30 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. 
In August it was observed by Fairchild to be three feet 
higher. 
At about ninety miles the country again becomes more open 
and prairie like, with low sandy river banks. A few miles fur- 
ther up the banks are composed of coarse gravel, and rise to a 
height of eighty or ninety feet. The rock formation, which 
makes its appearance at several points along the river banks, 
was observed to be sandstone, and so on the general character 
of the river and country continued much the same for a distance 
of 128 miles, when the stream becomes divided again, and both 
branches rapid and shallow. At their confluence was also ob- 
served the junction of sandstone and granite rocks. It was 
now August oth, and judging from my progress during the last 
two weeks, and the prospect of increased difficulties ahead, 1 
came to the conclusion that it would be unwise to attempt to 
push through to Lake Athabasca—a probable distance of 500 
miles further by my route. It seemed to me preferable that I 
should rather endeavor to explore a second route across the 
“Divide” to Artillery Lake, and recollecting the small river 
flowing in from the west at the Sixty mile, I determined to re- 
turn thus far, ascend it as far as possible, and thence cross by 
the easiest route to Artillery Lake. 
Having decided upon the above plan of action, we easily 
returned down stream to my new point of commencement, and 
on the 13th began to ascend my west branch. Its course took 
me as nearly as could be in the direction of Artillery Lake, but 
I was not long to follow it, for by noon of the same day we had 
reached the head of navigation for so heavily loaded a canoe as 
ours. Not wishing to be thwarted in my object, I now decided 
to send my two men with the canoe around by the way we had 
come, to Artillery Lake, and that I would walk across alone. 
It seemed that there could be no great difficulty in doing 
so, for the distance in a straight line I knew to be only about 
eighty miles; the season was still early and there were plenty of 
(leer roving over the country. Thus viewing the problem, I 
sent mv men back with the canoe and its contents, and having 
selected my necessary outfit for the tramp, bundled it up into a 
