This very attractive, turn of the 19th century Portrait of Mackenzie measures approx. 4 5/8” by 6” (sheet size) including margins of from 1/2" to 1" on each edge. The Image is a bust portrait Mackenzie in oval. It carries the mark of the engraver - Jean Nicolas Adams - and the artist - Sir Thomas Lawrence.

    Alexander Mackenzie was born in Scotland in 1764 but at the age of 10 his mother died and he sailed to New York to join his father and an uncle, John Mackenzie. In 1776, during the American War of Independence, his father and uncle resumed their military duties and joined the King's Royal Regiment of New York as Lieutenants. By 1778, to escape the ravages of war, young Mackenzie was either sent, or accompanied by two aunts, to Montreal. By 1779 (a year before his father's death at Carleton Island), Mackenzie had a secured apprenticeship with Finlay, Gregory & Co., one of the most influential fur trading companies at Montreal, which was later administered by Archibald Norman McLeod. In 1787, the company merged with the rival North West Company

    On behalf of the North West Company Mackenzie travelled to Lake Athabasca where, in 1788, he was one of the founders of Fort Chipewyan. He had been sent to replace Peter Pond, a partner in the North West Company. From Pond, he learned that the First Nations people understood that the local rivers flowed to the northwest. Acting on this information, he set out by canoe on the river known to the local Dene First Nations people as the Dehcho, (Mackenzie River) on July 10, 1789 following it to its mouth in the hope of finding the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean. As he ended up reaching the Arctic Ocean on July 14, it is conjectured that he named the river "Disappointment River" as it did not lead to Cook Inlet in Alaska as he had expected. The river was later renamed the Mackenzie River in his honor.

    In 1791, Mackenzie returned to Great Britain to study the new advance in the measurement of longitude. Upon his return in 1792, he set out once again to find a route to the Pacific. Accompanied by two native guides (one named Cancre), his cousin Alexander MacKay, and six Canadian voyageurs (Joseph Landry, Charles Ducette, Francois Beaulieux, Baptiste Bisson, Francois Courtois, and Jacques Beauchamp) and a dog simply called "Our Dog". Mackenzie left from Fort Chipewyan on October 10th, 1792 and traveled via the Pine River to the Peace River. From there he traveled to a fork on the Peace River arriving November 1st where he and his cohorts built a fortification that they resided in over the winter. This later became known as Fort Fork.

    Mackenzie left Fort Fork on May 9th, 1793 following the route of the Peace River. He crossed the Great Divide and found the upper reaches of the Fraser River but was warned by the local natives that the Fraser Canyon to the south was un-navigable and populated by belligerent tribes. He was instead directed to follow a grease trail by ascending the West Road River, crossing over the Coast Mountains and descending the Bella Coola River to the sea. He followed this advice and reached the Pacific coast on July 20th, 1793 at Bella Coola, British Columbia, on North Bentinck Arm, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. Thus, he completed the first recorded transcontinental crossing of North America north of Mexico. He had unknowingly missed meeting George Vancouver at Bella Coola by 48 days.

    He had wanted to continue westward out of a desire to reach the open ocean, but was stopped by the hostility of the Heiltsuk people. Hemmed in by Heiltsuk war canoes, he wrote a message on a rock near the water's edge of Dean Channel, using a reddish paint made of vermilion and bear grease, and turned back east. The inscription read: "Alex MacKenzie / from Canada / by land / 22d July 1793" (at the time the name Canada was an informal term for the former French territory in what is now southern Quebec.) The words were later inscribed permanently by surveyors. The site is now Sir Alexander Mackenzie Provincial Park and is designated a National Historic Site of Canada. In his journal Mackenzie recorded the Carrier language for the first time

    These wonderful Engraved Portrait of Alexander Mackenzie came to us as a part of a simply amazing archive of 17th, 18th and a few 19th century maps, views and portraits related to the French and British colonies in North America. The Archive was put together in the mid 19th century by a Canadian collector and contains many items of great rarity and beauty. All of the items in this archive are exceptionally well preserved with most exhibiting no wear or damage of any kind. There are over 160 items in this archive and we have been offering these rarities over the past few months as part of our regular, weekly eBay auctions.

     This wonderful Engraved Portrait is 100%, unconditionally guaranteed to be an original, ca1802 printing and not a restrike, reprint or reproduction. It is in very good to excellent condition - clean and crisp in the image area with some light soiling in the margins. There are no tears, edge chipping, physical damage or repairs of any kind. Overall this is a well preserved and very attractive example of this important Canada / United States / Louisiana related portrait.

     A very rare and beautiful, ca1802, Engraved Portrait of the celebrated North American explorer and founder Alexander Mackenzie and a fantastic addition to any collection!!

     Be sure to check out this sellers other auctions for other portraits and Views from this amazing Archive which are also being offered for sale this week on eBay!!

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