1892-93.] A MEMORABLE EPOCH IN CANADIAN HISTORY. 317 



to descend to the mouth of the supposed Columbia, and resolved to make 

 the effort to reach the sea by a land route. In order to find the Indian 

 trail which he learned would conduct him to the Pacific, the explorer 

 had to turn back and ascend the Tacoutche for some distance. Although 

 depressed at what he held to be a misfortune, this change of route led 

 to the accomplishment of his purpose and enabled him to reach the sea 

 in the space of sixteen days after leaving the main river. Mackenzie 

 again had adventures with the different Indian tribes ; he and his men 

 underwent much hardship, and from the state of their provisions were 

 placed on short allowance. The traveller, however, finally attained his 

 long cherished purpose, he reached the shores of the Pacific overland 

 from the Atlantic by a journey through the northern continent of such 

 extent that it must be counted by degrees of longitude. The whole 

 country he traversed is now embraced within the Dominion of Canada. 



Every page of Mackenzie's journal shows that his explorations were 

 not effected without constant toil and privation. The discouragements 

 arising from the difficulties and dangers he experienced, and they were 

 incessant, had no influence on his cool determination and dauntless spirit. 

 The many tedious and weary days of physical labour and mental strain, the 

 gloomy and inclement nights to w^hich he was constantly exposed, were 

 not, however, passed in vain ; he gained his great reward in the knowledge 

 that he had in the interest of his country attained the object of his long 

 premeditated design ; he had penetrated a vast continent for the most 

 part in a condition of wild nature ; he had overcome the obstacles 

 imposed by rapid rivers previously unknown, by rugged mountain ranges, 

 by distance, by intervening forests and by extremes of a variable climate. 

 From time to time obstacles presented themselves in the enmity of 

 hostile native tribes, who had never before looked upon the face of a 

 white man, but on the day he arrived at the Pacific coast he had the 

 unqualified satisfaction of feeling that his undertaking had been crowned 

 with complete success. His discoveries settled the dubious point of a 

 practicable north-west passage through the temperate zone ; he set at 

 rest forever this long agitated question with the disputes which had 

 arisen regarding it ; he added new regions to the realm of British 

 commerce, and in doing so extended the boundaries of geographical 

 science. He did much more, although the full effect of all he had 

 accomplished was unknown to him, we can now, however, attribute to the 

 enterprises to which Mackenzie's discoveries led, that the territory west 

 of the Rocky Mountains became a British province ; indeed it is proble- 

 matical whether in the absence of his discoveries any portion of that 

 country would at present constitute part of the Dominion of Canada. 



