54 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



and therefore the traveller must continuously ascend or descend 

 these elevations, many of which are so steep as to render travel 

 extremely difficult. 



My party made two trips northward from the Stickine into the 

 mountains, three to the south, and also followed the general course 

 of the stream nearly to its source. Returning, we penetrated the 

 Cassiar Mountains to the north of the Tanzilla, an important tribu- 

 tary of the Stickine. On all such side trips into the mountains, 

 packs containing food, blankets, and necessary supplies must be 

 carried, the weight of which must be determined by the distance 

 to be travelled, and the time occupied in making the trip. Not 

 infrequently the traveller's necessities burden him with a weight 

 oi loo pounds. 



From the head of navigation on the Stickine we transported 

 our supplies on pack horses to the head of Dease Lake, a distance 

 of 75 miles, from which point they were boated across the Lake, 

 24 miles. From thence we went down Dease River, the outlet 

 of the lake, 170 miles to the Liard River, and down the Liard 85 

 miles to the mouth of Black River, the end of open water naviga- 

 tion on the Liard until after Hell Gate is passed, a distance of no 

 miles from Black River. At that point winter overtook us. 



During the winter the only dogs available for my use were 

 kindly supplied by Mr. W. S. Simpson, who was trading in furs 

 at this place. With the aid of the dogs we made an interesting 

 trip on the ice up Black River in December, and in January 

 sleighed our heaviest supplies down the Liard to Hell Gate and 

 returned. 



During February and March the snow was so deep as to render 

 travelling next to impossible. During this period my help be- 

 came discouraged at further travel toward the north, and left me. 

 By the greatest effort I secured the help of one Indian and his 

 team of dogs. I managed to purchase one excellent animal, but 

 could get no more. With these dogs we sleighed the remnants 

 of my outfit down to Hell Gate the first of April. The ice was 

 badly broken, and heaved out of its shapely plane into very un- 

 sightly masses, with water almost everywhere covering the lower 

 levels, through which we were compelled to wade for hours. 



My Indian would not remain with me at Hell Gate, and I was 

 left alone with my equipage among the worst lot of Indians known 

 to the entire country. I could have proceeded on the ice to Fort 



