Boat Encampment
“The Headwaters of the Canoe River,” painting by James Vanslyk, Valemount Historical Society. Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History, Valemount Historical Society, & Kootenay Gallery of Art, History & Science, image number 0105.0001
The year is 1824, and Governor George Simpson is coming to visit the Columbia district for the first time. His next stop will be at Boat Encampment, on the Big Bend of the Columbia River.
We left Simpson at the Committee’s Punch Bowl Lake, with Chief Factor John McLoughlin, Thomas McKay, and others in attendance. McLoughlin is travelling west with Simpson to take over the management of the Columbia District. Here is what Simpson has to say immediately after he described the Committee’s Punch Bowl Lake in his journal:
From hence the descent is extremely rapid down the West side [of the Rocky Mountains], in many places nearly perpendicular, and the changes of climate and consequent difference in the character of the country and its productions, which takes place in the course of a few minutes walk, would to a person who had not experienced it appear almost incredible. About the height of land and on the East side thereof for several Days Journey the Timber is small and stunted, but no sooner do we begin to descend the West side than we fall on the most noble trees I ever beheld, principally Cedar, Hemlock, White & Red Pine, and Ash, all of prodigious size. From the Committee’s Punch Bowl to the Base of the Mountain on the West side we occupied 4 1/2 hours in walking, 2 hours of which were consumed in what is called the Grande Cote, where our descent could not be less than 40 feet per minute, so that after making a fair allowance for time lost in falls, breathing, &c., I think without exaggeration I may estimate the height of this single mountain at not less than 4,500 feet; this is the lowest pass in the mountains, behind which and on each side thereof are immense masses of mountain piled upon and overlooking each other, the principal of which is a huge mountain known by the name of McGillivray’s Rock, in honor of the Honorable William McGillivray, the top of which was enveloped in fog but as far as we could judge by the eye double the height of that described, which would make it exceeding 13,000 feet.
The footnotes tell me that McGillivray’s Rock is probably the present-day McGillivray Ridge, and it is 8,779 feet in height. There were two other mountains, on either side of Athabasca Pass: Mount Brown, and Mount Hooker. Both were given their names by botanist David Douglas in 1827, when he travelled out of the Columbia district in Edward Ermatinger’s York Factory Express. It is needless to say that every single man who wrote about the height of these two mountains over-estimated their height — by a lot. Athabasca Pass is 5,700 feet high. But here’s the thing….
“The real mountain (perhaps only partially) climbed by Douglas on the west side of the pass, retains the name Mount Brown, but is only 2,791 metres (9,157 ft) high. The name Mount Hooker, the name given by Douglas to a summit “a little to the southward” and “nearly the same height”, was given to a peak 9 km ENE of Mount Brown and 3,287 (10,784 ft) in height. It was only climbed in 1924, nearly a century after Douglas’s visit to Mount Brown. The mountain Douglas named Mount Hooker more likely is McGillivray Ridge (or Rock), 2,697 metres (8,848 ft), which had been named years before Douglas crossed the Athabasca Pass.” [From: Wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooker_and_Brown]
So, the Whirlpool River led Governor Simpson and his party toward the south, to Athabasca Pass. Mount Brown is on the west side of Athabasca Pass, and Mount Hooker on the east. Boat Encampment, their current destination, is on the Columbia River near, but not at the bottom of the Big Hill. Simpson’s journal continues:
At and before reaching the height of Land the Cold was intense, but immediately after we began to descend the difference of climate was as great as between Summer & Winter, and in vegetation the contrast was fully as much.
This was a most harassing Day to our poor horses and many a cruel blow they got from their unfeeling Drivers, it was evident that the Honorable member for Galway’s Bill against cruelty to Animals was not in force in the Rocky Mountains.
That bill wasn’t in force anywhere yet. The Honorable member for Galway’s Bill attempted to compel drovers and coachmen to abstain from cruelty to the animals in their care, and faced its second reading in March, 1825. It did not pass. A different bill, the Cruelty to Animals Act, did pass in 1835. But that is ten years in the future.
These men are on their way to Boat Encampment. Simpson’s party must have camped on the battures [gravel bars] along the Wood River, the river that will lead them to Boat Encampment. On the next morning, which is October 18, Simpson wrote: “Heavy Rain without intermission since we put up yesterday afternoon, which continued until 12 o’clock to day. Started at the usual hour, passed about 3 miles of Bottoms through which the River has formed a number of small channels, then crossed two points of Woods, the first about one mile, the second about six miles in length, the road one continued mire, frequently waist deep, and large fallen timber laying across the track every 10 or 20 yards; then crossed Bottoms of about 7 miles in length in which are many quicksands; the River winding through these Bottoms compelling us to ford it more frequently than agreeable; in high water it must be dangerous. Put up at Campement Point des Bois [Wood Point.]”
On the next day, Tuesday, October 19th, the party reached Boat Encampment. Simpson wrote:
The Weather fine, left our Encampment after Breakfast, passed a Bottom of two miles, then a point of Woods six miles, fully as bad as those of yesterday, afterwards a Swamp of about two miles, crossing the River repeatedly, and got to the Boat Encampment, having disposed of the celebrated Athabasca Portage which altho’ not exceeding from Jasper’s House 120 miles, and from Henry’s House 80 to 90, occupied us six Days in crossing.
This portage as connected with the Columbia Trade I shall have occasion to touch upon hereafter, and shall now make some remarks on the mountain and its environs in relation to the trade of New Caledonia district.
At our encampment fell in with a band of free Iroquois, who have for several years hunted in the neighbourhood of Canoe River, Cranberry & Moose Lake, New Caledonia, and the North Branch of Thompson’s River…
Canoe River is one of the rivers that flow into the Columbia from the north. Cranberry Lake and Moose Lake are in Tete Jaune Pass, near the headwaters of the Fraser River. The North Branch of Thompson’s River comes very close to Tete Jaune Pass, but it is not an easy river to travel and I don’t think any HBC men ever used it. But Simpson is getting ideas… In the end, he thought that
This information…shews that the distance between New Caledonia and the Athabasca River is very inconsiderable and led to further enquiries, the information derived from which induces me to think that great advantages would arise from changing the route now pursued by the New Caledonia brigade, which is the most tedious, harassing, and expensive transport in the Indian Country…
At the moment, the New Caledonia men went out by the Peace River, up the Athabasca, up the Clearwater, over Portage la Loche, and down all the various rivers to Cumberland House. Now Simpson was looking at bringing the New Caledonia men up the Fraser River to Tete Jaune Pass, through the pass and down the Miette River to the Athabasca. As you know by The York Factory Express, going out by this route in the spring did not work. However, on their return from York Factory in the fall, this became their normal route into New Caledonia. This is what Simpson thought would happen:
My plan would therefore be to forward the New Caledonia outfit in two Boats & thirteen men in company with the Saskatchewan Brigade; from Edmonton, cross over to Fort Assiniboine in three or Four Days, then proceed in two Boats to Henry’s House in the mountain in Ten Days; then by Horses to Buffalo Dung Lake [Yellowhead Lake] (1 pipe across) in Two days; thence by Land or Water to the head of Frazer’s River in three days and thence by a fine bold stream to the different Posts….Wrote to Mr. [William] Connolly [at Fort St. James] and Laroque [Larocque] fully on the subject, requesting them to get the route properly examined in the course of the Winter and Spring.
While he was at Jasper’s House Simpson had instructed John Rowand, of Edmonton House, to bring some horses into the Jasper Valley. He requested “20 good young cut Horses and a few breeding mares and entire Horses for the mountain transport.” He also asked for horse-keepers for both Fort Assiniboine and Jasper’s House. Once he had written that information into his journal, he turned his eye to the Columbia Boats used on this river. These are the boats that will carry him away from Boat Encampment.
The craft used on the Columbia are of a different construction to those on the east side of the mountain; they are called Boats but are more properly speaking Batteaux & wrought by Paddles instead of Oars, intended to carry 50 pieces Trading Goods besides Provisions for the Crew of Eight Men, but they have of late reduced the size, altho’ they have not reduced the number of the Crew, so that Eight Man are employed in the transport of about 35 pieces. I do not know whether this innovation is meant as an indulgence to the Masters or the Men, but suspect it is agreeable to both, altho’ injurious to the Company, as thereby one third more people are employed in transport than necessary. I shall however, take care that this evil is remedied before my departure, and endeavour to improve on the original plan, Seven Men being in my opinion quite sufficient to Navigate a Boat containing Fifty pieces Cargo and the crews of two Boats equal to the transport of One across the Portages.
I am told that seven men might be enough when coming downriver, but going upriver, eight were needed. When I looked at John Work’s 1828 Brigade journal, I find that: Firstly, the men now used oars and not paddles, “by which they do more work with less labour.” This is two years later: I wonder if Governor Simpson had anything to do with this change? I have not seen him speak of making that change, and it is something that might have happened without his interference.
Secondly: the Fort Colvile brigades left their home post in six boats, with twenty men, “four men each for two of the boats, and three each for the other four, which [is] certainly weak crews for such a dangerous part of the river.” That might have happened because Fort Colvile did not have the men to man the boats: from Fort Okanagan Work said that “the men used oars in preference to paddles, and had as many as could work in each boat..” So, it seems, some of the New Caledonia men joined the Fort Colvile boats and helped to bring them down the river to Fort Vancouver.
So how many men did Work’s boats have as they came upriver? “The brigade consists of 9 boats, 54 men including two Indians.” So, 6 men per boat, and once they passed Fort Okanagan, they still had 6 in the boats. That is fewer men than Simpson thought could handle the boats, but the difference is that they were using oars in the boats, which were more efficient than paddles. Were oars so efficient that they made that much of a difference? Perhaps so! But, at Boat Encampment…
Left the Portage [Boat Encampment was the west end of the Portage] after Breakfast in Two Boats and a Cedar Canoe; passed the Mouth of the Canoe River which is a considerable Stream; found the Columbia River in a fine state; the Water Deep and the current bold and the Rapids perfectly safe, altho’ the Waves or broken Water rise to a considerable height, yet by watching the proper lead, craft can pass tolerably dry.
As we know from The York Factory Express, the Columbia River was so powerful that it frightened the men who were used to the calmer rivers east of the Rocky Mountains. In 1848, Thomas Lowe entered the district with many men new to the territory. “The river is in a fine state,” Lowe said. But the next day he wrote, “In running the latter [Dalles des Morts] Pierre’s boat took in a good deal of water as he had to run straight through the middle of the heavy waves, not being able to put into the eddy on account of the awkwardness of the crew, who were too frightened to do as they were ordered.” It seems that in 1824, the men paddling the boats were more familiar with the rough water of the Columbia. But of course, Simpson would have the best of the best boatmen. And also, boats had come up from Fort Colvile to pick him up. We know this because there is no way Thomas McKay would have arrived at Jasper’s House without travelling upriver in the boats. Simpson’s journal continues:
The current is so strong that at first sight one would scarcely suppose it possible to stem it, even with the Towline, but on more attentive observation it is found that in every reach there is a strong back current or Eddy which renders it easy of ascent, and this appears to be occasioned by the Serpentine course of the River, the current running with great strength against the Points which force the Water up in shore. Encamped about a League below the Grand Rapid. In the course of to Day I imparted to Mr. [James] McMillan my views in regard to extending the trade to the Northward of Fort George, and pointed out to him the importance of having an Establishment at the mouth of Frazer’s River; this was done with a view that he should volunteer his services to explore the Coast that length in the course of the Winter, but he did not see my drift or would not take the hint…
James McMillan did not take the hint (wise man). But of course Simpson would not let this rest, and McMillan probably knew that. This following is a fine example of Simpson’s ability to manipulate his men in order to get his own way.
in the Evening, however, I again opened the subject and intimated that rather than allow another Season pass without obtaining a knowledge of the Coast, natives, & resources of that part of the Country (our ignorance of which after being established on the Coast upwards of Fourteen years being a disgrace to the whole concern), I should undertake it myself; this had the desired effect and Mr. McMillan immediately offered his services on this dangerous and unpleasant Mission; the Doctor [McLoughlin] likewise declared his readiness to undertake it so that we are likely to get some business done this Winter. When the plan is sufficiently matured I shall give my views fully on this subject in connexion with a project I mean to submit for the consideration of the Honourable Committee, in regard to the extension and future management of the Columbia Trade generally.
Yes, I think that Simpson was already looking forward to exploring the Fraser River, to discover whether or not it would prove to be a good route for the New Caledonia and Kamloops Brigades. Not only that, this would probably have been part of his overall plan to move the headquarters north to the Fraser and out of the Columbia River basin entirely. As you know, McMillan did set off on this excursion to the Fraser River. The blogposts that deal with this adventure begin with this post: https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/fraser-river/
Now, do you remember that Blackfoot Interpreter named McKay, that arrived at Fort Assiniboine and joined Simpson’s canoes? He was Charles McKay, a Scotsman born in Sutherland. He had joined the HBC in 1816 and came to York Factory on the Prince of Wales. Between 1816 and 1824 he worked east of the Rockies, but was now heading across the mountains to join the HBC’s trapping parties in the Snake River District. When in 1825, many of the freemen trappers in Peter Skene Ogden’s party deserted, Charles McKay remained with Ogden. He retired from the company in 1826 (although Bruce McIntyre says he was here in 1827). He must have gone out in the 1826 Express to York Factory, as he sailed from that place for Scotland in September 1826. So now we know. This is another man who travelled in the first York Factory Express, under John McLeod Sr.
When I continue this journey down the Columbia River in 1824, it will appear here: https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/whatever-i-call-it/
If you want to go back to the beginning of this journey, go here: https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/nelson-river/
Copyright, Nancy Marguerite Anderson, 2025. All rights reserved.