ide. She carried goods for presents, provisions, arms, ammunition,
baggage, etcetera, to the extent of three thousand pounds weight, with a
crew of ten men, including their chief; yet she was so light that two
men could carry her when empty for three or four miles without resting.
They had no small canoe on this voyage. Their hopes, and, it may be
truly said, their lives, were dependent on this solitary and frail
conveyance.

As we have said, Mackenzie took nine men with him on this occasion, our
friends Reuben, Lawrence, and Swiftarrow being among the number, and two
of them being young Indian hunters of that region, who were supposed to
be acquainted with at least part of the route they were about to pursue,
and who were to act as interpreters. English Chief had long before left
his former master, and no women were allowed to go with the party--even
Darkeye was left behind! There was one other member of the party whom
we must not omit to mention--namely, a large dog named Wolf.

On the 9th of May 1793, Mackenzie left the fort in charge of his
interpreter, pushed off into the waters of the Peace River, turned the
canoe's bow westward, and the voyage of discovery began.

A few days afterwards they passed through scenery which all confessed
was the most beautiful they had ever beheld.

"'Tis like a glimpse o' paradise," exclaimed Reuben, as the whole party
rested on their paddles for a few minutes to gaze upon it.

"Ho!" exclaimed Swiftarrow, with a nod to his friend, which evidently
was meant for assent.

"Betterer nor the Hudson," said Ducette, one of the Canadians, with a
look of admiration.

"Does it beat Scottisland, monsieur?" asked Lawrence, with a somewhat
sly expression.

"Well, ahem," replied Mackenzie with hesitation, "it's not exactly--that
is, it is vastly different and truly magnificent--they won't compare,
Lawrence; they won't compare!"

The region did indeed merit all that could be said in its praise. The
ground on the west side of the river--which was wide and full of lovely
wooded islets--rose at intervals to a considerable height, and stretched
inwards to a great distance; at the foot of every slope there was a
soft, grassy lawn, broken here and there by abrupt precipices, which
were fringed with exuberant verdure. Shrubs and trees of every kind, in
clumps and in groves, crested the heights or nestled in the hollows:
among them were groves of poplar, with the white spruce and soft birch