EXPLORATION TO THE PEACE RIVER 91 



meals were taken after the boarders were through. We moved 

 after six days, and had six miles to walk through the mud and 

 then took the train for one hundred and fifty miles to Green 

 River, where I saw the most extraordinary sight I had ever seen. 

 Bars of silver, so heavy that none of us could lift them, were piled 

 up like cord-wood on the platform and the sight of so much white 

 metal has never left my eyes since. After this, we had no more 

 stoppages but, the last day we were on the train, we took dinner 

 on the top of the Sierra Nevada with fully ten feet of snow on all 

 sides. After leaving the station, we immediately began to des- 

 cend and, although we were in snow-sheds, I, and two or three 

 other men got out on the steps and watched. We soon passed 

 out of the snow and into spring and could see the buds on the 

 bushes. In another minute or two spring flowers were seen; later 

 on flowering shrubs appeared and, as we were passing towards the 

 plains, summer was upon us and before we came to Sacramento the 

 hay was cut in the fields. This was all seen in just half of one 

 day. 



Nothing of importance took place after this until I reached 

 Victoria where I commenced my duties. I had been appointed 

 Botanist to the party with instructions to make note on all the 

 country passed through, in regard to its flora, climate and agri- 

 cultural capabilities. This I performed to the best of my ability 

 from Victoria to Peace River Pass and the whole length of the 

 Peace river and nearly one thousand miles more before I reached 

 Fort Carlton on the prairie. 



I purpose, when speaking of matters in connection with this 

 trip, to quote largely from my report to the government on all 

 matters coming into my line of work. This report was published 

 in 1876 and will be found in the geological report for 1875. I 

 shall speak little of the botany on account of its being the subject 

 that 1 fully dealt, with in the report alluded to. I shall deal 

 mostly with my observations in connection with the climate and 

 productiveness of the country passed through. I shall also speak 

 of incidents that took place on the journey not mentioned in the 

 report. 



I reached Victoria, B.C., on the second of May and began at 



