CHAPTER VI 



1872-74 



Continuation of Journey to the Pacific Coast — The Peace 

 River — Over the Mountains in Winter — Arrival at the 

 Coast — Homeward Bound — Report and Conclusions in 

 Regard to Climate Based on Growth of Plants — Many 

 Episodes Described. 



HAVING, as already remarked, bidden adieu to our late 

 companions, and having seen them fairly under way for 

 Jasper House, it now behooved me to make preparations 

 for the Peace River journey, and as the season was already ad- 

 vanced no time was to be lost. 



A circumstance which lent an additional zest to our contem- 

 plated trip was the fact that we were in complete ignorance as to 

 the proper means of procedure and the time necessary to accom- 

 plish the journey. Nobody at Edmonton could tell us aught 

 regarding the Rocky Mountain Passes north of Tete Jaune Cache. 

 In vain, did we seek for information as to our proposed journey. 

 All the positive information we did obtain was that a Hudson's 

 Bay Company's boat annually descended the Peace River to the 

 Rocky Mountain Portage for the supply of leather required for 

 the Indian trade in New Caledonia (a part of northern British 

 Columbia), but that boat had already been down and long since 

 returned to the west side of the mountains, and our chances of 

 getting through to McLeod's Lake before the winter set in were 

 very slim indeed. In fact, everybody was only too willing to 

 impart what knowledge he possessed, but, as that was generally of 

 a negative and contradictory character, we derived but little 

 satisfaction or advantage from it. We were told by one party 

 that such and such a route was not to be thought of; by another 

 that we would possibly make a very slow and tedious progress on 

 foot through the dense forests of the Peace River but that it would 

 be folly to think of taking horses; and a third and veritable Job's 



