Through the Mackenzie Basin 



CHAPTER I. 

 FBOM EDMONTON TO LESSER SLAVE LAKE. 



Mh. Laied, witli his staff, left Winnipeg for Edmonton 

 by the Canadian Pacific express on the 22nd of May, two 

 of the Commissioners having preceded him to that point. 

 The train was crowded, as usual, with immigrants, tourists, 

 globe-trotters and way-passengers. Parties for the Klon- 

 dike, for California or Japan — once the far East, but now 

 the far West to us — ^for anywhere and everywhere, a 0. P. K. 

 express train carrying the same variety of fortunates and 

 unfortunates as the ocean-cleaving hull. Calgary was 

 reached at one a.m. on the Queen's birthday, and the same 

 morning we left for Edmonton by the C. & E. Railway. 

 Every one was impressed favourably by the fine country lying 

 between these two cities, its intermediate towns and villages, 

 and fast-growing industriefe. But one thing especially was 

 not overlooked, viz., the honour due to our venerable Queen, 

 alas, so soon to be taken from us. 



In the evening we arrived at Strathcona, and found it 

 thronged with people celebrating the day. Crossing the 

 river to Edmonton, we got rooms with some difiiculty in one 

 of its crowded hotels, but happily awoke next morning 

 refreshed and ready to view the town. It is needless to 

 describe what has been so often described. Enough to say 

 Edmonton is one of the doors to the great ]S"orth, an outfitter 

 of its traders, an emporium of its furs. And there is some- 



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