Samuel Black was something of an oddity even among the long list of eccentric outdoorsmen employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company during its early history. He was originally employed as a clerk by the XY Company, operating in the Peace River and Lake Athabasca regions in what is now Alberta, and then he joined the North West Company when it absorbed the former in 1804. The Nor’Westers were the chief rivals of the HBC, and Black gained a reputation for his bravado and fierce—often violent—resistance to the HBC’s dominance. HBC Governor George Simpson said of Black that “this Outlaw is so callous to every honourable or manly feeling that it is not unreasonable to suspect him of the blackest acts.” When the NWC merged with the HBC in 1821, it was no surprise that Black was initially kept out from the newly amalgamated company.

By 1823, Black had convinced the HBC to take him back on, and he was soon given the posting of Fort St. John along the Peace River—established in 1793, the oldest trading post in present-day British Columbia—where he gained the rank of chief trader the following year. He would explore the Finlay River in 1824, as depicted here by John Innes, with the aim of scouting out the region’s suitability for the fur trade up to the Russian-controlled lands to the west. He kept a detailed and vivid journal of the journey, providing valuable insights into early explorations of the Columbia District.