242 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



at the head of the Saskatchewan river. There was a great advantage 

 in this, in that it shortened the land route to their posts on the lower 

 Columbia river, although they probably followed the routes previously 

 used by the Kootenay. 



About 1810 the Piegans who had been advancing arguments 

 against the trade to the west determined to forestall a war of retri- 

 bution for their depredations against the western Indians, probably 

 the Flatheads, by forcibly closing the route. As the brigade from 

 Rocky Mountain house, bound through Howse pass, were warned 

 in time they returned safely to the establishment on the Saskatchewan. 

 To test a rumour that a party of freemen under J. Henry had found 

 a pass by the Athabaska, David Thompson volunteered to make the 

 search. With few men and late in the fall he made his way across 

 country to the Athabaska, through the snows of the Athabaska 

 pass he forced his way and reached the Columbia at the big bend 

 just before Christmas. A temporary shelter was here built and pos- 

 sibly by trapping he lived the winter. In the spring he built a canoe 

 and explored some of the upper part of the Columbia, or as far as the 

 Blaeberry, from which the route to the Columbia was known. He 

 then continued on to the mouth of the Columbia arriving according 

 to Ross Cox with nine men. His return was by the Columbia river 

 which he explored to the place of his encampment for the winter of 

 1810-11. He thus provided a new route to the southern trading 

 posts. 



The encampment and the construction of the canoe are com- 

 memorated in the names "Canoe" river and "Boat Encampment" 

 at its mouth. 



In the fall of 1811 returning eastward he records the camp of 

 Wm. Henry as being situated in lat. 52° 53' 24", long. 118.35. This 

 trader was no doubt left behind from his party to establish a post 

 on the new route, as on Thompson's return in May, 1812, Henry 

 had built a house recorded as being in lat. 52° 55' 16". This is no 

 doubt the Henry House referred to by subsequent writers as being 

 near the mouth of Miette river or near the present town of Jasper. 



Packets or brigades probably passed through frequently, but of 

 those who have contributed some account of their journeys, the follow- 

 ing will be cited : 



In 1814 a brigade of ten canoes left the headquarters post on the 

 Columbia for the east. Some were journeying to other posts in New 

 Caledonia. The party is said to have consisted of John McDonald 

 of Garth, Gabriel Franchere, A. Stuart, David Stuart, D. McKenzie, J. 

 McDonald, D. McGillis, J. Clarke, John George McTavish,W. Wallace, 

 B. Pillet and John Reed. Alexander Ross in the "Fur Traders of the 



