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The Methye Portage or Portage La Loche in northwestern Saskatchewan was one of the most important portages in the old fur trade route across Canada. The portage connected the Mackenzie River basin to rivers that ran east to the Atlantic. It was reached by Peter Pond in 1778 and abandoned in 1883 when steamboats began running on the Athabasca River with links to the railroad. It ranks with Grand Portage as one of the two most important and difficult portages used during the fur trade era. 'Methye' is Cree and 'La Loche' is French for a fish that is called 'Burbot' in English. Although 'Methye Portage' is often used the official name since 1957 is Portage La Loche.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url = http://www4.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/HASXV )〕 Both names are used in historical documents, books and journals. Alexander Mackenzie in his book "Voyages from Montreal" used both Portage la Loche and Mithy-Ouinigam Portage (in 1789-1793). ==History== The Methye Portage had been in use by indigenous peoples as a trade route for generations. They introduced it to Peter Pond in 1778. Although Anthony Henday had come within sight of the Rocky Mountains in 1754 by overland routes to the south, the advance of western exploration was limited until this fur trade transportation route to the Athabasca opened. The portage was in constant use until 1883 when the Canadian Pacific Railway reached Calgary ending more than 100 years as the main access to the north. From the winter of 1822, York boats came into use on this route in addition to canoes. Furs were transported up the Clearwater River by crews who would bring them to the centre of the portage, where they would be picked up by crews from Norway House for that portion of their transport. It also allowed for the spread of smallpox to previously untouched aboriginal populations, decimating them in a matter of years.〔 The Methye Portage was also used by Sir Alexander Mackenzie on his exploratory expedition to the west coast, an expedition which reached the Pacific Ocean in 1793, fully 12 years before the more famous Lewis and Clark expedition.〔 From 1826 to the early 1870s the Portage La Loche Brigade from Fort Garry arrived at the Portage in July. This famous brigade of York boats would then return via Norway House and York Factory to the Red River Settlement; a 4000-mile round trip. For a number of years this brigade was under the leadership of Alexis Bonami.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url =http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=5381&&PHPSESSID=mgc39kn2cvca9n6vbbs3lipfv7 )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Methye Portage」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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