These Were Perfect Huts
Which Had Been Hastily Built After The Commencement Of The Last Winter.
We Here Saw Two
Hunters who were Chipewyan half-breeds and made many
inquiries of them respecting the countries we expected to visit, but
We
found them quite ignorant of every part beyond the Athabasca Lake. They
spoke of Mr. Hearne and of his companion Matonnabee, but did not add to
our stock of information respecting that journey. It had happened before
their birth but they remembered the expedition of Sir Alexander Mackenzie
towards the sea.
This is a picturesque lake about ten miles long and six broad and
receives its name from a species of fish caught in it but not much
esteemed; the residents never eat any part but the liver except through
necessity, the dogs dislike even that. The tittameg and trout are also
caught in the fall of the year. The position of the houses by our
observations is latitude 56 degrees 24 minutes 20 seconds North,
longitude 109 degrees 23 minutes 06 seconds West, variation 22 degrees 50
minutes 28 seconds East.
On the 13th we renewed our journey and parted from Mr. Clark to whom we
were much obliged for his hospitality and kindness. We soon reached the
Methye Portage and had a very pleasant ride across it in our carioles.
The track was good and led through groups of pines, so happily placed
that it would not have required a great stretch of imagination to fancy
ourselves in a well-arranged park. We had now to cross a small lake and
then gradually ascended hills beyond it until we arrived at the summit of
a lofty chain of mountains commanding the most picturesque and romantic
prospect we had yet seen in this country. Two ranges of high hills run
parallel to each other for several miles until the faint blue haze hides
their particular characters, when they slightly change their course and
are lost to the view. The space between them is occupied by nearly a
level plain through which a river pursues a meandering course and
receives supplies from the creeks and rills issuing from the mountains on
each side. The prospect was delightful even amid the snow and though
marked with all the cheerless characters of winter; how much more
charming must it be when the trees are in leaf and the ground is arrayed
in summer verdure! Some faint idea of the difference was conveyed to my
mind by witnessing the effect of the departing rays of a brilliant sun.
The distant prospect however is surpassed in grandeur by the wild scenery
which appeared immediately below our feet. There the eye penetrates into
vast ravines two or three hundred feet in depth that are clothed with
trees and lie on either side of the narrow pathway descending to the
river over eight successive ridges of hills. At one spot termed the
Cockscomb the traveller stands insulated as it were on a small slip where
a false step might precipitate him into the glen.
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