EXPEDITIONS TO PACIFIC. 121 



Palliser started iu May for the Ibrkis of the South Saskatchewan and Eed Deer River, 

 and thence to the district near the U)iited States boundary. He crossed the mountains 

 by the Kootenay puss, followed Kootcnay IMver to Fort Shepherd and Fort Colville ; and 

 from Fort Shepherd he made excursions to the westward. On reaching Fort Colville, 

 Dr. Hector descended the Columbia to the sea. 



The reports of the Talliser expedition, presented to the hupeiial Parliament iu 1863, 

 furnish detailed uarratiA'es of the explorations undertaken by the several branches of the 

 survey, with maps showing- the routes followed from Lake Superior to the mountains and 

 likewise through the raouutaius. These docmueuts contain much scientific and general 

 information respecting the central prairie regions, and they throw light on an immense 

 territory previously but little known. The information furnished by this expedition 

 gives indication of the great agricultural and industrial possibilities of vast areas of the 

 interior of British North America. Captain Palliser's report is also remarkable for his 

 adverse recommendation to the British Government in respect to opening up the country 

 for settlement,' and for the positive opinion given by him as to the impracticability of 

 constructing a railway through British America to the Pacific. He considered that the 

 whole prairie region north of the 49th parallel was completely isolated and practically 

 unapproachable both from east and west.'^ 



(4) Jovrneij of Mr. M. Lawrin, 1860. 



Mr. M. Lawrin, an old miner, left the forks of Quesnelle, in the Cariboo country, on 

 August 15th. 1860, to cross the mountains to the east. His party consisted of four per- 

 sons besides himself, and they carried away with them |1,600 in value of the precious 

 metal from the Cariboo "diggings." The little party ascended Fraser Eiver by canoe 

 to its source at Yellow Head Lake. Abandoning the canoe as it could be of no further 

 service, they crossed the Rocky Mountain " divide " at the Yellow Head pass, to the 

 rivers Myette and Athabasca, following the latter to Jaspar House ; proceeding by the 

 trail they found their way to Edmonton and Fort Garry, and finally reached St. Paul, 

 on the Mississippi. 



(5) Journey of Dr. A. P. Reid and other», 1861. 



So far, Ave have had no record of any party or person, other than the officials and 

 explorers of the Hudson's Bay Company entering British Columbia by the Yellow Head or 

 Athabasca liasses. Immigrants, attracted by the gold discoveries, generally reached the 



■ " I therefore cannot recommend the Imperial Government to ronntenance or lend support to any scheme for 

 constructing or, it may be said, forcing a thoronglifaro Ijy tliis line of route either Ijy land or water, as there wmdd 

 be no immediate advantaae commenaurato with the required sacrifice of capital; nor can I advise such heavy 

 expenditure as would necessarily attend the construction of any exclusively British line of road between Canada 

 and Ked River settlement." Palliser's Report, p. (i. 



- " Still the knowledge of the country, on the whole, would never load me to advocate a line of communication 

 from Canada across the continent to the Pacific^ exclusively through British territory. The time has now for ever 

 gone by for effecting such an object, and the unfortunate choice of an astronomical boundary line has completely 

 isolated the Central American possessions of Great Britain from Canada in the east, and also almost debarred 

 them from any eligible access from the Pacific coast on the west." Ihid. p. G. 



Sec. II, 1889. 16. 



