THE END OF THE TRIP 335 



Fort St. John a bateau was obtained from the Hudson 

 Bay Company, and in this they went down the river to 

 the junction of the Smoky Eiver with the Peace Kiver, 

 one hundred and eighty miles. Then by freight wagon 

 to the upper end of Lesser Slave Lake, one hundred 

 miles; then down Lesser Slave Lake and river and 

 Athabasca Kiver to Athabasca landing, in a canoe, two 

 hundred miles ; and, lastly, by wagon road to Edmon- 

 ton, one hundred miles, making a total journey of ap- 

 proximately 3,120 miles. 



The report says : " The range has only begun to be 

 prospected, and its potentialities are as yet undemon- 

 strated. 



" In this far North country wild hay and other wild 

 grasses were growing prolifically, and presumably rye, 

 oats, barley and wheat would likewise grow in abun- 

 dance. All garden vegetables and root crops are suc- 

 cessfully grown, while raspberries, currants, strawber- 

 ries and gooseberries grow in wanton profusion." 



A botanist who accompanied a previous geological 

 survey writes : 



" Clumps of willows and poplars of various ages 

 were interspersed with the most astonishing growth of 

 herbaceous plants I ever witnessed. ... It would 

 be folly to attempt to depict the appearance of the 

 country, as it was so much beyond what I ever saw 

 that I hardly dare make use of truthful words to por- 

 tray it." 



