The Great Frontiersman

I had never heard of the author Jack Nisbet, nor his books until a casual glance stole my attention. Something I like to do from time to time is visit Powell's for book readings. Listening to an author tell his personal story and sell you on his latest narrative is reason enough for me to purchase and read a book. To facilitate such sales, Powell's sends out an email monthly about who will be appearing during the next 30 days. I usually just scan this list looking for names or titles I recognize. It's a pretty fast process and I ordinarily see one or two things that interest me. I glanced past a book with a leaf on the cover and thought nothing of it. The Collector, it was called. I was ready to pass it up completely when I happened to see the word "River" italicized in its description. I though, "This could be something interesting, as I like those". The title, being Sources of the River, told me it had something to do with hydrology, which also interests me. But then when I read that this book as about the first mapping of the Columbia River, I knew I had to have it. 

I have just finished this book, and let me tell you, no lives like this anymore. Sources of the River tells the story of David Thompson: trader, explorer, and map maker. Born in England and shipped, as a child, to the new world for the rest of his life. His story parallels that of most any legendary frontiersman. In the territories that would eventually become Canada, Thompson would grow up learning how to live entirely outside of civilization, feeding off the land, dashing off into the utterly unknown. But he brought back knowledge of everywhere he went with scientific precision. The maps he made still hold up as accurate as anything we could make with satellites today.

Yet, for the amount of high adventure he had, there is a serious lack of death in this man's life. Braving snow storms in mountain passes, starving in alpine meadows bereft of game, shooting dangerous rapids in hand made boats. It's especially surprising considering the amount of battles going on around him. Although he is among the first of Western Civilization to visit these lands, they are peopled already. And while the coming of the white man is considered an auspicious thing for many of the Native American tribes, trouble is bound to follow. As in any nation situation , there are border conflicts and concerns over trade, one nation asking for sanctions and embargoes against others. These white men had come mainly to trade. They wanted beaver skins to feed the factories that generated the latest fashions in London. And while tobacco was a hot commodity, guns were an even hotter one. Despite the number of times he was too closely involved in the battles and drama of the natives, no man died in his care. 

Greatly reduced reproduction of David Thompson's Map.

He managed to map the Columbia, from source to sea, and some of its tributaries as well, in the course of only a few years. Much more reliable than the maps that Lewis and Clark put together, of whom David was a contemporary. In fact, Thomas Jefferson sponsoring the Corps of Discovery is what lead Thompson's North West Company to sponsor his trip over the Rocky Mountains. His master work is ten by sixteen foot, incredibly-detailed, and hand-drawn map. Like many artists, he died in near obscurity and his genius was mostly recognized after he was gone.

For those of you paying attention, he is something I want for my birthday. It goes with both the book and my overall study:

David Thompson on the Columbia River 1807-1812 

Happy Hunting, 

Brett