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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 32)i 1 2 3 4 5 6 xoRTii-wr.sT : (ju.\Ti;i) I'ui.ici- PAIR 1. EDMONTON TO JASPHR IIOUSl: ATHABASCA DISTRICT ion Lake, Grand Prah- e Dnn df,fw^fiT*^ ''i^ 'J*''* of Edmonton via La.- St. Ann'.s, a lake of twelve by four miles dis ant fifty mdes from Edmonton, and which I reached on th. 17th inst T m'ret to state that near tins p ace th- packer, W. P. Tavlor, had the misfortur.e to disloette iS S?lfn?T' T'"''\-^*Tt''*'^"'^^^ ^'>' ^'"^ *^^" '-'o-stables, and tho„2 rather Lac s"t ^nn' ™^K '""J'"'"^ f'^ ""'■'^- ^ '•'^>' °^-«'' ^^^ L'^« «t. Anns o,x the Sth gateand Charlie Joach-m were sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary When I reached there, there were no Indians about, bein./off on their summer iS" hunt uid drying berries. At that season of the year thoy hunt moose and bear aj .y the „ieU Z TT ?r"f'/^T- u '^^^ ''""^'"« «'-"-l-'f the Lac St. Ann's Ind an L tt™Tn sK^h" M :T "'"'^ ''^' \^"b"t-T of the Athabasca) on the north and hetater shed of the Saskatchewan on the south, and as far west as the base of the mountains ^tZ 'Y^}'T '^'? '^"'IS'^'^^'^ "^'''^'' ^^«y "^'^ ••^'■^" f- ^''•yinS- There is o^e W "n the McLeod River where they slaughter sheep and goats in great number the n ace^s fnTh"" ^'.K ^'f '^^^''^' V'""^-' '^'^^y ''■^'''^ '^'^ ^^'^ from"hiding plac Js 't 11 they see a number of the sheep go down, and as the lick lies in a hole, they" get at the outlet of which there is but one, and kill all that are there ^ » '"^•^ "^"e outlet, ot The trail from St. Ann's to the Pembina River is through heavy poplar and fh« trav^llmg most difficult. The Pembina is a strean. of about one huncLd yS in width and usaaily fordable but when I crossed it was a ra^in- torrent owin.r to tl.l I„ ^ ^avy rains Throughout this portion of the trail there are" ovSklS bvd n urke" The trail after leaving the Pembina River, traverses a country comprised a ternatelv of burnt^ndf;ien timber, green poplar and prairie, till a stream k„Ln a ^e Sa^o dung^River is reached, when, for a long distance the tr.ail run. throu-h verv exfensrv. and faa^ muskegs and on the higher ground great c,uantities of fallen thnbe^ Through here the present trail follows in part the old Moberley trail to Jasper Hou e bS bv the Government for conveying supplies during the Jasper Pass survey in the year^ 187^ 74. This has been a very substantially built trail, long stretches having been cordur- oyed, Init those portions are now very dangerous and impassable, owing tf) the corduroy- ing having rotted, thereby letting a horse through with great danger of breaking his legs. We had to leave the trail at these places and travel through the muskegs. Near the Pembina Uiver I met James Norris of Edmonton with a pack outfit, returning from mining on the McLeod River. On the 28th inst. the McLeod was reached and crosst'd. This river is a considerable stream of two hundred yards in width, with easy approaches. From accounts I got of it, it is very rich in gold, and is worked by the half-breeds from about T.ac St. Ann's. The gold is situated differently from other gold-producing streams such as the Saskatchewan and Athabasca, it is not found distributed over the bars below high water mark as in tho.se rivers, but in pockets in old beds above the i)resent high water mark. Such finds as !?50.00 for two days washing and .S200.00 for seven days iivo reported, but are, I think, rare. There is no systematic work done, and if thoroughly prospected might turn out very rich. Near this river T passed a hunter and prospector named Derr who, with his partner Craig, is located in the mountains near the head of the Big Smoky River. He was then returning from Edmonton where he had been to purchase his annual supply of provisions. This man complained of some depredations made on him by Miatis Del- ormo (of whom you ha\e had a pi'evious report from me), he having posses.sed himself of some of Derr's property. Delorme, however, I heard had left the Territories and was in IJritish Columbia in the neighbourhood of Tete Juan Cache, as was also St. Paul his partner. Although not getting these men the fact of our having been in that part of the country and looking for them will have a very salutary effect. On 31st July I passed the winter trading post of Dan Noyes at White Mud, but which at this season of the year was abandoned. On August 2nd I reached tfie Athabasca River at Cache Pecotte. The territory from the watershed between the McLeod River and the Athabasca, and a long distance north and west to Heiny House, is quite deserted by the Indians during the past year or two, that district being burnt and the game driven out. I never saw so bleak and barren a wilderness, the streams being barren of fish and not a sign of fur or feather among the stumps of what had once been a fine forest. The .soil is principally red sand with patches of loam in low places. I left part of outfit at Cache Pecotte and went to Jasper House, which I reached on the 3rd August. I proposed going on to the trading post of J. Swift at Henry House, and of (i. Cowan on J3ircli Creek, but did not, as these traders were from home. I therefore returned to Cache Pecotte, crossed the Athabasca and started for Sturgeon Lake. The route I had intended to take was north from the Athabasca about thirty miles, to Pierre (Jrey s place on Fishing Lakes, and then north-east over a trail used by Sturgeon Lake Indians who traded at Grey's, (Grey's is now abandoned), but found that recent fires had made that route impracticable, so I had to continue due north to the Little Smoky Rivev and then due east to form a junction with the Lac St. Ann and Sturgeon Lake trails, which made the distance considerably greater. I found the country all burnt till nei^r the junction of the trail fi'om Sturgeon Lake to Lac St. Ann, which is the direct road from Edmonton to Fort St. John. Before reaching this trail, which we struck on the south side of the Little Smoky, about fifty miles from Sturgeon Lake, the character of the country changed, muskegs were less frequent, the timber was all green and small prairies freijuent. All down the Little Smoky indications of large game were very numerous and few signs of any hunting. I learnt from the traders at Sturgeon Lake that that district was little hunted. Sturgeon Lake is about ten or twelve miles long by three or four miles broad. It is a nice body of water, deep witli sandy shores, except small portion of the south-west end which is marshy about the narrows, where the trail crosses. The lake contains abundance of tine white fisli. There are located here during the winter season, four trading posts, namely, the Hudson's Bay Company, Miles McDermott, Rivet and Larue «« *o the j^aeau above and the balance of the road is very bad, being worn into very deep holes from tiffin thTsTnaT ';''"""" IT' "T^ "" ~''' ''"t-1' are well bridged. I would con'de; this an almost impas.sable road ,n wet weather. While crossing over this road I detected an Indian leaving his camp fire burning. I had him before m"e and Sd out to hfm the dangers of such an act and dismissed him with a caution ^ until thelofh *^Wh'r'r"'V'^' L^-er Slave Lake on the 23rd, and remained there until the 30th. While there I had several long talks with the natives who came to see «e in bodies, and seenied «.mt y Hla,-„u.d at tho .vdvont of tlu, p„li,-,. and th« prospect rtf a wagon road being op«ned through their country. Thoy are als,, very jealous of white trappers trespassmg upon their hunting grounds and 4nt.,l them forbi.lden to pL^llI '1"!.^ .'"*'' *''«y™ P-utiouhtrly troubh..l about was that th.y nhouhi Ih5 conipell..d to tako treaty and bv,, on reserves. [ inform,.! theso fndians that th«y TTJI^ »^ eompo led to take t.vaty ami that their free.hm, svould in no wi«„ be interfered with that the pobro were there u.nr,. for their protection than for any inter- ference with their ways and so long as they oln^yed the laws, the police would not an7«~ ""i h . ". ^'l ^'"''™ Y""''' '"""'"^ ""• ^^'''^" '••"PP"'-^ -t^"'« ""t poison ami fires, ami the traders from tra.bng li,,uor. Hegarding the li. uor traffic generally in the districts through which I patrolle.l, 1 am of the opinion tl 'tt there is^little of it" that .8, tratticked with Indians, who all seem aware of its evils and have no desire for it There is a stimulant traded by the traders, " Jamaic;i (Jinger," I do m.t know whether this 18 classed as intoxicating b.p.or or not. The trade of it, however, is very limited At the tune of my stay at Lesser Slave Lake, the population, both whites and Indians, wera preparing for their fall ishery, which usually begins about the iL'tb of October! The numlK^r ot hsh taken each year must be very great, as the main diet for nmn and dogs during the greater part of the year is Hsh. The Moman Catholic Mission, at their hshery las tall, put up seventeen thousand tish, ami at this time of the year vihen the •lishare full of spawn it represents a great destruction P,.fff^"^ thewe.stern end and southern shore of Slave Lake and also about the Buffalo Lakes, which he to the west of Slave Lake and are connected with it by mirrowa are large dry marshes, which on.e were portions of the lake. These produce the greatest abundance of hay ot an excellent .p.ality. This hay stands in uuuiy places six Si I r .i "' " '?" ?'■"'''• '''''^ '"'"••''*' '-* '^« '^•"""t''. '^''""«t, as a cultivated held, thousands and thousaiuls of tons could be put up with the greatest facility. This !r^ v7' A T^^eff'^ comparatively little grain grown here, as at Peace ]{iv, r Ending oats are valued at $1 50 per bushel, and the supply is limited. At f^sser Slave Lake I left two horses in the care of the detachment, arranging with the FEudson's Bay Company for feed and stabhng at .$.3 per month each, These horses had been injured, one being staked in the groin, the other having caught his oiF hind leg between some poles in a muskeg and in a struggle to extricate himself, jammed and injured his hock severely They were both, however, on a fair way to recovery when I left there and as th.-y were particularly good horses, will be of great benefit to the detachment upon their recovery Ihis detachment is very unfortunately situated without horses. They have a boat which IS comparatively of no u^ . ti.em. It can only be utilized on the big lake, and then only during cairn weather, „.ng too small for a heavy sea, and they rarely have occasion to go on the big lake. The HuHalo Lakes are not navigable even for a small boat there not being more than three or- four inches of water, consequently the balance of the patrol they must do on foot, with a heavy sand to walk through and Streams to ford, J would reconmiend this detachment being properly equipped : they should have two saddle horses and two pack horses. Constable Phillips is a suitable t/1 P°u ' u"".^,'""?..^" ''° «'■*'''*'>' '•'■«P«''t«d by the residents of this district. ih. j\**^^''"^\.^° *^« ^^^""^'^l continues in the spring, I would strongly r-ecommend the stationing of a constable at Sturgeon Lake, also a permanent patrol being placed on the traik I also think it would be .idvisable, in the absence of local justices, if it be arranged that a magistrate visit these outposts at fixed intervals. Leaving the settle- ment on Slave Lake, the trail which I followed to Edmonton via Fort Assiniboine, tcUows the north or north east shore of the narrows for about three miles to the crossin- to which point vuns a wagon road. The narrows are fordable by unloaded horses, but not by pacKed horses or by wagons, owing to the .soft nature of the bottom. The width 18 probably little more than one hundred yards. From here to Smdy Bay, distant about thirty miles, the trad (now a pack trail) follows the dry marsh along the lake shore At Sandy Bay it leaves the lake, taking a south-easterly direction towards old ;i!i.-i'l"f '''''« J. i'owever, overshot by several miles the point on Sandy Bay where the trad takes off; I then struck across in a southerly direction till I intercepted the trad from Sandy Bay at the crossing of the Swan River. This trail, where it runs b«tw,.en Slave Uke and Fort AHNmilH.in, in k.u.ws as " Tl.o Catlo T.ai! " or " The Knesuyo, a,u .s tl.e most .liroct truil fro... Slave Lake to K.lm..,.to„, nn t , b .«t ti.e .nst I ui.l y„ tnuoll,..! up..,,, n,,,,,,,,^ tor iho fh.t part princinallv throu«?l, Hmall .,a.k p,n..H a„,l spruco a,..! ovo, san.ly ,i.|,os, intors.cte,! l.y bfts oV' , skeTwit .•o.-ky Lotto,,., im ,.o fall.,. ti„.l„M. whateCe... |,u,i,.K the U«t pa t U. ,. t LVie but o,K3,., K. v„.K go, ,1 t,av.lli.,K. IIo.,se fo...l a,.d watc. .-re al'u,„lant. ia b,iulfh !? r". V''i n "''' S"'' '^'^^'""•"'"» i^ '^'"'"^ two l.„.,.|,.,Hl and fifty vnrds LvlTt ,,/.:' I ;/':?'''''*'•., ^y ''•'P"""''*''^ to H,.. riv... a,., nat, th., nortl. sl.^.e is heiivily t.n.bere. but tl,.- soul), sl,o,,. is opt-n, with tine f.v.l. Kiftee,, or twenty m. - ot th.. ,oacl f..o„, F.„.t Assiniboin,, towanls Kd,„o,.t..n is h..,vily , h .bo,ed tl J Lalano. pn.ino w.th blulls. Twenty ,niles south of the Atl.abaso..^ ,hlh iSe is crossc. , a s.nall st.:,.u,. of about on- h,.,.dn.d foet, fordablo at al.nost .fny "o Ten n.iles far her south tho Pen.bina Hivr is c.os^ed. This is only Lablo at he'lowoB water and is about one huiuhvd yaids wi.h. ' count?;' rtrl'I ^w""'" '^''"''"'^*'''^ '"'"' '^''^^^r Slave Lakn is ovi.lently a «reat moose sZ Uk^ t '^l^^ wen, ve,.y ..u„...,.o„.s, also ca.iboo t,acks. Whilst erossinKf,o,n Lesser in b.ht ':^ \ Y'"'^'""". P'^^'k P""y No 7 was su,ld.,.ly taken si.k whilst t.^avel- Zhl. P ca.np a,id nmianu'd will, hi,,, that day and part of tho next but as he K,-ew worse m.d was .,u.to unable to tnu..|, f was forced to abandon hi.n He lT,st Z'!"'"*/'. "?"";"' ''"'" ^""". '^"''" -^ '"• '^P'"''' ^-"^'l^' - '- f^-i tJ a g,ea extent and watl" "'• T '.'"""'"T- ' ''*' '"'" '" " ^^••''" ^'"^'terocl place with goo.l feed Sl'v O AX . •; r\ t "7''- '"\""' "" ^ """^ "'^"^•^'•'"^- I --'"^'^ 'Edmonton on i^mlay, Oaobe, tJ,e loth, I.av,,.- been absent ust three months, and t.-avellin- in that time in the neighbourhood of fifteen hund.-ed miles without any change of houses and Sled "tI; w'l '"'•' '"•""^'^' ^'" '"""'' ""'"■ ^'""' •^'•«''^ «''"-^' which wersp;ecl!ly w! P Tayloi- The ^rkeT. "' ^ """"'"' '" ''" ''"'■"^"' '^"^"*'°" «>^«" ^^« ^"^ies by „n,l / """^f,d'^'«f't inquiries regarding tl... .ondition of the Indians along the route S?,r.Z!'T I ?■ ^ '! ^"''"''\ '""'' I ^'^« i"tV,r,ned by the Hudson's Hay agent at bturgeon Lake, t,-ade,l to th- value of .^•.',500.00 in one year. Of this T a,n howeveV doubtfu , or he may have traded for c tl,e,-s besides himself This averse ^^f S 00 means that besides that quantity of fur they have well p.ovi.led tl i^ires with drS meat as they dry the lesh of almost all the anhnals thiy kill. All the Tndirns I saw except the Beaver Indians at Dunvegan, were a healthy%-ell<.lothed, Vdl JJloo^^^^^^ Whilst at Slave Lake a complaint was made to me regarding the abduction of a child rom the Church of England Mission by «„ Lilian who, appa.ently lad no claim upon her, and who after abducting her ha.l ,1laced her in the RomrSholic Miston I inquired into the ...atter with the result that until the child's mother sheaS from she having placed the child at the Chu,.ch of England Missioii bTtl Lw Iwav S Dunvegan, the child should return to the Chu,oh of England Mission. ^ Lake^mlrJ^" ^f^ T^^' ^'^/'^''/Z'-^''^^ ^^here fish are in abundance are Sturgeon sunolvi Ihn^^ T/ ■ .7''"-^"'' *'°"' '•'" ^•"•'"^'- •^>^'' '''' the finest, but%he •supply ,s limited, and during the winter .season no fish can be caught througli the ice. .ome^m/n'*;,;;^"nf*^' 'T' «t'-«'t«hes of the Athabasca, the Big and Little Smoky, are some small area.s of ve,-y hne spruce timl,e,<. The upper reaches of those .-ivers are all burnt I should say the supply of spruce timber thn.ughout this country is limited owing to the very extensive fi.-es which ! ave f,-om tin.e To time run over t7e ^oun^ry ' n, Jf fjr~}^ • ' ""^"^ *^- ^''"'*^ ^'^ ascertain whether fur is deceasing in quantity or not as It seems to increase in one part one year and decrease in another^ and vice versa and again some seasons the catch of certain kinds of fur is greater thL ot^er Ttfs generally admitted, however, that beaver are on the decrease ' IS //ay.— lesser Slave Lako hiin hay in abundance. Tlio other nettloin(«nts and posts have limited quantities. There are places on the niiiin trail at intermediate points whore liny txists in considerable (juuntitics. Fires. — All rosidents of the north, while travellinx, seom most careless regarding their camp fires, invariably leaving them burnin;Lr, '""d I am surprised that more of the country is not Vnirned. (Jreat attention on this point stioukl be (,'iven to the Klondikers passing throu^th the country in the sprinj? when everythinm' •** ^^'T' I'o/icfi D'lai'hmf.uln. — 1 would recommend detiichmonts being staticmed at the following points : Lesser Slave I^ike, Sturgeon Lako am St. John's, if practieable, if not there at Dunvegan, with a Hying patrol on tln^ trails. 'J'his is in the event of the rush to the Klondike continuing. There is a trail I have hitherto neglected to mention, namely a fiack trail from Lesser Slave Lake to Dun\cgan, crossing the Fiig Smoky at the junction of it with the Little Smoky. This is a very .short route making the distance between these points one-half less than the route via Peace River liJinding. This trail is little used, running through heavy tindwr th