View north from the high banlts of the Peace River at Fort St. John, showing the islands at a stage 

 of low water in the river. In tliree hundred miles there are some two hundred islands wooded with 

 spruce and pine 



ALONG PEACE RIVER 



By Pliny E. Goddard 



THE Peace River was first brought 

 to the notice of the world by 

 Alexander Mackenzie. Not 

 satisfied with following to the Arctic 

 Ocean the river which bears his name, he 

 went up the Peace River, crossed the 

 Rocky Mountains and made his way to 

 the Pacific Ocean which he reached in 

 September, 1793. The previous winter 

 he had spent at Fort MacLeod, built for 

 his convenience and afterwards contin- 

 ued as a trading post. Fort MacLeod is 

 located on the north side of Peace River 

 six miles above Peace River Crossing 

 and nearly opposite the mouth of Smoky 

 River. From that time until 1879 trade 

 goods were brought to Fort MacLeod 

 from Montreal or York Factory on 

 Hudson Bay in canoes or York boats. 

 In 1878 however, a road was cut from 

 Lesser Slave Lake to Peace River Cross- 

 ing, a distance of ninety miles, and the 

 trade route was changed. The goods 

 were taken up the north branch of the 

 Saskatchewan River on steamers to 



Edmonton, then by Red River carts 

 drawn by oxen to Athabasca Landing, 



The Museum expedition visited Ft. Vermil- 

 ion, then proceeded upstream to Ft. St. John, be- 

 fore returning to Edmonton en route for the East 



25a 



