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'^j :B O'*.' _^5^J«^- rr«ijj«J H^R^ach J '/^ J^ ^ ^. :>^.^ .IVa^ V U/tprr ^ i _— sA- /-^^v,/ ^(>o] ^ ■M. >• / a-T '^1 / rt ■$^4^ f ,y^~^ K ^ ^ i'l Ix ^-"^ ""^^Vfo-'^^J^ 1 vf- ^9 r 31t 3)6 - ', s«r ■ » THE 1 ;« - -- ' . ■ ■ i i " f. b; t ■ ^ . ■ f • AVA^] Z^,7A- As.si.strt mint I,')wi Dintrict of $■ PE tllitHmima m e iMiir .mi'mi f < ~ i; ■ THE ROCKS AND RIVERS ov BRITISH COLUMBIA, BT LaU AsslsUtiit Sun-eijor-Gemral of British Columbia ami Dominion Oorern. mmt Hugimrr.in-Charge of " E^-plorntor>j Stincy.i" of the Bochj Momitain I Dixtiict of lh>: '^ Cannilian Pacifc Itailwatj.'''' PlilNTED BY H. ELACKLOCK & CO. 75, Farringdon KoAr>. , 1S85. rniiE T :• fPIIE Lrriidiial dcvelopraont of the Dominion of Canada by a c 'inparatively small and ecattcrcd population, and the «,'i,i,'antic work undertaken by them to con-oHdate and build up a nation wortliy of the s^n-and old British Empire, toj^ether with the importiint Liogniphical position British ('olunibia occupies in the Confederation, has led me to write a few pai^'es describiui; in part some of the events tliat occurred when liritish Ccjlumbia was a Crown Colony, and more recently a portion of the J)ominion of Canada, and with both of which I was, to some extent, personally acquainted. The warm interest always taken by^ and my early ac(inaintaneo with ^ yon when in British Columbia induces me to dedicate my small and imperfect work to you. WALTER MOIJEIILY, Winnipeg, Sopimher, 18S4. To MAJOE-GJENEEAL RICHAED CLEMENT MOODY, Itoyal Engineers. I'll AT. 1 Y'or Isla I<.'h\1'. 2 M'hai'. i\ stot UJhA)'. 1 FllL m Chai'. (1 m :;^ <'fiAr. 7 <";rAi'. S Caj: CUAV. '.) Cnw. 1 \Vr CitAl'. ] Citj CllAP. 1 Kiv Chai-. 1 luv Chai'. 1 <*11A1'. 1 -U —A Jiiv vai^i I' II at. I -M in tl —A <'iiAr. 1 Fira <'IIA1'. 1! tnii' <'irAi'. 1 Ai't I nsriDE^c:. r.VGR |v'ji.vp. 1. — Mr. Paul Kane. — His doscriptiou of the countiy. — Intro- duces me to Sir George Simpson. — Sir Jame.s Douglas. — New Y'ork. — Moses Taylor. — Steamer Herman. — Sail for Vancouver Island ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ',) k'H.\r. 2.— Voyage to Rio Janeiro. — Passenger.s. ic. — Arrive at Rio. 11 [•<'h.\p. 3. — At Rio.— Thi> EmpiM'or and E'uipreas. — A melancholy story. -Heat and yellow fever .'. i;i l<:uA)'. 1. — Leave Rio.— A storm — Straits of MageUan.— Terra del Fiiego. — A gale. — The Paeil'e Ocean ... l,j h'nAP. ."). — Coronel and Lota.— Concei)tion. — Valparai.so.— IJisy of Panama. — San Fraueirico. — Ca^jtaiu Dall 17 ' <-' H .\ ]'. ( !. — Voyage to Victoria I'J Chap. 7. — Esquiniault. — Victoria. — Sir James Douglas. — Sail for Eraser River ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 r (lovernment service. — Found City iif New Westminster. — Fish and tJame ... ... ... 2',> CiiAP. 12.— Trip to Burrard Inlet. — Exploi-e Siiuamish and Jiakniss Kiver. — Gold Hunt.— A salmon 31 Chap. ];J. — Victoria. — Tramway. — Take a contract. — An Expensive Invitati'Vi ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ;{;{ id IHAP. IG.— Kill a bear. —A burying ground.— A valual)le Idazcd tree. — IVIouut Moody.— 77;f/V,v,s'/',*/-// pass in th.' Selkirks.— The Ille-cille-waet.— A route for tlic railway. -A certainty •'llAI I' '; !"• — Trip up the Ille-cille-waet.— Kill a grizzly, itc— Act as First Gold Conmiissioueron Coluiul)ia River. — Adam and Eve... < iiAi". 18.— New Westminster.— Back to Columbia River.— Make trails. — Exph)re Columbia River from its source. — Kinbaskit ... <''!rAP. in.— The " Boat Encampment," and a sad tale.— M.-ct the Acting-Governor.- French Creek, — .\ story 12 15 r,-2 iNDi:x. Chap. 20. — Close work, — Return to Noav Westminster. — Leave Government service. — Go to San Francisco Chap. 21.— San Francisco. — The White Pine excitement. — Mining onAwyhee River. — Bruin and bull run. — Blowing up fish. — Give the Jutli^e a dinner, ami its result ... ... ^.. Chap. 22^ — A hard walk Chai'. 23. — A lost fjnide. — The mines fail. — Return to San Francisco. — A lucky speculation. — Utah. — Bri<;ham Vounfj^ and the Mormons. — Mininj^. — A tele<^ram. — Ottawa. — Enter service of Canadian Government. — Back to British Columbia iis an engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway ... Chap. 21, — Leave with parties for the intei'ior Chap, 25.— Transactions on journey. — The boat-landing. — Surveys proposed. — Cross the Rocky Mountains Chap, 2G. — The Kootanie Plain, — Do not find party from the East. — Return to Howse Pass. — Driven out by snow ... Chap, 27. — Winter journey tlirough Selkirk. — Gold and Cascade r.inges, — Telegraph to Mr, Fleming Chap, 2S. — Organise for ne.xt season's work. Extraordinary orders, — Difficulty of situation. — Obey orders against my wishes, — Back to Columbia River Chap, 29, — Transactions on the Columbia River Chap. 30. — Journey to Yellowhead Pass Chap, 31,— Partially exauune pass north of Mount Brown. — Reach Yellowhead Pass. — Meet parties Chap. 32.— The " Miette " :*^''ver.— Henry House.— Meet Mr, Fleming, — We part Chap, 33. — Disappointment. — Find i)ai'ty at " The Boat Encamp- ment." — Peremptory orders. — Back to Yellowheatl Pass. — Cha^e after party T. — Commence survey on summit of Rocky Moun- tains. — Jasper House. — Miette's Rock. — In winter (juarters. — Resume survey ... Chap. 31. — An unrelialde report. — Packed by a woman. — Lignite and iron. — A storm. — Curing scurvy. — Receive orders to return Chap. 35. — Return to depot. — ()rders from East and West at same time. — Complete survey. — Make exjiloration. — My last instruc- tions on C.P.R. — Victoria. — San Francisco. — Ottawa. — Leave service Chap. 3((, — Red River. — Build first sewers. — Lay first iron track in the Niirth-West. — Lady DuiVerin drives the last spike. — Fish and fishing. — Steps taken to get C.l'.R. on proper line. — Connec- tion with a f'audulent company. — Give information iv C.P.R. Syndicate. — Get charter for traniv.iiy ■■, — Obstructed ii.i:. oi. J 5y ! RO (Id 1 g;; 1 1 'i ()0 1 i (IS ^1 71 so 8;!. S(; m \n US lOo \ I:i tl % ac^juai \ Kane, ; to the up to ' be had 1 ^:c'., \\\ His < 1 (leci( \ try if I ucconi % Simpsi ; to inti f with ^ ; IsUind ^ view. I introd I the h( Coast of Hr been with ter. — Leave it. — Mining fish. — Give I Francisco. and tho service of Ail its an THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF BRITISH COLOMBIA. . — Surveys 1 the East. i\ Cascade iry orders-, wishes. — (;s 7(1 I t t i SO I Q. — Roach J 8;!. I ^Ieet Mr. Encamp. 8. — Cli»,3e ky Moim- narters. — si; w — Lignite to retuni !tl it at same J instruc- 1. — Leave !)S track in n}. — Fish -Connec- tuC.r.lx'. HX' CHAPTER I. In the year 1854 I had tlie pleasure of forming a very intimate acquaintance with the celebrated Canadian painter, ^Ir, Paul Kane, of Toronto, after his journey across the mountains and visit to the Pacific Coast: and during that and the succeeding years, np to 1858, I was almost daily in his studio or house. ^Ir. Kane gave nie long and most minuic descriptions of the various places he had visited, and shewed me all his sketches, paintings, tfcc, S:v., which he had collected. His descriptions of the country interested me very much, and I decided to go there and see the AVestern or I'acific Coast, and try if such a thing as an overland communication could not be accomjilished. Mr. Kane was on intinuite terms with Sir George Simpson, Governor of the Hudson Bay Company, and J asked him to introduce me to Sir George, which he did. In my interview with Sir (ieorgc I fully explained to him my wish to see Vancouver Island and British Columbia, and the ultimate object I had in view. Sir (ieorgc at once most kindly oil'cred me a letter of introduction to Mr., afterwards Sir James f)ouglas. at that time the head of the Honourable Hudson Bay Company on the Pai:ific Coast, and afterwards the first Goveri.or of the Crown Colony of British Columbia. About this time 1 heard of gold having been discovered in British Columbia, and one fine morning, with Sir George Simpson's letter in my pocket, J started M lU THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF for New York, to catch the eteamer for the Isthmus of Panama. On my reacliing New York, I ascertained the first steamer for the Isthmus would be the Moses Taylor, at tliat time generally known as Tho Rolling Moses, and that I could get the top bunk in a miserable state-room — only five tier of bunks — by paying the full fare of 375 dollars, through to San Francisco. Money was scarce with me, and I walked up to the St. Nicholas Hotel, where I was staying, in aiiything but a happy state of mind. I lit a cigar and considered the situation, and at last concluded to go to St. Louis and join an emigrant train and go overland by Salt Lake City, With tins intention I went to call upon a friend, and told him the position I was in. His answer was, " I ha\e the very thing for you, come along." "We went down to a steamboat office and found a rcw company was going to send the old steamer Hermann, round the Horn, to Vancouver Island, in a few days, and that she would touch at Rio Janeiro and other ports in South America, on her way. This was very encouraging, as I should have the opportunity of seeing something of South America, and of enjoying a pleasant passage. T accordingly engaged a very conifortable state-room, and saw what I could of New York, until tlie sailing of the steamer. The steamer anchored out in the harbour, and tlic passengers went on board in a small tender, late in the evening. Everything was in a state of confusion, but I managed to get the key of my state- room, put in my luggage, and later on went quietly to bed, awaken- ing next morning to find we were some distance out of New York harbour, in calm and delightful weather. W^ i ivassui I rroin I lookii of JiRITLSn COLUMBIA. II Isthmus of ned the first 'ylor, at that that I could y five tier of "ough to San :ed up to the but a happy latiou, and at ant train and on I went to ^as in. His along." "We .'ompany was 10 Horn, to touch at Rio way. This y of seeing ant passage. itl saw what uner. The 3i's went on X was in a niy state- 'd, awaken- New York I CHAPTER If. We had beautiful weather all the way to Ri(j Janeiro, and in passing opposite the iiioutli of the Oronoco liivcr, a long distance i'roin land, it was easy to distinguish the line between the dirty looking water of tlie river and the beautiful clear ocean water. I found it very enjoyable at night, when the weather was warm, to stow iny.»elf away in a suil on the bowsprit and smoke, watching the beautiful phosphorescent sparks flying out of the ocean at every plunge of tlie sliip. Two porpoises sfcatioued themselves a few feet iu front and on each side of the stem of the shi]>, and accompanied us for a long time. \\"\i\\ the passing days I began to ^lud thai we had a peculiar mixture im' passengers, notably among whom Avas a band of the disgusting " f ree-lovei's " from the state of Ohio, and 1 must say the "ladies" of that party were far from being angels in appearance, language, or manner. Many were the flirta- tions, and great the jealousy existing between two of our lady cabin passengers. One sultry afternoon, I was alone reading in tlie saloon close to the adjoining ladies' cabin, when I was somewhat astonished to hear ihrougli the open door remarkably forcible language, followed by what was e\idently a lierce encounter. In I went and closed the door, to find the belligerents tugging away at each other's hair in a most fierce manner. Overwent chairs and tables, l)ut 1 could not separate the Amazons. The purser fortunately made his a[i()earance on the scene ; he seized hold of one, and f of the other, and by choking them pretty well, we managed to part them, when their language to each other was certainly not parliamentary. One bright and charming day we steamed into the magnificent harbour of Rio Janeiro, passing the large and apparently formidable 112 THE ROCKS A^'D RIVERS OF fortifications on the north side of the narrow entrance that guards! it. We anchored opposite the city, and here we were to remain some time to take in stores, &c. I therefore stayed on shore to see what] I could of the city and suburbs. Tliore were not any quays atj that time, and the steamer had to He at anchor in the bay, tand; load witli h'ghtcrs. BRITISH COLUMBIA. 18 ice that s^'uards :o remain some )re to see what k any quays at 1 the bav, and CHAPTER III. 'I'aking my quarters up at an hotel that fronts the Plaza, I heard hat yellow fever was ra<;ing. Then, as soon as the sun's rays ere fading, I took a stroll. The city was gi'eatly disappointing — ts streets are narrow, the stores and houses of a very inferior escription, and I mistook the Emperor's town residence for a jail. ft was impossible to get a light cooling drink, and I concluded that ff some one from Niagara Falls would undertake the business ho .|v()iild make a fortune. I saw some disgusting cases of what 1 liipposed to be elephantiasis, ^'- the parts allected were greatly •pwollon. Retiring early to Dcd, the fleas gave me not a fnoment's peace, and I was quickly obliged to change quartcrji |(»r the night to a chair. I afterwards visited the market and leather admired the tropical fruits, as well as the tall and Svell-formed negrcsscs, with their white dresses and turbans. r||Avho attend there. At the time of my visit 1 understood the ■Jslave trade was stopped as far as the importation of fresh fslaves was c mcerned, but the old supply were still in slavery. Jt |Wcis amusing to sje the strings of negrocj performing work that iin our cities is done with drays. They generally packed the loads on their head.>. I took a trip to the small to»vn of IJotafoga, ^ where there are some very pretty private residences and ([uautities of llower.-. AVith the doctor of our ship I paid a visit to the RotanicaMJardens, and could not but admire the tine avenu';s of tree?. AVc went to the top of the "Coco ^'uda" overlooking the city and harbour, and commanding a be:iutiful and extensive view. Tptliis mountain the Emperor has built a good road, and it is well shaded with trees. ^ly next visit was to an old and interesting moiuistcry. where I tried to make out the epitaphs on the large flag-stones that cover the remains of the venerable fathers. Hearing that the Emperor and Empress and Court were going to attend a service in a very pretty church, I went too. The shabby cavalry escort was surprising. Two ro.v.s o^ 11 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF !: i negro soldiers, about ten feet apart, with blue coats and brass buttons, armed with flint-lock muskets and fixfd bayonets, stationed themselves along the aisle, and the Emperor, Empress, and Court walked up to the altar. The Emperor is a fine, tall looking man : the Empress appeared to me rather short and stout. The court dresses were very pretty and tastefully worn. The hospital was the next building visited ; it is capitally managed, and has fine airy wards. I was told a melancholy story. A Scotch geublemnu had a large plantation in Brazil, and he brought out his young wife to his hacienda. One day when visiting a distant part of his estate, as lie was tra\elling along a bush road in the heat of the day, everything still and motionless, he was astonished to see something swinging from the limb of a tree back^-ards and forwards across the road. He approached, and there to his surprise lay an enor- mous serpent. With his rifle he shot .it through the head, and wishing to save the skin, dragged it back to his hacienda with the lasso. Thinking to astonish his wife, he coiled the serpent up in the drawing-room, taking it in through one of the glass doors that opened on to the verandah. He then called his wife and went into another room. Presently he heard some terrific screams and rushed iii to find his wife in convulsions on the floor, and in a few minutes she wasii corpse. Two small punctures were found on her breast, and a (^Uy or two afterwards one of his sla\ es discovered the mate of the dead serpent lying under the verandah, leading to the su]>position that it followed the trail of its dead comrade, and reaching the room just when the unfortunate lady entered, killed her. The heat was so great that the short time ] remained in Uio was principally occupied in smoking cigars and driidcing brandy and water to kecj) away the yellow fever, which had become very bad. The Doctor and myself having supplied ourselves with a good supply of port wine in long-ncckcd bottles and some other luxuries, went aboard ship, and liung all the bottles with strings to battens in his surgery. UKITISII COLUMBIA. 15 its and brass od bayonets, ■ror, Empress, is a fine, tall ort and stout. ' worn. The illy managed, m had a large li; wife to bis his estate, as of the day, ;ec something rwards across lay an enor- ic head, and nda with the (erpcnt up in ss doors that fe and went screams and ir, and in a re found on s discovered eading to inrade, and ered, killed lied in Kio [ing brandy jecoiiie very |ith a good n' luxuries, to battens CHAPTER IV. "We left Rio for ^lagcllan's Straits. On the way our ship eu- |ountered a tornado : one moment everything was as if we were a blazo of fire, and the next in utter darkness. As I stood inging to the mizzen-mast the ship would make a fearful plunge if she never could rise again, but would seek the bottom of le ocean. The Tiext day a most woful disappointment awaited y friend the doctor and 1, for on entering the surgery to enjoy glass of Avine every jar was smashed, and the wine well mixed p on the floor with countless drugs. We now entered the cold, dreary, and inhospitable Straits Magellan, observing some old wi'ecks as w(! steamed along, Jind, passing the Chilian penal station, anchored in a cove $ear a Chilian brig of war. The strong head wind and adverse Current detained us licrc a short time. Using this opportunity, I called on the Chilian oIKcers, and heard from them how that j|ic convicts had risen a short time previously and roasted the |lovernor of the penal settlement, and how tlie brig had Itecn fliere to hunt them up ; catching some, and others escaping, I One day I made a trip uj) the adjoining mountains, that flse abruptly on each side of the Straits, to get a good view. !||ulling myself up to a ledge a terrilic gi'owl met- my ears, ind a fierce looking animal, about as big as a wolf, stood Ifithin six feet of my face. One hurried look was enough, and 4f)wn [ went that mountain with much greater speed than I lad ascended it. A few natives -vcre there i-imped in a iserable hut — small, wretched, filthy, and frightfully ugly eaturcs, quite nude, with the exception of a small piece of the in of some animal ovoi- their shouhlers. I tried to talk witli em, but cmld make nothing of their signs. They kept ||rjiuting to my cup which, as niy_ others had been blown N: i« 16 TUE ROCKS AND RIVERS OP I overboard, was the last one I had— an old uniform cap of the York vi lie cavalry (of which I had been one of the ofticori) — of which some of the silver lace was visible, the oil-cloth covering being slightly displaced. [ took it off to show it them, and my attention being drawn away for a few seconds I could see nothing more of it, though a figure was tn bo seen running up the beajh of the cove. I immediately gave chase, and on noaring the little figure, into the water, only about three feet deep, it dashed, and 1 after it, as I saw my cap. I thus overtook the runaway, vowing fierce vengeance, and catching hold of the long coarse hair and my cap, was about to administer a sound flogging, when the captive proved to be a woman, so giving her a few plunges • under the water, which .|)n cro might have washed off a little of her filth, we waded amicably jj^undi ashore, she grinning as if in enjoyment of the sport. The ship now made a start and steamed away until 4 j).u)., but could make no anchorage, so the captain turned about, and in an hour's time we were again at our old anchorage. Matters now became a little serious, as both fuel and provisions were not over plentiful, and the captain thought if the strong wind lasted he must go back and round the "Horn." Hut -^eon d fortunately the wind went down on the next day and we entered 4hcm a the Pacific, only to meet another gale, which, together with a |Vraeric strong southerly current, swept us along the coast of Terra del |s spelt Fuego (the land of fires). That night as I stood alongside thi^ 0n mj captain for some hour.^. holding on to the mizzen-ma^t, it seemed -4vith a us though 1 should sec the last of our steamer Hermann and her s|li8tanc( crew and passengers. The bleak rocky cliffs were in very c'ose the sig proximity to the vessel's stern, and with all the steam we could *ative put on we could not move ahead an inch, but fortunately the wind |ook a IpU, and we got off and had a pleasant run along the coast of Chili !|iim on to Corouol and Lota, where we stopped to coal and get a few >fopc to «upplies. ilongsi( icstina fharf I lomeon BRITISH COi.UMBIA. u liform cap of; one of the .3 visible, tlio ook it off to \aj for a few figure was tu CHAPTER V. nediately gave e water, only During the time occLipied in cDaling, some eighty of us, with ur captain, made a trip to Conception, about twenty-five miles istant ; the American Consul, who was a splendid fellow, ^'"^^ '"y ^''l'- Iccompanying us. Some went in caiTiages and some on horse- -'ngeance, and ^^q\^^ I ^yas fortunate in getting a good horse and enjoyed the ip, was about |,.ip jt fg jrenerally known how the old city of Conception was proved to be destroyed by an earthquake ; I regret I had not time to visit it. water, which 0,^ crossing the Bio Bio River we came to the present city, and ided am;eably ^^md it but a small place. The houses generally were of low build ^^^- 4o guard against earthquakes, with not too many windows facing until 4 f>.ni., i]^Q streets, for rebellions were not uncommon. We put up urned al)ont, |^t ^ very fair hotel kept by an American, whose name has d anchoi-age. n|scaped my memory. In the evening we all went to the theatre, nd provisions |)Qt not understanding the language we repaired to a large if the fitroni,' |)uilding, and having engaged a small band and such of the lorn." But ,^eon damsels as we could pick up, we had a ball and gave we entered |hem all a supper. It was here I first saw the graceful South ether with a |\.merican dance — the Zcmba Queca (I am not certain how it of Terra del .|g spelt). We enjoyed the night, and next morning returned, ongside thi> 'On my way I was exceedingly thirsty, and being in the rear t, it seemed ^ith a jovial companion, we went to a house we saw some anil and her tlistance off the road. This we fo,..id to l)o a wayside inn, and I very c'osc the sight of rows of bottles of AUsop's ale and huge butts of am we could iiative wine was most cheering. Unfortunately my companion ely the wind took a little too mnch, and I had great difficulty in getting oast of Ciiili fcim on his horse, but I succeeded, and to keep him there tied a get a few jfope to his feet and passed it under the horse's belly. By riding ftlongside and holding him we were enabled to reach our destination, but as I was on the point of going down the long 1\liarf two fellows stopped me, and tried to make me pay for Bomeone else's horse they said had not been settled for. The IB THE nOCKfl AND RIVERS OF last boat was holding on with a boat hook to the wharf fm me, so to bring the matter to an end I jumped down about eiglit feet into her, and wished the two Peons a long and las; farewell.; The run to Valparaiso was pleasant. Wc remained but a short time, and I had not the opportunity of visiting Han Jajro oi Santiago, which I now regret. The open roadstead at Valparais*' conveys the idea that the harbour is not the best. The city itsel: is not conspicuous for fine hotels, nor for handsome houses. There are three hills, known as the Fore, ^lain, and iMizzen tops, but I had not the opportunity of learning n.uch about the place Here wc were joined by a very pleasant Irish gentleman froii Australia, a Mr. O'Rafterty, who had been on a mercantile toui' Sailing for the Bay of Panama, we anchored at the island c; Tobago, some nine miles from the city of Panama. We hei' heard that the vessel was likely to be seized, but a bottomry bond was given and our captain left us to go back t(» New York leaving the vessel in command of the chief officer. I may hero say that Captain Cavendy was a line fellow, a gentleman am thorough seaman, aud his loss was regretted by all on board We had a pleasant run to San Francisco, but before the anchd' Avas down the ship was seized and we were all turned ashore 'Mj passage through to Victoria being lost, I was now in ■dilemma ; all the money I had left was two dollars and a half I was unknown in San Francis<^o, and to make matters wors-e the steamer foe Victoria did not leave for a day or t\v Fortunately I wa^ ible to do a good turn for my Australiai friend, and he j^fld my expenses in San Francisco, making nv. a capital offer to go to Melbourne, but I was too much ben upon my original plan to turn aside. I saw Captain Dall, of tli steamer Panama, and, explaining my position to him, he nios kindly offered 'me a first-class passage, to be paid for who. convenient. BUITISH COLUMBIA. 19 tlic wliarf f(. [1 down about long and last CIIAPTEll VI. led but a sliort San Jajio or 1 at Valparaisi Steaming away for Victoria the passaj^o was roui,'li and most isafrr^'oable. The vessel had no coniforta, and the rain and sleet lew into ray slate-room on the upper deck. The steamer ras crowded and cold, a family of Orej^onians keeping so The city itsoli Ijoso to the little stove in the saloon as to make it impossible houses. There jjL) fret, near it ; we named them " The Happy Family." I was izzen tops, but if-customed to put on my overcoat and ridint^ boots when I lOut the placo |ent to bed to try and keep dry and warm. We ran into the entleman froii Ijolumbia River, passed the celebrated " Astsjria," and stuck fast lercantilo toui' *n a mud l)ar at " Wairior Point." A small steamer from Port- the island o: imfl came and took off the passengers and cargo destined for that na. We hei\ Jity, and we managed to get off with the next tide. Seeing it a bottomry iumerous wild fowl in the river and on the mud fiats along its : to New York i)iinks, I landed and succeeded in killing a number of them. I may here t)n my return to the steamer I went to my state-room to get a gentleman am #lass of Avhisky and a cigar — (my Australian friend had presented le with two gallons and a ])0x of cigars on my leaving an Francisco) — ])nt to my horror found they bad disappeared, lOgether with two bags containing many articles of clothing and early all my supply of boots, a most seriou? loss when my ockets were em])ty. I found the waiter who attended the state- oom had left by the steamer for Portland, and some uncharitable ihoughts i)assed through my mind regarding his sense of honesty. We continued our journey, the weather still keeping stormy and sagreeable, and visited Puget Sound, touching at several of the imali towns, but the rain and fogs allowed one to see but little f the suund. 1 noticed it was densely covered with very fine imbcr — princi})ally the " Douglas fir," and the numerous Indian g canoes I saw of different sizes and shapes were beautifully odelled and capital sea canoes. I was astonished at the enormous ze of some of them made out of single logs. A few more hours rought us to Esquimault Harbour, the naval station in British iolumbia, about three miles from Victoria. all on board )re the anchu: Iturned ashoiv as now in r and a half natters worse day or t\\\ piy Australiai ), making in much bc'ii |n Dall, of til |him, he moi lid for who; I 20 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OP 1.4 CHAPTER VII. I was very favourably impressed wiLli the harbour of Esqnimault and its immediate surroundings, and thougli the day was misty and disagreeable I could not but notice tlie many beauties of the harbour. AVishing good-bye to my friend Captain Dall, I walked to Victoria over a very muddy road. Passing through the Indian village opposite Victoria, curiosity prompted me to enter some of the houses. I was struck with their great size, the indescribable filth of both houses and occupants, and the frightful flat heads of the Indians, so well described to me and illustrated in his paintings by my friend Mr. Paul Kane. Crossing a long bridge over the arm of the sea that forms the harbour of Victoria, I entered that city, and walking up Yates-strcet, I saw a wooden hotel which I entered, and found it crowded with miners clad in their vov.gh garments and occupied in discussing the mines, their adventures, &c., in the very expressive language then in vogue amongst the early prospectors of the country. Having- succeeded in securing a bed in a double room — or, rather, den — and refreshing myself with a meal and smoke, I took a walk through the rather muddy streets to see thvj town, which, at that time, seemed mucli overcrowded. From Avhat I could gather from the miners who had rt-tarncd from the Fraser River, the prospects of going to the interior at that time of the year were most discouraging. The following morning 1 walked over to Sir James Douglas' residence, and met him as he was on the point of going to his office. Sir James received me most kindly, and when I had presented my letter of introduction from Sir George Simpson, he asked mc to call upon him at his office ftt 1 o'clock p.m., Avhich I did, and he at one? offered me an appointment in the (Jovcrnmcnt service. This offer, after fully explaining to him my views and tlic object T had in coming to the country, I very courteously declined. Sir "^ames said,! trees! seveij sou pi to „i| I te of 1 soup with me at half-past six this evening, and I will have leisure ; to „ivc you some information about British Columbia." At the I iippoiuted time I reached the Governor's house, and he introduced I me to his kind and interesting family. I also had the pleasure of : meeting Judge Begbic — now Sir Matthew Bailey Begbie, Chief V Justice of British Columbia — ]\Ir. Dallas, Dr. Helmcken, Mr. Donald Fraser, and others. I found the " plate of soup " was a capital dinner, and I have pleasure in rccallinjjf that evening to • memory as one of the most enjoyable I ever spent, and the I vast amount of information about British Columbia and the '; Pacific Coast given ms by Sir James was afterwards invaluable. I From that time until ihe day of his death. I found Sir James I always a kind and hospitable friend, and it is now a matter of i history that he was an able and honourable Governor. I returned 'I to my den, packed my blankets and a few things, and went on I board the Hudson J5ay Company's steamer Oft'')', bound for Fort I Langley on the Fraser Hiv.:r. THB HOCKS AND P.TYERS OF i I The St i we CHAPTER VIII. The trip from Victoria to Fort Lanj^ley was not pleasant, as the weather was boisterous and rainy, and the steamer crowded. On reachinfr Fort Langley a most hospitable reception awaited me from Chief Factor Yale, then — and, as he afterwards informed me, for thirty jiani previous-— in charge of that large and important fort. I here met with several of the officers of the company, all of whom were most kind and gave me a great deal of information. The following day the little steamer Enterprise (Capt. Tom V\ iight^ started up the Fiaser for Fort Yale, and I took paf',S!i':;'. vr. As a number of passengers were struggling through the mud to get on board, we were greatly encouraged by the captain's words, in blowing the last whistle, " Hurry up, boys, as the steamer is going to blow up in forty seconds, and I can't wait." About noou npxt day, after a passage made disagreeable by the rain and snow and crowded steamer, a number of us got off at the Indian village at the mouth 0/ tlie narris<:)n River, the Enterprise going on by the Fraser to Fort Yale. We here h.eard rumours of a war having broken out between the Indians and miners on the Fraser somewhere above Yale. I then packed my blankets into a large Indian house or ranchcrie clo-c at hand, to get out of the snow and rain, and a trader, who wanted to send a large canoe of goods ana whisky up to Port Douglas, said if I could "raise" a crew, and take charge of the goods, we should feed ourselves out of the cargo and make our way over Harrison Lake, which is some forty miles in length. I collected a crew in a few minutes, but they proved a bad crew. AVe poled the canoe up to the rapids, a short distance below Harrison Lake. Here night overtook us when opi)osite an Indian village, composed of several large rancheries, and a few hundred Indians. The evening was cold, wcl, and gloomy, and the river banks low and swamj)y. I ran the bow of the canoe into one of the little doors of a largo house. I "up I coc fire, warm of th had M secou' then ate, a for ni :w(> j j.'.i'tC aga;i of 01 IMie to dt togc to pf :>. loi I^acK, BBITISH COLUMBIA. 23 b pleasant, as aier crowded, n awaited me informed me, id important >mpany, all of information. Voin W I ighfc) the itiud to tain's words, i steamer is |it." About 10 rain and the Indian Ae ,i:,oing on I's of a war the Frascr into a large le snow and goods anfl I crew, and the cargo orby miles ej proved 1, a short us when 'aneherics, old, weL, I ran the ?e house. The Indians cleared a corner for us, and made a small lire at which we cooked some bacon, &c., and having brought our cargo in wc lay down on some mats around the fire. What with the stories I had heard of the Indians, and the cargo of whisky with me, I could not sleep, expecting to be murdered at any moment. I lay with my overcoat over me, facing the numerous fires in all parts of the building, around which the Indians were sleeping, and with my revolver in my hand felt ready for any emergency. The fires were gradually going out, with the exception of our own, when I saw a tall Indian rise out of his blankets, clad only in a shirt, and taking a careful look all around, advance in our direction, stepplug carefully over the sleeping forms of the intervening- Indians, and holding his hands behind him. I thought it was all " up " with us, for I imagined he had a knife in his hand, so I cocked my revolver in readiness to shoot. He came to the fire, took a careful look at us and rpiietly turned round to warm his back, when I saw he had only a pipe in his hand, instead of the dreaded knife. That Indian had a narrow escape, and so had wc, for had I siiot him we should not have been alive many seconds. I rose andoft'cred the Indian a piece of tobacco, and he then went away and brought me a piece of dried sahuon, vvhich I ate, and we became very good friends, so Tar, at least, as we could, fur neither of us understood a word the other said. The next and two foll(.)wing days wc made n cry bad headway against a strong V:-\pA. but at last arrived at the little stream connecting the •rvii'; circular lake, upon which Port Douglas is situate, with the itii end of Haurison Lake, On entei'ing the stream we ran agauitit the siiarp edge of some TC'vly-formed i( i.' and H\)\\t the bow of our log canoe, which cans ' ' to sink ilmost immediately. The crew shouldered their blankets, and left ne with a y'»ung hul to do the best we could with the cargo and ourselves. 1 managed to get hold of some Indians who were passing, and engaged them to pack the carg^ to the trader's store, myself taking up quarters in u long wooden building with a bar at one end, and miners and pacKiTS drinking and gambling all round the room. 24 TUE EOCKS AND PIVERS OF CHAPTER IX. In the morning I managed to hire an Indian to pack my blankets, &c., over the twenty-nine mile portage by a trail oponed by the Government in the previous autumn at great co£t. The snow was very deep and the trail unbroken. After toiling for a lung time through the snow we reached the top of a hill that commands a view v.\ '''• foaming Lillovet River for some oifctanoe, wlien my Indian >.. mu and we both had a smoke and rest. He tried id explain something to mc, but I could not understand him ; so when I thought we had rested long enough, I took the pack and put it on hia back, at which he grew very indignant, talking away in an excited manner, pointing up the river, and at last flinging my pack down and leaving me. There was now nothing for me to do but pack it myself, so I accordingly shouldered it and tried to get along. After an hour's excessively hard work I found I had made hardly any headway, and despaired of getting through. To go on was formidable, to turn back ignominious, so I abandoned the pack, taking my overcoi'. and a few things out of it, and left it for the first comer. I passed some tine white pine, being the first I had seen in the country. Pushing on, I reached some fine hot springs and a shanty with one white man in it. 1 had a bath and slept on some brush, and next morning resumed my journey, reaching Lillovet Lake, where I again got into a log hut of small size. The following day I got a passage over Lake Lillovet in considera- tion of rowing an oar, crossing the other lakes and portages in a similar manner, and arriving in the ai'ternoon of a fine clear day on the flat where the present town of Ijillovet is built. The see 3ry here was very fine, and I pushed on, passing the mouth of bridge River and reached a store a^ 'he " Fountain." There I met Bome miners, and we agreed to form a mining partnership, go up a few miles and work a bar upon which they said they had found BRITrSH COLUMBIA. 26 ^ood prosjiccts. Our combined resources were limited, and the price of provisions excessively high. "We secured nn outfit and reached the scene of our anticipated fortunes the same evening, sleeping in the soft deep snow, which was warm and comfortable. The following day we made a very diminutive hut out of stones, logs, and snow, and my companions, wlio were old hands at mining, made a " rocker." The weather was cold, the ground frozen like iron and covered with snow, and my occupation was to climb some fifteen hundred feet up an adjacent mountain and cut trees and roll the logs down for the others to thaw the frozen ground, and wash the *' dirt." Owing to the severe weather we could make very little progress, and our scanty stock of provisions was about con- sumed: ourappetites increasing as supplies decreased. AVeconcluded to put all our remaining resources together, get what we could in the shape of provisions at the " Fountain," and endeavour to hold out until the spring thaw set in. One of my companions and myself went to the little store, and obtaining a very small supply of pro- visions returned to camp. We now put ourselves on short rations, but at last cvcryth'-'g was eaten up, and still no appearance of a change in the weathc. We were now regularly starved out and " dead broke," so when the sun rose on a clear and cold day we adandoned our hut, mine, &c., and liegan r w retreat down the Frascr River, walking partly on the ice and partly on the banks. At the mouth of liridge River my companions left me, intending to go down to the fork of the Fraser a'ld Thompson Itivers (Lytton), where paying mining was going on, i retracing my steps by the llaiTison-Lillovet trail. That wa«, indeed, a hungry day. In the afternoon, when walking along a high '' bench " of the river, I saw smoke arising from the river bottom and soon caught si^ht of a camp with a newly-slaughtered animal hanging on a neighbouring tree. 1 slid and scrambled down the steep bank and made a rush for the carcass, from which I cut a good slice, and coming to the fire, much to the amusement of the men sitting there, told them I was starving and bound to have a meal but could not pay for it. They brought out a pan of fried bacon and beans, a pot of coffee and some slap jacks, all of which I devoured 26 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF with my slice of mc.it, and tlien they produced some tohacco, and I felt happy. Wishing my charitable hosts good day, I resumed my journey and reached the head of Seaton Lake, where I found three boatmen preparing for the freight they expected would aiTive shortly from Port Douglas, and as two of them wanted to get a boat over from the Fraser River into the lake, I made a bargain to help the third to get a big scow over the lake for my passage and meals. The next day and a portion of the night was spent in tugging away at an enormous oar, and we got to another station kept by other boatmen in partnership with my friends. Here we had our night's rest, and before daylight I left for a long walk over the twenty-four mile portage. ■m BRITISH COLUMBIA. 27 CHAPTER X. The snow was deep, the trail through it narrowr, and rain and subsequent frost hud made the bottom of ..he track rough and icy, I reached the lower end with very sore feet some hours after dark, and, passing a cabin, went a short distance to the lake, where I had noticed a hut on my way up. Into this I went, and finding a heap of shavings in the corner commenced to knock them into a good pile, when I was astonished to find my proposed bed already occupied by a miner on his way down, in the same predicament as myself. We lit a fire, had a smoke and talk, and then lay down in the shavings. The worst news 1 gathered from him was that the boat or canoe would not be in ou the following day. In the morning I was washing my face in the snow, when a tall fellow, followed by a *' greaser " (the name given to Mexican-Indian half-breeds), passed, and saluted us by the following : — " Don't you men want a job? I have a scow of provisions in and want it unloaded, and will give you each two dollars and a half to do it." I replied, "Will you give us u breakfast, too ?" Answer — " Yes ; come along." Wc went down, cooked our grub on the l)each, and cat such a meal as one does when he has a tremendous appetite, and thinks he may never have another chance. AVc did the work and got our pay, with a little tobacco as a bonus, and then returned to our cabin. During the forenoon I was cleaning my revolver, when a man,A^drcssed ia a large canvas overshirt with a huge red beard, made his appearance, and eyeing my revolver i-iud, "Cap., what sort of a shooting iron is that?" Ife pulled out a Colt's navy revolver, and said he would shoot a match with me for two dollars and a half a shot. I thought of my solitary two and a half I had made in the morning, and concluded to accept 28 THE P.OCKS AND EIVEBS OP the challenge. Wc accordingly made a mark on a tree, tossed up for first turn, which he won, and when he fired made a very bad shot. I won some five or six in succession, and when I had about enough to pay my way down I thought it time to stop ; besides I was afraid he might not pay me, so I suggested the advisability of our stopping, to which he agreed, saying I could beat him. He now asked me to come with him to the little groggery he was staying at and have a drink, I wondering if he would pay rae. After we had a drink he pulled out a long bag of gold dust and told the man to weigh out for me seventy-five dollars, to take the price of the drinks, and let him have a bottle of whisky, for which the charge was sixteen dollars. I got some crackers and sardines and we rejoined my friend at the hut, and spent the rest of the day telling of our mining adventures, dc. This fortunate windfall enabled me to reach Fort Langlcy in a few days, where I met my old acquaintance, Captain Tom "Wright, and as his steamer was beached for repairs he very kindly asked me to stay on board with him until the Victoria steamer an'ived. During my stay with Captain Wright we made a trip up the " Pitt River" and Lake to see if there was a chance to get communi- cation with the Douglas portages, and on my return went to Victoria, rather at a loss what to do next. *i BRITISH COLUMBIA. 2J) osaetl up rery bad 1 I had to stop ; sted the I could he little ng if he long bag enty-five I a bottle ^ot some hut, and ures, &o. 2:ley in a Wright, isked me an-ived. he " Pitt jmmuni- went to CHAPTER XI. On my return to Victoria I called at Sir James Douglas' office, and in the ante-room met Judge Begbie, whom I had previously met at the Governor's. By him I was introduced to a gentleman who happened to come in : he turned out to be Colonel R. C, Moody, in command of the Royal Engineers, who had arrived in the country after I left for the interior. I had a short conversation with him, and he invited me to see him at his quarters. After a long interview with Sir James Douglas, when I gave him particulars of the country, and of what he was most anxious to know — the feasibility of building a waggon road over the HarrisoH-Lillovet trail — he strongly recommended me to remain in the colony and turn my attention to the construc- tioa of the trails and roads that were certain to be made as soon as possible. On my way from Sir James' office I met Colonel and Mrs. Moody. The former asked me to his quarters, where I at once went, and before I left had olfered me an appointment to be attached to the corps of Rojal Engineers in a civil capacity. The second day afterwards I returned with Colonel Moody to Langley and thence to " Derby," where I met Captain J. Grant and the other officers of the Royal Engineer's. The next morning Colonel Moody wished me to go down the river to the proposed new city, and getting a week's rations, a tent, and picking up a man and an old leaky boat, I tied her to the steamer JJeatrr as she ran down the river, and we were shortly on shore at the site proposed. The trees, as a general thing, were of enormous size, and the underbrush dente. We made a little pathway for a few hundred feet and came to a magnificent bird's-eye maple tree, under which I pitched the tent, and founded the city of Quecnborough, now known as New Westminster. Snow was etill in the biiSh, but the weather was fine. I looked about through 30 THE ROCKS AND EIVER.S OF lii: fell! !, i the woods and found that a great deal of work would be required to clear away the timber. The next day I sent up an orde; to Derby for supplies, tools, and fifty men, and the following day they arrived, some in boat3, others on rafts, and I organised my camp. I A\as busy for some time, during which the various Government buildings were erected, the survey of the city made, and the first sale of lots took place in Victoria. An amusing incident happened one day : I had been up to the ** Camp," which is some distance above the city, and on my return found the whole place in a state of great excitement and all classes very much excited, as coarae gold was supposed to be discovered in a little stream that flowed alongside my cabin. The unfortu- nate stream was likely to be dug away, when it turned out that the " coarse gold " was nothing but spelter somo wicked-minded individual had thrown in, and the " sell " was very great. It was a hard matter afterwards to get anyone to admit that he had prospected on that creek. The supply of fish was very plentiful, the salmon, of which there are two species — the red and the white — being in enormous <|uantitie3. The sturgeon attain to a great size. There is a small and most delicate fish known as the " Oolahan," that comes in May and remains a short time. It is abci, the size of a sardine and very rich, delicate, and oily. The salmon will not take the fly on the Pacific Coast. There are oysters, mussels, clams, crabs, prawns, «S:c., &c., but I never heard of a lobster being found anywhere on the Pacific Coast. Red deer were formerly very numerous on the islands in the Gulf of (Jeorgia, and are still so on Vancouver Island. The panther and bear were also to be found on the island. Many wild berries abounded in the woods, and some of them were pleasant to the taste. BRITISH COLUMBIA. 81 CHAPTER Xn. i Shortly after the sulo of the lots I left the fTOvernment service and went to explore Btirranl Inlet for coal, &.c. Mr. Robert Burnaby, formerly private secretary to Colonel Moody, accom- panying rae with a few men. We spent some time there, and were for a short time in the position of hostages with the Indians. Making a trip np the north arm, we camped on a rocky point and tied our canoe to a tre3, only partially hauling her on the rock. Burnaby and I slept in the canoe, and I awoke with an unpleasant sensation, finding my feet were much higher than my head. I could not understand the situation at all, but could see Burnaby fast asleep at the other end of the canos, which would apparently bo soon standing on end. Satisfying myself that I was not dreaming, I crawled carefully to the other end, when the canoe suddenly resumed its horizontal position and Burnaby awoke. We found when we went to bed that the tide was in, but as it ran out of course the canoe kept tilting over, and we had but narrowly escaped a bath a little l)efore our usual hour. I was impressed with the magnificent harbour and the many natural advantages for building up an inmiense ciry. Abundance of good water power also, which will doubtless be of g'-eat value in the course of time. Learning fron the Indians that gold iuid been discovered up the Sijuamish River, which empties into the head of Howe Sound, and prompted by a desire to see as much of the country as possible, Burnaby and I left our men to prosecute the work cf s:akiiig shafts, while we made a trip up the sound and river. The shores of Howe Sound we found sterile and barren, and the cun-ent in the Sipiamish River strong. At the point where the Jeakniss River forms a junction with the Squamish River we left our canoe in charge of a young Indian chief, and crossing a portage obtained a small canoe for our journey up the lesser stream. At the juncture of the rivers was a large settlement of 82 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF Indians, probably 2,5()0 in number, with several of the largo Indian houses, and at the upper end of the portage lay a smaller village. We went some distance up stream with the canoe, where the water getting shallow and very swift we pushed forward on foot, reaching at nightfall the place where the gold was supposed to be. One of the Indians pointed out with gi'eat satisfaction a prospecting hole about eight feet in depth, a!id a blazed tree with some writing on it. The writing on the tree was the work of some miners who had prospected the river the year before, and it informed us that they had been quite unsuccessful. We had a good laugh and camped, then retraced our steps, made our friend the Indian chief a present and ran back to Burrard Inlet. The timber along the river was very fine and wild berries plentiful. At this spot I met an old acquaintance- Hearing the sound of an axe a short distance in the woods I went there and found a large, powerful Indian, who at once put his axe down, and came up and gave me a kiss on the ' ^re- head, shaking my hand in a most hearty manner. I could \t firat understand what it was all about until he pulled out a curious dirk-knife, which I remembered giving an Indian, with some other articles, when I was at Westminster the year before. He made me a present of some'dried bear's meat, and I gave him a piece of tobacco. Always give a present to an Indian if he gives you one, for he expects it. Another rather curious circumstance occurred as we were going up the river. In a long, shallow slough, formed by a gravel bar, which the falling water had left dry, the Indians pointed out a curious ripple, and called out, " Hyas salmon," which is a very big salmon. We all got out with the poles and paddles, and forming a line across the water gradually drove the sahnon to the upper end of the enclosure. Here ^re thought we should get him, but to our astonishment he made a sudden rush, and with a leap to the dry bar, and still another leap, went clear into the main river — WfvS that instinct or accident ? As we found we had not proper machinery to carry on our prospecting for coal we gave it up, and returned to New Westminster, shortly afterwards going to Victoria for the winter. BRITISH C0T-UMI5IA. ;3;5 CHAPTER XITT. shortly Diiriii.ay. AFy landlord, my supposed host, without herita- tion produced a slate with my bill alreiuly made cut : meals, 2 dollars ')(» centi each ; drinks, 50 cents each ; tLr confounded eggs 1 dollar apiece, and 75 cents [ler ])ound ibr the barley for my horse. 1 paid tlie l)ill and junqied on my horse, vowing il would lie some time before 1 accepted another invitation or enjoyed the luxury of fresh eggs. BRITISH COLI'MBIA. 85 >"■ •NUnN i STKi'HEN, IN THE CANADIAN KOCKY MOCNTAIN'S, AM) Till. KIVKU LAGGAN, ON THK LlNi; UF Till: CANADIAN I'ACIFK. liAII.WAV. I 3G THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF CHAPTER XIV. A.D. 18G1. — Tlio gold mines on the Shemilkomean and at " Rock Creek," -wluch is further to the eastward, having yielded good returns in the autumn, Sir James Dou^lns visited them personally, going by way of Kamloops and Okawajau lake, and on his return came over the trail we had then neiu'ly completed. Sir James was anxious to construct a waggon-road Avithout loss of time over the same route as that followed by the trail, and re- quested me to meet him at Victoria as soon as I could get down after the trail was completed. In the early part of the winter I went down, and it was arranged that wo should construct the westerly portion of the waggon-road, Captain Grant, with a detachment of the Royal Engineers, assisting with a force ol" civilian labour in the easterly part. In the spring, on the opening of navigation, both of our forces went to work and continued until the winter set in, opening an eighteen-foot waggon-road over the heaviest part of the work. It was during this summer that the celebrated Cariboo mines were struck, and the enormous yield in them in a few weeks at the close of the season attracted the attention of the whole colony from "Qutter" and " "Williams" creeks. The miners on the Shemilkomean abandoned that section of the country for the more promising one at Cariboo. Sir James Douglas very wisely decided to husband all the resources of the colony, which were very limited, and with his usual indomitable energy and determination constructed a lirst-elass waggon-road into Cariboo. During the past two seasons a waggon-road had been in course of construction from Port Douglas to Lillovet, INIr. Joseph William Trutch doing the larger portion of the work. Several companies applied for charters to build trails and roads to the Cariboo mines, and charters were granted for trails from Bentinck Arm and lUite luicL to Quosiiel, and for waggon-roads from Lillovet to Clinton, and from liVtton to the same [)oint and tht BRITISH COLUMBIA. 87 thence by a joint road to Fort Alexandria. I strongly urged upon Sir James Douglas the construction of the Fraeer River road, as being the great natural and commercial artery of the country, and the probability of its becoming at some period in the future the line for a railway from Canada. Colonc^. Moody was already well acquainted with my views regarding the Fraser River route. A.D. 1862. — It was finally settled that the Government, with the Royal Engineers and a force of ci\ilians, slionld build the portion from Yale, the head of steamboat navigation on the Fraser River, to Chapman's Bar ; Mr. Trutch the next section, by con- tract, to Boston Bar ; Mr. Thomas Spence from Boston Bar to Lytton; and myself and two others the road from Lytton to Clinton under a charter contract, the payments to be partly in money and partly in tolls. Considering our limited resources we had undertaken a gigantic work, and during that and the fol- lowing year, after many mishaps and changes, the great waggon- road was completed and placed in the hands of the Government, who levied a toll to repay in part the heavy outlay incurred. The season of 1 was principally engaged in finishing portions of the waggon-road along the Thompson and Honaparte rivet's and jMaiden (^reek, and I wintered in Victoria. ►Sir James Douglas told me the followi: story wliich gave the name to Maiden Creek : — *' In tlie misty times of the past there was an Indian maiden who lived here with her triOe, and was engaged to be married to a young Indian chief who wa.-. a great warrior and hunter, and with whom she was deeply in love. He went on a long hunting expedition, and remained away all tl.e winter, the maiden anxiously awaiting his return, as they were o have been married that winter. Spring came, and the maiden still sat watching for her absent lover near the junction of thi •creek with the Bonaparte River. After weary months he canjf bringing witli him a wife from some distant tribe which he had visited. The poor maiden died of grief, and iier tribe buried her at the mouth of the creek, the two httle mounds or hillocks growing from her breasts and forming the two curious knolls that may be seen at this place." S8 THE HOCKS AND RIVERS OF CHAPTER Xy. A.D. 18C4. — This year my old f. 'end Sir James Douglas retired from office, and it was with feelings of great regret that I wished him good-bye on the morning of his departure from Xew Westminster. Sir James was succeeded by Mr. Frederic Seymour, and 1 went to Cariboo to look after the construction of uhe waggon road and other work undertaken by the Government in that portion of the country. I was simply appointed as Government engineer, and in the autumn, as the first TiCgislative Council Avas to be formed and rich gold fields had been discovered on Wild Horse Creek in the Kootanie District, I decided to resign my position and become elected for "Cariboo East," both of which I did, and attended the Council of 1804-5 at Xew Westminster. From my knowledge of the country I was of smie service to Governor Seymour, and availed myself of tlie opportunity oifered to impress upon him the vast importance to the colony of a good line for a waggon road and railway eastward of Kamloops. !My views were- supported by the Honourable Joseph William Trutch, who, about that time, was appointed Chief Commissioner of Ijands and Works and Surveyor-General, and I was appointed his assistant. A.I). iSOo. — Resigning my seat in the Legislative Council, J was at once instructed to put such works into shape as were then in progress, and to take <'harge of the explorations and other works proposed to be undertaken east of Kamloops and extending to the easterly boundary of British Columbia, whicli, for a long distance north of the 4i»° parallel of latitude as far as the circle of longitude 12(1'^ west, is delined by the watershed (tf the llocky Mountains. I now had my long wished-for o])portunity to explore the Gold, Selkirk, and Rocky jMountains for a line suitable for an overland railway. No time was lost, and with a light ex- ploring party I in a short time^reached the Great Shuswap Lake, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 89 ncil, I } tlicu works to tbo i.stant'C cle ul' Rocky explore tie lor •lit ex- Lake, with a party of Shuswap Indians engaged to pack supplies from the head of the north arm to the Cohimbia River. I made a hurried trip to the south arm of the Great Shuswap Lake, noticing a valley running easterly apparently through the Gold range exactly in the direction in which I wished to find a pass . I went uptheriv:" a short distance, but had not the time at my disposal just then to examine it, having to see my party, etc., over to the Columbia River. The following is quoted from my report of February 24th, 1872, to Mr. Sandford Fleming, Engiuecr-iu-Chief, Canadian Pacific Rail- way, showing how the *' Eagle Pass "derived its name from the fol- lowing circumstances : — " Li the summer of 18(!5, 1 wasexplorim;- the (J old range of mountains for the Government «»f British Columl)ia, to see if there was any pass through them. I arrived at the Eagle River, and on the top of a tree near its mouth T saw a nest full of eaglets, and the two old birds on a liml) of the sam J tree. I had nothing but a small revolver in the shape of firearms ; this 1 discharged eight or ten times at the nest, but could not knock it down. The two old l)irds, after circling around the nest, fiew up the valley of the river ; it struck me then, if I followed them, I might find the much wished-lbr pass. I explored the valley two or three weeks afterwards, and having been successful in finding a good pass, I thought the most appropriate name I. Could give it was the ' Eagle Pass.' " I now returned to the head of the Shuswap Lake, rejoined my party and began our trip through the woods and over the Gold range to the Columltia lliver. A>>oul noon we stoiiped for lunch, and on my telling the Lidiaus to , > on they informed me their chief had given orders for them to camp there for the night. This was most provoking ; the chief had gone off to hunt, and the Indians would not move ; so taking Perry, "the mountaineer" (he was well known in British Columbia, and afterwards killed by an Indian when asleep in his l)lankcts under a tree at Burrard Inlet : he had a great dislike to Indians, aiul I often told him one would some day kill him), and an Indian boy with me, I camped on "The Summit." We killed ground hogs for our I'i 40 THE llOCKS AND RIVEES OF 1 1 ! t supper, and slept on some hrush without blankets. TJie next day we reached the Columbia River early in the day, and commenced to make a log canoe to run theK'olumbia to the Arrow Lakes. On our way, being a few feet in front of f^erry, 1 saw a big animal rise up on the opposite side of a fallen tree, and said to Perry, " Why, here is a cow " — (the brush was thick). Perry said " A grizzly I " The animal came towards us very quietly, and when a few feet olf, Perry whistled, and the bear stood up on his hind legs, when Perry put a bullet through his heart and killed him. The animal being very lean and the skin worthless, we left it. Our canoe made good progress, and the Indians arrived, having eaten nearly all the })rovisions on the trip over. They had a grand war dance which lasted through the night, they being, as I learnt from them, at that time at war with the Columbia River Indians ; their system being to murder each other in any manner when they meet. It was now apparent that I must get rid of the chief, while keeping the Indians in good humour, and as I wished to send a report to the Government, I informed the chief that I could entrust such an important document to no person but him- self. I wished him to take it down to Kamloops, to which place he would go by canoe, and told him that on presenting a letter which I gave him at the Fort he would be provided with a horse and outfit to go on to Lytton, where he would receive further instructions from a friend of mine, to whom I also wrote, explaining my position and requesting him to treat the chief with all consideration, but to delay him as long as ])ossible, sj as to enable me to get away into the Selk'vk ^Mountains before his return. I thus got rid in an amicable manner of a most troublesome companion, Avhile the mission on which he went addca much to his self-importance, and his Indians were delighted. I sent the Indians back for more sui)plie9, and launching our little log canoe embarked for the run down the Columbia. We were swept along at a grand rate, and at last found the river getting narrow, with high rocky banks and overhanging cliffs. I was in the middle of the canoe taking bearings, estimating distances, itc, the Indian boy in the bow, and Perry steering. The boy suddenly exclaimed " Wake cioshc BRITISH COLUMBIA. 41 cliuck,-konaway iiamekice," wliicli is -bad n-ater-all u-iU be k,Led;" he put in his paddle aud lay down in the bottom of the canoe. I crawled over him. and -ettin.i? hold of the paddle Perry and I managed to keep the canoe out of the whirls c^-c that threatened to suck ns down. At one moment we were on the edge one of these dangerous places, and the next swept a hundred yards away by a tremendous "boil." Sometimes one end of the canoe became the bow, and at other times the opposite en. , but at length we reached a little sandy cove and landed in still water. A\ e had run the " Little Dalles " without knowin - it V :•' t' lli 42 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF CIIArTER XVI. it On our way we landed on a bar in the river at its upper end, and as the Indians were getting a meal ready, I saw wliat I took to be a deer jump into the river several hundred feet above us. I called the Indian, and we pushed the canoe up the shallow water above the bar, the Indian telling mc it was a bear and not a deer that we were after. The strong current swept the boar near to us and we kept close to and above him. I was in the bow and could have laid my hand on him at any moment, but I wished to save him for food, and waited until we came close to the river bank, when, placing my revolver close behind his ear, I shot him dead. He plunged his head under the water, and catching hold of one of his hind legs we landed, him. "We now ran on down to the head of the Upper Arrow Lake, and finding the mosquitoes very numerous we camped on a small sandy shoal and proceeded to dry and smoke the bear. At the head of the lake, a short distance to the right of the mouth of the river, I saw a large wooden cross. Curiosity induced me to find its origin, and I afterwards learnt the fol- lowing : — One of the Hudson Bay Company's boats Avas running the Columbia from "The Boat Encampment" to Col- ville. They were always accustomed to take out the cargoes and passengers, and drop the boats with a line over the l>ad rapid known as the " Dalle de Mort." A person in the boat, who did not know the river, accused the crew of cowardice, and seizing the steering oar, forced the boat into the rapid and swamped her, only one man ever being known to have escaped. After long wandering he reached Fort Colville in a half insane state, and from his ravings it was feared he had been guilty of cannibalism. The oflicer in charge sent up a boat, and the few bodies found were buried under the cross I saw. Hence the name of the rapid, " Dalle de Mort," or *' Death Rapid." BRITISH COLUMBIA. 43 of the iriosity le fol- ^vas Co\- ■iu'<^oes lie bad it, who |g, and id and [caped. 1 insane lilty of lie few Ice the I could see nothing of the branch party I was in hopes of meeting, having sent it from Kamloops to try for a line from " Cherry Creek " to the head of the " Arrow Lakes." Returning up the river great difficulty was experienced in poling our canoe against the strong current, and we were at the same time nearly devoured by mosquitoes, as we had to keep close to the bank. We landed at a place that had evidently been much used for a camping ground in previous years, and found a \ery old blaze on a fir tree. In black figures as clear as on the day they were written, were the latitude and longitude, signed with the name of Mr. Thompson, astronomer and explorei." for the Hudson Bay Company, with the date, a.d. 1 828, 1 think, I have, unfortunately, lost my original note of this, but my latitude agreed with his ; our longitudes were slightly different. It was valuable information for me. When we had nearly reached the point I intended to make the exploration back to the Shuswap Lake, to see if 1 could find a pass by the opening before described as having been seen from that lake. I camped, and the next day landed with the purpose of reaching the ridge of the mountain range, and following it to the boundary line to make certain that should tliere be a pass I might not miss it. At the little creek where we landed, I went through the woods, and on looking into the water below me, saw a number of salmon, and one big fellow with a stick through his body, behind the others. This I knew to be the end of a spear an Indian we met the previous evening had told me he had Just in 8i)caring a salmon. I called Perry, who Avas a very powerful man, and he thought he could catch the salmon ; so he got inta the creok, a short distance below tlie fish, and cautiously approached until he managed to make a gral» at each projecting end of the stick. The salmon gave a jump, striking Perry on one arm, nearly broke it, knocked i'erry down, and escaped. AVe now ascended a very stec}), thickly-timbered mountain side^ and camped on it. The following day we reached an upper plateau and travelled through beautiful grassy glades, innumerable flowers, and most picturesque groves of fir trees, and camped at H THE EOCKS AND ElVERS OF the foot of a high peak.* This peak I ascended, and could see a fine valley extending to the far-oflP Shuswap Lake, and a continuation of it running westerly to the Columbia River, and also a valley extending fur to the southward. Was this the anxiously wished- for pass ? How much depended upon it ? How would it affect the future prospects of British Columbia and of Canada ? Thesf and many other questions passed through my thoughts during that almost sleepless night. Before daylight, leaving my companions, who could not understand my hurry, to follow after me, I was off to the bottom of the valley, and on reaching the stream found the water flowing westward and a low valley to the eastward. I blazed a small cedar tree and wrote upon it, " This is the Pass for the Overland Bail iraij," and then pushed eastward to the Columbia River, which we all reached on the following day. We now commenced our journey up to the depot for supplies to enable us to explore a valley wliich I saw, running far to the eastward into the Selkirk?, and in a direct line with the pass I had just dis- covered. And though a pass through the Selkirk range was not to be compared in importance with one through the Gold range — for one could always follow the valley of the Columbia River from the east end of the Eagle Pass, and reach any of the passes through the Rocky Mountains south of the Yellowhead Pass — yet, it was evident that by shortening the distance, such a pass would add most materially to the commercial prosperity of our future railway, provided excessive grades would not be required. * I wished to nfuno this peak, or rather moiintain, " Mount Moody," after my old friend Colonel Richard Clement Moody, of the Royal Engineers ; and now that the pass first seen from it has really turned out to be all that I then anticipated, and the railway is now going through it, I trust in any future maps it may he so named. 11. I BRITISH COLUMBIA. 4fi CHAPTER XVII. On reaching our depfit I organised for the explorations in the Selkirks, and was joined by my assistant-engineers, ^Fr. Ashdown Green, C.E., and Mr. James Turnbull, late of the Royal Engineers. Mr. Green had been exploring the mountains to the north of me, and ]Mr. Turnbull those to the south. I sent Mr. CJreen to explore the valley of Gold River, 'Mv. Turnbull the valley of the In-com-opolux at the north-east end of thu Upper Arrow Lake, and went myself to the valley I had seen opposite the pass discuvered from Shuswap Lake. I reached it with a good outfit and In- dians, three of whom were Columbia-river Indians. AVe ran the " Little Dalles " in a terrific thunder and lightning storm, accom- panied with hail, and having a laige canoe this time, well and strongly manned, it was a splendid and exciting trip, the Indians singing and shouting in grand style, enjoying it I think as much as I did. "We camped a short distance up the Ille-cille-waet River, and having given Mr. Turnbull his supplies and final instructions, we wished each other farewell, and I turned my steps eastward, bound for the heart of that rugged Selkirk range. "We toiled through dense underbrush and forests, and I was taken so sick that I had to camp. Victor, one of the Columbia-river Indians, boiled some roots and gave me the water to drink, and I became quite well again. After a hard scramble wo reached the point where the river branches, one valley turning to the north- ward, the other having a south-easterly course. ]\Iy Indians liad intimated to me they would nob go beyond this point as the winter was close at hand, and that we could not then cross the rango and reach the Kootanie River. All possible inducements in tha shape of rewards were unavailing, and it was with dec]) regroc that I had to give up the idea then. I managed to get them to go some distatice up the northerly fork, but the snow coming on we 4G THE ROCKS AND RIVERS 01' ii h: hf^' l.l- ! • returned. That snutli-ensterhj brancli 1*3 now adopted by the Canadian Pacific Railway. From my experience I beheve rich gold quartz and argentiferous galena mines will be worked in this range. AVe ourselves found fair prospects of gold, and some very rich ar- gentiferous galena. On our journey we killed several porcupines, which we ate with relish. They are stupid animals, and wc knocked them on the head with sticks : we also killed some willow grouse The Indian dog, " Minne-cox," was a great hunter, and would come several times a day to me to pull out the porcupine quills he managed to get in his mouth and lips. When he got a grouse on a tree he would watch mc carefully until I fired, and then it was a race to get the grouse first — if he were ahead I never saw the grouse again. It was amusing to see this dog cache (hide away safely ) any surplus food he did not need, to be used on some future day. On the morning of our proposed return I aroused one of the Indians, Dclina by name, just as the day was breaking, and he having rubbed his eyes, caught my arm, and in a mysterious manner and half-whisper, said : " I see bear ; Hyas Ijcar," the latter meaning a big or grizzly bear. I thought the bear was close on us in the brusli, but the Indian pointed him out on a " bencli " by tlie side of a mountain torrent, about one- tliird of a mile away. Perry, myself, Victor, nnd Dclina at once started to meet him. I'erry was armed with a small pea rifle, Victor with a flint rock-]>. gun, Dolina with a little pea rifle, and I with a revolver. It was arranged that Perrv and Victor should make through the brush a short distance above the stream, and I and Dclina straight for the bear, but we were to wait until they fired. Dclina and I came close up to the bencli upon wliich the bear was tearing up roots, and he evidently smelt sojiiething, for he sat on his haunches and sniffed the air in all directions. In a few moments the report of a gun was heard, when Delina, climbing up the rock, saw the bear also climbing up a rock slide just above us. Another shot was fired by one of the others, and down came the bear as we stood on the edge of tlie rock. He immediately turned upon us and stood upon his hind legs ; then we saw how enormous a brute he was, apparently ten feet high. r.RITISII COLUMBIA. 47 Ihigh. Delina's gnu snapped, and he called out, " Ilyali clattawa " (Quick — clear out, or run), and we both jumped over the edge of the precipice, some 15 or 18 feet, expecting the bear would be on the top of us. In the meantime the ethers had joined U9, and we rose, when Victor made a shot that struck the bear's backbone and paralyr.i'd his hind legs, and we all ignominiously attacked him. He made frantic efforts to get at us by drawing himself along with his paw.^ but he was too much disabled. I fired the contents of my revolver at his head, only distant five or six feet, but found not a single one cut through his enormous skull ; at last Perry got a bullet through his heart, and he was dead. lie was very fat^ and the Indians skinned him, .secured all the choice pieces and his head, and returned to camp, where they had such a gorge that I could not get them away that day. They stuck his head on a })ole, decorating it with such white and red cotton rags as they could collect from their tattered clothing telling uic that if they did not do so they Avould have no luck. Pro- viding ourselves with some of the choice meat, we were ready for a KtarL next morning. AVc had left the camp Init a short distance in the morning, Victor and myself being last, when I heard a peculiar sound behind us. Victor was ])usy taking his gun out of tlie blanket covering, but did not move or take his pack off, and motioned me to remain still ; presently I saw a magnificent Cariboo running straight towards us, but v/hen some forty feet distant he went on one side with a beautiful long lope, and a shot from Victor's gun brought him to the ground. He was a very beautiful animal and in good condition. I was afraid of a re- petition of tlie bear feast, but the Indians (juietly cut off the best pieces, broke his legs to get the marrow, which they ate raw, and I then got them olT. We only encountered another grizzly which I walked upon, and was witliiu twenty feet before I saw liim ; he was an enormous animal. We had a good look at each other, and I made off in one direction and he in another ; if I had had my rifle with me a better opportunity for a good shot could not have been had. "We duly reached our canoe and returned to our depot and thence to Seymour, discluirging my Columbia-river Indians at the 48 THE ROCKS AND EIVERS OF ^ Ifil depot. After arriving at Seymour I at once left in a canoe to go over the westerly portion of the pass I had discovered, but had liardly started wlien three miners followed, bringing me instructioDS to act as Gold Commissioner, and grant licences, &c. This necessitated my returning to the Columlnu River, but not until I had completed the exploration of the pass as far as the tree J had formerly blazed. I tiien retui'ned, in A-ery cold weather, to the Columbia Eiver, performed the necessary duties and made my way to Kamloops, where I had a cordial welcome, and returned to New Westminster. On my way down the Shuswap River I was detained a short timcarriDging with the Indians in regard to their reserves, wliich T accomplished satisfactorily, and then visited Adam's Lakf. Here 1 made the acrpiaintance of Adam and Eve, an Indian and his wife, and went a short distance up the lake, thus closing the field work for that year. f 1' ' til I I li: 'if 1 1 ft,' BRITISH COLUMBIA. 40 CHAPTER XVIir. A.D. ISCiCi. — The office work for the season oaing completed, I applied for leave of absence for a short time, but had hardly got aw ay wlien I was recalled. A deputation had waited on the Governor to have various work done on the Columbia River section of the country, and the miners, merchants, and others were greatly excited over the gold discoveries made ;he previous autumn, so that I was 80;.>u off onc3 more to open trails and prosecute exi)lorations. I reached the lower end of the great Shuswap Lake, where I met two old friends, Captain Moffatt and Mr. Joseph McKay, of the Hudson. Bay Compauy. Captain Muffatt Avas engaged in building the steamer Marten, to run from Savona's Ferry, the westerly end of Kamloops Lake, to Seymour and other jioints on the Shuswap Lakes and rivers, and Mr. McKay had just returned from Seymour. I learnt from ilr. McKay that ice was still on the great Sliuswai) Lake, except in ]»laces along the shore. Minei's and traders were crowding up, so 1 hired a large log canoe and started the following day. dragging the caixic over the ice Aj'here wc could not find oi)en water. At Seymour I found houses being rapidly buiit and every- thing in an excited state, all being mo3t anxious to got to the mines. I went over to the (V'llambia River and found the snow very deep for eight miles ov^r tiie summit plateau. 1 laid out and commenced a trail from La Porte, the heal of steamljoat naviga- tion, above the -tOth parallel, and a short distance ])elow the " Dalle de ]\tort," The steamer " -1 '.) " arrived on her first trip from ( 'olvillc at this time. I now returned to the "Summit," and put a large force of men to cut a I'a snge for pack animals through the deep snow. Many of the men suffered from snow blindness, but I got the trails opened and ran down with two of my Lidians and a foreman to Fort Shepheid. Here I remainoil a day, when having got a party together and aiip[)l'e5, &c . iK;c., for my foreman to jnit tlie trail to V, 50 T]IE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF ill ;■•:.) .'it "I . 1 •;* >'i "Wild Horse creek in order, I went to Wild Horse creek itself, and after staying a day went on, following the valley of the Kootanie, to the point where it turns into the Rocky Mountains, when fording the river and still following this peculiar great valley along the western base of the Rocky Mountains, came to the Columbia Lake, about one and a quarter mile distant from the crossing of the Kootanie River. The Columbia Lake is the source of the great river of that name, Avhich has a length of about twelve hundred miles, and flows nearly north to the "Boat Encampment" in lat, 52'' 7' N., and then takes a sudden bend and runs neai'ly south through the Arrow Lakes into the territory of the United States : hence the Sel- kirk range of mountains, which are within this bend of the river, derived the name ]>y which it was generally known amongst the early prospectors and otliers, viz., "The Big Bend." The Selkirk range does not extend north of the Boat Encampment, but the (lold and Rocky Mountain ranges come nearly together at this point, being divided by the valley of the Canoe river, which has its source in the mountains not far from Tete Jaune Cache, on the Eraser River. This cache is the westernly end of the i)ass of the same name, now more generally known as the " Yellow- head Pass." I now followed the east shore of the Columbia Lake, which is some eight miles in length, and the valley of the Columbia through a very pretty country, in i)laces like parks, witli the Rocky Mountains towering above me on the right, and my old aciiuaintances, the Selkirks, covered with dense green forests, on the leit. At a short distance below the Columbia Lake I suddenlv rode intd a large camp of the Kootanie Lidians, and 1 was as much surprised as they were. They had a large number of horses, some of which they had stolen from the " Blackfeet," and as many of them were rather fine-looking animals, I i)resumed the Blackfeet had stolen them from some unfortunate whites. I camped close to them and had a general visit from men, women and children. I gave them a little tobacco and they returned me some dried meat, but whether it was bear, bulFalo, or other meat, I could not tell — 1 oidy hoped it was not dog's flesh. Bushing on still through u similar country, we saw many piles of elk horns bleached (piito 3lf, and ,anie, to forclins; 311},' tlie ia Lake, of the ?at river ilcs, and ,o -' X )uo-li the ! the Sel- he river, ngst the ! Selkirk but the L- at this r, which .'ache, ou the pass Ycllow- »ia Lake, of the ks,v?ith |.l my old •ests, on iiiddeiily was as horses, us many ackfeot led close ;]iiklreii. id meat, tell— 1 Irough u 3d (luito BRITISH COLUMBIA. 5i white, indicating that those animals must have been very plentiful at some period in the past. I saw some very fine larch trees, and in the evening reached the end of tlie trail and the com- mencement of the thick woods. During the day I had been joined by two Indians and a very good-looking young sfjuaw, the wife of (me of the men. lie was evidently very jealous of his spouse, and because of this she sulTercd a severe knock on the head. She managed to get me an old log canoe, and sending my horses back to the men working on the trail, we crossed the river, and at a short distance came to a little camp of Slmswap Indians, where I met their head man, *' Kinbaskit." I now negociated with him for two little canoes made of the bark of the spruce, and for his assistance to take me down the river. Kinbaskit Avas a very good Indian, and I found him always rehable. He knew the Columbia thoroughly, and proved himself most useful to me at that time as well as in after years, when I again visited that country during the time I was in the service of the (^inadian Pacific Railway. !:.}! ^1, THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF CIHAPTEK XIX. m If i H p.! I had to wait at camp, as an Indian Kinbasklt wished to take with liim was down the river. I found there were at a creek below that point some bears who came at nii^ht for the sahnon, which were there in great qnanti ties at the time, and thereujX)!! went down before dark w^th a gun to try and secure one. I squeezed myself into a dense grove of thorn bushes in a muddy bend of the stream and awaited their arrival. The niglit was cold, and at last I iieard the Ijears feeding on the salmon, but it was so dark I could see nothing. The cold increased, and I thought 1 would retreat to my camp, but at every move I came across a few of the thorns, and I could not get out. Shivering in the mud until day- light I found a wretched amusement, and to return witliout even having a shot at a bear was most annoying. Our two canoes being ready we commenced our voyage, and nothing of very great importance took ])lace. I sketched the river, took latitudes and estimated longitudes, looked into the westerly ends of the Kicking Horse and llowse Passes, and found they were favourably situated to connect with the ]']aglo Pass. We ran many rapids and portaged •others, then came to a liake which I iuimed]"Kinl)askit " Lake, much to the old chief's delight. From this lake to the " Boat Encampment " the water was very bael indeed, the distance being about twenty-two miles. AVe camped at that old lauding of the Hudson liay Company's boats, where the Canoe and the AVood or Portage Rivers empty their waters into the Columbia. A vciy tad story is connected with the " Poat Encampment." ^Many years ago, when a brigade was on its way from Colville, nmong the passengers by the boats were the present ^Irs. ('aptain H. S. l)onald>on, of AVinnipeg, Manitoba (then a child), and her mother. Some time after the brigade of horses had left on their way through the Athabasca Pass, the old hulv was miss-ed. imiTLSH rOLUMniA. 5S to ta1^'' "^..iil via Okanagan Fiake, Osooyoos Lake, and Fort Colville, taking one of my assistants and three Indians. I had purchased a fine, thougli very wild and vicious horse, which we led the first day, but he got away, aiul we had a long chase to capture liiui. The following day I rode him, but had proceeded only half a mile, when, as he was g(»ing along very quietly, he suddenly threw me in the most incomprehensible manner, and wc had a long and useless chase, 64 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF but could not; catch liirn, and the horse, saddle, bridle, &c., I never saw again. I now went on to tlie Roman Catholic Mission, where I stopped over-night, and spent a very pleasant evening with the priest. Father (T ha\e forgotten his name), and thence to Osooyoos Lake, where I met Mr. Lowe, from whom I purcliased two horse.?, and stayed an evening at his house, meeting there the United States Customs' Officer from Fort Colville. The next day r went on to Rock creek, where we stayed over-night. It was on the way to this point that my surveys were nearly stopped for good. I haiipened as I was moving on to tread on a rattlesnake, which kept striking at my leg with his fangs, but for- tunatelv I had heavv riding hoots on, and a sufficient length of his body not being free, he could not reach above the leather ; and so T escaped uiiliarmed, which it is almost needles- to say he did not. u BRITISH COLUMBIA. 65 CHAPTER XXV. Leaving my Indians and pack-animals to follow, I made a rapid trip to Old Fort Colville, wishing to get there and purcliase supplies, i^-c, before the object of my trip was known, as supplies were scarce. I arrived in the evening, and bought up all available supplies, and chartered the steamer "49," wliicli was laid up to make a trip to " The Eddy," which is the easterly end of Eagle Pass, and went on about fourteen miles to the American garrison at New Fort Colville, where at the adjoining village I purchased all supplies in the place. This was fortunate, for next day prices went up 30 per cent. I was very kindly entertained by the army officers at the Fort, where I spent the night, and the next day pursued my journey eastward. The country 1 passed through from Kamloops to Colville is a very pretty one, nearly the wholo distance being diversitied with beautiful rivers, streams, Jakes, prairies, and mountains. There are some good and picturei>que farms at and in the vicinity of the north end of Okanagan Lake, those of Colonel Houghton, Deputy Adjutant- General of ]\ranitoba, and the Messrs, Vernon being delightfully situated. The Mii^sion is also an attractive place, and there is a good deal of fair agricultural land about it. 1 now followed the pretty agricultural valley of the Colville River, wliere there are many farms, and journeying on through Idaho territory, rccrosscd the boundary line, and came on the trail from Fort Shei^herd to Wild Horse creek, tlie country from the boundai-y line being generally thickly timbered, rocky, and mountainous. I overtook my party S a short distance west of tlic pretty prairie, known as "Joseph's Prairie," and thence by the same trail I have before dcscril)od to Wild ITorse creek. Hero I arrived on September 11th, and taking up my iiuarters in the a])andoncd H. B. station, a shot distance below the mining camj), r 66 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OP went on to the village where I met Gold Commissioner J. C. TIaynes and the late Mrs. Haynes, finding in both very old acquaintances, whom I had known in the early Crown Colony days. An attempt was here made to force me to increase the pay of the men — a movement instigated by one dissatis- fied man, whom I dismissed on the spot, with the assurance he should never do another day's work for me. The others^ who had all engaged with me for two years, then withdrew. "Wc now went on to the " Boat Landing," so named from its being the point where our boats and canoes took the cargoes down the river, tlie pack-animals proceeding by land through the thickly timbered flats bordering the Colund)ia River. Some of the animak not arriving, I went back a short distance, expecting to be away until the following day, but fortunately returned that evening, when it appeared some one or two of my employes had made improper overtures to some of the squaws accompanying Indians whom I proposed to work in the canoes and boats. The Indians wished to leave, which was a serious matter, so to put an end to such occurrences, I dismissed the men on the spot, and gave notice that any similar conduct by men in my employ would meet with like treatment, and also loss of pay. It might be perhaps regarded as a rather arbitrary proceeding on my part, but it was un- questionably most advantageous for the success and general welfare of the expedition. The boats and canoes being loaded, we ran on down with the party and sui)})lie3 to a point a short distance above the mouth of the " Blael)crry River," which flows through til" westerly slope of the Howse pass. Here we formed our depot, intending it to be the maindei" U on tlu' Columbia river /<;;' ihe siiriri/.s I proposed malc'mg throwjh fhc Hoirsc (Uh^ Kickiih/ Horse rassrs ; along the rtdleij of the Columlua Riirr, around the *' Biij Jknd,'' from Kickmr/ Hors4 to Eagle Pass, iuid ncross the Selkirk ranrje Inj the vaUvfi oftlyIUr-ri}li>-waet Rivtr and its soidh- castcrljj hruiifli, which latter and proposed part I >i.K'Uld make after the completiun of the survey throu'^li ihv F.j5-lc Pass. On the 2nd of October. I ga~e orders to open f u-*il aud make u pri'liminary survey through th.e ITow^e Pttss. v>r\^j. set ihc party BRITISH COLUMlilA. 67 the fhe ith- iiki! ikc; rty at tliis work, goinff on with Indians and horses fclirough the woods l)y this pass, with the intention of reaching the easterly end ol" the Kootami Phiin on the North Saskatchewan Eiver. This spot is close to, bnt on the ojjposito liank of the river, from Mount Murchieson, so named by Dr. Hector, when lie was with the expedition sent out in the years 18")7-S-1) liy the Imperial Government under the command of Captain Palliscr. I found such portions of the country as had been traversed l)y them, and visited by me, most accurately and clearly described, and indeed found a copy of their reports of the greatest value. On leaving the valley of the Blaeb.rry River, and emerging through the " Blaeberry Xick " into the head waters of the North Saskat- chewan, I was enclianted with the grand scenery. In bold relief before me, stood jMount Forbes with its towerinjj; form partly covered with grassy slopes, partly with thick green timber, with perpetual snow above, and magnificent glaciers like trans- parent blue grass in the bright sunshine. Reaching the nuiin stream we rode over open gravul Hats which arc covered a high water, and followed them to some low partially ^\oodcd sand hills oppo-iit(i the stream, coming from the north from (J lacier Lake, where we eampe^. A beautiful jlear moonlight followed, and lighting my \ \\'Q.. 1 scrolled along enjoying t!;e magnificent scenery until 1 came to a point of a thick grove of fir-trees that jutted out on the gra\el Hats. Resting myself against a tree, my two little (K "j^ went to ^U-ep at my fcei, when suddenly we were startled by the dismal cry of a i^anther cl-^ie to us, which caused a pieclpitaLc retreat to liliie camp. The cry of a panther much resembles that of a c'.:iJ, they iri-ow to a large size, are cowardly animal--, and not - Ije much ll.ared. 68 THE ROCKS AND RIVEES OF CHAPTER XXVI. 1^ ,1 1 i We journeyed on for some distance, following the right bank of the river, on s good well-beaten trail, seeing some old buffalo skulls and l)ones, and the remains of a recently killed elk, and camped near the westerly end of the " Kootami Plain " in a thick grove of black pine trees, not of any great size. The following morning we passed through " Kootami " Plain, and sought in every direction for traces of my brother Frank's party, who were to extend their explorations from the east and connect with mine, "We forded the river, and finding no traces of them re-crossed and camped. The Kootami Plain is a beautiful spot, having open prairies and clumps of trees, to the beauty of which the surrounding mountains add greatly. T learnt from Dr. Hector's Journal, that its name originated from the Kootami Indians coming from the west to trade with the Indians on the cast side of the liocky Mountains, and it was a place very much famed amongst Indian hunters for the great quantity of game to be found there, but which had been killed many years ago by a disease (and no doubt by the Indians after the introduction of firearms. — W. IM.). I now returned and met the pai'ty a short distance down the valley of the Blaeberry River, at a place which we called "Three Creek Flats," as three (;reeks form II junction there. The weather now grew colder and it begun to snow. I found the levels taken by me with a very good aneroid barometer corrected with a " boiling ])oint thermo- meter," l)(ith of which were of the very licst make, correspond closely with those taken by the leveller of the party, one making the difTcrence in height, from a common jioint on the (!olumbia River to another on the " Flat," 1,007 feet, and the other IjfilO feet. In the morning we all went up, through the snow, to try and run the line down from a point near the BRITISH COLUMBIA. 69 summit," but tlie snow fell so heavily that we could make no progress, and returned to our camp after dark, thorourrhly drenched, and feeling very miserable. The next mornin/ we retreated a short distance further down, in hopes of beino- able to get the survey from that point, but the snow fell thickei- than ever, and I gave orders to retreat to the dcpOt. Here we were busilyoccupied in plotting the results of our surveys, and in the erection of the buildings in which the men were to winter I set some men at work building boats for the next summer's work and havmg everything in satisfactory shape on the 4th of December, bid adieu to party S, and left witli my Indians to cross the Selkirk range, visit party T in the Clold rano-e and make my way by the Eagle Pass, &c., to Victoria, as "j 'then expected to go on to Ottawa. '?! m 1 ro THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF CHAPTER XXVIT. |) h : "Wc were all provided with good snow-shoes?, without which it would be impossible to travel in these mountains in winter, exeept at a snail's ])ace, the snow being deep and soft. The journey down the Columbia lliver was monotonous, occasionally enlivened by some member of the party falling through the ice, to be fished out by the others. At length we came to the point where I decided to cross the Selkirks, and strike the head waters of the Gold River. 1 wished to see if a pass might not be obtained here, and a survey of it be necessary as well as that I had already decided to make by the lile-cille-waet River, and its south-easterly branch. Wo had fearfid work ascending the narrow and ruu'ged vallev of the stream we followed owing to the deep, soft snow, dense timber and underbrush, but at length we n.'ached a high narrow pass through which we travelled. "When we began to descend the western slope of the mountains we crossed a small lake, with a glacier on its north side, which was not far above our level, and at a short di.stanco we descended a long and very stccj) portion of the mountain side, aiul came upon Gold River, This we followed, passing through a dense forest of magnificent trees of the usual description met with in these mountains, such as will doubtless be of great value in future for the supply of the prairie (lountry to the eastward of the Rocky Mountains, ])rovided that civilization does not bring with it destructive bush fires. AVending our way through the large forest trees, we came in the early ]>art of an evening on some fresh snow-shoe tracks leading over a liigh projecting part of the mountain to the north of us. Along Llie.^e tracks we descended into the valley of French creek, to find ourselves in the nearly deserted mining town, whei'e, though 1 had not visited it since 180(5, 1 met old actpuuntances in the miners. Wc were gratified in obtaining a good supper in the only store in the place, BRITISH COLUMBIA. '1 and, discussing a few j^lasses of excellent rum and water, we slept soundly on the floor. Next day we remained on the "Creek " to recruit. I visited the miners' shanties, and also ^Iy. Yowcl, the resident Gold Commissioner, and invited all hands to spend the evening with me, \,hen I obtained much informatioii ahout the mining in that part of the country since I was last there. Bidding adieu to my friends, I went on the following day only five miles to the deserted mining town of McCulloch's Creek, and slept in an old shanty, the weather being excessively cold. The next day, after a fatiguing walk we reached the old steamboat landing, " La Porte," a short distance below " Dalle de jNIort," and found a solitary old man — ]\Ir. Nichol — in whose cabin we slept. On the two following days wo travelled partly by ice and partly by land against a strong and excessively cold wind, and reached the " Big Eddy," where we found party T in their winter house engaged in completing the plans, &c., of the line surveyed through the Eagle Pass. Here we stayed a short time to complete the plans, and here Christmas-day also was i^assed in a pleasant manner. Several pi the party were good musicians and singers, and having brought a fiddle, flute, and accordion with them, our evenings were very merry. Once more 1 resumed my way and examined the line located. The travelling was bad, as the .snow was soft and deep, and under))rush dense and covered with much snow, which fell off on our heads and at times got ilown our necks, in a way far from pleasant. The 1st of the new year was a most unpleasant day, and we all succeeded in having a bath or two in the river, as the ice was not strong. The weather continued remarkably warm after wo left the Colunil)ia vahey. We now reached the Groat 8huswap Lake, and crossed the narrows at the mouth of Eagle creek, and followed the south shore of the Salmon lliver arm for Eohie distance, when I tried to cross to the north side to examine a low depression that appeared to connect this arm with the more northerly and almost parallel one, out of which the Shuswap lliver flows. I was ahead of the party, and nnmaging to fal! through the ice, was neai-ly drowned, the rolteiiiKss of the ice and alisence of assistance I 72 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF vcnderin;^ it a dilHcult task to ^et out. We camped, and on the next day findinj,^ open ^vater opposite the depression above- mentioned, tied some 1ol?s together and rafted ourselves across. Wc then examined tllis valley on the following day, and found through it a feasible line for the railway. I gave no name to this little pass, as 1 could not find out the Indian name for it at that time. It undoubtedly has such a name, and 1 would suggest that it should retain it. On reaching the main Shuswap Lake we kicked off our snow-shoes, and I may here express my fervent hope that necessity may never again compel me to have snow- shoes on my feet, especially in such a country as we passed through on this long and arduous trip. After an easy journey I reached Kamloops, and once more took up my quarters in old and hosi)itable Fort Kamloojjs, with my esteemed friend j\Ir. .lohn Tait. We now proceeded jtartly on foot, and partly by other modes of conveyance, to New Westminster, and thence to Victoria l)y steamer. As soon as I reached the telegraph line I was in a position to telegrapli to Mr. Fleming, which I did, that a railway line via the Eagle Pass and the Columbia Itiver and its tril)utary country, was practicable ; and after many years f,ince elapsed, in the exploratory surveys of many other lines, it is very gratifying iiideed to see mine is the one finally adopted for the Canadian Pacific Eailway. m^ :l!i'!;:.i" LRITISII COLU-MHIA. 'mm m: 'VI P !i 1 l'',';. ',,1 i.. ,|i'j ;tj • I'iii'ii ■ mm ip:.tij ty'&f^ !!miI#'^ I' mm Imw- «iii.lrnii: !.l I II m jii ' -'m KV. '|ii I ■■■■■'■ . 1 1' l,|;vi';!;v ,w-i^y^ ,,,, iV'^'llllilH p y; 11. !i,/. \ ) 11. ! '; ' 1^-: il'iiiliillri m Mijiiiiiii;i ■J ii i'iu: ';!llil|.,i:'i|iliai!: ilili.!i^;' iHili < 3 o ^ "I IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A 1.0 I.I 1.25 •- IIIM J5 " If 1^ 1.4 M 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation ,\ .^\^ <^ ^ :\ M \ O^ 23 WfS MAIN STREET r'rnSTM.N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^ ^ » ft i .'/:% Ui -. 7JV'T ■! ."^,'i •! lit *|m ■''»'h'.'.: BRITISH COLUMBU. 77 ' I '.»Vii'^ <■ ' -.'i ,'• . > .<■• ■.: 1. , j , r CHAPTER XXIX. Some of the party at the dep6t ha J the scurvy, but not very badly; and ascertaining it was principally their own fault, 1 gave them a severe blowing up, and putting the stores, «&c., into the boats abandoned this dreary spot, and- ran on to the " Slate Canon," where the water is bad and not fit for loaded boats to run with safety. From the upper end of the Slate Cafion there is a curious valley on the cast side of the Columbia, and nearly parallel to it, which runs down to a considerable stream which I named Placid River, and through this valley we opened a good pack trail. My men were now all busily engaged opening this trail and boating down the supplies as fast as they arrived at the boat-landing. I went down the river in a small canoe with two Indians to pick out a line ahead. Arriving at Placid River, I selected the spot to ferry across ; when finding a short though deep quagmire beyond the river, I tried to find a better crossing,, but without success. Hearing some swans, we drew our canoe into a small lake where they were, and that day wo had a grand hunt. The swans could not rise off the water, as they had not as yet the new feathers on their wings folly grown, and with my Henry rifle it was good sport, I only firing nt their long necks. We got several, and returning to Placid River camped and cooked part of a swan, wliicU was coarse and tougli, but tasted very well. Wc now walked through tlic woods, blazing a line for the trail, and the Bi'(;ond day met tlie party, witli whom I camped ; and as some of the men had behaved very badly to the Engineer-in-diarge, 1 ordered them up to ray camp at the Slate Canon, where I dismissed them, and sent them back to Wild Horse creek. We found the country rougli in the extreme for opening up^'a trail, the heavy growth and great quantity of fallen timber being tlie most serious cause of delay. I went ahead 78 THE BOCKS AND RIVERS OF with Kinbaskit and two Indians to Kinbbskit Lake, taking a canoe with us, to pick out tlie most favourable line we could find. One day I was much troubled how to get along the side of a mountain south of the lake, and sent my canoe back, retaining only one Indian. "We scrambled up the heavily timbered moun- tain side, and there I espied a cub on a large Douglas fir ; we then ran to the tree, and sure enough two cubs were climbing up as fast as they could go. Vainly I tried to knock them dowi with a small revolver, for they got too high up. The Indian, Johnny, stood on some fallen logs at the foot of the tree, and I sat about twenty feet above him on the steep hill side, when we heard a crashing of the underbrush close to us, and the old bear showed herself ; but, as the cubs did not cry out, she did not come down on us, and after looking at each other for some time we withdrew. When we got to the large stream at the head of the lake we found it greatly swollen and most difficult to cross, and after a cold swim gained the opposite bank and reached our camp, where I saw Kinbaskit perched on a rock close to my tent, and taking my jacket off, gave it a shake to knock off the mud, &c., when my revolver, which was in the pocket, went oflT, striking the rock within a foot of Kinbaskit, who took it very coolly. The next day we had returned to the camp in the afternoon, when the Indians saw a black liear on the opposite shore of the lake, and went after it ; but came back informing me they had wounded the animal, and wished to go after him next day. So I told them to do so, thinking a little fresh meat would be an assistance to our limited supplies. Kinbaskit and the two Indians soon returned with the bear, but poor Kinbaskit was rather badly wounded, which occurred, as the Indians told me, in the following way. They traced the wounded animal by the blood, and found Inm lying alongside a log. Kinbaskit thought he was so badly wounded he could do no harm, and advanced with only a heavy stick in his hand to despatch him ; but when quite close the bear suddenly stood up on his hind legs and struck Kinbaskit with one of his paws, giving him severe wounds on the scalp and tearing the flesh of his arm and hand very badly, when the Indian, Tim, BRITISH COLUMBIA. sewin*^ shot tlie bear dead. It was quite a surgical work, and plastering up the old chiefs wounds, wlic appeared quite unconcerned. A temporary depot was now made at the north end of the lake. I could not use the boats below this point with safety, the river being full of lapids nearly the whole distance to the "Boat Encampment"; and as I was most anxious to hear how the T party, Avhom I had sent up the North Thompson to survey througii Yeliowhcad Pass, were getting on, I sent a member of party S with Indians. I was much disappointed by the almost immediate return of the member of my staff, asserting that he was too unwell to make the journey ; but the Indians went on and returned on the 14th August, informing nie they could find no traces of my party as far as the easterly end of Moose Lake, in Yellowhead Pass, at'which point they turned lack. I then decided to go over myself, and, if necessaiy, proceed as far as the Tete Jaunc Cache. >^^ ^^^^^ 80 THE ROCKS AND RIVEES OF I ^.>. .'' 1 -..-*>; I CHAPTER XXX. T: ^Mt A large quantity of the supplies were at the north end of the lake, and under the able superintendence of my Chief Com- missariat OflBcer and Assistant-Paymaster on the Pacific Coast, Mr. A. S. Hall, whom I put in general charge, as I had perfect confidence in his energy and push, they made good progress during my absence. Mr. A. S. Hall accompanied me in 1871 from Ottawa, when I commenced my surveys, and remained in charge of the commissariat department throughout, returning to Ottawa when the accounts, &c., were being audited. On the 27th of August I began the journey, taking three Indians, Charley, a Columbia-river Shuswap, and my two young Indians, Tim and Johnny. "We went in as direct a course as possible, Charley being our guide, and commenced at once to ascend a steep mountain side to get a shorter way to Mount Brown, and avoid tbe thick undergrowth, &c., which we should encounter in the Columbia valley. "We had a most fatiguing, climb up the steep, tliickly-woodcd mountain side ; the black flies Vv'cre tormenting, the day was excessively hot, and though there was perpetual snow far above us and the Columbia in sight below, not a drop of water could we obtain. "We suifered very much, particulai'Iy two of the Indians who had light packs. At last they laid down, and Charley and I went on a short distance, and sat down to rest. I scooped a cool stone out of tlie ground, and put it against my tliroat to see if it would improve matters, when Charley jumped up, exclaiming, " Chuck " — wliicli is " water." "Wc hurried on, and presently came to a fine cascade of ice-cold water, into which our heads went, and wc quenclied our almost intoler- able thirst. I sent Chai'ley back with a can of water to the other Indians, who soon made tlicir appearance, and having enjoyed the water, we all laid down on the moss, and slept soundly till i BEITISH COLUMBIA. 81 \, when Wc water, Intolcr- other pcd tlie ly till daylight, when wc resumed oar journey, and crossing a liigh ridge, from which the view was magnificent, particularly of the Selkirk Mountains, where we could see hundreds of snow-capped peaks. We now commenced a steep descent by the valley of a moun- tain torrent, thickly covered with a fine growth of large timber, liaving, on reaching the bottom of the valley, to wade through an abominable swampy forest with underbrush, where the thick writer, of a colour like rusty iron, made it imperative on reaching the Wood, or Portage lliver, to jump in to clean ourselves. We then followed the southerly side of the stream for some distance through heavy timber, and, tying a few logs together, crossed the river and camped. Going on in the morning for some distance through a thick forest we reached the gravel beds of llie river, which are covered at high water. Wc waded the river many times, and camped at the foot of Mount Brown, opposite the old camping ground of the H. B. Company, where Mr. Charles, one of the company's officers, was accidentally shot many years ago. Here we made a good supper, thanks to a porcupine wc had killed. We now^ began .i e steep ascent by the old 11. B. Com- pany's trail to reach the depression between ^founts Brown and Hooker— the " Athabasca Pass " — gaining an elevated valley, with grassy glades and groves of firs. Where the walking was fair we made good headway, and camped a short distance north of the celebrated "Committee's Punch-Bowl." Charley killed a cariboo, and we took the fresh skin with the hair on it to make moccassins, as we Avere sorely in need of something to put on our feet, and cached the meat by making a platform high up three trees, and peeled the bark oiT to prevent those canning little thieves, the wolverins, from getting it. Following along, and gradually ascending ]\Iount Brown, we saw a grizzly bear abo\-e us, and shot a ptarmigan, and then coming on a well-beaten cariboo trail, reached the top of a ridge with a high conical peak immediately on our right, and a mass of hard perpetual snow on the north side of the ridge, down which we went with difficulty, seeing the fiesh tracks of four cariboo. There was a fine view from the top of this ridgo, the mountains to the nortli forming a KM 82 THK ROCKS AND RIVERS OF magnificent amphitheatre, some five miles in width, and the innumerable torrents dashing down the rock?, with the white foam like silver spray, the tliick groves of dark firs, the grassy glades and ra.'iny small lakes, or ponds, rendering it enchanting. On reaching the bottom of the sno«r, I told Charley he had better try and kill a cariboo, and we would camp a quarter mile further on. He did not seem disposed to go, and I said I thought he was afraid he could not get one. This put that celebrated mountain hunter's blood in a glow, when he said in Chinook, " Nika clatawa — rjuansum maraeluce — potlach mika musket ; " or, " I go — always kill — give me your rifle." I handed him the gun, and ho was off like a shot. "We went on a short distance and camped, hearing two shots in rapid succession, and shortH- after Charley walked into camp with the hind leg of a cariboo, and, in answer to a (piestion from one of the Indians, he said, "Mamt'luce mox" ("1 have killed two") ; and produced two tongues, which were cooked for supper, and found very good. BRITISH COLUMIIIA. 88 .,- ''r , CHAPTER XXXI. I wished to examine a little of the valley that crossed, at right angles, the direction in which wc were travelling. From what I saw of it, my impression is that there is a pas3 through from the Canoe to the Whirlpool River, which at some future day may be utilised, but I cannot be quite certain of tlio pass, as my examina- tion V as very limited, and, therefore, imperfect. On my way this morning I was astonished to see two graceful yoiiug cariboo come running up a glade with higli cliffs on either side, and look at me. I did not wish to shoot them, they appeared so tame, so waving my hat they ran off, but kept returning. I shouted, and they ran up to the top of the rocks, trotting about ; at last they ran down some distance off, and passed behind a large rock, trotting. I could not resist the temptation of a flying shot, when they sprang out of sight, and I supposed I had missed, but one of my Indians, who had followed me, said " Tenass mowick mameluce " — " The little deer is killed," and, sure enough, on going to the spot I found the poor thing dying with my bullet through its neck. I could not but feel thoroughly ashamed of myself for wantonly killing such a beautiful creature. Crossing the range ahead of us, through a wide grassy depression, we came to some small ponds surrounded with bold mountains and most picturesque sccneiy. Out of the ponds flows a stream away to the north, which wc followed through a park-like valley for some distance, and then, as it rapidly increased in size, wc found it dash and roar through wild chasms and a rough country, until it forms a junction, a short distance west of Yellowhead Lake, with the stream flowing out of it. The stream I followed is the true source of the Fraser River, and I had thus been within a comparatively short space of time at the source of the two large rivers of the Pacific H THE ROCKS ANl) UIVER« OF Coast, the Columbia and tlie Fraser. The country became very rough, but for a long distance we got on a narrow open ledge that much hel{>ed us, as it was clear of timber, and like a pathway four or five feet in width. My feet were dreadfully sore, and we had still to pass through some timber, wiiere the fire had been (]uite recently, and the burnt moss was still hot and many fires smouldering. At last we reached the foot of the valley and waded the stream. Our delight can be imagined when we came on a newly-cut trail, and prepared to have a meal, but just then the tinkling sound of a nuilc bell greeted our ears, and a minute after I was in the midst of a train of animals that I found belonged to my trail party in charge vf Mr. William C. McCord, then camped on Yellow! lead Tjake. I asked the head packer his name, and he told nie liIacBrown ; this struck me as a peculiar name. I abked him how he came by it, and he told me that in the previous year, Av-shing to join the parties under Mr. Roderic McLennan on his expedition to Moose Lake, he found nearly all the parties were !Macs, so he thought he should have a better chance of employment if he were a Mao too, and therefore substituted MacBrown for Brown. I secured a horse from him. and a few minutes afterwards passed through the trail party's camp, and went on to where the men were at work ; both ;M(( \)rcl und the men were surprised to see me make my appearance by the valley I had followed. Ascertaining that my survey party was in the neighbourhood of !Moose Lake, 1 sent f(»r the engineer in charge, and pulling my boots olf my nearly crippled feet, had a good rest or the remainder of the day. I imiTisir coiA'MniA. 80 < v. a < o u II ■_> o u H y. o ca < O •ji u o 3 ..U'ltC-MH t 'I -**;;, f- 86 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF CHAPTER XXXII. Tliat evening, Mr. Mohun, the Engincer-in-chavge of party T, Mr. McCord and myself had a long talk over all the proceedings that had gone on since I left them, and learning that Mr, Sandford Fleming, the Engineer-in-chief of the Canadian Pacific Railway, had not as yet passed through, I took four horses and hegan to make my way, with the Indians, through the valley of the "Micttc," which at that time without a trail was most unpleasant for the greater portion of the distance. In going along the bank in a place where the trees were very thick, a horse with all our provisions tumbled into the stream, and we could not induce him to come out; he seemed to enjoy the cool water and freedom from flies it afforded him. At last we went on to a small rapid close by and camped, ringing the bell to attract him, and ho waded down and came out, and we then got our supper. That rapid I named " Horse Rapid," of which more anon. Another hard forenoon's work brought us to the Athabasca, which we struck at the beautiful site of the old Hudson Bay Fort, Henry House, which had entirely disappeared with the exf^eption of a hole that represented the former cellar, and a })ile of stones that had once been a chimney. This old fort was at the junction of the two routes followed by the early trappers and by the Hudson Bay Compaiiy ; one route going by the Tetc Jauue, or Yellowhead Pass, the other by the Whirlpool River, Committee's Punch-Bowl, &c., to the Boat Encampment, and known a? the "Athabasca I'ass." We journeyed on, admiring the scenery, and came to Snaring River. Here for a short time we were at a loss to find a ford, but succeeded in getting over, though, as we found afterwards, by the wrong ford, and followed a trail by the river that was bad in places. At last, on reaching an open bench, we ciune upon the main trail and saw the track of boots, which the Indians at once BRITISH COLUMBIA. m said were ** Moncasses," or men from the east, imaciistomed to mountain travelling. T sent an Indian back on my horse with a note, as I felt almost certain it was Mr. Fleming's party, and walked back to Snaring River and camped. Tiie Indian returned after dark and brought me a note from Mr. Fleming, that set all doubts at rest ; we had missed each other, as I took the river and the other psirty the other trail. From a very old but active woman named Marguerite, whoni I afterwards saw at Jasper House, I heard the following story : Many years ago, before the introduction of firearms in the mountains, there was a small tribe of Indians, who captured the mountain sheep, the wood 'ouffalo, and the bear by snaring them, and had their principal residence on this river, which gave it the name of " Snaring River." A party of Assineboines, who had obtained firearms from the traders in the east, invaded this little band, and shooting all the Indians, they carried off he women and children, and having skinned the dead Indians took their skins to trade with the whites, but the old lady was unable to inform mc if they made a profitable trade with the skins. At daylight I followed and overtook the party just as they were entering the valley of the '' JNIiette," and I had the pleasure of forming the ac(iuaintance of the Rev. Princi[)al Grant and Dr. Marvin ; jNIr. Fleming and his son Frank were old acquaintances. "We dined on tlie bank of the river, and camped at " Horse Rai)id.' In tlie evening Mr. Fleming treated us to a glass of punch and a cigar, and the tonsts, "The Queen" and "The Dominion" were duly drank. In the morning, being Sunday, we went on a short distance to ]\IcCord's can;p, where the Rev. Dr. (irant held divine service, and we passed a pleasant afternoon. We went on the next day, expecting to roacli the camp of party T in good time. Dr. ^larvin and I went ahead to have supper ready, but a drix/,ling ruin came on, and a very dark night. Hour after hour passed before we reached the camp. Once there, wo got supper ready, and waited for the others. At last we concluded that they must have camped, and we lay down ; but after a time they began to straggle in, wet 88 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF cold, and hungry, and conse(}uently not in the best of humours. In the morning, after a good breakfast, we parted, they to con- tinue their journey to the Pacific, I to go back to the Colunil)ia River. On my way back to ]\IcCord's camp, which had moved some miles easterly since I left it, a severe thunderstorm, with vivid lightning, came on, and we got a thorough drenching, the rain before I reached the camp turning into snow. The next day I reached the ford across the Athabasca Kiver, and camped. Here I left everything I could possibly do without in a cucl: ,, putting my ammunition and such things as I wanted into a canvas bag, and what I did not require in a similar one ; then having forded the river, I got on an old trail, which proved to be the wrong one, and had to camp in the woods. In the morning we found traces of the old trail, and made good progress. We met u cinnamon bear, who came running straight for my horse's head, evidently not seeing us, and when some twenty feet off turned up the mountain. One of my Indians, having my rifle at the time, ran after him, and fired a couple of shots, but without effect. A short distance further on I saw some cariboo deer, about thirty or forty, and took one canvas bag off to get out som'^ cartridges, but gad to relate, the wrong bag had been brought from our last cache at Henry House, and we had not a single cartridge. I got off, and led my horse close up to the herd, and it was a pretty sight to see the old and young playing about. They are very graceful animals, and pro- Aidcd they do not smell you, not very timid. "We had nothing for it but to see them go off. On we went, finding some fresh fallen snow in the woods, and camping not far from the Committee's Punch-Bowl. > { ^ i .1 "'CI O -*- BRITISH COLUMBIA. 89 CHAPTER XXXIII. Expecting to meet party S at the foot of Mount Hooker, I went down the mountain as fast as possible, but could find nothing of them, and urged my weary horses through the stream in many places, ])oing most anxious, as the winter was near at hand. Just as tlie day was beginning to fade away we thought of making a cut off over the long spur of the mountain that runs down to the south of the Boat Encampment, and led our horses over the rocks and through the woods until we could not see, and then lay down cold, wet, and miserable, with our poor horses without anything to cat. Before daylight, as I lay shivering in a wet blanket, I thought I heard a bell, and awoke one of the Indians, who soon said, " Xawitka, ting-ting." — "Yes, a hell." We led our animals down to the river, and waded along it until I heard the sound of an axe on a high bank of the river, and called out. Then I recognised one of my men, who told me that Mr. Green, then in charge of the party, was there, and he came and told me that owing to my long absence, and the near approach of winter, they had concluded that they could not go to the Athabasca that year, and had just began to build a depot to winter in. I told him to knock off the work and get t1ie men into camp, as we would go on to the Athabasca that autumn. The party were at once sot to work to open a short trail through the woods, and we got the animals and a portion of the cargo on the way to the foot of Mount Hooker on the 2nd of October. I now left them to get through as fast as possible, and returned to the Athabasca, which I reached on the 5th October, and found McCord and his party just commencing to build the depot, afterwards known as the " Athabasca Depdt." From him I learnt that party T had probably left on their return to Victoria, and followed on the next day in TlIK ROCK.S AND RIVERS OF hopes of catching them. On reaching the " Grand Forks of the Fraser " I met a mule train, and from the packers aj^certained that there was no chance of my overtaking them. This sudden and unforeseen return of that ])arty sadly interfered with my opera- tions, and was the cause of material delay in the surveys. I sent a messenger after them, and returning by tlie depot went on and V)rought party S as sof)n as possible to the summit of the Rocky I^Iountains in the Yellowhcad Pass, and continued the survey easterly from that point on the 24th October. Our buildings were making good progress, and as the winter had set in it was advisable to kill the cattle we had brought with us from the Columbia River, as they would only get poor after the snow fell, so sjme of us had a grand hunt, and, owing to their wildness, had to shoot them wherever they could be found. The weather now began to get very cold indeed, and I took n trip down to Jasper House to examine the country. I then first saw that remarkable point of the mountains opposite this old trading post of the B. Company. The glory of Jasper House had departed, for in place of the picturesque buildings described by Dr. Hector, and since pulled down, I found replaced by two wretched little log cabins. The point of the mountains opposite the house, referred to above, is known as " Roche a Miettc," or " Miette's Rock," and fron old Marguerite I learnt the following story : — At the time when the buffalo, the moose, and other large game was jtlcntiful in Jasper valley, an enterprising Frenchman named "Miette" pushed his way into this valley, and followed his trapping avocations with success. One day, seized with a desire to get to the top of the rock, he, after a most diificult and dangerous climb, succeeded. The venturesome Miette then sat on the edge of the cliff, dangling his legs over it and smoked a pipe, enjoying the fine view his elevated station afforded ; and from that day it has been known us " La Roche a Miette " by the Indian and half-breed hunters, 1 passed the night in Jasper House, where there was only one single room, and I had therefore some dozen Iroquois half-breeds, men, women and children, to keep me company. They were very BRITISH COLUMBIA. m quiet, extremely civil ; and the men fine, liaritlsorae, athletic fellows. 1'liey presented me with some iiocky Mountain sheep meat, which was a great treat ; and I ordered my Indians to cook them a good meal out of my scanty stores, which they enjoyed very much, appearing rather puzzled to make out what kind of a drink coffee was. Returning to the depot, the reports of the progress of the pack trains and supplies were favourable ; but the men engaged in the transport service found the cold and snow, and consequent want of feed for the animals, was beginning to tell on them. However, there was nothing fur it but to keep them there a little longer, so I sent word to bring the supplies to a point some thirty-five miles from our depot, and then take all the animals into tlie Jasper valley. I was very anxious about the animals, as their loss would cause a most serious delay in tho progress of the work for a long time, if not stop it altogether. We made good progress with tho survey, though the weather at times was unpleasantly cold and windy. A few days before the survey reached the " Fiddle River " Christmas Day came on. I had previously sent a few animals to the depot for some supplies, of which wo were very short ; but the ice not being sufficiently strong on the Athabasca River, the animals had been detained, and a good dinner for Christmas Day was problematical. I paid a visit on Christmas Eve to the survey camp, to have a talk and smoke with the staff, some of whom were bewailing tho less of a dinner on the following day, so I invited them down to partake of the luxuries in my camp, about two miles away. My stores consisted at that time of some pemmican, flour, and tea, without sugar, i had several courses prepared, the first being pemmican raw, the second pemmican boiled, and in due season the dessert, which was pemniican fried ; and my guests looked somewhat disappointed when 1 informed tiiem they saw all the luxuries before them, and the only thing we could do was to have a good smoke, as I had plenty of tobacco, and try and keep warm. The survey being completed to Fiddle River on the -Jud of January, and it being impossible to proceed any further with it tlien, I 92 THK ROCKS AND RIVERS OF ordered the trail party to build a small dep6t there, and having piclced out a favourable place at the north-west end of Lac a Brul6 to winter the larger portion of the animals, I returned to the Athabasca depot, instructing the survey party to follow. I made an examination of a portion of the valleys of the Rock River, opposite Jasper House, and of the Maligne River, nearly opposite the Athabasca dep6t, to see if a line for a railway could be obtained through either of them to the North Saskatchewan, but found the valleys impracticable for the purpose. We passed the time pleasantly in our dep6t, and prepared the plans, reports, &c., of the survey for transmission to Ottawa. My hunters kept us well supplied with plenty of the wild mountain sheep, upon which we feasted ; and the dog-sleighs, kindly sent me by Mr. Chief- Factor Hardisty from Edmonton, brought the supplies left on tlie "Wiiirlpool River in tlic previous autumn. The aurora borealis was, on the fine clear nights, a most magnificent spectacle ; and iinmy an liour of tliose long nights I passed watching it. On the arrival of the last of the dog-sleighs from the little dep6t on the ^Vhirlpool River, I found that the man left in charge of it — who, though a good workman, was " a bit of a humbug," — had his feet slightly frozen on the way down. This was, however, owing to his penurious nature, as he would not go to the expense of buying socks and moccasins, or boots, of which we had a plentiful supply. He sent for me, being dreadfully frightened of losing his feet. Seeing, however, there was nothing serious, I made him put his feet in cold water, telling him it was entirely his own fault, and as I had no intention of having any of my men laid up on account of their own foolishness, I should stop his pay and charge him for his board as long as he was an invalid. Nothing more was heard of frozen hands or feet after this, and I noticed the man all right next day chopping firewood in the Avoods. My head storekeeper, Mr. R. M. Rylatt, an ex-sergeant of the Royal Engi- neers, who came to British Columbia with the corps undor tho command of Colonel Moody, R.E., in 1858, kept a full tiible of meteorological observations. The general deductions from them are given in one of Mr. Fleming's reports, when he was Engineer- BEITISH COLUMBIA. tJ m charge of tl.e dog-sleighs, I sent them back to Edmonton and by them tl. plans, reports. 4c., to bo forw.ded wntnlel' nation safely The same day I went to Fiddle River det,6t to prepare for the resumption of the surrey eastwards. ^ 94 THE, ROCKS AND RIVERS OF CHAPTER XXXIV. 3lV' A rejiork from an explorer, which had been loft rac by Mr. Fleming's party in the previous autumn, described the country h\,m the easterly end of Fiac a Brule as " an almost level sandy j)lain, alFordint,' great facilities for railway building." I thought, seeing this, we might run the line (luickly to the Saskatchewan, and have ample time to rectify the hurried and most nnsatisfac- tory survey made by party T west of the summit uf the Yellow- head I'ass ; but my liopcs were brought to an end wlien I started from Fiddle River, for the very first thing I came against was a high ridge, and picking out the lowest depression in it, I directed the line to be carried over it, and made a hasty trip to find the <;xpected level plain. "We took two dog-sleighs, but, there being no snow on the flat and side of the hill beyond Fiddle River, Louis, one of the Iroquois Imnters, sent back for his two daughters to pack the loads to the top of the ridge. One of the girls, who was a tall and very powerful young woman, took an enormous load without any difficulty, and, on the party crossing the ridge, we came to a large pond some two hundred yards in width and a long way round. There was about six inches of water on the ice, so telling the Indians and half-breeds to camp in the woods on the opposite side, as night was coming on, I sat down, thinking, that as I must get wet feet, I might as well have a smoke and get to camp by time the fire was burning and the supper cooked. I saw the huge woman wading back, and wondered why she was returning, but soon found out, for she told me her father had sent her to pack me over the ice. I had travelled by every known mode, but to be packed by a woman was a novelty, so I protested ; but she insisted, saying I was mu(di lighter than the load she had just packed over, and if she did not take me her father would bo very angry ; so I RRITISU COLUMBIA. resigned myself to my fate, and was ignominiously packed over. Louis was very prnnd of the girl's strentgh, and that evening, as \XQ were smoking a pipe, he pointed out the great advantages in having such a powerful girl, and, as he wished to get a horse I had, he made me an offer to make an exchange — I to give him the horse and a few other things, and take the girl instead, to which she did not object ; but as I had no idea of bscoming a permanent resident of that country, and hardly liked the idea of presenting lier in the civilised world, I was obliged to decline what might have turned out a troublesome investment in the end. On reaching the mouth of Prairie Kivcr, I saw that the country was very different to what I expected, and as the snow, except in places, had disappeared, I returned, examining the Athabasca for a short distance and the north side of Lac a Brule, along which a good line for a railway may be obtained. At a canon, a short distance from the mouth of the Prairie River, where the banks arc hij.;h and a slide had taken 1)lace, I noticed very thin seams of bright, l)rittle lignite, with intervening layers of ironstone mixed with clay. The party had carried the line over the ridge when I returned, but as the grade was heavy, a line was run round the face of it to find an easier grade, but it went by some very unsatisfactory sandhills. Knowing, however, that I could connect it from the opposite side of the Athabasca with a good line, I continued it to save time, and followed the south side of the Athabasca, running it to llardisty creek, so that a line on either side of the river could make a fresh start eastwards from a common point. I was camped at this creek with one of my young Indians, whom I had brought up with me from New Westminster, when he told me he wished to be paid off, and get a hoise, a gun, ammunition, and some provisions, &c., instead of money. This was decidedly very inconvcuioiit, as he had been with me a long time, was a capital cook, packer, hunter, and fisherman. On pressing him for his reasons he told me he wanted to marry the " big woman " for whom I would not trade the horse. I refused his request, and he was very sulky. The next day, Sunday, only Louis and the young Indiun being with me, the former complained 96 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OP of iKiing sick, and I took my rifle and strolled along the river until the evening. On my return, I found that Louis had left and gone after his people to the Smoky River, and my Indian, Tim, in an excessively bad humour. They had evidently made up their minds as to the marriage, &c., and for having at first refused the female property myself, and afterwards prevented my servant from obtaining it, or rather her, my sins were now being visited upon me. I crossed over to the McLeod River, taking four horses, and examined a portion of that valley and the ridge between the Athabasca and McLeod Rivers, and found it very high. On my return, we followed the Athabasca River for some [distance on the ice, which appeared strong, but suddenly a great area of it fell two or three feet, the water not yet having risen enough to support it, and we had some little trouble in getting our horses up the slope to the bank of the river. The survey progressed over a rough and unsatisfactory country, crossing the ridge at the first available point ; always keeping the line for a lower and more northernly one in view. "We had hitherto enjoyed fine weather, and were camped at the summit of the ridge in a thick growth of large spruce and black pine, when in the forenoon the sky was completely overcast, and, becoming very daiiv, the rain began to fall. AVe stopped work and lit a fire under the large forest trees, waiting for the rain to stop, but it rather increased, and we made for our camp, getting a thorough drenching. As evening came on, the rain turned to snow, and the wind rose until it blew a gale. "We lay in our tents, the trees falling on all sides, expecting each moment to be crushed to death. A tree fell across the tent in which my transit-man and leveller lay, but fortunately did not hurt them, as their tent was pitched alongside a very large fallen tree, which saved their lives. The top of another tree broke off and struck through a tent of three French Canadians, falling between them and becoming imbedded about four feet in the soft ground. It was a dreadful uight, and the storm did not abate until the next day. In the morning wc cut down the most dangerous-looking trees, and passed a wretched day. Our anmaals had run off, and it was quite a work to find them, some having BRITISH COLUMBIA. 97 gone into the open land along the Athabasca, whilst others had gone to the valley of the McLeod. We next continued the line down into the valley of the McLcod, through thick woods of black pine and spruce. One day, the dinner being o\er, we were going on with the work, when, as I was ahead with two axemen, we heard a terrific roaring sound, and saw a sheet of flame close to us ; we ran back to get on a murkey (a swamp) close to the Hne, the fire close after us, but before we could reach the party in the rear most of them had bolted back along the line, and were thus travelling in the direction in which the fire was going. After a time I tried to go on with the work, but could not find most of the party, so we made for camp, where we found them all safely. As they had gone in the same direction as the fire, they had a hard run to escape it, and were much tired out. I now sent a train to Fort Edmonton to procure some supplies of which we were short, as well as beef, cattle, and a few additional men. There were still lingering touches of the old scurvy, and I was suffering from a long attack of dysentery, so I instructed the man in charge to get a few gallons of whisky or other spirits. Our train with the supplies did not arrive for a few days, and the cattle some time afterwards. It was on a Saturday afternoon when the train arrived, bringing two gallons of high wines, of which I took a half- pint bottle, and distributed the rest among the men. At this time I was very weak and could hardly drag my legs over the fallen timber to pick out the line ahead of the party, so I got a cup of water and laid down in my tent sipping the diluted spirit as fast and as strong as I could drink it ; at last I felt a pleasant glow come over me and fell asleep, not waking until the morning, when I felt as well as I had ever felt in my life. The men told me the dose I gave them completely drove the scurvy away, and I never heard any more complaints of it. On account of the flics our work was most disagreeable. The survey having reached a point'not far from the Pembina River I met •' Valad," a half-breed, with instructions from Mr. Fleming, and at once discontinued the survey easterly, much to the delight of the party, who were all en route for the West next morning. H II I 98 THE ROCKS AND RIVERS OF CHAPTEll XXXV. After reraaininpf a day to settle with and dischnrrfc the men going to Edmonton, I followed the party. On arriving at the Athabasca depot tlie animals were all shod for the mountain work, and leaving a man in charge of the dep6t and stores not retjuired for the survey, I proposed to proceed from Moose to Cranberry Lake. We went on to a point a short distance west of Moose Lake, where there was a good crossing for a bridge. We now continued the survey and obtained a good line to connect with the line run up the North Thompson and Albreda Rivers. A very curious circumstance occurred just after commencing this survey. I had crossed over to the north side of the river, and went to a small prairie on the trail, when I noticed some men and animals coming from the west, and soon recognised an old acquaintance, who handed me a letter, which he was telling me had been eent up for delivery by Mr. Marcus Smith, then in full charge of railway works, &c., in British Columbia. I had not opened the letter, when a man on horseback came on the prairie emerging from the woods on the east side, whom I at once recog- nised as Valad, and he handed me a letter from Mr. Fleming, written at Ottawa, and conveying in substance the same instruc- tions as were contained in Mr. Smith's letter. The fact of one being written at Ottawa, and the other at Victoria, and both reaching me at the same time, formed a curious coincidence. On bringing the survey to an end, the party proceeded on their way to Kamloops, and I made a short exploratory trip up the North Thompson river to see if a pass could be found through the mountains westward to Quensel Lake. I did not succeed in finding a pass there, and returned to the forks of the Thompson and Albreda Rivers, where lay an old canoe. Into this we jumped and ran the Thompson River to a prairie at " Blue River," where BRITISH COLUMBIA. >' 09 we overtook the whole party, and thence went on to Karaloopg- Before crossing the river the last instructions ever given me relative to the Canadian Pacific Railway, were issued to Mr. A. 8. Hall, and I again took up my abode with IMr. John Tait at the Hudson Bay Company's Fort. From Kamloops I went on as fast as possible to Victoria, where I had tlie pleasure of meeting Mr. Marcus Smith, and after a short stav there Mr. Smith and I went to San Francisco. The weather was extremely boisterous, and Mv. Smith can well say whether it was a pleasant voyage. We duly reached Ottawa about the first week in January, 1874, and I found that my plans, /■ Uit' BUeUorur JUm/ Conift4iuuf . i} 118 53! /li rf' tiu. £.- ,1o JtMrer I. '-v- ^."/•o;» Nllifl -r-- 62 ^r--"-*:-r:^- •H-- H g rsj'ii) ai[ "■St V^J ■^ 26 ^-xi IV. M^ J- ^l^lM 9 -mi-m I08 lor loe loa lO* G^^IP ®\F [Pi^[Sir ®l? MAMTOBAANB THENORTIMST TEMTORY OWING SUBDIVIDED INTO TOWNSHIPS THAT PORTION IN WHICH AV.J 91 .^. Oui^ ZnUia ftutJtt ^■^ Bottru Tr,^4A r.unti ncr twe>Uj \ om «f aU K m TT '\\Ulki .^^2v ntnrt -V- .> V Ml •o. -4- Wtg* ^l 7t^ \ r" bd St?^ /^ *3d ^-ie: »»,// '"~tV\ rcB i \ i^A oul '-f'otc/v / .# ^J ?>; *M / rU*- T 5;; CK RIO) ^*-iZ. - . I I '''a^ \._ ' -il*.i'Tl«f^T''itS ;.^ .>^^-^ ^Xjl3^ , M '10 i — I ^- LoftJ CtmintjUjfituuir J/iuffvtii Tiatj (htrifiuny rHOTO.LITH BY TMI BURLANO tITH CO. MCNTRBAL . li't ,.:>- 1 13 \ 112 '*«'« if'u 1 - 1 /■ lU d^ 8 [8 7 \ :d^-: 20ll9 :ia IT 116 -4- k- I4|I3 BiLAVCp ii>r loe* loa 104 mmm ^hc^ , SudsonJs Bay Comfianif / • > iU^MflBfiiiM^ 1 of he hch, tlie potato a profitable crop even during the first season, immediately after breaking, by turning the sod over on the seed. ihe average yield per acre as stated by a numl)er of farmers has ranged from 300 to 320 bushels, and a number have claimed a yield (if 400 bushels of potatoes per acre. The average weight per bushel 1 as l)efn from 55 to 60 lbs. T le following statements have been made by farmers based on their aciiiai experiences in >lanitoba, and the North West. W. II. J. Swain, of Morris, Has jiroduced 800 to looo bushels of turnips to the acre, and 60 bushels of beans have also been raised by him per acre. S. ireible field for immigration. " 1 am a native of Western Ontario an I have been farming fifteen years. 1 his is my fifth year here, and I much prefer this country to anywhere else. "James Stewart, Meadow Lea." " I would just say th^t there are no obnoxious weeds here. When a field is ready to be reape I. as a rule you cannot see anything only grain Flax grows well in this country. I think it can Ikj grown with profit. I have seen it grow as tall as I saw it in Ireland." '• Vegetables of all kinds grow sulendidly witliout much labor and with n 1 manure. " MATniiW Owens, J. P., High Bluff." "I have been in the country s'x years and have,fpunl_tliifi. driest • I n ^ ^;^L, THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY ARE ENTITLED TO One-Twentieth tSs Territory, In all, about 7,000,000 Acres. lender itH agroc.inent with the Crown, the Compnny are entitled to Sections 8 and 26 in each ToAvnshi}), as shown by the dia^ifrain on tliis iiiaj». These sections comprise some of the best FARMING, STOCK-RAISING and COAL LANDS IN THF, COUNTRY. They are now iered for sale AT MODERATE PRICES, ON EASY TERMS OF PAYMENT, And without any Conditions of Settlement. TOWN L013 FOU SALE IN Winnipeg:, West Lynne, Rat Portage, Portage la Prairie, Fort Qu^appelle, £lphinstone, Colvile, lEdmonton, Prince Albert, Rosemount. Full and aecuiiite descriptions of the Conipaiiy's lands will be furnished to in+ending i)urciiasers on a])plication to the undersigiied. im Main Street, WINNIPEG. C. J. BR Y DOES, Land Cottminslontr 4* 3IAP i 0)an ITC w, Hrrit CIVINC TNETbP OF THE COUNTRY BYALLT|4ElfAT£S t' C. J. BRYDG IKHD COMM Burland LItho Co., Knqravevs, Montront -S o WI]^ ^i^mm lAP OF ^ITOBA l^XTO IvY^ rNE TbPOCRAP|Y >UHTRYAS SHOWN EtATEST SURVEYS •T. BRYOGTilS, ^ LAND COMMISSIONER. J \. s lontrt'nl. ■■ <) WIISTSIPEO. MAN. i HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. ji ARMING LANDS FOE SALE. THE Hudson's Hay Company offer /or sale farm- ing lands in Manitoba and the North West. They are entitled to two sections in every surveyed township in the fertile belt. Each section consists of 640 acres, and will be sold either c;/ bloc or in quarter sections of 160 acres each. They include lands in the Best Prairie Districts capable of producing excellent crops, and also admir- ably adapted for cattle raising. The sections allotted to the Company also comprise Coai Lands, in the different coal areas throughout the North West. A thorough examinition is being made of these coal lands, as they are developed, and they are offered for sale at reasonable prices and on easy terms of payment. The Title to the Hudson's Bay Company's land is direct from the Crown. The Company's lands in the different townships are being carefully exammed by competent insj^ectors, whose reports can be seen by partie:. desiring to purchase. The sections in each township vested in the I ludson's Bay Company are numbered S aiul 26, as shown by the diagram on this map. Maps, with full information in rt gard to all the Company's Lands, can be obtained at their Office in Winnipeg, Manitoba. ^ G. J. BRYDGES^ IVLIiAilPKU. I.ami f'ominisitioner. IZ -AND THE- The Extent of the Territory. The Province of Manitoba, in Canada, extends from eastward of the Red River to a line aVjout 200 miles west of that river, and lieyond that is tlie North-West Territory, reaching to the base of the Rocky Mountains, a further distance of nearly 800 miles, which will be divided into four new }'iovinces. The Red River runs through Manitoba, for upwards of loo miles to its outlet into Lake Wiimipeg. The valley of the Red Kiver contains some of the 'ichest alluvial soil on the continent of Noith America, and the Assiniljoine River, several hundred miles in length, which falls into the Red River at Winnipeg, runs through another valley, having a great depth of rich soil. The Little Saskatchewan River falls into the Assiniboine about 150 miles from its mouth, and runs parallel to the Assiniboine about 60 miles to the east of it. The'se three rivers in Canadian territory, with their tributaries, com- prise an area of wheat and grazing lands estimated at 300 miles long by 150 broad, which produces wheat of the finest (juality. It is now being settled upon by farmers from Canada and the United States, and by emigrants from Great Britain and he' md. Municipal Organization and Drainage. Manitoba has been divided into Municipal Districts, which are now being rrgularly organized. Roads and bridges are being built wherever requu-ed, and a regular system of municipal aliairs is being i)ut into operation. The local government of .Manitoba are also putting into force a system of arterial drainage, which will greatly improve those lands which are now wet. School System. In addition to the excellent education now obtainable in the City of Winnipeg, the Government have reserved t on the Saskatchewan, Bow, Belly, and Souris 5 coal lands have been examined by competent e deposits, and their reports can now be seen paiiy. 1"here will a now that the railway has be an ample supply of fuel, and the lines of ' means of distributing both coal and tiTnl)er to country. The line of railway from 'Ihunder arge supplies of both timber and coal, thus t moderate figures. •'•• , IS to Capital Required. i take up land in Manitoba can, by an outlay ng, secure i6o acres of land at from $5 or 20s. mself with a reasonal)ly comfortable house, ;n, cows and pigs, ploughs, harrows, and all : him a fair start and a competency and hom€ ss than in either the older I'rovinces of ijanada 1 with u family can establish himself comfort- i representing less than the average per acre e in Great Britain annuaUy for a farm ofequal 1)6 sprtad over at least seven years, find the g paid out of the surplus earnings of the farm, item in his ordinary annual expenditure ; a.id e completed, the farm becomes Lis own pro- hold or other obligations. t reasonable terms offered as regards terms of $500 or $1,000, say from ;^ioo to £200. can tably, and soon become independent and the duotiveness of the Soil. the soil along the Red River, Assiniboineand leys, is greater than in Minnesota or Dakota, er acre is larger. This is also the fact ihrough- of Manitoba. The exhibit of the giowth of om Manitoba at agricultural shows at Ottawa, don and Kingston is the strongest te^^imony ctiveness of the prairie soil of that Province. wn is also much superior to that rai-ed in ;iny nt. Ihe grade known as " Man.toba No. i markets of the world a higher price by at least ler known grade of wheat. The same may be and vegetables grown in the country, nsic value of the products of the soil o\ Mani- t, in addition to tlie fact that the product per e the average of the entire wheat producinu' , are most important fads to be considered Quality of Wheat. lity of the wheat, the following, from the il, speaks for itself ; led f;xct that the further north wheat is grown, bolter it is. « » * • 4 region of the world will undoubtedly be in lley of the .Saskatchewan, where ihij. gtaiji only in quality, but in every other particular. I and.Hir color, rounds out into a f.illiies.'A Jtdocs not attain here, and is rich in gluten, the life sustaining principle of flour. * * * * ♦ ' * » Some two or three years ago, samples were procured from s'.;verai parts of the Province of Manitoba for trial. The best of ihii was jilaced in the hands of some of x)ur leading wheat-growers for cultiva- tion. One variety of Scotch Fife yielded the first year at the rate of 37 liushels to the acre, of a hard ansber color, which the wheat in- spector for the Millers' Association at Minn«.apolis, pronounced the finest specimen he had seen since he had been connected with the association. " Straw stood up stiff and strong, some of it being over five feet high, the heads were long, while the color of the growing grain was superb." Comparative Yield and Weight. The following comparative statement, made up from official returns, shows the average product per acre in various States of the Union, as compared with the Canadian North-West, viz. : Canadian North-West 26 liush. per acre. Minnesota 17 .'♦ " " Massachusetts „i6 •' " " Pennsylvania 15 " " " Wisconsin 13 " " " Iowa 10 " " ♦• Ohio 10 *• " " Illinois 8 " " " These facts show the great supciior iv of the Canadian North West as a wheat growing country. The wt-ight of the wheat grown is also something remarkable, especially when compared with that of other countries. Taking the heaviest samples of each conntry we find t Canadian North- West 66 lbs. per bush. Minnesota 65 " *• " Ohio 60 •• " Pennsylvania Co " " Illinois 58 If lull her evidence is needed, il m;i;, W\ found in llie speech nade by the Consul (lencral of the United ^tntcs ft)r Manitol)a, Who, on the 3rd October, 1879. .nade the following statement m ret;ard to the How of emigration vsestwa; 1. He s; id that one of the great tides of emij^ration now was to '^he NoiilKrn Zone " specially adapted to wheat growing and cattle raising. That inch. cA Canada, Wisconsin, Micliigan partially, and Minnesota ■/// (hied fonrlhK oj the great ivheat produ- cing belt of the continent ly north of the boundary. There the future bread supply of America, and of the old world too, would be rotsed." He went on to say " that hi ii'!<:hed to allude to that 70 hie h was also oJ very great moment, the meat supply. In his opinion the beef mised in this northern dis'rict t» .^hich he had referred, would be found to be superior in quality and superior in ijuaiitity to any that could he raised eren on the plain "^ of l\\\as and the adjoining States." I he land requires no clearing of timbt-r. It simply needs - be ploughe 1, and in the same season produces excellent crops, ihus enabling settlers to avoid all the haitlships known to back woods- men in clearing u[) heavily tuiipeied lands. Coarse Grains, Root Crops and Vegretables. In addition to the great productiveness of the soil for wheat, it is also admirably adapted for the growth of oats, barley and all other kinds of grain, the \irld per acre being very large. Roots and vege- tables of all descriptions grow in the greatest pn fusion. The yit M, as exhibited at the agricultural shows throughout Canada, compares most favourably with similar articles grown in other parts of the l>LgA;>>iion. \ I Oats. The oats grown in the Canadian North-West are very superior r quality, being plump and heavy, and llie yield per acre is simpl enormous, when compared with other countries. As high as £e\'ent bushels per acre is no uncommon thing, and in some cases even on hundred bushels have been realized. For newly broken ground, oats will be found a most remunerativ crop, for which there is always a home market. The comparison between the Canadian North-West and some of th American States as respects the yield of oats, is as follows : Canadian North-West and some of the American States as respect the yield of oats, is as follows : Canadian North-West say average 57 bush, per acre. Minnesota " *• 37 " " Iowa ♦* . " 28 " Ohio *i *. 23 " Barley. Barley is grown very successfully as will be shown by the foilowin table. ihe quality of the gram is excellent as a rule, its colour fin and brewers pronounce it second to none for malting pur| oses. The following comparative statement tells its own tale : Canadian North- West say 40 bush, per acre. Minnesota 25 " ** " Iowa ... 22 '* '* •' Wisconsin. 20 " *' *' Ohio 19 " •« «« I Indiana . . 19 " •* <« ' Illinois . . .17 *« '* '* EjxelleiiL ucer is now being mauulactured in Winnipeg from nati^ barley. Peas. Peas produce a very good crop and returns furnished to the (ioveri ment, show the yield per acre to be in some instances as high as fro 60 to 68 bushels per acre, with an average weight per bushel of aboi Oo lbs. Rye. Returns to Government show that the yield per acre averages fro 30 to 4 bushels, with an average weight of 60 lbs, per bushel, 'ill crop has n t hitherto been largely grown, but so far as known tiie vie has been very satisfactory. Flax and Hemp. 'Ihe cultivation of Klax aud Hemp during the early days of the R( River settlement was carried on successfully by the ohl se'ttl rs, but the same time the want of a market and the means to manufacture t raw material interfered with its profitable production then. Lately several of our farmers have paid some attention to the pr duction of these important crops, and the experience of those who lia tried them is rertninly of a very satisfactory character. Tnere is 11 the least doubt that as tlie climate of the Ni)rtli-West peculiarly f.i ourable to the producli -n of a good ciuaiity of both flax and hem]), th will play an important part in the fidiiie resources of the country. Hax mill has been constructed and is now in operation in Winnipe;^. Potatoes. The Canadian NorthW'est is peculiarly adapted to the growth Potatoes. The yield is enormous and the quality is well known l > very superior. Some specimens vveii,'hed as high as 4}( pounds e;ic and one peculiarity is that they are generally mealy to the very coi>. The favourable climate and the ritli ^o\\ of this country tend to iiiu ( ; are very superior in d per acre is simply , As high as seventy some cases even one a most remunerative West and some of the as follows : ican States as respects ;h. per acre. lown by the following a rule, its colour fine liing pur| oses. )vvn tale : bush, per acre. t< (< Winnipeg from native rnished to the (jovern- lances as high as from ht per bushel of about per acre averages from lbs, per bushel. I'his I far as known tiie vield i early days of the Red the oKl settl rs, but at ;ans to manufacture the iction then. iivi attention to the pro- lence of those who have laracter. Tnere is not th"West peculiarly fw- loih flax and hemi), they ces of the country. A eration in Winnipeg. pted to the growth of ity is well known t ) he gh as 4}( pounds e;\ch, saly to tiie very cor ?. is country tend to make the potato a profitable crop even during thi after breaking, by turning the sod over on The average yield pet acx'e as stated b ranged from 300 to 320 bushels, and a nu of 400 bushels of potatoes per acre. The has been from 55 to 60 lbs. T le following statements have been mad actual experiences in Manitoba, and the Nc W. H. J. Swain, of Morris, Has produced 800 to looo bushels of bushels of beans have alao been raise S. (\ Iligginson, of Oakland. Mas produced cabbages weighing 17^ Allan Uell, of Portage- La- Prairie, Has had -"abbages 45 inches around pounds each. Beets. A jrood deal of attention is already bein Canada to the cultivation of the sugar bee sugar, but there is no pirt of the Dominioi sucli pa\ing quantities as in the North- We witii which they can be cultivated, ail tend beet crops profitable, more v^specially when beet, large quantities can be used for ma-iu: Fruit Oultur As yet the culture o*" fruit and apples in fancy, but there is no doubt that certain vj fully. An abundance, however, of wild berries, raspberries, whortleberries, cranbe currants, blueberries and grapes, so that tin spect for the settler, an 1 lie will find the i\z North West most delicious. In M nneswt was contended that ai^ple trees would n »t the Minne.-ota apple is a notable product o Labor. There is a considerable demand for farm part of the grow ng season, when good Wi being about $20 per month with board. In this way settlers, whose means are li tide over the first season or two, by worki neighbors, until such time as the increased lequires all their ..ttention. •• The most successful thli The following statements mule by actur the authority of th-: Government, nre th proofs of the great advantages oTered by M West, as a most de-i eiblc field for iinmig " 1 am a native of Western Ontario an years. Ihis is my fifth year here, and 1 anywhere else. ''James Sj " I would just say thit there are no obn field is ready to l)e reape i. as a rule \ou ci Flax grows well in this country. I think 1 have seen it grow as tall as I saw it in li " Vegetables (jf all kinds grow splendid with n ) manure. " MAtMEW Ovv '* I have been in the country s«x year; summer 10 give the best crops, even thoi m g the first season, immediately • on the seed. id by a number of farmers has I number have claimed a yield rhe average weight per bubhel made by farmers based on their s North West. Is of turnips to the acre, and 60 raised by him per acre. 17^ lbs. each. >und, and turnips weighing 25 being paid in diflferent parts of beet and its manufacture into inion where it can \ie raised in -West, liie rich soil, the ease tend to make the production of vhen. as in the case of the sugar Li'iufacturing purposes. ture. i in the North- West is in its in- in varities can be grown success- 'ild fruit exists, such as straw- inlierres, p urns, black and red It there is no scare ty in this re- le flavour of the wdd fruit of the lesuta, not many years ago. it I n )t grow there, and yet to day ict of that State. farm laborers during the greater d wages are paid, the average 1. le limited, are often enabled to orking as farm laborers for their lasid product of their own farms thing is Success." ictunl settlers and issued under e the best and most convincing )y Manitoba and Canadian North imigraiion. ) an I have been farming fifteen 1(1 1 much prefer this country to ;.s Stewarp, Meadow Lea." obnoxious weeds here. When a ni cannot see anything only grain link it can be grown with profit, in Ireland." lulidly witliout much lalx)r and OWKNS, J. l'..Ilig;i Hlutr." ^'eais and have foun 1 u.. ' •■'":♦; \, though there was no rain excep an odd thunder-shower. New settlers should come in May and break llieir land till July, then afier cutting and saving; plenty f>f hay for all '.he cattle, they can prepare their buildings for the winter. *' Henry West, Clear Springs." " For stock-raising purposes the district is unequalled as the supply of hay is unlimited, and a man can raise as much stock as he is able to cut fodder for. "David Chalmers, St. Anne, Point Du Chene." "The potatoes raised here are the finest I ever saw. I have not been in the country but one year, but I am very well pleased with it. All kinds of roots grow better and larger here than in Onlaiio. "W.M. Stari', Assinil»oine " " I started with one cow, one horse and a plough iS year auo, and to-day my assessement was for $135000. I le seeds Plant in rows four feet apart, the .seeds to l)e planted one foot apart ; they afterwards can t;>e thinned out and tran>|)lanted. I have tliem 12 feet high, from the seed planted four years ago, and they will form a good shelter. I find, after a residence of nine yeais, that this Norlh-West country is sNeil calculated for rri.sing the ili/Tcrein. kinds of gram sown by farmers Market prices are very good. Wheat 85c. to $1 15, oats 50c. to 60c , and l)arley 60 cents,, ''Ja.mes Stewart, High Bluff," " Farmers should have Canadian horses, and get oxen and cows, and ])uicliase young cattle. Hy so doing they will doul)le their money every year. 1 am in the business and know by exjjerience. "James McEvvkn, Meadow I^a." " There is no person need be afiaid of this country for growing. There never was a better countiy under the .Sun for either Hay or Gram." "A. V. Beckstead, Emerson." " Flax does extra well in this country." " Geo, a. Tuckkr, Portage-La Prairie." " Native Hops here grow as large as any I ever saw cultivated." " Francis OtiEErRKi:, P(utage- La- Prairie." " Hemp and Flax I have tried, and it grows exc«4U*nily. Tame grasses of all kinds do well espectalty Tiinotliy. M\' advice to all is to come to this countiy, where they <;an raise the finest samples of grain of all kinds, that ever was raised in nny countiy." " ,Am)RI':w J. HiNKER, Greenridge." " Sorin" is the heal time to come to rhis countrv as the settler can then get a crop of o-^ts put in on breaking,, which will yield him 25 bushels to the acre, and potatoes grow vvell ploughed under the sod,. He can raise enouj.>]i to keep him for the season,, 'I'hat way I raised 50 bushels from a quarter acre. " Arthur D, Cadenhead, Scratching River." " Gentlemen, — The average yield of my gram last year, was : oats 65 bushels; wlu'at 30 bushels : potatoes 300 l)u hvrls ; although si.ime of my neiglibours had over six hundrtd ; turnips, I .i^houid say about 750 bushels, I would much ratlier take my chances here than to farm with the spade in any of the old countries. If you d<»ubi my words pli:ase c me and see for yourself.' ** JoilN Prydon, Morns." " Settlers should come \vithoi\t encuinbeiing themselves with im- plements, etc., etc. as everything can l)e had at a cheap figure. Oxea we deem advisable to begin farming with. " We expect to have a very plentifu though w( sowed in May and June, April all is coming on well. Cucumbers growing had already. Melons and tomatoes we exp the end of this month or beginning of nex raspberries, and many oilier kinds of fruit ar( " Bring your energy and capital with you hind you. Do not bring too much baggt after you arrive ; they are (juite as chea country. Be sure to locate a dry farm. Br -season (June), when it ploughs easy and mt and potatoes. Barley don't do well on new 1; settlers. "Isaac C " I really think one cannot get a better I tell you. Sir, I have cropped 5 acres of lar successively without a rest, and this year a That is soil for you. I think immigrants country when they come here. You can't st 1 wisli them all good luck that come this brother farmers, come and help us plough u You-can raise almost anything in this countr "George i aylor, Poplr " I have run a threshing machine here foi and the average of wheat is from 25 to 30 bui and barley 30 to 50. "Jahez Geo. " I have over 1,000 appletrees doing ver black currants. Ja.mes 2 " Having only had two years' experience to the country as I would like to do, for J country. 1 was nine years in Ontario, and and 1 prefer this Ciiuntry before eitlier of th everything. The three crops I have seen ena man ih;it works in this country will liiciUe a dry farm. Break your land in the rainy ploughs easy and mts well. Sow wheat, oats >n't do well on new land. Take advice from old "Isaac Casson, Greenbndge." cannot get a better farming country th.in inis :ropped 5 acres of land on my farm for six years rest, and this year a better crop T never saw. 1 think immigrants will be satisfied with this e here. You can't say too much in praise of it. uck that come this way. All I say is come md help us plough up this vast prairie country, ivthing in this countrv. ORGE I AYLOR, Poplar Point, Long Lake.'* ling machine here for the last live or six years, It is from 25 to 30 bushels, oats 40 to 60 bushels, "Jahez Geo. Hent, Cook's C/eek." ippletrees doing very well, and also excellent James Armson, High lUuff." wo years' experience here, I cannot do justice uld like to do, for I l)elieve it to be a good ears in Ontario, and in Ireland up to manhood, ■y before eitiicr of them, taking the average of :rops I have seen enables me 'o l^elieve that any country will like the place, for he will have le. "Edw. J. Johnston, Springfield.'' no farms of their own come here and farm, are the things for a new settler. ♦•James Airth. Stonewall." ive l>een grown successfully iiere, and manu- ' years ago, both by rnyseit and several other en stalks of hen)p grow twelve feet high. John Su i hkrland, Senator, Kildonan." IIS is the best country 1 ever struck for a man liars to go into stock. 1 only raise oals for my ighty head of cattle, so cannot say much about to 70 bushels of uats to the acre this season. *' James Fi'LEERIon, Cook's Creek." seen in other countries this is as good a plac > ) For my })art i have done better here than I ther coumry. I raised wheat here, and there ahfornia and other places, looking at it, and I' an) tiling hke it before. One year I raised 35 iatk >ea wheat, and I have raised wheal which .1 not one straw of it lay down. 1 would be e of Ireland were here, and they wouKl then le world. Every onr who comes here can do n fuilt. James Owens, St. Anne, Pt.-Du-Chene." or settlers in this country ; (plenty of hay and ny quantity of stock without interfering with the r and plenty of wood. "John Hall, St. Anne, Pt.-Du-Chene." *' We think this country cannot be beat for farming, and farmers can raise all the stock they want and cost them nothing, as they can cut all the hay on the prairie they want for winter feed, and their cattle will grow fat on it if well wateied and cared for. "James Laurie ^ Bro , Morris." " Any man with $500, willing to work, can soon be independent here. "Ali:x. Adams, Clear Springs." *• I had twenty-eight acres in crop last year, and had eleven hundred bushels of grain, of which I sold four hundred and fifty dollars' worth, besides having feed for my team and bread for my family. " Ja.mes Davidson, High Bluff." The following experience of Mr. H. M. I'ower will convey some idea of what can be accomplished in farming on a large Scale, in the Canadian North West. ♦♦ Mr. H. M. Power came from Herefordshire England to this country, early in 1SS2. After inspt-cting various parts of the country he finally decided to purchase five and a half sections, containing 3,520 acres from the C. P. R., on their then price with their rel)ate allowance for settlement. He entered upon the land in June, 1882, and broke some land that year. It is situated between Virden and Fort Ellice about 200 miles West of Winnipeg. In 1SS3 he broke a large quantity. He began putting stock upon the farm in the fall of 1882. I will now describe what 1 found to be the condition of allairs after but little more than two years of work. I found 1.240 acre of wheat, in first rate condition, with a probable average yielil of 25 bushels to the acre ; 40 acres of barley, and 2()0 acres of oats. I drove round nil the fields, ami a liner gruwlli ./f cereals it would V^ehard to find. The poorest croj) is the oats, which appears to be the case whereever I have been. Potatoes, turnips, and other vegetables were all excellent crops. The wheat is beginning to turn yellow at the bottom, and it is expected that in about a fonnight har- vesting will commence, and that by the end of Aufjust nearly, if not cjuite, the whole crop will be safely gathered. All the land now under crop was plowed last fall. Seeding was begun on the 2nomin, on which there are 1 25 acres with a fine crop of wheat, and 75 acres broken this year to jnit under crop next year. At tiie twt* f.irms on the Assiniboine, and at Moosomin, there will be a probable yield of about 34,000 bushels of wheat, which, deducting 6,000 bushels for seed for next year, will leave a probable quantity for sale (;f from 2t),ooo to 28,000 bushels, according as the yield actually turns out. Mr. Power also purchased seven sections, or nearly 5,000 acres, at Whitewood. where he has this year brokeen started in Winnipeg. Clinxate. The climate of Manitoba and the North- W Fever and ague, which exist in so many part are Here unknown. In .summer the hea; is and though amply sufficitnt fur the thorough no greater than in Ontario, or throughout tl of the continent. In winter the cold is stea j rule, than is met with in all parts of the wes nent north of Chicago. The fall of snow is of Canada, seldom reaching two feet in d< climate is an excellent one, both as regards tants and the maturing of the crops. The story of summer frosts has long sinre in this respect there are occasional exceptios but any farmer can make himself perfectly se care to sow his seed as early as possible in tl The dryness of the air to a great degree frosts, of a nature to injure crops. The Canadian North-West is specially storms, and while we hear of hurricanes de\ other portions of the American continent, su known north of the 49th parallel of latitude. There has not t>een a case of crops having in this country for many years, and in winter snow storms so frequently experienced to the The country is certainly ble>sed in this respe sometimes intense, the weather is generally cj Another blessing so far enjoyed by the fan territory of Canada is the freedom from bligli in other parts of the continent have been so d The following statements, by actual settl of the climate on cattle proves conclusively ary, for successfully raising stock exist in Canadian North West, than any where else : Benj. Hartley.. A. Gille.'spie.- •. S. C. Iligginson J. Sutherland . . Adam Bell Jumes ftturton John Ferguson E. W. Johnston Ballaiit3'uc . . John Bcggs — Angus Poison. Thos. Sigaoni". . Tho8. Dalzcll.. W. A. Mann... John Fraser. . • W. A. Fanner.. H.C. (Graham. . Jainos Stewart St. Charles Animals do r England. Greenwood Animiils do ^ Oakland The winters suffer from Kildonan, E The winter it in more soi Porta ge-L:i-Prairie AnimiiLs tun Nelsonviile Oliiuate bein better thai High Blufi-. If cattle lire )K^ the cliiii "Springfield rho winter i. West liynnc.. Although las cold, cattip Morris I have know the .straw p Kildonan.. The winter native pon Portage-La-Prai rie The winters 1 »-- - - tavorabie t well. HighBluflF... . The winter i as in Ontai to treeze Bird's Hill Cattle do bef ter than a ( Kildonan The win ler. 1 therefore i Heudingly. . . ... I'ho tvinter is are remark Stonewall The dryness t the cold. High Bluff... Stock will b( Ontario am Climate. )bn. and the North- West is exceedingly healthy, exist in so many parts of the Western States, summer the hea: is by no means oppressive, itnt fur the thorough maturity of the crops, is rio, or throughout the Norih-Western portion /inter the cold is steady, and no greater, as a 1 all parts of the western portion of the conti- 'I'he fall of snow is lighter than in most parts iching two feet in depth. On the whole, the )ne, both as regards the health of the inhabi- of the crops, frosts has long sin :e been exploded. 0( course, occasional exceptions, as in other countries, ;e himself perfectly secure from loss, by taking early as possible in the spring. V to a great degree tends to prevent summer jure crops. ii-West is specially favored in freedom from ear of hurricanes devastating whole districts in iiencan continent, such things are almost un- li parallel of latitude. case of crops having been destroyed by storms y years, and in winter we do not have tiie severe tly experienced to the south of us ly blosed in this respect, and although the cold is kveather is generally calm and clear when it is so. "ar enjoyed by the farmers of the North Western le freedom from blight, worms or insects, which itinent have been so destructive to crops. lents, by actual settlers in regard to the effect proves conclusively that the conditions necess- lising stock exist in a greater degree in the than nny where else : — ,; 68 >d ,E i'.i-Trairie hv. fi'. (i lie.. iU-Pruiriy OF... . 11 f... ... tr Animals do not suffer so much hero as in England. Aniniiils do well here in winter. The winters nre dry ; animals do not suffer from cold, The winter is less severe on animals than in more southern latitudes. Auiniiils turn out well in the spring. Climate being dryer, aninnils staud cold better than in Out trio If cattle lire well cared for, they thrive, as the climate is dry. The winter is not severer than in Ontario. Although last winter was exceptionally cold, cattle wintered well. [ have known young cattle to winter at the straw pile. The winter is not severe on animah ; native ponies wirilcr out. The winters bcingdry and frosty, they are tavorable to cattle: they eat their food well. The winter is not so hard on cat'le here as in Ontario, as there is no ruin or sleet to Ireeze on them. Cattle d(i better here in a cold steady win- ter than a changeable one. The winter, though v-'old. is uniforiu. and therefore not unlavourablo toanimal.<<. The winter is not severe on animals ; they are remarkably healthy. The dryness ot the atmosphere neutralizes the cold. Stock will be as fat in the spring as in Ontario and Quebec. D. Chalmers. ..j Matthew Ferris .T. W. Carelton M. Owens Nelson Brown.. J. McKinnon... James Stewart St. Anne Pt- D. C. Burnside , Clear Springs..... . IlighlJluff High Bluff Portage-La- Prairie Meadow Lea The winter is less severe on animals here than in Ontario. The winter not much severer here on ani- mals than in Ontario. Aninnils thrive well in the cold season. The winters here are less severe on cattle than in Ontairo The winters here have about the same effects on aninnils as in Ontario. Cattle thrive well in winter if properly fed. Young cattle grow all the winter when warmly stabled and fed on wild hay. It may also be interesting for intending settlers to known how the farmers of the North-West winter their cattle, and for this reason, we give a few in.'itances : TESTLVIONYOF SETTLERS RESPECTINU WrNTHRiNd OF CATTLE. W. .Fackson... .High Bluff. S. C. Higginson Oakland. .. ! Jno. Ferguson High Bluff. Robt. Fisher.. ..Cook's Creek. A. J. Moore.. . . Nelsonville . . Jno. Gcddis — Kildonan A. McDonald. . Gladstone A. P.Stevenson llfelsonville. F. Ogletree.. . G. Granby... And. Nelson.. Wm. Hill Robt. Bell.... Jno. George... A. Mcpherson Robt. Bell Robt. Morgan. Matthew Ferris J. W. Carleton Nelson Brown.. Portage-La-Prairie High Bluff Stonewall . Woodlands. Rock wood. Nelsonville Emerson . . Burnside. .. Headingly. . Burnside — Clear Springs. High Bluff... I stable my cattlo at night and let them run in the yard during the day. I winter my cattle in much the same way as in Ontario. I house my cattle and feed them on hay and they are in good condition in the spring, I house the cattle warmly and feed them on hay with an occasional feed of salt. I feed the cattle on wild hay and turn the steers and young stoi-k loose ni the straw stav^ks. Cows are kept in the stable and other cattle ted in the yard on hay and .-^traw and stabled at night. I -table cows and working cattle and the young stuck run loose around tln^ straw st> cks. The cows are stabled and the young cattle run out all the winter. I stable my cows and allow my young Ciittle to run around the straw stacks. I feed my cattle on wild hay an I turn them out to the straw stacks in the day time. 1 stable my cattle and feed thoin on prairie hay. I stable my cattle, my native ponies are out. I stable my cattle in a flat roof lo^' build- ing with straw on the toj). I feed my cattle on hay, turnips lighted by electricity, has a satisfactory water supply, and has a system of sticet railways. ch more mprove- )en up a f trans- 1 line of , distant s of the ranch of it of the es south - ^f Rock Hey and he finest rich ; it s a con- , the roil- nd fertile he differ- ' offei for t the con- nd at the the Pro- tnients of )0,000, IS liaiubome improved rivers, in- t with all orth West ;he Xorth- bt. lohn's 1 edifices, erian ; St. itv. Cliri>t uch, Zion of any city er ul com er supply, The Hudson's IJay Co. have a large number of lots for sale in th best part of the City of Winnipeg. The terms of payment are one-fifth in cash at the date of purchas and the balance in four equal annual instalments with interest at 7 pe cent per annum. Prince Albert. This town is situated above the confluence of the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers. This town is tlie emporium for a large and increasing district. The Manitol)a and North-Western Railway is being constructed from Portage- La- Prairie to Prince Albert, of which 80 miles are now in operation, end it is expected to be pushed on at the rate of from 50 to 100 miles every year. A considerable amount of buildings already exist at Prince Albert inckuling Lumber and flour mills. \ The Manitoba and North-Western Railway is laid out through a country admirably adapted for the growth of cereals and root crops and for the raising of cattle. The soil generally is a dark loam from 10 to 15 inches deep. It is a rolling country well supplied with water and with a good supply of timber available b->th for fuel and fo' shelter for cattle. It is particularly well suited for mixed farming capal)le of yielding excellent crops of grain, roots and vegetable?, ar is also in every respect suited for successful cattle raising. Portage La Prairie. Is situated about 60 miles to the westward of Winnipeg. It is 1 centre of a rich farming country, and will grow as the surrounding] county, becomes more thickly settled It is situated on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, andl is the head quarters of the Manitoba and North-Western Railway, Portage La Prairie, is tiie centre of one of the judicial districts and hasl the country Inuldings erected in the town. It has also several churches, flour and saw mills, two newspapers and large grain elevators at the railway station. Rat Portage. Is an important incorporated town on the North Shore of the Lake of the woods, with a [copulation of upwards of looo. It has seven sawmills from which a large part of the lumber for the North- West is now b.-ing supplied. It is also the min- ing centre of a number of valuable gold and silver mines which have been discovered at various points in the Lake of the Woods. The main line of tlie C i\ K. passes through Kat Portage connect- ing it with all points in (.Canada and the t'liitecl States. I'he Scenery of the Lake of the vVood< in the neighborhood of Rat Portage is noted for its beauty and the place olters special advantages as a Summer Resort. The water from the Lake of the Woods at Rat Portage descends into the Winnipeg river by fallsupwards of 17 feet in abrupt depth and there is here a milling capacity equal to that so celebrated at Minrea- polis. The Town of Fort Qu'Appelle. Is the centre of a rich and rapidly settling farming country, m the I'rcA'ince of Assiniboia. It is sitiiateil on the Qu'Appelle River on wliich there are several beautifiiliy situated lakes abounding with excellent fish. A large num- ber ol lots have been sold by tue Company at this place.