The South Saskatchewan River

Late June, 1841.

John Flett:

We reached the south branch a few miles above where it joins the Saskatchewan. The crossing was a difficult and dangerous work. The river was about a mile in width. A portion of the party passed safely to a small island, in a small boat. The other portion, putting their carts and effects on a huge raft of dry logs, attempted to pole their raft across. The current was very swift, and they soon lost bottom and drifted down at a fearful rate toward the rapids, a short distance below. As they passed by the island on which the first party had landed, they passed so near that a rope was thrown to them, and, after a long struggle, the raft was secured to the bank. When a crossing was at last effected [Sic.], we passed on through open country.

Flett, John. "Interesting Local History: A Sketch of the Emigration from Selkirk's Settlement to Puget Sound in 1841." Tacoma Daily Ledger, February 1885.




Janes Sinclair, Courtesy of the BC Archives