by the Ingenika, Omineca, Manson, and Ospika Rivers, the two former being fed
by many tributaries. The Parsnip flows north-westerly, aud has the Nation River,
draining from the chain of lakes known as the Nation Lakes, as its main tributary.

Pending completion of the railroads, access to the Peace River Division may
be had via Fort George, Giscome Portage, and the Crooked, Pack, and Parsnip
Rivers, which are navigable for canoes; by the old route from Hazelton by way of
Babine and Stuart Lakes and the Fort St. James-Fort McLeod Trail and the river-
ways; or from Edmonton or Edson, Athabaska Landing, Lesser Slave Lake, and
Peace River Crossing.

ROUTE VIA GISCOME LANDING.

N. F. Murray, who made a report on the Peace River country with special
relation to road locations in 1918, said: “In the matter of road connection with
the road system of the west, it is certain that from the early spring of 1914 an
immense amount of freight will go into the Finlay and Peace countries. The movye-
ment has already started, and I believe that there is a congestion of goods now at
Giscome from various causes. The people of the Peace River country haye learned
the possibilities of the western routes, and-haye declared their intention to bring
in their provisions, farm machinery, and stock from the west. Almost all portable
goods from the west will, for some time, go by the water route.

“On this route goods are landed at Giscome, forty-two miles up the Fraser
River from Fort George; portaged over a wagon-road for eight miles to Summit
Lake, and run down by boats, canoes, and scows through various lakes and the
Crooked, Pack, and Parsnip Rivers to Finlay Junction; then down the Peace to
the Rocky Mountain Portage of thirteen miles, when the Peace is again navigable
without a break to the Chutes at Vermilion. ‘The distances are:—

Miles

GiISCOMesP Or fages tera ee Ee eae 8
SuMMIibsakele sae aoe ea Pap Oran tern sanree ae Sr oeont Baier &
SUM Mts akex COM Cle 0 Wier eee eset cs aceasta ee 65
McLeod: toshinlay-dunction i. siete eee eee 115
Finlay Junction to Rocky Mountain Portage ................. 74
ICG a OyruN TAY ILO See sedis b hoes Gand ons capnad x 13
ALO GE Sesto wese ete ave ae Merete aoe nee epee a 279

“The only bad waters between the Rocky Mountain Portage, where Rocky
Mountain Canyon cuts through between high cliffs and Summit rake, are the Ne
Parle Pas Rapids and Finlay Rapids and the Crooked River. -Both these rapids
can be safely run by scows or large boats, and, as they are short, can be easily
portaged, the shores being good. The Crooked River is a very small, very crooked,
narrow, Shallow, and swift waterway, with what is known as ‘The Wagon-road *
meandering down its bed. This is a narrow course down the channel where the
rocks have been dragged to one side by the traders and Indians for generations
back. This stream, while not dangerous to life, takes its tol! in boats and goods
every year.”

POSSIBILITIES OF WATER ROUTE.

C. F. J. Galloway, who went in 1912 to make a report on the coalfields of the
Peace River, travelling via Giscome Portage and the Crooked, Pack, and Parsnip
Rivers, said: ‘The writer was greatly impressed with the transportation possi-
bilities of this route, which, with the expenditure of a comparatively small sum
of money, would make a magnificent waterway from Summit Lake to Mcleod, a
distance in a straight line of about fifty-five miles, but by water of over 100. By
dredging certain portions, aggregating perhaps ten miles in all, and widening a few
places, a lake and canal route would be formed, over which large scows could be
hauled with stern-wheel steamers with equal ease in either direction. By cutting
canals across the narrow necks of land in some of the loops the distance could be

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