334 WITH GUN AND GUIDE 



Golconda may serve to throw a little light upon this 

 most interesting part of the northern hemisphere. 



The exploring party was made up of but three men 

 for part of the time, and later there were only two 

 men engaged in the work. The route taken was from 

 Victoria and Vancouver to Essington, at the mouth of 

 the Skeena River, a journey of six hundred and forty- 

 five miles ; up the Skeena by steamer to Hazleton, one 

 hundred and eighty miles ; by pack train to Babine, 

 seventy miles ; up Babine Lake by canoe, with a port- 

 age of twelve miles to Stuart Lake, and thence to Fort 

 St. James, one hundred and fifty miles. 



From Fort St. James, they went by packhorse to 

 McLeod Lake, eighty-five miles. McLeod Lake being 

 on the head waters of the Peace River, canoes were 

 used to the head of the Peace River canyon, one hun- 

 dred and eighty-two miles. Then a portage around 

 the canyon of fourteen miles compelled the party to 

 abandon its canoes and " pack " all of its supplies and 

 camp outfit on their backs to Hudson Hope. 



From there to Fort St. John, on the Peace River, was 

 a trip of sixty miles. They expected to make the 

 journey on a raft, but, fortunately, they met an Indian 

 with some horses, and they made a detour with him to 

 Moberly Lake, in the Pine River district, making in all 

 an overland trip of ninety miles. 



Next a trip to Ponce Coupe prairie and return by 

 packhorses, one hundred and eighty-five miles. At 



