. . yards in diameter, in the centre of the val- 
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ley, with a small outlet on the West end, 
namely, the Columbia, and another at the 
East end, namely, one of the branches of the 
Athabasca, which must itself be considered 
one of the tributaries of the Mackenzie 
River. This is not the only fact of two op- 
posite streams flowing from the same lake. 
This, “ the Committee’s Punch Bowl,” is 
considered as being half-way, and we were 
quite glad to know that the more laborious 
and arduous part of our journey was accom- 
plished. The little stream, the Athabasca, 
over which we had stepped so conveniently, 
presently assumed a considerable size, and 
"was dashed over cascades, and formed caul- 
drons of lime-stone and basalt. Seven miles 
below the pass, as do the tributaries of the 
Columbia on the western side, so the Atha- 
basca widens into a narrow lake, and has a 
much greater distance than the Columbia. 
At this point, the snow had nearly disap- 
peared, and the temperature was greatly 
increased. Many of the mountains on the 
night hand are at all seasons tipped with 
glaciers. At ten we stopped to breakfast, 
fifteen miles from the ridge, where we re- 
mained for four hours. The thermometer 
Stood at 2° below Zero this morning, and 
had risen to 57° at two P. M., a heat which 
we found dreadfully oppressive. This af- 
ternoon, having set off a little before the 
party, I missed my way, and wandered from 
the path. As the sun was edging on the 
~ Mountains, I descried about a mile off to the 
East, behind a low knoll, a curling blue 
_ Smoke, rising from above the trees, a sign 
Which gave me infinite pleasure. I quick- 
ened my steps, and soon came up to it, when 
Tfound Jacques Cardinal, who had come to 
the ose Encampment, and brought with 
him eight horses to help us on our way. 
He treated me with an excellent supper of 
mutton, the flesh of Ovis montana (Geoff.), 
w regretted he had no spirits to offer me. 
"ictus 3 to the stream, he jocularly said, 
there's my barrel, and it is always run- 
mng” The kind fellow also afforded me 
a part of his hut. 
~ On the next morning, Thursday the 3rd, 
the whole party were brought up by Car- 
dinal; they had been very uneasy at my 
HUDSON'S BAY. 
197 
non-appearance the preceding night. We 
breakfasted and proceeded by the banks of 
the stream, I preferring walking, though 
the ground was still soft from the recently 
melted snow, and strewed with timber of 
small size. The difference of climate and 
soil, with the amazing disparity in the va- 
riety and stature of the vegetation, is truly 
astonishing, one would suppose it was an- 
other hemisphere, the change is so sudden 
and so great. We crossed the principal 
branch of the Athabasca, which becomes a 
river seventy yards broad, when joined by 
the stream on the banks of which we had 
descended. Here it was our intention to 
camp for the night, but Cardinal found his 
horses so unexpectedly strong, that the 
route was continued to the Rocky Moun- 
tains' House where we were to find canoes, 
and which we gained soon after six P. M. 
Several partridges were killed, but the only 
plant new to me this day, was Anemone Nut- 
talliana (A. patens, Hook.), which was in 
full flower. The scenery here is very fine, 
with a small lake and open valley, com- 
manding a sublime prospect of the moun- 
tains, Our distance to-day was thirty-four 
miles. On the following day (Friday) we 
embarked at day-light in two fine light 
birch canoes, and went rapidly. before the 
stream, the banks of which are low and 
woody, in some places narrow, in others 
widening into narrow lakes full of sand 
shoals. We stayed to breakfast on a small 
low island in the Upper Lake, where we 
had some mountain-sheep’s flesh, given us 
by Cardinal’s hunter. Continuing our ` 
route, we passed a ridge of steep moun- 
tains on the right, and five miles lower 
down a similar range to the left, which are 
the termination of the dividing mountains 
on the East side, and arrived at Jasper 
House at two P. M. The minimum heat 
to-day had been 29°, the maximum 61^. 
Saturday the 8th. This day presented 
scarcely any variety. The river is one 
hundred to one hundred and forty yards 
wide, shallow and rapid, with low gravelly 
banks, wooded with Poplars and Pines. 
Its vicinity abounds with wild fowl, and the 
Northern Diver charmed us with his deep 
mellow melancholy voice in the evenings. 
