Published in 1897 and meticulously annotated by historian Elliott Coues, this foundational three-volume work compiles the raw manuscript journals of North West Company fur trader Alexander Henry and master topographer David Thompson from 1799 to 1814. A keen insight drawn from the text is how Henry’s brutally candid daily entries shatter the romanticized myth of the heroic frontiersman, exposing the early North American fur trade as a ruthlessly pragmatic enterprise heavily reliant on the deliberate weaponization of alcohol to control and exploit Indigenous populations. The narrative tracks their extensive expeditions across the Red, Saskatchewan, Missouri, and Columbia river basins, providing granular details on frontier survival, commercial logistics, and complex tribal negotiations. Ultimately, by fusing Thompson’s unparalleled geographical surveys with Henry’s gritty cultural observations, the compilation stands as an indispensable primary source for understanding the harsh geopolitical realities of the early Pacific Northwest.