1908.] ROUTES TRAVERSED — MACKENZIE. 101 



20 miles to join the Liard, its largest tributary. Two miles below 

 the junction, on a large island near the left bank, stands Fori Simp- 

 son. (PL X. fig. 1.) 



Fort Simpson is an important post of the Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany, and its site, under various names, has been occupied Tor about 

 a century.' 7 The inland on which Fort Simpson is built is about 2 

 miles in Length, and is the upper and larger of two which lie close 

 to the western bank, being separated from it only by a narrow, shal- 

 low channel. It is apparently of alluvial origin, but if so was 

 formed when the bed of the Mackenzie occupied a much higher level 

 than at present. It has been heavily ivooded, but most of the orig- 

 inal fores! has been removed. Its highest parts stand 40 or 50 feet 

 above the ordinary level of the water. The width of the main chan- 

 nel of the Mackenzie at this point is 1 mile, and that of the island and 

 the western channel about half a mile. The river is bordered on 

 the west by a rolling, wooded plain, where mossy muskegs, alter- 

 nating with poplar or pine covered ridges, extend back to a range of 

 low hills. The country bordering the river to the eastward is simi- 

 lar, but is less rolling. Bluefish Creek, which enters the Mackenzie 

 opposite the post, has cut its way from the swampy plateau down to 

 the level of the main river. Its lower course is a succession of rapids. 

 bordered in places by high cut banks of shale. It is the only tribu- 

 tary stream of any note in the vicinity. 



Fort Simpson is the head post of its district, 6 and. like many other 

 trading posts, was in former days a much more pretentious establish- 

 ment. Before the days of steam navigation all the good- for the 

 district were distributed from this point, but since the lower posts 

 have been supplied direct it has lost much of its former importance. 

 Its great warehouses were formerly disposed in the form of a square, 

 open toward the river, but the recent removal of one of the buildings 

 has broken up this regularity. In the center of the square stands a 



Fort Simpson was established as a Northwest Company post very early in 

 the nineteenth century— at least previous to 1807. Local tradition places the 

 original site on the same island a few hundred yards north of the presenl 

 location. At first it had no distinctive name, being known simply as "The 

 Forks." It was established as a Hudson's Bay Company posl soon after the 

 coalition id' the two companies, most likely i' 1 1823, and probably received its 

 name at thai time. 



fort Liard, on Liard River aboul 150 miles southwest of fort Simpson, is 

 said to have been established in ism;, al or near its presenl site. 



Fori Nelson, on Nelson River, was built only a little later. In the winter 

 of 1812-13 the fort was destroyed and its inmates killed by the Indians. I Mas 



soil. Les Bourgeois, II, p. 125, 1890.) It was again in use In 1825, but was 

 subsequently abandoned, and was reestablished in 1865. 



6 Since my visit to the Mackenzie. Fort Smith, on account of its greater acces- 

 sibility, lias been made the head post of Mackenzie River district. The trans 

 fer took place in 1907. 



