m& 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



From the Pacific to Hudson's Bay. 



from port simpson to the pine river pass — the harbour of 

 port simpson — the valley of the skeena — the forks of 

 the skeena — lakes babine, stewart, mcleod, etc. — the 

 pine river pass — temperature — railway advantages — 

 resources, etc. 



tLREADY in this volume the reader has been given an 

 account of an Expedition from Halifax to the western 

 shores of Hudson's Bay, via the Labrador and Hudson 

 Strait. This is now known as the Canadian Government 

 Hudson's Bay Expedition. From the North Atlantic, through 

 Hudson Strait, and across Hudson's Bay, our voyage for half the 

 distance across the continent was north of the 58th parallel. It is 

 my purpose now to complete the distance across the continent on 

 about the same parallel ; but instead of travelling from Hudson's 

 Bay to the Pacific coast, we will select Port Simpson, on the borders 

 of the Pacific, in British Columbia, as a starting point, and journey 

 through the Rockies across the vast productive areas of the Peace 

 River country, the alluvial plains of the Athabaska, and the won- 

 derful series of watersheds from the Athabaska to Churchill 

 Harbour on Hudson's Bay, north of Reindeer Lake — a stretch of 

 country unsurpassed in the beauty of its natural scenery ; much of 

 it unequalled anywhere in the world in the productiveness of its 

 soil ; and unparalleled on the American Continent in its advantages 

 for the location of a transcontinental railway — a railway which, 

 connecting with the Hudson's Bay route, will bring Japan and 

 Europe into closer and more convenient connection than any other 

 country across the hills and plains and valleys of America. 



