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Kelsey continued
to explore new territory. In June of 1690, he left York Factory
in search of new First
Nations trading partners. He headed west following a route Radisson
had taken years earlier. When he reached the northern shores of
Lake Winnipeg, he set up camp. He used this as his base for exploring
the west.
By the fall
of 1690, Kelsey reached the prairies. He had gone further than any
other white man. He spent the next two years living with the
Plains
Nation peoples. Kelsey had discovered a land rich in fur and
learned about a "great wall of mountains" - which turned
out to be the Rocky Mountains.
During his lifetime,
no one had realized the remarkable feat Kelsey had accomplished.
Officials and explorers did not follow up on his travels or the
tales he told even though he kept a detailed account of his travels.
These were lost, and only rediscovered in 1929.
He spent
30 years with Hudson's Bay Company. He was their chief trader
and later became governor of all the trading posts, but never received
recognition for the success of his explorations.
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What
do you think Kelsey's most important accomplishment was?
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