The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-08

Who had grown gray In the camp, aay that
there vns ! hundred In CARIBOU yet for
every dollar that had been taken ont. Ger
tain!y many of TIE 49, now nelng
Ribs, another mining camp on the Ques-
enell river, i shout 8 lively little min
ing camp - any one would wish 70 80.
whilst there b many . ueW venture In
operation yet TO b heard nom IN the
vicinity.
Returning 70 Quessnell W make pre-
partitions for our journey to Peace river.
4 regular camping ont1t 9 ven = sup
ing Quesenell We leave I'll civilization be-
hind as. Everything necessary having
been purchased from the Hudson Bay
Company hezs, they kindly offer m pas
saGe 70 Fort George, one OF their trading
posts further up the river. Very happy
indeed TO accepk We embark next morn
the Hudson Bay Company,s York boat
The crew conststed Of clerk, tho captain,
= bowman and nine men on the line on
shore, pulling the boat along - best they
may, scrambling and wading, ct times
having to swim, still Ill apparently happy
as CLAIMS. As passengers we can lie in the
stern and enjoy the wonderful, scenery Of
river, swift and deep, for the first twelve
miles above Quesenell flows through .
country well adapted for cultivation. It
is low and heavily timbered, rising with
very gradual slope towards the Cariboo
mountains to the southeast, whilst the
northwest bank, rising more abruptly to q
height of some $50 feet, shelves away far
plateau.
Cottonwood canyon il reached for our
first nights camp, twelve miles having
been travelled In the day. At this point it
Is necessary to unload and pack the cargo
across portage Of one mile, the canyon
being at ell times very dangerous place
for boats. While the cargo is being packed
the Chinese mining camps in the vicinity.
Fifty yards from the landing We found .
half dozen Celestials hard ct work with q
capital run Of sluice- boxes, plenty Of water,
and making money, as all Cinnamon will.
On the opposite side of the river another
colony Of Celestials are driving shaft
into good pay-rock.
The sspasssge" of the boat through the
canyon was sight worth seeing, the line
men scrambling along the face Of the rock
like so many goats, where Q false step
meant unpleasantness. The bowsman
and captain braced, with every muscle
strained, to keep her clear ct either end,
the mad rush of white, boiling water
them to pieces against the cliff, which rose
perpendicularly from either side of the
narrow gorge. For . full half mile the
struggle continued, but finally by one
great effort from the men, who had gained
better footing, the host was drawn safely
through. She was swung in shore, cargo
again shipped and we were once moro on
the way. The next forty miles is gotten
over with but very little variation from
the first days travel, through country
more heavily timbered, if anything. But
few Cinnamon are passed washing on the
bars, although many of them win pay for
the working.
Through Fort George canyon, another Of
the Fraser rivers grand sights, and on to
Fort George, twelve miles above, the coun-
try appeared much more open and less
heavily timbered and decidedly fiat. In
fact, we have gained the level Of the great
central plateau on the western slope OF the
Rockies. Here We find 3 very good gar
den, well stocked with all the harder veg
etables. No farming is being done, IS that
style of life does not suit the Indians.
Purchasing canoe here We proceed mp
the river some forty miles, and, after some
hard work, find ourselves camped on Dis
comb portage, the greatest height Of land
between the rivers and but seven miles
from the Summit lakes, the headwaters of
the Arctic slope.
We have several days packing across
the portage on wonderfully good road, to
find ourselves standing upon the shore of
the first of the Summit lakes, one of a
chain, . sheet Of clear, crystalline water.
lovely a. day-dream, paradise for an
angler, its isles and shores teeming with
game, . veritable hunters pleasure
ground. Jump into canoe and paddle