enomenon of a river, breaking through a chain
of mountains in a transverse direction; though the same occurs in
several other parts of the Rocky Mountain range, and also in the Andes
of South America. On the _Riviere aux Liards_ the Hudson's Bay Company
have several posts--as Forts Simpson, Liard, and Halkett--the
last-mentioned being far up among the mountains. Westward again, upon
the Pacific side, they have other trading stations--the most important
of which is that of Pellyss Banks, situated at the junction of Lewis and
Pelly rivers. These rivers, after joining, run into the Pacific, not
far from Mount Saint Elios--long noted as a landmark to the navigators
of the North Pacific ocean.

From Fort Halkett, a route has been established to the post at Pelly's
Banks by means of Dease's river--which is one of the effluents of the
_Riviere aux Liards_--and partly by canoe navigation and partly by
"portage;" the continent can be crossed in this northern latitude. From
Pelly's Banks to the Pacific coast the route is still easier--for not
only do the Russians visit these parts, but there are native Indian
traders who go twice every year from Pelly's Banks to Sitka--the
entrepot of the Russian Fur Company--and the Lynn channel, a little to
the north of Sitka, is also visited by the steamers of the Hudson's Bay
Company itself.

Our travellers would therefore have no difficulty in reaching Sitka; and
thence crossing to the peninsula of Kamschatka, on the Asiatic coast.
On their way over the Rocky Mountains, they would be certain to fall in
with the grizzly; and in the countries lying along the Pacific, they
could obtain that variety of the _ursus americanus_, known as the
"cinnamon bear"--for it is to the west of the Rocky Mountains--in
California, Oregon, British Columbia, and Russian America--that this
spice-coloured species is most frequently met with.

A party of fur-traders and trappers were just starting from Fort Simpson
to carry supplies up to the posts of Liard and Halkett; and along with
them our travellers went.

On reaching the last-named station, they came to a halt, for the purpose
of hunting the grizzly.

They were not long in starting their game--for this fierce monster of
the mountains is far from being a scarce animal. In fact, in those
districts which they choose for their "beat," the grizzly bears are more
numerous than most other quadrupeds; and not unfrequently half a dozen
or more of them may be