it took four
days when they had loads to carry, from the head of canoe navigation on
the Teslintoo to salt water on the Taku Inlet; but when they come light
they take only one to two days. He spoke also of a stream entering the
large lake from the east which came from a distance; but they did not
seem to know much about it, and considered it outside their country. If
their time intervals are approximately accurate, they mean that there
are about 200 miles of good river to the first lake, as they ought
easily to make 25 miles a day on the river as I saw it. The lake takes
one day to traverse, and is at least 25 miles long, followed by say 12
of river, which brings us to the large lake, which takes two days to
cross, say 50 or 60 more--in all about 292 miles--say 300 to the head of
canoe navigation; while the distance from the head of Lake Bennet to the
junction is only 188. Assuming the course of the Teslintoo to be nearly
south (it is a little to the east of it), and throwing out every fourth
mile for bends, the remainder gives us in arc three degrees and a
quarter of latitude, which, deducted from 61 deg. 40', the latitude of the
junction, gives us 58 deg. 25', or nearly the latitude of Juneau.

"To make sure that I understood the Indian aright, and that he knew what
he was speaking about, I got him to sketch the river and lake, as he
described them, on the sand, and repeat the same several times.

"I afterwards met Mr. T. Boswell, his brother, and another miner, who
had spent most of the summer on the river prospecting, and from them I
gathered the following:

"The distance to the first, and only lake which they saw, they put at
175 miles, and the lake itself they call at least 150 miles long, as it
took them four days to row in a light boat from end to end. The portage
to the sea they did not appear to know anything about, but describe a
large bay on the east side of the lake, into which a river of
considerable size entered. This river occupies a wide valley, surrounded
by high mountains. They thought this river must head near Liard River.
This account differs materially from that given by the Indian, and to
put them on their guard, I told them what he had told me, but they still
persisted in their story, which I find differs a good deal from the
account they gave Dr. Dawson, as incorporated in his report.

"Many years ago, sixteen I think, a man named Monroe prospected up the
Taku and learned from the Indians so