248 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



high, on the one side, and a lofty mountain on the other. The former 

 derives its appellation from a French voyageur who climbed its summit 

 and sat smoking his pipe with his legs hanging over the fearful abyss." 



The first government expedition sent out from England to under- 

 take extensive explorations in the Northwest Territories was that 

 under the command of Capt. Palliser. James Hector, the geologist 

 of the expedition, made a winter journey to Jasper House (at the 

 outlet of Jasper lake of the present maps) in January, 1859. He 

 followed the Athabaska river from Fort Assiniboine, but returned in 

 March to Edmonton by the pack trail, the route now followed quite 

 closely by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. From his narrative 

 in the report of the expedition the following extracts and notes referring 

 to the geographical features are given. - 



"The great cubical block which forms the top of the mountain 

 (Roche Miette) ... is said to have been only once ascended 

 from the south by a hunter named Miette after whom it was named. 

 To the east of Roche Miette is a range of mountains known as Fiddle 

 Mountain and separated from it by a creek of the same name. 0\er- 

 hanging Lac a Brule is Bulrush mountain, and between it and Roche 

 Ronde which is next farthest to the west. Moose river flows to the 

 southeast." 



Names that are referred to as being well known at that time are, 

 Snake Indian river, Colin's range. Snaring river, after a tribe of 

 Indians, Miette House at the mouth of Miette river. Whirlpool 

 river, Roche de Smet and Pyramid mountain. The names that were 

 probably given by Hector are Roche Jacques and Roche Joe. Those 

 definitely given by him are Mount Tekarra, Mount Le Duc, Mount 

 Hardisty, Mount Kerkeslin, Mount Moberly, and Mount Christie. 



The first of the gold seekers from the Cariboo gold fields to return 

 through this route is given by Sir Sandford Fleming as M. Laurin and a 

 party of three others in 1860. They brought SI, 600 in gold via the 

 Yellowhead pass.'' 



In 1862 the gold excitement had spread to the eastern provinces, 

 or what was then Canada. A party from l^pper Canada numbering 

 over one hundred and fifty made their way through the Yellowhead 

 pass.'* Their trail was followed the next spring (1863) by Viscount 

 Milton and Dr. Cheadle, who after many hardships reached the 



1 Wanderings of an Artist among the Indians of North America from Canada 



to Vancouver Island and Oregon, 1859, p. 151. 



- Papers relative to the Exploration by Capt. Palliser, etc., London Ciovernment, 



1859. 



^ Journ. Royal Soc. Can., 1889. "Expeditions to the Pacific." 



* Overland to the Cariboo, Mrs. Margaret McNaughton, Toronto, 1896. 



