246 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



we reached a beautiful little prairie, surrounded by 

 pine hills green almost to their summits, and over- 

 topped by lofty snow - clad peaks. One of these, 

 which has received the name of the Priest's Rock, 

 was of curious shape, its apex resembling the top of a 

 pyramid, and covered with snow. The prairie was 

 richly carpeted with flowers, and a rugged excrescence 

 upon it marked the site of the old Rocky Mountain 

 Fort, Henry's House. 



The track, leaving the valley of the Athabasca 

 at this point, turned towards the north-west, and 

 entered a narrow rocky ravine, the valley of 

 the river Myette. The stream was not more than 

 thirty yards in width, but deep and rapid, and its 

 bed beset with great rocks and boulders. The path 

 was obstructed by large stones and fallen timber, lying 

 so thickly that our two men were kept hard at work 

 all the afternoon, and the horses progressed only by 

 a succession of jumps. We made but a short distance 

 with great labour, and camped for the night on the 

 banks of the stream. 



Tor the whole of the next morning the road pre- 

 sented the same difficulties, and our advance was as 

 slow as on the preceding day. At mid-day we reached 

 the place where we were to cross the river, and pulled 

 up to make a raft. After crossing by this means, w^e 

 toiled on through a ravine so narrow, and where the 

 mountains came down so close to the water's edge, that, 

 in order to pass them, we were compelled to traverse 

 the stream no less than six times more before evening. 

 In each of these cases we crossed on horseback, the 



