244 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



gested by the fact that one of the passengers was Jos. McGillivray, 

 a son. Coming to Henry House they speak of it as Old Fort as it 

 was a hunting lodge for trappers, but owing to the scarcity of pro- 

 visions was abandoned. The climb at Roche Miette (Le Rocher de 

 Miette) occupied them from eleven till half past two where they 

 remained an hour to rest. They passed on and camped near the 

 head of the lower lake, and on the morning of May 6th they came 

 "opposite Rocky Mountain House which is built on the western 

 shore of the second lake. A canoe was immediately despatched for 

 us and we crossed over. This building was a miserable concern of 

 rough logs, with three apartments, but scrupulously clean inside. 

 An old clerk, Mr. Jasper Hawes, was in charge and had under his 

 command two Canadians, two Iroquois and three hunters. Its 

 lat. is 53^ 18' 40" north. "i 



The year 1821 is remembered as the date of the amalgamation 

 of the two great Fur Companies, the North West Company and the 

 Hudson's Bay Company. The united company retained the name 

 "Hudson's Bay Company." The first officer sent in was John 

 McLeod. He set out with his wife and two children and crossed 

 Athabaska pass in 1822. With them it is presumed that Mr. Annance 

 was sent as an explorer for the North Thompson country, and possibly 

 Mr. Wark was also sent as a trader as he appears to have been later 

 on the Columbia. It is quite possible, however, that these men went 

 by the Peace River route. John McLeod remained until 1826 sending 

 his wife in company with Mrs. Alexander Ross out in the fall of 1825 

 as far as Jasper House, where they remained till May 5th, 1826, 

 joining the brigade going east. Governor, later Sir George Simpson, 

 in the spring of 1825 returned east by way of the Athabaska pass. 

 The account of this trip is given by Alexander Ross who accompanied 

 the express. They crossed the Athabaska pass in the snow and the 

 small lake at the summit was then named "The Committee's Punch 

 Bowl" in honour of the Governor. They were met by two servants 

 of the company with horses to carry them to Rocky Mountain House 

 which seems to have been the old Henry House. This post was under 

 the charge of Ross' old friend of the Columbia, Joseph Felix Larocque, 

 probably the one spoken of by Ross Cox as coming with John George 

 McTavish and sixteen men to complete the purchase of the Pacific 

 Fur Company in 1813. The Governor's party then took canoes to 

 descend the Athabaska. 



"Starting at an early hour we passed through the first lake and 

 found at the end of the second another establishment, named Jasper 



' Adventures on Columbia River, by Ross Cox, Vol. II, p. 205. 



