Tue Great JourNEY 95

had passed the Great Divide, and were now
heading downstream. The greatest problem
of the whole journey had been solved: they
had found a canoe-route through the moun-
tains. They must have launched their canoe
with light hearts at the end of the portage, in
a little lake which is one of the sources of the
Fraser River.

They were, however, soon disillusioned.
Their way was down a mountain torrent,
choked by fallen timber and driftwood, wind-
ing in great circles, and with a furious current
on a stony bed. Mackenzie names it on his
map, simply and with justice, Bad River.
They were soon brought into dangers as acute
as those they had surmounted in Peace River

Canyon. When Mackenzie would have

walked to lighten the load, those in the canoe
urged him to embark, “declaring that if they
perished I should perish with them.” A few
minutes later they came near to death. The
canoe struck and was split, and before they
could bring it to land it was swept on down
the stream. Both bow and stern were shat-
tered against rocks, large rents were torn in