252 THE WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER YUKON 



possessed by the other rivers. It flows through the hunt- 

 ing territory of the Pelly Indians. 



Four years before I arrived at Nahanni House two 

 French Canadians, Cassat and Dumas, had ascended the 

 river to a point just above Prevost Canon, where they con- 

 structed a cabin and passed the winter trapping. The 

 following year Lewis and his partner ascended a short 

 distance, but returned. At the same time, two other trap- 

 pers continued still farther and trapped through the win- 

 ter, while the same two Frenchmen trapped up the East 

 Branch, later called the Prevost River. A Russian went 

 up to the first lake and trapped that same winter. The 

 following winter Lewis and his partner trapped at Lewis 

 Lake, while La Croix and Prevost trapped on the Prevost 

 River. The winter before my arrival at Nahanni House, 

 a trapper had trapped around Lewis Lake. According 

 to information given to me by Lewis, these were the only 

 white men who had ever ascended the river. No informa- 

 tion about it had been brought to the outside world, and 

 I was about to explore new territory. 



Two years after my trip, Joseph Keele, of the Cana- 

 dian Geological Survey, was detailed to explore the moun- 

 tain region between the upper Pelly and Mackenzie Rivers. 

 After spending the summer of 1907 in ascending the Pelly 

 River to a point one hundred and forty miles above its 

 confluence with Ross River, he returned and ascended the 

 Ross River, wintered on Sheldon Lake, and in the spring 

 crossed the divide, conveying his canoe and equipment 

 by means of dog sleds to a navigable point on the Gravel 

 River. When the ice went out later, he descended to the 



