These men proceeded to Calgary, and outfitted for Dawson, which they wished to reach by ascending the Peace River.

At Calgary they were fortunate in procuring as leader a gentleman of large experience in the North, W.J.McLean, Esq., a retired Chief-factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, who pointed out the difficulties of such a route, and recommended, instead, a possible one via Great Slave Lake and the Mackenzie River to Fort Simpson, and thence up the Liard River to the height of land at or near Francis Lake, and so down the Pelly River and on to Dawson.
In February the party, led by him, left Edmonton with 160 ponies, sleds and sleighs, loaded with supplies, and proceeded, by an extremely difficult forest trail, to Lesser Slave Lake.

They had no feed for the horses, save what they drew, and, of course, they reached the lake completely exhausted.

Here, by Mr.McLean's advice, they sold the horses, and with the proceeds hired local freighters to carry them and their supplies to Peace River Crossing, where boats were built in which the party, with the exception of one of the organizers, Mr.Willis, who had returned in high dudgeon to Chicago, set out for Great Slave Lake.

Before getting to Fort Resolution, Mr.McLean got private information from a former servant of his at that post, which led to an expedition to the north-east end of the lake, where he made valuable finds of copper and other minerals.