Northern Waterways Reference Collection

Author: Stone, A. J. and J. A. Allen and Constable Expeditions to the Northwest

Title: Some Results of a Natural History Journey to Northern British Columbia, Alaska, and the Northwest Territory, in the Interest of the American Museum of Natural History

Year: 1900

Publisher: New York: Published by order of the Trustees, American Museum of Natural History.  Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History; v. 13, article 5.

Pages: 31

Source: American Museum of Natural History 

Description: A natural history expedition to northern British Columbia (Dease River and Telegraph Creek), Liard River, Mackenzie River and Delta, the arctic Coast by dogsled as far as Darnley Bay, and surrounding environment.  

"The trip as originally planned involved three years of travel, through regions devoid of all regular means of transporation, and to a large extent uninhabited, except by scattered native tribes, and in large part thus far only superficially explored … While I successfully accomplished the itinerary as laid out for the first two years, I failed, in consequence of numerous unforeseen difficulties in the way of securing food and proper means of transportation, in securing some of the animals I unfortunately made it my special quest to obtain.  On reaching the Mackenzie Delta, and also at some other points on the long inland journeys, it was exceedingly difficulty to secure either the necessary assistance from the natives, or a proper outfit of dogs for sledding purposes.  Again it was impossible to rely upon the information obtained in respect to the nature of the country, or the haunts of the larger game animals, especially the ranges of the Musk-ox along the Arctic coast east of the Mackenzie River" (1900:32).