OFF FOR THE WILDS 193 



The furnace of our steamer was fired with pine wood, 

 and it took four men to carry the wood fast enough 

 to keep the steam up to the proper notch. She draws 

 but two feet of water, and another one is being built 

 by the same company which will draw only sixteen 

 inches. Her name is to be The City of Quesnelle. 



We made some purchases in the Hudson Bay Com- 

 pany's store at Quesnelle, and received much valuable 

 information from Mr. Collins, the manager in charge, 

 a man, by the way, who looks like a twin brother to 

 our friend Joseph B. McCall, of Philadelphia, and on 

 account of this striking resemblance he permitted us 

 to " snap him with a kodak." 



This gentleman told us that the fur trade in this 

 district had been seriously injured because of the many 

 surveying parties that have been in the wilderness for 

 three years past. These parties pay as high as $3.50 

 per day to the Indian guides, and that is so much more 

 than they can get by trapping that they have abandoned 

 their old pursuits. This, of course, is better for the 

 fur-bearing animals, so that " all's well that ends well/' 



We now took to the stage again for a trip of some sixty 

 miles to Barkerville, the terminus of this famous stage 

 line. We had of course fewer passengers than when 

 we started, because many had gone on up the Frazer 

 River to Fort George, where many people were awaiting 

 opportunity of going yet farther north to the wonderful 

 Nechaco valley. Here settlers are arriving from many 



