ON THE TEAIL TO PEACE EIVEK 85 



called, the largest bark canoe made by the Indians, carrying 

 about six tons and a crew of sixteen paddlers, and which 

 ascended as £ar as Fort William. Thence further progress 

 was made in the much smaller " North Canoes " to all points 

 west of Lake Superior. This particular journey of nearly 

 3,200 miles, made almost entirely by canoe, was completed 

 from York Factory to Fort Langley, near the mouth of 

 Fraser River, in sixty-five days of actual paddling, an average 

 of about fifty miles a day, nearly all up stream. 



Only two buildings of the old fort remained at the time of 

 our visit, both in a ruinous condition. The old fireplaces 

 and the roofs of spruce bark, a covering much used in the 

 country, were still sound, and several cellars indicated where 

 the other buildings had stood. The later post is about a gun- 

 shot to the east of them, and the whole site had certainly been 

 well chosen, being completely sheltered by the immensely 

 high banks of the great and deep river, whose bends " shoul- 

 dered " and seemed to shut in the place east and west, also 

 by the " Caps," two very high hills forming the bank on each 

 side of the river, so called from their fancied resemblance to 

 a skull-cap. The river here is over four hundred yards in 

 width, and its banks, from the water's edge to the upper 

 prairie level, are some six hundred feet or more in height;, 

 but, as the trail leads, the ascent of the great slope is about a. 

 mile in length. 



A number of townships had been blocked here, at one- 

 time, by Mr. Ogilvie, D.L.S., but not subdivided. Fort Dun- 

 vegan being situated, if I mistake not, in the south-west 

 corner of Tovmship 80, Range 4, west of the Sixth Meridian.. 



The Roman Catholic Mission east of the fort was found tO' 

 be beautifully sheltered, and neighboured by fine fields of 

 wheat and a garden full of green peas and new potatoes. But 

 this was on the flat. There was no farming whatever on the 

 north side, on the upper and beautiful prairies described. A 

 Mr. Milton had tried, it was said, about ten miles east of 

 Dunvegan, but did not make a success of it. 



