Prepared by Arthur Wendover and Andrew Sly. Through the Mackenzie Basin A Narrative of the Athabasca and Peace River Treaty Expedition of 1899 By Charles Mair To the Hon. David Laird Leader of the Treaty Expedition of 1899 This Record is Cordially Inscribed By His Old Friend the Author CONTENTS Introduction Important events of the year 1857--The _Nor'-Wester_ newspaper--The Duke of Newcastle and the Hudson's Bay Co.'s Charter--The "Anglo-International Financial Association"--The New Hudson's Bay Company--Offers of American capitalists to purchase the Company's interests--Bill providing for purchase of the same introduced into the United States Congress--Senator Sumner's memorandum to Secretary Fish--Various efforts to arouse public interest in the Hudson's Bay Territories--Former Treaties with the Indians--Motives for treating with the Indians of Athabasca--Rush of miners and prospectors into the district--The Indian Treaty and Half-breed Commission--The Royal North-West Mounted Police Contingent--Special stipulations with the Indians provided for. Chapter I From Edmonton To Lesser Slave Lake Arrival of Treaty and Half-breed Commissions at Edmonton--Departure for Athabasca Landing--Tawutináow peat beds, etc.--Arrival at the Landing--The gas well there--Boats and trackers--Mr. d'Eschambault and Pierre Cyr--Non-arrival of trackers--Police contingent volunteers to track a boat to Lesser Slave Lake--Nature of country, burnt forests, muskegs, etc.--Tracking; its difficulties--The old Indian tracker Peokus--Forest and river scenery--Placer mining--Absence of life along the river--Fertile soil. Chapter II Lesser Slave River And Lesser Slave Lake Lesser Slave River--Its proper name--Migration of the great Algic race--Bishop Grouard's service in the wilderness--Returning Klondikers--The rapids; poling--Accident to Peokus--Celebration of Père Lacombe's fiftieth year of missionary labors--Arrival of half-breed trackers from Lesser Slave Lake--Great hay meadows on the Lesser Slave River--The island in Lesser Slave Lake--Trackers' gambling games--Swan River--A dangerous squall--Chief Factor Shaw--A free-traders' village. Chapter III Treaty At Lesser Slave Lake The Treaty point at last--Our camp at Lesser Slave Lake--The Treaty ground and assembly--"Civilized" Indians--Keenooshayo and Moostoos--The Treaty proceedings--The Treaty Commissioners separate--Vermilion and Fort Chipewyan treaties--Indian chief asks for a railway--Wahpoośkow Treaty--McKenna and Ross set out for Home--Commission issued to J. A. Macrae--Numbers of Indians treated with. Chapter IV The Half-Breed Scrip Commission The half-breeds collect at Lesser Slave Lake--They decide upon cash, scrip or nothing--Honesty of the half-breeds and Indians--Ease of parturition amongst their women--Cree family names and their significance--Catherine Bisson--Native traits--The mongrel dog--Gambling and dancing--The "Red River jig".