From the Pacific to Hudson's Bay. 299 



five miles above the Forks. The river is here about fifty feet wide, 

 rushing between rocky cliffs of about fifty feet in height. " At 

 each side two beams are placed, projecting at an angle of twenty or 

 thirty degrees, their butt-ends being firmly planted in a rude crib- 

 work of logs weighted with stones. The ends of the projecting 

 beams from opposite sides are then joined by a pair of light but 

 strong horizontal pieces which are lashed to them. The footway or 

 floor of the bridge may consist of a single large flatted beam, or of 

 several lengths of poles spliced together and laid parallel. The foot- 

 way is suspended to the superstructure above described by a series 

 of vertical poles with hooked ends, withes being used as lashing, or, 

 as in the instance now described, telegraph wire, — being a portion of 

 that left by the Western Union Company at the time of the aban- 

 donment of their enterprise." * About six miles from the mouth of 

 the Suskwa, it is joined by the Skil-o-kis, from the north, a very 

 rapid stream fifty-seven feet wide and two feet deep. This is 

 crossed by a newly-constructed Indian bridge like that previously 

 described. Five miles further on, in a general eastward direction, 

 the main valley of the Suskwa turns to the south south-east, while 

 the trail continues eastward by that of a large tributary. The 

 sources of this stream, known as. the Oo-ats-anli, are reached in 

 about fourteen miles, and the summit passed at a distance of seven 

 miles from the north end of Babine Lake. 



The summit of the range separating the valleys of the Watsonkwa 

 and Skeena from that of Babine Lake is passed in a low altitude 

 where mountain sheep are met with ; the mountain goat is to be 

 seen in all directions. From this summit, looking eastward, Babine 

 Lake is seen stretching far to the south-eastward like a silver ribbon, 

 its banks generally low, with flats or rounded hills of moderate 

 elevation bordering it. Before reaching the lake the trail crosses a 

 small stream called the Tzes-a-tza-kwa, or canoe-making river. It 

 is about fifty feet wide by one foot deep at low water. 



The group of lakes, says Prof. Dawson, of which Babine is one, 

 may be regarded as occupying two parallel valleys, which conform 

 to the general north-westerly and south-easterly bearings which 



** Prof. Dawson's Report. 



