42 THE CARIBOO TRAIL

of ’60 Yale and Hope were almost deserted.
Men on the upper diggings were making from
sixty to a hundred dollarsa day. Only China-
men remained on the lower bars.

It was in the autumn of the year ’60 that
Doc Keithley, John Rose, Sandy MacDonald,
and George Weaver set out from Keithley
Creek, which flows into Cariboo Lake, to ex-
plore the cup-like valley amid the great peaks
which seemed to feed this lake. They toiled
up the creek five miles, then followed signs up
a dry ravine seven miles farther. Reaching
the divide at last, they came on an open park-
like ridge, bounded north and east by lofty
shining peaks. Deer and caribou tracks were
everywhere. It was now that the region be-
came known as Cariboo. They camped on the
ridge, cooked supper, and slept under the
stars. Should they goon, or back? This was
far above the benches of wash-gravel. Going
up one of the nameless peaks, they stepped out
on a ledge and viewed the white, silent moun-
tain-world. Marmots stabbed the lonely soli-
tude with echoing whistle. Wind came up
from the valley in the sibilant sigh of a sea.
It was doubtful if even Indians had ever
hunted this ground. The game was so tame,
it did not know enough to be afraid. The men