rowness of the stripe of country which intervenes between the summit
of the ridge and the coast would have caused it to be little better than
a mountain torrent. As it is, its arms spread far and wide, and it
carries a great body of water to the sea. The head waters of the
Missouri interlock with those of the southern branches of the
Columbia ; but that river, precipitating itself down the eastern declivity
of the mountains, takes a devious course to the south-east*
receiving in its way several great tributaries, and joining the Mississippi,
which rises at the west end of Lake Superior, in a comparatively
low, but hilly country. Their united streams traverse the whole of
Louisiana, and fall into the Gulf of Mexico, after a course of four
thousand and five hundred miles, reckoned from the head of the
Missouri. The Saskatchewan is the third great river which issues
from the same elevated part of the mountains, its feeding streams
spreading from the 47th to the 54th parallel of latitude, and the more
Southern ones being interposed betwixt the head waters of the two
preceding rivers. The upper streams of the Saskatchewan, after
descending from the mountains, form two principal arms, which flow
through comparatively naked, sandy plains, under the names of the
North and South Branches, and then unite a short way below Carlton-
house. Prom thence the river, continuing its course through a well*
wooded country, passes by Cumberland-house, where it receives a
considerable tributary that originates on the immediate banks of the
Missinippi, a parallel river, and afterwards, flowing through Lake
Winipeg, changes its name to-Nelson River, and falls into Hudson’s
Bay, near Cape Tatnam. The whole course of the Saskatchewan or
Nelson River, from the mountains to the sea, may be estimated,
windings inclusive, at one thousand six hundred miles. Lake
Winipeg, besides other large streams, receives the River Winipeg,
which rises on a ridge of land bordering closely on Lake Superior, and
also the Red River, whose eastern branch has its sources on the same
heights with the Mississippi, and whose western branch originates close
to the banks of the Missouri, some distance above where that river
begins to turn to the southward. By means of short portages, then,
one may pass from the respective branches of the Nelson, by the
Columbia, to the Pacific; by the Missouri or Mississippi to the Gulf of
Mexico; by the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic, and also by the Elk or
Mackenzie River, whose upper streams approach the north branches of
the Saskatchewan to the Arctic Sea. The fourth great river which
takes its rise from the same quarter of the Rocky Mountain range is
the one just mentioned,—the Mackenzie, which is the third of the
North American rivers in respect of size, being inferior only to the
Missouri and St. Lawrence. The two principal arms of the Mackenzie
are the Elk and Peace rivers. One of the main streams of the former,
the Red Deer River, issues from the vicinity of the northern sources of
the Columbia and Saskatchewan, whilst other feeders interlock with
the head waters of the Beaver, Missinippi, or Churchill river. Having
passed through the Athapescow Lake, the Elk River is joined by the
Peace River, which, originating somewhat further north in the mountains
within three hundred yards of the source of the Tacootclitesse or
Frazer’s River, affords a canoe route to all parts of New Caledonia.
I t is a singular fact, that the Peace River actually rises on the west
side of the Rocky Mountain ridge, and is a large stream navigable for
boats at the place where it makes its way through a narrow gorge
bounded by lofty mountains, which are covered with eternal snows.
Nearer the source of the river, and between it and the Tacootchtessfe,
the mountains are less lofty and more distant, and the country has
there much of the character of elevated table-land. After its union
with the Peace River the Elk River assumes the name of Slave River,
which, on passing through Great Slave Lake, becomes the Mackenzie.
At a considerable distance below the last-mentioned lake, and where
the Mackenzie makes its first near approach to the Rocky Mountains,
it is joined by a large stream, which rising a little to the northward of
the Peace River, flows along the eastern base of the mountains. I t
obtained the name of the River of the Mountains from Sir Alexander
Mackenzie ; but its magnitude has since gained it the appellation of
the South branch of the Mackenzie from the traders. The Mackenzie
receives several other large streams on its way to the sea, and among
others Great Bear Lake River, whose head-waters rise on the banks of