48 The American Naturalist. [January, 
would not do the rocks justice. When at last we reached a place of 
comparative safety, we were too much much awed to speak.” 
Source of the Mackenzie River.—Up to the present time the 
Mackenzie River has never been traced to its head, and its source has 
only been known from Indian report. The mystery has been solved 
by Mr. R. G. McConnell of the Dominion Geological Survey, who 
has just returned from a four months’ exploration trip in those re- 
gions. The following account of his trip is taken from the Vancouver 
“Mr. McConnel arrived in British Columbia from Ottawa in June, 
and started out on his trip fron Quesnelle on the 9th of that month. 
The party numbered six in all and consisted of himself, his assistant, 
Mr. Russel, two whites he engaged at Quesnelle and two Indians. 
From Quesnelle the party proceeded in canoes up the Frazer to Gis- 
come Portage. This is seven and a half miles long, aud after crossing 
it they proceeded down Crooked River to Fort McLeod. Their route 
then lay down Parsnip River to the forks, where Findlay River 
meets the Parsnip and gives birth to Peace River.” 
“ On reaching Findlay River Mr. McConnel really commenced his 
summer’s work, as the chief object of his trip was to explore that river 
and, if possible, the Onimeca also. Mr. McConnel accordingly went up 
Findlay River to its junction with the Onimeca, and followed the lat- 
ter river to its head, returning down it again to the same spot. This 
river is easy navigable on the upper portion, but in the first thirty 
miles it falls over 500 feet, and is consequently extremely rapid and. 
difficult to ascend. Mr. McConnel then proceeded up the Findlay 
River.” 
“ Whites had been up the Onimeca River previous to him, as at one 
time that was a famous gold country, but Mr. McConnel and his party 
were the first whites to ever ascend the Findlay River to its head. 
The river is about 250 miles long and is navigable for the greater 
portion of the way in canoes, though owing to the rapids the party had 
to proceed the last fifty miles on foot, an arduous proceeding, owing to 
the roughness of the country. The country is very mountainous, and, 
though at the lower part of the river the valley is six miles wide, the 
mountains come right down to the water’s edge in the upper portion.” 
“ At its mouth the Findlay is about as wide as the Frazer at Ques- 
nelle. It is not deep except in the cafions, where the current is very 
_ Strong, and, owing to numerous rapids and eddies, progress is very 
slow. At the head of Findlay River is a lake known in the Indian 
