Overland from Canada to British Columbia

Spurred on by reports of gold in the Cariboo, adventurers from all overthe world descended on British Columbia in the mid-1800s. Among themwere ambitious easterners who accepted the challenge of the shorter butmore arduous overland route across the prairies and the Rockies. Onesuch man determined to find his fortune in the West was ThomasMcMicking -- destined to lead the largest and best organized group of'Overlanders' into British Columbia. His record of their epicjourney is a valuable historical document that possesses the universalappeal of an adventure story. McMicking presents a vivid image of thehardships of the overland route, the dangers, both real and imagined --like the apparently threatening Plains Indians who turned out to be'our best friends' -- facts about important officials andsettlements, and scientific observations of the physical environment.But this is also a very human document that describes a journey ofself- discovery revealing a sensitive man's encounter with abountiful and beautiful yet hostile and alien land.