NORTHERN INTERIOR OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

two of his new acquaintances to secure him a favorable
reception from the Indians he would meet on his way
down, he was just leaving for the south, when a canoe was
sighted which was manned by three men, one of whom
cautioned him to wait until next day, as the messengers
he had noticed detaching themselves from the main group
had gone down to alarm the people, who would certainly
oppose his passage.

On the morrow he left early with his two Carrier guides,
only to fall in with another body of hostile Indians. The
cuide went to them, and, “after a very vociferous discourse,”
one of them was persuaded to approach them, a man
who presented a “very ferocious aspect,” after which his
example was followed by his companions, to the number
of seven men and ten women.

A little farther down he had a repetition of his recent
encounter, and he states that so wild and ferocious was the
appearance of the Indians that he entertained fears for the
safety of the guides sent to conciliate them. At the main
village—which was afterwards to be called Alexandria, in
memory of his eventful trip—he found, among the Carriers,
a Beaver Indian and four Shushwaps, and he was nota
little astonished to be addressed in Cree by a Sekanais
woman who had been taken prisoner by a band of “ Knis-
teneaux.”

There, a map of the southern course of the river was
drawn for his benefit, to show him the madness of his
enterprise, while he was told that, after only seven days’
march due west, he could obtain his object by following a
route to the “ stinking lake,” where the Indians themselves
used to procure brass, copper and trinkets. From that
quarter they also got iron bars eighteen inches long,
which they fashioned into axes and arrow and spear points.

As he had not more than thirty days’ provisions left, he

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