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APPENDIX

EXTRACTS FROM THE FIRST JOURNAL OF SIMON FRASER, 1806

(Series C. No. 16, Bancroft Collection, Pacific Coast MSS., University of
California, Berkeley. Copy in Inbrary of Geological Survey,
Canada, Ottawa)

“ Wednesday 16th April. About 9 A.M. Mr. John McKinver arrived1
from the Meadow Indians, after an absence of seventy odd days.
he informs us of his having starved much at different times. He
accompanied the Indians far off in search of Beaver but though they
saw many Beaver Lodges they killed but few on account of the depth
of snow which is from five to six feet deep in the Beaver country.
They saw no large animals of any kind no not even a track during
their long and intricate route until within two days march of the
upper end of the Portage at the place they returned the Indians showed
him the place where Trout Lake2 was and told him it was only three
encampments distant from there but he could get no one to accompany
him the place where Trout Lake2 was and told him it was only three
and the misery they endure to go there and from there to come here
proves this plan to be of little use. Could it be done it would cer-
tainly be more proper to send them all to Trout Lake where Beaver
is near the Fort and it is certain they will never work well until they
have an establishment formed in the Beaver country.”

“Wednesday 28rd April. Menard arrived with four young men from the
chiefs band they brought 22 Beaver skins, 2 carcasause and six Pechause
belonging to the chief which are well dressed, traded the value of two
skins. These Indians are not Meadow Indians but of another tribe
and the relations of the chief who always sides with the Meadow
Indians and who has much authority over them. We attempted
to get some information concerning their country but they seemed
rather stupid and not much inclined to satisfy our desires which perhaps
is not a little owing to the little knowledge we have of their language
for our interpreters are none of the best. however we understood that
Finlays branch does not terminate in chutes and Rapids as reported
but with the intervening of some Portages that it is navigable to its
source and from thence there is a Portage about half the length of this,
a large Lake called Bear Lake where the Salmon comes up, and from
there is a River that falls into another much larger (according to
their Report than over the Peace River) that glides in northwest
direction. In that Lake they say there are plenty of fish and that the
salmon are unnumerable with plenty of Bears and animals of the fur
kind there about, but no large animals of any kind. It is from that

1 At Rocky Mountain Portage, i.e., Hudson Hope.
2 Now called McLeod lake.