E 
HUDSON'S BAY. 
135 
feet from their base, rising with rugged Sérobus, together with Thuja plicdta 
perpendicular precipices from the very bed 
of the river, covered with dead timber of 
enormous growth, the roots of which, laid 
bare by the torrents, and now hurled by 
the violence of the wind from their origi- 
nal high places, come hurrying down the 
stream, bringing enormous fragments of 
earth attached to their roots, and spreading 
devastation all before them. The sun fee- 
bly tipped the mountain-tops as we passed 
this place, and, seen through the shadowy 
pines, imparted a melancholy air to the 
whole gloomy scene. 
On the 25th we passed the “ Narrows of 
Death,” a terrific place in the river, which 
takes its name from a tragical circumstance 
which I have not here room to relate, when 
ten individuals endured almost unparallel- 
ed sufferings, and were finally all released 
by death, with the exception of one. At 
noon on the 27th of April, we had the sa- 
tisfaction of landing at the Boat Encamp- 
ment at the base of the Rocky Mountains. 
How familiar soever these snowy moun- 
tains have been to us, so that we might be 
expected to lose an adequate idea of their 
immense altitude, yet on beholding the 
Grand “ Dividing Ridge” of this mighty 
continent, all that we have seen before 
Seems to fade from the mind, and to be 
forgotten in the contemplation of their 
height and indescribably rugged and sharp 
peaks, with the darkness of the rocks, their 
glaciers and eternal snows. 
: The principal branch of the Columbia 
18 here sixty yards wide, the Canoe River 
forty, and the middle one, on whose banks 
We ascend, is thirty. 
On Saturday the 28th, having packed 
the whole of my journals in a tin box, and 
Carrying a case of seeds and a shirt or two, 
hed up in a bundle, we commenced our 
eh across the mountains in an easterl 
on, first entering a low swampy piece 
of ground, about three miles long, knee- 
dn Water, and covered with rotten ice, 
oem we sank more than a foot 
se every step that we took. Then 
,,. ossed a deep muddy creek, and en- 
tered a point of wood, principally consist- 
Pine, P. balsamea, nigra, alba, and 
About eleven we entered the snow, which 
was four to seven feet deep, moist and soft, 
which, together with the fallen timber, 
made walking in snow shoes very fatiguing. 
We camped that night on the West side 
of the middle branch of the Columbia. 
Except two species of Squirrel, we saw no 
imals. 
Sunday the 29th, min, heat 23°, max. 
43°, After a sound and refreshing night's 
rest, we started at four this morning, pro- 
ceeding for six miles due East; in the 
course of which we made as many traverses 
or fordings of the river, which was two and 
a half to three feet deep, clear, and with a 
powerful current. Though the breadth 
did not exceed twenty-five to fifty yards, 
the length of time passed in the water was 
considerable, for the feet cannot with safety 
be lifted from the bottom, as if once the 
water gets under the soles of the feet, 
which should be glided along to prevent 
this, over goes the whole person. In very 
powerful currents, it is necessary to pass in 
a body, and the one supporting the other, in 
an oblique direction, Then we came to a 
level valley, three miles broad, dry at this 
season, but during the summer forming an 
inland lake, bounded by the mountains. 
Our course was afterwards due East for four 
miles, and in this short distance we made 
seven fordings more. We did not require 
snow-shoes here, as there was a fine hard 
solid crust, but on coming out of the water 
and trotting along on the hoar-frost, we 
found it intensely cold, and all our clothing 
that was wet, immediately became cased 
with ice; still no inconvenience of any 
consequence was sustained. About nine 
we entered another point of wood, where 
we had recourse to our snow-shoes, and 
finding the snow becoming quite soft to- 
wards noon, we camped for the day, having 
travelled fifteen miles. Panasz horrida 
(Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. t. 98), a Dryas, and 
a Betula, were the only plants I had add- 
ed to my catalogue ; at night a large Wol- 
verine came to our camp to steal, for which 
he was shot. We saw great numbers of 
Anas Canadensis, and one female of Te- 
trao Canadensis. 
2e 
B 
