CHAPTER VII 



1874-1875 



Explorations from Victoria to the Peace River — New 

 Westminster, Yale, Spence's Bridge, Quesnel, Nechaco, 

 Fort St. John, McLeod's Lake, Parsnip and Finlay 

 Rivers, Hudson's Hope — Description of the Route- 

 Botanical Notes — Episodes and Incidents. 



IN the spring of 1874, my report on the expedition of 1872, was 

 published in the Railway Report, and Dr. Selwyn, who was 



then at the head of the Geological Survey, when he saw the 

 report, said at once: "I must have that man with me when I go 

 out next year." He was going to make an examination of the 

 Peace River Pass, and the country adjoining, for the Mackenzie 

 government, who were then thinking of sending the railway 

 through by the Peace River. Dr. Selwyn wrote to me, asking if 

 I would go, and, having got permission from the College and the 

 school authorities, I answered yes, but had doubts of being ac- 

 ceptable to the government as my political principles were known. 

 In the winter, I saw Dr. Hope, of Belleville, who had the patronage 

 of that city, and asked him if he thought Mr. Mackenzie would 

 give me the position and he said he thought he would because, 

 "Macoun," he said, "I, myself, tell you, we have no one else so 

 well fitted for the position." It turned out as he had said. 



On the 14th of April, 1875, I left home again, for the far west, 

 travelling by railway as far as Laramie City in the state of Wy- 

 oming, where we were detained six days by a washout owing to a 

 rain storm and the melting of the snow. Ours was the first train 

 stopped and each day another train came in heavily loaded. A 

 Scotchman and his sister were with our party, and, in conversa- 

 tion, he advised that we immediately put in a stock of provisions 

 as there was a scarcity in the city. We did so and eight of us 

 arranged with a boarding-house keeper to give us dishes and the 

 ladies that were of our party did the cooking and serving and our 



