56 



NOKTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



He left on June 3, 1789, and, descending Slave River, reached Great - 

 Slave Lake June 9. Ice delayed him until June 15, when he worked 

 slowly across as wind and ice permitted, reaching Yellowknife Bay 

 on June 23. Crossing the Northern Arm, he coasted the north shore 

 of the lake and reached its outlet June 29. Then, entering the great 

 river, he traveled with such expedition that he reached the mouth 

 of Great Bear River July 6, and the mouth of the Mackenzie about 

 the middle of the month. After a short examination of the vicinity 

 he commenced his return against the stream. Great Bear River 

 was passed on August 2, Liard River on August 13, and Great 

 Slave Lake was reached on August 22. Retracing his course around 

 the northern border of the lake, he reached the mouth of Slave River 

 on September 3, the Slave [Smith] Rapids on September 8, and Fort 

 Chipewyan on September 12. 



Three years later Mackenzie undertook another voyage of. discovery 

 and penetrated the unknown country lying beyond the most distant 

 post on Peace, or Unjigah, River, as it was know^n to the natives. 

 He left Fort Chipewyan on October 10, 1792, and passing through 

 the smaller lakes to the Avestward of Athabaska Lake entered the 

 Peace and ascended it to a point C> miles above its junction with 

 Smoky River, or the ' Forks.' To this place men had been sent 

 earlier in the season to prepare materials for the erection of a trad- 

 ing post. His map and narrative show that up to that time three 

 posts had been established on Peace River — the ' Old Establishment,' 

 then abandoned, a short distance from Vermilion Falls ; the ' New 

 Establishment,' evidently near the present site of Fort Vermilion, 

 and a post called on his map ' McLoed's Fort,' about 33 miles below 

 the mouth of Smoky River. The site of the proposed post, called 

 Fork Fort, was reached November 1, and here buildings were 

 erected and the winter of 1792-93 was passed in trading with the 

 Indians. On Ma}^ 9, 1793, his westward journey was resumed. 

 Peace River and its tributary, the Parsnip, were ascended to a point 

 near the source of the latter, and a traverse made to the Fraser River, 

 supposed by Mackenzie to be the Columbia, and this was descended 

 for some distance. Thence, by a journey on foot westward through 

 the valley of 'West Road' River (evidently the Blackwater), and 

 by descending ' Salmon ' River (the Bella Coola), Mackenzie reached 

 the Pacific late in July near King Island, a short distance north 

 of Vancouver Island, thus being the first traveler to cross the con- 

 tinent north of Mexico. 



After examining a few miles of the coast and observing for lati- 

 tude and longitude, Mackenzie retraced his course to the mountains 

 and, after great exertions and much suffering from famine, reached 

 Peace River and, descending it, arrived at Fort Chipewyan in Sep- 



