on, it separates the affluents of the
Saskatchewan and M'Kenkie from those of Columbia or Oregon and other
rivers which flow into the Pacific. These mountains appear to decrease
again from about 58 deg. to 62 deg. northern latitude, where probably they do
not exceed 4000 feet in height; and, still further north, are estimated
at less than 2000 feet, between the latitudes of 42 deg. and 58 deg. north.
Several peaks rise far above the snow line.

"Wherever the head waters of the rivers, on the east and west sides of
the Rocky Mountains, approach nearest each other, there have been found
passes through them. Of these, perhaps the most important is the south
pass. Between Mount Brown and Mount Hooker, in latitude 52 1/2, another
very important pass, offering great facility of communication between
the Oregon and Canada, by the waters of the Columbia and the north
branches of the Saskatchewan, which, flowing into Lake Winnipeg, gives
easy access to Hudson's Bay and the great lakes.

"Among the most awful features of mountain scenery lies the great
northern outlet of the territory, resembling the southern in many of
its features, with even more sublimity of character, but especially in
having the sources of several great rivers within a very short distance
of each other. Here are the head waters of the Athabasca and north
tributaries of the Saskatchewan, which falls into Lake Winnipeg; and on
the east the northern waters of the Columbia, and the eastern branch of
Frazer's River, near a deep cliff in the mountains, which has been
called by British traders the Committee's Punch Bowl."--_Rev. C. G.
Nicolay._

The first who penetrated the Rocky Mountains was Sir Alexander
Mackenzie, then in the service of the North-West Company. In the year
1793 he crossed them in about latitude 54 deg., discovered Frazer's
River,[A] descended it for about 250 miles, then struck off in a
westerly direction, and reached the Pacific in latitude 52 deg. 20'. In 1808
Mr. Frazer, also under the orders of the North-Western Company, crossed
the Rocky Mountains and established a trading post on Frazer's River,
about latitude 54 deg.; and in 1811 Mr. Thompson, also an agent of that
company, discovered the northern head waters of the Columbia, about
latitude 52 deg., and erected some huts on its banks.

[A] Frazer's River has its embouche six miles to the north
of the 49th parallel, which defines the United States boundary. It is
a mile wide. The