EXPLORATION TO THE PEACE RIVER 99 



the very best quality, it being both prairie and forest and quite 

 level and not difficult to clear. The next day, we crossed Stuart 

 River, two hundred yards wide, and followed the trail without 

 difficulty to Stuart Lake. Late this afternoon, when within 

 six miles of Fort St. James, I suddenly came upon a limestone 

 cliff and immediately the flora changed. Many beautiful flowers 

 that I had not seen since I left the lower Fraser Valley were in 

 full bloom and, on the rocks at the base of the cliff, they made such 

 a charming picture that I sat down in my loneliness — but not 

 alone — and drank in the surpassing beauty of the scene; hunger 

 and weariness were forgotten and I resumed my march with the 

 light, joyous step of the morning, feeling that in the realm of 

 Nature, God's hand was ever open to strew one's paths with 

 beauties and fill one's heart with praise. While others cursed the 

 road and the flies, I, in my simplicity, saw nothing but Nature 

 decked out in the springtime loveliness and, instead of grumbling 

 at the difficulties of the way, I rejoiced in the activity of the animal 

 and vegetable kingdoms. For nearly a month ,1 had kept travel- 

 ling with spring, but now, with one bound, we had passed its por- 

 tals and stood on the verge of summer. 



"Sunday the 20th. Looking back over the 146 miles which 

 lie between Fort St. James and Quesnel, I am struck with the 

 resemblance of the flora to that of the forest region west of Lake 

 Superior. There is not a species in this whole distance which in 

 any way indicates either an Alpine or cool climate except two, 

 and these were only observed once. The dry summer climate, 

 which is indicated by the flora, proves the rainfall to be inconsider- 

 able, and, therefore, the prospects are good for the successful 

 cultivation of grain. Tomorrow, I accompany Dr. Selwyn and 

 two Indians in a canoe up Stuart Lake for about eight miles 

 for the purpose of climbing Pope's Cradle, or Stuart Lake 

 Mountain. Our friends at the Fort said that we would be unable 

 to climb it as it was quite steep and very difficult. 



"We commenced to ascend from the lake shore and, after a 

 fatiguing climb of three hours in the hot sun, we reached the 

 summit, which we found to be 2,600 feet above the lake, or nearly 

 5,000 feet above the sea. I obtained an enormous collection of 



