appearance to the Ottawa River water, and a little turbid.
Notwithstanding the difference of volume of discharge, the Teslintoo
changes completely the character of the river below the junction, and a
person coming up the river would, at the forks, unhesitatingly pronounce
the Teslintoo the main stream. The water of the Lewes is blue in color,
and at the time I speak of was somewhat dirty--not enough so, however,
to prevent one seeing to a depth of two or three feet.

"At the junction of the Lewes and Teslintoo I met two or three families
of the Indians who hunt in the vicinity. One of them could speak a
little Chinook. As I had two men with me who understood his jargon
perfectly, with their assistance I tried to get some information from
him about the river. He told me the river was easy to ascend, and
presented the same appearance eight days journey up as at the mouth;
then a lake was reached, which took one day to cross; the river was then
followed again for half a day to another lake, which took two days to
traverse: into this lake emptied a stream which they used as a highway
to the coast, passing by way of the Taku River. He said 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