FIRST FOUNDATIONS

overflowed, so that their progress was necessarily very
slow,t the passage over rocks, through driftwood and
rapids occasioned by the high water, rendering their leaky
canoes unwieldy and far from safe.

Nation River was passed on the 2nd of June, and
three days afterwards they encamped two miles up the
Pack or McLeod River. There all the goods which were
not destined to outfit Fort McLeod were cached, when
they proceeded to the post where McDougall, now in
charge, was anxiously awaiting them. New canoes were
now made and two Sekanais engaged to introduce them
to the land of the Carriers.

Ignorance of the geography of the country was to lead
Fraser to repeat the mistake already made by Alexander
Mackenzie, and cause him to seek the Fraser by way
-of the Parsnip and Bad Rivers, instead of through Crooked
River and what we now call Giscome Portage. We do
not see Bancroft’s object in insisting that both Fraser and
Mackenzie could not have gone by way of that portage,
since, by their own account, there cannot be the shadow
of a doubt that they azd no/, the former going so far as to
state explicitly that, when he reached the head-waters of
the Parsnip, he was told by a Sekanais that, were he at
McLeod Lake, he could show him a shorter and better
route than that he was on.

At first Fraser was only following Mackenzie’s itinerary
of 1793, and experiencing the same difficulties, increased,
however, by the unusual state of the water, resulting from
the lateness of the season, the first explorer having been

1. H. H. Bancroft, who is constantly bickering at Fraser’s shortcomings,
real or imaginary, contrasts his slowness with Mackenzie’s quicker movements.
Had that author lived a few years in the north of British Columbia, he would
certainly not show himself so partial and fault-finding, as he would then know
the immense difference a week or two of warm weather will make in the state of
our rivers.

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