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feii^Jt-HUW I .i^""KWWi't»S»SWS
PE
f
i
i
»
REPORT
ON THE
PEACE RIYER AND TRIBUTARIES
IN
1891
BT
VVm. OaiLVlE
OTTAWA
PRINTED BY S. E. DAWSON, PRINTER TO THE QUEEN'S MOST
EXCELLENT MAJESTY
1892
To the
Su
of 1801
i . ^^'
(jJc'IKMil
by tlu'
tho f{()i
to that
myHoIt,
Ah
microiii
Gieat I
ac<'()iinf
Mtaiioets
work.
r.n
u suita'
• aHcerfai
As
f of the c
until I 1
waitin<f
Th;
tliaiilvfu
ill tlii8
nocd of
possil'Io
otii;.ei',s
witli Mi(
In
was Hpo
■Calgai-y
i that cvo
I No:
*tori for \
-distance
rwsis rea
1
H F.POKT
ON TMK
WAVE lirVER AND TRIBLTAIUES
IN -1891
Ottawa, 7tli April, 1892.
I
4
To tho JIoMoiirable
Tho Miniater of the Interior.
Sir, — I res poet full V sui)init the following report of my operaliuns for the HetiHon
of 18!>1.
On the 5tli()f Jiineof thatyear in.stniclions wore iBsiied to me from the Surveyor-
Geiicrars OfHc.e <lirrctiii<^ n e to make a thoiouj^h exploration of the reifioti draineti
by the I'oace River and its Irihutarie.s, between the boundary of Britisii (Jolumbia antl
the IJoeky Mountains, and to colloct any information that may be of value relating
to that region. The naluio and extent of my work was, of neceshity, left largely to
myHeH, aw also was the method of my surveys.
Am it waH desirable that I should, if practicable, connect the end of my
micrometer sui-vey of the Mackenzie River made in 188S with that mad<e on the
Gieat Slave River in the same year, whicii I vvas then unable to accomplish on
account of high water, I took along the necessary insti'uments, but owing to circum-
stances which will be detailed further on 1 found it impossible to comj)lete this
work.
Immediati'ly upon intimation that this vvork was to bo intrusted to me I ordered
a suitable canoe from the Ontario Canoe ('ompany, Peterborough, after having
ascertained that I could obtain it more (piickly there than elsewhere.
As there was no ]>ractical benefit to my woik to be obtained by going ahead
of tho canoe and awaiting its arrival at any itointonmy route, I renniined in Ottawa
until I learned that it was so far advanced that I would not be delayed on my way
waiting for it.
This occasioned my stay in Ottawa until the evening of IJdth of June. I have
thankfully to notice the action of the Canadian Pacific Railway authorities
in this connc'tion. 1 represented to Mr. Burgess, Deputy ^linister, the urgent
need ot'the canoe being hurried to its ilestination, more especially as 1 found it im-
possil'le after much inquiry to have it sent l>y express. Mr. Burgess requested the
offi'-ers ot' the company to give the matter their attention, v.'hich they kindly did,
with such elVeet 'hat the canoe was veiy lit lie delayed on the way to Calgary.
1 i-eaidied t'algtay on the morning of Sunday the fjlli July. The following day
was spent making |)reparations for depailun^ on the daily construction train on the
•Calgary and Kdmonton Railwa}'', by which ti'ain 1 left on Tuesday morning. Late
that evening the eml of the track was reached.
Next morning 1 found a wairon and backboard waitint; to take me to Kdmon-
-, ton for which 1 had arranged from Ottawa iiy letter and Calgary by telegram. The
^iistance to Kdmonton by this conveyance was between 25 and 30 miles and Edmonton
-was reached late on tlie evening of the 8th July. The 9th was spent procuring
f
4 I'KACE lUVKK AND TIIIIIUTAIIIES.
n>v jn'ovihions and on^airini^ tlic service nt a idiih to accompaiiy iin'. Tlir t'ollowinu;
iiii>riuiii;' I Ntartcil t'.n' Allialia-ca l,ain''ii:r.\vlii( li I ifaclicilcai ly un I li»' inoiniii/^orilH)
l.'llli. I sjn'iil ilio HMtniiiiilfr of llio <lay M-llliii;; willi my traii-|Hiil nifii aii<! writiii;,'
li>ti<'is,HN iIk ri> was no corlamtv tlial I would In- aMi' lo -t-nd mil a^ain until my
leliirn to IvinioMton in tlm liili or winttT. Ilioiitrh llii»rn was >oin« tdiaiK e of it.
On ilic MiornitiLC of llic I4ili in^i., I left tlic f/mdinu' on tny way down llu' Allia-
liasi-a IJivcr. (iiaud Kapid^ wa> icacdii d at noon on the l<!tli. lltTo I found llio
I hid soli's Hay('oni|iany's sicnincr "Ailiaiia-ra " vaitinif I lie arrival id tlic '• up " iioalH
fioni McMiii ray will) llicycariy fur rcliirns of ■district. A-- lln' captain of tlio
htcanu'i' I'ld iiif lie was ^oiuu' down to ilm tiid in the rapids on the tuilowiii^
niornin;,'. I dfcidcd lo wail and h.-ivc iiiin ](Ui my canoi' and oiiltil Wfi^liin;;' aliout
l,.')!)!! pniitids over tlu' island on Ijio tramwav. and tliiis p;is> llic wor-t ot tlir rapids
ins lend of toiliiiii' alon^' I lie sliorc and (•arr_)iii,tr mo>i uf i lie vtm)' .m our bacio, wiiiidi
would have lakfii a roiipltMif ijay-, wlieieas t lu' oiJn"' route ii-quirt'd only u fi'W liours
to pa-s over, ami ln'^idrs, tiic compiiiiy'^ iarj^c lioat would put us nvcr tlm very rou;^di
wato: at I Im foot ol' tiic rapids. In lonni'i'i ion wiili my di'-ccnt of iliis river, all lioiii;li
it isanoldaiid nun li travelled nuile. it will iioi he considorfii I liope siipeioi'oiralion
on my part to ^jvi- a short deseiiption of ii and make some remarl<s (Ui tlio ditlieiil-
tie.s in il> navi;;ation.
With lliixin view I will eomiiK'nee at it> eontluenee with llio IVmliina liivor,
wdindi joins it alioiit 4M mile> aliove J.esser Slavo J{iver, or aiiout I IK aliovi'
Atlial)aMa Landing'. In this strtil(di there are only tlirt'o or four slii,dit short
ra)dds, whi(di in hJLdi water are not notieeahle as siudi and mi ordinary water can
easily he iiin in oidinaiy canoes. The Hudson's liay ('om|iaiiy's steamer runs from
Athabasca Lai liiiu' up to lA-sser Slave liivei', and in ordinary stages of water
linds no dillicuity in doinK >o, hut 1 l:now wer»! sln^ to attempt this in low water
in the month id' ( )(toher slu' w mid 'ind many spots too shallow to pa--s over.
1 may heie iiicidenially say 'ha' she lias made several attempts to ascend tlio
! sser Slave Itiver to Lesser Slave Ijake, hut so far without success, ^''ho
or twenty miles ol' that stream are shallow and swift, almost one continuous
ipid, with many places iw it, which in ordinary stanes of water do not atldrd more
than 15 or H iiudies of water. Alter heavy rainfalls this stream rises rapidly, and
were the steamer at the river diiriiii^ one of these rises slu' wouhl lind no serious
ditticulty in ascendiiiir. hut unfortunately she has so far never been so situate*!. The
intention wdieii >he was built was to run her to fiCsser Slave Lake I'ost at the west
end ot' the lake, but up to <late she has not succeeded in didnu: so. licsser Slave
liiver averaii;es about 120 yards in width and from the lake down to the head of the
lapids is deep and of easy current, and could the steamer once leacdi it no (luestion
could arise as to her procedure.
Fi'om Atliahasca Lamlin^' down stream the Athabasca Tiiver isfreeof himirance
to navi!;ation lor about 12l) miles, when wo leach Pelican Ka|)ids. These Jire not
ditlicull to naviffute. the only trouble in them arises from low water and some rocks
in the (diannel. When the water is hiyh there is no danger at all. as tht- steamer
can easily ascend under ;i tjiM)! head of steam. It apjtears they take their name from
the presence of ])elican in or alioiit them nearly all summer, both times I went down
the river I saw them tlu're. A fair-sized canoe can be run down those raj'ids with
safety.
One hundred and sixty -five miles below the Jjunding, (rrand Hapids are reached.
Thisis the rapid of the river, and partakes more ot the nature of a cataract than of
a rapid. In the middle of the ciuinntd there is an island, over which the Hudson's
Bay Company have constructed a tramway on which to transport the outfits for all
the northern posts. The steamboat landini;; is about one and a half miles above the
island, the interveninir water very shallow, with man}' rocks and very rapid current.
Throuii,li this tlie company has made a channel by removina,- rocks. Between this
steamboat landing and Fort McMurray the company does all its trans])Orl with
lar^c boats, locally known as stur<reon nosed or St ui\i;eon boats, from the fact that
both bow and stern are siioon-shajied and somewhat resemble a stur;L!,eon's nose.
These boats are capable of floatimc about ten tons each, and are each manned with a
RKI'ollT iiK Mil. WM. IM1II,VIE.
The IWllowilli;
IIKirnillJ^oI'lllo
I, aii<! writing,'
ijriiiii iiMlil my
K I' lit' il.
>\vn the Atliii-
I'o I loiiiid tlio
llif '• up " liiialrt
■:i|itaiM of llio
1 I lie I'lillttwiiiK
koij-liiiiL; ulMiiit
,1 III ilif I'Mpiiln
r biuk>, wliifh
ilyiifi'W hiiiirs
tlic very V'tiv^U
livi'i', all li< mull
Hiipt'iei'i'ijiitioti
III) tlic (litlifiil-
I'onil'iiiii IJivor,
)iit 11(1 al'ovi'
II r hli.^lil "Iwirt
nary wiitor ciin
iiiu(V nm^ from
staifo of watfi'
s in low watiT
■ ti) pa-s over.
s to asce-iid llio
t Huccess. ^'ho
one coiitimious
not alVord moie
■;os ra)ii<lly, and
I liiid no sorioiis
) situated. The
'i)st at the wost
lA'ssorSlave
tlu'Iu'ad of the
I it no (HU'stion
•oc of hindrance
Those arc nol
and hionio lOcks
as the steamer
difir name from
nes 1 went down
)se rajtifls with
)ids are reached.
;ataracl than of
■\\ the Hudson's
le oultits for all
miles aliove thf
ly rapiil current.
Between this
transj)0!l with
m the fad that
stur{i;eon'.s nose,
h manned with a
erow of ton or twelve men and when loadcil draw u|)ward,s of two feet of water.
The til »f their asrent and de>('cnl varies inucdi with the hei^^hl ot wati-r, as in
some ot the rapids more or losH porta^nii*; has to he done, whicdi varies with the
cli'pihoi water. iJclow die island in tJrand I'apids there is nearly iwo miles of
idu;;h wa'ef, whii h in low walei' re(|iiires muidi care in navi^alin^ to avoid nxdts
and -hallows.
liet ween ( irand K'lipids and Korl .McMuiray there are !• u rapid-. I ohiained
t'roiii ihi pilot of the -leaiiihoat (a man who wa- aidviiowledifcd hy all 1 iiM|uired of,
to po->es(* Us eniiiplete iiiid reliahle knowled^'e of the river from the fiandiiin- to I,idv0
Alhahasca .i- any man in the eounlry) the names ot' t ho^e rapids and the best way
to run ilown lh(im.
The tir-t in the order of descent is naineil •' Hrule Kapids." It is ahoiil U.'» miles
lielow tiiand Kapids. In it the river spreads out IVoin -.')(• or .'JUK yard- in width to
upward,- of 4(10. 1 n mid-st n-am the water is shallow, so much wo that lar<,'e trees
i;round on their way down. The (diai\nel is on the left side ot' the river, and 'juito
clo-e to the slmre. It is not more than one toiiith of a mile loni;- and hy Ueepintr
not more vhan twenty or ihiriy yards from shore there is no danger in its doseent.
it appear- the rapid tales it- name from the pre-eiiee ot an exten-ive hriile. Ahoiit
sixteen mile- helow it comes " Boiler llapid-." This is (piite an extensiv(> rapid
thoiiirh onlv ihe lower part of it is very roUL;li. In hi<;h water the left side all'ords
the -.ifest ( haiiih I to run in, and in low water the liirht side. It takes itsnamel'roin
the fact that the holler intended tor the iiud-on's Hnyi Company's -t(^■lmel•oll the lower
river was lost in the rapid through the wre(d\inij;ot tiiesifow whi(di eontained it on its
way thioiinh in issii. At the foot id' this rajiid tluu'e is much roiinh water, which
re(|iiires a i^ooil sized eanoe for its safe <li'-eeiit.
In -ii;lit 'if the lowei' end of the aliove cfuncs ' Drowned liapids." The channel
here i- on the left side, (piile (doso to the shore, and were it not for three or four
lar^e swells caused hy rocks, it mii;hl he run down hy any one without any
appreheii-ion of danger. It taki's its nanu' from the fact that a man named 'i'hom|ison
wjis drowned some years aii'o hy the swampin::; of his canoe in running through il. I
iiad the mi-fortune ill 1SS4, to lo-e a memher of 1113' ])arty in a similar manner,
though 1 have L'oiie til rouijh them myxdf I wiee and ran no risk that I was aware of.
Jies- than a mile f'lom this rapiil we enter "Middle Rapid.'' This is not very
roiii^h, liut is .somewhat .shallow and stony. The channel in this in on the ri:;ht side.
The next r.apid is known :iti '' ljon<- llajii I," and the ehunnel here i- also on the
riicht side. 'J'ho water is not very roiiirh in it.
Next in siiec(!-sion is "(Ji'ooked l{a|)id," from the faet that in it the river makes
a very short turn round a limestone |»oint. The (diannel is on the riiiht side, and is
not rou:,di,with the exception of a small '• chute "ju-t at the head; this recjuirescare
in a c.'inoe.
"Stony Rapids " come next, in them the idianrnd is on the rii^ht side and is not
very rouifli.
The next is a|)propriattly known as the "C'ascade," the river falliiii; over a
ledij;o ot rock ahout three i'eot hii^h. The idiannel is on the lell Hide and certain
stages of water permit fair sized canoes to descend it without much risk.
The last rapid worthy of nott- is known a- " .Mountain Rapid," hy reason of the
hii:;h lianks in its vicinity. It is rather roMij;h, hut there is a <,'ood (diannel whi(di at
the head is on the left side, in the middle then- is a piece of .-mooth water throun'h
wliifdi a cro-siii!^ is made to the rii;ht side, which is quite smooth, while the left
side is very roiiyh.
The last of the series is known as " Moberly Rapid." It is only a ri|)plecaused
by some rocdis on the left side of the river, in the midst ot a swift current. On the
ri^ht side the water is smooth enough f'or the passage ot the smallest craft.
From the head of (Irand HapidH to Fort .McMurray is upwards of 85 miles,
which is altogethcM" too bad for the present steamer to ascend. Il is the (V)inion of
Bomo that with piroper appliances the present steamer might succeed in doing so,
but il appciirs to me that such a project would involve much expensive labour
and considerable risk.
I
6 PKACK UIVKll AND TIIIHI TAHIRS.
From McMiirruy to l"'>it ('lii|M'\vv;iii <»ri Luke AlliiiliaNta ii iliHfnnri' ol' ahoiit
1S(( miles liy t|i(> hli..ili'>l ('liiiiiiicU, lull rifjuly I'lio l.y ilu- cliiiiiin'l, tin- slcam-lioal liiis
to jiiisH tlirou^li ill ordinary >«lai;»'s of walci , iImtc ih in'iilu«i' (ihilarlf nor liiiiilranco
t(» Its jiaKsa^io. Tliis slcanin' also niakcH lii-r way up I't-atf liivor a-* tar uh I|i»« lulls,
al)oiit •_"_'(» miles triiiii ('lii|n'\vyan, lliconly liimiiancc in iliisdisiancf JH'ini,' <ln» Littln
I{a|ii(l. uIpoiiI 10(» milt's ln»m ('lii|it)\vvan, aii'l cvrn iliis, fx<'('|il in very low wut«M',
is not serious.
I uirivt'il at Cliipfwyan on tlie cMMiinir ol' (lio L'.ir>l .Inly, ami Imto Hpciit tlio
followiiiif tliict' ilavs takiiiLT ulihci'vations to ilelc'iininc the lalilmle aii<l loiifritutio, of
wliicli moil- will lii> ~ai(l later.
l-'n'iii ('liipewvan lo Smitli's liamlilij; on (Ireat Slave li'iver llioie are no soi ions
oli.slaeles III naviualiiin. 'I'liere is a sli^'lil ripple in the eliaiiiu-l lietween the la!<e
Uii(Miii'al Slave Kiver eailM'il l'.V a iedy-e of loek aeioss i he niit let (»!' t he lake, aiiil ill
low water the steamer soinot imes toiiclios hottom, lnit never so miicli uh to iletaiii lior
lor any luiiir periixl. In (ireat Slave River there are one or two jijaeos where rock
ledp's eaiise a rip|ile, and in low water the irreater pail ol' the ehaiinel is shallow,
l)iit in all these plaeos there is a part whoro the water is deep enough toalVord the
steamer easy passayi- at all times.
From Smith's handing to h'ort Smith ahoiil I'oiirteen miles hy the land or portaLro
route, and ahout sixteen hy the river, llien; are numerous and iia<l rapids af;^'rei,'a-
tini^ ahoiit li Id leet tall, wliiidi pats all thought of navi::aliiiir it out of the ipiestion.
In eoiitiiiiiini; tin' slat«'ment of my route I may as well conjoin with it such
inl'ormation as I ohservt'd and gathered on my way concernin;,' the nuviL^•lllilily of
the water roiiie iVom ImjiI Smith to the Arctic Ocean and part of (ireat Slave I^ake,
though such a course wili carry me tar heyimd tluj limits of my Journey diiriii;^ the
pawl season.
On my arrival at I'ort Smiih I found the Hudson's Hay Company's steamer
" \Vi i^dey" tlieie loadiiii; for her down trip. I arrived there on the afternoon ofthe
'](Mh .Inly, and spent the ^ii-atcr part of that nii^ht ii;e1tini;(d)seivatioiis to tletermine
its ifeoi;rapliical posiion. The lollowin^ evcniiii,' I he " Wriijley " started tor Fort
Resolution on (ireat Slave Lake, and on the way down I ohtained much inforniatirin
of value from Cajitain Hell, commander of the steamer, concerning the deptiis of
water and (d)siacles in the route. 'i'o render this information iiiort' intelliifiblo
1 will j)iemise with a short descri])tion of the ''Wrinley" an'd the route nho
travels over. Thissteamer was hiiilt at Fort Smith Ky the iludson'H iiay Conipany
in ISSO and made her tirsf trip in l.'-KT. The ina^fiiitiide ot' sin h an iindcrtakinir,
small as sh(i is, can he apjdecialed when we know thai every hit of liiniher used in
her construction had to bo sawn hy hand. All her inaehinery had to he traiis-
poried upwards of KKI miles hy horsi-s over jiretty had roads, and then taken nearly
.■JIM) miles in hcowh, and 240 on the company's steamer "Athabasca " Her diiiu'iisions
as ^Mven me hy (.aptain iiell are einhly feet keel, fourteen teet beam, five to six teet
draught at stern when loade<l and tour to Hve at how. llor jnopeller is ji four and a
half feet foiir-lila<led screw with adjustable blades. ][ereni^ine, manufacture*! 1)y the
John I)o!y Kni^ine ('(). of Toronto, with aliout 00 pounds pressure, will drive her
about eiffht miles an hour, but she can l)e driven ton. fn the course of a season the
requirements of the company's service necessitate her lravellin<r about (J, 5(10 miles,
and her maximum load is about ihiity tons, in this connection 1 will iiere state that
the two Kteaniers plying on the Athaliasea, Peace and (ireat Slave Jlivers are nameil
respectively "drahame" and '' Athabasca" (the latter above (Irand Kajiids on the
Athabasca and on Lesser Slave Kivers) are tlatdxittomed stern wheelers capable ol
cariying one hundred and forty tonn if retpiired , with tluH load I was told they
would draw two and a half to three feet of water. Loaded light they draw less than
two feet. They are said to be cijiable of steaming twelve miles an hour in deail
water, hut do not try more than ten. The " (Trahame " was built at Fort Chipewyan
ill 1882 and 188;{. and as in lln^ case ofthe " Wrigley " all the lumber for her bad to
be sawn bj' h.iiid. The '' Athabasca " was built atAthabasca Landing, but in her
construction the aid of a Waterous portable saw-mill wuh obtained.
IlKI'OUT OK MK. WM. OUIF.VIE.
iMtfint'c (»r alioiit
Htniiii-lioal lias
} nor liimlraiicu
s t'ar MH I In- (alls,
iRMiii; llit^ liittio
V(<ry l(»w wjitcM',
Ihto Hpcnt tho
iii| lon^itiido, of
'0 aio no MMions
pt't wrtMi tim lal\o
' the laUf, anil in
HH to detain hor
act's wlicro rock
iniicl is shallow,
ii^'li to alVonl the
■ land or iioi'taL-io
ra|)ids af^i;rc^a-
1 ol' the (|iicstion.
ii\ with it such
■ niiviirahility of
[•cat Slave Lake,
iiney iliirin^ the
iipany's Kt earner
afternoon ol'tlie
ons to detoiniine
started (or Fort
inch information
ii; the di'pths of
moiH' inielliLciblo
tlu- route she
'h I5ay Coinpany
an nndertakin^,
f Inniher nsed in
id to i)e trans-
len taken nearly
Her dimensions
1, five to six teet
.r is a four and a
iifaetnred i»y the
will drive hei'
e of a season the
tout t),5(H) miles,
I here state that
livers are named
1 Kajiids on the
■elors capable ol
I was told they
y draw less than
:in hour in dead
l''ort Chipewyan
er for her had to
ling, but in her
(loitit; down the (Ireat Slave Uiv r, (!.ipt. Hell kin lly pointed out t(» n c the
shallow plae. s and ^avo nio the depths of wator in eaidi ot tl.>'m. .Fust below Fort
Smith there is an extiinsive bar, but (heru in a ehaniiel throu;;li it which always
alVords plen'vof water for the |iassa;roo( the " Wri^ley. ' The rthallowi>st place in th(^
river is alonr.-'ide an island known as '• hii,' island." The lowest water ('apt. \M\
over experienced in the eoiintry, which by tho way is ;;enerally admitted to have
been uniisuady low, ).;ave s»x feet here ; in averai^e water there is nint! feet, and at
date o( lay pas-aye ( 1st August) tlier-' was thirteen feet. This shoal is abmit 1,'tiO
yaids acrns-., and i-^ on the left side of the island, 'i'lie other channel is much the
widot but is full ot sand bars, and unless in very high water tho " \Vrif,dey " could not
get tbroiigh it. ('apt. Mel! found in all the otlier parts of the river (rorn twelve to
thirty-six feet <if water at avei'ai^fe height. As is usual in all siieh places, there ari^
bars acro.ss all the mouths where they empty into the lake. On the one ihrough
whicli the steamer Cillers the lake there Ih in very low wati'r Hve and a half feet
and ill hi!,di water eight, medium iiivi's from six to sisvon, but this varies a good deal
with ihel'oree and direction of the wind; a south-westerly wind lowering it and
north-eiiHterly rtiising it. Owing to tho displacement of the (diannel marks by tt
viiilent sn»ini a few days before our arrival the boat ran aground on the bar, with
no other result than a coupl(> of Iwuirs' detention.
('apt. Hell informed mo that in his t)assages around and acro.ss the (Jreat Slave
liake he has done much sounding and found generally as follows: Two miles fmm
shore four fathoms, six miles twenty fathoms. In mid-lake on the way from the
mouth of (he (Jreat Slave Kiver to tho head ot .Maclceiizie River he generally found
upwards <(f forty fathoms and in places sixty fathoms gave no bottom. In
the arm of the lake on whi(di Fort liae is situated he foiiiul (ifty miles below |{ae
twenty fathoms, thirty mile- from Uea three fathoms, eighteen miles two t'athoms,
and seven miles seven feet whi(di continues up to IJae. The bottom in this arm he
found muddy with many Inmlders in it.
At Resoliiliiui I spent a lew da3's taking observations to determine the latituib)
aiiil longitude, when 1 procured an addilK nal canoe and two men to help me to
connect my micrometei" survey of (ireat Slave Rivor with that of the Mackenzie
River, whii'h I was unable to (|o in 1H><H on account of exceedingly high water in tlio
lake. 1 found a scarcity of piovisions at Resoluti(ui and was only able to proeure a
very small ipiantity, much less than would sutlicc to (inish this survey unless 1 were
favoured with exceptionally (im^ weather. I started at the northerly end of my
micrometer traverse on (ireat Slave River on (ith August, and continued the
survi-y t(» Resolution, reacdiiug there tho same evening, hero I was detained by high
winds for four days, resuming my miciometer surv(;y along the south-t-ast shore of
the lake on the lltli,whi(di I continued (or three days, in that timedoingonly thirty-
tliice miles, so mucdi delay arose from bead winds. At this rate of progress our
|)rovisioiis would be exhausted long before we got out of tho lake with the survey,
HO I determined to discontinue this work and jiroeeed as fast as possible to my des-
tination, as 1 was already behind time, and unless favoured by a very late and
o])en tall would have much diHi(Milty in making my way fri)m the Liard through to
the I'eace .River.
I concluded the micrometer work on a small island close to the south-east shore
of the lake known as "Dead Man's Island," and marked its terminal point station
No. 20 by planting a post firmly in the ground and cutting into it with a knife tho
following inscription :
William Ogilvie.
Xo. 20.
Dead Man's Island ttikes its name fiom the occurrence there of what was said to
be a tight betwei'u Indians, but from some description I got of it, it would appear to
be nn)re like a scries of murders. 1 could learn nothing very definite concerning it,
at least nothing worthy of submitting as authentic and in such case 1 condder it
best to submit nothing. The number of killed I have heard stateil all the way from
twelve or fourteen to two hundred. A half-breed with me told me that some 3'ear8
I
PKACR RIVKIl AM) TRIIHTAKir.H,
a^" iti'" liorH'M and mUiiIIh of tlu« Uillfl were mtv iiiimt>r<»iiH, Imt I cniild imi lih<| any
trat'c lit ^iicli, llintiLrli I ni:ii|i< a prolty lh()ri>ii;r|| ncurcli. TIiIh ti:,'hi in Mai>l in liavo
ot'ciiiifil iilioiil fixiy yoaih apt.
ilcru I iliNi'harirtMl my lii>l|i ami caiMic liirod ui llcHoltitinn. Tint hlron^ wind
wliicli iiad Im'cii lihiwiii^' I'lr tlir<'<' d.'i\-« aliatid ^iillii'i.'iil ly lo all"\v iik ti» |»n>cc«<d nn
ihcM'Vciiiiiu' III' iIh' lull. Caliii Wfalluf iliai ni^^lil and I in- t'dlowiii;; day oiialilcd ll^
to ri'acdi May IJivcr mi iln- fvrninj; nl' ilic ir»ili. Ili-rc idiNorvati<»nM wen- takt'M tn
dflci'iiiiiii' lal iliidt' and liiii;;ilMd(', and fai'ly iii'M iniirniiii; Wc toii|< niir d(>|iai-liii'(>
lieini; lasmiu'd svilli a i.iir >ailiiii', wind wliirli liidpi'd ih alnnu; nnlil il incioaM-d loa
^aU< when Wf had to piil aslini'i'. ()vviiii;to lioad vi'iiidH it was tlit> 2l)tli Aii^iinI
lud'ori' i rt'ailnd Kml l'in\ idciici'. I n'liiaiiifd lii'i(> during lln' UIhI, and ^JC'it idi-i>i'-
valiiiii- till' iaiitiidi' and liin:,nliidt>, rcsiiinini; my way down tin- .Macdu-n/ic Rivi'i- un
tlw liJnd, anil airivi'd al Kurt Simpsun, liif tmninif |Hiinl in my imirm-y, mi lln'
fvciiini,' III' till' Ifjlli. Ilfin I ii'inaiiH'il laUin;; oliscis at ion» and makiin; pr(|iaralimih
toaMcnd tlio liiard and Ivisl liiamli Incally known a.s llio Nidomi.
Iii'lm-u piurccdini;' willi llii' amnint id' my a-^t'cni ol llic Ijiard and IvinI lirarndi.
1 lliink it pi'iipcr to i-nntinin- tlio int<irmalioii ciincfrnin;.; .Mai kc>n/.it> itiNcr wliitli
1 idilaini'd Ironi Oapt. Midi and i>iln>i>. ('apt. I)«dl u:av«.> mu tliu I'ollnwiii;; noton ot
iii.x .s(iiindii'i,f> in llial rivoi I'rnm <ln'at Slave liako down lo llio dtdta, a di-<lan('f ol'
alioiii lint' thousand miii's.
At iIm' milraiiii' to iho rivi'r Irmii tho hiki', tho rivoi' in vory wido and conMo-
(liicntly shallow, .'^caicdi w.i> made hero I'm- a siiitaMi' . lianiiid I'm- tin- >lram(.'r, .-ind
ol I'liiirsc the iiiilt.-- t'lirnislii'd rrl'i-r i'X(dii-ividy In this rhanmd. in m'dinary lnw
water tin- rhannrl [■•Vnrds aliniit .-ix I'itI, in vi'ry low water mdy live feel. In
ordinary liiijh water, Mieli as when I passed, there wmild he ahmit nine I'eel, hnl
ill iss.s there iiiil-t have lieeii thirteen m' t'mirleeii feet. <'apt, |{»dl tliinUs this shoal
iw tho result of iee hhoves hy tlie ice on the lake, a.s ijiiite elose to it on hoth hides
Iheif is twelve to fnurteeii i'eet of Water. 1 1 (Minsi-^ls of i;ravel, and is, he says, only
aloiit two hundred 3'ards aernss, .so that iniprnvin;^ il would nut he a very dillieull
underlakin^r.
Five miles lieliiw this there is another shoal known aw " Trmit island Shoal."
On this in low water there is six feet ot wati'r, hut it appears the depth is very
irregular, whieh t'apl. Bell thinks is due to the hottom htdnj; serapt-d hy ice and
deposite I in heaps, lie thinks a jiroper search would show a deep ( liannel all
throu;^r|| here hut it would ho very crooked, as it wouhl wind about those j^ravel
luajis. This shoal extends aliout a mile and :i half. Through " Ik'avci- hake" in
low water there is ten feet in depth, in ordinary water twelve and in hi;;'h watei-
fourteen. OlCourse this nd'ers to tho shallowest places in it.
I'rovidenci' Kapid, siliialed a little ahove Fort I'rovidence, ^ives live feet in tlie
shallowest jilaces in low water, in ordinary sta,i;'e~ six to seven foot. This extends
for ahotit two miles. Jlero, as in the foromentioned places, a frood channel coukl be
found, hut it would he very crooked, so niiudi so that a steamor (h'scciidin^' could
not keep in it. From this rapid down to IJapid Sans Saiilt the least depth in the
lowest water was found to he twidve feet.
liapid Sans .'~!ault is eauseil hy a ledife ot' rock exlendiiiiC aci'oss the river. Near
tho easterly shore the water drops over this a few inches and causes ijuite a commo
tion across tho easterly half of tho river. In the westerly half there appears to he
a greater depth of wati'r and smoother current. It need hardly he said that the
steamdioat ( hannel is on tho w^esterly side in tho smooth water. Over the led/^o tin-
lowest water found hy ('a|)t. lUdl, in a year remarkahio foi- the low state ot all tiic
rivers in. the counlry, was six feet.
Over the ledue of tho (,'ascado Jlajiids, which are oaused by an obstruction
similar to that at Jiapid Sans Sault, (Japl. FJoll found nine feet in hnv water, iiml
eleven in good water. This rapid is near tho head of the " Jfamiiarts".
('lose to the iiamparts theio is another ruj)id known as " Jiampart Ivapidw";
this also is caused by rock bottom in the river. In it in lowest watei- ('apt. Bell
gives the depth uh cloven feet and in high water tifteen. This extends about half a
mile.
les.
foiini
e\|
riKIMiKT i)K MIt. \VM. iKtII.VIK.
9
iilil mil liii'l iitiy
in nll\i\ III IlilVO
111' -tion^ wiinl
IIH lit pl'DCt'ttll (III
:; iluy iMiiiMt'd us
. \vt re iiiUfh III
{ iiiir ilopiti'turt'
il iMCIt'!l>('<l toll
till' "JOili A UK'"*'
I. uikI ^'"1 <>li»or-
:'Ui>ii/.ii> UiviT III!
jiiufiiny. nil lli«'
>'>K |ii'<'|><ii'ii'i<*i>^
iii'l \vAf\ Hiaiu'li.
/.ic Ui\t'r wliitli
lldwiiii;' iinloM ol
Ita, u 'li-'tuiK't' ol
with' ami cniisi'-
llic .slfuiuei', Mtiil
III (iidiiiary low-
ly live \W\. Ill
111 iiiiK' I'l'i'l, Itiil
ihiiiUrt this ^lioal
it (III liolli hidets
I is, lu' i-ays, only
e a vi'i-y ilitlirult
t Ulaiid Shoal."
H' ilcplii is vnry
a|K'(l hy ill' iiiul
lt'i>|i rhaiiiK'l all
oiii thosi' gravel
Jeavir liako " in
il in lii;;;h wuti-r
's tivo foot in tlii'
This I'Xtoiiilh
haniicl t'oiilil hv
I'scji'mlin^ could
isl dt'|)tli in the
llio rivor. Near
(jiiito a t'oinmo
a|i|ii'ars to bo
)i' saiil thai tlu'
VIM' tho lod^o thr
slate ot all llu'
y an ohst ruction
low water, and
rts".
impart Rapicln";
vattM- ('apt. Bell
nds about half a
In liin varioiiM paN>.|i|r<-H ni' i ju' UantpiirlH, ( 'apt, Moll has HDiindt'd witlim t finding
Ixiiiiiiii with |i>riy lathiiins, which Nsa-^ the length ot Ihh Miiindin^ line. I have
iiiriiii'iied in my rrpurl lop 1SM'.> that Sir Alexander .Mael<>>ii/,iii round tit'ly t'athonM
lii'ie.
Ili'ivvi'i'ii ill.' I III m part o and tin- delta, u lirre tin' st earner leaves llm main ehaniiel,
Ic-- than r.v. |\»' li'ct 'li'plli was never I'uund, Iml ('apl Hell say- that le-s nuLchl he
t'oimd. 'riiruiij^h till I liaiiiiel- <(| the delta to I'cel l{iver no dilliciilty was ever
experii'iiccil with the sienmi'i'.
Ill I'lel itiver lip 1.1 I he liar, live mile- beinw l''oii Mel'her^oii, averat,'e deplli of
walc' alioiii lilleeii I'lfl.ctii bill in low >vaier aboiii six teel, iiiedinm water -cve.i leet.
Coiiiit de Sainvillc, a Kn-ncli t;ent ein.in who went down the .Maekcn/ie in issil,
and -pciii miieh time in maUiiiLT an exainimilion and mii^^di -iirvey of ilie delta ol ihu
.M;iek(ii/.i< and Teel liisei- ami the e.i!i,i line in the e-i iiaiy ol llio-e -t reams, was
^'oikI enough to ;.Mve me all the infoi inaiioii in his power. Ilis de-cripi ion of the
I'oiinirv ill iliis vicinity i- inlerestiny,, and will he i,'iven later on. Ileassineil
me the nio-l ca-terly channel of the dcha is the main one, and he never
loiiiiil less than iwelve feel depth in it down to tide water. The tides do
iioi eonie up moie tliaii ten or twelve mile- above the ocean, and the risei- not more
than a couple ot ted. What depth miu'lil be li-iiid beyond the moiilh of the river
he I- Hot jiiepaied li-ay. bin bar- tlieie may naturally be lo iked I'of. 'i'lii- iji'iille-
man pinpo-e- inakiii;; fiirlher and more coinpleli' e.\aiiii<iatioiis wliieh will no iloiibl
be of tiiiudi interest and \alue. lie promised lo M>nd me a copy of his map of the
deila, vviiich be lold me Would dill'ei' iiiueli Irom what is u-uall\ shown on our maps.
I have not yet received il nor d^ I expect il lor -oine month- lo come.
Mefoie le-umiiii; the narrative o| my Journey, I will ^ive some notes 1 obtained
from <'apt. Sc^ur, <■!' ibe -leann'r " Alhaliti.-ca,' and ('apt. Mell ot ihe steamer
" \Vii::iey," i^iviiiii' the limes over the various part- of their iiins.
Steamer " .\lhaba-ca," 'Jiid. .Iiinc, is'.d, ran Irom Alhabasia Landing' down to
landinif ot (irand Kapids, about Iti.'i miles, in eiifhteen liour> with -ix laiuc iioats in
tow. rp trip -tarlcd on litb .liiiie, riiiininix lime lo Athabasca Laiidiiiii; torty-eii;ht
hours. .Seeoiid trip doivii, l.'llh .Inly, riinniiij; time down tittceii hoiii- and forty-live
minute-. In ISI'K, h>'r tiist down trip, made the second uf, lunc, wa- done in twenty
hoiiis and tifly minutes, and the return, Kllh .Iiiiie, in titty hours. This run wan
made in very low water.
The •'Wrijiley- ' lot; >liowslhe following; aveniues bet woeii l-'ort Smilli, llic most
soiiilicrly part of her run, and Fort .Mel'lierson, the most northerly, the distance
between ilieiii i- iiboiii 1,270 mile-. Krom .Smitli to l'e-o|iil ion, neaily on ( ireal Slave
Jviver, average riinnini; lime about eif^bteen hours; between Ke-oliiiion and Pro-
vidence about seventeen hours, of which twelve and a half i- in (Ireat Slave Lake,
lictwc'ii I'rovideiice and Sim|)son about lourleen hours, SimpMUi lo Wrii^ley about
ten and a li.'ill bour-, Wri^ley to Norman aboul fourteen hours, Xornian to (iood
Hope aiioiit iliiileen hours, (Jooil Hope to .Mcl'hcrsoii aboul twenty-four and a half
hour-. The total lunniniX time i- I2.'{.'. hours, a tiitle over ten and a quarter miles
Jier liuiii .
On her '• up " run- the followini;' avorai;es have !)■ ui inu'le, .Mi IMierson to (Iood
]lopc billy hours, (iood Hope to Norman thirty-four hours, Norman to Wrijiley
thirty-nine hours, Writrley lo Simpson ninctoen hour-. Sim|)soii lo I'rovideiice about
twcnty-ciylil and a half hour.-, J'rovideiice to Fort Hae, not eeiiain, appears lo bo
about lb. riecii hour-. I'rovideiice lo Ilcsolutioii aboul Iwciily hours, Kesoliition to
Smith about ihirty-tive hours, Hc.-olulion to Hae about fifteen hours and return about
the hiiiiic, as it is ail laki- water. The diiiation of these runs varied somewlial by tho
lorce and direction of the wind. The total lunnini; lime from Mcl'herson to Smitli
as shown above is JI'iA hours, which j^ives a rate of 5"ll miles |)er liour. Tho mean
of the ii|> and down rales is a fraction over eiixlit miles jier hour, which is said
to be her normal -peed.
I have ^iven the distances between those posts in my report of bSS!t. but tor
convenience ol rofeicnce will here recapilulale them Koinj^ down stream : —
4
ID I'KAf'E lUVER AND TIUHUTABIES.
Mills.
Smith to llesolntion H'Of)
JJosoIiitioii to Providoiice KiT'O
Proviiloiicf to Simpson .. , 157*5
Simpson to Wri^ley 1!{4<I
Wriirlty to Norman 1S((;{
Noim.'in to (rood Itopo Hi'.*',")
(ioilll Jlopn t(t Mcl'lu'i'soii -74"7
Total 1,273-;)
It may ho ofijoncral inti'i«!^t tn tho puMio to Hlalo how easily any one wlio is
<iesir()i!s ot'doitm; so can ifi't hcyoiul tho Arciii- Ciri'lo or into tho Arcti<' Ocean if so
miinlcd. We will i)IV.^iuik' wi- an* in Ottawa, ami wish to visit tho land of the mid-
niiilu sun. Fnir days t'roni Ottawa /'Vt t he ('anadian I'aeitie IJailway we arrive at
Calijaiy. niie day from ('ali;ary we arrive at Kdmonion rm the ('alveary and Ivlmonton
liailway. i'l'om Ivlmonton three to four days will he re<]iiirod to I'eatdi Atiialtasca
Jjandini;-. lhi> pa it nt' the route (ahout one hundred miles) has to he ma<le witli tho aid
of hiiises. l?y tiiniiiy; ourselves to reaeh Athal)asea Laiidiiii;' ahdiil the lirst ilays of
June, we will likely eatch the Htoanier " Athahasea " at the Landing', and i^o down
to (irand Rii])ids on her. From (iiani' liapids it will lake us three or four days to
reach McMurray, and if we are fortunate enoui^h to catcdi tlio steamer "(Irahainc"
there, we will reai'h ("hipewyan in a day. Anotiior day will take us to Smith's
r/indiiii;, and another to Smith, if we aio I'ortunate at Smith's Landing we can j^et
to Smith the same eveinnij; we ariive. If we meet tlie steamer " Wiisxloy" at Smith,
and she is hound for Mcl'herson foi- which slie i;-eiu'rally starts ahout the last days
in June or the first days in .luly, we will lilioly reacli .NJcI'herson in seven or ei^ht
days. The steamer has not heretofore ifoiie iai'tiier down than tlie delta, hut it ift
])o>silile she nuiy in tho future u;o down to the Arctic coast and aloiiff it a siiort
distance.
i''rom the fore^oin<f we see that even with the |)resent facilities, we can reach
the Arctic Oceiui from Ottawa in ahout t wenty-thi'ce da^-s, let us say to cover pos-
sihle contingencies thirty <iays,aiul return in about forty. On the way we will pass
throuiih ahout 1.2U0 miles of l)eautiful prairie country, wiiich exti-nds almost, to
Athal)iisca LMudiny, and from Athabasca Landinii; to the Arctic Ocean, upwards of
1,S()(I miles, wr have only orclinary river navigation with tho exception of a few
miles on ]jake Athabasca, and ahout 120 on Orreat Slave Lake. Duiini; the wholeof
the journey we are likely to experience as pleasant weather as if we had remained
in Ottawa, and it may be pleasantei-. We are iikol3' to see much that will interest
and ,-urprise us, and we will certainly have a much clearer conce|)tion of tho extent
and value of our country. All the way to the Arctic coast we will see timhei- and
plants similar to much we see here, and were it not for the ab.senct of many of our
trees, and the increased duration of daylijiht (which we will likely tind at the coast
to be of twentj-d'oui- hours duration each day) we would hai'dly resize that we had
travelled u|iwards of 4,00(1 miles from Ottawa, and licen mor'.i than l.OOO nt)rth of it.
I cannot specify the cost of such a tri|). but would place the maximum at about
^300. It is Weil to i)ear in miiul that north of Kdmontoti tiie steamers have no
i'e,i,ndar date of sailinij;, their movements beinif governed by the Hudson's Bay Com-
)iany's needs, and transport facilities over the other parts of the route, and it is pos-
sible that we mi^'ht not even be able to make our way to tho Arctic on tho steamer,
hut there would bo no f^reat difficulty in completinj^ our journey with sucii aid as
tlie Hudson's Hay Company could |)lace at our dis]iosal, in which case our journey
would partake more of the i)rimitive style of t ravel linjf and bo a moi'e satisfactory
expeiience to ourselves.
1 left Fort Sim])son on the foi-onoon of the 28th August, taking- with me two
Indians as aid. The Liard Hiver a shoi-t distance above the contiuence with the
Mackenzie is from 000 to 800 yards wide. Tho cui-rent is generally strong and at
one point, about nine miles up, there is almost a rapid. About thirty-throe miles
4
REl'OKT or MR. WM. OOILVIE.
11
157-5
)-
3-5
ly Olio whi> is
ic Ocoaii it' so
11(1 of tlio luiil-
• we arrivo at
111(1 I'Minoiiton
K'ii Atiiaiiiisca
le witli the aid
\i lii'st (lays of
and ii'o (Iowa
I' four (lays to
!• " (fi'aliaine"
MS to Smith's
nt^ wc can jfot
ley" at Smith,
I \\n\ last (lays
■levcn or ei^ht
Iclta, but it it*
)ni; it a sliort
we can reach
r to cover pos-
y we will paws
lids almost to
11, upwards of
ion of a few
<f the whole of
lad remained
will interest
of the extent
je timber and
many of our
d at the coast
,(■ that we had
00 north of it.
II um at about
ners have no
mi's Bay Com-
and it is pos-
1 the steamer,
1 such aid as
3 our journey
satisfactory
with ine two
iiice with the
strong and at
y-lhroo miles
above Simpson what is known as the Rapid commences. In this the river is much
wider than usual, being not far from tliree-(iuarters of a mile across; on both sides
are high vnvk banks, in many places rising perpendicular!}- from the water's edge.
At those points in hiidi water it is impossible to walk along the beatdi, as the swift
curieiit does not permit rowing or paddling up, and large boats cannot be jioled
up; this renders the ascension of the river imjiosyible until the water falls. Xo ])art
of tliis rapid is too roui^li for the descent of an ordinary canoe, and the only danger
in a passage down might, be from rocks and shallows. Tliere is nothing in this
rapid to ])ioven( tiie passage u|) it of siudi steamboats as are now on the Athabasca
iiiver, if there is sufficient depth of water over the ledges. As our ])assage up was
neccFs.-irily contined to the shore water 1 cannot sjicak from jieisonal observation on
this point, but I have been told that in very low water many of the ledges would not
jiermit a steamer to jiass over them. There would liovvev(M' be water enough during
a goo(l part of the summer, or I am greatly (b^ceived in the appearance of the ])lace.
This rapid trom head to foot is about six and a half miles long. About ten miles
abovt' this there is a ii|)ple over a gravel bar, where there is a large island in the
river, this would not hinder the ascent of a steamer such as I have spoken of There
are two or three places where the current is very swift between here and Fort
Liai'd, but a steamer which would work her way up to them could easily ascend them.
Between Simpson and Liard no streams ot' any impoitance enter the Liard.
About l(i5 miies above Simpson the Nahanni enters from the west ; it is alioiit 200
yards wide at the mouth. I did not learn anything concerning it, but as it fomes
from the mountains it is not jiroliable that any extent of it is navigable. About
fifteen miles above this another small river enters from the west. About 17<> miles
above Simpson, Muskeg Iiiver enters fi'om tlm east. It is an uiiim|)ortant stream,
little larger tbar a creek, it flows out of a small lake called Ijake Bovie, which is
Hfteen or twenty miles from the Liard River.
Fort Tiiard, 1H2 miles from Simpson, was reached on the evening of the 4th
September, lleie I remained until noon ot the 7th taking observatioiisand collecting
information alioiit the surrounding country, all of which will appear in its proper
]>lace. Here 1 jiaid otf the two Indians who accompanied mo from Simpson, and
engaged two other iiuui to accompany mo to Fort Nelson on the Fast Bi'anch. From
Fort Liard to the mouth of the Fast Branch the distance is about tiftv-seveii miles.
In this stretch only two streams of importance enter the Liard. The first is called
" Jilack IJivei'," and enters from the east Just above Foit Liard. The water is dark
and clear, and from its volume retains its colour several iriiles below the mouth bef iro
it is mingled with the Liard waters. The river at the mouth is upwards of 200
yards wide. About tiflj' iniU^s up, there is said to be a bad rapid, but as it was
described to me it appears to be more a short c;inon with ii sharp bend in it, which
makes a dangerous whii'lpool. There was no one around the place when I was
there who knew anything about the stream farther up. It is said to How out of a
l;irg(^ lake, called [jake Bistcho.
About twenty-six miles from Fort Liard the Labiche IJiver enters from the west;
at the mouth it is (juitc large, but does not ajipear to be ot' much im|)ortance. At
Fort liiard the liiard River is about 6*00 yards wide, with a depth often feet in mid-
stream in low water. Between this ]>oint and the junction with the Fast iJranch
there are no rapids, though there are a couple of places where the current is rather
strong.
I believe any steamer that could make her way up to Liard could make her way
up to the East Branch. The Liard up to this jioint is seldom le-> than (100 yards in
wi Uli, and often nearly a mile. In places there are many islaii'is and bars in it. I
did not learn anything of the depths of water in the channel, but it appears from
wh:il I saw and heard, that with the exception of the rapids, light draught steamers
could navigate it any time.
Fast Braiu h River, or as it is locally known, the Nelson, is from 200 to 400 yards
wide. Between the Liard River and Fort Xelson, situatedoti the Fast Branch, a dis-
tance ot about 111 miles, no streams of any importance enter this river. The largest,
linown as "Deer River," is not more than forty yards wide, another about thirty
yards wide, known as " Snake Creek," joins about fifteen miles bolow Fort Nelson.
12
PEACE lUVEB AND TRinUTAUIES.
At the stage of watt.! r in which 1 wont up it, I fool contidont stern-wheel flat-
bottoinod steamers, such as are on tiie Athabasca, could malvo their way up to Fort
Nelson with coin])aralivc ease.
I arriveil at Fort Nelson in the afternoon of the ir)th Scplemher. I found there
wore only three oi- four Indians here, and of ihose oidy one knew anything of the
I'oute hy which 1 proposed to reach Peace liiver. His trip through to the I'oaco
had been made when he was a child, consequently his recollections of the route and
its directions and ilillicultios were not very reliable. In any case he was n c:ipplc,
and his services as u man would have been ni' whiUi as a guide they would have
been very doubti'ul. The Indians attached to the post wei'e o.xjiected in from their
Hummer's bunt in a few days, in fad it was known that some ol them were oidy a
short distance up the I'iver waiting for the rest to join them before they would como
in. The weather for some ilays |)revious to my arrival at Nelson had been showery
and unsettled, this culminated on the Kith in a heavy rainfall, which changed to
snow on the 17th and 18th. Thi.s was damp and stuck to and loaded the trees in the
forest to such an extent that this weight of wet snow broke thousnn<ls of them. The
snow stoi-m appears to have been local, as I aflerwarils learned that it had not
extended to Peace Kiver, nor more than ll)(» miles south from Nelson. The
weather cleared on the I'Jth and the evening of that day 1 took the
observati(jns necessary to determine the latitude and longitude of this place. The
afternoon of the following dav thc^ Indians, who trade at the ])ost, came in in a
body; out of all their number it was found that only a few had any personal know-
ledge of the route I wished to pass over. To secure the services of any, 1 had first to
win the good-will and a])probaiion of the chiefs, of whom there were thiee. A long
talk was indulged in, and some tobacco and bread was distributed to them before
this was accomplished, many iri-elevant questions were discussed before they would
listen to my pioposal about hiring help from them. They seemed to assume that
I was ;i travelling chief among white men, and insisted that I should rai>e the price
of furs before ihey would make any ari'angoment : it to )k some time to disabuse
their minds of this im])re-sion. They then wisheil to know why I was so desirous
of i)assing through this country. To have ex})lained to them my real object would
have invited an endless discussion of questions, which I woulil not care to answer
even if [ could, so I simply told them that it was my shortest and quickest way
home, and as it wa.s late I bad no other choice ; afier some very saue retiections they
seemed to think this satisfactory, and consented that three men should accompany
me. After much discussion three men were selected, and as they had to make pi'e-
parations, the following day was allowed them tor that, but at tlie last moment one
of them refused to go, and with some difticuliy another one was induced to take his
place.
As this post is off the main line of ti'avel and the only white peo])le seen at it
are those in charg(^ of the company's business and a missionary, the Indians have
.^icen vei'y little of white people or civilized lite, 'onsequently they retain more of
their original manners and habits than Indians generally do. 1 will make a short
reference to this in its ])ro|)er connection. Aftei' consitierable expostulation and
hurrying, we got off on the morning of the 22Md. The first and second days out my
Indian help was gay and good humoured but idle. They seemed to think that all
that was re(|iured of them was to show us the wiiy through, though before engaging
I thought I m.'ide it plain enough to ihem, that it was aid more than guidance that
I required; othei'wise I would not have engaged >o many ol them. 1 understood
from them that there was a poi'tage wliich took from two to four days to traverse
between the witter system of the Liard and that of the Peace Hivers, which was my
reason for engaging three and had my transjwrt facilities been greater 1 would have
taken more of them, and it would have been just as easy to secure ten or twelve as
three. As I did not wish to vex them until we got fairly away from the F()rt and
got them committed to the journey, I quietly submitted to their idleness. The only
help they gave us was an occasional stragicling spurt, each one striking without any
unison of effort. Often in the nudst of a ditiieult piece of current they would all
stop and watch our efforts, the only rv^sponse they gave to a call for help in such
^
^
.^
REPORT OF MR. WM. Onir.VIE.
18
(>ni-whcol fliit-
^ay up to Fort
I found there
mythin^ of tho
h to this I'oace
if the route and
was a ciippU",
lioy \V(»nld have
il ill t'riiin tlii-'ir
em were only a
ley would como
(1 heon showery
lich changed to
the tiees in the
Is ()1 them. The
hat it had not
1 N.'lson. The
y 1 took the
liis place. The
, eame in in a
personal know-
ny, 1 had first to
throe. A long
to them liefore
tore They would
to assume that
1 rai>e tlie price
iine to (iisal)iise
was so desirous
'al ohjcc't would
care to answer
1 quickest way
reflections they
iild accompany
id to make pre-
ist moment one
uced to take his
eople seen at it
e Indians liave
retain more of
ill make a short
)ostulation and
)nd days out my
) think that all
lefore engaging
guiilance that
1 understood
ays to traverse
, which was my
ter 1 would have
ni or twelve as
n the F()rl and
eness. The only
iiig without any
tliey would all
)!• help in such
cases was a laugh. The evening of the third day out we mot an Indian family on
their way ilown the river, they had a large su|)ply of meat on hand and invited our
frieiiils iiiid oiii'.-elvos to camp with them for the evening ; this 1 was loath to do,
hut as the I hdians wen.' voiy desirous of doing so I eonseiited rather than run tho
risk of ve.xiiiL, tlioiii and have them leiiirn with their iVieiids, which thev would
have endeavoured to do. Next day they were more idle than previously, and mani-
festeii much discontent. That oveniiii;' 1 was engaged for some time taking ohserva-
tions, at wliich they evinced much curiosity as I desired tlieiii to keep away from
me. Then their suni'rslitiniis dreail inav have liecii aroused : whatever the cause was.
they left me helWeen the hours of two and tiiree o'clock the next morning. 1 heard
some noise and arose to see what it was, avIioii I found tiiem gone; they had
evidently heard me rising and went otV so hurriedly that they loft some of their
properly hehind them, it tran>pired diuing our convt'r-ation with tiiem, which wo
held with the aid ot' a few words of J^n^li^ll they knew and signs, that only one of
them liad any personal knowledge of the route, the others never having heeii ov<'r
it, whereas when I engaged them I understood distinctly that they all knew il well.
Tile iiidi.'tn whom 1 met the eveiiiiiu' het'ore appeared to know >oinething of it,
and I lied to ]piiriray its dilliciilties to me hy signs, ami as far as I could iindorstaiul
him tried to persuade iiu' to return hy the way 1 came; if 1 am eorr<'('t in this he
may have iiitlueiiced my aids to return. Whatever the eaust- 1 was lelt in an awkward
jio>iiioii; ahoiit liiiding my way no (hmht ever arose in my mind as I knew my
position, and also apin'oxMinately that of St. .loliii on I'eace Jviver, hiit to make my
way from the Liaid waiter system to the I'eace, over a twenty-live mileiiortage with
the aid ol Only two men at that time of the year would he liazardous. as winter might
set in hefore I would get over the |)ortairc, or the stream we would descend to the
I'eace he frozen, hesides our provisions would not last us such a ])roti;ieted time. To
return hy the river would have heen ohjeclioiiahle ill seveiat way> ; tirst. it would
not he likely that 1 would succeed in getting ])ast Sim|)soii or Providence where I
would have to winter oi' make a snow-shoe tramp of ten or twelve hundred miles to
get out. whi(di woiihl iiave taken most of the winter after Ptiow-shoeing set in.
yecondly, it would have given the Indians an i<h'a that white men could not pass
through an unknown country without their aid, which I am very far from helieving.
And the last and greatest olijection was, that it would he ahandoning entirely the
oiiject for wliicdi 1 was sent out. Thus impressed 1 continued up the river. The first
four days proved tolerahly easy and we made ahout sixty-one miles; after that the
water in the ri\er got shallower and the euricnt increasingly stroiiyer until two to
four miles proved a hard day's worlc, and that was only accomplished hy all hands
gettiii;^ into the water and hauling the e.aiioe up rapids and over slrUlows, over
wliiidi she would iHft otherwise pass. 1 kept on in hopes that this sort of thing would
change for the hotter, hut instead of improvement I found the reverse. The poi'tago
had lieen descrilied to me as heiiig close to the mountains. On the oth of October
I elimhed to the top of the river hank, and from the summit of a liill got ti look at tho
surrounding country. 1 could see that the mountains were at least forty miles to
the west of us, and the direction oft he river v.alley, lookini;- upward, continued south
for somodistanceyi^t. Now, to follow the ri^'or up to the portan'o, even if it were prae-
ticahle in thetimeat mv disposal, would lead meawav frtim the leu'ion it was ilosiiahlo
to inspect, hesides my ]irovisions would not admit (.Ta prohmged stay. I determined
to loliow tho river another day, and see if there would he any improvement. Noon
of the Gth determineii me to aliandon tin; river, and make my way to St. John, of
whicli position I only knew that it was l)et ween ninety and one hundred miles south,
and alioiil sixt}' east of me ; taking its jiosilionon extant maps as its correct position,
which might or might not he true, m(»re especially the longitude.
1 will now doscriht! the river and its allluents I'rom Nelson U|>wards. Ahout two
miles ahove the post a river fh)ws in from the west ; it is called the Sioannie liiver.
It is (piite as la ge as the Nelson. The Indians described it to me as flowing through
raouiitaiiis for a long distance, and at one point in its course hidng (piite (dose to tho
Jjiard, but they may he inistaken in this, and it may be tho Turnagain or BUudc
Kiver tiiey mean. Lately they havo taken to its head-waters as their liunting ground.
14
PEACE RIVEIl AND TRIHUTARIE8.
and Hpoiik of viHitiiit; a trailer sitiiiiti-il on u river which flows into tlie sen, which i.s
prohiibiy the Stikino River. They say it takes tliom several days to travel on toot
trom where they leave the Sicaiiiiie Jiiver to this trader's place. They described
the current as heini; alwiiys swift, but there are no very bad ru))ids. The bed of tho
river is f^eneraliy <r ravel ly.
This river, like most inounlain streams, is subject to great chan^'es of level
very suddenly, and of (■()nrse '.he lOast Branch is correspondiiiitly atfected. Last
season thou- were two sudden rises; the tirst bi'y,an on tho 5th .June, and reached
its maximum on the 7th, at which it remained for three days ; this was the iiighest
it has ever been known to be. One very old Indian at the post says he recollectts in
his childhitod lieai'ing the urown-up peo|)le taikin<^ of it having lloodod its valley,
but he does not think it was as liigh then as it was last season. The water at its
highest was eiiiht feet at the C(trupany's (higj)ole at the post ; and the surface of the
giound at the tiagpok was upwards ot twenty feet above the river level when I was
there. Now the bed of the river here is nearly MOO yards wiile, and when wo
censider that this bed was tilled up, and also the immediate valley to a depth of six
to eight feet and nearly a mile in width, we can torm some iilea of the volume of
water coming down a stream less than .HOO yards in width. All the build-
ings at the j)laoe were submerged to the second (loor, and all the residents had to
flet! to the higher laiuls until the Hood abated. Much damage was done to ihe build-
ings and the property in them, as there was not time nor facilities to remove it.
The Koman Catholic church at the ])laco was removed Injdily an<l scattered along
the banks of the Liai'd, as also was the Mission residence; they were situated on
lower groutul than the comi)any'.' building-. Evidence of this tlood was found all
along the Kast Branch, in the form ot mud and debris all thi'ough tl' woods.
AI)out foity-tive miles above Nelson a small river flows in on the west side; it
is not more than thirty yards wide at the mouth. The current is swift, and there
is a considerable vohuiie of water in it. My Indians deliricated its course fo." me,
which shows it to flow in the same general direction as tho Kast Branch, out of
quite a large lake, which they said was not very far from tho main river. I understood
fi'om them that they could cross, and often had, trom the Kasl i{ranch in less than a
day. 1 undeistood from them that this lake was a good hunting and tishing ground.
] could not learn its name or extent, liut 1 understood they called it simj)ly their
lake, and it was ten or fifteen miles long and nearly- as wide. As J could not under-
stand their language nor they mine, it was ditiicult to get any dotinite information
fi'om them.
About ninety-one miles above the Fort what is known as the forks is situated.
The east branch is the smaller, and is known as the Nelson Jiiver; the west one is
the 8icannie C'hief Kiver. My coursiHay u]) the latter. Fi'om an Indian I met at
Nelson, and who had been much on the east branch mentioned and also on the head-
waler.> of Hay River, I got a good deal of information concerning both. Regarding
the so-called Xid^on, or east bran(di of this fork, he says he has been up it to the
head, lie describes it as very shallow, except in spring; so much so. that it is only
in spring there is water enough to run a canoe down it. At the head it is wide and
full of gravel bars, which in suTnmer time absorb all the water, so that the channel
is dry. From the head of canoe navigation on this stream down lo Nelson takes
about three to four days in high watei', oi- say one hundrei! and riity to one hundred
and eighty miles. He says he once nuide a trip to Peace River from the head (tf'
canoe navigation on this stream, and described his I'oute as being southerly for one
day to a lake of considerable size, thence from the lake to Peace River three days
on foot, wliicdi probably would make it from fifty to seventy miles from the head of
this stream to Peace liiver. Between the lake and Peace River he crossed a ridge
of hills, which he designateii mountains, but they were all heavily limbered. JIi^
object was to trade al a ])Ost on Peace River, whi(di was ])robably St. .lolin, but he
did not know the luime of the place or of any one about it by which it might be
identified.
This man frequently ci'ossed from Fort Nels(}n to Hay River. lie described
seveial routes, the first of which goes dii'ect from the post in a south-easterly
REPORT OP MR. WM. OGILVIE.
16
le 8oa, which is
1 tiiivol on toot
riu'y dcM-ribed
The bed of tho
tihuiiffes of level
artei'lcd. Last
no, and readied
was the liij^hest
lie recollee.tH in
Kodod ilH valley,
The water ivt itn
10 surface of tho
ovol when 1 was
(, and when wo
lo a depth of six
of tho voliinio of
All the l«iiild-
roHidents had to
one to iho build-
ies to remove it.
1 scattered along
ivere situated on
(od was found all
!• woods.
he west side ; it
< swift, and there
Is course for nic,
St Branch, out of
or. 1 understood
It'll in loss tlian a
d tishin^y; <f round,
it sim))ly their
eould not under-
Unite information
forks is situated,
tho west one is
Indian I mot at
also on the head-
)otb. Reu-arding
been up it to tho
so. that it is only
ea<l it is wide and
that tho channel
n to Nelson takes
,v to Olio hundred
"iVoin the head of
southerly for one
River three day^
from the head oi
le crossed a rid<ie
y limliered. lli^
y St. .lolm, but hv
which it might be
or. He described
1 a south-easterly
direction to a pretty largo lake, out of which a stream flows into Ilay River. Tho
distance from Nelson to the lake is about si.vty oi- seventy miles; the lake, as he
doseribetl it, is about tvvonty-five milo.s wide, circulur in shape, and distant about
thirty miles in a straight lino from Hay Jliver. His distances seemed to me
oxce.>-sivc, or, rather, the time taken to travel over them from whitdi I inferred them,
bill bo insisted that they wore correct. Ho has fr(!([iiontly gone dov i iluy Iliverto
what is locally called tlie " Horso-track," that is the ])ortage route from Hay River
to Peace Rivor, which latter it touches at Vermillion, but has never boon farther
down. A short distance bcdow the crook which drains the foi'omentioned lake, a
small stream enters Hay Jlivor from tho south-east, whitdi ho called Con-no-taze or
Dry J{iver ; il appears to be unimportant. A short distance below the Jlay River
enters a largo lake called Hay Lake, which cannot bo less tlian thirty-Hve "or forty
mile-* Ionic, i' his account of the time taken to travel fromeiidtoend of it is reliable.
Tbo width, too, would apjiear to be considerable, as ho said the woods appeared blue
in the distance on Iwitli sides when you were in tho middle of it. Tiiis would imply
twelve to fifteen miles at least in width. Ho described the lake as shallow and sedgy,
with much bay around its shores.
Not far below this lake a stream of considerable si/e enters from the south-oast,
whicli he called Cliiii-cha-gah River. Jlo eould not givo any exact idea of the time
taken to travel from Hay Lake to the Horso-track, us he apparently had never gone
directly down it, having always hunted on his way down.
Another route is to follow up the oast fork u short distance above tho forks to
whi'io a stream enters from the oast; up this we go a half day or so, when another
luilf'ilay overland will take us lo Hay Rivor. 'This appears to be the route tho
Jiidians generally go v.'hon going from Nelson to Hay River, as many of them
appealed to l»o familiar with it, and advised me to take it in |)reference to the route
I came. 8omo oonsi'lerable distance above this on the east fork it and Hay River
are so close together that there is only a half-day portage (about seven miles) from
one to tho other, ^[y informant had never been above this on Hay River, but had
often been from here; down to tbo Horso-track on it, iuid described that much of it
as being perfectly clear of rapids or bad water. This must be considerably over one
hundred miles.
Above the Foiks, the •. > st branch, called theSicannie Chief River, trends fr-om
a generally south-easterly ciMirse to southerly for a distance of about forty miles, when
it swerves to tbo westwaid, and continues so lor about twenty-five miles, when it
turns shar|ily to tho west, and continues so to the Rocky Mountains forty or tifty
miles. In Ibis 1 refer to the course of tho valley ascending the river.
As far as practical uso is concerned, except for floating timber down, all those
iUreams above Fort Nelson may be considered out of the question. A powerful light
di-aught stern-wbeol steamer might in good water ascend as far as the forks, but
certainly not lurlher; in low water sho would not bo able to get nearly as far up.
A m.'irked peculiaiity of this stream is the nature of tlu' bars in it. They consist
])rincipally of san<l, and many of them are cominiially shifting tli"ii- position. By
]tutti(ig a stick down to (he bottom in veiy many places .-iloiig the river the bottom
can be felt in violiMil agitation, the sand I'olling along with gre;U force and lodging
in the deep places, only to bo dislodged again in time. Many oi' the bars are very
treaclieroiis, prc-entitig a solid appearance wliich is far from leal ; on top of them
there is a thin cnist of irf;ivel, which will iiol support a man, and tlirougli wliicdi ho
will sink ni ijnicl<>aiid two or three feet. To cross one of these is quite an under-
taking, lis il i> exceedingly fatiguing, if not dangoi'ous. Much of the liolloni ot the
liver is in the same condition. The roiiie tlu> Imlians follow to Peace River conlinuos
up this stream to tho falls, wbicli arc situated near the mountains.
A short distance above the falls a creek flows in from the south ; the valley of
this creek is followed up to a lake about a mile across. From the lake the course is
southward lo :i small stream down which they went in their c;inoes or a raf'l. Tliis
stream soon enters a small rivor, which flows into Peace River, this river is known
as Half-way River, from the fact that it enters Peace River about halfway between
lludson's Hope and Fort St. John on that river. All the Indians agreed that it took
1(5
I'EACK IlIVKR AM) TlUIllITARIK.S.
ul)out four iliiys to (loscemi from the |>oit!ii;(' to IV'iicc iJiviT. ami that thedorcont wan
Hoiiiowliut, (liiiivcrmis t'loiu many muIiU'Ii iiiniH, .•>lioals ami lar^o rocks in tlw way;
hut, as they ,tct'iu)rully docoml it in small canoes inadc of sprnci- l)ark, wliich are
viM'y small and very weak, without mi-hap, I do not thiid< it can l»e as serious ji
nialtor as they try to represent it. A word or two ahout these canoes may ho of
interest. Thoy are made o| [Uv, hark ol the onlinary s]»rMee, or. as it is known in
the country. '• piiu'." A tree of suitahle si/e is sidecied; the hark is cut around near
the irrouiui and at a heit^lit siillicieiil to make the canoe the rei|iiisite leni;th;acut is
then maile t'lom the top to the hotlom of this section and the harlc peele<l dtV. The
ends of this jiiece are then doiiliU>d and Kcwed, and a suilahle i,niiiwale an<l traine of
willows lilted in and sewed lo the hark; the seams and knoldmles are then tilled and
jfummeil. ;ind the craft is ready for >ailinij:. A couple of Indians can complete one
of IliL'-e in half a day. As a ride they do ?iol intend thciu to c.ariy more llian 'uic
man and \\\> huntinn' outtil. hui many of ihcm are laiu'c enough to accommodate i .o
to four pt'iiplc. They .a; e only intendeil to la>l one journey, and an* very scddom taken
upstream. Wln-n an Imlian parly in this rei;'ion >tai'ts out Irom a post on their
hunts every nu'inher on the ]iarty (doos included) has to pack on hi> or her hacdc
part of the ]);irly out lit. In this way they make lludr way to their hunting' <r rounds.
In the sjirimror summer, when Ihcv wi.-li to descend the rivers ',o their several jio.^ts,
they make Iheir way to some ])oiiit where there aie >uitahle trees, make tlieir canoes
and descend in them to the post, ahamloninii; them on their arrival. Sometimes the
frame and stit(diin>; is taken out ot' them and iliey are utili/ed as covering;- for
huildim;s. They are vei'V weak and will not stand much ruhldni,^ on the bottom,
as very little force j)iits a iiole in tliom (M- cracks them, [.Inle--s ki'pt in the water
continuously they soon become dry and brittle, when their use as boats is j^one.
Very few ol them exceed -i.\ oi- eii,dil imdies in depth midships ; conse([iiently they
cannot be expected to sail in wvy lough watei'. iJii'cii bark cannot be obtained in
hvrge enoui^h pieces noi- in siilHcient (pianiity, or thi^ poor material would nevei' be
resorted ti>.
On the Till (.)ctober 1 left Sicannie Chief liiver about two miles below where its
valley turns sharply lr>tiie we.si as alieady mentioned, and struck south-east through
tile woods for St. .lohii, on I'eace Kiver. A> thiee men could not po>hihly carry all
my outlit, I was lorced to leave nearly all my instruments, books, cloihing and a
douhle-bai'relled siiot gun behind ; my men had als(> to leave some of their clothing,
I intended as soon as 1 got to 8t. John to hire Indian help au'l send back to tiuH
point anil bring the stiill'out, so did not take the same care I would liave done had 1
expected it to remain here the length of time it will have to. About 30 feet above
the then water level four suitably situated trees were selected and cut otf about eight
feet high; a staging wa,s erected on this, on which the canoe was put lioitom up and
tied down to it ; the stuff was then put into the canoeand tied there.
Where we left the river the valley is a canon between l,:iUU and 1,400 feet deep ;
egress from the valley is only possible where a creek or ravine cuts through tiie steep
Bides. Up the valley of a creek which enter-^ Jiisl where we lelt we clambered, but
between tlie dillieulties ot ascent and our heavy loads, which averaged seventy-five
pcumds per man, we made such .slow progress that it was nearly three o'clock when
wo reacdied the summit. In many placi's we had lo literally drag ourselves and load
up with our hands. That evening we camped in sight of the river valley, and so
neai- to it that we eoidd hear the roar of the rapids in the calm evening air. On the
8th wo got fairly started on our journey. Our out til consisted of about twelv** days'
provisions for each man, sullicicnt bedding, some clothing, an axe, riHe, eighty rounds
of ammuniti(Mi, and instruments necessary todeterinine (Uii- pt)sitiona8 we progressed,
also a small ])hotogra|)hing camera.
The route ])roved much nioi'e ditlicult and longer than I expected, and a couj)lo
of days' rain and snow retarded our progress so much 'hat it was the evening of the
21st before we reached St. .lohn. Our condition was a.iything hut pleasant until we
saw the post ; we had eaten tin' last of our t'ood at. noon, arid game was scarce and
our ammunii.on very short; ourcI(>thing was torn to rags, ontof the [)arty actually
having no pants, and we had no idea where St. John was until we saw it. ami fortu-
nate
Jiiv.
meal
lati
musi
the o
lance
bill w
as wi
be n
CI l'(
Ira VI
iJixe
widi
whei
St real
'T
I
1
KEI'dRT OF MR. W.M. (idlliVIE.
It
tlie dencont wnw
ks ill tlu( way ;
arU, wliicli are
be as soricMiN ii
(»('.s may Iks of
it is UiiowM ill
III aruiiiid near
U'nift li ; a cut is
o*-ic(i ,,tr. Tli«»
lp uiid tramo of
tlicn Hlloil and
II ('<illl|l|clc OIK'
more than '>nc
oiiimDilatf I .o
i st'ldoiii taken
post (III thoir
ii> or Ih'I' hack
intiiiy- irrounds.
r smcral [to.sts,
Uc tlioir caiiooK
.Soinoliiiies iho
■* coveriiij;' for
on I lie liottoin,
il in the wator
boais is i^'oiio.
sc(|iiently ilioy
tie olttniiit'd in
voiild never he
lelow where its
h-east through
ihly carry all
i>lliin<; and a,
leir elothiiii^.
Iiack to tluH
ive ddiie had I
1:5(1 feet ahove
ll'aiiout eijrht
Xtoiii up and
K)0 feet deep ;
i::ii the steep
arnhered, imt
I S((venty-fivo
o'clock when
ves and load
alley, und bo
air. On the
twelve days'
uiiihty rounds
e proii:rcssed,
and a couple
vcning of the
Haul until we
IS scarce and
arty actually
it. and fortu-
nately for us wo struck the river riylit at it. The tenth day troin Sieannie ('hief
Jlivcr our provisions run so --hort that we had only six ))ou!ids of bread, all our dried
incal. beans, tea and su^ar beiiii^ e.KJi.'iiiHled. 1 divided the bread into I'oiir ilays'
rati HIS, intcndiiiy, to oke il oiil with Mudi ^aiiie as we could secure, but llii^ proved
so ticarce that all we could ^^et wa- a ilozon or so partiidj^es, some squirrels and a
musk rat or two. The result to niystdf was a loss of fourteen jiounds in wcij^ht, and
the olhi'r iiiciiibcrs of the parly »"eie corrcspondinii,'ly lii;'hlcr and wcakci-. The dis-
tance III an air 'ine from where I left .Sieannie (Jhief Jfivor to 8t. John is U'2h miles,
but we must iiavc travelled iijiwards ot 1 K). Our course was anythiiiii; but st'raiifht,
as wc otten had to make loiiii' detours to pass .>wami»s and brul(5~.
Not far troin Sieannie Chief liiver I crossed many creeks, which all seemed to
bi' runnini; to a coinnion point. As we progressed southward the valUys of these
Ciei'ks wer'' dee|)er .and the -t reams larger ; many of them proved troublesome to
1raver.-e. Hetween twenty and iweiilylive miles in an air line from Sieannie ('hiet
l;i\er we I laver.-etl fpiile a lai\iie stream in a deep valley; it was fully 1(1(1 yards
wide, iiiit shallow, yet Hiere WHS quite a volume of water llowini;' in il. .Iiisl above
where We crossed it, il wa'^ Joined by a I'lrn'e ereek llowini;' from iIk« we-t ; tin' main
stream, as far as j could see U|i I he vadey, came from the ■^oul li-wesl.
Hid'ore reaehin^f tiie i'eaee IJivi'i- i crossi'il nine (■■■eeks. uvo of them qiiiK; larye.
Some of the Indians! met at St. .lohn pro|es>ed to know ibis country well, and
as-.iiied me that all llio-e creeks flowed into tiie river mentioned, wbudi tbeyatlirmed
was I'ine I.'ivci of the north, whi(di Hows into Peace Hiver twenty-live miles below
Fort St. John. They furl her as.sured me that all the streams i <'ro>seiliiei ween it
uikI I'eaee River (biwed into it bid'ore it joined the latter, and eerlaiiily 1 >a\v no
stream enterini; I'eaee liivtM' between St. ,l(din and i'ine liiver, according' in si/e with
some I ero.s>ed within .a few mile^ of the latter stream.
About lifteen miles from where we erossed I'ine IJivei' we slniclc the valley of
quite a laru;e stream, whi(di flowed south-easterly. We kept down this valley for
three day>. I may sa}' liei<' that we foiiii(i many Indian paths aii<l Iior-e trails
aloiiij; our rouie. many ol wbieb we would t'ollow foi' a considerable time, when we
would lo>e liiem in a laii,H> ^w.•(mp or piece of prairie, or we would find lliem ^oinir
so mu( li oul of our diieclion ih.al we would abandon them. When on ibose
trails we had fair footiiii;-, but they frequently took us lonii,- distances in a direclioii
contrary to that we oiiij,-lil to ^o, and we waited miicli tone lookiiii;' for them when
we lost lliem. >o ihev did not prove an iininixi'd ble^-sini;- to us. Many of Ihein nvc
■well cut out and beaten, and inaii^- of them no doiibl b-ad from one bnntini;' liroimd
^to anoiher. .Most of those tiaiU run aloiii,' the stream.-'.
After following- the aiiove men! ioiied stream tor t brer days it bee.ime quiie larii^e,
bill iheii suddenly turned >liarply lo the eastward down a narrow deep \';illev whoso
Bide- wen- too steep ;ind roii;:li to travel on. We aiiandoiied il. eoniinuini^our .-oiith.
easterly direeiinn for a little over a day, when we an';tin struck a lar^e stream, which
the liniiaiis ;il St. .lohn told me was thesame one we had t'oUowetl for the previous three
days. We colli iinnd down this for anoiher day and a half, on whiidi portion of it
there is a lal<e six nr seven miles loiii; and a In ml a mile wi le, when it tiirneil sharplv
to the east and eonliiuie-. -o ih,' Indians say, until it , joins the I'ine Kiver ; in tiicl,
this is what has liiiherio been mai ked on our majis as I'ine Kiver thoiiuh it would
app"ar from lhi> (hat it is only a branch of il. (iiiile a lari;e stream joins this about
tbirly miles north of I'eaee Ji'vcr. tlowin^ from the west.
()ii my arrival at Si. , lohn 1 found all the Indians who hum and fadi' in ihe
vicinity camped around ibepo-t. I''i om some id' iliem w lio a]ipeared id know the
Country well 1 i;ot snine information concernine- the pari of il north of the fort. I
made a skelcdi map of my track from ."sieannie Chief River lo St. .lohn, and two or
three of them recoi;'ni/.ed tlie principal features on it.aiid {.^avi' me the names 1 have
already i;i\en. In addition ibey directed iiie in makin,n' a skeicb niaji of the water
Bysteiii lyin.i; north-east of the f<irt. Their informalion was that about loriy-tive or
fifty miles N.X.K. from St. John, as the.y pointed, there was an exteiisivti ridjre which
they desifrnaled mountains, though by the way every hill is a mountain with them.
18
PEACK IllVER AND TlUIHrTARIKS.
A-^ tlii'y iiiiU'Uoil it ilic ri(iu-e \'n-> iiortli-wi'si mid soii(li-c;i-,l. iiml extends iwority-live
(II- Ihiity milos. Tlicy Miid Uallln River, wliicli flows iiiln llie I'ciU'o nearly three
liiiiidrcd miles lielciw Si. .lolni, iifjiiiiuiled in a laifj;*' swamp i-xtcndiiii; SDiitli-easf of
t liis ridii'e ; many small ('rt'ei<s lluwi'il out ol this swamp in an fastcrly direclion ;
tliesc soon Joined and I'orniiMl a ((iiite lar>:e stieani, alonj; wlii(di llie eounliy us far an
(licv were ilown ii was eomparatively dry, willi occasional palcdies of praii'ie and
meadow land alonu; ii> Iiiiiil<>. 'Jo t lie ea>l of I liis ridyje anollier >l ream oriiiMinites in
a sin\ilai' manner. 'Plus tliey saiil, tlu-y liad learned from other iiuiians. ran veryfar
into a lar^e laUe. ami liom a part of it Indians used to cross to I'euee lliver over a
ion>r iiorla"-e. Tliev helii-ved it was llav River, thoutfli not known to tliom l>v that
name. An extensive swainn lay alon^;- I lie north ea-<t slope in whi(di are many lakes,
some of tln-m as mn(di as live to >even miles lonj;-. Oat of those lakes streams flow
nortli-westw:ird and unite in a streani wlii( h they said flowed norlhwunl intoalarijo
river o/i nhiidi were some jiosfs where other Indians ihey had met went to trade.
This is ]irohidily the stream known a- the .Nelson, ol which I have already n'iveii a
doseription furnished me \>y an Indian at l'"ort Nelson. It will he seen that the
eliaraelerislie teatiires mentioned are common to hoih r.econnls.
At St. John I I'liiiai^cd the services of two horses, and after a couple of days also
i^'ot ihrei' I ndians reluctantly to consoiii to aeeom])any my two men hack to the
ea<'lic on Sicannie Chief River . lakinn' the horses with tlu-ni as tar as they could,
which Would lie at least within twenty miles of tin' cache, and one of the men
cntcae'cd said he knew a way hv which the}' could i;'et within seven or eieht miles of
it, leave the horses in chtu'ire of one of the party while t he others went on and e:iiri(>d
iiack the slulVto them, Icavinjf II, e canoe where it w;is. Indian lik'e it took two days
more to li'i't lliem started ; they were continiiall}' makiui;- new demands on me, and
represent iiiii liie ilaiiuvrs and hardships Ihey would have to sutler, for which they
ihouuhtl as a •• l>ii;' Chief " oiiii'ht to pay for handsomely. They have the most
extravatjant notions of the value of their services, and i^rade the vahm and import-
ance in |>roportion to the rank ami wealth of their (uniiloyer. At length, after a lon<^
vexation- pow-wow of nearly three days' duration, they were sjjot otf in theafternoon
ofthe^nth. They accompanied my men just a day and a h.alf when they sulked
and refused to i^o any further, notwithstandinn' that they had heen more emphatic
than the others in their denunciations of the Indians who had deserted us on iho
I'last IJranch River; all the camp expressed much disjileasiire at the conduct of those
tnen, alle<;ini;' that they Would never he i;uiliy ot' such meanness, and made some
nneom])limentary allusions to them. After beini; convinceil that they would p^o no
faither, one ol'ihe men rode ha{dc to the post and tried to i:;et others to take their
])l;ice, hut this vas found inipossihle ; when he hiid to return to his companion and
brin^- him in. 1 n any case they would not have boon ahle to proceed, for the follovv-
inti' day a heavy snow storm set ii\ which continued several days and so much snow
fell that tiie hoi'>es would not ha\e been able to proceed. Jlad the Indians con-
timied for another day or two they woidd have been ([uitc justified in turnini;- back,
as it was they betrayed their true character without an excuse.
Meantime after their dej^arture 1 beii'an to make jjieparations to descend Peace
Jiiver to Dunveiian sind Smoky ivivor, thence via Ticsser Slave Lake and Athaluisca
Laiidinn' to Ivliiionton; takinii; the necessary observations as 1 went. At Ivlmonton
if my men had n.it tlu-n overtaken me I would make the necessary prejiarations for
them to come hom'3. In this way J hoped to save some time, tor my services were noi
re(iuired to find th.' way back to the cache while they were indispensable in takin;:
tin* observations, which we mii^ht assume would occupy many days by reason ol
unfavourable weather. 1 purchased a ciuiot' and was about to start on Monday
afleriioon tiie 2(!lh October, when a Iradei's scow was seen drittin,i;' down the rivci
on its way to ^\■rmillion about five hundred miles further down. Shortly after thi-
a raft cane down, both scow and I'afi landed and remained over nii^ht, and I decided
to leave my canoe for my men to come down in when they returned. On the morn-
ing; of Tuesday the I'Tth, I started down river on th(i r;ift, which belonged to the
sons ol the Rev. J, (i. Brick who resides at Smoky liivcr, who wore going home after
a trip up to the mountains.
J).
c ros-
ea rr
nii;h"l
the 1
v.'as
trust
loiii
the
v-jiat
Slave
arri\ :
Lake,
obta
A
UKl'oirr t>K Mil. WM. (Mill.VIK.
n
ids twonty-livo
iM'arly tlirco
r Sl)lltll-»'il>t <»t
\'v\y (lirt'clion;
(iiiitiy lis far rh
1 ot' priiii'n^ iiiul
nil oriii'liiati'^ in
MS. inn vory far
o Hivcr ovof a
() (lioni l)y tliat
are many lakes,
OS stri'Hiiis IIdw
•anl iiit" alari^o
wont lo trade,
idroady ,ii:i\HMi a
e soon' tiiat tlio
ujilo ot'days also
t'li bacU 'to the
' as they eoiild,
jne of iho men
or oit;ht niilos of
lit on and cuiried
it look two days
uds on me, and
for whieh they
• have the most
due and imporl-
liTtii, aflcf a ioni;-
r ill tiieafternoon
hen Ihey sulked
more em])liatic
I'ltod us on the
oeonduet ot those
and made some
u'V would ,ij;o iii>
rs to take their
. eompanion and
I'd, for thofoUow-
id s(t mueli snow
the Indians con-
in turnini;- baek,
to descend Peace
o and Athahasea
At ivlmonton
preparations for
serviees were not
nsuhle in takiiiu'
;iys by reason ot'
start on Monday
down (he river
Sliorlly after thi-
[o-ht, aild I decided
etl. On themoi'ii-
belonged to th<'
c going home after
I afterward-- learned thai 1 wa-- not niiudi moio than nut of sigiit of tin' Fort
wlu'ii ni\' Mi;in returned to tell liuit tlie Indians had deserted him, and to try nnd
secure others a>< alrrady riieiil ioned. 1 wa> not more I liaii si.x or sewn miles trom
the Fort when it l)ei,'an to snow and ooiitinue(| to>iiow all tins way down to |)unvegaii,
where we arrived late iu the evening of the li!Hli. The second day from St. .John
ice hi'u,-an lo foim in tlic liver, and ^o(Ul increased .so iniudi thai it wa.-> running t'liU
from >liore to -iioic. 1 iunt intended making a rough survey of the river from St.
.Iiijiii lo Dnnvegan. I>ul the siiowlall wa^ so heiivy that we could very sehhim wee tho
shofcN ol the river, whieh put a survey out of the ijuesiion. Willi so much iee drift-
ing it was very dillieult to d(j anylhiiiu' wit h our craft, and ot'ten we had mucli
dillicults in kee|)ing hiT in the channel, 'fhe .iliernoon of tlie 2Slh we d lifted jiast
the ncow which Mtoii alter, in tlie gloom ot' ilie evening, drifted on to a i^ravel
hjir, on which it was driven hard and fast. It took the ownei- and lii-^ crew of tour
men nearly three days to iji't o<f it. I will here i-eiimrk- that there tire few more
uiipleas:iMt employments than titling on a raft or boat ■'hivering with cold, listening
to t he unceasing gritnling and crunching of th- 'ce ;is it drifts >lowly along. This
iee drift i-- common to all northern rivers, and generally e(Uitiiiue> trom two to four
Weeks t>el'ore it sets fast. As it drifts along, jioitioiis ot' it <lritt on to and become
uttacliod to the shoie : other portions become iittached to this and thus a t'ringe of
ii'c gradii.'iily foi'ius alon^' Ikii h ^hoies, whii'li wideii> until there is oidy a narrow
channel where the switlest current is in whitdi the ice continues todrifl until it jams,
when it sets. It often happens thai these jams are Inirst by the force of the current
;ind carried dou'ii the liver, takin<^ with them all the ice in the I'iver which may
drift si'veral miles before it is stopped. The result is that in winter the northern
rivers present an3Mhini;' but ;i smooth glassy appcaiance, in fact it is often dillieult
to cross them ou ae<'ouiil of the height aii<l roughness ol" the piled up broken ice;
the ordy footiiu:,' being close to the shore.
At Dnnvegiui 1 bail to wait until Tuesday the ord olXovember, before 1 could
]iidcure a horse iiiid sleigh to take me down to Smoky River. I spent most of this
intei val in reading old journals and u-athering informat ion, some ot which will ai)pear
in its jiroper connection. 1 also took some obsei'vations, whitdi will also be touched
on in its connection.
1 arrived at .Mr. Brick's Mission, near the mouth ot Smoky River, on the after-
noon of Tuesday the otli Xovember. Here I had to remain until Wednesday Iho
ISth, .'is tliiu'c was no practicable wtiy of getting acro.ss the river, the ice drifting
HO thicdily.
On the l.'Ith my two men overtook me, havini; made their way from St. .lohnto
Dunvegaii in my canoe, ami trom hunvegan to .Mi-. Brick's overland.
On the Hth 1 went down to I'etice Uiver crossini;-, but found it impossible to
cross. TMie ice having set the ])revious evening!; and was not strong enough to
cai'ry a man. 1 was therefore compelled to remain (Ui tlio west side ot the rivei-that
night. The inglit proved cloudy and mild, and the ii'c was not much stronger in
the morning, but with care om; could pick his way l>y keeping where the ilrift ice
was thickest and heaviest. Our stulf had to lio drau;ged over, as we were afraid to
trust oiir.selves with the extra wei^-ht on the ice. l-'or safety, each man cai't'ied a
long light jiole uiKJer his arm, so that should he tlrop througli he would if he held to
the pi<le not disappeai' under the ice. As soon as we crossed I sent a man on foot to
what is known as the "(,'attle Sheds," about ."it) miles distant on the road to r.,esser
Slave Lake to get a team aii'] sleigh to take us and out tit to the latter place. The teiim
arrived on the evening of the 2iltii, tinil the next morning we left foi- Lesser Slave
Lake, where we ari'ived on th.e night of .Monday th(^ 2.'>rd.
As it was absolutely necessary that I should get some observations hei'cand the
weather proved unfavourable, I had to remain here a week, leaving on the forenoon
ofTuesday, 1st December. Tociirryour bagi^-ageand help us along wo took two dog-
teains wiili which wc reasdied Athabasca Landing the evening of the Tth. The
distance is .aliout 17") miles.
I renuiiiie(' at Athabasca Tianding the Sth, '.tth, lOlh and 11th, as f could not
obtain ti'ansport to Kdmonton, 1 obtained some observations here. The morning
I'KACK lUVKIl AMI TUimTAHIES,
of t lie llilli r loft till' TiMiidiii^f Willi u\y \mv\y mikI ji It'tiinslcr niid tt:itii Im'Ioii^'-
iii^' to tlic IIiiiUdh's Uny ( '(Hiiimiiv ; iim the wcntlicr wn^ tiin' aMil the ruails ^' 1 wo
iniidc i^ood liini', mill |»iih1u'(1 (Hii* tciim •>() niiicli that wcM'ciiclM'd Ivliiinntoii at ton
i>'(d(tck in tlic iiin'lii (,f ill-. l.'Jtli. 1I(T(« I paid (.inlic rnan I had • iiu'iiucd here in tho
Hiimiiii'r, and attended to Minif matters coiiiiiM'tt'd wiili ni\' wo
il<. As it w
as ni'ci'sHary
that I should ;^t)t kohu' oliscrvations licrc, and I ilid not ^'»'t tlirni in linir loHiart for
f'alirary on the train on W('(lrH'>day tho iillh, I had to iiMuain over until tho ISih,
Ihoi'o lioini^: only two train-' por wook to and IVoni JMlnionion. This (ini-hod tin'
aooounl from and to ICdmonton. As tho I'osI of it i>'orily ordinaiy loutino iravoilin;tj,
it pos^oshos no intorost horo.
clKool! M'lHOAI. POSITION oK TIIK I'lU M ' I |'.\ I, I'OLNTs VISITKM.
Uoforo leaving' ( Hiawa I was given iwo pocki'i cjironomotors hy iho S irxoyor-
(ionoial. Krodf»ham Xo. '.•(iH'.'.and iJarraiid \ JiUnd N(
in addition. I had niv own,
•loiios No. T^-'^'"^. 1 cai'ofuily calod Iho-o liofdic I loll Ottawa, hiil tonnd their
late unsalisfaelory. espeeialiy the l!ai rand \ Lund. 1 inlended lo um' iho^c to find
Uie loiiifillldo of I he poiiit> 1 Would oliNerveal troin the ililloieiMo ot linif helwoon
the >laitinii' point and the several points. 1 inl>
•inlei
till' si a I'll Hi; pom I lo he iMlinontoii,
ind the known dillerence of lime liol ween there and ()l law a would alsoiiivi' me an id«'a
how (dirononu'terN liohaved while tiavelliiii;', hut iinforliinatcly whiloal I'ldnioiiton the
the woatliei'was loo wi'i and oloiidy to ohtain tho noeos>aiy oh>oi'vatioiis, [ wan
too mmdi linMiiMJ to delay
iv and trot ihoni, and
was the ii'ss ;inxious as I oxpo(
ted I
miLihl t,^ei M'liic.ai ilu' ! .andiiiii, and make it my loloreiioe poini and detorniine its
posiiion(Ui my way home when 1 would have plenty of lime, Ai the liandin<;' I
wasa.iiain iinfortnnatc in haviiii;- cloudy weathei-. as I also w;.- at .MeM urray, ^o that
I did not n'el any ohst'rvation> until 1 roa(died Cliipewyan. 1 di'dueeil a rale foi- iht
chidiionii'
ler 1
>y o|\si
I vim;' at lioih ends of the insliii mental iraver.-e I made on (i u'af
Slave Jiako, and troin iho liavoise, dodiiciii"- the dilleronoi
nii^iiliide of Its
terminal poiiiis. \iy makim;' ihe he>t .•idiu>lment I can of the r;ile> helwoon Ottawa
and ( 'liipewyaii ; the lon.uiludo of tho latter plaee n't'erred to ( )itawa .-lalld^ hy the
three chroi/omotei^ lliu-': I'Vodsiiam 111° OS' IC", Banaud \ l.iinl 111 11 •l."»,aiid
.huies 111' ir I(» ; mi'aii 111" llf LT. The lon-il iido irivon hy .Sir .1. 11. I,, troy in
hi> diary of a magnotio survey of a poriion of (he Dominion of ('anada is
111° 18' 40 , which ho says i,-' the mean of KrankliiiN, .letermined in ls_'(i and IS2t),
whiidi is di'diieod, f prosunuv from luiuir di>lan('es. I I'onld in no way deduce from
my (dironomolors the latter value and as lunar di>t;incos ai c, as a lailo, nol very
rolialile. I have assumod tho loi'imi' value as tho lon<;iiude ot lhi> point ami made it
my reforonoo point. 'I'ho laliliide do lucod from oiioum-meridiaii .altiiudes o| si.ars 1
found t,o ho r),S' i;!' <I2". Lol'roy detormiiii'il it in Seplomiier, IS-i:-], and .lulv. ISH,
tiio values lospoctively heing oS*^ -12' .'jM and ')H'^ -lo' 11'.' , mean f).*!^ 4.'1 o.'l.;") . Ho
(1 notes Franklin's as fjS'^ 42' '.'>').
roll! (,'hiiiowvan tho lato (d' niv ohroiiomolors, whoi
is fairl v u'oo
1 comiiai oil wn
eacti ot her,
At
•orl Smi
th I
ohservod an 1 found the
atiludo l!(i' or 7)\
'fh
lon_:i'itinlo roferi'cd to myiiosition ot' ("hipowyan as iriveii ahove is hy l''rodsliani ill"'
r)(;'"o;i , Barraud \ Lund" II J'-' 02' 17 . .lonos ']\-J. of .■')ii , moan 112'" On tl.") .
IJosolulion on (iroat Slave lialc 1 loiind latiliulc from eircum-nieiidian ail itiides
(IL' 10' ;;■)'. Lofroy in 1-14 maile it Cf' 111' 42 , and Franklin in l>2r) Cl^' 10 2(;'.
F^anklin'^ loniritiido same year 1 LT^ 4.")' Oif, and Simp.-on's in lS;;i; IL'J'dS'OO'
mine relerreo
iUIKt
ii;
.»') 10
lone.-'
po-ilion of ('hi]iow\'an — i'lod-ham ll.'l^d'.''
e.-' li;f^ r)0'45'. meai'i IL'J' niT)! .
i >ai'r;nii
1 \-
The mouth ni' llav IJiver on the oast hank ahoiil a foiu'lh of ;i n,ile up from iho
lake 1 found latitude '(!0~ r)r 40". lonuiliide hv Frodsham Ih"*' SH 01", HarraiaUV:
Lund 110° 01' 1.')", .lones 11.")= OS' 2:)", meai. 11;-)° 5S':;i". This is much fart her
west than I^'frov plaoo> it, his ])osiiion hidni;- 115° IS' 00" which a])pear.- lo he hy
account. Our lony'itudo.-' of l\os(4iilion only dilfor ahoiit seven minutos or afoul lour
miles. Xo\v tho dilleronco of loni^'itiido b(!tweon ResoliUion and l)ead Man's Island
dodiiceil from my micrometer survey which must ho within a very little of the
truth is 0° 40' O.'i'T" whicli would locate the latter point in 1 U'' or"54-T", givinj^^
URl'OHT <»K MR. WM, niiM.VIK.
21
:il)()iit furty-sfvcii milch hctuct'n tin? ii-.Miijii(>(l position-* of Dcail Mim's Isluml uti>l
liny Uivor, wliicli I know fVuni tlio limt>< takfii to inulilln over tlial pDriioii of tlu>
lako both ill isss and Js'.tl i^ tiot tar from llio tniih, an it took tlw licst |iait of two
(lays ill lioili ca^cs, so tliat I feel no lit-sitation in adopiinj^ my own locMtioii* llion^h
it Ih (lo)H'inlt'ii* alto^cilici' on tin' ^'oin^ of my clironomtMcr wliicli was not an satis-
factory as mii^'lit lie ilc^ireij.
h'oit i'lMvidi'iifc I tniind in latitude (11 li(» ."IS" from ciiTiim iiicridiaii altitiido
of stars; loii;,ritii<U) hy l-'rodsliam ll"')!' Id". Marraiid \ i-iind 1 IS^ (M)' J.')", .loncH
117" 57' H", mean 117" '»>^' 1.'!". I can lind iMlliitii;- in I.ctroy tlial wonld serve to
indicate tli»! position ot' tin- prc-cni site of iIk- po-t. jiclween i'rovidcn(e and Simp-
son I dclcM'minod the position of st'vci'al |ioih(s, Imt aHthoj'only refer to points on
my survey of the river it is needless lo Miy more eoneerninir tliem,
My (di-ervations at Simp-on place it in lalilinie, liy circum-merilian altiliiiios of
tlio Miin. iH" 51' 44" ; liy altitude of I'olaiis (11'^ 5r'4:{". liclrov quotes T. Simp-
Hon's latitude in 1^:57, 'il" 51' 25"; liisowii ISU, (IP f)]' 42", Ih^piotes Simpson's
longitude as deilueed iVom a ntinilier of lunar distances 121' 15' 15", hut he remarks
•' this is aliout eie'hl minutes east of the position assiu-neil liy l''ratikliu." Mv ehro-
nomoters stand; KroiMiam l.T .'!'.•' 55", Harraud \ Lund 121" 45' .I!*", Jones 121^ 4;{'
01"; mean 121° 42' 52". This is alxMit nine and a half mile- farther west than
Simpson'H oliservatioiis place it and ahout live more than l^'raiiklin's.
Hclweeii Simpson and l.iaid 1 took' many vliser\'atioiis, hul as they wei'i' only
tuk'cn to tix jioints on my track smvo)' of the LianI liiver I will make no reforonco
to them hc'c. My map when issueil will show liieii' position.
Liaid I found to lie in (io ' 14' 1>>" from circum-meridian altitudes oi' '/. A(juilie
and (itC^ i;f 44" from altitudes of J'olaris ; mean (ii)'Ml Ol". JiOiii,ntude l»y Frod-
Hham 12;{^ 54' l(i", Harraud \ J.uiid 12:!^5!i' IS", .loiies 12;r 57' 2S". mean l'2;: 57'
01". This post IniH always hithei'to heeii marked on our maps as heiiie; in British
Columliia, Imu it is ahout si.xtceii miles north ot the northern i)oiindary of that
province. Mr. .Mcdoiincil of tln^ (ieolouieid Survey visited this post in 1>^S7. and
appoai's from his map to have found the lati'ii(U' ai»oii( the same as mine, and when
we allow for the dillereiice of position at Simpson mentioned ahove, his loiii^itinle is
also very (doso to mine.
My camp on the Mast ISraiich Kiver, al a jioini ahoiil tiiree-quaitors of a mile
above its eonflueiice with tho Liard, 1 touml to he in 5'.t^ .'ll' IS" from circum-meridian
altitudes of '/ Aquike; ami loiiu-iti'di' I'roiii {''lodsham 124"' 21f K!", Harraud Si
Lund 124" '.W 02", Jones 124" 2;>' -10" ; mean 124" 211' iV.t".
Helwoeii tin- mouth of the rivor and Fort Nelson I olitained ohservat ions to tix
points on my survey, hut, as in the case of the Liard, 1 will only j^ivo the results on
my map.
lM)rt Nelson 1 found in latitude by circum-meri'lian altitude of -/ Afpiihn
58'=' 4!V IJS", hy altitudes ot I'olari- 5^" .,S'' 5!l" : mean 5S° 1!)' IS". Lonu'itudt^ from
Frodsham 122° 58' 515", Harraud c^ Lund 122° 5()' 30", .loiies 122" 55' 55" ; mean
122° 55' 0(i".
At the Lam|( where the Indians desertc(l mo. as already iiairated, I determined
my position to bo latitude 5S" 17' 25", ; lone'iliide liy Frodsham 122" 18' 01", Harraud
iS: Lund 122° 1!)' 15", .loiies 122" IS' 47" ; 'mean 122° IS 41". This jioint is ahmit
four miles north and about live miles west of ilii-. conllueiico of Sicaiinie Chief and
East Branch Hivers.
1 determined tho position of a point on the river in 57° 43 25" latiliide, and
122° 40' 4fi" loni^Mtiide by Frodsham. 122° 4(r 00" by J^arraud \ Lund, and
122° 44' 25" by Jones; mean 122" 43 4 [" .
The point where 1 left the river for Fort St. John is in latitude 57° 31' 30", and
is, 1 would judLce from the direction of the I'iver, not m«)i'e than a mile west of the
last mentioned lonn'ilude.
l?etween Sicannio Chief I'iver and I'eaco River 1 detei'mineil seven laliliules but
no lon<^itudes.
1 determined the loiiL-iitude of Fort St. John fiv)in the ditl'ereiice of time between
t and Dunvegan, the position of which was fixed by aceurale survey connection
3-i
I'KAiK IIIVKtt ANI> TIIIMI I'AUIKH.
Willi ilif MNXciii 111 |)iiiiiiiiii>ii IjiiiiIm Miivi'yH. In tin- iiitfival lielwi'i'ii Situiiniu
Cliift UivtT mill I't'uci' KiviT my (liiotiiimolcrx liitil li> Ik* ciiiriril mi my Imcli, ami
tli('\' Wfi'f hiilijccitMl to iiiiicli niii>;li Jnliiei:^ ami >liaUiiii,', *•«> llial tluy fniiM m>l Im
i'X|it'(U'(l tu lix St. .Inliii Willi iTi*'! I nco 111 ( 'liipcwyai. Willi uii,\ lliiiii; Ilk.' llii« -iiiiio
(iiVUii'O ul' acciiiiiry iik wlicn 1 1 icy wcm' ciiniiil in my ciimn' willi very lillir r»lialviii;r.
Tlir liililinli" of Si. .Iiilin t'rcmi ciiciimim ridiaii alliliiili-« nl' i' l'«'t;M-i ir* Titl- 11'
32". anil tV«im nliilmlf> n| |'nhl|•i^ .'tC 11 TJ ' ; im-an mi II L'J". 'I'h.' i.muiimlo
I'rnm tlic cliiiindmi'U'ih r» I't'i ml t<i hiinvcifan kIimhI, |'"ni(|-.liam I'JK' 'ij .; I", r.aii'ainl
& Lun.l lliO' r.:'.' 17", .lom^ I'-'O '»'.'> tli:"; nil an IL'O :>J' .M". 'I'Ik- intfiviil
bctwcm tlu' iiliM'i valifiiiM af llm two |ilat('ft was nint> llay^<.
Tin' liii^ili'iii III' I'liiivcjjaii, a> ilciliicrd tVinii acliial Miivi'V.i-': lalinidt' .'(.'i ' ').*»'
3S", Inii-iiiiilc l|.s" :;i; ;i'J". I olif-civcil al l»iiiiv.'u,an and L«'hM-r Sla\ •• Laki- and
Kdmiinldii lor tlu' |)iii|io>c oi tindin^ llic rati-n o| tlu' i IironomchTh.
Till- position lit* Li'SMT Slave Lake I'o-I Ila>,r|„,|,., a-^ W, 'r.Tli"ni|i-in itivi'' i1 in
hi> imli'M of a iravt'i'M' Mirvcx' lirlwccn llic ."iih and lilli ni('iiiliaii> in 1>^- and iss;;,
in, laliliidc j')^ ;{li' ri'.l'll", lonn'iliid.' lUi" 11' IS'C",
Tilt' laiilndc of AllialiaM'a Laiidiiii: I iMiind In lic.'ir Hi' ill", and llu' lonLMliido
ri'lci re i lo I'.dniiinloii (nicaii ol ilin-c cln niinmi'lcr.- ) In lir>' 1;*) 1^'
lii'lwci'ii the Al haliat-ca I.andiiiu' and I'ldnionlon dIimm valioiiw wa^ >ix days.
HKSdllRiKS nh' IIIK HISTIUi T.
As I liavc alirady ro])orli'(| iwicc on llir AUialuisi-a and I'cai r IJivcr ^a^in■> and
tlH> Ma(d<in/.ii' niici', it will nnl In- nciosaiy In now rdir l<i Ihcin a- •*|i('iially a> il'
tlu'V had not lici'ii lii'forc lU'Miilii'd, In i In- ca^i' of llic I'l'ai'f K'ivcr. I vi-ilcd u part
ofil la^l -fa.-^on wliicii I had not liffoi'r >c'fii, ihal is, llial pall of il hcl Wft'ii Si. .lolin
and l>iinvc';_'nii, and alsn L;allu'ii'd nimdi iri'iicral inlnrnial ion i ci^aidiiiL' it. ' •■'l'*'>
liallirrid tioin tlu- lluiUon's Hay < 'oiiipany's jdiirnals at Si. .John and 1 •iiii\ i':ian. many
useful facts conriiiiini;' the seasons, wliitdi I aJMi did al Korl I-iaid and l-'orl Ntdson.
Fort Simpson ha- :ilrcady heeii iioticod in my rcpni'l Cor iss'.l, hut 1 will insert hfio
K) mmdi a> will inakr lhi> connected and intelli^ilde. as I Iso will do in the case of
l''orIs Mc.M iii'iMV and ("hipi wyan.
Ti7nher.
I''ii'-I in this connection I will notiee limher, On I he Athahasca. iVom llie mniilh
ol the I'emhin;i ilown to l-'orl Mc.Mnrray, llic valley is nanowand trom I wo hundred
to t hiet' liiindied feet deep. In I he hnt loiii of the vallev I here is imieh spniee ;iiid some
poplar that wiiiihl make fair liimlier, On ihe uplands, as far as 1 saw, there arc
many ]il;ices wdiere a simil.ar ipialiiy eonhl he nliiaincd, hiil as a rule the iri'cs are
miieli smaller than people in the I'lasteru I'roviiiees are acciisliimed to >ee made into
liimher, thoiiuli tliey would coinjiar'e favourahl}' with llmse Used in the other parts
of the Territories. From .Mc.Miirr;iy down to the lake the hanks jire lower and the
valley wider, unlil near the lake there are liHle ov no perci'ptihle hanks, llcro
there is miu-l' line merchantahle spruce, hiu miforlunalely il cannot he hroiiehi to
market witlu'ii. the aid of a railwa3', the streams in the country Howim; in a contrary
way. This olijeeiion does not apply >o forcihly to that pari of this river almve
Atliahasca Jiandin^. as all ihetimher ahovt' this point ami on Lesser Slave Iliver
and lake, could readily be Hoaled down to ihi> point, iuid as il is only alioiit ninety-
six miles from iheiieo to Ivlinonton hy the carl trail, and il is ]irni]aMy the jioint
where the lirst railway north of Ivlninnlon will cross the Athahaseji iJiver. its timher
ros()urcc'> stand a chance of heing utilized miudi e;irliei' than tlin-e on the lower
river
1 am sorry to say, however. th;it lon^ helort; it
wil
>e lu'cessarv 'o resort to
this, much of it may he Imrned, as .■<uch is the case alontr the trail 1 etwet'P. IMmoii-
ton and the Tjandinix.
In 1S8I I ])a.ss'.'d over this trail twice and then saw many j^roves of tine s|)ruoe,
but last summer I saw that much of the best of this timber had been comjilelely
burned olf. Then the country in the immediate vicinity of the liandiiii^' was all
heavily timbcreil, much ot it merchantable. Last summer, esjiecially in the
IlKI'olir (iK MH. WM. iMiii.vir.
28
Tii-wal-iiii II Viillt V mill viriiiily, llic .nimiry rom-iitMcil prairio lu'jii ly ii-. rnihli ii> tli»
cuiintiy ill lh(< iiiiiiit'iliaio vicinity nt IvIiiimhIiiii ilor-i.
Ah iliiiT i" III) vriy iiif-hiiiLf luTr^Hily titi' aiivoiio toKcilloat picNiMif aii>| tlio
titiiliiT will yd |p.< valiialtli', il iMi |»ily llia'l tiro hIi'..iiIi| iiiaUi> hiich liavnc. Imi miilor
i'.\i.'»liii;j: fuiiilititiiiM it Im iiii|)<)Khil)lc to provi'iil tlii-m, (>n < Jroiit Slavi- iind Lower
Pcai'f liver- llicie in aUo tiiiiili litnluT o| viilile. Iiiit lu-iii;; on ||i|. Aietie water
hVhletn il will lie lonu liilorc it will I'e a coniiiiercial iinm'I. 'I'Ik- »iiinc rein;«ii<H
apply to ilie limlier on ilic (Jioal Slave Lakf an<l MaeUen/.iu Uiver of whieji (piiio
U lilfLl'e pel (itilai^'e eoitjil lie i|lili/ci|.
The iiinlier ill tin- valley o| III,. I.iai d .'iihI Kai*t Mraiieli lU^ei ves • po( iai Mienlioii.
Allliniii;li I wa- leil to ex poet laii^o Irei'H m I lie valleys of llit>>e nlri-aiiH I ili<l not
expect lo >»!(• ho many of ^mli laryc hi/e.
All llie way from ihc Maciieii/.ie up to the toil<s of ihi' I'la^l I'liuhcli iiinl Sicaii-
nie Cliief Uiver a ili-tance <tl nearly 4.'»l» miles hy the «.treains, theie are maii\ an<l
laitre exit-Ills of lai;.'e anil liood spiiice, which woiild maki' lieller liimher lliaii any
other I have ("een anywhere in the coiinliy. The coiionwooij or |ial*atn poplar
parlieiilaily urows very lar;.'e. On the Kii>l Itranch many trees ot lluit varioty
Weiesi'eii iiioie t liaii three feet in (Jiaiiietcr at t he uioiind. At l''orl Xejsoii there is an
ox tensive (la I thickly ij row n with •.priice ami poplar < if t hi- kind, I 'elected a medium
tree of the latter species, cut it ilown and loiind the lollowin;;- diiiioiisions : diametor
at stump i'xcliisi\e oi hark. Iwonty-nino inches, liameter i'\(dii>ive of hark at tirst
limb, sovonleen anil a halt inches, length Irom top ol stump lo lir-i liniK, ninety
feet, niinilu'r ot' riii^s ot' L^rnwth I lit. 'I'he haric will add al least four in(die> lo tho
diaineier,as it is ver\ lhi( k and li^'lii. It lia> ofieii occuricd lo me that the hark ot
this wooil Would answer many purposes lo whi( h cork is appli«'d, a- it |•c^emllles it
Boniewhat in appearance and li^rhtness, hut i> not as a rule nearly mi eoft.
As the I imher on these -I reams is also on tin- Ai die walei shed, ii may he Haiti
to III' licyond the pale ol pie-eiit iililily.
Alone- my l:;i(dv hclwcen the Sicannle CJIiief and I'l-ace lli'/ers j did not seo
miitdi tinUier lliat coiiM he u-ed eNceiii lor fuel and leiieine', shimld siudi ever I
le
re(|iiired in I lie country . That near the Sieannie Chiot River is ^reneraliy scruh.
miitdi of il very small and vi'iy thick, so much so that it is very dilUcult to make
oiu''rt way ihrouirh il, tliout;li il does not avi'mi^e more than a eou|ilo ot' inches in
thickness and ein'lit lo ten feet in height.
There iire occasional ridges where ISanksian pine ifrows six to ten iufdies in dia-
meter and forty lo tifty feet in height, hut they are of no practical use. There are
altio occasional emves of poplar which would serve well for hiiildiiiif loirs.
As we near the I'eace the trees t^el larger and more siiilahle i'<'V lumliei', llioiiixh
Htill a very larye jiercentaee is only seriih. .Miudi that I saw could he iloaled down
J'ine Uiver and its luaiudu's into I'eace Uiver,
The prevailin^r tiniher hei c, as (d-ewhcrt' in the eoiiiitry, is spruci
occasion-
ally a ^^roviMifijood jioplar is seen, and in a few phu'cs [ saw Hanksian pine, tall,
of tfood diameter, and clean tiunked enough to all'ord two or three irood loi^s to h
tree.
Very few biridi were -eeii. ami those seen wore e'oncrally le-s than half a do/en
inches in diameter an 1 scruhliy.
On i'eace liiver. lu'tween 8l..lohn and Smoky Uiver, on many o;' the tlats in
tho river bottom ii i^ood deal ot ifood timhcr could he procured, hut I fancy not
much more than may ])!-ove leijuisile for the needs of tlie district in the future. In
any ease, without railroad communication it is of no utility to the settleil part of
the 'I'erritorieH even if re(|uireil, and e\'en with it 1 am sure better and cheaper
lumber can l)e broun'ht in from other parts of the country. As far as [ could learn
and see of the ni)lands on both sides of the river, there is not a very extensive
supply of merchantable timber on them, there beinir miudi prairie and swaniji, with
the timber uencrally too small tor other use than fuel and fencing.
On the road between Uctice ]|iver ciossini; and iicsser Slave Lake, tliou^Ii
there i.s mueli busli, tliere is not very much timber tit for lumber to bo seen, and I
suppose it 18 a fair sample of the whole district. It is true a vast amount of lumber
24
PEAP': RtVKH AND THIIUITAIUES.
could be j^ot out of tlio li'iK't. Imt it \voul(i ])rovo -mall compaivd witli the surthco
it was taUcn oil'. 1 would judno troiu tin- appfaraiHH' of llic woods ai'oun<l Ficssor
Slave Lake lliat a lari,^' ([uaiitily ol' luiuboi' I'ould ix* i;'ol fnuu that viciiiily, and iho
faciliticH for nottiiiii' it lo Athahasca Jjaiidiui,' are ^nxid .'iiid iui'xpeii-ivf — nainoly,
down the Lake aii<l Lesser Slavo IJiver to the Athahasea, iheiu'e to tjic Landini;-.
There ate srveial slrraius t'literinu' the lake on holh sidrs which would douht-
leH8 art'oi'd access to tiujhcr luatiy nules from the lake. As t^e disiiitey;ratioM of
Bome kinds of wood into )iul|) and its conver>ion ti'om that into various cominodities
is an accoin|di^lied tai't, it may In' that the wood peculiar to these rciji(Uis n)ay yet
be ulili/.tMJ for that |)iiiposo. 1 have lieiui informed that the wood of the halsam-
p()]ihir. eomruonly called cottonwood. makes very irood pulp tor the manufacturo of
f»u])er. and it may he ihiit (he lar^o fore>ts of it in our northern reiidons may yot
le used for that |)urpo>e. The spruce does not ajipear to me to he of the (|nality
Hiip|ilicd to the !•;. I). Ivldy factory in Hull, \\Q.. foi' the manul'aclurc of ariicdes.
made there, hut it may he that it will, with a moditicd treatment, suit. However,
as 1 have already said, the utilization of llu' timl'er in .all this district de|)ends
entirely on i;iilway communication with the settled parts of the country, which is ii
question foi- ihi' liitui'e to determine.
In the information 1 uot from C<)unt de Saiuville coiicernintj the country around
the delta of the .Maikenzie, he says there is no timber of any usel'ul si/.e m-ar the
coast.
ThcCaiiliou Hills, which exl. nd .aloni^ the easterly shore of the estuary, arc
partly timheicil with >mall sjiruce. Thesi' hills are, he says, about I.L'dll t'eet uhovo
the >ea at I he .-^oiitii end (of' which ho did not ii,ive the location ) ; ex lend about thirty-
live miles north and scuilh and about twenty cast .and west. They decrease in heii^ht
northward until at the north end tlu'V are not more than two hundred leet ;U the
Arctic (!oast.
The prinii|)al u'rowih ahui^- the coast is a species of willow.
Li .May ISDO, >L'. McKinlay, ILH. Company ollicer in eharye ol I'^irt K'esolulion
made a jouiaiey in company with Mr. Pike to the so-called "Barren liands "
lile at his ])ost this sea.son I n'ol. pretty
noi'th o
(Ireal Slave Lala
\V
tul. noie> tioiu 111- dici.alion i>t' hi.-, U'oi.
Ih
s since then very kindly sent nu' out
the jouriial k' pi by him while absent on this expedilioii, ami from bolii 1 will cull
such inloi niati(Ui as may be relevant lo a report of this nature. None of the |>arty
tO(
1 u
any Mli-,erv;il ion- to deleriniiu' the position ol any ol ijio ]
toillts Vlsl
led. and
as
I'liorsioiid him they simply identilicd their location from the oiii lines of laUi's and
trends of streams as marked on a m.-ip they had wiih them. 1 will ii;ive a full account
)!' this tip laler on, bin lu^ri
will II
timl
)er in that reiiion.
Tl
1st reter to .Mr. .McKinlav's i-emarks on tl
le countiv noilh of tjie Jakt
isca. ami von icnow w
is jiist like that
hal that is
north of Fori ( 'hijiewy.aa on Lake Athab
like." From this desci'i])ti(Ui 1 cannot >ay that there i- much iiiiber of value on it.
He said the timber siudi as it
was, c<
mtinued to about titlv mile> north lA' ihe lake:
here the lindier thii
1^ oiil and soon di-ap|ieais with the exception of a few clumps of
ppruce in very sheltered places. In many sheltereii ,spoi,- liiere are dumps ol's|»ruce
which would be siiitabi
farther down dian ihe H;
e lor hiniiniiu' loii's.
lek or j- isli ( o
Tl
ley ilid not >ueeeed in ^etluii^
r as Li>hoji liompa> ot Mackenzie River
district f-ays it oiii;hi lo lie called " HiiC h'isli " ) River, tiieii Jieachy I^ake when
adver.-e circiiiiistances compelleil them to return. Alom;- Hack uy l'.i<r l-'ish River and
Be
ichy Lake onl\- willows were seen and those only occasionallv. Thev do not
lis
a rule n-iow more than tiveorsix feet hii>h. This ifcntleman has lived in thec(Uintry
a ijrc.al many year- is said to be able N) eonverse in all the native laiiiiMiaires. and has
ti'avelleci ovei' it ;i ii-real deal, t:d\ini: ;m-eneral inleresl
n all the parts he has visitt
I think therefore any rcin.arks be m.iy have to mai<e lui ((Uesti(Uis ot' this character
are entitled to ewvy consideration. The prevailini;- timber here is spruce and Bank-
Hian jiiae.
Minerals.
The rocks and ^-eolo-i'leal features of the Athabasca, .Ma(dvenzie and Reace Rivers
have been so often anil well describcHl that there is no occasion to refer to them here
KEPOKT <>K MR. W.M. m)lI,VlK,
n-ors
Ihofo
«.
in detail. 1 sliall therefore only mai;e •<\\vh remarks concornin'; them as will nerve to
make this accomit iiitelliiiible.
On the Ijiard at the coiiHiU'iice witii the Mackenzie tlus " (iros Capo " rises
between 100 jukI 200 feet above thi^ watei', Imt as if is only ''lay and lioulders
it ))()ssesse8 no oconornie interest. At the foot f)f the rapids some black clay shale
cro]»s out, and alon<f the rapids hiyh ]troci))itotis I'ock clitts occur, much of this
appears to me to be calcaremis sandstone with occasiomd exposures of shale of a
greyish colour. About eighty miles above Siiiijisoii (dose lo the water's edge on tlie
riglit Imnk of the river 1 noticeil an exposure of shale which could be easily separated
into ])latcs, which were quito hard and close gi'aiiuvl. In some places 1 saw where
])hilcs nearly two feel s(|uarec(iuld lie got oui (piitc easily. 1 brought small specimens
of this away, but they weie left with my canoe and outfit on the Sicannie (,'lin'l'JJivcr.
It ap])eared to mo that material of economic value coulii begot out of here. Tlu*
Mountains come (piifc close to the river at Xahanni I'iver. hut 1 ilid not go to see
them, so can say nothing ot the rocks there. Scvei'al places I noticed scarped sand
and clay bank- I'isiug thirty to a hundred feet .-ibove the river. About twenty-three
Foi't Liard a high rocky ridge I'uns along ilic eastcrlv side of the
miles
lu'l
OW
river for a short distance, it
appears fc me to be a
II' from the Mountains which
are not more t ban four to si x miles di>iant on t he west side
The rock ap]>earod the
At the moutli ot .Miiskeg JJiver a rock clitf
about loo feet high was seen on the east bank, but 1 was not close enough
saint' as that seen m the .Mountain
M
to see what kind of rock it wa^
About twelve miles below the mouth of the Kast
Branch a rocky peak rises odd or OOO feet above the river or, the i-ast si^le,
1 did not get (dose enough to observe the (diaracter of the rock. .Many similar peaks
rise along the west side at the fool of the Mountains. Tho>o who wish to see a com-
plete de>cri|)tion of the geological features along this river can do so by getting u
copy ot' .Mr. J{. (i. .McConneH's report of his survey of it made for the (Jeological
Survey heiiartment in 1SS7. The reijort was iiuiilisheil in vol
nine
IV., iss;s to ixH'.K
On the Mast Hraiich Kiver no fixed i"oc
above tiie mouth. Here on the east bank o
IS seen until nvo u'ct about twelve miles
the river a \er\- coarse uraii
am
l-
stone crops out and extends twelve or tourteen miles up the river. At the north end
it IS onlv a few lee
luirn.
but
at the south end it is tull\-
(III.
T
lero are
only a few small knolls of the same rock om
tl:
west siile
Tliost
ro(
nreseni
a
very ]»ictures(]ue a])pearai
ice
as we ascend the river,
Ti
lev are weathered into
castellated fonn>, and manv urand views are presented bv them as we wind our way
along the river. 1 t(
»me ]diotographs, but they wei'c left with my other
])roperty on Sicannie ( 'liiefMlivei. This rock is veiy coarse graine(l, in fact the top
lavers might be called a line conglomerate of gravel and sand, but it gets fiinn-
grained in the
bolt'
ni
lyers until where it is hii;'lie'<t they
are
til
le
jrainei
greeiiish-grev sandstone, it siiddenlv turns awav from the river at the south end
On llie west side farther up there
IS a ran^'e
hills aiMiaieiit
unnoted of the
same sandstone
Tl
icy rise about oOO I'cet ahove
the
iver
.'llHl
many
])laces are weatbe.'cd into castellated forms simil.ir lothat on the east side of the
river. They are as a rule a couple of miles distant IVoni the river. Xo more fixed
rock wa^ iKtficed until we got about 20 miles above Foil Ntd.-ou, where the
valley of the river becoiiu's narrower and the banks
'p. Ill juaces rising >harp
almost from the waters edge t)00 or
SdO feet ;il>ov(i it. Wherever the roek was
exposed in these hills it was a \i\i\rU clay shale much disintegrated that was
seen, reminding me very miudi ottlie shale seen on the iower Peace Hiver. .Vs we
ascend the river these high steep banks get higher, steeper iiiid more a (diaracleristic
of the stream than below, in manv places conliniiing along the riv •!■ for miles, tlu'ii
opening out into basin-like depre»ioiis (
if a mile or two in width.
In this clay shale I saw many small nodular masses, and thin bands ofclay iron
About tliirt \- milesiip
stone, whi(di is also (diaracteri.^t ic ol tin
Vace Inver sliales.
1 noticed sandstones overlying the shale, aid .as we ascend the river gets uj> nearer
to this sandstone until about sixty miles up from Nelson this sandstone is at fhe
water's edge. For several miles below the forks of Sicannie t-hiid' and Fast Branch
Ivivers there is a basin-like valley of several miles in width, the banks rising in
26
I'EACE RIVER AND TRriil TARIKS.
U'lTiiC'C's imd all \vin)(U',l, tlu' only rock t'X|i<)siin' seen ln'iiiir al a lew points wiioro
there aro t^liaiii luiiis in the river. Tliis coniiiiiics tor about torty tivo miles above
tlic forks wlici't^ tlie \ alley ai;;ain narrows ami is from (KM) or S()() t'eet to l.lilHl or ]. MM)
feet I lee] I. Tlie valley narrows as we i^et farliier u|i. iint il t lir last tenor twelve miles
I travelled u|i it was a cafion out ot wliieli it was imin-sible to ici't exee|)t
wliei'e a stream joinetl it or ravint; cut into it. At tlio point where I lott the
I'ivei' my liarometer read at the river 2"'.s7 iiudies and on top of the bank 2(i"78
siiowiiiL;' a ri-e of .about 1,100 Ibel at this point whieh wa.s in the depression ot the
valley of a tributar}- ereek. .\bout -IT'i teet of this consisted of l)lack ami irmy elay
siiales much coarser and harder than that seen faitliei- d(»wn with some thin layers
and mas>es of clay ii'on stone. Above this llie rock was sandstone, the lioltom beds
of u light grey colour, and the to]) ones of a yellowish shade and coarser ti'Xtnre.
This sandstone is nearly always ju'ccipilous ; three times 1 tried to climb to tlu' top
of it, always tiying where t'rom the river it ajipeareil ]iractical to aseend it but
iilwavs found it imnassable
hiouii'h thi> canon mas.-es ot' Ibis sandstone
many of them ot'innnense si/.e. lie in and along the river
wh(
the
several piaees
rock,
saw
re lar^-e pi-itions ot the lace bad falbm otf the clitfs and rolled down the slope of
ale (juite I'eceidly
Th
IS caiion-liko vailev continue
from where 1 left the river, and the Indian
s (les(
up as far as 1 could
soe
cribed It as continuing up into the
31ountains. In the vicinity of the falls tbey said it was very narrow and so deep
that it was dark, but
as none of them ever went near the falls of which tbey appear
to have a supei'stitious dread of tlu' vicinity, alleging that the canon at the foot of
the falls gives forth strange noises, their statements .are not to be ciHHlitcd as they
otherwise miu'hl
Tb
Indians
at X
elson (lesc
ribod tl
le coiintr
•y over winch tbey
pass from the walt'i- system of the Jjiard to that of the Peace as a tlat country as [
have already lle^cribed. and the distance from one stream to the other about twenty
five miles; but the Indians at St. .lohn who a])[n'areil to me to bo more familiar with
that section than the Nelson Indians de>crilied tln> portage as being over a sharp
high ridge (mountain they called it) over which it took a man on foot without :i
load about balfadayto |)ass from stream to stream, the chief ditliculty being in
getting u|) and down the steep sides of the mountain wbi( h they said was ali wooded
with small ti-ees. In the case of th(> Xelson Indians only two or three of them
appear to have ever ])assed south to Peace Jiiver. and it may lie that two dilVerent
places are referred to. though tbey all referreil to the tiills as being not far from the
))orIage. If the same ]>lace is meant I would ]iiace most reliance on the account
given by the St. .lohii Indians, The latter dociibed the Half-way JJiver as having
many rocks in it and (ditVr
sanilstone.
alo
nis it. whiidi 1 infer fi
oin their description consists of
IJetween Sicannie t.'liief IJiver and Piuice IJiver many cliffs of this s;inds(one
were seen along the streams, pai'tieiilarly where 1 crossed Pine Piver. On it cliffs
of upwards of eighty feel high were sci-n weatheicd into fantastic sha]>es.
On Peace Jiiver what is ap])aroiitly this same sjindstone lotdi overlies a mi.Ktiiro
of what apj)oars to be sand and clay shales for some distance below St. John, but
the snowy weather prevented my seeing miicji ot' the bank ot that stream on my
way down.
Petween Peace River and Ijcsser Slavi; Lake no fixed rocks are seen along the
trail, nor are any along the north ^ide of the lake, nor are there anv alonir ficsser
Slave Jfiver, except bedded clay and sand can be calleil ]
During my journey I kept a constant look-out for fossils, es]iecially so on the
East Prancb and Sicannii! Cbiel' River, but failed to observe any ti-ace of any, though
I ()ft(
(1
en mad(> special searcli
h: I
cannot sav
that I
saw even a siisj
licion of one. In this
connection J may state that C(nint de Sainville gave me a crystal which heobtaineii
i)n the west side of the Mackenzie delta, but it was left in my cache on the Sicannio
Chief River. Jt consisted of an aggr(!L;'a' ion of hexagonal crvstals rad
gbdiular nucleus. It seemed to me to consist of ciay as it was about the
but gavi" a white streak ; it was cjuite soft, being easily cm with a knife. The Count
described them as being quite numerous in the clay shale along the western \r.ink
of the delta. He also tound in the vicinity of the delta a curious fossil which ho
iating from a
le same colour,
lIKl'dUT (IF Mil. WM. OOILVIK,
l.llt
iiiy
the
)!i the
ii(iui!;h
ill tluH
uiiu'il
uniiio
Iroiii !i
olour,
('ouiit
bank
ich l>o
pvosoiitcd to Iho .\r!ick('ii/.i(' ['iver Miisoiiin. [ torik the lihcrtv of hririiring it
Jiway tor the |uirp<)s(.' ot haviiii;' it idoiililicd or classiliud, hut; it now lies wi"th my
(•thei- articlos in the {libioiiieiitioiiod caohc, and tho Mii.>^euin has lost n vorv ciirit)iis
and intorosi ina; fossil.
This Miisi'uni was oru-ani/ixl in l^ST hy the 11. 15. ("ompany's oIHclts in tho
district for llio piiipose ol' colh'Ctin-- and jiiosei vin^- specimens ot' ail Kinds of
animals ami hii'd.s ]»cciiliai' to ihe country, also all fossils or curiosities, in fact
anythiiiii: of note or interesi in connection "wilh the I'oiinti'y. I do not think this
asHocialion of nentlenu'ii include spccimen> of phuits in their collections. If ilie\ ilid
il would aild mmdi intere.--I and v.alii." to iheir lahoiirs anil to the world at lai'i:e and
their own district in iiarticular. The 11. JJ. Company has devoted to it the u>o ot
some larue rooms in one of their houses at Fort Siinjison and already lluiy have
(juitc a lari;e collection of f(ssil>. hones, Indian curiosities and implements, 'stutl'ed
specimens of nearly every animal and hiid lo bo for.nil in the district.
Capt.Hellof thesteamef'Wriiilcy' has proved himself (piile askilful taxide -mist
uikI must neccssai'ily, Jroni the niuidicr ol specimens lixed, have devoted much timo
and study to the ciirini;- and tiltiiii;- U|) of skins. This institution should receive aid
and encoiiraiicmeiit fioni all lovers of riatural history and .-cience.
The fos^il I broiiiiht away from it, whi(di was rontril.iited hy Count deSainville,
was generally thought to be a i;)>sili/,cd joint ot' the vorfolira of some large lish, hut
it appeared to mc more like some species of star tish. 1 have described il to several
pahcoiUologists and examined nian_\- cuts of fossils, but so i'm- jiave not been able to
place it.
i':co.\(.)M 1 c .M I X !•: r a ls.
COAL.
Many ex|)o>iires of tiiis mineral are to be seen along Ihe .Vthabasca, and
a few on the lower Mackenzie, which have been described in several o.'the (ieologieal
Eeporls and in my reports of 1.SH4 and 1S,S7-SS. While at Vun Liard 1 go't an
account of a very large deposit situated on the Mountains west from th<i Fort.
My infoinianl. a son of the otlicer in (diarge, had seen this deposit hut gavi nie no
idea of its extent other than that it was very large. He was ignorant of it- cjiialily
also, but from his answers to my ipie-tions, I would judge il to be Iho ordinary
lignite of the coiinlry. 1 could not i;-ain any certain ilea of its distance Iroin tho
])ost. This young man runs around the counlrv adjacent to the Fort a good deal in
the winter, collecting meat from the Indians I'or the use of the post; and on some of
those journeys the In(lian> informed him of the locality of this curious "stone.'' in this
way he saw it, hut ilid not pay much attention to it.
On the east branch some ilril'l coal was seen along the stream up in tho caiion.
After some search I loctited the seam well u]) in the shale, not more than KMi foot
below tlu; sandstone. Where 1 .--aw it the st'am was only f(Hir or tive iiudies in
thickness, and 1 do not think from the drift specimens 1 saw that it is much thicker
aiij-wher*! in this vicinity. 1 brought out a small specimeti and handed it to Dr.
I)awson of the Geological Survey.
Where 1 ciossetl Fine River of the north 1 saw a thin seam of lignite, about the
same in tlimension and appearance as the aforementioned seam. It was in the
sandstone not more than sixly or seventy feet from the surface. Xo other indica-
tions v)f this mineral were seen between there and Lesser Shave Lake. I was told at
the east end ot this lake that the ndians I'eport coal on one of the streams on the
south side uf the lake. This ma}- be true, and likely is, as I have ^een many large
specimens in the drift along the north-east shore which very likely was drifted
across wilh the ice, though it is possible some of il may Inive come down the Mariin
River from tlio mountains on the head of that stream.
Count de Sainville infoimed me he found three seams ot lignite on the shores
of Hutchinson's Bay on the Arctic coast. Two of ihein were about four inches in
thickness, and the other he could not measure. A< he saw them in dilVereiil places
it IB possible there may bo only one.
28
PEACE HIVEll A.N'I) TaiBUTARIES.
lilTUME.V.
In my i'0|)ort of l<SH!t [ rrt'erred to the exisloniT^ of liifiitniiioiH (or, as tlio}' aro
known in the counti-y, tar) sprini^s t)n the shore <»f the fast end of Lesser Slave
Lake. 1 hail never seen them, l)iit in ISS-lheard from the Hudson's Day (^ompany
olKcers at Lesser Slave Post of the existence of siudi. and that an idd Indian had
cxhihiteti specimens ot the tar at that jiost and also taken 8am])les to Ivlmonton.
(■nder the iin|)ression that he had somethini^' ver}' valnahle, he would not disclose Its,
location fuithor ihan to say that it was near .Martin IJiver.
Mr. R (i. McConnell, sitice then, in a n'coion-ical examination of that i)ai't of the
country, searched for l)ut failed to find any ti'ace of that substance in the locality;
this cant some (loui)t on my information, hut still the fact remaineil that the tar
ha<l lieen seen. On my way down last wintei' this old Indian came to see me at the
East end i)ost. [ found him much readier to give information concerninj:; those
tar s|)riny;s Ihan he was, as he had learned that it possesses no value to him at leasts.
lit- said tl'.e tar oozed out of the sand near the watei'V edi,fe at many ditVerent places
uhoiit midway hetween Martin iJivcr and the lu'ad of i.essci' Slavi; liivei'. lie said it
could ver}' seldom be found twice in the same place, as the waves washed sand and
,irravel over it. I'rom this it would appear that there is an area here in which it
exists, similar to some of the places on the lower Athahasca, which after hij;^h
water in the river show no indications of its pi'esence until after a l)ri,<i;ht
hot day, when it oozes (lirou^ih the deposit on top of the sand which contains
It.
II
e seemed olfendei
hen 1 intimated that its existenci^ was douhttul, and
atlirmed warmly that ii' the snow we''e not on the i^i'ound he would taki! me and
show so thai I would see lor myself. I may mention lieri' that he came to see mo
for the purpose of showin;;' me some mica wlTudi he found south of the lake. It
took some time to persuade him that l!ie specimens he had were worthies-, nor
wonlil he, nntil he had been mollilied by
a H(tod suppei", answer any {|Uestions as to
its locality. As I had no ivason to suspect the existence of inica-iiearin<; rocks in
this i'ei,ior. 1 ([uestioned him as to the place and extent of (he rock he found it in.
He seemed to suspect from my ea^^erness for this knowledge tint it must bo of
«ome value, and gave me evasive answers foi' a long time. At lengtli I learned- he
ler not tar from the lalce, near the ■iioulh ot a small
got it out of some largt' b
rivei' entering on the south >iile only a short distame from the island.
le
III my report of ISS'.I 1 referred to the existence of u natural gas well on tl
peak of it Irom hearsay,
Miratid R'liiids, then I couM oidv
Athaiia>Ka h'lver helow
but on my Avay down last >ummer I sought for and found it. It is situated about
side of the rivei opposite to a high
11 burned otf. There is quite an
beach (dose to the
sevent(!en mib.'s below (Irand Rapids on the left
sandstone clitl'fiom the lop of wine': the tiniiiei
le t inilier is a
extent of I he river here in which the gas bubbles U|». ami on llu;
waters edire tiiere aie one or two rift.s m tl
IV lian
ilv' l!ii(jugli wliieli It escape.-
T fired It and it burned with eonsidcrable flame for ipiiU' a time anil 1 left it burning.
tiold is t()und in sinail ([iianlirie> on Peace River and at jiresenl there are
several miners >>n that stteam. One of thcni (Mr. Ihirbank) holds a theory that the
gold in tlio river is held in the socalled black sandy shale whidi is clo>e to the
watei-'s edge in the vicinity of St. .lohn. lie tiied ihis and lound small quantities of
this metal in it ; hence he infers thai it is the erosion of those bank's bv the river- that
renews the !>-old on tln^ bai
In tins case it nii;
rbi i>
ai'
i I bat hydraulic minint
would ])ay, l)Ut as Ihis shale is overlaid with an inmn'iise Ihiekuess of sail
operation would soon be stopped
tone sucii
The clay ironstone Avhi(di I have already mentioned in connection with the
an
ew
rocks on the l\ast Branch and Sicanni(! ('hief Rivers need hardly be (-hissed as
economic minei-al, its (luaiitily irrespective oi its (juality is so small.
.Mr. McKinlay in hii* joiiri:eyings noi'th of Great Slave Lake saw only a f
small sjtecimens of micii. It would appear from his description (hat the rocks are all
Luureiilian.
As the general distribution of petroliferous rocks in Ihe Athabasca, Peace and
Mackenzie valleys isi)relty well understood, it is needless to refer to it. The reports
Ri
on 11
usual
Ihe
IS con
Catlh
thi-
ai'oiui'
to the
timbe
are m;
ni>t
geiier;
ined
iulbrm
of the
will ji,
standi)
and tl,
a chan
tended
Willi e
ticuiar,
an uiiji
REI'dRT (tK MH. ^tfM. OdlLVIE.
2U
of J)r. Bell aiul H. (1. Mcdonnoll, of the (iooloirical Survey, isivo- a ])rot(y thorouf^li
gfiioral as woll as ti'olmical (IcscTiptidn of tlu'in ; also my own ri'porl ot LSSK irivos
soino iiiforinalion on that siibjoct.
No otlu'i' niinorals woro >.vvn or lieani of that possi'ss any interest oconomically.
AtaiKJULTlJlJAL liKSOURCKS OF TIIK DiSTiaCT.
Jiiunini;"
lio such
lull the
as an
a low
are all
lice and
Irejiorts
In my report for 1SS!I I (Iweil at sonic lon^-tli on tlie ai^ricultural capaliililios ot'
tho
Atl.
laliasca, I't-acr and
M
ickcn/.ic liivci- (listncis, 1 will tiiL'rctui'o now cotiHne
myself iirineipally to wlial 1 oltscrveil on tiie Lianl, Kast IJrancii and upper I'eaee
Rivers, reterrinji; only to llic oilier parts of niy journey casually.
r premise hy statin^' I hat Mie season of IS'tl was unU'^ually dry, con.'e((uenlly
the gardens on llu' Atliahasea, (ireat Slave and MaeUen/.ie did not piesent a favour-
able a|)pearanco as 1 Ikuh; seen them do on former visits.
Foi't Providence svas infested with ura-sho])pers to such an extent that every
bit of grain sown (here was cut to the ground, riolhing hut the sIiiIin of the stalks
being vi.-ilile. Wheal has been grown hero with varying success for many years,
and tlie fact that in latitude <il° -0' .'iS" it has been eom])letely devoured by grass-
hoppers is itself worthy of record
.Vt Sinipson the garden stutf
ilM'l
H'ain although very nice in appearance was
not up to what 1 saw tlu'i'e in isSS, just at the same time of the year too; though it
would compare xory favourably with the apjieaianee of those in places ten and lifteen
degrees faither south. At that date (August •Jfitli to I'Slh) gartlen stall' was well
advanced; green peas weie in use, as was cabbage, jjotatoes, carrots and other
vegetables, all large and well flavoured. The barley sown was -^hort ami stunted-
looking from drought, but ot'fair (piality. In 1SS8 the company's oilicer in charge
planted ash-leaved maples sent in t'mm Maniloiia to see how they would stand the
climate, eleven degrees I'arlhei' n(U'lh than iheir native home. JjUsI year liicy were
quite lai'ge and seeniel to llourisli as well as they wouhl have done on llieir nativ(^
giound. Many head of callle an' kept here which seem to thrive as wi'll as they
woul
Id anywhere else in our countiy
Tl
le ha\' tor their wiiitei' sidiMslence is cut
on the hills south of the fort.
At Fort Jjiard the same drought seems to have jirevailed and ]»reventei| the
usual development (d what was planted. At the date (September 4lli) of my arrival
the biirley had been harvested some da^'s, and though the straw wasshort the grain vvtis
plump and hard and ol' fail' yield. I'otaloes were of good size and fair (laality.
Wheat has often been grown bcie successfully, but as it can only be used whole it
is considered better to grow barley which can be and is much used as cattle food.
Cattle are kept here and seem to thrive as well as at other places in the country. A
this ■ • ■
DOS
he soil is a rich black loamy c'lay and the surface is thickly wooded all
around. As been from the high gi'ound on the oppo.sitc side of the river, the country
to the south and east apjiears undulating, rising into extensive ridges all heavily
liml>ereil
aie
Til
is condition is said to continue tbrou^ii le
11
IV liiver. in the vallevs
inanv lakes, some of considerable extent, and many exteiisivt' swam|)s. I could
no
t learn anvthing of the character of the
reiuu-al character of the woods that it is ot fair ciuality. \V
ined the daily journjil of events kept at every pos'. for the pui'])ose of gettii
'oil, but it is tail' to assume from the
lile at this fori, 1 exain-
iir siuiie
intormation as to tlie rime:
it the
al run ol larniiiig events, op<'ning and elosii
liT
if the river, oi' any other tact ot a^■rlcult^ll■al, meleorologicat or general inlere
wil
NiaP(iiiii
here make a few explanatorv remarks with regard to these journal
4. 1
It is a
rule ill (be comjiany's service lliai a joiiinal of daily events be kept at
cveiv l)ost, luit each oilicer seems to have a dillereiit idea of what a daily event is,
and Uicre seeiiH to be a want of continuity, so lo speak, in the reeonis when there is
a change of writers or otUcers ; some oflicers tiiming at making it what it was in-
tended or ou<'-ht to be, a chronicle wlii(di could at any time hereafter be consulted
with contidence regarding hislorical, meteorological and agricultural events in par-
ticular and information generally. Unfortunately many seem toliave considered it
an unjileasant duly, and put it otV fi'om day lo day, until a long interval had elap.sed,
30
I'KACK UIVKll AM" Till lUITARl K.S,
then wotil at il iti desperation aii'l iiiiule tlu" l)e.si reeoi'il they ('niilil inxii memory,
ot'course often omitlia<f many items olintoiosl and ^^^enei'al importaiiee. In many
of tlio joui-nalrt 1 have seen, there are iffeat i;aps, the oilicer at, the jiiaee l)oini,' aiisent
on a Joiirnt^y, or >ici<, or i.tlierwi^e unable to write the jinirnal al the post.
ka(di roeorder stamped lii> eharacler in hiw entries a-, plainly as if it were a
part of him.self, wliieh after all il I'eally is. Some a))peared to have enjoyed a (juiet
sit-down \v\\\( a pipe an<l pen ami had a |)leasan( contidenlial chat with a friend,
nari'ali\\>j^ v\ie\r own doini;s, ami hopes and tV^u> in connection with ihem. Others
seemed to A\uvc considered it an audience to whom tiiey irr!indilo(|iK'ntly oommnni-
cateil their esliinale ot' their own powcis and al'ilily. (ithers liave been iiioi'alists
ndU'cting Nvith a sad >mile and a >hake (d' t he head on t he >hortcominns of those
around them. Many have been -witt}'. enterini;- with inindi detail any ludicrous event
that may have occuri'Cfl and eml«elli^hiriir it witii amusinL; reflections and remarlvH.
It is nid'oi'tumite that some common motive ilid not actuate every recorder, asi it
htis made vahiahle I'efereiices in some cases ol little u-e.
Tiie journals at Liard n'ave me tin' followini!; datl^s nnd facts : —
1878. Planted seed iMa)' Dlh : reaped harley, omitted ; first ice driflin;:; in river
October 18th; ice set in rivei- October 2'.Uh.
18TSI. Planted seed Aj)ril 2l'nd ; i'eM|)ed barley Auu;u-t llth; tirst ice in river
October ir)th ; ice set fast November 7th.
1880. IManteil see(l ]\I;iy 7lh; reapeij barley Aiii;-nst I4lh; lirst ice in river
October 2;")! h ; ice set fast Xoveinbei' lUh.
1881. IManted seed .M;iy ,"n b ; I'caped barley Auii'ust 12lh; iirst ice in I'iver
October lOlli; ice set fast Novembei' Kilb.
18S2. Planted seed ^lay lUh ; reajicd barley August 22nd; tii'st ice in river
October Kith ; ice set fast November 7th.
18S;3. Planted siu'd May iJi'd; reaped barley August lOlh ; fii'st ice in river
October 2'.ttli; ice set fast November Oth.
188-4. Planted seed May 1st; reaped barley, omitted; tii'st ice in river October
loth ; ice set fast Octobei- 2lMh.
1885. Planted seed May 22nd; rea]ied barley August llth; tirst ice in river
October 2.-!i'(l; ice set last omitted,
188(!. r^lanted seed May 7th ; reaped barley A\i>^ii^t I'Jtli; lirst ice set in river
November Itth ; ice set fast November 2nth.
1887. Planted seed ^^ay ;!rd'; reajied bai'ley, omitted ; lirst ice in river October
22ntl ; ice set fast Novendier '.Uh.
1888. Planted seed Afay !)th ; rea])ed barley, (jniitted : first ice in rivei" October
20th ; ice set fast November ■')th.
1889. Planted seed Api'il IGlh ; reapeil barley, omilted ; lirst ice in river
October 28lli ; ice set fast November 14th.
18!>0. Planted seed Ajual oOth; reaped bailey, omilted; tirst ice in river
October 15th; ice set fast Novrmiier 14lh.
Potatoes are generally harvested about the 20th September. Tiie ice generally
breaks up in the i'iver aliout the l.-t of Mav.
]•
on
Nel
son has only been in existence twenty-six or twenty-seven years.
small clearing has been made aroiiini the post, ;inil a few potatoes generally |)lanted.
Last year every thing ))lanted was destroyed by the floods already described.
EarJey has been tried there several times with success. ()wifiu' to the smallness of
the clearing here, and the height and density of the sui-rounding woods, I would not
call the conditions ]ier(! favoui'alile to a fair lest ot the capaliilities ol' th(i district.
All the journals of the ])Ost previous to 1887 were at Fort Simjtson, a fact 1 was not
aware of wlien there or 1 would have searched for and examined them while there.
J ghsaned the following entries from the journids at Nelson: —
1887. First drift ice in river, omitted; river frozen over October 2;^rd.
1888. — Ice f-farted out ol river May 7th, first drift ice in fall October ll>th, river
iret fast October :51st.
188it.— Ice started April lOth, first drift ice in river October iiOth, ice set fast
Xovember 10th.
, nvor
I rivor
river
1 rivor
\ river
1 river
3ctiibor
1 .
river
river
tober
toiler
rivor
river
erally
rs. A
aiiteil.
■ribed.
ness of
ill! not
istrict.
iVU'^ not
ti\ere.
b, rivor
set fast
REPOnt OP MH. W.M. OdILVIE
liaciv tVoin the I'oaco Jiiver valley tlu-re is iniu-li prairie and int^adow land,
willi sonie woods and swamps scatlored over it. Tiio soil is an excellent l)la(d< (day
loam as ri<di as any 1 ever saw, and tlio ii;rowtli ot'iiay and gi'ass liears testimony to
this fael. The (lip of tbe vallej- from this plain is veiy sharp ami the bank very
8teep tallini;- alioiit S(M» leet in a mile.
I whieli I hey
U'rain always
r. (iunii, the
and diirini;-
)d .leal.
Si. .lolin and
le numerous
d (diaraelei-
32
I'EACK HIVEH AND TUlHrTARIKS.
oxciirrtions tisini;' tlicm to ])iu'Ic tlicii- |)ro|U'rty from |»l!U'o to jjliicc ; in tlie winter
ihi'v leave tliLMM in llic vicinity ol'tlu' l^'nri. Tlio fact tliat Ihhsch can nafciy winter
out licrc spcalvs well for the fnliiie of the country. Si. .lohn is viHitcd fre(|nently
diiriiii;' the wintctr nionlhs l)y the so-callei| (JhinooU winds, which often swce|) away
the, snow coni|ileli'ly. The iirevailiii.u' diiection ol those wind- here, as elsewhere, is
from the south-west.
The facminy operations here have alway> been contincd to the immediate vicinity
of the river in the valley, and so are not a test of the capaliility of the uplands.
Here I examined many of the jouinals and yleancd from thorn the followinj^
dates anil facts. .My >e;irch hcnan with ihe year lSii(i, iiut to transcribe here I'Very
year since thiMi Would serve no useful purpose,! will, therefore, yivt^ a few yeara
suhsofpieiil to thai dale and a tew pr<'vious to |S|ll.
ISdd. |''ir>t ice drift inn' in the river Ut .Xovemher, liul I he weal her cont iniied
lino and open and il was 2nd |)ecemlii'r hefore it was fio/.eii over. There is aii'ap in
the record of thi> year from ITlh .March to Isl , June, and from L'nd June lo 1st
Nov«'ml(er, but i( is incidenially meniioiied that the polalo crop was not ^doil.
ISCT. is so trairtncnl.'iry that 1 could tind nol hini;' of note, except thai the river
w;is fro/.en over on Mrd December.
isilS. The record for lids year bci^'ins llilb .lune, first snow on the plain- above
2(Ith September, harvc-led potatoes "jth October, harvested luriups 17th October,
first ice (biftiiii;' in i iver 7th November, river frozen over 17th .Voveniber, lUh
Oeccndicr. mild a,i;'ain and ice breakinir U|i.
isil'.t. .Snow bci^'an to di>;ip|iear from the hills in sheltcrcel places Mandi 11th;
started plounhin^' Aiu'il lHh; ice bcn;iii lo bi'eak up A])ril L'2nd ; planted potatoes
April 2()lh, 27lh and 2Stl) ; ice all moving in livcr .\]ii'il L'7lh ; no more entries till
Seji'dnber lolb; harvested turnips .Se|)hMnber 17lh; harvi'sted potatoes Seplemlter
20lh; ice ilrifliiiu in river Xoveinbei' >ilh ; appears lo have frozen over about the
middle of l)ecembei'. but no date is iiM\en,
lS7t). The records for this vear are not lei^-il
le. ;inil inucii lii'ofvcn ; a!
that I
could mal<e out was that the farm worlv beyan (Mi Ajiril 27lh, and the ice was -til
riinnini' on
Mav
:ii(i
1871. Ice i)e:;an to open April 1^'tli ; jilan'ed jiolafocs aiul bailey x\]iril 27th;
]ilanU'd carrots. ])arsnips and onions A pril 2!Mb ; river (dear of ice at last date ; it is
blaiik between ^i;^y HIi and Xovendjcr lOlh, when il i- -l;ile(l there was ice drifting
in the river; rivei' frozen over November lillli. The fur roturn.s for 1871-72. from
November 1st t(» Feliruary 28th, are eiitereil in the journal as follows: l>eav(0-^
l,(»7'.l ; bears.;").'); tislier. 7 ; lynx. l.'> ; minks, 2 ; martens, I'.l') ; otter, S; wolvtv-, S;
wolverines. 17; but il i.-. icnsiuiable lo -uppo.-e thai the sprim;- tiade would add very
lari;'ely to tlio.-e ([uanlilies.
menced to bri'ak uj> April 2(>th; coinmonced
lit now ski I
) to 18S7. Ice
con
to plant iiotoloes Ai)ril 28th ; river cl
Octolicr
.ini
but mild weatl
ear ot
ler -el in ;iiiil
ice .Mav oth ; first i
i-C I
riflini;- in river
il rtunained o|)en nnlil Xovemher lltl
when it bei!,an to drift a^ain ; did nol set until necember ."li'd.
'.•^SS. Icf st.arteil to move May 1-t; commence I to i)lant jiotatoes .May IMh ;
first fall of snow Octobt-.r 21st ; ice c()mmenced to run [w river November 5tb ; ice
set Novemlier Uilh.
18S'.), Ice commenced to break up .Maich odih, but did noi mak'e a general start
until April l>tli ; commenced ])lantin,u" potatoes April 2 lib; first ice in river
omitted; ice set last November 2H h.
181)0. Ice commenced to break u\) .Vpri! oOth ; planted potatoc- .May IMh ; first
drift ice in the river November 2ltlh ; ice set fast December 21-t.
18'.ll. Ice brea!<inii; up ,\pril 17tli; commenced ]ilanlini;' potatoes .Mav 1st;
first snow at ])o-t Ot'lobcr 2:jrd ; lirst ice in I'iver October 2.Sih ; ice set at Smoky
Itiver croM-inu' X'ovember 17lli.
On my w;ty to St. .Foiin aci'o-s the plateau snow fell on two dill'erenl days,
Octobci' Intb and l.'jtb. but it was only a very sliglii fall both times, and di.-appeared
as soo.i us the sun ro.se.
UKI'dllT (IK Ml(. WM. <Hi|I.\ IK.
:{3
Thiw j)i)st \va first i'HtjiMisliod ai ilu' iiiniitli ol' I'ine l{i\(!r. alioni iwciit y-fivn
milnH furtiu'r ilowii tln' I'oai'f, liiil alioui MXly ycais a^o tin- nlliccr in cliai'i,'!) waH
shot liy tlu^ Iiiiliaii"-, ami it \va-> iimvi'il away in cciiisiMiut'iici'. I have licai'ii tiial llir
tl^ihl nr iminicr^ at I)('aii ManV l>laii(i, tlroal Slavt! \,;[\n>, (iri^'inatc I in :1k' ilcalli
oi' lliih otlicor, liis slayiMs tlcfiiij^ t'n>tn \\\r <'(iiiiiti3- t'lPi- r-ati'iy ; lnit som. ot' tlic Imlf-
liri'Oii sDivaiiis ol' ilio slain otlic!cr tollo\vc(l tlicni up, caiiic \\\> with tin in ai the lake
anil (juiully kilU'ii tlii'in wliilc asUH'|i. This niay nr may imt he tnio; no oM«M'oiikl
vouch tor it UH l)i'in^ so, :iiii| 1 i^ivo it inuicly as i ijot it. 'I'lif ri-inains n| tlu> otHcoi'
wiTo takoii to Diinvi'Lcan for intci inont. A i; rave Imaiil, it' I may iisc Ilu' ('Xiirfs>inn,
stands now ut his jLCravi-. on which is painicd an a'counl ol his death; Imt whon 1
was there in 1SS3 and l^Sj, it was not (U'cipherahii*, heiiifi; very niiich weathered,
jind naturally it was ^lill less so last year. The old joiiinals, containini; ai'counts of
this and other events, have heen reinove(| or lost.
At Dunveu'an the company Iki'^ !.ri'own wheal, harley. oats, potaloe> and Lcardeti
stulT generally tor many vt!ar> with a-loni>hini; succe>^. When 1 wa->thei'oin lrt!S;!->4,
1 Haw f^rain and vet^et allies I'lilly tuiiial in (jiialiiy and i|iianlity to any 1 have even
seen anywhere, the iiiirdi'ii veiietables Ikmiih; I'-perially tine. Last year evcryl hiiiL;
was harveslod and ■'tnreil wiien 1 u'ol there, Kui whai I saw of t he proiiiiee was
(excellent. I saw two sunflowers whudi iina.-uri'd fomifen im lies across i he diNC.
With iho corolla attaidied, dio>e f1owe:N miisi have iieen nearly two feel in dianu'ler.
The seeds of «!a(di weighed foiirieeii minecs and inea-iired nearly a i|Uarl. A head
of eahliai;(' was shown troiii which I stripped otV all Innx. have-, leavini.'' it lit tor
la^t
cooking, and
(dicumference,
lien
am
measured
weiiiihed
ipp
and Widirlied
1 1 measiiicd 5."lA inches ii
•'si.
linlllKl-.
Th
as an exceptionally
larijo head, of course, but llm i^eiieial run of hoih cahliau'e and cauli-
flower was lari;e and would he coiisidervd >o anywhere. Mr. iioiind, the
oflirer in (diar^e of the po.^i. told nu' lu; two years ai^o made a departure
from the old fashioned method of ifrowiiiii; those plants, and in-tead of developing
tiiem in hot heds ho simply planted the si-ed once for all in drills in tli(! tfaideii,
and when they arrived at the proper stajfc, pulled out the ^uperflllous ones, lie
found this method Just as •~ati>taclorv, and nuudi le-
lioiihlesoiiie. The other
arden vegetahles were just as lai'^e and i;<iod as oie' would wisli to see them.
There wu^ an unwoiiteil droui,dil there la>t summer whi(h inleifered with tlio
usual (U'velojiment of cveryl liini,'. I'Ui the ipialiiy of uTaJn was n'ood. Mr. JJound
infoi nied mt( he planted titteen iiu>h(d> of potatoe> hot summer, ami alter u>itii^
thorn freely for the Mi^tenaiice of his tamily (live memhe: -) and i he servants, in
all, eiylit or ten
fr<im tne time tliev were tit for u>e iiniil tliev were harve>ted. ho
har\e>ted u;
iwai lis (
it two hiiiidi ed liu>he
lie sowc'l aliout four liu-lieUid wheat.
nd thoUi;h the dry sea>on mmdi ail'eeU'd the result , he will havi- iihoiit sixty
ushels. This u'rain is u^di in vari'Ur- ways, soiiu' ot' it liein«r n^roiind into flour hy
the aid of small hand mill-. He -owed lour hu-liel.- of oats, and alllioUi;li pari of
the crop was de-troyed hy a hail storm, one huii<li'ed lui.-hels were threshed. In
isilO he planleil twenty-tive Imslitds of potalors, and thoui;h tlu-y were fieidy used
from the time thev weie til until haive-ted, 71- Im-hels wore harvested. Th
Antcliean and Komaii Catholic missions here also suecos
-fully
raise ootn irrain
th
ve;j,elal>le-, the latter depeudini!,' miKdi f'^r their >iih-i-lence o
and
n the results of their
aLjrieulturai laliour-.
This j)ost has heen in exi-tence for the LM'eater ]iail of a centuiy, and more o-r
less farmiiiir has always heen done at it -ince then
With -Mr. Hound's hind permi.-sion I |
x'liiseil -ome ot
iiiirnal
Tl
lOUtrh
I did not j:,ot the earlie-t, I will lu-erl a lew extiat
son with recent journal-
is from t hem
>y way ot compari-
IS'28. Fir-t ice dril'tini,' in river 6lh XovciiiIhm', ice
IS'2',1. lee heii-aii to move in the river llilli A|iiil, -'we-
■I fast 2Itili N.
ivt'inlter,
h.irley ITlh April.
planted potatoes iiOth April, cut harley lll:h Aii-ust, cut wheal l.'.")ih Aii--usl. 1
vested potatoes 24th SepUMiiher, tir-l -now L'l-t Oetnher, tir-l drill :ce 24th Octol'er
1S;}0. Ice broke up 2^111 April. -owed ihiriy <iuait- ol wlu'dt ."{rd .May
truiden scot
Is 4ih May, plained jiotaloe- alli May, cut wheat 14ih Sejitember, c
-oweu
om
84
I'KACK UIVKR AND THIHtTTAIllKS.
tiuTwi'il tli;;j;iii^' polatot'w 27lli Hopiomln-r, liihl iliit't ict' 2tM|i OctohtT, ico hhI fuHt
^fitli Nitvornlter.
TlioiT ih II l)n'!il< ill tin' ^m■l•.■sHi(ln lu-io nml I will lu-i^in iii^iiin witli
ISSd. Ill- Mt.'irtf.l to linak up liUli April, xiwcd IcnU'v I2ili Miy, |ilimltMl tiir-
hi]!-* i;{lli Miiy, |il;mtfil pottilm'^ I71I1 May, iK'iiaii liarvt-slin^' optMiilioiiN 2ti!li Aiii,'iiMt,
fill liiickwiii'iU 'Jim! Sopiciiilicr, liaivcslod putalix'-* L'.'lni Scpli'inlii'r, Htoii'd !IS4
l)ll^lu'ls, >\\'j^h[ Miow rJlli OcIoIpit, rir>l ici' ilririiii^ hull Novfiiilifi', ice -'■! I'a.st .'{(Itli
NovoihIkm'.
1SK7. Ice Htai'U'il 'JTlli April, Nnwcd oats 2'.Mli April, M»\vini,' oilier nood L'lid
May, coniiiu'iici'd planting potatoi's "iili May, Kowt'd nardoii ht'vAn Htli May, Howcd
peiiHo llth May, tiiiislu'(i planliiii,' potato. -s 2^tli May, plaiitcil til'iy |pii>li(ds, novtM-o
frost Till .liiiK', i- jiirini,' yoiiiiji,' vuyt'lalilos, I'tc, si vimc lro>,i at,'aiii "-ThIi .liiiio. ciittiiii^
down I'Vi-rytliiii^ to tin- iji'oiiiid, potatoes and all, 'JlMli July lU'W potatoes I'or I lie tiist
tiino, tii>t siiow tell !t!ili Soplcinhcr, coniiiU'm'tMl taUiiiix up potatoes L'tll li Sfptciiilior,
iiaivi'sifil (IIS liuslii'ls, tooU up luinipH and caiiots atli Octohfr, tiist drill ico in
river "J Itli ( )(tolH'r, hut il floartd out ai^ain and roliirncti I'Jtli November, set f tint
2!tili Novenilier.
ISSH. lee moved 1st May, be^'an sowing,' liailey '.'tli May, hei^aii plant ini^ pota-
tooH 10th May, sowed oats ami wheal ir)lli May, sowed L'urdon seeds Kith May, sowed
turnips USth Ma^", sli^lil tVo'^l 1-.I Au^ii^l, injiiicd y-aideii sliitV, cut liailey Tith Se|)-
lendier, cut oals 7tli Sepleiiiher, started taking up pot;itoes 27i li Septcnilier, tinished
.'ird Oetolier, r)21t laishels stored, took up turnips fjth October, tiisl miow llllh Octo-
ber. tir>l ice in river "^7111 October, ice set tii>t 27th Xovember.
1 would now call particular attention to the niention of IVost in .iiine, IHS7, and
the fact that it cut down voyelables to the ^'roiind; alone there is nothiiii^ very won-
derful about the statement, as it is Just what we would expect fro>t to do, but in con-
junetion with usinu- new potatoes for the lirsl lime on the "Jllth July, just one month
after the fro-t, and the fuilher fact ibat ft IS bushels wort; harvested it is most aston-
ishing. Mr. Hound, the (dlicr who made the entry, was a witness of the event, ami
he is a jjreiilb'man whose sanity 1 would as soon doubt as his word. 1 ijuestioiUMl him
about it and ho assured me emphatieii"y of its eonectness. He can otl'er no expla-
nation, if it is not that a I'oi,' oeiieraiiy settles in the river valley after a frost and
shitdds ]»lants from the direct I'ays of the sun a icood pai't of the day, but even this
does not account for this ease, as he assured me the ])otatocs were cut <lowii black to
the ground.
The Rev. J. (r. Briidc, Aiij^lieaii missionary, who spent some years at Diuive^an,
combininii' farmim; with mission wiTk.in ISSfi started what miLrhl bo called a branch
farm at Olil Wives Lake, about thirty-six miles from l)iiiivei;an, on the carl trail,
between the latter place and Smoky liiver crossing, on the }>lateaa above the
immetliate valley of the river. Keference will be made to this latei'.
In ISHlt be eslablislu'd himself in the valle}' of the river on the north wide, about
five miles above the mouth of Smoky River. Ih're he has estaldished a mission and
a school for the eiiuc.ition of the young, on which he bases all bis hopes tor the
im|)rovemeiit of the iKtives. He kee])s this s(dio )1 open during the winter months,
and as an inducement to attend, ho gives all the children who live at a uistunce
their dinner.
This gentleman took in with him a large outfit of farm implements and sto(d<.
He has a small grist mdl an'! threshing mill, with whitdi he tineshes and grinds his
grain. By grinding his wheat twice it makes a fair artiide of flour. Imt his facilities
for bolting it are not quite up to the times, conse(iueiitly his flour is not quite as
white as our high grade flour, but makes good bread nevertheless.
He is well satisfied with his success agrieulliirally. He furnished me with the
foUowin
hariey, Jlid Ijiishels. After all the grain was removed lie raked Ins held and got 23
bubhelb of grain from the rakings. He sowed two varieties of wheat, Ladoga and
IlKl'MllT OK Mil. \VM. iiiill.VIK.
85
this
•k to
iiiich
nail,
the
iboiit
aiul
• tlio
iilhs,
ill) CO
;t,ock.
s his
lities
itc as
the
V).ril,
(rom-
mdor
lels ;
ol 22
and
whoat he f^ol in Maiiittjha, \vhi< li ho thiiii<H !■< li^'A Kvti', hut is not hiii'c; hdlh are
hi'aiitil'iil s|icciiiioiiN (it'^raiii. Il(t lias soiii«« lw<» lowi'il harlfv whiili he prociiicd
whiio ill I'liii^hiiKl in IXMS, whiMi ht> olttaiiu'd uiit> |Miiindi yield in l^^'.M was (KIU
pounds nl as lino c lean, hiij^lil, phiiii|> i^rain as (Miiild he soon anywhoro,
Kis lU'inioi^a wheat was snwii lilst April and harvcslod 21th AiiLCiist, hut he
aliowo"! it lo over ripen, and thinks ho In^t at least four nr livo hiisliels while harvest imr.
Il(» soweil !)() pounds and thresht'd 1, ')(((). lie nhtaiiied a sample of Maek Norway
oats iVoin Wehh tV Co,, I'.niiland, whitdi ho sowi^l on tive-oi;,^hlhs of an acre of i^rouiul
last year; when harvest int; it was all drawn otl' the lield in one wa;,'<in load, ami
when ihreshi'd it tin lie 1 out (>l hushels of tii>telasH t,'i'aiii. fjasl year he fried
Indian eorn, it iliil not. ripen, hut yioldi'il cxiellont ;fri'eii <'orii : eiiciiinhers were
ji;rowii suecessl'iilly, hut did not ripen. Yot I saw as irood pumpkins fully ilevolopod
both liore and at hunve^r.'iii, as one would wish for.
.Mr. Hri(d< has for some titiio kept a meteorolon-ieal ri'cord in eonneef ion with 'A,c
MoteondKjricai Si'rviee at Toronto and he liirnisheil me (he foliowiiii;- lesiilts:
Kaiiifall in inehos in the month of April, 021, May 1 •:)!•,. I iiiio 1-8U, .July 2-!ll,
Au^nist (CrJ, Seplemher Utttt, OetoI.er ()-24, first snow 2Hh Oeloher.
Mr. liriek has ali'iiit 1 >rty head of cattle and several Imrscs, la>l tail on my
arrival there ho had 'ahoiit furty pi^s, hut killecl some iluriiiL;' my stay atxl only
intended to winter ahout tweiilydive. lie employs a ^nod deal i>\' local lalmiir and
pays lor it with lood to a very lar^t' extent, in tiict it is the oidy way il could he paid
for in the country. Tho hay tor wintoiiiii;' the cuttle and horses is cut on the plateau
aliout seven miles from lliet'aiin. lie i^ohoi ally allo\v> his cat tic lo run out until ahout
(yhristmas, the i^iass on the nicado\v.> heiii^' Iiiich oiioimh for them to lei'd "ii it alter the
early snows have fallen. The horses not kept in lor use are wintered out. The Hudson's
J{ay (Jonipaiiy at Diiiivcuiin have ahout l")!) wild hor>es and the IJoinan Catholic
Mission and Indians aUo have many whiidi always wiiiler out on the plains north of
the jiost, wliiidi allortU them holli food and shelter, as the country het ween Diiinoiijan
ami Smoky liivcr cio>sini;' on the noith side is jiarkdike prairie to a <listanc'e of
twelve to twenty miles hack from the river. The woods aH'oid them -litdter, and on
the prairies the richest i^iasses tirow. There are also larii'e areas where excellent
hay i^rows. No other attention is, or has heeii, ijiven to those animals than to
occasionally send a man out to hunt them up and count them. This is not asilitli<'ult
a task as it mil;;lit seem, as they run in hands; eaidi hand con-isis of maie-< and a
stallion, who will tiuiit to the di-atli for the po>s,.^sioii of |,i, ni.aies. Mach hand is
known' liy the name of its stiillion and as ea(di keeps pretty well in a certain tract, it
is not so dilHciilt to keep track of tiu-m as it woiilil appear. 1 -aw several hands on
my way from Dunvcifaii and all svere very fat. not wit li>taiidini; that the cold weather
had set in a month befoie, and ihi- snow had hei'ii a toot di'op for ciirlil or ten days.
Chinook winds occasionally visit this j)art of the country and carry the snow off.
Jleie also they blow troin the soiith-wcst. The ap]»i()a( h of oiu is known ^oine lit tie
time liofore it arrives by the roai- it makes. Many peopio in the country call them
the "high winds," they hlow so strongly. Tlioy ofti'ii vi>ir Cesser Sljive bake.
I have not set-ii the lower parts of Peace IJivcr since 1S84, hut I was informed
that Messrs. Lawrence, one of whom has been in the country many years, the other
since 1887, at a great expeii-(^ of time, labour and money, had managed to get in a
portable VVati .-((Us steam' engine, (hrohing machine and grist mill. At that time
the machinery had to be drawn on wagons from ("algary to Athabasia lianding,
three hundred miles in roun I numbers, taken from theio to Lesser Slave Lake in
york boats, thence over a rather rough road ahoui eighty miles to Peace lliver and
down it about two hundred and fifty miles to Vermilion.
They are rep.trted ft) have large herds of stock and horses, one ol them it was
said had 140 pigs last fall. It is said they raise large quantities of barley and oats.
As I have not seen any one from the vicinity lately, I can only say that those geiille-
men are said by every one who has heaitl from them to l>e well sati-tied witli their
venture. They were formerly residents and I believe farmers in the Kastern Town-
ships in the Province of Quebec, and if the truth is told concerning them they would
:jo
PK,A< K IU\ KU AMI I III III I .MIIKH.
nilln'r liirni wlicm llicy ;in' lluiii llicic. In H*^ I ttiu> (>rtln>iii |M'i-Mii;illy n"'''m<'<l nu)
lit' this iiiwl il !i|i|i(>iil''< he lilt- IimI r|),'iliL;i>i| Ills ii|iiiiii)||.
Ill I'^S'J tlin'c purlici* wiwil iiiici iIh' I'ciirc III Nt'ltli' ill till' ii«>iL;lili<iiirlu>iiil <if
|)iiiivc<;.'ili, lull niily iiiir nt'tlicni i'i'iii!iiiit'il. lie -cf tl»«i| :il a |)l!icc I'lillol tin* NVatcr-
lin|i< aJMiiil cli'scii iiiilr> ri'iiiii i)iiiivi>L;aii, .'iii>l iiia'lc a t'ci'iijc ailcinpl ill luriiiinu, Iml
uiih nil iiii'ic >ii('co«s than lii-< <'tIiiit.H MuTih'tj. Atirr hi> ili|iarliiio in l^iH^ llio
1Iiii|mpii'> hiiy ('i»m|iiiny riillivalcil IiIh claini, Iml willi vcrv inililli'niiil kikh'o^n. In
llir J'liinial "liir l*^Hi; ii in siatni llial ilif i,'iaiii iil tlic Waici'Imlo wiim kowivI iiiid
r(*a|ii'i| aliiiiit lln' sanio liiin- a« iil llii* po^t, Iml il i^ nut «aiii nl wlial (|italily it wiim ;
il in lair In ii^-iinif, linwi'vrr, liial il was lair; olIici-wiM' il wniiiil vtsiy liUoly havn
licni stali'il Ml. In IS-«7 il is Htalfl lliiii tlio Wiih-rlinli' ciuii was iU>s troy oil l»y tliu
fro-t. .\-> liir lis I CMiiJil icain llir Mirers- llirft' was liniilfl,
Mr, IliirU I'airni'il at olil Wivi- Lake I imiii |sx| \<> ISSH, ami lio intornicil iin'
lio liiul iiiiU' Iwu ;;iii>il »'iii|i- ami mil' iiniilli'i'i'iii. ( >iii' nt" t liost> two lie doHcrilicil an
rxri'lli'iit, I in- iiIIkt li'iiiiil. Tin- ii'inaiii'lfi ui'ic l"lal !(»--.*" Di.-licarlfm'il williliis
tiiiliirr 111' aliaiiiliincil it allntci-llirr.
In ilii' ■.iiimiH'r nf IsH'.l wliilr I was fii^au'cd siirv^yiiii;- mi the |)laliMiu in iho
virinily "I' niinvi'i^^ui we hail IVnst ihicf m- Imir linirs in Aiiuu-I N«>vt'r(' cnuiii^li to
ilfslmv anv ^I'ain ai llu' .-lauc i>t'ili'Vi'li>|iin«'iil il wniiiil In- in al Ihal ilale, ainl wni'so
sliil ihfir Wfit> -I'vi'i'i' frosts in .liiiy. Il a|>i)oar- \'r><i\\ (his thai lhi)ii;,fli rarinin.,' in
till' iinmriliati' valley nftlio river has alway- iiicl with a lai%'i' sliaro of siiecess, on
ihe plateau I he expeiienee is jar fnnii sat i-laelnry, ihal i- what lilile ihoie is of il,
ami a-iiiilli plaee- tiieij wore -eieeteil fur Iheir favoiirnhle localioii it is lair to
a— >iinie ihal it is a lair tc-l of the eapahility of the plateau. The ilitrcrcnec in alli-
tmle helweeii tins river liottoni ainI the plateau heini;' alumt l.lMill feet nciierally, liiis
nloiio wnuld aeemint I'lnthe dilVeienl re-iilts ot' a frost. In aldiiion to tliis the
»re-«!ii(a' of a lar:;o Im ly ol uaier in Iho valloy al a teiuporaturo of ').')'-' must
mv«' a luMiolicial etl'eol, al-n ihe eomiensalioii of the moisture in iho valley
omits heat liiitinif the oveiiint;, so that a (losi eanmil have the Mime otl'i'ot
ihori' as (III the platoaii. To concliido on llii> siilijecl, I would not adviso any
Olio soekiiii;- a home in our ureal N'irl h-west In think ot I'oaco Iliver. There iw
only a liiiiiled area in Ihe valley whiih is the only plaoe suoeoss can lie rea-mi-
alily expected, and oven there siieee-s is only an Mssiiianee of a liviiii;, as there is
no market at pre-onl. The lliid-ou'- Hay ( 'nmpany lakes into I he iljsiriet three or
four hundred siudvs of (lour, and il is pi'ilialih- tliis aimmnt will he rei|uired fi>r some
year- to enmo if t he aimmnl diu's not annually inerea>e, whiidi is prohahlo. Hesi.'eH
this, as mmdi or mure i- re(|iiiicil arnund Lake Athahasea. and a> miieli more *
lea-l on ilie Mackenzie, in all >ay li.dllO saidc- ; hut to make even I hi- market avail-
ahle a fair li'risi mill would have to lie taken into I he count ly, and this would, uiiilor
the cireiiinstanees, l)e a tremendous uiidertakini;. The wav to this market would ho
down the I'eaoe liivor, which from Hudson's Hope at the Uo(d<y .Moiiiilain poiiai,'o
to the falls helow \'iu'milion is easily naviuaMe t'or stern-wlHH'l steamers drawiiii^
three fi'ot of water with the exooption of one small har in very low water. At the
fall- there is a little over a mile of the river oh-lriieled, and from thtue to Fort
Chi|iewyaii as has already heen stated is clear, thc'ce. as has heen .already doscrihod,
1o Fori Smith an«l the .Mackenzie Kivor. I rei;-K that I have to present such an
uidavouralile account of a re<iion of which much has bv'on -aid and written. That
the soil is exeollent and much of il availahle for imineili.ite um' cannot ho deniiMl,
hut Iho occiirreneo ofsovtire fro-ts on the plateau when tin iiiain is not far enough
advanced to n'-ist its ell'oets may he as tar as our cxpcrienctf ijoos considered a
certainty in the majorily of seasons. [l may he thai when tin necessities of sottle-
menl rt'ipiiro il, early seeding' and early varieties of nryin may materially alter
conditiiiiis, hut ,'il pre-ent I would advi-c no one to think of I'armin^ thert> except in
the river hottom, in which there are Hats extensive enoUi,jh to locate a lew Hcoro
homes,
Were it not for the dillicalty of ^-ettiiii:; into and out of the country slock rais-
iuij mii;hl he proHlahly enii'auH'd in. ilii}' is ahundant and of i^ood quality nearly
ovorywhere, and in -umruer the LCrazinij; is excellent, Notwilhstandiiii^ iho latitude
KKI'MHT nr • .«. \VM. tMin.VIK.
.17
(S(,'i)i'e
ami iiltitiKli', «'allh-. HH I Imvn alri'iidy iiu«nli.ifi«<l, Hiil-sisi with iiiimIci :ii<> licl|i dom
till' Ili-Ki (tf May till ili<> iiii(|<ll<< Ml- fii'l -.1 DfcinlMT ; llic vvh\ uf iho vt-fir ilu-y
liavu I.I III- hlicll.Mi«,| :uii| fr.l. 'I'lic llihUoMH Hay t''>iii|iany liiiN a raii'li" ..n Si)ii{t
Uivnr, woiitli of tli« IV-acc al I l\v<'iity luiliw,' ami on tlif trail l.oiwocii |)iin.
vciran aii'l (JfarHl I'rniiif. Tlii-* was -faf'tr.l n ftuv y<-ar- airo, ami ^omf tim. Hli.ck
waw put on it. Wliai ili.' ir^nlt ut the »'\|ii'riint'iit may Ixt fcmaiti^ In lie hckh.
('atllc liav»' III'. '11 |<(>|ii al all iIm' \,n^\-* tor many yoarn, oxcii l»oiii>r laru'i'ly iiHinl in
t'l'i'iiililini.',
At [/('HM»r Slave I,akt' ilic cnmiiaiiv aiil miH>.i(iiiai'ios aii'l most ,,{ ilic iialivtH
have clfari'il -.niall iiicccs of «;roiiiii|, on wliicli tln-y i;ro\v jiofatDCs anil Ltardfii sliiir
I'ltr llinir llHl^ Mo^i of tin nativ.'- ailai'lu-il lu this' piiNt siihsisi l.v tisliiny', ckoM out
by Hiich voi,'»'tal.lfs a- lln-y may lie al>li> lo ;,'ro\v, Tln-y arc nVariy ail t'lnployi-il
diirin^' the sninmcr l>y I lie coMiiiaiiy in lioalini,' and I lansp'oMini; lln« tradiiii; outfits
for llic posts in tlu' di-lrict and on W-mr liivi-r. Tin' ldr«f for this lalpoi7r lu'iifis
thiMM in (dotliinir, aminnidtion and i.llu'r mMcssitiiw. Many of tlicrn »uii>isi in this
way altoi,'cilirr, Imii nio-l id' llicm Imni diiiini; tin- \vinU>r 'months. I n I'otuu'cllon
with ihi> po-t ihc cinipany Uct-p- many Iioisim and o.\t>n for traiispDrt liclwcrn thu
lalic and \\-:\rr li'ivcr. 'I'lic-c call Ic and horses art! nearly all \vinfer»)d al what in
Unown as tho cattle slu^U, alioiit fifty miles di^fani fVi'im the |io-.t on the I'l'aco
Kiver trail. At this point ih'ic i- an extensive piairic. a part of \vhi<di flic com-
paiiy nxdt* as a moa<lo\v on whi< li ihe\ ciii hay; staiiles and sheds have hern crecfod
and winter (|iiart<'rs for the carclj.l^ers. I am not aware Ihal anything' has cvtT
heeii tried in ihc aifririiltiiial line.
Since fho osfahlishnieiit of a pi'imanent po-t at Alhaha^ra (jandini;, potatoes
and vc<;etaliles i)f iriiud (lualily have iurii raised there. I do not Ihinlv any attempt
to raiM> uniiii was ever made hei. There is Miiieh prairie aluii-- the trail he-
twecn here and Ivlinontoii, and nimii of it will likely lie lakcii 'i,! in I he eoniin!.;
SOIlHOll.
I'flt.
The fiird)cariiin- animals found in this va^t norihern dislrid may truly he Maid
to he th(> only Hoiiree of i-cvciiue it ha- al pie-ent. 'I'lie business of all the whiles in
it except the mi sionaries, and iney are nol alioyt'ther exempt, is fur tradini;. Tho
llu Ison'.s Hay Company is universally known as " the company," and others un^Mi^od
in tradinj^ arc ItMiiird traders.
Al fvery |»osl snuih of licsoliilion there are traders, Iml at limes they liavo
boon north of this, peneiratinu' as taral on(^ lime as (iood Hope on the Mackenzie.
I confess 1 cannot s(U' what induces any one to risk his lime and capital in siudi a
precarious trade as this has otteii pi'nved in ho. Many have year afler year emharked
thoir all in ihe par(diase of an oiitlil, and toiled and slaved for W'etd<s under heavy
expense to i^ct to some spot wlu-ro fur was pleiiliful, i^eiierally to find that ihoir
portion of it was small, as the company holly o|)poses all traders in llicii' search for
pells.
It often occurred to me that onedialf the oiumx.v and watchfulness displayed hy
those opponents in their (diase afler a few pidts, if ext-ieised in Ihe eivili/ed parts of
the country would produce mmdi more satisfactory results. .Men and doifs are kept
in constant readiness to start on journeys, and evi'iy one is coiistanfly on the alert
for news of Indians and whether or not they have an}' furs. It they have any, away
^ous a mtm ami doif ti'ain in hoi hasle to secure them, whitdi when aceomiilished is
considered a victory. The result of nearly all siudi eontesis as far as T have seen or
heard is that sooner or kaler ihe company either drives out oi- buys out its op|)o-
neiits ; when I ii-e the lerni ''drives out " I mean in almsiness way. through compe-
tilion. The consequence of all this e;m'erness is, tlu- price of furs has n'lme up
tremendously within the last few years; it is not uncommon for as miudi to he jiaid
for a pelt as it would hiiim when hrouyht lo market. This benelits no one, the
traders make nothing' out of thoir hu-iness. and the Indian does not seem to profit
imudi by the increase, for he has the haiipy knack ef spending' all his ini omo, and
increasing his debts at the same time ; the iniH'o he has to spend the more he wants
38
l-EACK IIIVKR AND Till li UTAH IKS.
to Hpoml. Most of tlu'in aif invftfi'iili' nainlilii-.s ami will siL tor ilays :_''ainliliii^ aiiy-
tliiiiy; ami ovcrylliinu; l)cl<Hii,'iiii; to ihcm. Somotiiiies sotiif of tlio traders try tlicir
liaml at tliis with IliiMii, Imt as a rulo not of'ton ; tlic result of such trials ireiuM'ally
is tlial llio Imliaii is a saiMiT luit not a wiser man.
A vory (Icploralilc result of .sncji coinpi'titioii is the dcinorjili/iit ion of tiii' Indian,
lie siHMns to consider that fur is woiili anyt hinu' and I'vorytliiiii; lie can net for it.
He also si'cins to lliinU that lie has lu'eii defraiide 1 in tlu'|»ast (1 am not, sure that
lie is not often taught so) and that he is (iiiite jii-titied in re]tudiatin<^ his dehts.
Traders as a rule are not over anxious to i^ive the native " deht," as it is termed in
the country, that is eredit ; and commereial inteijrity is at sueh a low ohb that the
company (lare not. at least not to ^[\v\\ an extent as they Corn! eriy did, and often
this causes hardship. \'ery sehloni thoiiuh, iloes the C'oni])aiiy refuse aid to any
Indian deservin;.^ ot it.
S(tine of the Indians in the country are bey,inninLi: to realize that outside markets
pay more for lurs than the local oiu's, ai.il in one instance at least tooU advanltii^e of
it. Last summer many of the Chipewsan Indians joined tOi;etlier, constructed a
scow, employed a j;tiide, and started up the Athabasca I^iver with their wives,
families, and season's catch of fur. intendinu' to make their way to Kdmonlon. Tiiis
they succeeded in doiiii^ and sold their I'lirs to such advantai;'e that they will likely
re|icat t he e V riincnt and induce otlu'is to do so unless they ai e ])aid as nundi in
the local ma,. . as they ixot at Ivltrionton. They do not considt-r their time worth an\'-
thing in sin h a case as that, nor is it, as they mielit as widl be travelliiiLi; lo l'".dtnon-
ton or ef-ewluM'e as loatini;- around a |)o>t beiri;'! iii; or ixambliiii;, and because i hey
consider ' heir time wort li iiothiiii;' in sucli cases, it is very ditticult to get them to think
of the :■ si in coiineiMion witli i,fetting goods into the country, and they see nothing
incons.-'ent in .asking a^ luindi for iheir jiel;-; at Chipewyan as they eouM get at
luli'i 111 >n.
1 c: .1 oiler no statislicsol this trade, as any information I might get at the jiosts
J visited \'oul(l <Mily be fragmentary at the best. 1 can say, however, that all
tradersaml Indians agree in one re-iieci. that is, that furdiearing animals, especially
beaver, the once staple fur of the couniiy. is gettingscarcer every yeai'. One Indian,
at Fort St. ,I')hn, illusi rale(l this to me by interlacing the fingers nf his hands, and re-
marked that the Indians from opjiosiic districts were now meeting in their winter hunts,
and that beavers were so scarce thai tl.ey had to Inirrv all tliey could to get to their
hunting grounds bi'fore the others, or they would tind nothing. Though other ani-
mals hold their ground somewhat better, all are deereasing, iind willdosoina greater
I'aiioas lime goc> on. The native seems to ha\'e no idi'a of protecting fiirdn'aring ani-
mals but slaiighlois all that come in his way. regardless of ago or (lualii w 't is almost
too lali- now to inteilere to preserve this resource of the country. The North-west
Coiiucil has oi'dinaiices in toree protecting game iind tur-bearing animals, but they
are not in foice beyond the legisla'ive dist ricts. It wouM be unreasonable to expect
the Indians t.' o.)serve laws previ'iiting them Iroin killing animals when they require
them, Init Hf-'ne restriction could be jilaeed on the indiseriniinate slaughter
by ])reventin,i.' the expoi'tatiiui ol' jielts umluly small or of poor (piality, that is
those killed mit of season. This might be accomplished by having every p(dt in-
spected belore it left the count ry, and punishing the pundiaser or pos.se.ssor of too
small, or too poor ones, or by leasing the country in districts to responsible parties
and binding them to pay a reasonable amount ofatteniion to the |»reHervation of fur-
bearing 'un/iials and grim- The tirst scheme Would hanlly be jiractieable, as the
native is hai'dly respoiislbie for the size of the animals he kills, except in so I'ar as
he kills them with hi- gun His tra])s and snares are just as ;ipt to catch a young
animal :>s tin old one, and they are often dead when he gets them. As long as such
exccssue and senseless competition as ihei'e is exists, so huig will the luitivr kill all
he can when he can. as he is sure to find a buyer for anything he ma}' have, and
rather than allow their opponents the pi'esiige of getting a few skins, traders will
buy anytliing.
The second sidieme is contrary to the spirit of the time, but even a monopolj'
18 jiistiliable for a good purpose. Il might be asked, how would placing the districts
REPORT III' MR. UM. (lUir.VIE.
39
pi'cially
liuliun,
iiid 10-
lu.iits,
) Uioir
cr aiii-
i-calor
iii^aiii-
aliiiost
li-\vost
It thoy
(>qiiiic
iiii;lit('r
tliat is
iclt in-
(pf too
|iai'tios
oi' t'ur-
as tlie
) far as
you 111!;
IS such
'<ill all
vo, ami
M's will
iriopoly
listi'icts
in tho iiainos of iiidiviiliials or companies, ami jii'ovcntini^ ooinpctition protcft tlio
till' in thai district ? As rciuarkod lictorc, lliis nua^iiit' no niorc than llic otiici' would
prevent small animals leiii^; tnijijieil, luit it would lie in I lie powei' ol the lessee to
prevent, trapping and killin;,' lur-iicariiiii: animals; nio>t of which arc unlit for food
out of season, when neither llesii iioi' fur is tit for anythiiiii', liy lefusiiiif to huy such
skins and punishini; the native who did .-o hy refusal of credit, or in many other
indirect ways. Once ho iiiuleistood ihat such slauiihter was useless and hurtful to
himself he would he watchlul not to coinniit himself, This, tliou<;h not u positive
protection, would 1 ihink jirove very henetioial. If sonu'thinii,' is not done and soon
ihere will ho little oi nothiiiuf to protect, (ianie such as deer, moose, hutlalo, the
musk ox and very often hear are always shot: lience the hunter knows just what ho
intendis to kill, and could ho ediicaied to av(ud killiiiL,', unless in cases ot necessity,
i'emalos heariim,' 3'ou;iii', or very yoiinii,- animals, particularly is this so in tiie ca-e of
musk ox,_whi(di iho Indian can kill almost as readily us we coiiM kill bani-vai'il
cattle. The liulfalo in the country is know as the "wood Imlfalo." It is the last
remnant of tho vast herds which once roamed in c(iuntless numhers over this country,
and whilst very strict laws and heavy penalilii's protect this animal where none
have beei; .eon for years, no attempt is liejni;' made for tlie |ireservation of the few
that do exist in the north. The haunt of the wood hutfido lies north and west of the
AthabaHcii iliver, aei'oss the I'eaco to ilie liiaid Jiiver. and at Fort Liard it was
reported that two of tl:em had cros^t'il ihe iiiai'd and had been seen in the mountaiiiH
to tlio north-west of tho JMirt. '. 'ompaied with the ai'ca of the dislrici they iidiabit
their numbers are very small, probably not cxieedinf;- three hiiiitlred in all. This is
in strikinif contrast with tlu'ir numbers as reported half a century ai;-o, when it was
no uncommon tbiiiii; tor a few Indians, in the neinhlioiirhood of Dunvi'iran and St.
.John, on Peace River, to ijo out and in a tew days procure .sutlicicnt meat to, supply
their wants a t^ooil paii of the wintei'. As no undue slaunhler was practised hero by
the natives or ti!Hlers,it mii!,lil be aske<| what has cau>ed the rapid decrease in their
numl)errt? The explanation liiven is that a heavy tall of rain occui'red in one of Ihe
winter months, about 2;") years au'o, which completely saturated the snow, which
was then frozen, and converted into an immense cake ot' ice, and I ho hulfalo and all
animals thai ^q-u/.e and ilo not browse were nearly extorniinaled. This e.vplanalion
might siitHce 'or a |)ortion of the district, but a ruin s orm could hardly be general
enough to account for the desolation of tho wh(tle district, lie tho cause what it
may, there are only a few seatierod bands which the Indians occasionally run across
in tho forest and hunt, being only loo well satislii>d if tlu-y can kill the whole band.
This, however, is ditticiilt of accomplisbment, as ihev can only behuiiled on foot and
are said to be veiy alert, sighting and scenling the hunter l)ofore be knows of their
presence, slainpeiliiig on the least alarm, and mner resting until they are well out
of dangei'. Their llight through the snow is said, by eye wilnesses, to resojublo a
prairie blizzai'd, as nothing is to be seen but a whirl of snow with an occasional
glimpse of a black speck in it. t)n account of their watchfulness the Indian is hardly
ever succesHiul in killing all ot a band, but sometimes the brutes run into a bog and
•ret mired, and before they can uet across a lai'ue iiropoition of their number are
killed.
To impose a law regulating the killing of ijiese animals by the Indians would
be absurd, as they coiikl not ho ex|iected to. nor would they, comply with its pro-
visions. They would kill them whenever they could, more ospociaily if they
wanted tboil. Fortunately they do not run across tlu'in otten, and only occasionally
a few are killed. .
The scarcity of Ihe animal and dilliculty of getting near it does not deter white
men from going into tho region to try and secure a few, for no oiher reason that 1
can see than iho sport it aliords. as the paucity of their numbers and ditiiciilly of
gelting the robes out precdiido all idea of its eoiisiiu-ration as a commercial cnhTprise.
The animal is described as being larger than the |)lain hutlalo, and darker in
the colour. The dilfereiice in si/e may be accounleil for by the dilVerence in iiualily
of food peculiar to oach. and the dilferonce in colour by the shelter from tho bleach-
ing action of tho sun on the hair, ullordod by the woods.
40
I'EACE BIVKR AND TRIBCTAHI KS.
As rof^iiids tlic musk-ox, tliis ;iiiiiu;il iiihaltits a iiuicli inofo iriaccossililo country
than the wood l)utValo; still, to reach itio contine.N ov' ihc (li>lri('t which it inhabits is,
with till! nican.s of travel now availahlc. little tuor(> than a |ilcasurtMri|). This
animal loanisover what is comnnuily known as the '• Haricn Land-," tliat is tho
troidcss ])lain lyin^j; east of the frini:i' of wooils lyin;^' aloiii,^ tho Mackenzie IJiver,
north of tliat aloni;- (ireat Slave Lake and ils alliuont streams, and \vc«t of
the Hudson's B;iy. I was informed, luit cuniiot ifive it as atitheniic, that they had
lately been foinid inu;di farther >ouih.ea>i of Lake Athabasca. They are freciuently
found within forty or tilty miles of tlie Mackenzie River down to the Arctic Ocean.
Already a white man has entered their ^M-ounds twice recently. His object, I under-
stand, waH simj<iy ;o see the reii'ioi\ tbey iidiabit, and secure a few heads as trophies.
He was accompanied by >L'. .McKiidey, to whom 1 have already referred, and
whom 1 will (juote fiotn latei'. Tbey were accom])aided by a larii;o number of
Indians, who insisted on <j;oini;' with them for llu' purpose of taking care of their
white brothers, siiould the l']s([ui!uaux attack iheti'; but instead of help the}' proved
a nuisance, and had to bo provided with food. In connection with this trip, upward.s
of sixty musk-ox and einliiy oi- ninety carihoii were slaujj,hlerod, and only a few
musk-ox heads wore brought out, most of the balance beini;- ]mre waste. Tho fame
of this trij) lias induced oUioi's to think of strikini;- tor this roii'ion in quest of tlio
animals for tho sa'ie of their skins, and it is oidy a (|iiesti()n of time and dollars
until those animals will bo hunted extensively.
U appears to me that it would not be imj)osinij; any loss or hardship on any out-
siders if tho (rovorntneiit impo-eil acloso season for these animals as far as outsiders
are concorned. and further dif^allowoil any killiiiii" unless with the permission of the
Gover'inient lhr( iiii'h ollicois appointed in the district for the purpose. All the
animals in the district are the sources of food and revenue ot the natives, and should
be ])ro!octod for theii' sulisisteiice, otberwi>e they will either starve todeath or make
their way out to the settled ]^arts ami became i he wai (Uof tho count^ry. The North-
west (.'oiincil has an ordinance in forc<' j):(iliibitiiii;' the killing- of any buffalo in any
time of the }'ear under severe ])enallies; there is, therefore, a precedent for stroni;-
mea>uros.
1 would most respectfully siiirj^est that the Government initiate some measures
of ])r(»toction as soon as possible, lieiiorall}' by inculcatiiiir throuii,bout the territory
the dosiiability of a close sea^on foi' all iur-beariiitj animals, and Npecitically as far
as the wood bulfalo ami musk-ox by preventiiiii slauubter ot' them for sport. It
miirht he well al>o to limit the niimhor of ■-kins expoilod in any one .year to such a
number as would not exceed the probable rate of increase of animals.
Mr. McKinlay of Ke-ulution thotiirhi the close -oasi>ii for thorn would be about
the same aN for iIm; iuoono. Hcinformod methat the liuiian nvtliod of huntinu' them
was to drive them to some natural harrer and then slau;,'hter them. He said while
they wore drivino- them they kejit ii|i a continual talk lo I hem, boini;- lirmly persuaded
that the animals iinik "stand what they a;e sayiiii^. The mu>k-ox drops its younif. c»f
which it produces only one at a birth, lieiieially in tho month ot' April. The Imiians
told .Mr. M(dvinlay that the cows ijeneially iiury iho younir in tlu' snow as soon as
they are born, solecling some >holtered >pot exposed to the rays of the sun h)r this
puriiose. L have also heard that they only d<» this wlien thtiy are menaced with
danirer. About three days after tli » liirih tliey are able to run with the ilarn.
..Mr. M(dvinlay infornuMl me thai nuiiibcrle--^ bands of caribou make the Barren
Lands their homo in tho summer moiitli~. travidlinu' north to the Arctic ("oasi in the
spring and roiiirniiii;- t-oiith to the w lode I coiintiy in ihe tiill. On their migratory
joiirntiys lliey run in va.-t herds, and the Indian-^ kill laryi' niimborsof thorn, often
throUiih sheer love of slaui;htor. They r(!>oi t to streams and lakes whore tho
animals cross and sjiear them while in the water, ottoii killiiu.f several huiiilroii. Mr.
McKinlay t(dd iiw tluit to.- ilays they wore never out ofsi^ht of baiid> of caribou.
Ho also told me that the average weight ot nieat yiiddod by a female caribou is sixty
to ei,i!;hty iiouiuls, and tho male about one lnn.dreil iiiid tif'.y, sometimes two
hundred.
ililo Cdiiiitry
iiiliabits is,
tiip. Tills
tliiil is tiio
oiizio liivof,
ml west iif
at I hoy hini
e f'leqiioiitly
relic Ocuiui.
I'Ct, I uiidi'i'-
iis IropliioH.
l'I'ditihI, and
3 mimliei- of
are of their
tlii'V proved
lip. upwards
only a few
. The fame
[lU'st of the
and dollai'8
|) on anyout-
as oulsidors
ission of the
)He. All the
1, and should
L'alh or make
The North-
iitValo ill any
It for strong'
ne moasuies
he territory
ically as far
r sport. It
|ir to siu'h a
iM he ahoiit
int iiiii' tlu'in
c said while
[v jieisuaded
Is yoiiiiii;. of
friie Indians
' as Hoon as
sun for this
■naced with
Mam.
the Barron
'oasi in the
[■ iiiifiratory
them, often
wher(^ the
id red. Mr.
>f earihou.
loii is sixty
times two
UEI'OUT OF MR. WM. OOILVIK.
NATIVKS.
41
T will only refer to those on the Liar I and Nelson. F saw very few at Fort
Lianl, and ii,-ot no statistics of their numliei's, nor did I at Nelson. At the latter
place they have a custom from which they will not depart unless under stress of
want. The members of a hand arra ".!;e to await each otiier at a i^aven point, and
then all come into the post together; when wilhin sii^'ht of the post they all iie<^in
liriiii;' their ^miiis as rapitily as they can loail and tire until they come into the p'>st.
The people at the jiost return the complimont by nmsterini;' all their hands and
tiring,' as fast as they can. This is an old cusloni, and 1 believe Fort Nelson is (no
only place it is now practised; I witnessed it while there,
Jiadically the same iaiiicuaiie is spoken here and on the Mackeii/,ie and J'eace
Elvers.
Mr. MeKinlay i;-avc me, as I have already staled, much iiiterestini;- informati(»n
concerniiii; the connlry north "f (lieat Slave ljid<e, froii> which I will here transcribe
some notes.
lie, >[r. Pike and ])arty left [Resolution 7th May, IS K), jiroceedinsi; alone;' (ireat
Slave Lake on tlie ice with iIol:,' teams and some Indian aiil, of whom ono deserted
about 100 miles from Resolution. In four days the lake was traversed and the
journey continued aloiiii; the north-east shore three days more to what is known as
Fond dii Lac, where theic used to be a IIik' mi's Hay ('ompany's |iust. The shores of
the lake here are rocky (^apparently Laureiitian), and rise, ho thinks, about (JOO feet
above the lake. They are pretty steep and generally bare of trees, until wo get to
the top, which, in the spaces between the rocks, is timbered with small trees, general I3'
spruce.
A small river falls into the lake here, which the Indians rail •' Thilliy-i," and
the native iialf-brceds 'Milace Toujours," both meaning there is always ice here.
About halt a mile up this stream there is a fall ol about twenty feet in height, wbi<di
in winter accumulates so much ice that it takes nearly all the followinjr hiimmer
iL^ed
to melt.
Tl
11?
has to be |)orti
V
and at
111
•iver
near I V
at the level of the iilateau. Thence they proceeded in a generally northward course
fi'om one small lake to anotboi', often only a few yards. The lakes vary from ono-
foiirth of a mile to twelve or Hfteen miles acros,^. but are generally less than two.
This course and cliaracter of country followed day after day until the 1st
of July, hut the average distance per day was not more than tive miles, and soveial
day
9 were passed 111 cam|i.
T
10 rida'es between he lakes were near
with timber fringing the lakes and streams.
ly
[111 liare roc
lake.
As 1 have already stated, the true forest ended about tifty miles north .A' the
The I'^th Julv is entered
snowed the whole of the dav.'' On the 18tli, he
remarks, we have found Fish River much better than we anticipated from Ander-
son's report, few of the rapids being too rough to run with a largo canoe they had,
which Mr. Pike had with him when he was in the country the year before. They
struck the river in the last days of Juno, 'inil continued down or along it and on its
lakes until the 1st July, when the sleds had to be abandoned and travelling by canoe
resorted to, although "the ice had not yet gone out of the lakes, but a passage coold
be found round the edge.
On the 22iid July tliev saw the first .sign of Ksquimaux, which consisted of
stones sot ii)) for tire-places, and apparently !')r the foundation of camjis. The
ground around wjiH thickly strewn with bones and mu>k-o\- heads, indicating that
they
ad occupied it many times
riiis was on tlu' norih snore of IJeecdiy Lake
jXiiecting to tall in with soim
of them tliev eontimied along the lake to the end, but
saw no further signs of them. They then came to the conclusion that these p(>oplo
did not come ii]) Fish or Back Iviver, but crossed from Hathursl Inlet and came into
Uee(diy Lake by some stream, which entereil one of the bays they had not coasted
as thoice was "all gone now. They turned back from the lower em', of the lake
on the J4th .lulv, ami coasted along looking for ontiuing streams. Soc-n after pass-
ing the site ot t"^he Ksquimaux canip they fo.-.nd a small river entering a bay. This
stream they followed up for about tifteeii miles, ami found it similar to all the rivers
42
PEACE UIVKU ANJ) TRIIU'TAItlES.
thoy hail seen in the t-oiintiy, merely a siiccessioti of lakes willi Hhort stretelios of
rivoi- between. Tiiey ciMiHulei'cd it easily iiavi<i:aiile for canoes in ,i>;oo(l stai^es of water,
and eoiichuled tliat, tin' K>qniniaiix wlu) visited the lake eroi-s fioin Batinirst lidet to
tills sti'eam atid eonie down it. They t hen coiitiniicd tlicir wa
V hoincwaid, and insti-jid
of retni'ning the way they went, tluy desci-nded what they ealle<l IiO(d<hari's
liiver, the lu'ad of wliicdi they liad ])a>sed on their way to Ki^ll River. This htream
Hows into (-Jreat Slave Lake ea^t of j-'on 1 du J^ai'. They eontimu'd down this river,
piissinn- through many small lakes and several large oiu's. notahly (ioMen, Clinton
and Aitillery Lakes. When they got within a few miles of (Jreai Slave Lake this
eceission of jtortages
river heeoining too rough, they had to leave it and make a su
between a lot of small lakes until tiny reached < J n'at Slave Lake, on the L'uli August,
and retuiiied to Resolution on the L'lird.
Aftei' passing the watershed of (iicat Slave Laki- tiiey found the country less
ro(dvy, with many extensive sandy lidgc^ and some loamy flats, on whi(di in sheltered
places numerous tlowers flourished, many s|)eides ot whuh Mr. .M(d\inlay said were
common around Jiesolution. lie said he often saw wide ex])ansions along the lake
shores covered with tine grass and Howers, reminding him much of the j)rairie8
it
furtliei' south. There aie also many ridges of nxdv (gianite he called it) of gre;
extent scattered about these prair'ies. These ro(d<s ■mo fragmentary and curiousl
thrown and ])iled toecither, and it is not uncommon so see itnmi-nse tVagments
poised on three or lour undei'neatli looking like the work of design more than
accident. He noticed bumble bees in several j)laces. North of this watershed thei'e
Ih very little timber and their fiiewood consisted nearly altogether of driftwood,
which they were ver}' glad to get, and sometinies could not succeed in getting any.
The ice on the lakes forms to a ib ]ith of more than six feel, whicli accounts for
the length of time it remains the iollowingsjtring. Troutof great si/.e and tine flavour
are very numerous in these lakes, and are easily caught with any kind of bait.
This part of the Barien Tjand is not, to judge from his description of it, as
forbidding as it has otten been describeil, yet theie is nothing inviting about it.
Mr. McKinlay told mo, while he was at the east end of (jfreat Slave Lake, he
heard of a route which some of the Indians sometimes travel from that lake to the
water of Hudson's Ba}', presumably ("hestertield Inlet. He said llie Indians described
it as "easy water," with only a short portage ovoi' a smooth sandy ridge, leading from
one water system to the other. The river falling into (^hestertield Hilet they
described as "good water" all the way down, the I'apids not being bad.
The liight Rev. Dr. Hompas iid'ormed me this river was called by the natives
" Fish Jliver," in contradistinction to Hig Fish or Hack Eiver, the natives calling it
by the first name because of the big fis!i found in its waters.
Mr. McKinlay promised me when he next saw tin- Indians, who knew this
route, lie would get them to make a map and give him a descrijition of it, and send
the information to me. J got a letter fi'oin him dated in Deceniboi' last, but up to
that date he had not succeeded, though he had beard somewhat moi'e of the country.
The latter information was to the effect that there was a large lake on the water-
shed, the watei's of which flowed both ways, one stream flowing into the bottom of
Christie's Bay. in the (Ireat Slave Lake, and the othei' into Jiudsoii's Hay, This lake
is called Sanily Lake. From the account he got of it he inferr<'d it to be about two
hundred miles distant from Christie's Hay.
Count de Sainville. as I have already mentioned, imparted to me information
concerning the nature oi' the country he had passed over tiround the mouth and
estuar}' of the Mackenzie River. He described the country on the westerly shore of
the estuary as generally high, with much clay and shale along the bea'di. That on
the eastern shore and as far us he went, with the rxccpiior of the Caiil)ou
Mountains, is flat and low, with only willow jin<i furze. A prominent characteristic
of the coast on this side is the ninnber of conical gravel hills, whi(di rise to a
height of 200 to 300 feet. ]Ie always found tresh water oozing from the
base, which led him to investigate, when he found the interior of these hills
consisted of fresh water ice, covered with sand and gravel, IJuried in this silt are
the trunks of many large trees, which ho often cut and used as firewood. Though
REPORT OF MR. \V.\I. OCilLVIE.
43
Iclios of
)t' watyr,
liik't to
I iiislcjiil
ckliari's
K KtlH'iim
lis vivor,
, Clinton
i!ii<c ihiw
jiortii^'i's
August,
ntry less
^lu'ltcreil
aid wore
llio lake
) piairios
of ^roat
•urioiisly
I'a^monts
oro llian
led liioi'o
riftwood,
tiny; any.
oiints for
le tlavoiir
lait.
1 of it, as
lit it.
Lake, ho
ke to the
i'HC'iil)ed
ing from
;Uet they
natives
■ailing it
new this
nd send
lilt up to
coil n try.
le water-
itoin of
his lake
JO lit two
onnation
)iilh and
shoio of
That on
Cai il)oii
iicteristic
rise to a
roin the
ese hills
s sill aie
Though
those trees must liavo hecn in this position many tiioiisand years, lie said tiiev still
were as sound as if only cut down a year or two ago. .Most of them wcri; siiruco
and when cut they still emitted its peculiar odoui- and luiincd freely. (lamo
he descrihed as being plentiful in the locality, especially wild lowl. whicirare very
numerous. Only i>quimaiix are found in the region," the Indians fear thcni too
much to go into theii' country. The Count has a more favourable opinion of the h',s(|ui-
maiix than most jieople, and his experience with them would appear to jiistilV it.
lie says they are most inveterate thieves if you try to conceal anything from tlietn,
but leave your property around carelessly as though you did not care whether they
took it or not, and it is pretty safe. They seemed to'take more deliirlit in defeating
your watchfulness than in aeijiiiring your property. The Count thinks the lamily
tie is almost lutii-existent among them. Men think no more ot ehaiiging wives for a
term or altogether than tliey would of changing any of their implements, and ajiart
from this, promiscuous intercourse of the sexes is very ])revaknt. whitdi he thinks
accounts for the small numbers of the members of a family, which
than two or three.
eldoni i> more
m
When in Winnipeg, llis Honour tlie Lieutenant-Governoi- of .Manitoba showed
e some correspomU-nce he had with the Unileil States Navy Deparlmcrit, some
notes on which lie was good enough to give me, together with a eopy of two eharts
of part of the Arctic Coast in the vicinity of the Mackenzie estiuiry ; one a chait of
the coast line from the 127'' meridian west of (Ircenwich to the l.")!!'^, the other a
chart of llerschel Island on the same sheet with wliitdi is a portion of it iiiiKdi
enlarged showing Pearl ('ovo whiidi is a bay on the south side of the island. As
located on the large chart Ilerschtl Island is situated in latitude ilU'^ 40 , longitude
139° close to the coast. It is thus 2° east of the International Boundary.
These ciiarts were compiled from surveys made l>y the otticers ot the United
States 8S. "Thetis" in 188!). This shij) was sent by the rnited States authorities
to be in the vicinity of the whaling fleet, and relieve or assist any of them rcipiiring
it. Her officers made soundings and determinations which are marked on the
chart, liiit the soundings are marked on farther east than she a])|tears to have gone,
anil the auihority for those is not given. A note on the (diart says that the otfii-ers
of the " Thetis " found the coast line as mai'ked on this chart to be about four miles
too far north between the 13!*° and 14<)° meridians.
It d
oes not apjieai- that any
attempt was made to enter Mackenzie liiver, and the nearest soundings to its mouth
a') mai'ked on this chart are aboul ninety miles from the easterly or main mouth of
the rivei'. The least depth shown is twelve fathoms and the greatest thirt}'-
seven. Herschel Island is about eighty miles from the most westerly mouth of the
Mackenzie, and about one hundred and thirty from the most eastoily. Thi< island
is lietween six and seven miles long from east to west, and between ihree and four
wide from north to south. Pearl ("ove is a small bay on the south shore near the
east end. which would afford good shelter from drifting, ice to vessels diawing no
more than two to three and one-half fathoms. It is about one-lialf mile deep by a
little less in width, and from its position aiul form is almost landdocked, the island
being close to the main land (in places not more than two miles). In fact the whole
island affords shelter from north-west, north, or north-east winds and drifts, and no
other could effect any harm here.
The point which llis Honour wished ])rotninently noticed was the ])roximity
of such a fail- harbourto the mouth of the Mackenzie. His Honouralso learned from
the United States authorities that a whaling vessel calleil the "Ciampus," drawing
two and onedialf fathoms, had succeeded in getting to within three miles of Shingle
Point. This point is about twenty-tive miles north-west from the most westeily
mouth of the Mackenzie. It does not appear that she made any effort toenter the
river.
It is stated that " clear water was found to the eastward of llerschel Island.
In Mackenzie Hay the current holds the pack ice otf, and all the ice in that vicinit}'
is new ice formed tivci'y fall. The ice begins to break about the 20th May, and it
begins to thaw from tliat dale up to the 1st June. The ])ack ice breaks otf from 5i.h
to 15th June, and the other ice leaves Ist July. Northerly winds may hold it
44
PEACK IIIVKR AMI TUIIU TAIUES.
Hi.L^lit oftlio land for a fewdayn, l)ii( l.y irjlh.hily it is out ()rHif,'lit. Tliin occiii's every
Huniinor ami till) liiitM)f' (Icinart'alioii licl ween dour water and drift ice bearing to
the north of llci'schid Islam! is vim y pninoiinct d. The natives report that this dear
water exlemls all throui-h ev—y 'unnier tifly or sixtv miles northward of Macdcenzie
Hi vol
lek
^[i
ai^ain.
It is also said that llu- tidal (low at IForscdiel lslan<l is two or thiee foot.
Uenzio Bay is said to he (dear of ice until 1st September, when it begins to form
Ti
us IS a
bont
all the infornialioii pci'taitnntr
I) dill' ciiMst line contained on the
charts, but (.ne othoi' remark may bo nolcd here. "A nnrih-easterly wind (dears the
])ad< oil' the coast and any
\esse
,i;nini,^ to IIk' eastwai'd aftei' the first week
Seplembei' or lemaiiiin^- to the (^aslwai-d alter that time should b
in
vvinterinii'
e prepared tor
Tl
us eondudes my rejiort, which I tru>t. sir. will be satisfactory to you and th(
public. I have spoken of I lungs as I saw ihei
n, ami liav
e Without any prejiidict
endeavoured to pre>ent a truthfid aceoiinl of all that came within the raiuge of
vision or hoaring, wlii(di I respocti'ully submit for your iiiformali
on.
my
I have the lionour to 1
le. SUV
Vour obedient servant,
WILT.IAM (MJILVIK
Dominion Land Surveyor.
I
Ill's every
It'll t'i 11^ to
lliiH cloiir
IjK'konzio
liiei' I'eet.
N to fnrin
hI on the
'leiirs the
week in
pared lor
1 and the
ire j lid ice
;e of my
njor.