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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmis en commengant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniire page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole -^ signifie "A SUIVRE ". le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film^s A des taux de reduction diffirents. Lorsqup le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film^ A partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, an prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 S 6 4 BRITISH COLUMBIA. OVERLAND COACH ROAD MINUTE OF THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF LANDS AND WORKS. 1868. NEW WESTMINSTER; PRINTED AT IDE GOVERNMENT rRISIINO OFFICE. 1808, n w^ I IP I MINUTE of tlio Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works on tiie subject of nil Overland Coach Road throu^di British Territory, between the Pacific Coast and Canada, comparing the merits of the various passes through the Kocky Mountains, and showing the extent of tliis road already built in British Columbia, and what remains to be done to complete it beyond the eastern boundary of the Colony to the head of steamboat navigation on the (Saskatchewan. Hut sixiM iit'tor the s'liiiilii'il by.sliii pros I.nri.K lias liitlierto boon done towanls tlio construi/tion of trails or roads across tlic l;iM-Uv Miiiiiitains iic'rtl' of the 40tli Parallel. 'I')i(' priiuitivc iiatlis tliroiijrli tlie various jiassos of tins Mountain Haiiirc. nriijiiKilly li-ii.-ki'd out by Indians and only kept upen Vfar by vcar by their travel ali)n,Lr tjicni. iiri' still the H()lo means ot eoini'nunieation lietween Jiritisli Columbia and tlie Nortli \V( st 'foriiton'. Some little "work was imleoil done, y<'ars iitjo, by the Hudson's Buy ('omiiany in (.peninir trails tbronuli tlie Leather anil .\tlialpas(a_ Passes, to tiicililate the passa.ue (iltlieir tiriirades, wliiili ai that time earrieil sn|iplies frdiu tlie depots east nt' the Kcickv Mountains to .lu.-pi'r's House, and tlienee V'stwards, by the Teto .laune ('aelii', down the Fraser liiver to the various [losts in the reirinii ol'eonntry now i'l. hilled in liiitisli Cnlmiiliia: «v s.iiiliiwiird. liy t!ie .Sllmlias.'ii I'liss. 1(i tii(! i;<];i; ijieuniinnenl, and ilciwn tl.o Cohiinbia to the posts in Wiisliin^itou and (_»_re;;oii. Coiniianv estalilislieil (losts at Kort \'ani(niver and \"ietoi'ia direct Irom Knirland, coinninnication by these jiasscs was discontinne'd, and lie trail-'. llironL'U tlici.i lapsed inio di.Mir-e. ai.d were soon in no better condition tlian before tl.ey were improved by the llui's.in liay Coinpany's (•inploves. At jiresent, except when travelled over by occasional |iarties of peetors or scientilic exjilorers, these, as well as all the other KocUy Mountain ill British Terrilory, are made use of by Indians only. Many of these jiasses are however, even in their priniitivo (-oiidilion, so easy o'f passie/e that horses carry heavy loads over them with facility; and throuirh the Vermillion Pass loaded ciirts have been driven on the natural roadway uiiiinproved bv labor. P.nt, 'altlioii'rii the work of Imildiiijr a road over the Kocky .Mountains has yet to lie eommeneed, much has already' been effected by this ColiMiy towards the (•onsuinination of the niiu'h desireii line of roail cominuniciition, tlironi,di liritish Territory, between the .'^ea Coast of P.ritish Cohimhia and Canada. In lact more than one-iaih\in co.st) of this wm-k within the limits of the Colony is now e(nii|dete. The Casc^ade Kanjre of Mounlains, the .'.'reat harrier lietweeii the Sea Coast of this Colony and its' interim' districts, which' presented a tiir iniu'e difliciilt en- irineei'imr obstacle to road-makinjr, and a distance of ho miles troni the latter jiost. These roads, eonslnictcd at a total (iwt of «!1,3 ;ii,i>l.') (ahoiit J.:27.''),OO0), of which amount the section from Vale to Savoii-i';' cost gH'S'hOOO (about i;i(i6,000>, are of a character very suporioi; to that of public roads in most young Counfries. end of Kamloops liake, troiii which place iminterruiited Hteam-noat naviirat e-tciidsthrouirh Kamloops I,alv(>rc(l willi ln'iikcii sloiio, wliero (us in most jpai'ts uiitni; tlie l-'iuscr and TlKiiMlifoii Jiivoi's) siuli inatiTia! in at liaiid, nr witli j;ravL'l well (iiiiil)irfd up iii tiiu iciitiv, witli ditciios on one or both fides w)iei'e i'ei|iiired. Witli the exceiition rit'soiiio sliort Jiildies as steep as one toot in ten. tlie sliai-pest inclines tliroiiirliont tiiis road are otdne loot in twelve, tije curves liciujr easy, and tiie bridjres and cnlverts snlislnntially Imill of timber. r.oads ot' seven ami I'iu'bt tons are lianlcd alonir tlicni iiy mnles or oxen, at an (iveraire dranifbl load of l.liOl litis, or l.IiUOIIis. to each team animal : and the Mail Coach drawn by six horses travels between Yale and Cariboo at the rate of nine miles an hour. Kroni the Cariboo terminus of tliis road, and IVcjui Savoua's, as well as from interniediati' points alouit the road, various routes may he traced to the ditl'crcnt jiusscs of the Kocky .Mountains. But bclore a Judicious selection can be made ol' the line tor a waiiirou road to the teiritory east ottlie liocky .Mountains, it will be necessary to determiMe by more exact and detailed euirineiriui; explorations and surveys than have yet bcin nuidc, which of these passes |iresenls the hast obstacli'S to the coiistructi(Mi and maintenance of a road ihroutrh it, as well iis the L'realest u' ailvanccd in anticipatiiui of the results of such a detailed survey as has just been suiij-'csti'd. The passes ihroUirh the Rocky Mounluins at ]ii'esent known from the reports of various ex|ilori'rs. commenciuir with the FiCatber I'ass, the most northei'ly iioint by which it would be pi'aeticahle for a road conncctinir the Kraser River ^'al!ev with the navii^ablc waters ot'tlu' Saskatchewan to cross this raujre, ami enumera- tinir thence southward to the 411th raralhl, are as follows, with their respective altitudes as tiir as thev have been reliablv determined bv actual observation: I. Leather I'ass ". Altituile ."..TOU feet. ± Athabasca , 7,nilO „ ;!. Jlow.sc's 4,.''.l)0 „ 4. Kicking' llor.se , r>,2l(^ „ .'■). Vermillion 4,!i():i '., • 1. Kanauaski ,, .'i,700 ,, 7. Crow's Nest — X. K'ooteuav fi.;!(IO „ II. Ronndary (l,i):JO „ Of these the .Vthabasi'a I'ass, althoUL'h otherwise very favorably situated, is so elevated, steep, and ruirii'cd as to ln' i|uitc impracticable for a coach road. The six last enumerated |iasses althonnh LCenerally easy of |iassau:<', and in other res|)eets available for road ccunmunication, arc too far south for the ]iurposi' of such a line of councctiou between the si-a-coast of liritish CobMnbia ami the Canadas as is now under consideration, if having been determined by actual siirvey that m> iiracticabic route exists fiU' a road throui;h the three parallel raui;(s of luountains lyiiiii between the Lower Fraser Valley and the Ro(4ihility from the west coast, very disiidvanta<.'c(Uis when compared with that of Ilowse I'ass. liut they are still more ineli.Liibly iilaccil in resjiect to the approti(4ies to them from the eastward; for these p:isscs all debouch to the east into valleys, the waters of whii-li are tributary to the South Saskatchewan, ]iassine' thr(Uij;h a rejrion of couutry beset with ]iredatory Iudi:ins, and sterile an) to tiiko ii(lviiiitiii;() to tlio utmoHt of tlio long extent of navigable water (if tliat river. Kroiii siieli iioiiit, however, tlie Hoiitliorn ]in' miles to .ras[ier's House, at the eastern outlet of the ]iasH. The total lcii'.;th of this pass is thus about liiO miles, in which distance no L'l'eat obstacles to the <'oustructi(Ui of a road arc presented by the natural formation of the i;rouud, the chief dillicultics lieini(the swampy nature of the soil in places, and the frcipient crossiiiLrs of niouutain streanis. From -laspcr's House to Foi't KdmiMitou, the distance by the present line of travel is about J.'iO miles, Ibrouiih a rollinj; country jrradually ilesccudiiijr to the F^ist, but in vreat part swampy, very delicient in i^rass (U' otlu r feed for stoiU, and oH'criii'.; but little induccuient for settlement. The distance frcuii .las|ier's Jloiise to the iiaviLiablc wati'r of the Saskatchewan may, however, be reduced to about KiO miles, by iidoptinii;a line intii'sectiiiir that river at the Juucticui with it of lirazeau Kiver. This line would pass through a country materially the same as that between .laspcr's House anil F.diuouton, an 1 on which the chief rciad makiiij;; diHicullies W(Uil(l be the i.q'eat exti'Ut of swamps to be passc(l throiie'li. Tlie whole distance from Tete .laune Caelie to stcanilmat naviLration on tlu! Saskatchewan thus appears to be JHO miles, and the cost ol'cou-truclin^' this lciij;tli ol'road, of the <-liaraeter of those above dcsci'ibed already built in this Colony, may be approximately estimated at .SlJoO.OflO From Tete .laune Cache the Fraser Kiver is stateil to be navij;aiile for steamers with some three or four interruptiiuis where falls and rapids occur, necc-sitatiue; ]iortii,;;es at these imints, to (inesnelmoiitb, SM miles from ^'ale, on the coaeli road lietweeii Yale anil Cameronton. The information obtained from jiersons who have travelled aloni; this portiiui of the Fraser in canm's is too iiieoiu|ilete and waiitiiiLT in detail to foriii the basis of any Just estimate of its facilities for steamboat navisratiou; eiiouirh is kuowii, how- ever, to wai'ran* the coneluslon that the impediments to i!avij.'ation will mi jiraetical investiLMtion be found far more numerous and seriruis than they are imw sup|:os<'d to be by those who favour this line of rmite. At all events it is certain that this loiiLT line of water cari'iaL''e. even if ]iracticablc at any time, can be made a\ailable only f(U' a shoi't period durinu' the summer and autumn: and as the construction of a road aloiiLT tlu' Fraser from (Jiicsnelmouth to Tete .laune Cache is out of the (piestion, not only on ai iiiit of the distance between these )i(iints {i):]*> milesi, but especially because of the numerous steep and rneircd blull's which oppose the jiassaije ofa road alonir tin banks of the river, if is exideiit that the I'pper Fraser can 11 III be depended on as a iicrmaiient route of communication across the eont incut. The distance fi-om Tete .laune Cache to Cameronton (nearly din> west), the terminus oftli" coach road from ^'ale, is not more fhaii .*^0 miles as t!ie crow flies, audit would therefore appear at first iilance a mailer of course that an overland route throue'b the Leather I'ass should be built by this route. J?ut the interveiiin,:^ space is a sea of biiili ruusred mountains, so broken up into dei'p valleys and steep ridircs that I'rom present iiifoi'iiiatiiin il seems impossible to eonnecl the two)ioiuts by a road of praelicable curves and lii'adicnts, and we have thcri'fore to seek in some other direction lor a line of road between Tete .Jaiiiie Cache and the Lower Fraser. The most iiracticable route t'or such a road a]i|icars to be by a line runniiii,' ihie south from "the Caebe," across the ujipcr watci's of Canoe liixcr (which falls into t'le C'olumbia at the lioat I'lncaiiipmcnt I, over the rliviih' (about :.'MJO feet above the sea level), Ik twi'cn that stream and tiie Xnrib Thompson, and down the \alk'y of the latter river by Fort Kamloops, to a junction with the present terminus of the eoach road at Savoua's. The distance t'rom Tete .laune Cache to Savoua's by this route is 2;!;") miles, till' last 1:!0 miles orwliieh run tlirouuh an open or liirbtly timbered bunch L'rass eounlry aloni; the banks of the Xorlh Thompson River and Kamloops Lake, which are navii;able for steamers throujihout this (listance, and on which waters ■^ 4 OVKliI,.\NI) COACH l!(»AI». in Ihi'l II bii)i>liiiiliiil mill |iiiu ci'l'iil Sti'iiiiilioiii nl' l!iiii imis Imnlcii, Imill l>v ilii' IIihIhiiII lillV CnlllpllMV, IS HOW |llviMLr. 'I'lic ii|i|M'r pniiiiiii iiflliis riiiid lu'twcrn llir Cncln' iiiul llic (i|irii (■(iiiiitrv (Hi ill'.' Ijowcr 'l"li()iii]i^'(iii (11 ili>liiii((' (if 10") iiiilcsi, udiild piiHH tlii'diiijli II dense I'nrest iiidst oltlie wny, lull mi liii.'-ji (ir slei'|i snniiiiils Imve In lie cnissed, mil' iiiiy scrimis eiiL'ilie riiii.' (ilislucKs cncdiinli red. The ('list ill' a I'dild lictweeli '{"etc .liilllie Caelie illld SiiVdlui's liiiiv IliereI'dl'e lie safely esliinated lit mil more lliaii ,S-ln(l,(i(IO. Tliere may exist nnites (as siniie persdiis liave slated) linineliin.ir fnun tlic line jiisl deserilied, liy way (if the Weiinvurlli nr tlie Clearwiiter triliiitiiries cf the 'riidlii|isdii. and ilitel'seetiiii; tlie jiresenl eiiacli riiad siniiewliere aliiiiit Lake l.ii llaelie ("JIO miles fruiii ^'ali'). I'lit the advanlajres whieli either of siieli de\ialidns would (itler in any res|ieet dver llie i-niile Just deserilied In Sa\onii's are, to say llie least, extremely ddillitfnl, whilst on the oiIkt liiiiid their disadvantajres are olivimis eiioiiLdi, of which it will be siiftieieiit to spceifv one, namely: that, whilst these routes must cross over to Lake I, a Ilaelie ihroiiLrh a district ircnerally roiiiih and limhered, and much iiit"rseeted hy swamps, the line to Savoiia's passes iiliiio>| 1 ntirely ihroiiuh a nearly level prairie eoiinlry. Ill referenc.' to tliis route from Tete .laiiiie Cache to Savona's, it slioiiM also he liientioned llial hesides the cdiiliiiiiiius liaviL'alidii friim Savona's e.\tendiiiir theiiee 1211 miles lip til.' N'orlli 'IMioinpson as hefor.' deserilied, there are stretches of navii;alile water ol' soiii ' .'ii) miles in extent on the iipjier portion of this I'iver, which Udiild he found of i;-reat avail hiith in the ediislriielidii of the road and in assisrniir trallic aloiii;- it. It niiiy llierefore h.' assumed thai shoiihl a road froni the Xiirlli West Terrilory cross the Kocky .Moiinlaiiis by the Leather I'liss, it would I'olhiw this roiil.' ddwii ihe Thoiiipson to Savona's. In r. acli tlie F.dwcr Fiaser: and takini; ''I'ale as the wcsti rn, and thejlinelioii of the l>ra/.i an liiver u illi the N'orlh Saskatchewan as the eastern terininus, the distances hy this line, and |irohalile eosi of const rncliM^- aloii.;;' it a eoaeli road of a similar character to that already huilt in tliis Colony may lie thus recapitulated: I Of wliicli KsiiiiiiiU'il DistllllCO. ! St('llllllie;lt (".St (if niivi":iti(iii. : lioml. Vale til .''Livo'ia's Ti.! uiik'S. None. iilnii'y iiiiulc ' lit !i eiiM fit" I ! j'n:;u,ihiii. Suviiiim's to Te'o .faiiiie f'aclip lilia miles. ,i:!n it riOiiii- 84li(i,lJ0(l. TetL' Jiiuno Ciiclic to iiimitli (if linizuau Itivur ^d>'f^ liillcs. Xeiie. [Us SO.'id.UUd. Tdtal (UK miles. llHO miles. iSLOfiO.OOO Of this line 305 miles remain to liti built within the limit.s of this Colony, at an estimated cost of $010,000. IIhWsk's 1'ass Uiiitk; — ]{(ieky Mountain House (3200 feet above the sea level) in Latitude ">2^ 20' north, Lonjritnde 11.')° 10' west, and sixty miles up stream from the mouth of JJriizeaii liiver, may be taken as virtually the eastern terminus of the route by way of llowse's Fuss, as from that ]i(iiiit the Saskatchewan is naviirable for stern wheel steamers of liirht draiiLrht tliroiiii'lioiit its entire course to the (ireat ivapids, 12 niih's from its eiiiboucliiire into ].iake Winnipeir: and I'roin thence also the country eastward is so open, and descends in so i^radiial and even a plain to Fort (jarry, that a road may Vie led across it in any direction, with but little ex]ieiise. The line of this route w.nild follow up the Saskatchewan to its source, and cross the -watershed 14,5 miles from Kocky Mountain House, at an elevation of4,")00 feet (740 feet hifjher than the summit of the Leather Pass). Li this distance the only material ensrinecrinjr difliciilties occur in tlio last 20 miles, alonj; parts of which the road wdiild recpiire to be iiroteeted from tlie force of the mountain torrents, wliieli at certain seasons iniiudato the river valley. The crossing of'tlu^ divide by this ]iiiss, in Latitiido i')l° 00' North, is stated hy Dr. Hector to be very easy, indeed almost im|ierce|itible, and he had but little (lifficulty in taking his loaded luick-liorses thronirli to the Columbia, altlmugli no trail now exists tlirougli this pass, that formerly used by the Xorlh-west Kur Compuiiy having long since become overgrown and obliterated. The descent towards the ('olnmbia, although less gradual than the ascent on the en tern slope, is described as by no means preeijiitoiis or broken, but iiuito praeticnblo for n road. The distance from the Ruinmit to the Columbia at the nioutli of lilae- lierry Kiver is about 30 miles, and the only obstructions noted by Dr. Ileetor iu ()VF,1!I,.\NI) COACH li(i.\l». r. \\i]a .^l•l■li(lll wcri' llic lioavy liircsl Irrc.-i iiml dciisi' iiiid ■ri.'rdWili niiil I'lllcii limlicr wliicli rc'liilfic'il till' ]iiis-ii;;i' dI' liis ln.rsi's vi'iT lc(li(piis. 'I'lii' ciilii'o (TwlMiH'c IViPiii Itocky MiiMiitiiii] lldiisc Id tlic Ciiliiiiiliiii is l".") milt'.-', iiliil tli(! 'Mist (if cdi 1st nil ■till;.' I Ills M'clidii dC i-diiil limy Iw set iIipWII lit 8:i(IU,000. Till' ilistiiiH'c iVdiii liliiclirny liiviT ilduri llic ( 'dlmiiliiii td 'I'lic IJIdy, (in l,iititiiilc .".1"^ WY X., I.diiiritiiiltr iilidiit'lIH" ;i()' \V,), lit till' ciistiTii end df I'lic Mmrlc I'uss lliiMi|i,'li tlic (idld Kiiiij,'!', wliiili diviili's tin' Cdliiiiiliiii X'liiii'y IVnin ( Iroat Sliii^Wiip i.iilliaiineil hv a hridu'i' df iidt nidi-e than l.'iO I'ei't in leiiirlh. The eiist dl'siieii a mad IniiM ItlaelieriT liiver tn thc> Kajrie I'liss has lieeii (-timated at ^412,00(1. .Mr. Mdherly re|idrts hnvvever that this pdi'tidn nl the Cdhunliii'. Kivir did not at tlie HCasdti when lie examined it (Se|itemlier) a|i|iear tii liim Sd availahle for Steam- liiiat navijjatidii as liad heen Mi|i|idsed. 'I'lie .'^teanier "Kdrty-iiiiie" miw ]ilies lietwoen Colville in Wa-hinj^tun Terrildi'v and Death lia|iids 40 miles ahdve the l'',ai;h' I'ass; and almve Death liapids tlie river isaL'ain iiaviLrahle tn the iieii.dihdnr- h 1 dl' The liiiat l']neain|imc'iit, a distance dl'40 miles nrire. lint alidve this |idiiit tliere are several rapids wliirh .Mi'. Mulierly e.insidered i|iiito impassidili' hy Steamers, and whieh wimld thereliire render I'lirlher idiitiniidii.s navij^atidii heldw the mmith dt' ISIaelierry liiver inipraetiedile. The Ka^le I'ass was disenvered in IHli') hy Mr. .Mdherly, and has lieeii snlisei|iiently sMi'Voyed liy (idveninient, and a line dl'rii.id marked mif thrdiiL'li it. I'l'c'vidii.s' t(i .Mr. Mdlierly's diseovcry nf this pass, it had heeli siippoved that tlip (iiild Haiiije was a continiidiis chain (if liii.di Minintains, dp]id-ini.' an insu|icralik' harrier to any mad helween the Cdhimhia and Krasi'i- liiver N'alleys. The sMinniit (if Kairle I'ass is hnwever duly i^Hil t'eel iilidve hi:;h-wator ill the Cdlnmliia liiver, and 4o7 feet ahcive the level (if ( Jreat Sliu.-wap Lake, and the snow disap|iears fmni it in the heirinninj; nf .\pril. Kmni the Cdlnnihia liiver In the point where the Kajrle liiver empties inln (ireat Shiiswap Lake is a dislaiieo nf 37 miles, over wliicii a mad can he made fur alimit .*H(l,(liiO. Kmm this point tlierois as hefore mentioned iininterriiptcd Sieam-hoat navij.'alion llo miles to Savona'.s, and steainers may also run ti or 8 miles up I'^iijle liiver. To cdiitiinie this mute hy land hdwever to Savoiia's, the line of road would leave the Kajile Uiver Valley at "the Three N'alley Lake Cln miles t'mm the Cdliimhia), and run nearly due Smith thmnjrh a wide irrassv valley across a low divide to the head waters of the Spilleineechene or Sliii:-wap liiver, which il wmild fdllow (hiwii jiast the nioiitli of Cherry Creek to a point ahoiit "0 niih's from the ('iiliinihia. riienee leavinj; the Shuswap it would run thrdiiirh a district dfdpeii pi'airie and sparsely timhered land, ahdiindinj; in rich pasturaire, and aldiij; which are scattered several farininj; settlements, hy a cunrse ahoiit west, 2!) miles tn the head of Okanajjan Lake, and then 45 miles imrlh-west to the South Thoiiipson, and down the southern hanks of that river, and of Kamloops Lake, 40 miles thmnjrh an open ijrass country, very easy to make a road over, to Savona's. The distances liy this route, and the estimated cost of ediistnietiii!; a road hy it, are therefore as follow.s: — Yule to Savona's., Of which are! ("oat of DiBtnnco. i nuvi};able constructing by Steamer. 133 miles. None. Savona's to the Columbia River at "The KdJy" .Vlong the Valley of the Columbia River, to the mouth of the Hlueberry River l''rom the (Columbia Rivcratthe mouth of Ulaeberry River, to the Uneky Mountain House, head of navigation on North Saskatchewan Total from Yale to Rocky Mountain House 180 miles. Hi.-. „ 175 miles. 110 miles. 80 miles. None. O.'j:! miles. 1 'JO miles. a road. alrea'y made at a cost of 8830,000. 240,000 412,000 360,000 81,01'.',0U0 Of tlii.s line 375 miles lie within the limits of this Colony, a rond for whieh dis. tance would cost ^722,000. It tlius appear.s that tliere is very little difference in the di.stances hy these two routes between the head of navigatidii on the lower Fraser, and the navifrahlo waters of the North Saskatchewan, and that the expense of eoniiectiiig these two points l)y road is materially the siiiiie by either route. The choice between them n OVMfLAN'I) COAfrr ItOAt). niUHt tliiTC'tort' iU'|ii'iiil (HI iiinri' Lrciicnil ciiiisiiliTMlin \^, in ivsni'd nf wliicli tlicir rival merit-" ran diily lie ilclci'inincd al'lt'i' iimrt' I'xacI ciiiinirv lia-< tifcii iiiailc, ami t'lilini' iiit'ormalidii ulitaiin'il, and uh to wliirli it wmilil llicivtore lio ju-onnitiu'c to liazani any conjfcliii'o at pi'i'-cnt. Alllicmtrli in tin' liircifninL,' rcniark-" lln> I