IMAGE leVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I IIM IIIIM IM IIIII2.2 110 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEf.T WAIN STREET WEBSTE,?,N.Y. I-JSBO (716) 877-4503 c^. CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut canadien de microreproductions historiques Technical and Eibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method oi filming, are checked below. L'Institut a microfilmd le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibiiographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproddifier une nage The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: La Bibliothdque de la Ville de Montreal The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and Segibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. L'exemplaire filmd fut reproduit grdce dr la gdn6rosit6 de: La Bibllothdque de la Ville de Montreal Les images suivantes ont dt6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettet^ de l'exemplaire film6, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Original copies in printed paper covers are filrred beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shpll contain the symbol —^(meaning "CON- TINUED "), or the symbol V (meaning "END "), whichever applies. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimde sont filmds en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires ori{,inaux sont film^s en commenpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparattra sur la dernidre image de chaque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — »- signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN ". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure a^e filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, ate, peuvent dtre film^s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film6 d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m§thode. rata o >elure, 3 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ^ 0^ h )> s s^ \ ^^ 'i> I m^ America I ^ Price 10 Cents Klpndyke V^<^%riE^^escription of the Great Gold Regions ^ nr the Northwest Territories and Alaska BY Joseph Ladue Founder of Dawson City, N.W.T. Explorer, Miner and Prospector PHOTOGRAPlli;i> KKOM ONE Ul TUK AITTHOK'S Nl'lUiETJ'. NEW YORK AriERICAN TECHNICAL BOOK COMPANY 45 VESEY STREET American Technical Series No. 5. Issued quarterly. Anuual subscription $2.00 Entered at the New York, N. Y , Post Office as second class matter September, 1897 rw " >^-'^ 'i^' - tv^^i gLV\-. * r'T-^ »il* r**- KLONDYKE NUGGETS BEING V ''mKK DKSCRIITFOX OF 1 H K lAMOUS (;()!, I) REGION'S OF THK CREAT CANADIAN NORTHWES'!' AND ALASKA By JOSEPH LADUE VOUNDEK i)K DAWSON', N. \V. T., AND AlTllOK OK " KLONDYKE FACTS.* aW •■„ '•' ' ^-: NEW YORK AMERICAN TECHNICAL BOOK CO., 45 Vesev Strket. ^ ExsmolAim Copyright, 1897, ERICAN TECHNICAL BOOK CO. p^^^^ *^fcL^// Kiij^hts Reserved SS^SMlBl can be mnAwithout the permission of the PubUshers, * « • « • , « a w " • • • «* • 307192 PREFACE. TiiK (.xtri,«,.,linary excitement arising from tl.e reports of tl,e discovery of (Jol,l in th^ Klon ly „ .•o^ion ,n tl.,. great Canadian Xortluvest h not sur- l>n.s,ng ,, one wl,o, tl.rougl, ,,o,-sonal residence an.l Ihriocalit'r''*'"'"'''' '' *''"™"S'''^ conversant with Having recently returned for g^ttiary^stav. after a son.owi.at successful o^'^nll^iLf^. . ferea that t far exceeds n,y ability and the time at "ly disposal to make direct replies . I have therefore arranged'.. with the' American rechn^al Boole Co 45 Yese^'. Street, N^v York ^ tm v'to\ ''?r "'" ^"'^ '''^^'="l«tion, prepara- ni uv '• ' t°^ "^ "' l'"««^' "■'*'' illustrations .tnd maps m which will be found a vast fund of It is well-nigh impossible to tell the truth of these recent discoveries of gold, b„t while I can onW brieHy describe the territory in this small work il 8 ' ^ PREFACE. shjill be my endeavor to give the intending pros- pector, in the large work above mentioned, as maiiy fjicts as ])ossible, and these may thoroughly be relied upon, as from one who has lived continuously in those regions since 1882. Joseph Ladue. COMPLliVlENTS OF . . . THE JOSEPH LADUE GOLD MmiNUND DEVELOPMENT GOMPANY OF YUKON. KLONDYKE NUGGETS- CHAPTER r. KLONDYKE. Klondyke ! The word and place that lias startled the civilized world is to-day a series of thriving min- ing camps on the Yukon River and its tributaries in the Canadian Northwest Territories. Prior to August 24, 189f), this section of the coun- try had never been heard of. It Avas on this day that a man named Henderson discovered the first gold. On the first day of the following month the writer commenced erecting the first house in this region and called the place Dawson City, now the central point of the mining camps. Dawson City is now the most important ])oint in the new mining regions. Its population in J une, 1 897, exceeded 4,000 ; by June next it cannot be less than 25,000. It has a saw-mill, stores, churches, of the Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist and Poman Catho- lic denominations. It is the hea(U[uarters of the .i 6 KLOM) YKK SUaaKTS. Canadian Xortlnvost Mounted I'olicc, uml iwrfect Ittm ami orihr /.v nmuitnlmtl. It is at Dawson City that the prospoctoi" iilcs liis claims with th(3 (xoviirniniMit (iold Commissioner, in the recor(linhoiit the year. This is entirely a mis-statement. I have found I have suffered more from winter cold in Northern New York than I ever did in Alaska or the Canadian Northwest. I have chop])ed wood in my shirt-sleeves in front of my door at Dawson City when the thermometer was 70 degrees below zero, and I suifered no incon- venience. AVe account for this from the fact that the air is very dry. It is a fact that you do not feel this low temperature as much as you would 15 below zero in the East. We usually have about three feet of snow in winter and it is as dry as sawdust. As we have no winter thaws no crust forms on the snow, tiierefore we travel from the various points that may be necessary with snowshoes. These may be purchased from the Indians in the vicinity of Dawson City at from $5.00 to $10.00 per pair according to the quality. ^ KLoyDYKE yuaaETs. 9 The winter clavs are verv shoi't. In this re^ifion there are only two liours from sunrise to sunset. The sun rises and sets awav in the south but there is no pitch darkness. Tlie twilight lasts all night and the Northern Lights are very common. Then in summer it is exactly the other way. The day there in July is al)()ut twenty hours long. The sun rising and set- ting in the north. A great deal has been said about the short seasons, but as a matter of fact a minor can work 12 months in the year when in that region. Spring opens about May 1st and the ice com- mences to break up about that time. The Yukon Ivivor is generally clear of ice about May 15. The best ]):irt of the miner's work commences then and lasts till about October 1st. The winter commences in October but the miner keeps on Avorking through the winter. The rainy season commences in the latter part of August and lasts two or three Aveeks. A fall of two feet of snow is considered lieavv. « There is a wide dilference in {ho, (piantity of snow that accumulates on the coast and the i-anges in the interior where the principal mining claims are located. While the fall of snow on the coast is heavy the depth of snow as far down as the Yukon, Stewart and Klondvke rivers is inconsiderable. In my new work on this territorv entitled "Klon- dA'ke Facts " I deal more largely on the climate of this region. 10 KLONBYKE NUGGETS. There are still good diggings at Circle City in Alaska, but nearly all the miners have left for Klon- dyke, not being satisfied with the pay dirt which they were working. I know at least 20 good claims in Circle Citv\ Fort Cudahy, or as it is sometimes called Forty Mile Creek, is now practically exhausted as a mining camp, and the miners have left for other diggings. There wdll undoubtedly be new and valuable dig- gings discovered very quickly along this region as it is certain that this enormous territory is rich in gold-bearing districts. The entire country is teeming with mineral wealth. When mining operations commence on coal it will be specially valuable for steamers on the various rivers and greatly assist transportation facilities. In the next few years there will certainly be recorded the most marvellous discoveries in this territory, usually thought to be only a land of snow and ice and fit only to be classed with the Arctic regions. It is marvellous to state that for some years past we have been finding gold in occasional places in this territory, but from the poverty of the people no effort was made to prospect among the places re- ported. It is my belief that the greatest finds of gold will be made in this territor}^ It is safe to say that not 2 per cent, of all the gold discovered so far has been on United States soil. The great mass of the work has been done on the KL OND YKE N UGGETS. n Northwest territory, which is under the Canadian Government. It is possible liowever that further discoveries will be made on American soil, but it is my opinion that the most valuable discoveries will be further east and south of tlie present claims, and would advise prospectors to work east and south oi Klondyke. m > V e * V 3 .> 12 ELONDYKE FACTS. TUB YUKON RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. *' Wliat the Amazon is to South America, the Mississippi to the central portion of the United States, the Yukon is to Alaska. It is a great inland higliway, which will make it possible for the explorer to penetrate the mysterious fast- nesses of that still unknown region. The Yukon has its source in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and the Coast Range Mountains in southeastern Alaska, about 125 miles from the city of Juneau, which is the present metropolis of Alaska. But it is only known as the Yukon River at the point where the Pelly River, the branch that heads in British Columbia, meets with the Lewes River, which lieads in southeastern Alaska. This point of con- fluence is at Fort Selkirk, in the Northwest Territory, about 125 miles southeast of the Klondyke. The Yukon proper is 2,044 miles in length. From Fort Selkirk it flows northwest 400 miles, just touching the Arctic circle ; ^lience southward for a distance of 1,600 miles, where it empties into Behring Sea. It drains more than 600,000 square miles of territory, and disciiarges one-third more wator into Behring Sea than does the Mississippi into the (lulf of Mexico. At its mouth it is sixty miles wide. About 1,500 miles inland it widens out from one to ten miles. A thousand islands send the channel in as many different directions. O'lly natives wlio are thoroughly familiar with thi- river ai'e entrusted with the piloting of boats iip'the'stream during ;;he season o^Jo'v v/ater. Even at tlie season of high Aratcr it is still so shalkcA^ as not to be navigable. ail) wire ••x bys-ea^o-ing' V'Soels, but only by flat- bottomed boats with a carrying capac'ty of four to five hundred tons. The draft of steamers on the Yukon should not exceed three and a half feet. f KLONDYKE FACTS. 13 ( f /. " The Yukon district, which is within the jurisdiction of the Canadian Government and in whicli the bulk of the gohl has been found, has a total area, approximately, of 10:i,000 square miles, of which 150,768 square miles are included in the watershed of the Yukon. Illustrating this, so that it may appeal with definiteness to the reader, it may be said that this territory is greater by 71,100 square miles than the area of Great Britain, and is nearly three times that of all the New England States combined. ''A further fact must be borne in mind. The Yukon River is absolutely closed to navigation during the winter months. In the winter the frost-king asserts his dominion and locks up all approaches with impenetrable ice, and the summer is of the briefest. It endures only for twelve to fourteen weeks, from about the first of June to the middle of September. Then an unend- ing panorama of extraordinary picturesqueness is unfolded to the voyager. The banks are fringed with flowers, carpeted with the ail-pervading moss or tuiulra. Birds countless in numbers and of infinite variety in plumage, sing out a welcome from every treetop. Pitch your tent where you will in midsummer, a bed of roses, a clump of poppies and a bunch of bluebells will adorn your camping. But high above this paradise of almost tropical exuberance giant glaciers sleep in the summit of tlie mountain wall, which rises up from a bed of roses. By September every- thing is changed. The bed of roses has disappeared be- fore the icy breath of the winter king, which sends the thermometer down sometimes to seventy degrees below freezing point. The birds fly to the southland and the bear to his sleeping chambe." in the mountains. Every stream beco.ii^s a sheet of ice, mountain and valley alike are covered with snow till the following May. '' That part of the basin of the Yukon in which gold in greater or less quantities has actually been found lies partly 14 KLONDYKE FACTS. in Alaska and partly in British territory. It covers an area of some 50,000 square miles. But so far the infinitely richest snot lies some one hundred miles cast of the American boundary, in the region drained by the Klondyke and its tributaries. This is some three hundred miles by river from Circle City. '* We have described some of the beauties of the Yukon basin in the summer season, but this radiant picture has its obverse side. ** Horseflies, gnats and mosquitoes add to the joys of liv- ing throughout the entire length of the Yukon valley. The horsefly is larger and more poignantly assertive than the insect which we know by that luime. In dressing or undressing, it has a pleasant habit of detecting any bare spot in the body and biting out a piece of flesh, leaving a wound which a few days later looks like an inciiiient boil. Schwatka reporLs that one of his party, so bitten was com- pletely disabled for a week. * At the moment of infliction.' he adds, ' it was hard to believe that one was not disabled for life.' '^ The mosquitoes according to the same authority are equally distressing. They are especially fond of cattle, but without any reciprocity of affection. ' According to the general terms of the survival of the fittest and the growth of muscles most used to the detriment of others,' says the lieutenant in an unusual burst of humor, ^a baiul of cattle inhabiting this district, in the far future, would be all tail and no body, unless the mosquitoes should experience a change of numbers.' " I am indebted to Wm. Ogilvie, Esq., for the following valuable information relative to The Yukon District. " The Yukon District comprises, speaking generally, that part of the Northwest Territories lying west of the water shed of the Mackenzie River ; most of it is drained by the Yukon River and its tributaries. It covers a distance i r ^ KLONDYKE FACTS. 15 the f of about G50 miles along the river from the coast range of mountains. ** In 1848 Campbell established Fort Selkirk at the conflu- ence of the Pelly and Lewes Kivers ; it was plundered and destroyed in 185:2 by the Coast Indians, and only the ruins now exist of what was at one time the most important post of the Hudson's Bay Company to the west of the Kocky Mountains in the far north. In 1809 the Hudson's Hay Company's officer was expelled from Fort Yukon by the United States Government, they having ascertained by as- tronomical observations that the post was not located in British territory. The officer thereupon ascended the I'orcupine to a point which was supposed to be within British jurisdiction, where he established Kampart House ; but in 1890 Mr. J. II. Turner of the United States Coast Survey found it to be 20 miles within the lines of the United States. Consequently in 1891 the post was moved 20 miles further up the river to be within British territory. "The next people to enter the country for trading pur- poses were Messrs. Harper and McQuestion. They have been trading in the country since 1873 and have occupied numerous posts all along the river, the greater number of which have been abandoned. Mr. Harper is now located as a trader at Fort Selkirk, with Mr. Joseph Ladue under the firm name of Harper & Ladue, and Mr. McQuestion is in the employ of the Alaska Commercial Company at Circle City, which is the distributing point for the vast regions surrounding Birch Creek, Alaska. In 1882 a number of miners entered the Yukon country by the Taiya Pass ; it is still the only route used to any extent by the miners, and is shorter than the other passes though not the lowest. In 1883 Lieutenant Schwatka crossed this same pass and descended the Lewes and Yukon Rivers to the ocean. " The explorers found that in proximity to the boundary ^35-^3H le KLONbYKE FACTS, line there existed extensive and valuable placer gold mines, in which even then as man}; as three hundred miners were at work. Mr. Ogilvie determined, by a series of lunar observations, the point at which the Yukon Kiver is in- tersected by the 141st meridian, and marked the same on the ground. He also determined and marked the point at which the western affluent of the Yukon, known as Forty Mile Creek, is crossed by the same meridian line, that point being situated at a distance of about twenty-three miles from the mouth of the creek. This survey proved that the place which had been selected as the most con- venient, owing to the physic^al conformation of the region, from which to distribute the supplies imported for the various mining canijjs, and from which to conduct the other business incident to the mining operations — a place situate at the confluence of the Forty Mile Creek and the Yukon, and to which the name of P'ort Cudahy has been given — is well within Canadian territory. I'he greater proportion of the mines then being worked Mr. Ogilvie found to be on the Canadian side of the international boundary line, but he reported the existence of some min- ing fields to the south, the exact position of which with respect to the boundun he did not have the opportunity to fix. / '* The nuni])cr of ])orsons engaged in mining in the locality mentioned has stead ilv increased v^n's Ijirthday. A beautiful time we had, I can tell you, cUnhjng hills with fifty pounds on our backs. It would not be ^5^) i^.j^jj jf ^^tq could strap it on rightlv. 'iiton, and got the rest of his data from the Hudson Bay oflicials. If tlireo Mien cliip in ^150 each they wouhl liave a mar- gin of over $:200 for purcliasing tlieir tools and for trans- port from Fort Maepherson to the Klondyke. This is how it may be done on the cheap, ihough Mr. Ileming con- siders it ample for any party starting this summer. Prices will likely rise on the route when the rush begins. If the Hudson Bay people are alive to their interests they will forward a largo amount of supplies for Fort Macpherson immediately and make it the base of supjdies for the Klon- dyke during the coming winter. Parties should consist of three men each, as that is the cre^T of a canoe. It will take (!()0 pounds of food to carry three men over the route. Passengers on the C. P. R. are entitled to carry GOO pounds of baggage. The paddling is all down stream, except when they turn south up Peel Kiver, and sails should be taken, as there is often a favor- able wind for davs. There are large scows on the line, manned by ten men each and known as ' sturgeon heads.'' They are like canal boats, l)ut are punted along and arc used by the Hudson Bay people for taking forward supi:)lies to the forts. The return trip to the United States is usually made by the Yukon steamers from Dawson City direct to St. Michael via the Yukon and Anvik Kiver, thence by ocean steamer from St. Michael to San Francisco." The following letter is interesting to the prospector as showing the difficulties to overcome up the Taiya Pass to Lake Lindeman. Winnipeg, July 27, 1897. A letter has been received from George McLeod, one of the members of the "Winnipeg party of gold hunters that 32 KLONDYKE FACTS. left liere recently for the Yukon, lie wrote from Lake Lindcman under date of July 4, iind states that the party expected to leave on the journey from the river a week later. They had a fine boat, with a freight capacity of two tons about completed. The real work of the expedi- tion started when the small steamer which conveyed the party from Juneau arrived at Dyea. The men had to transfer their goods to a lighter one mile from shore, each man looking after his own packages. After getting every- thing ashore the party was organized for ascent of the mountain pass, which at the hardest point is 3,000 feet above sea level. McLeod and his chum, to save time and money too, engaged 35 Indians to pack their supplies over the mountains, but they had to carry their own bed- ding and grub to keep them on the road. It is fifteen miles to the summit of the pass and the party made twelve miles the first day, going into camp at night tired from climbing over rocks, stumps, logs and hills, working through rivers and creeks and pusiiing their way through brush. At the end of twelve miles they thought they had gone fifty. On the second day out they began to scale the summit of the mountain. Hill after hill confronted them, each one being steeper than the last. There was snow on the top of the mountain, and rain was falling, and this added greatly to the difficulties of the ascent. In many places the men had to crawl on their hands and knees, so pre- cipitous was the mountain side. Time after time the men would slip back several inches, but they recovered them- selves and went at it again. Finally, the summit was gained, McLeod being the first of the party to reach the top. After resting and chang- ing their clothes the descent was commenced. McLeod and his chums purchased sleighs, on Avhich they loaded their goods and hauled for five miles. This was extremely laborious work, and the men were so used up working in KLONDYKE FACTS. 88 the scorching sun tluit tliey wore coTupelled to work at nights and sleep during tlie day. Two days after tlie de- scent began tlie sleighs were abandoned, and the men packed the goods for three miles and a half. They were fortunate in securing the services of a man who had two horses to convey the goods to Lake Lindeman. McLeod says the worry in getting over the pass is terri- ble, and he has no desire to repeat the experience. lie advises all who go in to have tlicir goods packed all the way from Dyea to Lake Lindeman. It costs 17 or 18 cents })er i>ound for packing. McLeod expected that Klondyke would not be reached before July 25. I think it specially valuable for the reader to give him the approximate distances to Fort Cudahy, which is below Dawson City via the various routes. This table of distances has been prepared by Mr. James Ogilvie, and I also give a number of his notes which will be of great value to the traveller when making the trip from Juneau to Dawson Citv. APPROXIMATE DISTANCES TO FORT CUDAHY. VIA ST. MICHAEL. Miles San Francisco to Dutch Harbor 2,400 Seattle or Victoria to Dutch Harbor 2,000 Dutch Harbor to St. Michael 750 St. Michael to Cudahy 1,600 VIA TAIYA PASS. Victoria to Taiya 1,000 Taiya to Cudahy 650 VIA STIKINE RIVER. Victoria to Wrangell 750 Wrangell to Telegraph Creek 150 Telegraph Creek to Teslin Lake 150 Teslin Lake to Cudahv 65Q 3 84 KLOSJJYKE FACTiS. WSTANCKS FROM HEAD OP TAIYA INLET. MIIm. Head of (iaiioo navigation, Taiya Rivor r)lM) Forks of Taiya River «;W Summit of Taiya Pass 14'76 Landing at J^alie Lindcman ... ;>;500 Fo(»t of I^akc JJndcman !27'41) Head of. Lake Bennet L'H()9 Houndary lino R C. and N. W. T. (I^it ()()°) Wm Foot of Lako Bonnet 5;{8r) Foot of ( 'aribou Crossing (I^iko Naros) 56*44 Foot of Tagisli I^ike 7:}-2r) Head of I\Iarsh Lake 7815 Foot of aiarsh Lake 9721 Head of Miles Canon 123-94 Foot of Miles Canon 12.'l-56 Head of White Horse Rapids 124'95 Foot of White Horse Rapids 125-33 Tahkeena River 139-92 Head of Lake Labarge 15;}-07 Foot of Lako Labarge ... 184-22 Teslintoo River 215-88 Big Salmon River 249-33 Little Salmon River 285-54 Five Finger Rapids 344-83 Pelly River 403.29 White River 499-11 Stewart River 508-91 Sixty-Mile Creek 530-41 Dawson City— The Principal Mining Town 575-70 Fort Reliance 582-20 Forty -Mile River 627-08 Boundary Line 667-43 '' Another route is now being explored between Telegraph Creek and Teslin Lake and will soon be opene/i. Telegraph Creek is the head of steamer navigation on the Stikine Kiver and is about 150 miles from Teslin Lake. The Yukon is navigable for steamers from its mouth to Teslin Lake, a distance of 2,300 miles. A road is being located )h )h K ION DYKE FACTS. 35 I by tlie I)(miiiii()ii (Jovonimcnt. A trnrnt of i«10 per hundred pounds. This is about two-thirds of the whole distance, includes all tlic climbing and all the woods, and is by far the most difficult i)art of the way. " On tlie 0th of June 120 Indians, men, women and chil- dren, started for the summit. I sent two of my party with them to see the goods delivered at the place agreed upon. Each carrier when given a pack also got a ticket, on which was inscribed the contents of the pack, its weight, and the amount the individual was to get for carrying it. They were made to understand that they had to produce these tickets on delivering their packs, but were not told for what reason. As each pack was delivered one of my men receipted tlie ticket and returned it. The Indians did not seem to understand the import of this ; a few of them pre- tended to have lost their tickets ; and as they could not get paid without them, my ai.sistant, who luul duplicates of every ticket, furnislied tliem with receipted copies, after examining their jiacks. '* While tliey were packing to the summit I was producing the survey, and I met them on their return at the foot of the cafion, about eight miles from the coast, where I paid them. They came to the camp in tlie early morning before I was up, and for about two hours there was quite a hu))- bub. Wlien paying ^^hem I tried to get their names, but 38 KLONDYKE FACTS. very few of thorn would jjjive any Iiulian niimo, no*;cIy all, after a little rollection, giviiii^sonie coninioii Kd^iI.sIi name. My list contaiiu'd little else than riack. Tons -^uc, Charlie, &c. some of which were duplicated threo and four times. I then found why some of them h.id pretended to lose their tickets at the summit. Throe or four who had thus acted presented themselves twice for payment, producinuj iirst the receipted ticket, afterwards the one they claimed to have lost, demandini'" pav for hotli. Thev were much taken ahack when they found that their duplicity had been discovered. " These Indians are perfectly heartless. They will not render even the smallest aid to each other without pay- ment ; and if not to each other, much less to a white man. I got one of them, whom I had previously assisted with his pack, to take me and two of my party over a small creek in his canoe. After putting us across he asked for money, and I gave him half a dollar. Another nuui stepped up and denumded i)ay, stating that the canoe was his. To see M'hat the result would be, 1 gave to him the same amount as to the first. Immediately there Avere three or four more clainumts for the canoe. I dismissed them with a blessing, aiul made u}) my mind that I would wade the next creek. ** Wliile paying them I Avas a little apprehensive of trouble, for they insisted on crowding into my tent, and for my- self and the four men who were with me to have attempted to eject them would have been to invite trouble. I am strongly of the opinion that these Indians would have been much more ditticult to deal with if they had not known that Commander Newell remained in the inlet to see that I got through without accident. *' While making the survey from the head of tidewater I took the azimuths and altitudes of several of tiie highest peaks around the head of the inlet, in order to locate KLONDYKE FACTS. 39 them, and obtain an idea of tlie t^^eneral lieiglit of tlie peaks in tlie coast range. As it does not appear to liave been done before, I have taken tlie opportunity of naming all the peaks, the positions of which I fixed in the above way. The names and altitudes ap])ear on my map. " While going up from the head of canoe navigation on the Taiya River I took the angles of elevation of each station from the preceding one. I would have done this from tide water up, but found many of the courses so short and with so little increase in height that with the instru- ment I liad it was inappreciable. From these angles I have computed the height of the summi, of the Taiya Pass,* above the head of canoe navigation, as it appeared V-j me in June, 1887, and find it to be 3,378 feet. What '^ '.til of snow there was I cannot say. The head of canoe aavigation I estimate at about 1:^0 feet above tide water. Dr. Dawson gives it as Vl-^ feet. " I determined the descent from the summit to Lake Lindenum by carrying the aneroid from the lake to the summit and back again, the intervjd of time from star', to return being about eight hours. Taking the mean of the readings at the lake, start and return, and the single read- ing at the summit, the height of the summit above the lake was foui'd to be 1,237 feet. While making the survey from th'- .-^inimiit down to the lake I took the angles of de- press';!! of < i'ch station from the preceding one, and from thesL a^ul.' I deduced the ditference of height, which I found to ' i ,354 feet, or 117 feet more than that found * The distitTice from the head of Taiya Inlot to the summit of the pass is Vo iniU's, and tlie whole leiijjjth of the pass to Liike Linc.^.uan is 23 miles. Messrs. llealy and Wilson, dealers in general merchandise and miners' supplies at Taiya, have a train of park horses carrying freight from the head of Lynn Canal to the -Hr^aiait, They hope to be able to take freight thn)Ugh to Lake ' . r ji an with their horses during the present season. 40 ELONDYKE FACTS. by the aneroid. Tliis is (jiiito a largo difference ; but when we consider tlie altitude of the place, the sudden changes of temperature, and the atmospheric conditions, it is not more than one might expect. " While at Juneau I heard reports of a low pass from the head of Chilkoot Inlet to the head waters of Lewes River. During the time I was at the head of Taiya Inlet I made inquiries regarding it, and found that there was such a pass, but could learn nothing definite about it from either whites or Indians. As Capt. Moore, Avho accompanied me, was very anxious to go through it, and as the reports of the Taiya Pass indicated that no wagon road or railroad could ever be l)uilt through it vhile the new irdss appeared, from what little knowledge i ; '. get of it, to be much lower and possibly feasible for a v j^on road, I determined to send the captain by that way, if I could get an Indian to accompany him. This, I found, would be difficult to do. Xone of the Chilkoots appeared to know anything of the pass, and I concluded that they wished to keep its existence and condition a secret. The Tagish, or Stick Indians, as the interior Indians are locally called, are afraid to do anything in opposition to the wishes of the Chilkoots ; BO it was diilicult to get any of them to join Capt. Moore ; but after much talk and encouragement from the whites around, one of them named '^Jim" was induced to go. He had been through tliis pass before, and proved reliable and useful. The information obtained from Capt. Moore's exploration I have incorporated in my plan of the survey from Taiya Inlet, but it is not as comi)lete as I would have liked. I have named this pass ** White Pass,^' in honor of the late Hon. Thos. White, Minister of the Interior, under whose authority the expedition was organ- ized. Commencing at Taiya Inlet, about two miles south of its north end, it folloA s up the valley of the Shkagway River to its source, and thence down the valley of another KLOyDYKE FACTS. 41 river which Capt. Moore reported to empty into the Takono or Windy Arm of IJove Lake (Schwatka). Dr. Dawson says this stream em])ties into Takn Ann, and in tliat event Capt. Moore is nnstaken. ('apt. Moore did not go all tlie way throngh to the hike, l)ut assumed from rej)orts lie heard from the ndners and others that the stream llowed into Windy Arm, and this also was the idea of tin; Indian "Jim" from what 1 could gather from lii.-; remarks in hroken English and Chinook. Ca])t. Moore estimates the distance from tide water to the summit at al)out l.S miles, and from the summit to the lake at ahout 2'2 to '2',] miles. lie reports the pass as thickly timhered all the May through. '^ The timber line on the south side of the Taiya Pass, as determined by })arometer reading, is ahout ^,;J00 feet above the sea, while on the north side it is about 1,000 feet below the summit. This largo dilTerenee is due, I think, to the dilferent conditions in the two jdaces. On the sonth side the valley is narrow and deep, and the sun can- not produce its full effect. The snow also is much deeper there, owing to the quantity which drifts in from the sur- rounding mountains. On the north side the surface is slo])ing, and more exposed to the sun's rays. On the south side the timber is of the class peculiar to the coast, ami on the north that peculiar to the interior, 'i'he latter would grow at a greater altitude than the coast tind)er. It is possible that the sumnut of White Pass is not higher than the timber line on the north of the Taiya Pass, or about ;^,500 feet above tide water, and it is possibly even lower than this, as the timber in ;i valley such as the White Pass would hardly live at the same altitude as on the open slope on tiie north side. *' Capt. Moore has had considerable experience in building roads in mountainous countries. lie considers that this would be an easy route for a wagon road compared with some roads lie has seen in British Columbia, Assuming 42 KLONDYKE FACTS. his distances to be correct, iiiid tlio Iieightof tlic pass to bo probal^ly about correctly indicated, the grades would not be very steep, and a railroad could easily be carried through if necessary. '^ After completing the survey down to the lake, I set about getting my baggage down too. Of all tlie Indians who came to the summit with packs, only four or five could be induced to remain and pack down to the lake, although I was i)aying them at the rate of ^-^ per hundred pounds. After one trip down only two men remained, and they oidy in liopes of stealing something. One of them appropriated a pair of boots, and was nuicli surprised to find that he had to pay for them on being settled with. I could not blame them nuicli for not caring to work, as the weather was very disagreeable — it rained or snowed alnu)st continu- ously. After the Indians left I tried to get down the stuff with the aid of my own men, but it was slavish and un- heidthy labor, and after the first ti-i].) one of them was laid \\\) with what appeared to be infhimnuitory rheumatism. The first time the party crossed, the sun was shining brightly, and this brought on snow blindness, the pain of which only those who have suffered from this complaint can realize. I had two sleds with me Avhich were nuide in Juneau specially for the work of getting over the mount- ains and down the lakes on the ice. With these I suc- ceeded in bringing about a ton and a-half to the lakes, but found that the tinie it would take to get all down in this way would seriously interfere with the programme arranged with Dr. Dawson, to say nothing of the suffering of the men and myself, and the liability to sickness which pro- tracted physical exertion under such uncomfortable con- ditions and continued sulTcring from snow blindness ex- pose us to. I had with me a white num who lived at the head of the inlet v/ith aTagish Indian woman. This man had a good deal of influence with the Tagish tribe, of KL Oy I) VK K FA CTS. 43 whom tlio groiitor iiimi her were then in the iu}igli])orlioocl where he resided, trying to get some odd jobs of work, and I sent liim to the liead of tlie inlet to try und in(hiee the Tiigisli Indians to undertake tlie transportation, offer- ing them '^5 perhuiidred })oiinds. In tlie meantime Capt. ]\Ioore and the Indian "Jim" had rejoined me. I had tlu'ir assistanee for a day or two, and ''Jim's" presence aided indirectly in inducing the Indians to come to my relief. " The Tagish are little more than slaves to the more power- ful coast tribes, and are in constant dread of offending tliem in any way. One of the privileges which the coast tribes claim is the exclusive right to all work on the coast or in its viciiuty, and the Tagish are afraid to dispute this claim. AVhen my white man asked the Tagish to come over and pack they objected on the grounds mentioned. After consideral)le ridicule of their cowardice, and explana- tion of the fact that they had the exclusive right to all Avork in their own country, the country on the side of the north side of tlu; coast range being admitted l)y the coast Indians to belong to the Tagish triln; just as the coast tribes had the }»rivilege of doing all the work on the coast side of the mountains, and that one of their num- ber was already working with me unmolested, and likely to continue so, nine of them came over, and in fear and trend)ling began to pack down to the lake. After they were at work for a few days some of the Chilkoots came out and also started to work. Soon I had (piite a luimber at work and was getting my stuff down (juite fast. But this good fortuiu' was not to continue. Owing to the prevailing wet, cold weather on the mountains, and the dillicnlty of getting through the soft wetsnow, theliidians soon began to (|uit work for a day or two at a time, and to gaud)le with one another for the wages already earned. Many of them wanted to be paid in full, but this I posi- 44 KLONDYKE FACTS. i.t' tively refused, knowing that to do so was to have them all apj)!}' for tlieir earnings and leave me until necessity com- pelled them to go to work again. I once for all made them distinctly understand that I would not pay any of them until the whole of the stuff was down. As many of them had already earned from twelve to fifteen dollars each, to lose which was a serious matter to them, they reluctantly resumed work and kei)t at it until all was delivered. Tliis done, I paid them olf, and set ahout getting my outfit across the lake, which I did with my own party and the two Peterhorough canoes which 1 had with me. ** Tliese two canoes travelled about 15,000 miles by rail and about 1,000 miles by steamship before being brought into service. They did considerable work on Chilkoot and Tagish Inlets, and were then j)acked over to the head of Lewes River (Lake Lindeman), from where they were used in making the survey of Lewes and Yukon Kivers. Li this work they made about (550 landings. They were then transported on sleighs from the boundary on the Yukon to navigable water on the Porcupine. '^In the spring of 1888 they descended the latter river, heavily loaded, and through much rough water, to the mouth of Bell's River, and np it to McDougall's Pass. They were then carried over the i"»ass to Poplar River and were used in going down the latter to Peel River, and thence uj) Mackenzie River 1,400 miles ; or, exclusive of railway and ship carriage, they were carried about 170 miles and did about 2,500 miles of work for the expedition, making in all about 1,700 landings in no easy manner and going through some very bad water. I left them at Fort Chipe- wyan in fairly good condition, and, with a little paint- ing, they would go through the same ordeal again. After getting all my outfit over to the foot of Lake Linde- man I set some of the party to pack it to the head of Lake Beimet, KLOShYKK FA('T>i. 46 *' I employed the rest of tlie party in looking for timber to build a boat to carry my outfit of 2)r()vi8ions aiul im])le- ments down the river to the vicinity of the international boundary, a distance of about 700 miles. It took several days to find a tree large enough to nuike plank for the boat I wanted, as the timber around the upper end of the lake is small and scrubby. My boat "was finished on the evening of the 11th of July, and on the l:^th I started a portion of the party to load it and go ahead with it and the outfit to the canon. They had instructions to examine the caflon and, if necessary, to carry a part of the outfit past it — in any case, enough to support the party back to the coast should accident necessitate such procedure. With the rest of the party I started to carry on the survey, Avliich may now be said to have fairly started ahead on the lakes. This proved tedious work, on account of the stormy weather. " In the summer months there is nearly always a wind blowing in from the coast ; it blows down the lakes and produces quite a heavy swell. This would not prevent the canoes going with the decks on, but, as we had to land every mile or so, the rollers breaking on the generally fiat beach proved very troublesome. On tliis account I found I could not average more than ten miles i)er day on the lakes, little more than half of what could be done on the river. ** The survey was completed to the canon on the 20th of July. There I found the party with the large boat had arrived on the 18th, having carried a part of the supplies past the canon, and were awaiting my arrival to run through it with the rest in the boat. Before doing so, however, I made an examination of the caflon. Tlie ra})ids below it, particularly the last rapid of the series (called the White Horse by the miners), I found would not be safe to run. I pent two men through the caflon in one of the canoes to r. :!,■ 40 liL OXD I'/i IC FA Crs. await tlu! urrival of the; bout, and t<» he ready in case of an accident to pick us up. Every man in tiio party was sup- plied witli a life-preserver, bo that should a casualty occur we would all hav(^ iloated. Those in the canoe got through all right ; ])ut they would not have liked to repeat the trip. They said the canoe jumped about a great deal more than they thought it would, and J had the sanu.» experience when going through in the boat. '' The passage through is nuide in about three miiiutes, or at the rate of about T^A miles an hour. If the boat is kept clear of the sides there is not much danger in liigh water ; but in low water there is a rock in the mi(Ulle of the channel, near the u})per end of the cafion, that r^'uders the })assage more ditticult. I did not see this rock myself, but got my information from some miners I met in the interior, wlio described it as being about 150 yards down from the head and a little to the west of the middle of the channel. In low water it barely projects above the surface. When I passed through there was no indication of it, either from the bank above or from the boat. *'The distance from the head to the foot of the cafion is five-eighths of a mile. There is a basin about midway in it about 150 yards in diameter. This basin is circular in form, with steep sloping sides about 100 feet high. The lower part of the canon is much rougher to run through than the upper part, the fall being ap}>arently much greater. The sides are generally perpendicular, about 80 to 100 feet high, and consist of basalt, in some places showing hexagonal columns. ''The White Horse Kapids are about three-eighths of a mile long. They are the most dangerous rapids on the river, and are never run through in boats except by ac- cident. They are confined by low basaltic banks, which, at the foot, suddenly close in and make the channel about 30 yards wide. It is here the danger lies, as there is a RLoyDYKh: FACTS. 47 suddon drop and tlie wiitcr nislios tlirough at a tronuMi- dons rate, leapiii*; and st'otliing like a cataract. The miners have constructed a portage road <»n the west side, and put down rolhvays in some places on wliidi to sliovc their boats over. They liave also made some wiiullasses with which to haul their boats \\[) hill, notiibly om> at the foot of the cafion. 'JMiis road way and windlasses nnist have cost them many hours of hard labor. Should it ever be necessary, a tramway could be built i)ast the cailon on the east side with no great ditticulty. With the exception of the Five Finger IJapids these appear to bo the only serious rapids on the whole length of the river. " Five Finger ]{a})i(lsare fcu'med by several islands stand- ing in the channel and backing up the water so much as to raise it about a foot, causing a swell below for a 'ew yards. The islands are composed of conglomerate rock, similar to the cliffs on each side of the river, whence one would infer that there has been a fall here in i)ast ages. F'or about two miles below the rapids there is a pretty swift current, but not enough to prevent the ascent of a steam- boat of moderate jiower, and the rapids themselves I do not think would present any serious obstacle to the ascent of a good boat. In very high water warping might be re- quired. Six miles below these rapids are what are known us ' Rink Kapids.' This is simply a barrier of rocks, which extends from the westerly side of the river about half way across. Over this barrier there is a ripple which would offer no great obstacle to the descent of a good canoe. On the easterly sides there is no ripple, and the current is smooth and the water apparently deep. I tried with a <> foot paddle, but could not reach the bottom. " On the 11th of August I met a party of miners coming out who lia'l passed Stewart Uiver a few days before. They saw no sign of Dr. Dawson having been there. This was welcome news for me, as I expected he would liave 48 KLONbYK^ FACTM. li ^': reacluMl that point long bi-foru I arrived, nil account of tlio liiany delays I had met with on the coast range. These miners also gave mc the pleasant news that the story told at the coast about the fight with the Indians at Stewart lliver was false, and stated substantially what I have already repeated c.mcerning it. The same evening I met more miners on their way out, and the next day met three boats, each containing four men. In the crew of one of them was a son of Caj)t. Moore, from whom the captain got such information as induced him to turn back and accompany them out. '* Next day, the l^Uh, I got to the mouth of the Pelly, and found tha*^ Dr. Dawson had arrived there on the lltli. The doctor also had experienced many delays, aiul had heard the same storv of the Indian uprising in the interior. I was pleased to find tliat he was in no immediate want of provisions, the fear of which had caused me a great deal of uneasiness on the "way down the river, as it was arranged between us in Victoria that I was to take with me provi- sions for his i)arty to do them until their return to the coast. The doctor was so much behind the time arranged to meet me that he determined to start for the coast at once. I therefore set about making a short report and plan of my survey to this i)oiiic ; and, as I was not likely to get another opportunity of writing at such length for a year, I ai)])lied myself to a correspondence designed to satisfy my friends and acquaintances for the ensuing twelve months. This necessitated three days' hard work. " On tile morning of the ITth the doctor left for the out- side world, leaving me with a feeling of loneliness that only those who have experienced it can realize. I remained at the mouth of the Pelly during the next day taking mag- netic and astronomical observations, and making some measurements of the river. On the 10th I resumed the survey and reached White River on the 25th. Here I spent 7 KlONDYKE FACTS, 49 i 7 most ol' a (lay tryinjif to ascend tliis river, but found it iin- practicaijle, on account of the swift current and sliallow and very nuiddy water. Tlie water is so muddy tliat it is inipossil/ie to see tlirou<,di one-eighth of an incli of it. Tlie current is very strong, probably eiglit miles or more ])er liour, and the numerous bars in the bed arc constantly changing phu^e. After trying for several bours, tlie base men succeeded in doing about half a mile only, and I came to the conclusion that it was useless to try to get up ti»i>; stream to the boundary with canoes. Had it proved feasible I had intended nuiking a survey of this stream to tbe bouiulary, to discover more es})ecially the facilities it offered for the transport of supplies in the event of a survey of tbe Interiuitional JJoumlary ])eing undertaken. ** I readied Stewart Kiver on the JiOtli. Here I remained a day taking magnetic observations, and getting infornui- tion from a miner, named McDonald, about tbe country II J) that river. McDonald bad s})ent the summer up tbe river prosi)ecting aiul exi)loring. His information will be given in detail further on. ** Fort Keliance was readied on tbe 1st of Se2)tember, and Forty Mile Kiver (Cone-Hill River of Sehwatka) on the 7tli. In tbe interval between Fort Keliance and Forty Mile Iliver tliere were several days lost by rain. "At Forty Mile River I made some arrangements witli the traders tliere (Messrs. Harper & ^McQuestion) about supplies during the winter, and about getting Indians to assist me in crossing from the Yukon to tbe bead of the Porcupine, or perhaps on to the Peel River. I then made a survey of the Forty Mile River up to the canon. I found the canon would l)ediffieultof ascent, and dangerous to descend, and therefore, concluded to (U'fer further operations until the winter, and until after I had (U'ter- mined the longitude of my winter post near the boundary, when I would be in a much better ^lositiou to locate th« 50 KL OND YKE FA CTS. intersection of the Internationa) Boundary with this river, a point important to dotormine on account of tlio number and richness of the mining claims on tlie river. '' I left Forty Mile River for the boundary line between Alaska and the Northwest Territories on the 12th Sep- tember, and finished the survey to tha'" point on the 14th. I then spent two days in examining tlio valley of the river in the vicinity of the boundary to get the most extensive view of the horizon possible, and to find a tree large enough to serve for a transit stand, " Before leaving Torojuo I got Mr. Foster to make large brass jdates with V's on them, which could be screwed lirndy to a stump, and thus be made to serve as a transit staiul. I required a stump at least 22 inches in diameter to make a base large enough for the })lates when properly placed for the transit. In a search which covered about four miles of tlio river bank, on both sides, I fouiul only one tree as large as 18 inc'nes. I mention this fact to give an idea of the size of tiie trees along the river in this vicinity. I had this stump enlarged by firudy fixing pieces on tlie sides so as to bring it up to the requisite size. This done, I built around the stump a snudl transit house of the ordinary form and then mounted and adjusted my transit. Meanwhile, most of the party were busy prepar- ing our winter quarters and l)uilding a magnetic observa- tory. As I had been led to expect extremely low temi)er- aturer. during the winter, I adopted precautionary measures, ao as to be as comfortable as circumstances would permit during our stay there. < DESCRIPTION OF THE YUKON, ITS AFFLUENT STREAMS, AND THE ADJACENT COUNTRY. " I will now give, from my own observation and from Information received, a more detailed description of tho KL ONI) YKE FA CTS. 51 i Lewes River, its aftluent streams, and the resources of tlie adjacent country. " For the purpose of navi<^ation a description of tlie Lewes River begins at tlie liead of Lake Bennet. Above tlii't print, and between it and Lake Lindenian. tliere is only about tliree-quarters of a mile of river, wliicii is not more than fifty or sixty yards Avide, and two or three Feet deep, and is so swift and rough that naviufation is out of the question. '• Lake Lindenian is about five miles loiiij: anut marks on that shore which could be identified from more than one place. Tiie piece of river connecting Tagish and Marsh Lakes is about live miles long, and averages 150 to ^00 yards in width, and, as already nu'utioned, is deep, except for a short distance at the head. On it are situated the oidy Indian houses to be found in the interior with any pretension to skill in construction. Tliey show much more labor and imitativeness than one knov/ing anything about the Indian in his native state KL O.V D YKK FA CTH, 55 would expect. Tlie pl;ui is evidently taken from the Indian houses on the coast, wiiieh appear to me to he a poor copy of tlie houses which the JTudson's liay Company^s servants buikl around tlieir tradiuf]^ posts. Tliese houses do not appear to haveheen used for some time past, and are ahnost in ruins. Tlie Tagish Indians are now generally on the coast, as they find it mueii easier to live there than in their own country. As si matter of fact, what they make in their own country is taken from them by the Coast Indians, so that there is little inducement for them to remain. " The Lewes River, where it leaves Marsh Lake, is about ^00 yards wide, and averages this width as far as the cafion. I did not try to find bottom anywhere as I went along, ex- cept where I iiad reason to think it shallow, and there I always tried with my paddle. I did not anywhere find bottom with this, which shows that there is no part of this stretch of the river with less than six feet of water at medium height, at Avhieh stage it appeared to me the river y:nz at that time. *^From the head of Lake Bennet to the cafion the cor- rected distance is ninety-five miles, all of which is navigable for boats drawing 5 feet or more. Add to this the westerly arm of Lake Bennet, and the Takone or Windy Arm of Tagish Lake, each a])out fifteen miles in length, and the Taku Arm of the latter lake, of unkiu)wn length, but prob- ably not less than thirty miles, and we have a stretcli of water of upwards of one hundred miles in length, all easily navigable ; and, as has been pointed out, ea y connected with Taiya Iidet through the White Pass. *' Xo streams of any importanee enter any of these lakes so far as I know. A river, called by Schwatka '• McClin- tock River," enters Marsh Lake at the lower end from the east. It occui)ie8 a large valley, as seen from the westerly side of the lake, but the stream is apparently unimportant. 56 KLONDYKE FACTS. Another small stream, apparently only a creek, enters the south-east angle of the lake. It is not probable that any stream coming from the east side of the lake is of import- ance, as the strip of country between the Lewes and Teslin- too is not more than than thirty or forty miles in width at this point. ^* The Taku Arm of Tagish Lake, is, so far, with the ex- ception of reports from Indians, unknown ; but it is equally improbable that any river of importance enters it, as it is so near the source of the waters flowing northwards. How- ever, this is a question that can only be decided by a proper exploration. The caflon I have already described and will only add that it is five-eighths of a mile long, about 100 foet wide, with perpendicular banks of basaltic rock from GO to 100 feet high. ** Below the caflon proper there is a stretch of rapids for about a mile ; then about half a mile of smooth water, fol- lowing which are the White Horse Rapids, which are three- eighths of a mile long, and unsafe for boats. ''The total fall in the caflon and succeeding rapids was measured and found to be 32 feet. Were it ever necessary to make this part of the river navigable it will be no easy task to overcome the obstacles at this point ; but a tram or railway could, with very little difliculty, be constructed along the east side of the river past the caflon. *' For some distance below the White Horse Rapids the current is swift and the viver wide, with many gravel bars. The reach between these rapids and Lake Labarge, a dis- tance of twenty-seven and a half miles, is all smooth water, with a strong current. The average width is about 150 yards. There is no impediment to navigation other than the swift current, and this is no stronger than on the lower part of the river, which is already navigated ; nor is it worse than on the Saskatchewan and Red Rivers in the more eastern part of our territory. KLONDYKE FACTS. 67 " About midway in tliis stretcli the Talikecna River * joins the Lewes. This river is, apparently, about lialf tlie size of the hitter. Its Avaters are nuuUly, indicatin<^ tlie passage through a chiyey district. 1 got some indetinite information about tliis river from an Indian who liap}>ened to meet me just below its mouth, but I could not readily make him understand me, and his replies were a compound of Chinook, Tagish, and signs, and therefore largely unin- telligible. From what I could understand with any cer- tainty, the river was easy to descend, there being no bjul rapids, and it came out of a lake much larger than any I had yet passed. ''Here I may remark that I have invariably found it difficult to get reliable or definite information from Iiulians. The reasons for this are many. Most of the Indians it has been my lot to meet are expecting to make something, tind consequently are very chary about doing or saying anything unless they think they will be well rewarded for it. They are naturally very suspicious of strangers, and it takes some time, and some knowledge of their language, to overcome this suspicion and gain their confidence. If you begin at once to ask questions about their country, without pre- viously having them understand that you have no unfrieiul- ly motive in doing so, they l)ecome alarmed, and although you may not meet with a positive refusal to answer ques- tions, you make very little progress in getting desired in- formation. On the otlier haiul I have met cases where, either through fear or hope of reward, they were only too anxious to impart all they knew or had heard, and even more if they thought it would })lease their hearer. I need liardly say that such infornnition is often not at all in ac- cordance with the facts. *The Talikeena wa.s formerly much used by the Chilk.it Indians as a means of reaching the interior, but never by the miners owing to the distance from the sea to its head. 58 KLONDYKE FACTS. !- ( '^I liave several times found that some act of mine when in their presence has aroused eitlier tlieir fear, sui)erstiti(m or cupidity. As an instance : on tlie Bell Kiver 1 met some Indiana coming down stream as I was going up. We were ashore at the time, and invited tliem to join us. 'J'liey started to come in, but very slowly, and all the time kept a watchful eye on us. I noticed that my double-barrelled shot gun was lying at my feet, loaded, and i)ieked it up to unload it, as I kncAV they would be handling it after land- ing. This alarmed them so much that it was some time before they came in, and I don't think they would have come ashore at all had they not heard that a party of white men of whom we answered the description, were com- ing through that way (they had learned this from the Hudson's Bay Company's officers), and concluded we were the party described to them. After drinking some of our tea, and getting a supply for themselves, they became quite friendly and communicative. " I Cite these as instances of what one meets with who comes in contact with Indians, and of how trifles affect them. A sojourn of two or three days with them and the assistance of a common friend would do much to disabuse them of such ideas, but when you have no such aids you must not expect to make much progress. " Lake Labarge is thirty-one miles long. In the upper thirteen it varies from three to four miles in width ; it then narrows to about two miles for a distance of seven miles, when it begins to widen again, and gradually expands to about two and a-half or three miles, the lower six miles of it maintaining the latter width. The survey was carried along the western shore, and while so engaged I deter- mined the width of the upper wide part by triangulation at two points, the width of the narrow middle part at three points, and the width of the lower part at three points. Dr. Dawson on his way out made a track survey of the ELONDYKE FACTS. 69 eastern shore. The western sliore is irrefj^nlar in numy places, being indented l)y hirgc l)uys, espeeially at tlu^ upper and lower ends. These bays arc, as a rule, shallow, more especially those at the lower eiul. " Just above where the lake narrows in the middle there is a large island. It is three and a-ludf miles long and about half a mile in width. It is shown on Schwatka's map as a peninsula, and called by him liichtofi-n Uocks. IIow he came to think it a peninsula T cannot understand, as it is well ont in the lake ; the nearest 2)oint of it to the western shore is upwards of half a mile distant, and the extreme width of the lake here is not more tlian live miles, which includes the depth of the deepest bays on the western side. It is therefore ditticultto understand that he did not see it as an island. The upper half of this island is gravelly, and does not rise very high above the lake. The lower end is rocky and high, the rock being of a bright red color. ** At the lower end of the lake there is a large valley ex- tending northwards, which has evidently at one time been the outlet of the lake. Dr. Dawson has noted it jind its peculiarit s. His remarks regarding it will be found on pages 15(j-160 of his report entitled ' Yukon District and Northern portion of British C^olumbia,' i)ublislied in 188!). *' The width of the Lewes Riveras it leaves the lake is the same as at its entrance, about 200 yards. Its waters when I was there were murky. This is caused by the action of the waves on the shore along the lower end of the lake. The water at the upper end and at the middle of the lake is quite clear, so much so that the bottom can be distinctly seen at a depth of G or 7 feet. The wiiul l)lows almost constantly down this lake, and in a high wind it gets very rough. The miners complain of much detention owing to this cause, and certainly I cannot complain of a lack of wind while I was on the lake. This lake was named after one Mike Labarge, who was engaged by the "Western Union 60 KLONbYKE FACTS, I Telegraph Company, exploring tiie river and adjacent country for the purpose of connecting Eurojx! and America by telegra})!! through IJritish Columbia, and Alaska, and across liehring Strait to Asia, and thencoto Europe. This exjdoration took place in 1807, but it does iu)t ap])ear that Labarge then, nor for some years after, saw the lake called by his name. The successful laying of the Atlantic calde in 180(5 put a stop to this projec^t, and the exploring parties sent out were recalled as soon as word could be got to them. It seems that Labarge had got up as far as the Pelly before he received his recall ; he had heard something of a large lake some distance further up the river, and afterwards spoke of it to some traders and miners who called it after him. *' After leaving Lake Lal)arge the river, for a distance of about live miles, preserves a gem^rally uniform width and an easy current of about four miles per hour. It then makes a short turn round a low gravel point, and flows in exactly the oi)posite of its general course for a mile when it again turns sharply to its general direction. The current around this curve and for some distance below it — in all four or iive miles — is very swift. I timed it in several places and found it from six to seven miles an hour. It then moderates to four or live, and continues so until the Teslintoo River is reached, thirty-one and seven tenths miles from Lake Labarge. Ti»e average width of this part of the river is about 150 yards, and the depth is sutlicient to alTord ])assage for boats drawing at least 5 feet. It is, as a rule, crooked, and consequently a little difficult to navi- gate. "The Teslintoo* was so called by Dr. Dawson — this, ac- *The limited amount of prospecting that has been done on this river is said to be very satisfactory, fine gold luiving been found in all parts of the triver. The lack of supplies is the great draw- bav'^k to its development, and this will not be overcome to any ex- KL OND YK E FA C TS. 61 cordinpf to inforniatioii obtaiiiod by him, boin^ tl»c Tiulijin name. It is called by the miiuTS * Ilootaliiikwa ' or Ilotaliiuiua, and was calh'd l)y Schwatka, who appears to have bestowed no other attention to it, tlio Newberry, al- thougli it is apparently much lar^'erthan the Lewes. Tliis was so apparent tliat in my interim rej)orts I stated it as a fact. Owin<^ to cireninstanees already narrated, I had not time while at the month to make any measurement to de- termine the relative size of the rivers ; but on his way out Dr. Dawson made these measurements, and his re})ort, be- fore ref{M'red to, <,dves the followin»( values of the cross sec- tions of each stream : Lewes, 3,015 feet ; Teslintoo, .'{.SOO feet. In the same connection lie states that the Ja'wcs ap- peared to be about 1 foot above its lowest summer level, while the Teslintoo appeared to be at its lowx"st level. Assumini^ this to be so, and takinr) feet. Owing, however, to the current in the Lewes, as deterTuined by Dr. Dawson, being just double that of the Teslintoo, the figures being 5*08 and Ji'88 miles per hour, respectively, the discharge of the Lewes, taking these tigures again in 18,04-4 feet, and of the Teslintoo 11,4150 feet. To reduce the Lewes to its lowest level the doctor savs would make its discharge 15,000 feet. ** The Avater of the Teslintoo is of a dark brown color, similar in appearance to the Ottawa River water, and a little turbid. Kotwii>standing the dilTerence of volume of dis- tent until by some means heavy freight can be brought over the coast range to tlie head of the river. IniU^ed, owing to the diffi- culties attending access and transportation, t lie great drawback to the entire Yukon district at jirt^sent is the wu'it of lieavy mining machinery and the scarcity of supplies. The government being aware of the requirements and jjossibilities of the country, lias undertaken the task of making preliminary surveys for trails and railroads, and no doubt in the near future the avenue for better and quicker transportation facilities will l)e opened up. KLOSDYKE FACTS. m. chnr^v, tlio Tcslintoo cliiiiiges conipU'toly the cluiractor of the river hclow the jiiiietion, and u person comiiijLjf up tlio rivor would, ut the forks, uiihcsitiitiu^My [jronounce the Tesliutoo the iniiiii streiun. The water of tlie Lewes is hlue ill e(dor, and at the time I speak of was soinewliat dirty — not enou<(li so, liowever, to prevent one seeing to a de{)tli of two or tiiree feet. " At tlie junction of tlie Lewes and Teslintoo I met two or three families of the Indians who hunt in the vicinity. One of tliern could s[)eak a little Chinook. As I liad two men with me who understood his jaru^on perfectly, with their assistance I tried to ^a't some inl'ornuition from him about the river, lie told me tlu^ river was easy to ascend, and presented the same appearance eight days journey up as at the mouth ; then a lake was reached, whicdi took one day to cross ; the river was then followed again for lialf a day to another hike, which took two days to traverse : into this lake emptied a stream which they used asahigliway to the coast, passing by way of the Taku l?iver. lie said it took four days when they had loads to carry, from the head of canoe navigation on the Teslintoo to salt water on the Taku Inlet ; but when tliey come light they take only one to two days, lie spoke also of a stream entering the hirge lake from the east which came from a distance ; but they did not seem to know much about it, and considered it outside tlieir country. If their time intervals are ai)proximately accurate, they mean that there are about ;^00 miles of good river to the first lake, as they ought easily to make 25 miles a day on the river as I saw it. The lake takes one day to traverse, and is at least 25 miles long, followed by say 13 of river, which brings us to the large lake, which takes two days to cross, say oO or 00 more — in all about 2\)2 miles — say 300 to the head of canoe navigation ; while the distance from the head of Lake Bennet to the junction is oniy 188. Assuming the course of the Teslintoo to be nearly south KLOXDYKE FACTS. 68 ■ • (it is 11 littlo to tlio east of it), jiiid throwing out every fourtli mile for bends, tlu; rciiiiiindcr ^aves us in arc three (lt'«;r(H's and a quarter of latitude, which, deducted from 01° 4()', the latitude of the junction, gives \i& 58"" '^b', or nearly t lo latitude of Juneau. *' T'- make sure that [understood ti.o Indian aright, aiul that he knew what he was speaking about, I got him to sketch the river and lake, as he described them, on the sand, and repeat the same several times. ** I afterwards met Mr. T. Boswell, his brother, and an- other miner, who had spent most of the summer on the river prospecting, aiul from them I gathered the following : *' The distance to the first, and only lake which they saw, they i;ut at 175 miles, and the lake itself they call at least 150 miles long, as it took them four days to row in a light boat from end to end. The portage to the sea they did not appear to know anything about, but describe a large bay on the east side of the lake, into which a river of considerable size entered. This river occupies a wide valley, surrounded by high mountains. They thought this rive I* must head near Liard Kiver. This account differs materially from that given by the Indian, and to put them on their guard, I told them what he had told me, but they still persisted in their story, which I find differs a good deal from the account they gave Dr. Dawson, as incorpo- rated in his report. *' Many years ago, sixteen I think, a man named Monroe prospected up the Taku and learned from tlie Indians something of a large lake not far from that river. He crossed over and found it, and spent some time in prospect- ing, and then recrossed to the sea. This man had been at Forty Mile River, and I heard from the miners there his account of the appearance of the lake, which amounted generally to this : The Boswells did not know anything about it." It was unfortunate the Boswells did not remain 64 KLONDYKE FACTS. 11 at Forty Mile all winter, as by a comparison of recollections they might have arrived at some correct conclusion. ** Conflicting as these descriptions are, one thing is cer- tain : tills Inmcli, if it has not the greater discharge, is the longer and more important of the two, and offers easy and uninterrupted navigation for more than double the distance which the Lewes does, the ctiflon being only ninety miles above the mouth of tb^^ Teslintoo. The Boswells reported it as containing much niuie useful timber than t)\e Lewes, which indeed one would infer from its lower altitude. "Assuming this as the main river, and adding its length to the Lewes-Yukon below the junction, gives upward of 2,200 miles of river, fully two-thirds of which runs through a very mountainous country, without an impediment to navigation. '* Some indefinite information was obtain»^d as to the position of this river in the neighborliood of Marsh Lake tending to show that the distance between them Avas only about thirty or forty miles. ** Betvv'oon the Teslintoo and the Big Salmon, so called by the miners, or D'Abbadie by Schwatka, the distance is thirty-three and a-half miles, in which the I^ewes preserves a generally uniform width and current. For a few miles below the Teslintoo it is a little over the ordinary width, but then contracts to about two hundre(l yards which it maintains with little variation. The cu/rent is generally from four to five miles per hour. '* The Big Salmon I found to be about one hundred yards wide near the mouth, the depth not more than four or five feet, and the current, so far as could be seen, sluggish. None of the miners I met could give me any information ccm- cerning tliis stream ; but Dr. Dawson was more fortunate, and met a man who had spent most of the summer of 1887 prospecting on it, llis opinion wiw that it might bo uavi- klonjjyke facts. 66 piblo for small sterii-wlieel steiimers for many miles. 'IMio valley, as seen from the month, is wide, and gives one the impression of being oecuipied l)y a mnch more impor- tant stream. Looking nj) it, in the distance could be seen many higli peaks covered with snow. As the date was August it is likely they arc always so covered, which would make tlieir probable altitude above the river 5,000 feet or more. " Dr. Dawson, in his report, incorporates fully the notes obtained from the miners. I will trespass so far on these as to .ay tluit they called the distance to a small lake near the head of the river, l'.)0 miles from the mouth. This lake was estinuited to be four miles in length ; another lake about l;i miles above this was estimated to be twenty-four mik's long, and its ui)[)er end distant only about eigiifc miles from tiie 'J'eslintoo. These distances, if correct, make tiiis river mu(;ii more im})ortant than a casual glance at it would indicate ; tliis, however, will be more fully spoken of under its proper head. '* Just below the Jiig Sahnon the Lewes takes a bend of nearly a right angle. Its course from the junction with the Tahkeeiui to *,ii is point is generally a little east of north ; at this point it turns to neai'iy west for sonu' distance. Its course between here and its confluence with the Pelly is north-west, and, I may add, it preserves this general direc- tion down to the confluence with the Porcupine. The river also changes in aiu)ther respect ; it is generally wider, and often expands into wiiat might bo called lakes, in which are islands. Soiiu' KL OX I) YKK FA CTS. 69 islands tluit it is impossible to tell when floating among them where the sliores (>( the river arc. The current, too, is swift, leading one to siip]»osc tiie water shallow ; hut I think even liere a channel deej) eiiongh for sueh boats as will luivigate this part of the riv jr can hv found. Schwatka named this group of islands " fngersoll Islands." ** At the mouth of the Pelly the Lewes is about half a mile wide, aiul here too there are manv islands, but not in groups as at Ingersoll Islands. "About a mile below the Pelly, just at the ruins of Fort Selkirk, the Yukon was found to be itf]!) yards wide ; about two-thirds ))eing ten feet deep, with a current of about four and three-cpuirter miles per hour ; the remaining third was more than half taken up by a bar, and the current between it and the south shore was very slack. ** Pelly River at its mouth is about two hundred yards wide, and continues this width as far up as could be seen. Dr. Dawson made a survey and examination of this river, which will bo found in his re})ort already cited, '' Yukon District and Northern liritish (Jolumbia." " Just here for a short distance the course of the Yukon ib nearlv west, and on the soutli side, about a mile below the mouth of the Lewes, stands all that remains of the oidy trading post ever built by white men in the district. This post was established by Robert Cam})bell, for the Hudson's Bay Company in the summer of 1S48. It was first built on the point of land between the two rivers, but this location proving untenable on account of Hooding by ice jams in the spring, it was, in the season of 185;^, moved across the river to where the ruins now stand. It ap})ears that the houses composing the post were not finished when the Indians from the coast on Chilkat and Chilkoot Inlets came down the river to put a stop to the competitive trade which Mr. Campbell hud inaugurated, and which they found to seriously intefere with their prolits. Their meti'od of trudo 70 KLONDYKK FACTS. appears to have been tluMi })rt'tly niiicli as it is now — very oiH^sided. Wliat they round it convcnit'nt lo take by force they took, and wiiat it was convenient to pay for at their own price tliey i)aid for. '* Iii'»nors liad readied the post tliat the (-oast Indians eontemphited such a raid, and in conse(|uence the native Indians in tlie vicinity remained about nearly all suniiner. Unfortunately, they went away for a shoi't time. ;ind (hir- 'mrivih\i;'c of leavinstruek it. was a stream of oonsideral)le size, for lie speaks of its aitpearance wlieii lie first saw it from * I'elly Hanks,' the name ^iven the baidv from whicli he first helield it, as a 'splendid river in the distance.' In .Tnne, \M'.], he descended the Polly to its conlliience with the laru^er stream, whi(di ho named the ' Lowes.' Hero ho fonnd many families o*' the native Indians — ' Wood Indians,' he called them. Theso poojile conveyed to him, as host they conld hy word and si^Mi, the dan^jers that would attend a further descent of tho river, represontini^ that the country holow theirs was inhahit.'d hy atrihe of lierce cannihals, who would assuredly kill and oat them. This so terriliecl his men that he had to return ])y the way ho came, pursued, as ho afterwards learned, l)y the Indians, who would have nnirdored him- self and party had they jj^ot a favorahlo opportunity. Thus it Avas not until 1n, they described to him iis monsters in size, power and (M'uelty. " In our own time, after the intercourse that there lias hcvu l)etween tliem and the whites, more than a s.ispicion of such unknown, cruel peoph^ lurks in the minds of many of the Indians. It wouhl he futile for me to try to ascril)e an origin for these fears, my knowledge of their language and idio;;yncrasie8 being so limited. ** Nothing more was ever done in the vicinity of Fort Selkirk * by the Hudson's Bay Company after these events, and in 1S(J() the Company was ordered by Cai)t. Charles W. Kaymond, who represented the United States Covern- ment, to evacuate the post at Fort Yukon, he having found that it was west of the l-41st meridian. ^Phe post was occupied by the Company, however, for some time after the receipt of tliis order, and until Kiimpart House was built, which was intended to bo on British territory, and to take the trade previously done at Fort Yukon. " Under present conditions the Company cannot very well compete with the Alaska Commercial Company, whose agents do the oidy trade in the district,! and they api>ear to have abandoned — for the j)resent at least — all *This is now a winter port for Hteaniluuts of the North Ameri- can Transportation and TraiUnj? ('(jnipany, plyinj:; the Yukon and its tributaries. Tliere is also a trading post here owned by Har|)er & Ladue. f Since the date of this report tlie North American Transport- ation and Trading Company, better known in the Yukon valley as " Captain Healy's Company," has established a number of ix)8t8 on the river. KLOyUYKK FACTS. 73 attempt to do any trade m-arcr to it than IJanipart House to wlik!li point, notwithstanding tiu' distance and ditVicul- ties ill the way, many of tlie Indians on tiie Yukon make a trip every two or three years to j)ro(!ure orted plenty of water. *' Stewart Kiver enters from the cast in the middle of a wide valley, with low hills on both sides, rising on the north sides in steps or terraces to distant hills of consider- 76 KL Oy nVK K FA CTS, ul)lu lit'i^'lit. The rivor lialf a niik'or so iihove tlio mouthy is two huiulrcd yards in width. Tho ('urrent is shick iind the water shalh)W and dear, hut dark (lolored. '• Wiiiii' at the mouth I was fortunate enou^jjli to meet a juiner wh(» iiad spent the whole of the suiurner of 1SS7 on tile liver and its hrandies prosj»eetin<,' and e.\|tl(M*in^'. He ^'ave me a ;jood (U-al of information of which I j^ive a suuimarv. lie is a native of \ew liruns- wiek, Aiexanch-r M(;|)(»naid hy name, and has spent some years niiniui^ in other [)ia<'es. hut was very reticent al)out what lie iuul math' or fouiul. Sixty or seventy miles up tlu! Stewart a lar^'e creek enters from the soutli whicii lie called l{ose Hud Creek or liiver. and thirty or forty miles further up aconsiderahle stream Hows from the north-east, which a])pears to he Heaver River, as nuirked on the maps of that part of the country. From the liead of this stream he lloatetl down on a raft taking live days to do so. He estimated Iws jjrogress at f«)rty or fifty miles each day, which gives a length of from two hundred to two hundred and fifty miles. This is prohahly an over-estimate, unless the stream is very crooked, which, he stated, was not the ease. As much of his time would betaken up in prospect- ing, I should call thirty miles or less a closer estimate of his progress. This river is from fifty to eighty yards wide and was never more than four or five feet deep, often being not more than two or three ; the current, lie said, was not at all swift. Above the mouth of this stream the main river is from one hundred to one hundred and thirty yards wide with an even current and clear water. Sixty or seventy miles above the last-mentioned branch another large branch joins, which is })ossil)ly the main river. At the head of it he found a lake nearly thirty miles long, and averaging a mile and a half in width, which lie called Mayhew Lake, after one of the partners in the firm of Harper, McQuestion »t Co. KLOSDYKK FACTS. 77 "Tliirty miU\s or so above the; forks on tliootluT hmnch there are fulls, which McDoiiiild estiiiiateil to he from one to two hundred feet in hei^dit. I met several parties who iiad seen these falls, and they corroborate this estimate of their hei^^lit. McDonald went on past the falls to tho head of this branch and found terraee(l <;ravel lulls to the west and north : he ('rosse(l ilicm to the north and found a river flowiiii; northward. <>n this he embarl\c(| on a raft and iloated down it for a day or two. tiiinkiiiK it would turn to th(( west and join the Stewart, but llndini,^ it still c'ontimiin^' north, and ac(|uirinj,' too mucdi volume to be any of the branches ho had seen while [)assin,<( n[) the Stewart, he returned to the point of his (le[»arture. and after prospecting among the hills around the head of tlu^ river, he started westward, crossing a high range of moun- tains composed principally of shah-s with many thin seams of what lie called quartz, ranging from one to six inches in thickness. "On the west side of this range he found a river flowing out of what he called ^Eayhew I^ake, and crossing this got to the head of lieaver Kiver, which he descended as before mentioned. *' It is prol)able the river flowing northwards, on which he mad(! a journey aiul returned, was a branch of i'ecd Uiver. He described the timber on the gravel terratu'S of the watershed as small and open. He v/as alone in this un- known wilde'uess all summer, not seeing even any of the mitives. There are few men so constituted as to be ca- pable of isolating themselves in sucdi a maniu'r Judgi.ig from all I C(mld learn it is probable a light-drauglit steam- boat could navigate nearly all of Stewart Hiver and its tributaries. *'From Stewart River to the site of Fort Reliance,* *This was at one time a trading ix)st occupied by Messrs. Harper & McQuestion. 78 KLoxnvKK facts;. seventy-throe and a (|ujirt('r miles, tlie Yukon is ])roa he a stream <»f con- siderable length, thi;-i creek W(»uld nr* answer its dcscrij)- tion. ** Twenty-two aiul a half miles fnuu Stewart liiver another and larger creek enters from tlu sanu' si«le ; it agrees with the descriptions of Sixty Mile Creek, and I luive so marked it on my nuip. This stream is of no im- portance, except for what mineral wealth nuiy l)e found on it.* **Six ami a half miles above Fort IJelianc^e the Thron- * Sixty Mile Creek is iiltout one Imndred iiiileH loiijjj very rr(M)ke«l, with a swift current and iiumy nipitls. and is tlierefore not easy to asccMid. Miller, (Jlacier, (Jold. Little Cold and licdrock (recks are all tributari«'s of Sixty Mile, Some of the ricbest discoveries in ^old so far made in the interior sin-.-e ISill imve l»ren upon these creeks, especially lias this been ib.' case upon the two tirst men- tioned. Tliere is ii claim upon >!iller Creek owned by .losepii lUmdrefUi from wliieb over !jil()(>.0(((> worlii of pild is sMd to buve been taken out. Freiji;tU for tlie mities is taken up Forty ^file Creek in sunf forty miles, in the season of ISST. I diil not see him, but ^ot some of his information at se(;ond hand. The water bein^ so beautifully clear I thou^';ht it tuust come throu<(li a lar^'e lake not far up ; but as far as he had ^one no lakes were seen. He said '.le <'urrent was comparatively slack, with an occasional 'rip))le Or small rai»id. Where he turned back the river is surrounded by hifijh mountains, which were then covered with snow, which accounts for ti.e purity and clearness of the water. The trip from Cudaby to the j)<>st at tlie moutli of Sixty Mile River is made Ityjiscendiii;^ Forty Mile River a small distance, mak- ing a short portaj^e to Sixty Mile River and runuir)}^ dcnvn with its swift current. Comie.^ biK k oi\ the Yukon, nearly the whole of the round trip is made down stream. Indian '..'reek enters the Yukon from the east about -iO miles l)elow Sixty Mile. It is re|H)rted to Ih* rich in j^old, hut owing to to the scarcity of supplies its developnuMit has heen retarded. At the nu)uth of Sixty Mile (.'reek a townsit*' of that nam*' is located, it is tiie heaihiuarters for uj)wards of 100 niiiiiTs and where they more or less assniihle in th«' winter months. Measi-s. Harper & ('o. have a trading |M)st and a sjiw-niill on an island at the mouth of the creek, both of kvliich are in charge of Mr. J. Lay of the Alaska ( 'ommerci;il ( 'om|«»ny. * Dawson City is situated at the moutli o?' the Thron-Diuck now known as Klondyke, and although it was liM-ated only a few months ago it is tlie scene of great activity. Very rich de|)ositH of gold have he<»n lately found on Beiumza Creek and other affluentii of the Thron-Diuck. 80 kiOMjYkt: kAcTt;. "It «i])j)otirs that the Iiuliaiis go up tliis stream a long (listun(;e to hunt, but I could Icani notliiiig (Icliiiite us to tlioir statements eoneerning it, *' Twelve and a half miles below Fort Kelianee, the Cliandindu Itiver, as named by Schwatka, enters from the oast. It is tliirty to forty yards wide at the moutli. very shallow, and for half a mile up is one eontimious ra|)id. its valley is wide and can be seen for a loni; distatice look- in*; north-eastward from the mouth. " Between Fort Iielianee and Forty Mile Iiiver ((tailed CoTie llill Iiiver l)y tSehwatka) tlu* Yukon assuines its nor- mal ap}»earanee. havinj; fewer islands aiid beiiii; narrower, uverugini; four to six hundrc*! yards wide, and the eurrejit being more regular. This stretch is forty-six nulcs long, but was estimated by the traders at forty, from which the Forty Mile Iiiver took its mime. '* Forty Mile iiiver* joins the main river from the west. Its general course as far upas the Jnterui tional Houndary, u distance of twenty-three miles, is south-. vest ; after this * Forty Mile townsite is situated on the south sidi' of the Forty Mile River iit its J.mctiou \v>tli the Yukon. Tlu' Alaska ("onuner- cial ('oni|)anv has a station here whieh was for some vears in fharjjje of \j. N. McQuestion : tb.ere are also several blacksmith shops, restaurants, hilliard hills, hakevies. iin opera house and so on. Rather more than half a mile Ik'Iow Forty Mile townsite the town of Cndahy was founded on the north side of Forty Mile River in the siniuner of 1S!)2. It is named aft»'r a well known ineniher <»f the North American Transportation and Trailing t'oni- pany. In population and extent of Imsim'ss tin town hears com- jjarison with it^ nei>;hhor across the river. The opposition in trade has heen tl'c means of vi r\ materially reduciiij; the cost of supplies and livii;i^. The North American Transportation and Tradinjj; Company has erected a saw-mill and some lar^e ware- hou.ses. Ft>rt ( onstantine was established he immediately upon the aiTival of the Mounted Police detachment in the latter jKirt of July. 1895. It is descrihed further on in an extract from InsiK?ctor Coustantine's supplementary report for the year 1895. * 1 * t n I KLONDVKE FACTS. 81 it is reportecl by tlio miiuTs to run nearer soutli. Many of tlieni claim to have ascended this stream for more than one liundred miles, and speak of it there as quite a largo river. They say that at that distaiue it has reached the level of the |)lateau. and the country adjoining it tliey descrilx^ as flat and swam})y, rising very little above the river. It is only a short distance across to the Tanana b'iver — a large tributary of the Yukon — which is liere de- scribed as an important stream:. However, only about twerdv-three miles of Forty Mile River are in Canada; and the ui)per i)art of it and its relation to other rivers in the tlistrict have no direct interest for us. " Forty Mile Hiver is one hundred to one liundred and fifty yards wide at the mouth, ai'.'.i the current is generally strong, with numy small rapids. Kight miles up is the so-called cafion ; it is hardly entitled to that distinctive name, being simply a crooked (MUitraction of the river, with stee]) rocky banks, and on the north side then is jjlenty of roo»'' to walk along the beach. At the lower enc! of the caf. .' "here is a short turn and swift water in which are sonu' large rocks; these cannot generally be seen, and there is much danger of striking them running d(>\vn in a boat. At this point several miners have been drowned by their boats being upset in collision with th 'se rocks. It is no great distance to either shore, and one would think an (U'dinary swimmer would have no ditlieulty in reaching land : but the > >ldne»s of the water auou benund)s a nuin € lUpletely and renders him powerless. In the summer of 1HS7, an Indian, from Taiuma, with his family, wj».s com- ing down to trade at the j>ost at the mouth of Forty Mile Hiver; his cam»e struck on these rocks and upset, an feet ; that of the Lewes at the Teslintoo, from the sann* authority, is 3,015 feet. Had the above cross-section been reduced to the level at which the water ordinarily stands durinjx the sum- mer months, instead of to the height at which it stood in the middle of September when it was almost at its lowest, the sectional area would have been at least 50 })er cent more, and at spring flood level about tlouble the above area. ** It is aditlicult matter to determine the actual discharge at th(? place of the cross-section, owing to the irregularity in the depth and current, the latter being in the deej) t'hannel at the east side, when I tried it in September, approximately 4*S miles per hour; while on tlu bar in midstream it was not more than 2 "5 miles per hour ; and between the bar and the westerly shore there was very little current. ** The river above this for some miles was no better for the j)ur|)ose of cross-section measurenuMit. At thebouiul- ary it is narrow and clear of bars and islands for some miles, but here I did not have on oj)))ortunity todetermine the rate of tlie current before the river froze n]», and after it froze the drift ice was jammed and piled so high that it would have been an almost endless task to cut holes through it. KLOyDYKE FACTS. 85 Tho current from the boinulury down to tlie confliuMice with the I'oreupine is said to be strong' and niucli tiiesame as that above ; from tlie Porcupine down, for a distance of five or six hundred miles it is called medium and tiio remainder easy. From Stewart River to the mouth of the Yukon is about 1,050 miles, and the only ditticult place in all this distance is the part near the confiuence with the I'orcupine, which has evidently been a lake in jjast a^'es but is now filled with islands : it is said that the current here is swift, and tho channels generally luirrow, rendering navigation diffiuult. »6 KLO^DYKK FAVrm. TMIAPTEU III. ADVICE TO BK(iIX\KHS. Mej^ who arc thinking of going to the Klondyke regions and taking a trip oi tliis cliaructer for the first time, will do well to carefully read the chapter on "Outlit for Miners." It is a great mistake to take anything except what is necessary ; the trij) is a long arduous one, and a man should not addonejiound of haggage to his outfit that can be dispensed with. I have known men who have loaded themselves up with rifies, revolvers and shot-guns. This is entirely unnecessary. lievolvers will get you into trouble, and there is no use of taking them with you, Jis large game of any character is rarely found on the trij). I have prospected through this region for some years and have only seen one nu)ose. You will iu)t see any largo ganu' whatevi'r on your trip from Juneau to Dawson City, therefore do not take any firearms along. You will find a list of the implenuMits for the miner in the (ihapter on '' Outfit for Miners." The miners here are a very mixed class of people. They rei)resent many nationalities and come from all climates. Their lives are certainly not enviable. The regulation miner's cabin is 12 by 14 with walls six feet high and gables eight feet in height. Tlio roof is heavily earthed and the cabin is generally kept very warm. Two, or sometimes three or four men will live in a house of this size. The ventilation is usually bad, the windows KLONDYKK FACTS. Sf being very Hniiill. Those miners wlio do not work their cluinis (luring the winter eonline themselves to these small huts most of the lime. Very often they heeomc indolent and careless, only eating those things which are most easily cooked or prei)ar('(l. During the busy time in summer when they arc shovelling in, they work hard ami for long hours, sparing little time for eating and much less for cooking. This manner of living is quite common amongst begin- ners, and soon leads to debility and sometimes to scurvy. Old miners have learned from experience to value health more than gold, and they therefore spare no expense in procuring the best and most varied outfit of food that can be obtained. In a cold climate such as th' ■, where it is impossible to get fresh vegetaljles and fruits, it is most important that the best substitutes for these should be jirovided. Nature helps to supply these wants by growing cranberries and other Avild fruits in abundance, but men in summer are usually too busy to avail themselves of these. The diseases met with in this country are dysi)e])sia, anivmia, scurvy caused by improperly cooked food, same- ness of diet, overwork, want of fresh vegetables, overheated and badly ventilated houses; rheumatism, pneumonia, broncdiitis, enteritis, cystitis aiul other acute diseases, from exposure to wet and cold ; debility and chronic diseases, due to excesses. Men coming to Klondyke should be sober, strong and healthy. They should be j)ractical men, able to adapt themselves (piickly to their surroundings. Special care should be taken to see that their lungs are sound, that they are free from rlieunuitism and rheumati(! tendency, and that their joints, espet'ially knee joints, are strong and have never been weake?u'd by injury, synovitis or other disease. It is also verv imi)ortant to consider their tem^ 88 KLOSDYKi: FACTS. peramcnts. Men sliould be of clieorful, liopoful disposi- tions und willing workers. Tlioso of sullen, morose lui- feurcs, idthoii^di they may be ^ood workers, jire very apt, lis soon as the novelty of the country wejirs off, to l)ecomti dissatisfied, pessimistic and melancholy. It 081- iia- ipt, mm KLOSDYKK FACTS. CIIAITKH FV. OUTirr KOU MINKllS. Is p:ivinf:: any julvlcc for outfits for minors. T sliould first stale tliat it is a great mistake to imrciiase aiiytlii!(<,^ what- ever iK'fore arriving at .luiu-au, Alaska. 'I'his luis been a supply point for tiiat regi(»n for upwards of ten years, and store-keei)ers and sup}»ly companies carry in stock ex- actly what is necessary for tlie miners. Von will find that their pricres are reasonable, considering the dilTeronco in cost of transportation at any jjoint you might decide to })ur('has(^ from in the rnited States ; in fact it is the saving of money to buy in .luneau. In the matter of clothing, of course, it must \)v left to the individual taste and means of the purchaser, but the miners usually adopt the native costume of tlu^ region. The boots are generally imide by the coast Iiulians and are of dilTerent varieties. 'I'he water boot is made of seal and walrus. It is im})ortant to take a pair of rubber boots along. Additional boots can be purchased at Dawson City. The mitive boots cost from two to five dollars a pair. Trousers are geiu'rally m. \q from Siberian fawn skins and the skin of the nuirmot or the ground s(juirrcl. 'I'he outer garments are generally made of the marmot skin. The people at Daw^son C'ity who are not engaged in mining, such as store-keepers, clerks, etc., generally wear these garments. (Jood warm ilannels are important. Every- thing in the way of underwear is made of fiannel, such as shirts. The cost of Hannel shirts at Dawson City is ^5. Hub- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) / V ^ W?i y O ."j .^x L^'. &?- Cp. 1.0 I.I 16 113.2 Z2 llllitt '""^ 142 III 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" ► ^r een. It •y and to e better. ,vill coni- vvn from igs have must the le. on in the sspecting office, 20 ^DUE. )n Routes \,\s, How r Claim, Return of f Living, ibject en- 24 pages. :opy with i the pub- treet, . U.S.A. 1 9(iir^^*ir^HT^^i?^ir^^^^^^^4r^H * * * AR r rtf f^lt^rirlriixr Now in its 6:d thousand. By WM. 13 V/ Ul LilCWiriWllJ^. H. MlCAIXnVCROFT. i volume, 121110, cloth, 50 cents Fully illustrated. This excellent primary book has taken the first place in ele- mentary .scientific works. It has received the endorsement of Th(Hnas A Kdison. It is for every person desiring a knowledge of electricity, and is written in the simplest style so that a child can understand the work. Jt is what its title indicates, the first flight of steps in electricity. Scholars' A B C of Electricity. Sr,w(?*Ro?T MEA- One volume, 1 2nio. illustrated, cloth, SO cents. The author of this work has designed it for the use of teach- ers and scholars. A large number of simple experiments have been added, with notes relative to the work. It is the primary book ^or school use. The A Most Important Work 0/ General Interest. XRay; or, Pliotography of the Invisible and Its Value in Surgery By WILLIAM J. MORTON. M. D. Written in collaboration with KowiN W. Hammer. I volume, lamo, cloth and silver, 75 cents; paper, SO cents. Kveryone has been waiting for this work to give full infor mation of Professor Rontgen's marvellous discovery The work explains in clear and simple style how these extraordinary pictures are taken through .solids. Full description is given of the appar- atus used, and the ttxt is profusely illustrated with halftone illus- trations giving fac-simile copies of the pictures taken from the negatives of the author. The subjects are varied. The ABC of the X Ray. ?rt 4* 4* 4^ 4* 4^ 4* 4* 4* 4* 4* 4* 4* 4^ 4^ 4**^ ad. By WM. I volume, t place in ele- lorsemeiit of ^nowledue of t a child can tic first flight A. H. MEA- IROFT One use of teach- riments have the primary and Its Value -lORTON. M. ^V. Hammer. per, SO cents. ive full iufor The work mary pictures of the appar- alf tone illus- ken from the MEADOW 'olume, i2mo, or the people, in that work en who know about the X irculation of s beautifully tted that will discover V of both of these lRION HAR- 226 pages, lis new book king by gas his valuable f price 4 * * 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4. 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 C CO.