220 CAPT. J. PALLISER— ROYAL AWARDS. [May 23, 1859. 



Along and rapid winter journey, with sledges and dogs, from 

 Fort Carlton, by Forts Pitt and Edmonton, to Mountain House, on 

 the eastern flank of the Eocky Mountains, was accomplished by 

 Dr. Hector to procure men and horses, and during which he obtained 

 valuable preliminary information. Numerous astronomical and 

 physical observations were made by Dr. Hector and Mr. Sullivan 

 at Fort Carlton ; the former of these sending home a clear sketch 

 of the geological structure of the vast region of the Prairie country, 

 with its horizontal strata of cretaceous and tertiary formations, 

 as contrasted with the rocky eastern country traversed by the canoe 

 route between Lakes Superior and Winnipeg. In the same period, 

 Lieutenant (now Captain) Blakiston made, as we are informed by 

 General Sabine, many important observations in Terrestrial Mag- 

 netism. 



In the last summer — leaving Fort Carlton, and approaching the 

 Rocky Mountains midway between the north and south branches 

 of the Saskatchewan — Captain Palliser divided his force into three 

 parties. Accompanied by Mr. Sullivan, he traversed the Eocky 

 Mountains himself by the Kananaski Pass to the south of Old Bow 

 Fort, the summit level of the route being fixed at 5985 feet above 

 the sea. Eeaching the drainage of the Pacific, he descended the 

 Kutanie Eiver till he met with north-flowing lakes, which are 

 the real sources of the great Columbia ; and thence, following the 

 Kutanie Eiver southward along the Tobacco Plains to near the 

 American boundary, he recrossed the chain by the Kutanie Pass, 

 nearly 6000 feet above the sea, in lat. 49° 30'. Captain Blakiston, 

 also (as since reported), traversed and levelled this pass, which is 

 in British territory, and returned to the plains of the Saskatchewan 

 by the Boundary Pass, the greater part of which is in American 

 territory. 



Whilst M. Bourgeau remained to collect plants in a favourable 

 spot amid the Eocky Mountains, in lat. 51°, Dr. Hector traversed 

 the chain by the Vermilion Pass, in 51° 10', emerging into the 

 Pacific drainage on the banks of the Kutanie Eiver. The height of 

 this pass was determined to be 4944 feet, and it is therefore much 

 lower than the other passes, which were examined. Thread- 

 ing his way to the north around two lofty mountains, which he 

 named Mount Goodsir and Mount Yaux, he travelled over high 

 land to the N.N.W. until he passed round the flanks of the highest 

 mountain in this part of the range, 15,789 feet high, in lat. 52°, 

 which he named Mount Murchison ; and then following the north 



