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branch they. went there but found no one in consequence of which
they thought the white People had abandoned the country and then
returned to their lands where they were found in the month of March
by Indians that had been out on purpose to look for them in the
month of February who informed them of there being a Fort here.”

“Wednesday May 28th. In the morning Pauce Coupe’s comrade came

to us! with a couple of Indians that never saw white people before.
they are exceedingly well clothed in leather and though they never
were at the Fort, they have guns which they got from their relations.
They are the relations of the Meadow chief but of a different family.
They gave us some information about their lands. What information
we got from these Indians is chiefly about Finlay’s branch and the
country beyond it, which is conformable to what we have heard from
the other Indians at the Portage. The only additional information
we got from them is that there is an immense number of Beaver all
along Finlay’s branch and the River that falls into it and that there
are a few camibance about what they call the Bear Lake. They seem
to be well acquainted with the Carriers with whom they live in amity
and from whom I imagine they got the most part of their Iron works
and ornaments at least they are of the same kind. They desired us
to be on our guard and beware of the At-Tah which is the name both
them and the big men gives the Atnah tribe whom they represent as
more treacherous than realy wicked and wood likely if not aware
shoot their arrows at us.”

“Thursday 10th July. This2 is a fine River and not unlike the Athabasca

but not so large and the Indian we left at the height or point of land
informed us that the upper end of it was the most ordinary residence
of the Says-Thaw Dennehs (Bawcanne Indians) which corroberates
with what the Carriers tell us of these Indians, they being enemies,
When they go a hunting in that quarter, I have seen one that was
wounded last summer and his brother was killed, which is likely the
same that was mentioned by one of the Bancanne Indians last winter
at Dunvegan as being killed there. All accounts agree that large
animals as well as those of the fur kind are in great abundance par-
ticularly towards the upper end, could this be relied upon and that
the Bancanne Indians are really there-abouts an establishment is my
opinion would be well placed at the point of land.? There is excel-
lent fish in the three Lakes and in two of them Salmon abounds in
its season and by all accounts animals are not far off, indeed of this
we had ocular demonstration ourselves so that people would live well
there a no immaterial object in this quarter and the Baucanne Indians
would be much more easily got to come there than to any part of
the Peace River on account of their being afraid of the Beaver Indians,
and the Big men, though they seldom meet they live in amity.”

1At Finlay Forks.
2 McGregor river.
8 The divide between Parsnip and Fraser rivers,