“On the 11th of August I met a party of miners coming out who had passed Stewart River a few days before.  They saw no sign of Dr. Dawson having been there.  This was welcome news for me, as I expected he would have reached that point long before I arrived, on account of the many delays I had met with on the coast range.  These miners also gave me the pleasant news that the story told at the coast about the fight with the Indians at Stewart River was false, and stated substantially what I have already repeated concerning it.  The same evening I met more miners on their way out, and the next day met three boats, each containing four men.  In the crew of one of them was a son of Capt.  Moore, from whom the captain got such information as induced him to turn back and accompany them out.

“Next day, the 13th, I got to the mouth of the Pelly, and found that Dr. Dawson had arrived there on the 11th.  The doctor also had experienced many delays, and had heard the same story of the Indian uprising in the interior.  I was pleased to find that he was in no immediate want of provisions, the fear of which had caused me a great deal of uneasiness on the way down the river, as it was arranged between us in Victoria that I was to take with me provisions for his party to do them until their return to the coast.  The doctor was so much behind the time arranged to meet me that he determined to start for the coast at once.  I therefore set about making a short report and plan of my survey to this point; and, as I was not likely to get another opportunity of writing at such length for a year, I applied myself to a correspondence designed to satisfy my friends and acquaintances for the ensuing twelve months.  This necessitated three days’ hard work.

“On the morning of the 17th the doctor left for the outside world, leaving me with a feeling of loneliness that only those who have experienced it can realize.  I remained at the mouth of the Pelly during the next day taking magnetic and astronomical observations, and making some measurements of the river.  On the 19th I resumed the survey and reached White River on the 25th.  Here I spent most of a day trying to ascend this river, but found it impracticable, on account of the swift current and shallow and very muddy water.  The water is so muddy that it is impossible to see through one-eighth of an inch of it.  The current is very strong, probably eight miles or more per hour, and the numerous bars in the bed are constantly changing place.  After trying for several hours, the base men succeeded in doing about half a mile only, and I came to the conclusion that it was useless to try to get up this stream to the boundary with canoes.  Had it proved feasible I had intended making a survey of this stream to the boundary, to discover more especially the facilities it offered for the transport of supplies in the event of a survey of the International Boundary being undertaken.

“I reached Stewart River on the 26th.  Here I remained a day taking magnetic observations, and getting information from a miner, named McDonald, about the country up that river.  McDonald had spent the summer up the river prospecting and exploring.  His information will be given in detail further on.