362 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



"gumboots" — long boots of India-rubber, used by 

 tlie miners for working in the water — wliicli liad 

 been cast away by the road-side, and substituting 

 tbese for our cumbrous riding-boots, struggled 

 on less painfully afterwards. The trail, gradually 

 ascending, passed along the sides of pine-clad hills 

 closely packed together, and separated only by the 

 narrowest ravines ; we had indeed entered the same 

 region of mountain and forest which we had formerly 

 encountered on the upper part of the JN^orth Thomp- 

 son. By the road-side lay the dead bodies of horses 

 and mules, some standing as they had died, still 

 stuck fast in the deep, tenacious mud. We passed a 

 score of them in one day in full view ; and hundreds, 

 which had turned aside to die, lay hidden in the 

 forest which shut in the trail so closely. Martens 

 and wood-partridges were numerous, and a tall 

 Yankee, from the State of Maine, who had joined 

 our company, greatly distinguished himself, knock- 

 ing them over with his revolver from the tops of 

 the high pines in a manner which astonished us. 

 As we approached William's Creek, the ascent 

 became more rapid and the snow deeper, for the 

 frost at this height had been unbroken. 



On the evening of the third day's march 

 we reached Eichfield, sixty-five miles from the 

 Mouth of Quesnelle ; but, acting on the advice of 

 our friend from Maine, walked on through Barker- 

 ville to Cameron Town, lower down the same creek, 

 where the richest mines were being at this time 

 worked. It was already dark, and we had a rough 



