118 SANDFOED FLEMING ON 



banks of the Assiniboiue to Fort Ellice, theuco to Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt aud Edraou- 

 ton. Ou July 23rd, Sir G-eorge It-ft Edmoutou, taking a south-westoru course. He 

 crossed Battle River and Red Deer River and two brandies of Bow River. Ascending 

 by a tributary of the latter, he gained the height of land at the Kanauaskis pass iu 

 about 50° 30' latitude. Descending a tributary of the Kooteuay to the main river of 

 that name, the party directed its course to Kulispelm Lake, the source of Pend d'Oreille 

 River which was followed to the Columbia. 



At no great distance, south of the present boundary line, the then Hudson's Baj' 

 post of Fort Colville was situated. " Here then," writes Sir George, " terminated a long 

 and laborious journey of nearly two thousand miles ou horseback, across plains, moun- 

 tains, rivers aud forests. For six weeks and five days we had been constantly ridiug, or 

 at least as constantly as the strength of our horses would allow, from early dawn to sun- 

 set, aud we had, on au average, been in the saddle about eleven hours and a half a day. 

 From Red River to Edmonton, one day's work with another amounted to about fifty 

 miles, but from Edmonton to Colville, we more generally than otherwise fell short of forty." 



From Fort Colville, the Columbia was descended by canoe. The travellers passed the 

 Company's post of Okanagan aud reached Fort Vancouver. From Fort Vancouver, Sir 

 George crossed to Puget Sound, where, on September Gth, he embarked on board the 

 company's steamer the " Beaver," aud passed up the Strait of G-eorgia on a tour of in- 

 spection to the Avarions trading ports. He proceeded as far north as Sitka, aud reached the 

 quarters of the Russian America Company at New Archangel. He left on September 

 30th, and returned to Fort Vancouver, whence he travelled to San Francisco, Monterey 

 aud St. Barbara. The latter place he left on January 2*7th, to visit the Sandwich Islands. 

 He returned to Sitka, whence he took ship to continue his remarkable journey. In the 

 voyage he skirted Kamschatka to reach a more western point on the Asiatic coast. He 

 traversed Siberia to gain western Russia, and at St. Petersburg embarked for England. 

 This portion of his journey has no bearing upon his passage across the American conti- 

 nent, but it is worthy of mention as indicating the energy of character and tenacity of 

 purpose which characterized the mau. 



Period II. — From Oregon Treaty in 1846 to Confederation in 186Y. 



The Oregon Treaty of 1846, with the United States, and the passage of the Imperial 

 Act, establishing the Dominion of Canada, form epochs of great importance in the history 

 of the northern half of North America. 



The first for ever settled an international dispute which had existed for a quarter of 

 a century, and had awakened feelings on both sides of bitter hostility. It was a turning 

 point in the career of the Hudson's Bay Compauy ; the commencement of a series of events 

 owing to the influence of which the old regime was to pass away. The second was the 

 genesis of a new order of things. It gave birth to Canada as a Dominion, with a national 

 status and with a territory of semi-continental magnitude. 



The time which intervened between the Oregon Treaty and the establishment of the 

 Dominion by the British North America Act may be considered as a period of transition. 

 During these twenty-one years we have records of at least eight expeditions from the 



