Mysteries of the Canadian Fur Trade: Episode 1 - La Salle, Alexander Henry (Elder), Robert Campbell

A video on some of the many strange tales to come out of the Canadian wilderness during the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries.
Featured fur traders:
- Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
- Alexander Henry the Elder
- Robert Campbell
0:01:10 - Introduction
0:04:32 - La Salle
0:05:45 - Le Griffon
0:10:23 - Alexander Henry
0:13:53 - Skull Cave
0:15:26 - The Shaking Tent
0:20:03 - The Rattlesnake
0:22:38 - La Porte de l’Enfer
0:23:50 - The Carrying Place of the Lost Child
0:24:28 - The Island of Nanabozho
0:26:45 - The Wendigo
0:30:56 - Robert Campbell
0:32:54 - The Water Horse of Hudson Bay
0:33:52 - The Nahanni Indians
0:37:00 - The White Queen
0:45:34 - Dene Clairvoyance
0:50:12 - The Omen of the Magpie
Script, Music, Video, and Narration by Hammerson Peters
Cover and Thumbnail Art by August Swinson, Member of Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation in Ontario

[@marc-andrebrunet5386]

🎯That's exactly the description of why my family came here from France long time ago ! 🤘😎I'm the 12 generation born in Montreal since 1663. I am the last one of my family still living here. Thank you sir 😷👍 Sorry for my English, I do my best📈🍻

[@kurtisgonzales37]

You're English is fine. Reading it, I couldn't even tell that it is not your primary language...

[@marc-andrebrunet5386]

@@kurtisgonzales37 Thank you bro !! 🤘😎🍻

[@Dkthearn]

Badass bro keep your history wish I had a family like that

[@marc-andrebrunet5386]

@@Dkthearn 🤝 🍻

[@jugghead-1975]

That’s good stuff friend... love to hear people’s family tree , interesting! Thanks for sharing

[@TheBigLeeg]

Hammerson please continue dropping tidbits. We all love these stories. The so remind me of many a night spent in lantern lit cabins in the wooded white north hearing stories from the old men and women.

[@snootdingo9365]

Love the stories! My uncle had a fur trading/selling outpost until the 90s and we are direct descendants of the French trappers, so I enjoy hearing about the early encounters with the high strangeness of early North America

[@karenlasslett5731]

My husband is a direct descendant of George Bonga. His mother did her dissertation on George Bonga and their family line, it is so interesting.

[@mikebond6060]

Does anyone in your family understand french?

[@patrickmcdonald8513]

Great job as always. Many historians won't touch these topics with a ten foot pole. Thanks for rendering them!

[@ryanbiggs5479]

History is one of the most important thing a person can educate themselves in, I just discovered you and I like your stuff, ces bon!

[@lmonnette4037]

@Brandy Pompeo re tthe I think yt bb No v v. T b it N yetytgy got cf car t. FTC car FB vvvvvv g C C B B. B B g no

[@H.O.P.E.1122]

An excellent compilation of stories. You have a beautiful gift.

[@kleth1433]

A few years ago, i was researching the records of canada's early explorers. I found something very strange, which apparently nobody noticed or questioned before. The old paintings from the 17th century show an unexpected subtropical vegetation (palm trees) up to the now subarctic hudson bay. Your video also shows such a painting 5:55 with palm trees at the niagara river. The early explorers all report very cold weather which speaks for a drastic climate change in a very short time. What do the indian traditions say about this? Something very big must have happened, affecting the north american continent in particular.

[@johnwager6704]

That would be an interesting topic.

[@captainsensiblejr.]

I suspect the palm trees were intended as recruitment by unscrupulous promoters who would , like the modern Donald Trump, lie their arses off to convince the unsuspecting colonists that rather than a frozen wasteland during a large part of the year, that most of the Canadian wilderness was a tropical paradise.

[@thalfis]

I grew up in an area called Bouchie Lake, near Quesnel BC, Canada and my younger brother and I had a strange reoccurring experience that neither of us have been able to explain to this day. When I was about 7 years old, my family lived in a log house on my grandparents large acreage. In the middle of the night one night, my brother and I woke up and noticed the flood light mounted up above out bedroom window was on and outside the window we could see what we thought were fireflies. Given our geographical location, this was impossible, but my brother and I in our youth were oblivious to that fact. Our window was mounted just above our porch with a flat roof, so we decided to climb out the window and inspect the intriguing bugs. These bugs appeared like little green and glowing spirals, slowly spinning and floating into the sky and the strangest thing about them was if we tried to catch them with our hands, they would pass through our hands as if they weren't there. This happened a few times that I can remember and I don't ever remember feeling scared, even though you would think we would given that it was dark and what we were seeing wasn't possible. Nobody I have told has had a similar experience and I have looked into it a bit and have not been able to find anything. Figured I would share this here to see if anyone else has ever seen something similar.

[@themysticnavigator]

Keinan Menard my partner and I were talking about this 2 days ago. Cannot seem to figure out. He had his experience like that in British Columbia years ago .. he knew it wasnt a bug they shot right at the light and passed through. No buzzing around ... it frightened him. Interesting. Lots of strange things going on in that area of BC .

[@naturefreek1953]

ExaCtly the same thing happened to me!

[@gorporpio]

@@themysticnavigator If you don't understand it, shoot it?

[@kevincage1641]

It might be the little people. We saw tiny flashes of red,pink,white and blue lights,about the size of a pinhead.The Lakhota Elder confessed that it took years of him praying for them to show up. Many of our people have similar stories

[@kevincage1641]

This was in Western Carolina

[@jetmuchacho]

Cool stories thanks for this video. My family moved up into New Brunswick as loyalists in the 1700s and settled on the Saint John river up past where Mactaquac is today. We still have his sword with his name inscribed on it, he was a captain and became justice of the peace in NB.

[@miggypeso909]

Boooo Tories suck!!!

[@bobbarron6969]

@@miggypeso909 This is a part of part of history that I knew nothing about until I visited St. Johns. Our rebellion against British rule was taught to us as a nearly universally popular movement, but we see that this wasn't the case.

[@tizza963]

Wow. I dont know what else to say. I just found your channel and have spent the past 3 hours listening to your stories. Ive never been so interested in my own country's history.

[@PUBHEAD1]

It's awesome isn't it. So cool to have all these stories about our Canadian homeland. This channel is awesome 👍

[@darabennett4316]

I love your channel. The stories you tell, have so much detail,, and never seem to repeat, in other videos of yours. You really do your research on your topics, and we thank you for all the hard work you do.

[@blakemiller7685]

I'd really like to see more of this type of content. Little gems we might never know.. The legend of the shaking tent was jaw dropping. You're an awesome storyteller!

[@blakemiller7685]

I mean, a Turtle GOD! That was new. Thanks for that

[@allenpeck8239]

I have only just begun the video but I tell you, from your intro, I’m already really excited about it. I just know it’s going to be great, as I love these subjects. The content you put out is fantastic. Addicting, even. Thanks man, for doing this.

[@blakemiller7685]

Agree its not just the details and the panoramic scenery but the work flow narration and art work is waaaaay ahead of other channels

[@cowboykelly6590]

ABSOLUTELY TRUE

[@freedapeeple4049]

"The arctic trails have their secret tales That'll make your blood run cold" - The Cremation Of Sam McGee by Robert W. Service

[@TheKevin2005]

Yo! Please do more like this! Educating on the stories and experiences that people share/have is THE BEST evidence for the truth. If you do tales of the Pacific North West, including Northern California, I HAVE AN EXPERIENCE TO SHARE WITH YOU.

[@ldawg7117]

​@@keastymatthew2407 my favorite memory!

[@jessica2brook]

He strictly does Canadian history.

[@donnak6668]

Oh I just found you today and I am seriously binge watching all of these. SOOOOOOOOOOO good. The narration is spot on...and facts! Thank you!

[@HammersonPeters]

Thanks for watching! I’m glad you’re enjoying them.

[@asamusicdude]

Thank you for not making the "bad parts" PC.every other history channel now says that natives never ever attacked or did anything violent to anyone else not even themselves..knowing human history I highly doubt that.

[@mr.wookiesack]

Once colonists put bounties on native americans and killed thousands they did tend to not act kindly to whites for some reason.

[@jonathanbrooks9768]

I hate the modern perception of native americans in media. we were just running around owowowowaha-ing in the forest chasing animals with bows, we didnt just scalp white people to do it, we were a living functional society, with its kinks obviously like any society. there were wars amongst the tribes and horrid things happened but they arent written down like European history. most of ours is oral through old folk tales and shit

[@freedapeeple4049]

@@jonathanbrooks9768 There was a serious problem in the early colonies with colonists "going native" because the life was so much better...

[@jonathanbrooks9768]

@@freedapeeple4049 because its a pure way of life that connects you with mother nature like nothing else can. and i said "the modern perception of natives" like how the media represents natives and how they have for over a hundred years, complete propaganda towards a group of already looked down upon peoples.

[@Kulayyu]

The natives were actually the original long haired hippies, treehuggers, and pipesmokers. The bows they carried were actually large peace signs when drawn, in order to peacefully protest musketeer brutality. Kidding aside, I must concur with the "Man of melodies" comment with regards to the truthful delivery of historical narrative by Mr Hammerson Peters, much to his credit. Kerp it up good sir, Cheers!

[@Shunt2007]

I just wanted to say that i very much appreciate and enjoy your videos of variety of topics. Just a guy from Finland/ Sweden who has my eye on moving to Canada for about 20 years now,, always been calling me in some way 🤔 Much appreciation!

[@stefanschleps8758]

Thanks for making so much good content. Binge watching for days now. The graphics are excellent. The narration first rate. And the stories are uncanny. Don't stop what your doing. All the best.

[@tahroy28]

I'm from MI and I love these kind of stories. Really like your channel

[@Rileydidit93]

Always fun to learn about our northern neighbors mysteries from you sir! Hello from Oklahoma City!

[@jshauer8272]

Another excellent one. You are such an amazing storyteller. THANK YOU SO MUCH for not running ads, it makes such a huge difference. I look forward to the next one and I will be buying all of your books!

[@b.5191]

I said it before and I'll say it again, your artwork and animation have such a powerful way of setting the atmosphere while encapsulating the details and key points of the story. Combined with your phenomenal talent for story telling, it makes this easily one of my favorite channels. No other channel gets me as excited as this one when I see a new post about mysteries in the Canadian wilderness. Thank you so much.

[@HammersonPeters]

Thanks so much for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoy my videos.

[@b.5191]

@@HammersonPeters No, thank YOU, my friend!

[@thesenateguard3023]

My family on my moms side moved from France to Canada during the fur trade they became soldiers at one of the forts and escorted canoes up and down the great lakes

[@TH-sn7mw]

Fascinating story,I’m reading everything I can about that time in history.

[@fitness..moveyoullgetit5832]

@@TH-sn7mw "That Dark and Bloody River" is an amazing book covering a lot of that time period.

[@silvertheelf]

We don’t know everything, the depths of the oceans, the life of the past, and the wilderness all are testament to that, we don’t even know every prehistoric animal we could know.

[@alaricrex7395]

Very good channel. I love love love these stories!

[@RockyMountainWest13]

This was an awesome video. I’ve had it on my watch later list for a few weeks and finally listened to it. Great job to whoever put this together

[@sandytrimble5081]

I really enjoy your telling of the history of Canada - having visited BC and the western provinces several times it takes me back to those travels and is great to hear the true stories which are often filtered out in the history books.

[@BushtreckBoosh]

Awesome video man! Not enough stuff on KZbin about this era in history.

[@HammersonPeters]

Thank you very much! I agree.

[@BushtreckBoosh]

@@HammersonPeters I was just at gargantua and nanabozho's chair . My last 2 videos were of there. Somehow the algorithm led me to your video haha.

[@dickdanger2235]

Would like to see more of this type of content. The historical is the best in my opinion.

[@sarablueshoes6950]

I agree wholeheartedly! It's very hard to find any history of this land we now call Canada or even New France. Thank you for this!

[@dixon3413]

Laà away @@

[@sarablueshoes6950]

@Jean Richardson What's your point? I know my ancestors have been in Quebec since the beginning. I have 2 Filles de Roi in my tree, and a lot of long fancy names starting with Dit or Du going back to France. That's why I look for more information on Quebec and Mount Royal etc. I'm looking for family names I recognise.

[@dickdanger2235]

@Jean Richardson I have some Cajuns in my family on my father's side but not exactly sure about the Carpenters other than they with some of my mother's side of the family both fought for the 10th Texas Calvary during the War of Northern Aggression. Carpenters were Normans originally I'm not sure when my people made the split and became English. So I guess it's very possible but I haven't heard anything about it in family folk lore about having came from Canada.

[@hurley5147]

I am a resident of Montreal Quebec and have always loved the history of canada. I've now been through most of your videos twice and I am now going for a third time now for my favorites You are my favorite KZbin channel at this time, your animations and images of maps and whatnot really help bring the stories to life and your thorough information of dates, name's and places are amazing. I also own some of your books and am slowly hoping to collect them all. Thank you and hoping for more great stuff from you in the future.

[@HammersonPeters]

Thanks so much for your patronage, and the kind words! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my work.

[@justbe1451]

I really enjoy your videos, the information you share is amazing history & experiences. I personally appreciate the repeats, it is a reminder which I wouldn't be able to retrieve with my own memory.

[@mslorry3420]

WOW an amazing story! I can't hardly wait the next installment.

[@slyaspie4934]

This was a fantastic watch thanks for the upload, love these stories about the first settlers, mountain men, trappers and tribes, brilliant stuff thanks again

[@vikingskuld]

Awesome job on your videos only problem I have with them is you need to make more of them lol. Thanks again

[@erikbogerman2048]

I'm American dude. I've researched the American side of things and it's pretty fascinating....but I have to admit the more I learn about Canadian fur trade and the history surrounding it heyday... you guys nuts. 😀 . Great documentary. 👍

[@daviejay5326]

This was fascinating! Thanks so much for the upload

[@noaald5583]

Hammerson- Thanks for adding historical information of a region i know scant about (abooot). your videos are great and i subbed w/o hesitation.

[@awakenasleepsheep2861]

Thank You for sharing this interesting subject with us all!!! Bless you and yours!!! 🙏❤🇺🇸😊

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

YOO That was AWESOME!!!! Thanks for making my afternoon interesting :) I appreciate it!

[@Cowboygrandad]

Extremely well done. I hope an Episode 2 will follow. I really enjoyed Episode 1.

[@HammersonPeters]

Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Episode 2 is in the works.

[@gusbenusa]

Just found your channel. This is really great stuff! Thank you 🙏

[@lateve6243]

I am impressed by the quality of your video. I subscribed 5 minutes in. It is a subject we are very familiar with in Quebec but unfortunately we skip a lot of what happened in the Great Lakes after the British Conquest. I learned much.

[@kevo3985]

Man I was trying to find something to watch on here and realized I hadn't watched a video of yours in some time idk why I ain't seen a notification for this but better late than never love your content man and wish you nothing but good keep at it and much apprication

[@HammersonPeters]

Thanks for the kind words! I'm currently stocking up on videos, which I plan to dump sometime this fall.

[@stefanschleps8758]

Excellent. Most excellent. Great production, thorough research. Captivating tales. Thanks for sharing.

[@Suckmyjagon]

Missed your notification man I’m liking this content thank you

[@TinyEMonroe]

Thank you for all of your videos and hard work!

[@vikingskuld]

This was such a good story this is the 5th time I have watched it now. You do such a great job i can't wait for your next video. Thank you

[@sirraf23]

Damn that hour flew by. Awesome stories and even better narration. Kudos on a great video. Will definitely be subscribing. 👍👍

[@juliesadler6481]

Really enjoying your videos and your book! Originally from Michigan, you've elightened me to much I didn't know from that period in time. Thank you!

[@HammersonPeters]

Thanks so much for watching, and for your patronage! I'm glad you're enjoying my book.

[@juliesadler6481]

@@HammersonPeters My absolute pleasure Sir.

[@reginaldoppenheimer334]

Wow this was awesome. I fell in love with the north reading Sir John Franklin’s diaries / journals. I had no idea the Russians were also involved in the Canadian Fur business. Love it.

[@jenniferlonnes7420]

Robert Campbell has a groovy hairstyle. Nice to hear of the Chieftainess and her commanding authority.

[@BT-fg1is]

I enjoyed that video, you have such a rich, mysterious and fascinating history.

[@danielrullman7061]

Wow, thank you. This is perfect for me, well done!

[@trisgilmour]

Great video, I enjoy hearing stories like this

[@brandonsayer7631]

Definitely enjoy this type of content. Would love to see more like this

[@garydionne1357]

Thank you my friend really appreciate and enjoy this

[@jlemaire9418]

Bro, this is so F-ing neat! I've been up to Halifax, but I sure would have preferred to visit the places you're talking about. Top notch stuff, bro. Subscribed.

[@sunmoonvirgo]

I thoroughly enjoyed this! Thank you 😊

[@beau4129]

Love your stuff bud

[@ceceliafraser152]

Thankyou for your work..well spoken and very enjoyable

[@chadsimmons4496]

“Looking For A Place To Happen” - the Tragically Hip Excerpt ... “Jacques Cartier, right this way. Put your coat up on the bed. Hey man you’ve got a real bum’s eye for clothes. Come on in, sit right down. No, you’re not the first to show. We’ve all been here since God who knows.”

[@andreweden9405]

Absolutely wonderful!

[@lornemarsman7063]

Ive enjoyed so much your work. Bravo. Love the content. Keep it going!!!

[@Oneeyedicehockeycoach]

Pure Gold.. from Duluth. mn. Thank you.

[@bobbarron6969]

Thanks for sharing these stories. As a young student of Archaeology at the U. of Minnesota, the Fur Trade Era was my specialty and I worked on digs and made surveys along the Canadian border - a wonderful time for a young man. I don't recall a mention of Mishipeshu in your narrative. BTW, the best museum of the fur trade that I've seen is in Chadron, Nebraska.

[@HammersonPeters]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing. I haven't done a full-fledged video on the Mishipeshu legend yet, although I mentioned it briefly at the beginning of my video on the mysteries of the Great Lakes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2nNeImleMp4gKs&ab_channel=HammersonPeters

[@canadianmmaguy7511]

Find any evidence of Norse settlement ?

[@bobbarron6969]

@@canadianmmaguy7511 I visited L' Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, which is a Norse settlement dated to about a thousand years ago. There are stories of another Norse site found in the SW part of Newfoundland.

[@canadianmmaguy7511]

@@bobbarron6969 the site in the south has been discredited, and the person who found it is being ridiculed. It is my belief that the vikings followed the auk into the Hudson bay, and after the little ice age they migrated down the hudson and into the great lakes/Minnesota area. That is where you said you have done your work, so I'm just looking for any stories, hearsay, or evidence you may have found.

[@bobbarron6969]

@@canadianmmaguy7511 That's interesting. I haven't looked more deeply into that second find. Minnesota history includes the artifact called the Kensington Runestone. At various times it's been found to be a hoax, and then not a hoax, and I believe that it's currently considered to be a 19th century hoax.

[@canuckjk]

Love the videos. Looking forward to your book

[@maryk6192]

This was great, enjoyed it so much I had to watch it twice.👍

[@HammersonPeters]

Awesome! I'm glad you liked it.

[@harrysheygetz3881]

Fantastic, Hammerso. Love this.

[@palamambron]

The Aughisky (the Scottish Waterhorse) bears a striking resemblance to the Manipogo Lake Monster, who 20 people swear to have seen on a boating trip in 1979. It was up to 50 ft long, serpentine, and bore a sheep's head. It's a prehistoric animal that science doesn't have a specimen of...like my other cryptids. The Loch Ness monster was probably one of these guys.

[@karenlee2332]

Good stores I'm in Wisconsin Thank You !

[@carmalisa884]

Love this!! Thank you!!

[@hunsolo1205]

Dude! Just Superb! Thank you ☺️

[@moritztabor7804]

Very interesting. Thank you for your work

[@michaelp.3369]

Great stories! Keep them coming!

[@cubecubesson6779]

Fantastic research my friend. Thanks for the great work and the stimulating presentation. Peace

[@glennwebster1675]

Love your stuff man...keep it up.

[@NorCal-yeti]

Thanks I have been really enjoying your channel

[@Pembroke.]

You did an amazing job, keep doing what you're doing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@HammersonPeters]

Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

[@DarmacQ]

what a fantastic video, I’d really like more

[@coywolfoutdoor540]

I need so many more of these videos. My favorite book is about the HBC in British Columbia and the parts in this video about Robert Campbell's adventures made me start reading it again

[@PaulDiPlacido]

It's great listening to these tales and overlap doesn't bother me one bit. That's very interesting that McLeod saw a Magpie in the remote Canadian wilderness. Being a Scot living in the States I can't say I've ever seen one here but we have them fly into my dad's backyard back in Scotland all the time. They are often seen as nuisance birds and typically considered to be egg robbers of other birds but also opportunists, and they make an unmistakable loud cackling call so the whole thing with them being an omen makes a lot of sense. But it's crazy to try and envisage one of these First Nation gatherings back in the fur trade days, it must have been a sight to behold!

[@brassteeth3355]

Mysteries of the fur trade. Had to watch.

[@441rider]

When I was a tripper at camp Kandalore in 80s and we used to tell some of these stories to campers. Later we would of course walk around after hours to be sure they stayed in cabins. LOL! In Algonquin we paddled to an island to camp and 4 hours later a kid found the mom bear and cubs on other side of the 250 metre island rock LOL! Throwing stuff in canoes we got off the island in minutes. Glad I was able to paddle big war canoes there.

[@cowboykelly6590]

I just Love this , and your show in general . Thank you Sir . 🙉🖖

[@jessica2brook]

Love this video. Please make more like it. Love all your videos

[@HammersonPeters]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! You can find episodes 2 and 3 of that series here: kzbin.info/aero/PLR3oQ3qzmt1dyC1JVD2JqyOvVvOCvKwk9

[@birdman7687]

Just found you. Great stuff man.

[@edwardhayes5000]

Excellent video.

[@jim-do5pt]

SUPER Interesting! Thanks!

[@ashleyhiatt2002]

Bad ass!! Keep up the good work.

[@derrickdavis1182]

Your videos are like mind cocaine.im hooked on all your work.il donate to your cause.Your work is much needed.

[@gripp8572]

Great video!

[@scooterdogg7580]

I'd like to know more about the Russian fur trade in north America I heard nothing until now

[@BasedNj]

tons of info on yt

[@colbychambers9638]

Another amazing video.

[@jkb1O5]

Your channel/content has that element that @times, to me, like a pseudo-synthetic-mini-dose of the type of ‘medicine’ I Get from being in forests, -& wild places.. (and there are often more and more times, in which I need that type of healing - as the years of my life tic on...so,) I thank you! for your work, putting it out there for Us - Cheers

[@decimalexercise7154]

You have a good voice for this. I enjoy your work.

[@danielgrabske2557]

Love reading about this. Being raised in wisconsin it's in their history, since the Griffin sank in Lake Michigan

[@OriginalGrandMenator]

Great stuff!

[@oneamong5571]

That was great!

[@macsheadroom3209]

Great channel