The Conquest: The True Story of Lewis and Clark

  XX

  _A RACE FOR EMPIRE_

  In this very December of 1805 while Lewis and Clark were strugglingwith the storms of ocean at the mouth of the Columbia, a thousandmiles to the north of them the indefatigable and indomitable SimonFraser was also building a fort, among the lochs and bens of NewCaledonia, the British Columbia of to-day.

  On the very day that Lewis and Clark left Fort Mandan, Simon Fraserand his men had faced toward the Rockies. While Lewis and Clark wereexploring the Missouri, Fraser and his voyageurs were pulling for dearlife up the Saskatchewan and over to Athabasca. On the very day thatLewis and Clark moved into Fort Clatsop, Simon Fraser, at the RockyMountain Portage, had men busily gathering stones "to get a chimneybuilt for his bedroom." The icy northern winter came down, but inJanuary mortar was made to plaster his trading fort, the RockyMountain Portage at the Peace River Pass.

  All that Arctic winter he traded with the natives, killed deer andmoose, and made pemmican for an expedition still farther to the west.

  All through the stormy, icy April, building his boats and pounding hispemmican, Fraser stamped and stormed and swore because the snowsrefused to melt--because the rivers yet were blocked with ice.

  The boats were at the door, the bales of goods were tied, when the icebegan to break in May.

  The moment the river was clear all hands were roused at daybreak.Simon Fraser turned the Rocky Mountain Portage over to McGillivray,who had arrived on snow shoes, and pressed on west, discovering McLeodLake and building Fort McLeod upon its shores. Then he portaged overto the Fraser, which he believed to be the Columbia, and going up theStuart branch built Fort St. James on Stuart Lake. During the winterand summer, after Lewis and Clark reached home, he built Fort Fraseron Fraser Lake, and Fort George upon the Fraser River, still thinkingit was the Columbia.

  "Now will I reach the mouth of this Columbia," said Fraser in theSpring of 1808, launching his boat, the _Perseverance_, upon thewildest water of the North.

  "You cannot pass," said the Indians, and they waved and whirled theirarms to indicate the mad tumultuous swirling of the waters.

  "Whatever the obstacle," said Simon Fraser, "I shall follow this riverto the end," and down he went for days and days through turbulentgulfs and whirlpools, past rocks and rapids and eddies, underfrowning, overhanging precipices in the high water of May.

  The Indians spoke of white people.

  "It must be Lewis and Clark," groaned Fraser, redoubling his effort towin another empire for his king.

  Daily, hourly, risking their lives, at every step in the Mountains theIndians said, "You can go no further."

  But the sturdy Scotchmen gripped their oars and set their teeth,turning, doubling, twisting, shooting past rocky points that menaceddeath, portaging, lifting canoes by sheer grit and resolution upalmost impassable rockways, over cliffs almost without a foothold anddown into the wave again. So ran the Northwesters down the wild riverto the sea, and camped near the present site of New Westminster. Andlo! it was _not_ the Columbia.

  Back came Simon Fraser to Fort William on Lake Superior to report whathe had done, and they crowned his brow with the name of his own greatriver, the Fraser.

  Travellers look down the frowning Fraser gorge to-day, and littlerealise why Simon Fraser made that daring journey.