the hills around Barkerville and never came out.
Some took up ranching in the more hospitable val-
leys of the region, and their descendants are today,
in many instances, carrying on. Practically all of the
old originals have passed over the ‘great divide,”
and but few survived long enough to witness the
second great revival of Cariboo gold.

In due time, news of the rich gold fields of this
district had reached the ears of the public in the East,
and there was a mad scramble to join expeditions
leaving for the far-famed Cariboo. Overnight, wild-
cat promotion schemes were launched, and express
and stage coaches were commandeered for passage.
Of all the various expeditions working their way out
to the gold fields, one deserves brief mention. This
group of Overlanders set out from St. Paul, Minn.,
and travelled up the Red River by steamer. In due
time, after being aground in the mud on a great many
occasions, the little ship “International” delivered its
human cargo of gold-seekers (including an Irish
woman and her two children), on the shores of Fort
Garry (Winnipeg), from whence they started their
overland journey. The trail followed the paths of the
old fur-traders, passing through Forts Ellice, Carlton,
Pitt and Edmonton. The usual programme was to
rise at two a.m. and on the trail at three. Breakfast

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