The record-union., 1893-12-29
SOURCE OF THE MACKENZIE RIVER.
The Mighty Stream Found TO Have Its
Rise in q Mountain Lake.

The great Mackenzie River, the might
lest stream on the American Continent,
excepting only the Mississippi. has never
been traced 10 its head, says the Van
couver NelCS-A dUertiSer, and up to the
present time the source from which it
issues has only been known from Indian
report. The mystery has, however, now
been solved by Il. G. Mcdonnell, OF the
Dominion Geological Survey, who has
lust returned from a four months eX-
ploration trip in those regions. Mr.. Nc
Connell arrived in British Columbia from
Ottawa in June, and started out on his
trip from Quesnelle on the 9Th OF that
month, That at least may be said to be
the commencement OF his trip, as on that
day he left civilization behind. The party
mum bered six in all, and consisted of him.
self, his assistant, Mr.. Russell, who, by
the way, is one OF the leading hockey
players Of Canada, two whites he got at
Quesnelle. and two Indians. From Cues
nellie the party proceeded in canoes up
the Fraser to Giscome Portage. This Is
seven and a half miles long, and 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.. McCon-
work, as the chief object of his trip was
to explore that river and, if possible, the
Omineca also. Mr.. Mcconnell accord
ingly went up Findlay River to its juno
ton with the Omineca and followed the
latter to its head, returning down II again
to the same spot. This river is easy
navigable on the upper portion, but in
the first thirty miles 1t falls over 500 feet,
and is consequently extremely rapid and
Il, ,fa.. IL
TO the Omineca River previous to him, as
at one time that was a famous gold
country. but MIR. Mcconnell was the 1irst
tC ever ascend the Findlay River to lis
head. The river is about $50 miles long
and is naYigable for the greater portion
of the way in canoes, though owing to
rapids the party had to proceed the last
fifty miles on foot, an arduous task 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 down to the waters edge in the up-
per portion. AT its mouth the tlndlay Is
about as wide as the Fraser at Quesnelle.
1t is not very deep except in the canyons,
where the current is very strong, and
owing to the numerous rapids and eddies
progress is very slow. At the head of
tindlay River is a lake known in the In
dian tongue as Lake tehutade, which be-
ing interpreted means marrow waters
between mountains" This lake is the
real source of the Mackenzie River. 1t
is between twenty-five and thirty miles
long and not more than quarter of a
mile wide, and is inclosed by high
mountains. Around the edge of the lax Q
are glaciers, and the scene is a very pretty
one. The mountains rise 5000 or 5000
feet above the lake, while they are some
n Asan
ter exploring the lake Mr.. Mcconnell
started on his homeward journey about
the emo of August, and it was none too
soon, as ice began to form on the river,
and while on the Parsnip the party eXpe-
rienced a snowstorm.