LAKE LEBARGE. 301 



My other man, Ehoderick Thomas, I knew well 

 by reputation, although I had never met him 

 before this trip. He had accompanied my old 

 friend, Mr. J. B. Tyrrell, on his most arduous 

 journeys through the barren grounds of Northern 

 Canada and along the shores of the Arctic sea 

 to Fort Churchill, and had been one of his most 

 trusted canoemen. Rhoderick Thomas (always 

 called " Tommy " in the Yukon) I found well 

 deserved the good character I had heard given 

 to him. He is an excellent canoeman, woods- 

 man, and packer, and withal a most cheery 

 good tempered willing man. I could not very 

 well have had two better men with me than 

 Coghlan and Thomas. 



We had very fine weather for our trip down the 

 Yukon to Selkirk, and after we had got through 

 Lake Lebarge, which is thirty five miles long, 

 we often travelled at the rate of ten miles an 

 hour, using two paddles and a pair of sculls, 

 and aided by the strong current. In two days we 

 did one hundred and ninety-six miles from 

 Lake Lebarge to the now abandoned police 

 station of Minto, going down the Five Finger 



