1827, MAY. ATHABASCA RIVER 261 



was boiling a little for himself ; ttis witli a knife was all the cooking- 

 utensils. He observed he had no spirit to give me, but turning round and 

 pointing to the river he said ' This is my barrel and it is always running.' 

 So having nothing to drink out of, I had to take my shoulder of mountain 

 sheep and move to the brook, helping myself as I found it necessary. 

 Informed that Dr. Eichardson had in February arrived at Cumberland 

 House ; that Captain Franklin had met a ship in the North Sea ; and that 

 Mr. Drummond, who spent last summer in this neighbourhood, had in 

 November gone to Fort Edmonton on the Saskatchewan River. Finding 

 none of my travellers come up. Cardinal gave me his blanket, reserving for 

 himself the skin of a Eeiadeer. Mountains on all sides still as high and 

 uneven, but with less snow ; no glaciers and more wood. Crossed the 

 river fifteen times in three places ; two half full of water, very rapid and 

 full of large stones.^ This day marched twenty-five miles. 



Thursday, 3f<?.— Shortly after daylight Cardinal went with his horses 

 and brought up my companions at seven o'clock, when we took breakfast 

 and had our little articles tied on two of the horses, and proceeded on the 

 bed of the river where it was stUl covered with ice and snow, over points of 

 wood, low marshes, and low hills. The path was extremely difficult from 

 the dead wood and the ground still soft from the melting of the snow. 

 General course north-east, at our camp to the main branch of the Athabasca 

 River, a rapid stream seventy yards broad, where it is joined by the one on 

 the banks of which we had descended. Crossed it at the junction, the course 

 being then north ; descended the east bank. Intended to put up at the 

 usual camp, but finding the horses and land better than expectation, they 

 proceeded to the end of the portage on horses, I following with the gun in 

 search of birds. Arrived at a small hut called the Rocky Mountain House 

 at half-past six o'clock much fatigued. Progress this day thirty-four 

 miles. Killed one partridge, the same as that found on the height of land, 

 but I regret it was too much destroyed to preserve. Cardinal tells me my 

 bird is small, that they are generally a fifth larger ; perhaps this is a young 

 bird. Fired at a cock bird, of a light grey with a black ruffle and top like 

 the common wood-pheasant, but I think different ; unfortunately he 

 escaped, although I brought him to the ground. Saw two hens afterwards, 

 which I took to be the same species. Of plants, two specimens of a hand- 

 some Anemone : flowers large, faint blue and white ; destitute of leaves ; 

 seems to be the first flowering plant ; in dry rocky places. Minimum 

 heat 25°, maximum 51°. A little above the camp is a small lake a mile and 

 a half broad, with a beautiful plain on each side. Soil light and gravelly ; 

 the valley seven miles, oval shape, commanding a fine view of the 

 mountains. Evening fine. 



Friday, 4tA.— This morning I was glad and somewhat relieved to know 

 that the mountain portage was completed and our journey for three days 

 would be water communication— namely, to [Fort] Assiniboine. Embarked 

 at daybreak in two birch canoes, and being light went down the stream 

 rapidly. The river banks are low, many places narrow, and widens out 

 to long narrow shallow lakes full of sand shoals. Mountains gradually 

 1 This sentence reads thus quite clearly in MS. — Ed. 



