CONTENTS 



INTRODUCTION 



PAGE 



Important events of the year 1857 — The ^or'-PTesier newspaper — 

 The Duke of Newcastle and the Hudson's Bay Co.'s Charter — 

 The "Anglo-International Financial Association" — The New 

 Hudson's Bay Company — Offers of American capitalists to 

 purchase the Company's interests — Bill providing for purchase 

 of the same introduced into the United States Congress — 

 Senator Sumner's memorandum to Secretary Fish — Various 

 efforts to arouse public interest in the Hudson's Bay Terri- 

 tories — Former Treaties with the Indians — Motives for treat- 

 ing with the Indians of Athabasca — Rush of miners and 

 prospectors into the district — The Indian Treaty and Half- 

 breed Commission — The Royal North-West Mounted Police 

 Contingent — Special stipulations with the Indians provided for 15 



CHAPTER I. 



FROM EDMONTON TO LESSER SLAVE LAKE. 



Arrival of Treaty and Half-breed Commissions at Edmonton — 

 Departure for Athabasca Landing — Tawutin&ow peat beds, 

 etc. — Arrival at the Landing — The gas well there — Boats and 

 trackers — Mr. d'Eschambault and Pierre Cyr— Non-arrival 

 of trackers — Police contingent volunteers to track a boat to 

 Lesser Slave Lake — Nature of country, burnt forests, mus- 

 kegs, etc. — Tracking ; its difficulties— The old Indian tracker 

 Peokus — Forest and river scenery — Placer mining — Absence 

 of life along the river — Fertile soil ..... 29 



CHAPTER II. 



LESSER SLAVE RIVER AND LESSER SLAVE LAKE. 



Lesser Slave River — Its proper name — Migration of the great 

 Algic race — Bishop Grouard's service in the wilderness — 

 Returning Klondikers — The rapids; poling— Accident to 

 Peokus — Celebration of Pere Lacombe's fiftieth year of mis- 

 sionary labors — Arrival of half-breed trackers from Lesser 



