Alexander MacKenzie’s Voyage to the Pacific (Day 17)
“It rained throughout the night, and till twelve this day; while the business of preparing great and small poles, and putting the canoe in order etc., caused us to remain here till five in the afternoon. I now attached a knife, with a steel, flint, beads, and other trifling articles to a pole, which I erected, and left as a token of amity to the natives.”
Picture 1 - shows a french trade knife of the period. Probably typical of the ones they used and traded.
Picture 2 - a (reproduction) striker and flint.
“The water had risen during our stay here one foot and a half perpendicular height.”
The river is rising every day as the snow melts off the Rocky Mountains. They were all on an arduous three day overland portage and hadn’t seen the river since.
“We now embarked, and our course was North-West one mile and three quarters. There were mountains on all sides of us, which were covered with snow; one in particular, on the South side of the river, rose to a great height.”
-The mountain is one we know as Mt. Gething. They had a late start this day but still managed to make a few river miles. Tomorrow will be an early start.
“We continued to proceed West...when we encamped for the night...killed a small elk.”
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