June 3rd, 1793. My Usual Regularity.

Excerpts from the Journals of Alexander MacKenzie on his epic Voyage of Discovery in 1793.
 

     “On the third of June we renewed our voyage with the rising sun. At noon I obtained a meridian altitude, which gave 55.22.3 North latitude. I also took time, and the watch was slow 1.30.14 apparent time. According to my calculations, this place is about twenty-five miles South-East of the fork.” * 

If his latitude reading is correct, then he is actually 45 miles south of the Fork. Were he 25 miles, his actual latitude would be 55.38.20 North. It’s difficult to say which is correct, but his latitude reckonings have been very accurate so far. If he is correct, then he is very close to the present day location of the town of Mackenzie, (55.20.0 North) which was obviously named after him, when it was built in 1966. Of course the town site is quite a ways above the river bottom of his day. The size of the mountains and geography are evident in this photo. (Picture 1.)  

Picture 1. Modern day town of Mackenzie, from Morfee Mt. 

An interesting note is that he thinks of this river as a south branch of the Peace River, rather than as the separate river it was, later known as the Parsnip. 

Picture 2. Map of area; From Peace River Chronicles, 1963. 

*Noted. “I shall now proceed with my usual regularity, which, as I already mentioned, has been, for some days, suspended, from the loss of my book of observation.”