July 6, 1793. Of The Fir Kind.

July 6, 1793. (Day 59)

Excerpts from the journal of Alexander Mackenzie on his way to the Pacific Ocean.

     “At four this morning I arose from my bed, such as it was...I took the lead in our march, as I had done yesterday, in order to clear the branches of the wet which continued to hang upon them. We proceeded with all possible expedition through a level country with but little underwood; the larger trees were of the fir kind.”

Picture 1. B.C. Interior Douglas Fir. 

     “At half past eight we fell upon the road, which we first intended to have taken from the Great River, and must be shorter than which we had travelled. The West-Road river was also in sight, winding through a valley.”

     Once again, he has taken the long way. 

     “Our guides now told us, that as the road was very good and well traced, they would proceed to inform the next tribe that we were coming. About noon we parted, and in two hours we came up with two men and their families...One of them was very well understood by my interpreter, and had resided among the natives of the sea coast...According to his information, we were approaching a river...and that in the bay which the sea forms at the mouth of it, a great wooden canoe, with white people, arrives...”

     In fact, there were already a total of 69 ships that had visited the west coast of Canada prior to MacKenzie’s arrival. Picture 2.

“At five in the afternoon we were overtaken by a heavy shower of rain and hail, and being at the same time very much fatigued, we encamped for the night near a small creek. Our course till we came to the river, was about South-West ten miles, and then West, twelve or fourteen miles…”