The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-29

sfssa Trasss's Ciaa.s - R41sn
trasee-Lsw1s = Clsrks's NORTH
srn csuss.perazy.


srn Contemporary.
Monsreai sxax.
| One OF the nost valuable service.
rendered % Canada By : Nor'weste'
WAS the exploring by Mr. simon Fra
ser Of the territory wateresi by tn
Fraser river and now forming th,
Ipepyinte Of British Columbia II |.
the object OF this sketch 70 relate til
services rendered by Mr.. Simon Fra
ser, particularly in connection viii
his discovery Of the Fraser river
Nr. Fraser was born In l7s6 and de
seconded in direct line from Fraser o
CuIbokie. second son Of simon. frs
Lord Lovat, by his marriage with ths
daughter Of Lord John Bixzell Hi.
grandfather. William Fraser, Of Cul
bokie. left nine sons. Two OF these
Archibald and John, served undel
Wolfe d the siege OF Quebec. TheIat
ter became Judge Fraser in later years
| Mr.. Fraser father. also simon. LEFT
Scotland in 1T13 and settled near Ben
lnington, where he acquired lands. Al
the breaking ont OF the revolutionary
war he Joined the Royal Standard and
served as captain in Burgoyne's army
until the latter capitnlafion. when he
was made a prisoner He died aftel
Is months of q rigorous imprisonment
at Albany. and bis widow came te
Canada with her children. Captain
Fraser had married Isabella, daughter
/ of Grant OF Daidregan, leaving severa
children. Mrs. Fraser, after having
liyedFat Three Rivers and Coteau-iu
Lac for time, finally settled at ST
Andrews. Glengarry. simon. the OBJ
iecf OF this notice, was the youngest OF
her sons; he was sent TO Montreal for
his education and here resided with
his uncle. the Hon. Judge Fraser. In
1872 he became an arficled clerk to the
| Northwest Fur Trading Company
McTavish, Frohisher IL Co. He ap-
pears to have spent bis first year al
the headquarters mt Montreal and the
| next year began his adventurous ca
reer, being detached to Fort Athabas-
ca, then the principal trading post OF
the company west of Grand Portage.
In 1902 he became partner and three
years later came down to Fort VIII.
iani. when he was nominated TO cross
the Rocky mountains for the purpose
OF extending the outposts and forming
new trading connections with the In.
| dams.
1t was in the month of August
1906, that he left Fort William on his
voyage of discovery. According to
notes left by him his route lay through
Lake Of the Woods, Lake Nipegon
up the Saskatchewan, then up Peace
river az far as Isle a-la-Creise, then ur
Buffalo lake TO Fort Athabasca, which
was the rendezvous of this depart
ment. From this post he proceeded
UP the Fraser river TO the foot of the
mountains to place which he named
Rocky Mountain Portage. There he
left two clerks (Messrs. James Nc
Dougall and Archibald McGiilivray'
and twelve men. He continued or
with six men to the summit of the
mountains, until he reached q lake oil
about twelve superficial miles, which
discharges down both sides of thu
mountains. At this lake, which hi
called Mcleod lake, after one of the
partners. he left three of his men te
form acquaintance with the Indians,
and returned in November with thu
others to Rocky Mountain Portage
where he had left Messrs. McDougall
and McGiilivray. He passed the win
ter of 1856 at this post, and in Ma.
sent two canoes loaded with furs tf
Fort Athabasca. with report of his
proceedings. He then returned with
six men TO Mcleod lake, taking 9
Idevious route 10 the South, and touch
ing on his way the great river which
bears his name. and which he Their
supposed to be the Columbia. He weni
up tributary of the Fraser river and
called it Stewart river. Doubts now
arose in his mind as to the Fraser
river. which is called the Great river
About 40 miles up the Stewart river
he .,l-sss 3 house and called the place
New Caledonia. Here he left Mr.
Stewart and two men and crossed
westerly into the open country, build
ing another house near lake which
he called Fraser lake. He was now
with four men in the midst of Indians
who had never before either seen OF
heard OF the pale face 1t was on
the border OF this lake that he wit.
messed AN Indian. ceremony, which
after the lapse of more than half 6
century. was rs fresh in his mind as
II oil recent occurrence, and to which
he often referred. He was brought BY
the Indians along the lake border to q
place where they had large burning
ground, and where one OF the chiefs
OF their tribe was being buried. An
immense number of warriors were as.
sembled. and after most solemn and
impressive ceremony Mr.. Fraser wa.
invited by signs TO approach the grave
HE did so. and have immense sstisfac
ton by engraving his name on a post
which had been planted over the re
mains of the departed warrior.
From this lake Mr.. Fraser returned
and passed the winter With Mr.. Stew
art. In the early part of 1907 he sen
dispatches, with what furs had beer
EcoiIected, to Athabasca, and asked 70,
an increased force of clerks and goods
In the autumn Of 1907, he received TIVE
canoes, loaded with goods. and tws
clerks, one of them being Mr.. Quesnei
| subsequently memher for Montreal
These gentlemen brought dispatehe.
from The company, recommending
Mr.. Fraser 70 trace. with all possible
speed, the great river 10 the sea, beins
apprehensive that the American:
would get possession OF that territor,
before the british, particularly as il
the previous year. 1876, capts. Levi,
and Clark had gone down the Column
bia, and we're extending American au
thority along the western coast q
America Aston, on the part of tn,
Americans. was also looking anxious
~ towards that section. The cempa
ny therefore urged Mr.. Fraser to spar,
no expense in achieving the object II
view. In the summer of iso7 he bull
another clearinghouse on the Erase
river, in about latitude 81. In May
isus, he started from Stewards lax,
with four canoes and sixteen men. ex
elusive of Messrs. Stewart and Cues
mel. leaving Mr.. Ferries and two fner
IN charge OF post al the mouth o
the Stewart river.
be reached the ocean early in Jul,
and remained but short time Their,
ION account Of the hostility OF the In
dians. From the time he left Ferre.
until be arrived at The sea he met sev
eral large bodies of Indians. speakin,
different languages. They assembled
To see the wonderful paiesaces thai
had COME amongst them. An isie.
may be formed of how they regarded
white men from the fact that wheI
hundreds of them were eongregates
together At the discharge of singh,
gun they would all fail upon thei
faces on the ground. 50 great wa!
ffhafr axfnr.sS a az avs a.ss8 rar~Nr