Camp of Dunvegan band of Beaver Indians. Here can be seen the last stages of the hunting life, 

 which is now gi\"ing way to agriculture because of the inroads of white ci\ilization 



ninety miles of small poplar timber along 

 the trade road from Lesser Slave Lake 

 to Peace River Crossing. Really the 

 time should have been filled with thanks- 

 giving, for it was the last speedy and not 

 too imcomfortable trip to be made across 

 this same portage for several months. 

 Peace River Crossing did show signs of 

 growth. But that "was n't too bad" as 

 they say in the North. L'ndoubtedly 

 the best part of it was that the " Gren- 

 fell," the little river boat that was to take 

 us downstream, had steam up and dinner 

 cooked when we arrived. About two 

 that afternoon we crossed the Peace 

 and took on several cords of wood. 



^Yith a whistle to jeer at the Company's 

 boat Avhich had expected to pull out be- 

 fore us and did not, we moved down- 

 stream. 



The little "Grenfell" could make 

 about fourteen miles, and the river itself 

 was making eight because the water was 

 very high. It was liquid mud carrying 

 driftwood and logs — even whole trees. 

 The sun slowly moved from south to 

 west, from west to northwest, and then 

 was hidden behind the river banks. 

 That it had set we could not be certain 

 for there was plenty of light until about 

 eleven o'clock when we tied up to the 

 banks so the engineer could sleep. 



Fort VerniiUon trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company, said to be the best stocked post in 

 the North. Here a grist mill was maintained which also for many years furnished power for electric 

 lights 



256 



