July 14, 1793. To Sustain Themselves.

July 14, 1793. Daily excerpts from the Journal of Alexander MacKenzie on his overland Voyage to The Pacific Ocean.

     “This morning we had a bright sun, with an East wind. These people examined their fishing machines, when they found in them a great number of small fish, and we dressed as many of them as we could eat.”

       Breakfast for all of his men while saving on some of their own rations. 

     “Thus was our departure retarded until seven, when we proceeded on our journey, accompanied by the man and his two sons...they were accustomed to fish for themselves...they were used to sustain themselves in their journies.” 

     “Our guide informed me that there is a short cut across the mountains, but as there was no trace of a road, and it would shorten our journey but one day, he should prefer the beaten way....we had an extensive view to the South-East, from which direction a considerable river appeared to flow...it represented to me as being navigable for canoes.” 

     “We continued our journey along the lake...came to a kind of bank, or weir, formed by the natives, for the purpose of placing their fishing-machines...Our guide placed one of them, with the certain expectation that on his return he should find plenty of fish in it.”

Perhaps these fishing-machines were something like the one shown in Picture 1.

Picture 1. Indigenous Fish Trap, Hagwilget (1926). B.C. Archives photo.

     “At nine at night we crossed a river on our rafts...we were now quite exhausted, and it was absolutely necessary for us to stop for the night...Our guides encouraged us with the hope that, in two days of similar exertion, we should arrive among people of the other nation.”