ned the Hudson's
Bay Company's service, wintering first at Norway House under
Chief factor William Sinclair, but removed to Peace River, became
a chief-trader there in 1872, and, after some years of service,
retired, and has lived at the Crossing ever since.

The Landing, he told me, used to be known as "The Forks," it being
here that the Smoky River joins the Peace; and here were concentrated,
in bygone days, the posts and rivalries of the great fur companies.
The remains of the North-West Company's fort are still visible on
the north bank, a few miles above the Landing. On the south shore,
in the angle of the two rivers, stood the Hudson's Bay Company's
fort, whilst the old X. Y. Company's post, at that time the best
equipped on the river, stood on the north bank opposite the Smoky.

In a delightful afternoon spent in rambling over this interesting
neighbourhood, Mr. Mackenzie made out for me the site of the
latter establishment, now in the midst of a dense thicket of
nettles, shrubs, and saplings. In this locality the antagonisms
of old had full play--not only those of the traders, but of the
Indians--and the river exhibited much more life and movement then
than at the time of our visit.

In remote days a constant warfare had been kept up by the Crees
on the river, who, just as they invaded the Blackfeet on the
Saskatchewan, encroached here upon the Beavers--at that time a
brave, numerous and warlike tribe, but now decayed almost to
extinction, the victims, it is said, of incestuous intercourse. The
Beavers had also an enemy in their congeners, the Chipewyans, the
three nations seemingly dividing the great river between them. But
neither succeeded in giving a permanent name to it. The Unjigah, its
majestic and proper name, or the Tsa-hoo-dene-desay--"The Beaver
Indian River"--or the Amiskoo eeinnu Sepe of the Crees, which has
the same meaning, has not taken root in our maps. The traditional
peace made between its warring tribes gave it its name, the Riviere
la Paix of the French, which we have adopted, and by this name the
river will doubtless be known when the Indians, whose home it has
been for ages, have disappeared.

On the 24th our work here was completed, and we took to our boats,
which were to float us down to Vermilion and Athabasca Lake.
During our stay, however, I had noted all the information that
could be gained respecting the Upper Peace as an agricultural
region, some of which I have already given