The Canadian Field-Natukalist. 



[Vol. XXXV. 



ing which the rapids on the Poplar River 

 above its moutli were drowned out one by 

 one as the rising Liard backed its waters 

 higher up. By this time the larger river 

 was fnll of sediment and for drinking 

 water we had to go farther up the Poplar, 

 whose clear reddish waters were much more 

 palatable. A large boulder which had 

 been noted on the upward journey was se- 

 lected as a gauge and then corresponding 

 marks were cut on the bank. The waters 

 rose at this point over seventeen feet in 

 sixty hours. Unfortunately some pictures 

 which were taken of the changed appear- 

 ance of the banks were ruined by the damp 

 weather, as the moisture penetrated even 

 so-called waterproof tins. A conspicuous 

 flat island at the mouth of the Poplar with 

 a steep bank about ten feet high was com- 

 pletely submerged and at the height of the 

 flood only the tops of its small spruces 

 were to be seen. In traversing the neigh- 

 bourhood, the sound of rushing river water 

 was heard in some places a quarter of a 

 mile and more from the river bank, while 

 the forest was being denuded of its fallen 

 trees and its underbrush was being flat- 

 tened. On the opposite side of the river 

 where the shore was a cut bank of till, 

 great cracks appeared in the cliff resulting 

 in huge long masses weighing hundreds of 

 tons becoming undercut and detached ; 

 these fell into the river from time to time 

 with a noise that rose even above that of 

 the water and caused great waves which 

 came, in spite of the driftwood, across the 

 river to our camp. 



The high water mark of the flood Avas 

 reached at 3 f).m., Tiiursday, July 10th, 

 and after remaining at this level for four 

 hours, began to recede. At this time the 

 waters were eighteen feet above ordinary 

 high water mark. This part of the river, 

 however, was narrow, and the waters piled 

 lip more than in tlie wider sections. 



As soon as we were able to travel we start- 

 ed upstream once more and found that the 

 banks had suffered considerably. Every- 

 where they liad been cut back for many 

 >ards and were a mass of twisted and 

 L'liarled trees. Out in the current hun- 

 dreds of trees which still were fastened to 

 the land by their roots, swaying and twist- 

 ing, were given, where possil)le, a wide 

 berth bv the canoe. Thcii- numbers were 



increased at intervals by other trees fall- 

 ing into the river. Camp spots were dif- 

 ficult to find as the shore could only be 

 gained at intervals owing to the above con- 

 ditions, and even when we were ashore 

 everything was covered w'ith about six 

 inches of soft black mud, newdy deposited 

 by the river. This latter condition was 

 most noticeable in the ''Long Reach", 

 where the river is over a mile wide with 

 low banks of sand and claj'. There was 

 one small point where over eight feet of 

 sand had been deposited. Trees were 

 dragging by their roots one hundred feet 

 but from the cut bank, which had thus 

 been cut back for at least that distance. 

 At one spot at the junction of the Liard 

 and Nahanni Rivers where there were se- 

 veral old Indian cabins, erosion had ex- 

 posed Avhat was apparently the ancient re- 

 mains of a rude coffin. It may be said 

 that although the river dropped slowly, it 

 remained very high all summer, and had 

 the Forts Liard and Nelson been obliged 

 to depend for provisions, as in previous 

 3'ears, on scows brought up by trackers, 

 they would have been late in receiving 

 them. It was not till September, when 

 the sandbars began to be exposed, that such 

 transportation could have been attempted. 

 Fortunately the new steamer of the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company was able to reach 

 these forts in the latter half of July. 



That the flood of the Liard in 1919 was 

 unusual the following facts will show. The 

 Hudsons' Bay Company had cut wood the 

 previous wdnter all along the river for 

 their new steamer. According to Captain 

 Mills not a single wood pile remained, and 

 the crew had to cut their own fuel at all 

 times. Several buildings at Fort Liard 

 w^hich were almost as old as the fort 

 itself were undercut and destroyed. An- 

 cient log jams which had withstood the ice 

 and floods of many previous years were 

 entirely removed. At the junction of the 

 Liard and Nahanni, and also up the latter 

 stream, were two gardens and cabins of a 

 trapper called LaFleur. Both his pota- 

 toes and house were submerged. In many 

 cases the shore, which had been of a mat- 

 ure type with grass-covered gentle slopes 

 on which were very old Indian camp sites, 

 was converted into high steep cut banks. 



Dr. Kindle in the article previously 



