1792* it being the route by which I propofed to attempt my next difcovery,
— -v— > acrofs the mountains from thefoiirce. o f that'river; for whatever diftance
I could reach this fall, would be a proportionate advancement of my
voyage.
In confequenpe of this dgfign-, I left the eftabliihment o f Fort Chepe-
wyan, in charge of'Mr. Roderic Mackenzie, accompanied by two canoes
laden with the neceflary articles for trade: we accordingly {Jeered Weft
Tor one of the branches that communicates with the Peace Riyer, called
the Pine River; at the entrance of which we waited for the other-canoest
in order to take lome 1’upplies from- them, as I had reafon to apprehend-
they would not be able to keep up with us. We entered 4 the Peace
River- at* feven* in- the* morning* o f the* i-2thj taking* a- Wfeftferly ebdrfe.
It is evident, that all the land between* it and the Lake- o f the Hills,
as far* as-the Elk River/ is * formed by, the quantify d f earth* and mud,
Whieh.iscarried down by the ftreamsofthofe* two great rivers*. In* this
fpacC-there arefCveral -lakes; T-fie lake,- Clear Water, which® the deepeft,
LakeVaffieUj andtheAthabafeas Laker wKich is the large#of the three*
and1 whole- denomination in the Kniftmeaux- language/ implies-, a flat
low,-fwampy country, fubjeft to inundations. The two * 1 aft lakes are
now fo- fellow, that, -from* the caufe juflf' mentioned,' there is every
reafon to expe&, that in- a few years,- they-wilf have* exchanged their
charafter and become extenfive forefts.
This country is fo level, that, at forme feafons, it is entirely overflowed*
which ^counts -for the periodical Snfkix and-reflux- c f3the-watersVetrweenr
the* Lake of the HftJtS. and* the-BeaeeRl vert
Oflr
On the 13th at noon We came to the Peace Point; from which, àc-
cording to the report of toy interpreter/ the river derives-Rs namfe; $6 'JBSSV saiJ
was the fpot where the Knifteneaux and Beaver Indians Fèttîed their dif-
pute ; the real name of the #véf aid pôittt bëih^ that ôf thé làhd Which
was the objeâ of' contention.
I When this country was formerly invaded by the Knifteneaux, they
found the Beaver Indians* inhabiting thé land abbuf Pôrtâgê It Lôcfte ;
and the adjd»h% t l ^ wei® ÖiOfe who& flâVéà They drovè
both thefe tribes before them $ when the’ fetüèr pröéëëiéd ÖÓWA thé
river from the Lake of the Hills, óf
à obtained the name of thé Slave Ri véî*. The- fbfnaer pVóééfcdêfd rip thé
riVér; and when die Knifteneaux -fiaftder them, thS place Wâà
fettled to be die boundary.
We continued oirrVdyage, âftd Î did not fmd' ffee current fd ftrong in
this' river as I had been induced to believe, though this, perhaps, was
not thé period to'form a cötreft 1 ‘ötióh of that"circumftan€e, êâ well as
o f ‘the breadth, the Water Beidg Yety few1; fd that the {béanVhâs not
appeared to me to be m any part that I h aw mén, moré than a charter
o f a raife wide.
The weather was cold and rUW/ lo asto render ouf"pfogréîs unpTeâ-
fant ; at the fame time we did not relax in our expedition, and, at three
On the*aftemoon o f the 17th'we arrival at* the faite., T h e 'rivèr‘aè this •
place is abdtrt foUri hundred' yards' brdâdf-ànd the' fall aDouf twenty feet
high 1 thé firft caV^hrg place & e%ht imrfdred* pâcés' in' length, arid thé
R 2 laft,