Mollie Adams Diary of her Journey in the Canadian Rockies, August 17, 1908

Moose River Camp

Monday Aug. 17.

Started at 9:15. 7 ½ hrs. drive; bad trail, but going steadily all the time. Reached the upper end of Moose Lake at 10:45, a long chain sloughs above it. Took 4½  hrs. to get to the foot of the lake – 7 ½ miles long. Swift had told us what a very pretty lake it was, but we did not think it anything wonderful, and it seemed about twenty seven and a half miles long before we saw the end of it – an awful trail on the horses, hardly a step they took but was on rocks or rolling stones, except when we had to cross deep mud holes. According to McEvoy we made 12 miles in a straight line. Mr. Barra said he reckoned the drive about 18 miles. We camped at the first and only available feed. Mr. R. had told us where we should find it, and of course they camped there too. They started before us, but we passed them where they had stopped for dinner, and got to camp about half an hour before them. We had lunch and supper in one, and M. went to bed at 7:15 p.m., rousing enough to drink a cup of cocoa somewhat later. The four men and I sat around the camp fire till 9, showing the rag over maps as usual. Martin understands lots of English, but does not seem to want to talk it. He does not speak French either, although he is a French half breed, only Cree. The Cree sounds a good deal like the Stony language, lots of gutturals, but the general effect rather soft and pleasing. A good many words are the same in both – nemoya I heard them say several times, and M. recognized lots of Stony words. Martin and his family live in Teepees all the year round, somewhere between Jasper House and the Whirlpool River. He has nine horses and whenever he wants to change his residence, he just sticks the whole family and impedimenta on the horses, and pulls out.