Mollie Adams Diary of her Journey in the Canadian Rockies, September 1, 1908

Swift’s mill for flour, Mary Schäffer Fonds,

Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies (V527 / PS1 - 97)

Swift Camp.

Tuesday, Sept. 1^st.

               Rain in the night.  While the packing was being done, M. and I went with Swift to see his flour mill.  He has made a most ingenious waterwheel etc., and has quite a system of water works, supplying his irrigation ditches from the same sluice which taps the creek for the mill.  We got off about 10 and by noon the whole outfit was once more across the Athabasca ready to start on the home stretch tomorrow.  John Moberly being at home, put us across this time.  The horses did not make so much fuss about their swim as the first time – the river is 4 or 5 ft. lower and they kept their footing much longer.  We camped below Moberly’s at the place where they put the horses in to swim when we crossed the first time.  Not too dirty a place, as camps go here.  M. and I took a very short walk in P. M. and got a hatful of the so-called high bush cranberry, a vibernum, and stewed them for supper, but they were not popular – have large flats seeds, and not much taste.  Slight showers during the day and hard rain in the evening.  The river flows by here in such a quiet, oily way that there is not a sound of a ripple to tell that it is anywhere near.  It was just the same when the water was high, too.