May 24, 1793. Felled With Axes.

Excerpts from the Journals of Alexander MacKenzie. (Day 16)

      “We continued our very laborious journey, which led us down some steep hills, and through a wood of tall pines. After much toil and trouble in bearing the canoe through the difficult passages we encountered, at four in the afternoon arrived at the river, some hundred yards above the rapids or falls, with all our baggage.”

     Finally. The exhausted crew can now look forward to putting the canoe back in the water. 

       “Those of my people who visited this place on the 21st, were of the opinion that the water had risen very much since that time. About two hundred yards below us...are deep round holes...some of which are full of water, while others are empty, in whose bottom are small round stones, as smooth as marble...At a small distance below the first of these rocks, the channel widens...and it was really awful to behold with what infinite force the water drives against the rocks...”

The river is high, and rising. Sadly these ancient formations are now buried under "two hundred yards" of lake water.

He concedes that the First Nations portage route would have been better; “But after all, the Indian-carrying way...will always be found more safe and expeditious…”

And it was used by every adventurer thereafter. 

      “By the number of trees which appeared to have been felled with axes, we discovered that the Knisteneaux, or some tribes who are known to employ that instrument, had passed this way. We passed through a snare enclosure, but saw no animals, though the country was very much intersected with tracks.”

      In this part of the 18th century world, the fur trader’s axe was still a new and obviously extremely important technology.