an impression on him. | 0:12:45 | 0:12:48 | |
-Six months later he returned. | 0:12:48 | 0:12:51 | |
-Within three weeks, he writes -a stark entry in his journal. | 0:12:51 | 0:12:55 | |
-"Today I married Charlotte Small." | 0:12:56 | 0:12:58 | |
-He'd found his lifelong partner. | 0:12:58 | 0:13:01 | |
-She spoke Cree and understood -the lives of Native Americans. | 0:13:01 | 0:13:05 | |
-Rocky Mountain House is a model -of one of the main trading posts... | 0:13:10 | 0:13:14 | |
-..of the North West Company -200 years ago. | 0:13:15 | 0:13:18 | |
-From here they controlled the trade -over a vast distance. | 0:13:18 | 0:13:21 | |
-It was central -in David Thompson's life too. | 0:13:22 | 0:13:24 | |
-Historians of Thompson's era -are besotted with the place... | 0:13:25 | 0:13:29 | |
-..because so much evidence exists -about what went on here. | 0:13:29 | 0:13:33 | |
-He set out on many of his travels -from here... | 0:13:33 | 0:13:36 | |
-..including his trips -over the Rockies 50 miles away. | 0:13:37 | 0:13:40 | |
-Fur was the main industry. | 0:13:40 | 0:13:42 | |
-They bought hide from local native -tribes and exported them to Europe. | 0:13:43 | 0:13:48 | |
-The aim of heading west... | 0:13:48 | 0:13:50 | |
-..was to find more tribes -and more fur to purchase. | 0:13:50 | 0:13:54 | |
-They were battling with other firms, -the Spanish and the Americans... | 0:13:54 | 0:13:58 | |
-..for control of the land -and the trade. | 0:13:58 | 0:14:01 | |
-Mapping the area -was an integral part of that. | 0:14:01 | 0:14:04 | |
-Thompson was a natural cartographer. | 0:14:05 | 0:14:07 | |
-He recorded -every detail in his notebook. | 0:14:08 | 0:14:11 | |
-Distances, climate, wildlife... | 0:14:11 | 0:14:13 | |
-..heights of mountains and so on. | 0:14:13 | 0:14:16 | |
-When he travelled by canoe, -he lent over the side... | 0:14:16 | 0:14:19 | |
-..to measure -the depth of the rivers. | 0:14:20 | 0:14:22 | |
-In search of more fur, he ventured -to places unexplored by white men. | 0:14:22 | 0:14:27 | |
-His maps are vital to us today -but hide was his bread and butter. | 0:14:27 | 0:14:31 | |
-Right, what can I do for you today? | 0:14:31 | 0:14:34 | |
-This is what a shop would've looked -like in one of the trading posts. | 0:14:34 | 0:14:40 | |
-You can see -how it would've operated. | 0:14:40 | 0:14:43 | |
-On this side are all the things -the tribes would need. | 0:14:43 | 0:14:47 | |
-The necklace, the bells, the fabrics -and, of course, metal goods... | 0:14:47 | 0:14:51 | |
-..including animal traps. | 0:14:52 | 0:14:54 | |
-On the other side is the fur. | 0:14:54 | 0:14:57 | |
-This is the most precious -of all the hides - beaver skins. | 0:14:57 | 0:15:03 | |
-This dictated the market price -for all the fur. | 0:15:03 | 0:15:07 | |
-It was used to make these. | 0:15:07 | 0:15:10 | |
-You can see -how they would've traded. | 0:15:11 | 0:15:13 | |
-All the First Nation tribes -wanted guns... | 0:15:14 | 0:15:18 | |
-..so that they -could defend themselves... | 0:15:18 | 0:15:21 | |
-..fight against other tribes -and to be better huntsmen. | 0:15:21 | 0:15:25 | |
-This is an early example -of a trading post 200 years ago... | 0:15:25 | 0:15:31 | |
-..with goods exchanged -over the counter. | 0:15:31 | 0:15:34 | |
-The remnants of the trading posts -are of great interest to many... | 0:15:34 | 0:15:39 | |
-..including archaeologists who -have been digging to find out more. | 0:15:39 | 0:15:44 | |
-Site warden Greg Joyce -described everyday life here. | 0:15:44 | 0:15:48 | |
-These are the ruins -of the original fort. | 0:15:48 | 0:15:52 | |
-Thompson and his family would come -here more or less every winter... | 0:15:52 | 0:15:57 | |
-..for a good 10 years. | 0:15:57 | 0:16:00 | |
-It was here that Charlotte -and the children lived. | 0:16:00 | 0:16:03 | |
-Their first child was born here. | 0:16:03 | 0:16:06 | |
-This wasn't the ideal place -to give birth, or the safest. | 0:16:06 | 0:16:11 | |
-It was a competitive business. | 0:16:11 | 0:16:13 | |
-The post was situated here as it -was a convenient spot to bring fur. | 0:16:14 | 0:16:18 | |
-The North West Company wasn't -the only firm to have a post here. | 0:16:18 | 0:16:22 | |
-You can see remnants of the Hudson's -Bay Company's trading post... | 0:16:22 | 0:16:26 | |
-..a stone's throw away. | 0:16:27 | 0:16:29 | |
-There would've been -much bartering... | 0:16:29 | 0:16:32 | |
-..when the hunters -arrived with their skins. | 0:16:32 | 0:16:35 | |
-Thompson often refers to the -hardship of Native American females. | 0:16:35 | 0:16:40 | |
-Life was far from easy -for his own wife Charlotte. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:43 | |
-They spent long spells apart. | 0:16:44 | 0:16:45 | |
-When she travelled with him, she -risked famine and untold dangers. | 0:16:46 | 0:16:50 | |
-It's here that they want to erect -a memorial for Charlotte Small... | 0:16:52 | 0:16:56 | |
-..as she was also an important -figure in Canada's history. | 0:16:56 | 0:17:00 | |
-She accompanied Thompson... | 0:17:00 | 0:17:02 | |
-..on many of his travels -on this side of the Rockies. | 0:17:02 | 0:17:06 | |
-Since her mother was a Cree... | 0:17:06 | 0:17:08 | |
-..her knowledge of the native -customs and the geography... | 0:17:08 | 0:17:12 | |
-..was invaluable to Thompson. | 0:17:12 | 0:17:15 | |
-My lovely wife is of the blood -of these people, the Cree... | 0:17:15 | 0:17:19 | |
-..which gives me a great advantage. | 0:17:19 | 0:17:22 | |
-It's believed -that Charlotte herself... | 0:17:22 | 0:17:25 | |
-..had travelled 27,000 miles -in her lifetime. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:28 | |
-The women were important. | 0:17:29 | 0:17:31 | |
-They sewed the essential moccasins, -cooked and raised the family. | 0:17:32 | 0:17:36 | |
-They also made traders -look less threatening to natives. | 0:17:36 | 0:17:40 | |
-As Charlotte was half Cree, -Thompson faced fewer threats... | 0:17:40 | 0:17:44 | |
-..than other explorers. | 0:17:44 | 0:17:47 | |
-This is the type of tepee they -would've used outside the fort... | 0:17:47 | 0:17:53 | |
-..because few people -lived inside the fort. | 0:17:53 | 0:17:56 | |
-This was the kind of tent they -took with them on their travels. | 0:17:56 | 0:18:01 | |
-If we go inside, we'll see -what kind of bed they slept in too. | 0:18:01 | 0:18:05 | |
-This is a bison hide. | 0:18:05 | 0:18:09 | |
-It's huge and it's soft, -surprisingly soft. | 0:18:09 | 0:18:12 | |
-They say it's very warm. | 0:18:12 | 0:18:14 | |
-Underneath -are twigs and a wooden frame. | 0:18:14 | 0:18:18 | |
-During the depths of winter, when -there was too much snow to clear... | 0:18:18 | 0:18:24 | |
-..they had to lay these frames on -the snow and sleep on top of them. | 0:18:24 | 0:18:28 | |
-But I'm told they're comfortable. | 0:18:29 | 0:18:31 | |
-Now it's time -to embark on the epic journey. | 0:18:36 | 0:18:39 | |
-In 1807, 12 members of the Kootenai -tribe visited Rocky Mountain House. | 0:18:39 | 0:18:43 | |
-They told Thompson about their side -of the Rockies in the west. | 0:18:44 | 0:18:48 | |
-It was an opportunity for Thompson -to acquire more fur... | 0:18:48 | 0:18:52 | |
-..and navigate -his away over the mountains. | 0:18:52 | 0:18:55 | |
-The Welshman accompanied -the Kootenai to the Rockies. | 0:18:55 | 0:18:58 | |
-It was a dangerous mission. | 0:18:59 | 0:19:01 | |
-They had to cross -the territory of the Peigans... | 0:19:01 | 0:19:04 | |
-..who tried to prevent the Kootenai -from trading with the white man. | 0:19:04 | 0:19:09 | |
-Visible rocks are a sign... | 0:19:16 | 0:19:18 | |
-..that the river isn't overflowing. | 0:19:19 | 0:19:21 | |
-But at least you can imagine -how swollen it must've been... | 0:19:21 | 0:19:25 | |
-..after the snow -had melted on the mountains. | 0:19:25 | 0:19:28 | |
-This is the northern branch -of the Saskatchewan. | 0:19:28 | 0:19:31 | |
-David Thompson would've canoed up -here on his way to the mountains. | 0:19:31 | 0:19:35 | |
-It was here in Kootenai territory -that he would stay. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:39 | |
-It was one of the last places -to see animals like the buffalo... | 0:19:39 | 0:19:43 | |
-..so there was food here. | 0:19:43 | 0:19:45 | |
-He camped here -and prepared for the journey ahead. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:48 | |
-Thompson's English journals -are full of stories... | 0:19:49 | 0:19:53 | |
-..about food shortages -and harsh climates for hunting. | 0:19:54 | 0:19:58 | |
-He talks of meeting a group -of natives who bring them beef. | 0:19:58 | 0:20:03 | |
-We were hungry -and sat up part of the night... | 0:20:03 | 0:20:07 | |
-..roasting and eating... | 0:20:07 | 0:20:09 | |
-..as it was a long month -since we had a good meal. | 0:20:10 | 0:20:13 | |
-But a shortage of food -wasn't his biggest problem. | 0:20:14 | 0:20:18 | |
-Fur was scarce -on the eastern side of the Rockies. | 0:20:18 | 0:20:21 | |
-The white man -had been too greedy and overhunted. | 0:20:21 | 0:20:24 | |
-So he had to meet new tribes -and find a fresh supply of fur. | 0:20:25 | 0:20:29 | |
-He had no choice -but to cross the Rockies. | 0:20:29 | 0:20:32 | |
-If places like Rocky Mountain House -have changed beyond recognition... | 0:20:35 | 0:20:40 | |
-..at last I'm getting a sense... | 0:20:40 | 0:20:42 | |
-..of how what it would've looked -in David Thompson's day. | 0:20:43 | 0:20:46 | |
-They say it has remained unchanged. | 0:20:46 | 0:20:49 | |
-It's changed very little since -before the arrival of the white man. | 0:20:49 | 0:20:53 | |
-Behind me -is the important Howse Pass... | 0:20:58 | 0:21:01 | |
-..where David Thompson crossed -the Rockies for the first time. | 0:21:02 | 0:21:05 | |
-He, along with his family -and a group of men back in 1807... | 0:21:06 | 0:21:11 | |
-..were among -the first white people to cross. | 0:21:11 | 0:21:14 | |
-For centuries, the First Nation -indigenous tribes... | 0:21:16 | 0:21:20 | |
-..had been using the pass -to cross the mountains. | 0:21:20 | 0:21:24 | |
-They'd go to the western side -and come here to hunt... | 0:21:24 | 0:21:28 | |
-..before going back -to the Columbia Valley. | 0:21:28 | 0:21:31 | |
-In 1807, they -showed David Thompson the trail. | 0:21:31 | 0:21:34 | |
-This region -became an important crossing point. | 0:21:35 | 0:21:39 | |
-But you can see -from the wetlands and mountains... | 0:21:39 | 0:21:42 | |
-..how difficult it would've been -to cross these peaks. | 0:21:43 | 0:21:46 | |
-Often it would've been easier -to cross in snow. | 0:21:47 | 0:21:50 | |
-Thompson -tried to establish trade links... | 0:21:51 | 0:21:54 | |
-..with the Kootenai and Flatheads -in the west. | 0:21:54 | 0:21:57 | |
-He transported the fur back over -the Rockies for about three years. | 0:21:58 | 0:22:02 | |
-Much to the displeasure of -the Rocky Mountain House Peigans. | 0:22:02 | 0:22:06 | |
-They didn't want other tribes to -acquire weapons from selling fur. | 0:22:07 | 0:22:11 | |
-They threatened to attack and make -it dangerous to cross Howse Pass. | 0:22:11 | 0:22:16 | |
-In 1811, David Thompson -had to venture 200 miles north... | 0:22:16 | 0:22:21 | |
-..and cut through -a completely new pass. | 0:22:21 | 0:22:24 | |
-He was going to try and solve -the big mystery. | 0:22:32 | 0:22:36 | |
-How to transport the fur -to the Pacific... | 0:22:36 | 0:22:38 | |
-..without having to carry them -across the continent... | 0:22:39 | 0:22:42 | |
-..to the Atlantic ports. | 0:22:43 | 0:22:45 | |
-Other explorers had talked of a -large river leading to the Pacific. | 0:22:46 | 0:22:51 | |
-They'd found its estuary... | 0:22:51 | 0:22:53 | |
-..and called it the Columbia. | 0:22:53 | 0:22:55 | |
-Its size suggested its source -came from deep within the mountains. | 0:22:56 | 0:23:00 | |
-Thompson had heard about the river -and needed to locate its source. | 0:23:00 | 0:23:05 | |
-He'd then have a way of carrying -the fur through the Rockies... | 0:23:05 | 0:23:09 | |
-..and out to sea. | 0:23:09 | 0:23:11 | |
-I'm following his journey -across the Rockies... | 0:23:18 | 0:23:21 | |
-.. to the Pacific. | 0:23:22 | 0:23:23 | |
-Rocky Mountain House to the pass -is 400 miles. | 0:23:24 | 0:23:26 | |
-From the comfort of a car, -it's hard to imagine... | 0:23:27 | 0:23:31 | |
-..how arduous Thompson's journey -would've been when food was scarce. | 0:23:31 | 0:23:35 | |
-"Hunger is an excellent source," -said Thompson... | 0:23:35 | 0:23:38 | |
-..after being forced to eat the meat -of a horse that had long died. | 0:23:39 | 0:23:43 | |
-They all became gravely ill. | 0:23:43 | 0:23:45 | |
-This statue's unique -as it's the only one... | 0:23:52 | 0:23:56 | |
-..of David Thompson. | 0:23:56 | 0:23:58 | |
-After decades of being ignored... | 0:23:58 | 0:24:01 | |
-..he's a hero on both sides of -the border - in America and Canada. | 0:24:01 | 0:24:05 | |
-This memorial shows the Welshman -holding his vital weapon. | 0:24:08 | 0:24:12 | |
-His sextant, -which was a new device in his day. | 0:24:12 | 0:24:15 | |
-He'd use it to gaze at the stars -and work out his exact location... | 0:24:15 | 0:24:19 | |
-..by noting the position of the moon -in relation to the stars. | 0:24:20 | 0:24:24 | |
-He was a master of many trades -and a new kind of explorer. | 0:24:26 | 0:24:30 | |
-He studied things -in a scientific context. | 0:24:30 | 0:24:33 | |
-He began to show man's intervention -on the wild terrain. | 0:24:33 | 0:24:37 | |
-. | 0:24:38 | 0:24:38 | |
-Subtitles | 0:24:40 | 0:24:40 | |
-Subtitles - -Subtitles | 0:24:40 | 0:24:42 | |
-David Thompson crossed the Rockies -to Invermere in British Columbia... | 0:24:44 | 0:24:49 | |
-..to find more fur -and trade with native tribes. | 0:24:49 | 0:24:52 | |
-But not at any cost. | 0:24:55 | 0:24:57 | |
-He swore he'd never -supply alcohol to the tribes... | 0:24:57 | 0:25:00 | |
-..although the fur trade used it as -a bribe to keep the natives sweet. | 0:25:01 | 0:25:06 | |
-When the Indian comes to trade his -furs, strong grog is given to him. | 0:25:06 | 0:25:11 | |
-Sometimes for two or three days -are all drunk... | 0:25:11 | 0:25:14 | |
-..and become -the most degraded of human beings. | 0:25:14 | 0:25:17 | |
-On his first journey -across the pass... | 0:25:17 | 0:25:20 | |
-..the North West Co had given -David Thompson two casks of brandy. | 0:25:20 | 0:25:24 | |
-He tied them to a clumsy horse, -knowing it'd rub against rocks... | 0:25:24 | 0:25:29 | |
-..and break the casks into pieces. | 0:25:29 | 0:25:33 | |
-Thompson wrote to his bosses -to tell them what had happened... | 0:25:33 | 0:25:37 | |
-..and added that it would happen -to every other cask. | 0:25:38 | 0:25:41 | |
-It was here in Invermere -that he established a trading post. | 0:25:43 | 0:25:47 | |
-Karen Smith informed me of -Thompson's time with the Kootenai. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:52 | |
-If it hadn't been -for the native tribes... | 0:25:52 | 0:25:55 | |
-..the white men -would never have survived. | 0:25:55 | 0:25:58 | |
-Their guns didn't work -and they didn't know how to hunt... | 0:25:58 | 0:26:02 | |
-..in unfamiliar territory. | 0:26:02 | 0:26:04 | |
-They almost died of starvation. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:07 | |
-I think I'm in the right place. | 0:26:07 | 0:26:10 | |
-Yes, you've found us on both maps. | 0:26:10 | 0:26:12 | |
-Yes, this is the old map -and it says North West Company. | 0:26:12 | 0:26:16 | |
-In the winter of 1808-09... | 0:26:16 | 0:26:18 | |
-..the fur supply had exceeded -Thompson's expectations. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:23 | |
-Beaver, bear and goat fur -totalling a cost of over 5,000. | 0:26:23 | 0:26:28 | |
-The Welshman had proved to superiors -that it was worth coming here. | 0:26:28 | 0:26:32 | |
-It was even more of a reason -to find a passage to the sea. | 0:26:33 | 0:26:36 | |
-This river -became the main waterway... | 0:26:46 | 0:26:49 | |
-..for transporting fur 700 miles -over the mountains to the Pacific. | 0:26:50 | 0:26:54 | |
-This is -the source of the Columbia River. | 0:26:55 | 0:26:57 | |
-Thompson had spotted it sooner, -not realising it was the Columbia... | 0:26:58 | 0:27:03 | |
-..as it appeared -to be going in the wrong direction. | 0:27:03 | 0:27:07 | |
-By 1810, Thompson had seen enough... | 0:27:08 | 0:27:10 | |
-..to declare that this was -the great river of the west. | 0:27:10 | 0:27:14 | |
-But to prove that, he'd -have to follow it to the open sea... | 0:27:15 | 0:27:18 | |
-..and map it accordingly. | 0:27:18 | 0:27:20 | |
-His greatest journey -was about to begin. | 0:27:21 | 0:27:24 | |
-I'm leaving the Rockies now -and driving towards the border... | 0:27:28 | 0:27:33 | |
-..between America and Canada. | 0:27:33 | 0:27:35 | |
-I'm retracing -David Thompson's journey. | 0:27:35 | 0:27:38 | |
-I'm leaving the Columbia River -in order to re-join it further down. | 0:27:39 | 0:27:43 | |
-The shape of the Columbia -explains why Thompson was confused. | 0:27:49 | 0:27:53 | |
-The bend makes it appear -to be going northwards... | 0:27:53 | 0:27:56 | |
-..instead of going westwards -to the Pacific. | 0:27:56 | 0:27:59 | |
-There's a fair few miles -between here... | 0:28:01 | 0:28:04 | |
-..and the source -of the Columbia River. | 0:28:04 | 0:28:07 | |
-But those miles held the key -to Thompson's early journeys... | 0:28:07 | 0:28:10 | |
-..as well as -the epic journey itself. | 0:28:11 | 0:28:13 | |
-Instead of following the Columbia -for hundreds of miles... | 0:28:13 | 0:28:17 | |
-..he could cross -this portion of land... | 0:28:18 | 0:28:21 | |
-..reach the Kootenay River... | 0:28:22 | 0:28:24 | |
-..to re-join the Columbia -much further down. | 0:28:24 | 0:28:27 | |
-The Kootenay River -became a direct route... | 0:28:28 | 0:28:31 | |
-..and a convenient way -of transporting goods. | 0:28:31 | 0:28:34 | |
-It was effectively a shortcut. | 0:28:34 | 0:28:37 | |
-I've crossed the border -and am now back in the US... | 0:28:43 | 0:28:46 | |
-..on the outskirts -of Bonners Ferry in Washington. | 0:28:47 | 0:28:50 | |
-It was here that David Thompson's -Native American friend had a camp. | 0:28:56 | 0:29:02 | |
-He was a chief called Ugly Head -on account of his hair. | 0:29:02 | 0:29:06 | |
-He imparted -much information to Thompson... | 0:29:06 | 0:29:09 | |
-..regarding the shape -of the mountains... | 0:29:09 | 0:29:12 | |
-..how the rivers flowed -and where the trails were. | 0:29:12 | 0:29:15 | |
-That information was essential. | 0:29:16 | 0:29:18 | |
-Without the aid and knowledge -of the native Indians... | 0:29:18 | 0:29:22 | |
-..Thompson -wouldn't have got very far. | 0:29:22 | 0:29:24 | |
-He acknowledged that too. | 0:29:25 | 0:29:27 | |
-During his journey, he recorded -their traditions and customs. | 0:29:27 | 0:29:31 | |
-Two centuries later, those notes -are an important contribution... | 0:29:31 | 0:29:36 | |
-..in keeping -the tribes' history alive. | 0:29:36 | 0:29:39 | |
-Among the natives, the snaring -of hares and trapping of martins... | 0:29:50 | 0:29:54 | |
-..are the business of the women -and become their property for trade. | 0:29:54 | 0:29:58 | |
-Lake Pend Oreille at the foothills -of the Rockies was significant. | 0:30:02 | 0:30:06 | |
-Thompson made notes -about the lives of the natives here. | 0:30:07 | 0:30:11 | |
-Thompson came here -in October 1809 from that direction. | 0:30:12 | 0:30:16 | |
-He established a trading post -on the shore around the far corner. | 0:30:16 | 0:30:20 | |
-It was called Kullyspell House. | 0:30:21 | 0:30:23 | |
-When he rowed across in his canoe, -he would've landed right here. | 0:30:23 | 0:30:27 | |
-Houses were normally named after -the tribes he was dealing with... | 0:30:28 | 0:30:32 | |
-..but many different tribes -came to trade there... | 0:30:32 | 0:30:36 | |
-..so David Thompson -became familiar with a vast area. | 0:30:36 | 0:30:39 | |
-He was able to create -trade networks. | 0:30:39 | 0:30:42 | |
-Thompson made an effort -to learn local languages... | 0:30:50 | 0:30:54 | |
-..knowing it would strengthen -his relationship with the natives. | 0:30:54 | 0:30:58 | |
-He recorded the vocabulary -of various dialects... | 0:30:59 | 0:31:03 | |
-..which is of interest -to Jack Nisbet... | 0:31:03 | 0:31:06 | |
-..who's written books -about David Thompson. | 0:31:06 | 0:31:09 | |
-When Thompson was here -on Lake Pend Oreille... | 0:31:10 | 0:31:13 | |
-..with the Kullyspell people, -he kept this amazing word list. | 0:31:13 | 0:31:17 | |
-The first word list of Salish, an -interior Salish language to English. | 0:31:17 | 0:31:22 | |
-And they look different than -the ones American people write down. | 0:31:22 | 0:31:27 | |
-Thompson obviously heard languages -other than English. | 0:31:28 | 0:31:32 | |
-I asked a question that had been -on my mind from the start. | 0:31:32 | 0:31:35 | |
-Did he speak Welsh? It might've been -the language of the home in London. | 0:31:35 | 0:31:40 | |
-Do his notes -on the sound of these languages... | 0:31:40 | 0:31:44 | |
-..suggest he knew a little Welsh? | 0:31:44 | 0:31:46 | |
-I see him -with these constructions... | 0:31:46 | 0:31:49 | |
-..that don't sound like -English-sounding things. | 0:31:50 | 0:31:53 | |
-That could be a ch-t -if that is a 'ch' sound. | 0:31:54 | 0:31:58 | |
-That sound is in Salish language. | 0:31:58 | 0:32:00 | |
-That's the sounds the elders make -that I can't imitate. | 0:32:01 | 0:32:05 | |
-How is he different -to other fur men... | 0:32:05 | 0:32:09 | |
-..and other adventurers of the time? | 0:32:09 | 0:32:11 | |
-When you think of Meriwether Lewis -who keeps word lists... | 0:32:12 | 0:32:16 | |
-..they're very simple and short - -they look like American English. | 0:32:16 | 0:32:20 | |
-These have -all these letter combinations... | 0:32:20 | 0:32:23 | |
-..and he's underlining things... | 0:32:24 | 0:32:26 | |
-..and adding diacritical marks... | 0:32:26 | 0:32:28 | |
-..that make me think he is hearing -more than Meriwether Lewis heard. | 0:32:29 | 0:32:33 | |
-This suggests that he was familiar -with the sound of Welsh. | 0:32:33 | 0:32:37 | |
-Bigsby, an author from Thompson's -time, who had met him, said... | 0:32:37 | 0:32:42 | |
-.."His speech -betrayed the Welshman... | 0:32:42 | 0:32:44 | |
-"..although he left -his native hills when very young." | 0:32:44 | 0:32:47 | |
-But how did Thompson regard himself? -One thing stands out. | 0:32:47 | 0:32:52 | |
-In 1851, many years -after his expeditions... | 0:32:52 | 0:32:56 | |
-..he filled in the Census... | 0:32:56 | 0:32:58 | |
-..and noted his birthplace - Wales. | 0:32:59 | 0:33:02 | |
-There's a record -of his christening at Westminster. | 0:33:02 | 0:33:06 | |
-But his mother, like many mothers... | 0:33:06 | 0:33:09 | |
-..went back to her own family -to give birth to her son. | 0:33:09 | 0:33:12 | |
-It's quite possible -she lived in the Swansea area. | 0:33:13 | 0:33:16 | |
-I'm right to call him a Welshman... | 0:33:16 | 0:33:19 | |
-..and I strongly suspect -he was familiar with Welsh. | 0:33:19 | 0:33:22 | |
-Jack has shown me David Thompson's -personal handwritten letters... | 0:33:23 | 0:33:28 | |
-..which are different from -the things he wrote in his journal. | 0:33:28 | 0:33:33 | |
-He complains about the lack -of support in these regions... | 0:33:33 | 0:33:38 | |
-..and the shortage of men and so on. | 0:33:38 | 0:33:40 | |
-He writes -that he's fed up of being here. | 0:33:40 | 0:33:43 | |
-There are also personal accounts. | 0:33:43 | 0:33:46 | |
-In one letter, he asks a friend -to look after his love child. | 0:33:46 | 0:33:51 | |
-It was obviously a child by another -native woman, not Charlotte. | 0:33:51 | 0:33:56 | |
-Unlike other fur traders, -he doesn't just leave the child... | 0:33:56 | 0:34:00 | |
-..he offers to pay for his care. | 0:34:00 | 0:34:02 | |
-Another side to the man -surfaces here. | 0:34:02 | 0:34:05 | |
-Like his co-workers, -he had extramarital affairs. | 0:34:07 | 0:34:10 | |
-But at least he was a man who -looked after the women and children. | 0:34:11 | 0:34:15 | |
-Thompson was married -to Charlotte for 58 years. | 0:34:17 | 0:34:21 | |
-It was no marriage of convenience... | 0:34:21 | 0:34:24 | |
-..just to have a useful -Native American wife. | 0:34:24 | 0:34:27 | |
-Once the pair retired, -they had a church wedding... | 0:34:27 | 0:34:31 | |
-..and a church christening -for their children. | 0:34:31 | 0:34:35 | |
-This building -was typical of a trading post. | 0:34:40 | 0:34:45 | |
-They were made of solid wood. | 0:34:45 | 0:34:47 | |
-There would've been room for storage -as well as living quarters. | 0:34:47 | 0:34:52 | |
-David Thompson was responsible -for some of the carpentry. | 0:34:52 | 0:34:56 | |
-He made the doors and furniture -and was a talented carpenter. | 0:34:56 | 0:35:01 | |
-He made sure he had a desk -on which he could write. | 0:35:01 | 0:35:04 | |
-Thompson was staying -among the Spokane tribe. | 0:35:07 | 0:35:11 | |
-He was the first white man -to describe them. | 0:35:11 | 0:35:14 | |
-His comments about this territory -are very useful. | 0:35:14 | 0:35:17 | |
-It was a hard place to get to... | 0:35:18 | 0:35:20 | |
-..but once here, he could travel -down the Columbia to the Pacific. | 0:35:20 | 0:35:24 | |
-Thompson -was in unfamiliar territory. | 0:35:29 | 0:35:31 | |
-A year earlier, he'd sent a worker -here to establish a trading post... | 0:35:32 | 0:35:36 | |
-..somewhere in this field. | 0:35:36 | 0:35:39 | |
-This was Spokane House. | 0:35:39 | 0:35:41 | |
-It was one in a network of -trading posts built by Thompson... | 0:35:44 | 0:35:48 | |
-..that served the natives -of the Columbia district. | 0:35:49 | 0:35:53 | |
-This is where he went. | 0:35:53 | 0:35:55 | |
-The Skeechoo -is the Kullyspell name for Spokane. | 0:35:55 | 0:35:59 | |
-Spokane House is here, so he takes -an overland route to the Colville. | 0:36:00 | 0:36:06 | |
-It allowed him time -to get his business in order... | 0:36:06 | 0:36:09 | |
-..and prepare for the big voyage. | 0:36:09 | 0:36:11 | |
-He rode on horseback along one of -the routes of the native Indians... | 0:36:12 | 0:36:16 | |
-..over this range, -over the mountain and around it... | 0:36:17 | 0:36:21 | |
-..to the Ithkoyape falls. | 0:36:21 | 0:36:23 | |
-Thousands of natives -congregated there... | 0:36:26 | 0:36:29 | |
-..to fish for salmon -as they were heading upriver... | 0:36:30 | 0:36:35 | |
-..while he was on his way down. | 0:36:35 | 0:36:37 | |
-Thompson and his team would've -come this way on horseback... | 0:36:45 | 0:36:49 | |
-..following the trails of the -Spokane, of which there were many. | 0:36:49 | 0:36:55 | |
-According to Jack, only 2,000 -live on the reservation nowadays... | 0:36:55 | 0:36:59 | |
-..with only a handful -speaking the language. | 0:36:59 | 0:37:02 | |
-Almost all the languages -Thompson refers to... | 0:37:02 | 0:37:06 | |
-..are in danger of dying out. | 0:37:06 | 0:37:08 | |
-. | 0:37:10 | 0:37:10 | |
-Subtitles | 0:37:13 | 0:37:13 | |
-Subtitles - -Subtitles | 0:37:13 | 0:37:15 | |
-I'm retracing David Thompson's -journey along the Columbia River... | 0:37:15 | 0:37:20 | |
-..with Jack Nisbet, an expert -on the cartographer from Wales. | 0:37:20 | 0:37:24 | |
-We're on the riverbank... | 0:37:24 | 0:37:26 | |
-..as this region is now a dam. | 0:37:27 | 0:37:29 | |
-Beneath the lake -are an island and waterfalls. | 0:37:29 | 0:37:32 | |
-Kettle Falls was an important place -for the native tribes. | 0:37:36 | 0:37:40 | |
-Each spring, when Hayes Island gets -exposed, people usually go out... | 0:37:42 | 0:37:47 | |
-..and set up tepees on it. | 0:37:48 | 0:37:50 | |
-When the salmon started to run, -which was when Thompson came... | 0:37:50 | 0:37:54 | |
-..they will bring salmon upstream -and have a cookout... | 0:37:54 | 0:37:58 | |
-..which tribal people and locals -come to - it's quite an event. | 0:37:58 | 0:38:03 | |
-They celebrate -the fact they've survived. | 0:38:04 | 0:38:07 | |
-They remember that much of their -heritage is underneath the dam. | 0:38:07 | 0:38:11 | |
-Like the Mandans, they've lost -their livelihood and their food. | 0:38:11 | 0:38:16 | |
-The Ithkoyape falls -are under 90 feet of water. | 0:38:24 | 0:38:28 | |
-It was here -that the native tribes congregated. | 0:38:29 | 0:38:32 | |
-They caught as many -as 2,000 fish in one day. | 0:38:32 | 0:38:35 | |
-One man had a specific job to do -on the banks of the falls. | 0:38:36 | 0:38:40 | |
-He had to count the number of fish -that went upstream... | 0:38:40 | 0:38:44 | |
-..to ensure there were enough -for tribes further up... | 0:38:44 | 0:38:47 | |
-..and that the fish could procreate, -ensuring food for all. | 0:38:47 | 0:38:51 | |
-Here you can see remnants... | 0:38:56 | 0:38:58 | |
-..of where the natives sharpened -their spears and pokers... | 0:38:58 | 0:39:03 | |
-..ready for fishing. | 0:39:03 | 0:39:05 | |
-This was solid stone. | 0:39:05 | 0:39:07 | |
-It was -very important stone for them. | 0:39:07 | 0:39:11 | |
-This used to be on the riverbank -which is now under the dam. | 0:39:11 | 0:39:15 | |
-It was debatable whether or not -they would move the stone to here. | 0:39:16 | 0:39:20 | |
-In some places, -the tribes decided... | 0:39:20 | 0:39:23 | |
-..to leave -their treasures underwater. | 0:39:23 | 0:39:26 | |
-They believed that one day the world -would turn upside down... | 0:39:26 | 0:39:30 | |
-..and the people who followed -a righteous path would be on top. | 0:39:31 | 0:39:35 | |
-The natives -shared beliefs like those. | 0:39:36 | 0:39:39 | |
-The world belonged to everyone... | 0:39:39 | 0:39:41 | |
-..everyone had a place in it -and man was at one with nature. | 0:39:41 | 0:39:46 | |
-When the white man came, the natives -didn't understand land ownership. | 0:39:46 | 0:39:51 | |
-It was as foreign to them -as owning a portion of the sky. | 0:39:52 | 0:39:55 | |
-Thompson -paved the way for the white man... | 0:39:56 | 0:39:59 | |
-..but he'd be horrified -with the consequences. | 0:39:59 | 0:40:02 | |
-For Thompson, this was -the beginning of the journey's end. | 0:40:04 | 0:40:08 | |
-He went back a few miles to fetch -cedar wood to build a new canoe. | 0:40:08 | 0:40:12 | |
-He hired a couple of local Indians -to interpret for him. | 0:40:12 | 0:40:16 | |
-He and his team -then sailed downriver. | 0:40:16 | 0:40:19 | |
-The first white people -to venture from here to the sea. | 0:40:19 | 0:40:23 | |
-He set out downstream. | 0:40:25 | 0:40:27 | |
-In a journal entry -dated 3 July 1811, he simply says... | 0:40:27 | 0:40:31 | |
-We set off on a voyage -down the Columbia River... | 0:40:32 | 0:40:35 | |
-..to explore this river -in order to open out a passage... | 0:40:35 | 0:40:39 | |
-..for the interior trade -with the Pacific Ocean. | 0:40:40 | 0:40:44 | |
-The river flowed quickly as the snow -melted after a harsh winter. | 0:40:44 | 0:40:48 | |
-They were travelling -at such a speed... | 0:40:48 | 0:40:51 | |
-..that he could only record the bare -facts rather than detailed notes. | 0:40:51 | 0:40:56 | |
-High rocks on the right, -steep rocks on the left. | 0:40:56 | 0:40:59 | |
-The strength of the eddies -and small whirlpools... | 0:40:59 | 0:41:02 | |
-..continually toss the canoe -from side to side... | 0:41:02 | 0:41:05 | |
-..and the compass -was always vibrating. | 0:41:05 | 0:41:07 | |
-I hope by the mercy of heaven to -take them much better on my return. | 0:41:08 | 0:41:12 | |
-The Columbia is a mammoth river... | 0:41:13 | 0:41:15 | |
-..crossing one state in Canada -and seven American states. | 0:41:15 | 0:41:19 | |
-David Thompson navigated his way -down it in a simple canoe. | 0:41:20 | 0:41:24 | |
-Beyond the ferry are today's -Native American reservations. | 0:41:24 | 0:41:29 | |
-As they travelled down the river, -Thompson came across new tribes... | 0:41:29 | 0:41:34 | |
-..who had never -set eyes on white people before. | 0:41:34 | 0:41:37 | |
-An old man approached Thompson and -felt his legs to check he was human. | 0:41:37 | 0:41:42 | |
-For Thompson, it was imperative... | 0:41:42 | 0:41:45 | |
-..that he was on good terms -with the tribes. | 0:41:45 | 0:41:48 | |
-He smoked with chiefs, -his crew joined in the dancing. | 0:41:48 | 0:41:51 | |
-They were blessed. | 0:41:52 | 0:41:54 | |
-Although they could sneak down the -river quietly and face no danger... | 0:41:54 | 0:41:59 | |
-..they would soon have to return, -and that's when they needed friends. | 0:41:59 | 0:42:04 | |
-He believed he had to live -and travel with the natives... | 0:42:09 | 0:42:12 | |
-..in order to collect details -about their lives and customs. | 0:42:12 | 0:42:16 | |
-He was worried they would be -corrupted by the white man. | 0:42:16 | 0:42:20 | |
-He respected the natives as people -and appreciated their culture. | 0:42:20 | 0:42:25 | |
-By the end of the first afternoon, -Thompson and his crew... | 0:42:27 | 0:42:31 | |
-..arrived here, -70 miles from where they set out... | 0:42:32 | 0:42:35 | |
-..where the Spokane River -joins the Columbia. | 0:42:35 | 0:42:38 | |
-By the end of the day, they'd travel -another 20 miles to the west. | 0:42:39 | 0:42:43 | |
-Thompson noticed the change -in terrain as they went along. | 0:42:43 | 0:42:48 | |
-Before it was a lake, there were -fields leading down to the river. | 0:42:48 | 0:42:53 | |
-He claimed -it was ideal for sheep farming. | 0:42:53 | 0:42:56 | |
-The 14 hydroelectric dams -on the Columbia produce electricity. | 0:42:59 | 0:43:03 | |
-Though it's one of America's -most industrial rivers... | 0:43:04 | 0:43:07 | |
-..it creates fertile valleys that -are home to orchards and vineyards. | 0:43:08 | 0:43:12 | |
-This stretch of river has remained -unchanged since Thompson's day. | 0:43:21 | 0:43:26 | |
-For hundreds of miles -further along the river... | 0:43:26 | 0:43:30 | |
-..the dams have altered its shape. | 0:43:30 | 0:43:32 | |
-Having been carried along -by a strong current... | 0:43:32 | 0:43:36 | |
-..Thompson landed here and was -greeted by the Skummooin Indians. | 0:43:36 | 0:43:42 | |
-It was here that he witnessed -an old man with white hair... | 0:43:42 | 0:43:46 | |
-..running after horses -and almost catching them. | 0:43:47 | 0:43:50 | |
-He wore -a kettle handle on his head... | 0:43:51 | 0:43:53 | |
-..but apart from that, -he was completely naked. | 0:43:53 | 0:43:57 | |
-He ran like the wind. Just be -thankful I'm not doing the same! | 0:43:57 | 0:44:02 | |
-The pioneering leg of the journey -was almost over. | 0:44:05 | 0:44:08 | |
-Thompson's ability to engage -with the tribes had been crucial. | 0:44:09 | 0:44:13 | |
-This place is very significant. | 0:44:18 | 0:44:20 | |
-This is the confluence of the -Snake River and the Columbia River. | 0:44:21 | 0:44:25 | |
-Thompson planted a pole -somewhere here... | 0:44:25 | 0:44:28 | |
-..claiming it as a trading post -for trade with Great Britain. | 0:44:28 | 0:44:32 | |
-More importantly, having reached -here, he knew he'd succeeded. | 0:44:32 | 0:44:37 | |
-People before him had followed -the Columbia downriver from here. | 0:44:37 | 0:44:41 | |
-He knew that his life work -was now complete. | 0:44:41 | 0:44:44 | |
-There were dangers ahead of him -but he was going to reach the sea. | 0:44:45 | 0:44:48 | |
-He'd found a new passage -over the Rockies to the sea... | 0:44:49 | 0:44:52 | |
-..for the fur trade. | 0:44:52 | 0:44:54 | |
-He reached the sea on 15 July, -bringing an end to his epic journey. | 0:44:57 | 0:45:01 | |
-He went back upriver to collect -more details for mapping purposes. | 0:45:01 | 0:45:06 | |
-For 40 years, fur was -transported down the Columbia... | 0:45:06 | 0:45:09 | |
-..thanks to the efforts -of a Welshman. | 0:45:09 | 0:45:12 | |
-A year after reaching -Columbia's estuary... | 0:45:12 | 0:45:15 | |
-..Thompson gave up his adventures. | 0:45:15 | 0:45:18 | |
-He moved the family to Montreal... | 0:45:18 | 0:45:20 | |
-..and walked down an urban street -for the first time in 27 years. | 0:45:20 | 0:45:25 | |
-He was father to five children. | 0:45:25 | 0:45:27 | |
-Two of them died -within months of reaching Montreal. | 0:45:27 | 0:45:31 | |
-Charlotte bore him -another eight children there. | 0:45:31 | 0:45:34 | |
-There were 13 in all. | 0:45:35 | 0:45:37 | |
-Thompson managed to explore and map -1.5 million square miles... | 0:45:37 | 0:45:43 | |
-..from Montreal in the east -to Portland in the west. | 0:45:44 | 0:45:48 | |
-From the Atlantic to the Pacific. | 0:45:49 | 0:45:51 | |
-He left a legacy of large maps -and over 100 notebooks. | 0:45:51 | 0:45:55 | |
-He was a wealthy man on retirement -but was plagued with misfortune. | 0:45:57 | 0:46:01 | |
-He said he'd traded successfully -with the natives for years. | 0:46:01 | 0:46:05 | |
-Men who stuck to their word. | 0:46:05 | 0:46:07 | |
-But on dealing with the white man, -he was cheated time and time again. | 0:46:07 | 0:46:12 | |
-He wasn't paid correctly -for his cartography. | 0:46:12 | 0:46:15 | |
-He was destitute by 1845. | 0:46:15 | 0:46:17 | |
-He and Charlotte had to -go and live with their daughter. | 0:46:17 | 0:46:21 | |
-Five years later he lost his sight. | 0:46:22 | 0:46:25 | |
-He died in 1857... | 0:46:25 | 0:46:27 | |
-..and was buried -without as much as a headstone. | 0:46:27 | 0:46:30 | |
-Charlotte died the same year. | 0:46:31 | 0:46:33 | |
-The greatest land geographer -who ever lived died a pauper. | 0:46:34 | 0:46:38 | |
-It's time for me to bid farewell -to my version of a canoe and horse. | 0:46:41 | 0:46:46 | |
-On tracing his footsteps over vast -swathes of western North America... | 0:46:46 | 0:46:50 | |
-..it's clear David Thompson -wasn't just an adventurer. | 0:46:50 | 0:46:54 | |
-He was much more than that. | 0:46:54 | 0:46:56 | |
-Natives of the Snake River -referred to him as Koo-Koo-Sint... | 0:46:56 | 0:47:01 | |
-..which means Stargazer. | 0:47:01 | 0:47:03 | |
-He had to be a businessman -but he was a cartographer at heart. | 0:47:04 | 0:47:08 | |
-He did much more than mapping land. | 0:47:08 | 0:47:10 | |
-He mapped populations -and their way of life. | 0:47:11 | 0:47:14 | |
-The irony is that he helped open -up the west to the white man... | 0:47:14 | 0:47:19 | |
-..and facilitate the process -of destroying some of the things... | 0:47:19 | 0:47:23 | |
-..he respected the most. | 0:47:24 | 0:47:26 | |
-Conversely, -through his maps and books... | 0:47:26 | 0:47:29 | |
-..he's kept that history alive... | 0:47:29 | 0:47:32 | |
-..and left much more of a legacy -than your average explorer. | 0:47:32 | 0:47:36 | |
-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf. | 0:48:06 | 0:48:08 | |
-. | 0:48:08 | 0:48:08 |