Dec. 29, 1906.] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
1019 
THE THREE SISTERS. 
Over Old-Time Trails.—II. 
When I stepped out on deck in the gray dawn 
I found the boat passing over a windless lake 
flanked on either side by high timbered moun¬ 
tains rising from the water by a moderate slope. 
Steep enough they would have seemed to one 
climbing them on foot, but viewed from the lake 
the ascent was gradual. Clouds of mist hung 
low along mountain side and over water, and 
as yet the light was too uncertain for an ex¬ 
tended view. A little later as the light increased 
the course of the lake both before and behind us 
could be seen for miles. The Arrow lakes are 
in fact nothing more than an enlargement of the 
•mighty Columbia River, that wonderful moun¬ 
tain-born stream which twists and turns its great 
length into' Canada and back into the United 
States again; flowing in all directions and almost 
always surrounded by mountains, at last it pours 
through the volcanic canons of Washington and 
Oregon, and empties itself into the western sea. 
All through this country there is immense mineral 
wealth and in many places the sides of the moun¬ 
tain have been stripped of their timber which has 
been sold for local use. At Nakusp we saw the 
ruins of a great sawmill which had been de¬ 
stroyed by fire. 
As the boat plowed its slow way up the 
stream a familiar sound fell on the ear, and look¬ 
ing out over the water I saw a single raven wing¬ 
ing his way from one side of the lake to the other, 
calling at intervals as he passed. From time to 
time on the water near the shore could be seen 
the forms of birds, and one or two of these per¬ 
mitted us to approach near enough for me to 
identify it as a western grebe. Occasionally a 
group of gulls was passed and at one little sandy 
point, where the boat paused to deliver some 
freight, a kingfisher sat boldly on the branch of 
a fir tree which he declined to leave: There are 
a few settlements along the lake, usually only a 
house or two, or a tent set up on a point of lan'd 
where a stream coming down from the mountain 
has spread out a few acres of soil. Yet at Nakusp 
there is quite a town on the hillside. Here is 
a railroad leading to the mines. 
All along the lake the scenery is very beautiful. 
The mountains are green with pine and cedar, or 
golden with tamarack. Where the rocks show 
they are snow white. Cascades and waterfalls 
rush down the slopes with picturesque effect. 
The river or the lake, as one may choose to call 
it, is sometimes narrow and swift or again is 
broad and without perceptible current.- Along the 
shore could be seen evidences of the difference 
in level between high and low water which Capt. 
L. H. Fraser told us was not less than twenty- 
four feet. Captain Fraser was exceedingly kind 
and polite, and giving us the advantage of an 
outlook from the wheelhouse told us about the 
lake in winter and in summer. The winters are 
mild, averaging from twenty-five to thirty degrees 
Fahrenheit for the season, but sometimes going 
down to zero or to minus two degrees or three 
degrees. The volume of water which comes 
down the river in spring is tremendous. The 
summers are cool and pleasant, and passengers 
on the boat are never troubled with mosquitoes, 
though these are sometimes bad on the shore. 
The run from Robson to the head of the lake 
is 124 miles. Arrowhead was reached about 4 
o'clock and Revelstoke by train two- hours later. 
Here there is an excellent hotel. 
It had been our purpose to stop on our way east 
at Field, Laggan, Glacier and Banff, but when 
we rose next morning, it was raining hard and 
there seemed little prospect of fair weather on 
the west side of the mountains. 
And so it was. The train which bore us east 
passed through rain and mists which hid much 
of the superb scenery through which we were 
journeying. Now and then we had an oppor¬ 
tunity to look down upon the boiling stream 
which hurries through Albert Canon nearly 300 
feet below the raidroad train, caught glimpses 
here and there of, the Illecillewaet, saw through 
the clouds' the splendid Ross Peak, and about 
noon arrived at Glacier. This was one of the 
places that we had hoped to stop at to see some¬ 
thing of the great glacier that lies at the foot 
of Mount Sir Donald and to view at least all 
the wonderful peaks round about. The spot is 
one where weeks or months could be spent with 
satisfaction by anyone interested in mountain 
climbing and beautiful scenery. There is a most 
excellent hotel; the great glacier lies but a mile 
and a half away, and is very easy of access; while 
the railway company has provided Swiss guides 
for the benefit of aspiring mountaineers. Moun¬ 
tain goats are reported as abundant here and 
there are said to be some bears. But at Glacier, 
when we got there, it was snowing hard, a heavy 
fog lay over the valley and the great glacier was 
invisible; in fact, one could scarcely see from 
one end of the train to the other. We went on. 
All day long the fog hung low and the snow 
continued to fall. Yet toward evening we rose 
higher and higher and drew nearer to the plains 
country, the sky brightened, the mists were some¬ 
times swept away, and views, too brief to be des¬ 
cribed but stirring for beauty and grandeur, were 
had of stupendous mountain peaks. 
It was late at night when Banff was reached, 
and here the ground was white with snow though 
the skies were clear. For a long time we Had 
been within the borders of that vast reservation 
which is the Canadian National Park, answering 
to our Yellowstone National Park. 
Banff lies in a narrow valley surrounded on 
all sides by jagged mountain peaks, sharp and 
high enough to stir the blood of the mountain 
climber. Originally the Canadian National Park 
was a modest reservation, but from time to time 
additions were made to it, and in 1902 its area 
was increased by nearly 5,000 square miles and it 
BOW FALLS. 
now contains within its boundaries some of the 
most magnificent scenery in the world, including 
towering mountain peaks, extensive glaciers, blue 
lakes, picturesque rivers and magnificent water 
falls. Over part of the park splendid roads have 
been built, and the beautiful drives from point 
to point of interest through spruce forests and 
along steep mountain side are easy and attrac- 
along steep mountain sides are easy and attrac- 
mer residence for many Canadians. There are 
large hotels and a great number of more or less 
modest cottages which are occupied by the 
visitors from spring to autumn. The number of 
tourists visiting Banff during the past year is 
said to have been more than 30,000, and others 
have been prevented from coming owing to lack 
of accommodations. 
The Plot Springs, not far from the village, re¬ 
mind one somewhat of the Hot Springs of the 
Yellowstone Park, though they are not very ex¬ 
tensive. The temperature of the water is only 
about 100. There are comfortable bath houses 
which are patronized by a considerable propor¬ 
tion of the visitors. 
To many of those who go to> Banff the most 
interesting local exhibition is that of the wild 
animals kept under fence in the park. These 
include buffalo, elk, moose and deer; coyotes, 
wolves, mountain lions, foxes and black bears, 
together with some birds and smaller animals. 
The buffalo herd is especially noteworthy. Ic 
consists now of more than sixty animals which 
are in absolutely perfect condition and are rapidly 
increasing. There are a dozen . moose, about 
twenty elk and a good many deer. 
The buffalo are chiefly the increase of a small 
herd donated to the Government some years ago 
by Sir Donald Smith, who afterward became 
Lord Strathcona. The master of the herd is a 
stupendous bull; there is a goodly proportion 
of cows and twelve calves of the year, one of 
which was born the day before we reached there, 
and showed the red color of the new born calves, 
while all his fellows were dark brown. 
On the way to the park we were all on the 
lookout for wild animals, and presently as we 
passed an opening we saw standing in the edge 
of the quaking aspen brush two huge black crea¬ 
tures which we at once recognized as moose. 
One of these was two, the other three years old, 
we guessed; at all events they were young and 
were playing with each other—pretending to fight. 
The older of the two had a heavy dewlap hang¬ 
ing down in front of the bell, which both bulls 
possessed. We watched them for a long time 
with great interest, for they were so near to us 
that we could hear their horns clash as they 
plaved, and could witness every movement. 
Driving on into the park we saw in the cages 
the various carnivorous animals and some of the 
birds. In the distance in the onen were two or 
three buffalo and two huge black animals which 
were evidently buffalo hybrids, and which a 
