border between the United States and British North America was established along the 49th parallel. HBC had used the Columbia River to travel between their interior posts and the Pacific Ocean by going to Fort Vancouver, but under the treaty this route would be partly within the United States. HBC tasked Anderson with finding another route that connected the interior to the ocean, and choose Fort Langley as the location connected to the ocean, and the Fraser River as the route. Peter Skene Ogden, the person in charge of New Caledonia for the HBC, suggested that Anderson try a route that went south of the canyons of the Fraser, but after completing this route determined that the nine-day route was not suitable. He followed a route through the Cascade Mountains, and determined that the route was more practical but snow might make it inoperable for several months of the year. HBC leadership asked Anderson to find a better route, and Anderson mapped a route in 1847 along Coldwater River and Uztlius Creek. This trail was determined to be too difficult, and Anderson’s route through the Cascade Mountains, with slight variations, was used from 1848 to 1860. Retirement and government appointments Anderson was placed in command of Fort Colvile in 1848 and remained there until 1851. He was placed second-in-command of Fort Vancouver. He retired in 1854 and settled in Cathlamet. In 1858 he travelled north to investigate a gold rush. James Douglas met with Anderson in Victoria and convinced him to accept a government appointment in the city. Anderson became postmaster of the city and collector of customs in British Columbia. The earliest records of Anderson's observations of fish species in British Columbia are written in 1860. He also described aboriginal fishing techniques. In 1867 he proposed for salmon eggs to be brought to various tributaries of the Mackenzie River and Saskatchewan River to provide food for future settlers. In 1871 he wrote an essay entitled The dominion at the west; a brief description of the province of British Columbia, which won a provincial prize. In 1876 he was appointed as British Columbia's first dominion inspector of fisheries, in charge of British Columbia’s coastal and inland waters. He remained in this position until his death. He was also appointed to a joint commission on Indian land in British Columbia, but became frustrated with the assignment and his appointment ended in