TORONTO TO ATHABASCA LANDING. 



15 



freighted down as far as Lake Athabasca by the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company, had not yet gone, but were already 

 being baled up for shipment. The completion of this 

 work, which was done under the supervision of my 

 brother and myself, together with the making up of 

 accounts and transaction of other business, occupied 

 several days. But by the morning of the 27th of May 

 our entire outfit, loaded upon waggons, set off on the 

 northward trail leading to Atha- 

 basca Landing, a small trading- 

 post situated one hundred miles 

 distant on the banks of the 

 great Athabasca River. 



Two days later, being Mon- 

 day morning, my brother and I, 

 accompanied by a driver only, 

 started out in a light vehicle in 

 rear of the outfit. The weather 

 was showery, and the trail in 

 many places very soft. Occa- 

 sionally deep mud-holes were 

 encountered, bearing evidence 

 of the recent struggles of the 

 teams of our advance party, but 



as we were travelling " light," we had little difficulty 

 in making good progress. Later in the day the weather 

 cleared, permitting us to enjoy a view of the beautiful 

 country through which we were passing. As to the 

 soil, it was chiefly a rich black loam, well covered, 

 even at this early season, between the clumps of pop- 

 lar scrub, by rich prairie grass. A few settlers were 

 already in the field, and had just built or were building 



A H. B. C. INTERPRETER. 



