June 17, 1793. Inexpressible Satisfaction.

June 17, 1793, Monday. (Day 40) 

Excerpts from the journal of Alexander MacKenzie on this day of his epic Voyage of Discovery, to the Pacific Ocean.

     “Having sat up till twelve last night, which had been my constant practice since we had taken our present guide, I awoke Mr. McKay to watch him in turn. I then laid down to rest, and at three I was awakened to be informed that he had deserted...This misfortune did not produce any relaxation in our exertions...At an early hour of the morning we were all employed in cutting a passage...In short, we pursued...by land and water, till noon, when we could proceed no further, from the various small unnavigable channels into which the river branched in every direction…”

Picture 1. Google Earth image showing the “various small unnavigable channels” they encountered in the lower part of the James (Bad) River. Looks the same today.

“This journey was...through a continued swamp, where, in many places, we waded up to the middle of our thighs... It was eight in the evening when we arrived at the bank of the great river.” Finally they have reached the MacGregor River, which is a great river to navigate. They are now very close to the really great river, which we know today as The Fraser.

Picture 2. On the bank of the MacGregor River. 1976 Photo by Faulkner. 

     “At length we enjoyed, after all our toil and anxiety, the inexpressible satisfaction of finding ourselves on the bank of a navigable river, on the West side of the first great range of mountains.”