IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

1.0

I.I

liAMM 12.5

|50 ■^■i ■^H

1^ 1^ 12.2

IL25 IIIIII.4 11 1.6

Photographic

Sdences

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 14580

(716) 873-4503

CIHM/ICMH

Microfiche

Series.

CIHM/ICMH
Collection de
microfiches.

Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques

Technical and Bibliographic 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 bibiiographicaliy unique,
which may alter any of the images in the
reproduction, or which may significantly change
the usual method of filming, are checked below.

D
D

Coloured covers/
Couverture de couleur

I I Covers damaged/

Couverture endommagto

Covers restored and/or laminated/
Couverture restaurie et/ou peliicuiie

Cover title missing/

Le titre de couverture manque

Coloured maps/

Cartes gAographiques en couleur

Coloured inic (i.e. other than blue or biacit)/
Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou nc*re)

Coloured plates and/or illustrations/
Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur

Bound with other material/
ReliA avec d'autre^ documents

Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion
along interior margin/

La reliure serr6e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la
distortion le long de la marge intirieure

Blanl( leaves added during restoration may
appear within the text. Whenever possible, these
have been omitted from filming/
II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajout6es
iors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte,
m«)i8, lorsque cela Atait possible, ces pages n'ont
pas <kt6 fiimies.

Additional comments:/
Commentaires suppi^mentaires;

L'Institut a microflimi le meilleur exemplaire
qu'il lui a 6tA possible de se procurer. Les details
de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du
point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier
une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une
modification dans la methods normale de fiimage
sont indiqu6s ci-dessous.

I I Coloured pages/

D
D
D
D

Pages de couleur

Pages damaged/
Pages endommagtes

Pages restored and/or laminated/
Pages restaur^es et/ou peilicul6es

Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/
Pages d6color6es, tacheties cu piquies

Pages detached/
Pages d^tach^es

I I Showthrough/

Transparence

Quality of print varies/
Qualiti inigaie de I'impression

Includes supplementary material/
Comprend du materiel suppi^mentaire

Only edition available/
Seule Edition disponible

7
P

•I
o
fl
si
o

T
si
T

N
di
e(
bi
ri
r«
w

Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata
slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to
ensure the best possible image/
Les pages totalement ou partieliement
obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure,
etc., ont 6t6 filmies 6 nouveau de lagon a
obtenir la meilleure image possible.

This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/

Ce document est film<i au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous.

10X 14X 18X 22X

2SX

30X

12X

16X

20X

24X

28X

32X

Th« copy fllmad h«r« hat baan raproducad thanks
to tha ganaroslty of:

Library Division

Provincial Archives of British Columbia

Tha imagaa appaaring hara ara tha bast quality
possibia considaring tha condition and lagibiiity
of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha
filming contract spacifications.

Original copias in printad papar covers ara filmad
beginning with tha front covar and anding on
tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impras-
sion, or tha back covar whan appropriata. All
othar original copias ara filmad beginning on tha
first paga with a printad or illustratad impres-
sion, and ending on the last page with a printed
or illustrated impression.

The last recorded frame on each microfiche
shall contain tha symbol -^ (meaning "CON-
TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"),
whichever applies.

Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at
different reduction ratios. Those too large to be
entirely included in one exposure are 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:

L'exemplaira filmi fut reprodult grAce A la
gAnArosit* de:

Library Division

Provincial Archives of British Columbia

Les images suivantas ont AtA reproduites avac le
plus grand soin, compta tenu de la condition at
de la nattet* da l'exemplaira filmA, at en
conformity avac les conditions du contrat de
filmage.

Les exemplaires originaux dont la couvarture an
papier est imprimAe sont filmAs en commen^ant
par la premier plat at en terminant soit par la
derniire paga qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second
plat, salon le cas. Tous las autras exemplaires
originaux sont film6s en commengant 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 apparaitra sur la
derniAre image de cheque microfiche, seion le
cas: le symbols — »> signifie "A SUIVRE ", le
symbols V signifie "FIN".

Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., pauvent Atre
fiimAs A des taux de reduction diffArents.
Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre
reproduit en un seul ciichA, il est film« A partir
de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite,
et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre
d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammas suivants
iliustrent la m6thode.

12 3

,-2-

Outing.

Vol.. XXX.

vSEPT EMBER, iS,;;.

Xo. ()

iiki\i\(; \ i;ai;i:ain wiiii iiii. naiivi-

PROi^ THe

C©aST TO
, THE

sOLPEN KLO-NPIK^

THE HieCOL^io C'F /iW OipPEClIj^L. JO^i^ti^Y.

»y ESflWikira! gjfjirr.

'HIC (iuestidii i)f
tlic venicityiif
tlie rn m d I's
If (I in I i 111 c to
time rLMcliin;^- tlie
(iovcrntneiit :is to tlic
niinciMl wealtli. cs-
])L'(n;illy in .ijold, of
the upper Yukon dis-
trict of Alaska, and
the conilitions under
and means hy ami
limes of the year at
w li i c li the district
eould best be reached, were in the early
])art of last year subjects of departmental
consideration.

by tlu> OrriNi; I'liblisliini; Cnm\

!n order to i^atlier reliable information
on the s^-eoloi^ical (piestions involved.

Cnpyrinlitcit, iSii;

and, incidentally, of course, some others.
I, in the sprint^ of 1896, as a member of
the I'liited States (^eoloj^ical Survey,
was otKicially recpiested to undertake a
journev into the interior of Alaska.

I had never been west <if I'lah, and,
iud<4in^- from the few accounts of trav-
elers who have written concernini.,'- this
remote re.i^ion of central .ind northern
.\laska. the dithculties were consider-
able. ( hilv one sea.son was i)ossible, and
that v.-as the near-approaehinjjf one of
liit^h summer, and only two routes are
available. One must either .yo to St.
Michael, in the liehriiiL;- Sea, and thence

Tiv. .\11 iii;li!s rest rv.cl.

?i^{m

Pacific N.W.Hiist'

PROVINCI Ai

FRO.]r Tim COAST TO THE (;OI.DIiN KLOXDIKli.

tr.

523

tip the River Yiikun, from its outlet to
the bejfinniiiLj of its lieadwaters, some
fifteen hunclred miles; or land at some
point on the Paeitie, cross the head of
land, and tap the headwaters of the
Yukon at their source.

In either event the journey must be
completed before September, when the
Yukon freezes, and Alaska's arctic
winter of the utmost rij,n)r sets in and
jjrips its vise.

Yet the po.ssible novelties which the
country offered, both from a scientific
and from a personal standpoint, were so
great that the opportunity was tpiickly
accepted.

river as a hij^hway, makinj,'' such ex-
cursions from it as became neces.sary.

Alaska is a most difficult country for
travelinj,'-, even in the only available
short .sea.son of its arctic summer, there
beinij no roads ; and even Indian trails,
on account of tlie small number of
natives, are very rare. The surface is
rou}.;h, beinj; traversed by many rauijes
of mountains. Even in the more level
portions travel is hindered in the sum-
mer by the wet moss which j^'nnvs knee-
deep, and by the in.sect pests ; in the
winter it is made impossii)le by the in-
tense cold. In view of all these diffi-
culties, the peculiar relation of the

...xi^lKiU::

TAiaslI LAKK.

The time for prep-iratioi. was very
short, but when we left Washin^;ton at
the end of May we carried witli us so
many '^ond wishes that our spirits rose
r.ccordin<4ly — for such j^ood wishes from
such good hearts carry with them
actual influence over evil material
thing.s, I hope and half l)elievc.

From Seattle we took pa.ssage on a
steamer ft)!' the soutlici n coast of Alaska.

At the little town of Juneau we left
the steamer, and made ]ireparations to
turn our backs for good ujjon civiliza-
tion. Our ijroposed route lay across
the coast mountains to the headwaters
of the Yukon, and thence down that

Yukon River to the coast is such that
one might fancy Nature hac" arranged
it especially for a highway thiough this
in;!ccessible interior, in jiartial coinpen-
s;'.iion to man for the obstacles she has
Jilt in his way.

The headwaters of the network of
'.streams that ultimately drain into the
Yukon River fortunately lie within
about thirty miles of the .sea, just on
the northerri or inland side of a range
of mountains wliich runt^ along the
southern coast of Alaska. JM-om this
point the river flows north, away from
the .sea, far toward the Arctic ()cean ;
then, suddenly changing its mind, turns

524

OUTING FOR SEPTEMBER.

west ; and finally, after travcrsinj^ the
whole width ut" Alaska, arrives at the
Behrinjj Sea, its entire course bein,i,'
considerably over two thousand miles.
For a considerable distance it is a
broad and deep stream, so that one may
go quite throuij^h the center of Alaska,
from sea to sea, by crossin^j only thirty
miles or so of land. This little jjeo-
graphieal explanation has been made
so that the plan of our trij) may be
clearly luiderstood. There are various
routes across the coast mountains to
the various heads of this river. Of
these we chose that over the Chilkoot
Pass, which is the shortest, althouj^h
the mountains which must be thereby
crossed are higher than on any of the
other routes.

After a few days in Juneau, makinj.^
the necessary preparati(jn.s, we bade
good-bye to civilization for good, and
engaged passage on a little tug for
Dye.i, a more eastward point on the
coast, where we were to begin our in-
land journey. The Scrambler, as the
boat was called, had been originally de-
signed for freight, but had been pressed
into the passenger service without the
formality of making alterations. A
dozen men might have made themselves
comfortable in her, but our load com-
prised fifty or sixty. They were mostly
miners and prospectors, with pick, gold-
pan, and Hour -sacks, striking out for
the rumored Golden Land in the in-
terior. With one of these miners, who
had prospected and mined in Alaska
for many years, we entered into an
agreement to travel together as far as
he was going. De Windt's party of
three were on the same boat. x>.mong
the other passengers were two men who
had undertaken to carry the first regular
mail into the Yukon district, and a
Catholic priest bound Tor his mission
among the ICscjuimaux on the lower
river. We were huddled together so
closely that we perforce became speed-
ily acquainted, for althcnigh the space
on the floor was large enough for all of
ns to sit down, there was hardly room
to stretch out. When we grew weary of
chatting, however, and of listening to
the sound of the water as the boat
threshed its way onward, we were forced
by drowsiness to sleep where we could,
and soon sleepers were scattered around
in the most grotescjue and uncomfort-
able attitudes. I had coveted a space

on or under the little table used for eat-
ing purposes, but found that choice
position fully occupied before I made
up my mind to retire ; but I finally
wedged myself into a narrow space be-
tween the boiler and the pilot-house,
where, throughout the night, passers
continually stepped on my head. How-
ever, I slept several hours.

The system of eating is worthy of
note. The table accommodated about
six at a time, whereas, as I have men-
tioned, we were fifty or sixty in all. At
each meal one or two, or sometimes
three, sets of passengers would be fed ;
then the captain, the sailor, the Chinese
cook, and the dish-washer, after which
the rest of ui; got our rations, in good
time. As we grew very hungry during
this process, we would stand around
patiently waiting our chance to slip in ;
but sometimes before we had tasted the
tempting liver and coifee (to say noth-
ing of the beans), we would be sum-
marily ejected by the dish-washer, who
was a very young man of dashing ex-
terior and peculiar vocabulary, and who
would disperse us with the assertion that
" By , the crew is going to eat now."

The day was foggy and rainy, and the
sea quite rough. The Lynn Canal, up
which we were steaming, is a long, deep,
narrow fjord, from which tne cold, snowy
mountains to the north rise steeply tc.
lonely heights. On this day the fog hid
the precipices partly from view, giving
us mostly half-veiled glimpses, strange-
ly distorted. At times we saw a slim
waterfall leaping down ; and here and
there stood great broad glaciers, stretch-
ing from the clouds nearly down to the
sea. These glaciers, like all that I hav<;
seen in ..\laska, have wonderful purity
of c(jlor. The predominating tint is
a beautiful robin's - egg blue, which
changes into pure white in the upper
part, where the .solid ice grades into
the less compact frozen snow. Their
surfaces are fantastically carved — pin-
nacled and turretcd ; and irregular
ma.s.ses .stand out in relief, which the
imagination can transform into strange
groups of figures. These surroundings
produced ujion me an uncanny sensa-
tion, which I think was shared by others
on b(jard. It .seemed a gigantic, gloomy
country, a fit abode for wild beasts and
wild men, but, as one of the miners ex-
pres.sed it, "no place for a white man
toli/e."

Wh
our
the bt
ting
the

FROM TUli COAST TO THE COLD EX KLONDIKE.

5 -'5

le used fcr eat-
id that choice
before I made
but I finally
rn)\v space be-
le pilot-house,
nijjht, passers
V head. How-
s.

is worthy of
nodated about
> I have men-
xty in all. At
or sometimes
would be fed ;
r, the Chinese
r, after which
tions, in good
lungry during
stand around
ice to slip in ;
lad tasted the
(to say noth-
nild be sum-
-washer, who
■ dashing ex-
lary, and who
assertion that
: to eat now."
•ainy, and the
'nn Canal, up
a long, deep,
e cold, snowy
se steeply tc
y the fog hid
view, giving
)ses, strange-
; saw a slim
nd here and
;iers, stretch-
down to the
1 that I havt^
lerful purity
iting tint is
blue, which
n the upper
grades into
now. Their
;arved — pin-
d irregular
f, which the
into strange
urroundings
anny sensa-
•id by others
Uic, gloomy
I beasts and
miners ex-
white man

When, toward night, we approached
our destined hinding-jjlace, the surf on
tlie beach was too heavy to attempt get-
ting ashore, so we lay anchored during
the night. About noon the next day,
the captain made the first trial at land-
ing, in a small boat, and was capsized.
Then the dish-washer made himself
conspicuous' by his presence of mind.

" Man the lifc-lioat !" he cried in such
stentorian tones that one might shut his
eyes and imagine himself at home in a
theatre. " Man the life-boat ; the cap-
tain's overboard !" There was, unfor-
tunately, no life-boat to man ; and the
siilor. having but nist come from driv-
ing a milk-wagon in San Francisco, did
not know how to row well enough to
venture out. Meanwhile the captain
drifted ashore, righted his boat, and
pulled out to the Scrambler again.

Shortly afterward we all debarked,
and that night we pitched our tent on
land. The place is called Dyea ; there
is a small trading-post, kept by a white
man, around which is gathered a village
(^f Indians or Siwash, belonging to the
Chilkoot tribe. They are by no means
ill-looking people. The men are strong
and well-formed ; the women (natur-
ally, when one considers their mode of
life) are inferior to the men in good
looks. These women have a habit of
painting their faces uniformly black
with a mixture of soot and grease, a
covering which is said to prevent snow-
blindness in the winter and to be a
protection in sumnier against the mos-
cpiitoes Some have only the upper
part of their faces painted, and the
black part terminates in a straight line,
giving the effect of a half-mask. At the
time of our arrival the Indians were
engaged very l)usiiy in catching and
drying small fish. These fish are very
oily, and when dried can be lighted at
one end and used as candles ; and for
this purpose tiiey are stored away
against tiie long winter night.

liarly next morning we were on the
trail forthejKiss. The trip from salt water
to the head of the navigalile waters of
the Yukon is usually made in two stages,
e.'ch of about fifteen miles. The trader
at Dyea had brought in a few horses,
and we engaged him to transport our
camp-outfit and ]M-ovisions over the
lirst stage, where the trail, thougii
rough, can be gone over by pack-ani-
ni.ils. Some of the miners, liowever.

engaged Indians immediately at Dyea
to ])ack the whole distance ; and, as it
afterward proved, this was the wiser
l)lan. We could al.so have obtained sad-
dle-animals, but our party i^referred to
walk for the sake of getting toughened
for the harder journeys.

The trip turned out to lie excep-
tionally fatigumg, a large part of
the distance being tlirough sand and
loose gravels in the bed of a stream,
where it was impossible to find a firm
footing ; several times also we had to
wade the stream. The vallev along
whose bottom we were thus traveling
was narrow and canyon-like, with steep
bare mountains rising high on either
side. The tops of these mountains, so far
as we could see, were cap])ed witli ice ;
and this great glacier stretched out
long fingers down into the valley along
each of the gulches or recesses in the
mountain-wall. Finally, crossing the
river a last time on a fallen tree, we fol-
lowed the trail up into the more rocky
and difficult portion of the valley ; and
.some miles of this brought u.s, thor-
oughly tired, to our halting-place. A
few miles before reaching this place I
overtook one of the miners, who, with
his two companions or " pardners," had
started to ])ack over a part of their
outfit themselves. lie was a stalwart
young Irishman, but the load of seven-
ty-five pounds or thereabouts and the
difficulties of the road had exhau.sted
him, although he had outstripped by
.several miles his less robust companions.
After a rest, however, he was able to get
to the camp, where we ate tt)gether a
supper proportioned in amount to the
trials we had undergone.

We had brought with us from Juneau
lumber for the purpose of building a
b(jat when we should get acro:-.s the
pass into the Yukon waters, but the
Indians demanded such high wages for
carrying it over thai it was left at Dyea,
the more readily since there .vas a
rumor that .some white men had taken
a small .saw-mill across the pass in the
winter and were now engaged in saw-
ing luniher at one of the lakes nn the
other side. In order to make sure, how-
ever, Wiliorg, the miner who accomi)a-
nied us, started in advance across the
]Kiss early the next morning, taking
with him an Indian, while we lay in
camp till he should send the Indian
back with news from the other side.

520

OUT ISC. I- OR ShPT/iMlinR.

We profited by the delay to eliinb iij)
to the face of tlie },daeier which over-
hunj^ the camp. The cliinl) up the mount-
ain side was difficult, there l)einj; a con-
stant succession of clitrs, the rocks of
which had been so severely wrenched
by jriacial action that it was not safe to
trust to them for handhold or foothold :
so that we depended mainly on the
stout bushes or younic saplin<;^s which
jjrew in the crevices and on the benches.
These trees averai^ed fifteen or twenty
feet in lenijth — I say lenjj;'th, for most
of them j^rew strai.y:ht out horizontally,
and some even had a down-hiU inclina-
tion ; this was evidently the result of
the weijj^ht of snow and ice moving
down hill
over them
for a 1 ar^e
part of the
year.

We were
well paid for
our trouble
on reachinjj
the jflacier,
w li i c h e X -
panded b e -
fore our eyes
as we drew
nearer. It
v;as of pure
blue ice, ex-
t r e ni e 1 y
beautiful;
and its front
t ose perpen-
dicularly for
several hun-
dred feet. A

deep chasm separated it from us as we
stood on the summit of a pinnacle of
bare rock, a few hundred feet away ;
and as we looked across we saw ^reat
irrej^ular clefts and caverns of the deep-
est blue, !.,aiarded by slender towers.
Further up the ^reat blue-white field
stretched till lost to sij^ht in the mists
of the mountain, its surface seamed and
cracked and obstructed by hu,L,fe, irrej.^-
ular mounds, S(j as U) be apparently
impassable. I have seen few thinjj^s
more awe-ins])irin,v; than this i»-rcat ice-
field, this vast, ])ure, chaotic silence.

As we sat we noticed a very slender
spire of ice ([uite near wliich seemed as
if it must topple. After awhile it bej,'an
to ajro-ravate us that it would not, so we
beyan shooting at it with the repeating

LAKE HK.N.NErr.

rifle which we had brouj^-ht alontj, firin}.j
a number of shots in rai)id succession
for the purpose of knocking it over.
This we did not succeed in doing, but
when we got back to camp we found
that our shots had greatly excited tiie
Indians who were camped near by, and
who imagined that we werp (piarreling
with one of the great bears found in
these mountains. The idea of a sensible
being shooting at a i)iece of ice is not
readily grasped by the savage mind.

From Sheep Camp, where we were,
the only way to get (Hir supplies over
the pass was to get Indians to carry
them. Although tlicse Indians are no
stronger than average white men, yet

they greatly
excel t h e m
in point of
enduranc e ;
and they will-
ingly under-
go extreme,
fatigue for
any limited
period. A t
this time,
however, the
trail was so
bad, on ac-
count ui the
softening of
the snows in
the hot June
s u n , t h a t
they conclud-
ed to strike
for higher
wages. This
was the cause
of some little delay for us, for most
of the men in camp were opposed to
yielding, especially the miners, who
represented that the increased cost
would inconvenience them consider-
ably. So began a siege on both sides;
we announced our intention to the
Indians of staying in this pleasant
jjl.'.ce for a month or two, and both in
our camp and in that of the .Siwashes
the most ostentatious carelessness ])re-
vailed. Late in the d;\y this stale of
affairs was interrupted liy the action of
one small i)arty of miners, who were
anxious to get at the gold which they
imagined lying around thickly in some
interior gulch, waiting for the first
comer to pick it \\\), and so went secretly
to the other camp and compromised

FROAf HIE COAST TO TIIIL GOLDEN KL()Xl)/K/:.

527

It aloiii^-, firinj*'
)i(l succession
:kin^'- it over,
ill doinjr, l)iit
nip \vc found
ly excited tiie
1 near by, and
srp (luarreliujr
L-ars found in
a of a sensible
! of ice is not
.'aj^e mind,
ere we were,
supplies over
lians to carry
ulians arc no
^ite men, yet
they jiTeatly
excel t h e ni
in point of
enduranc e ;
and they will-
ingly under-
go extreme,
fatiiifuc for
any limiicd
period. A t
this ti m e,
however, the
trail was .s(j
bad, on ac-
count of the
sofleniny of
the snows in
the hot J line
sun, t li a t
tiiey conclud-
ed to strike
for h i ^ h c r
ivaj^cs. This
ivas the cau.se
lis, for most
; opposed to
nincis, wlio
reascd cost
m consider-
both sides ;
iti(jn to the
liis pleasant
and both in
he Si washes
Icssncss pre-
this state of
he action of
S who were
1 whicli they
■kly in some
ir the first
vent secretly
om promised

LOOKINC, fP LAKK I.INDKKMA.V

with them. We were informed of this
by a series of wild whoops from the
Siwashes, as they poured over the hill
and into our camp. Our first thouj^ht
was that it was a hostile attack, but we
were reassured when we saw tliem bei^rjn
to parcel out the goods belonging to the

miners. It happened that these men
were the very ones who had so strongly
urged holding out against the incrca.sed
price ; and as it took all the available
Indians to carry their outfit over, we
were delayed a couple of days by thi.s.
I'inally, however, we secured packers,

I.<1CJKIN(; DOWN UVEA IM.l'.r.

528

OUriXG FOK Sh/T/:M/U:R.

and one afternoon they announccil tlicir
intention of startinj^ across tlie jkiss —
for they are very indei)enclent about
such matters, and will wait indefinite
])eriods till the weather or their humor
is satisfactory. Unlike the civilized
man, the Indian has plenty of time ; he
is never in a hurry.

( )nce we saw the Siwash safely started
with their packs, we set out ourselves, at
about six o'clock in the afternoon. At
this time of year the trip is usually
timed by tiie Indians so that the deep-
est snow will be crossed between twelve
o'clock at midnij^dit and three in the
morning ; for in these hours a crust
forms, which in daytime is softened by
the warm sun. O.ir way soon led lis
on to a jrlacier-like field ' f snow, which
often sounded hollow to our feet as we
trod, and at intervals we could hear tb.e
water rushint; beneath. The j^rade be-
came steep, and the fojj;- closed around
ns thickly, joininj,'- with the twilijjht
of the Alaska June nij^ht to make
a peculiar obscurity which jjfave thinj^s
a weird, jjhostly appearance. As we
toiled up the steep incline of hard-
ened snow, those ahead of us looked
like hu<.je giants ; while those on
whom we looked down were itjjly,
s])rawlinj:j dwarf.s, toilinjj iip the mount-
ain side like Ilendrik Hudson's sailor,
wh(jm luckless Rip Van Winkle met.
As we drew near to one another, our
faces seemed a pale blue color, thouf^h
very clearly seen ; and we left bright
blue footprints on the p'alo snow.

Presently we saw a fire a little way
above the trail, and climbing up to it
found a deaf-and-dumb Indian and his
squaw or " klutchman," who were dry-
ing their moccasins before a lire made
out of a few stunted bushes. He ex-
plained to us by signs that the trail was
dangerous, and that it was too dark to
see clearly. So we waited till midnight,
when another Indian, one of our packers,
came up, and we started out on the trail
again.

All the rest of the climb was over
snow, the ascent being very steep, with
cliffs on all sides, which loomed u])
gigantic and ghostly. It is impossible
to describe the effect ])roduced by these
bare, jagged rocks rising out of tlie
snow-field, in the silence, the fog, and
the twilight. We were forcibly re-
minded of .some of Dore's imaginative
drawings. In the course of the ascent

(loodrich and myself found ourselves
ahead of the i)arty, who followed the
Indian, toiling along under his pack.

After a while the well-beaten trail
faded to almost notiiing, and at the
same time the snow-slope l)ecame of
exLVssive stee])ness. We were obliged
to kick footholds for every step on a
surface so smooth and steep that a slip
wou'd have .sent tis sliding into depths
which we could not see. Lookingdown,
it seemed a bott.)mless i)it, shapeless
and fathomless, in the eddying fog.
After a while we gained the top, and
waited till the rest should come up.
When they apjjcarc ;1, we were surprised
to find tliat they came from a somewhat
different tlirection ; and we found on in-
quiry that we had neglected to turn otT
with the regular trail, which led in a
roundabout way through the rocks, with
a rope for handhold and safety, and
had instead kept straight up the mount-
ain to the to]).

On the other side of the summit a
short but steep declivity led down to a
small frozen lake, named by ilie miners
Crater Lake, on account of the steep
crater-like walls which surround it on
three sides. On one side, however, this
wall opens out into a valley, through
which a small stream runs ; the lake is,
therefore, one of the ultimate sources of
the Yukon, and it was with a feeling of
relief that we stepped upon its frozen
surface.

From here our way lay down the
stream-valley and across little lakes into
which the stream broadened out at in-
tervals. Sometimes we walked over
the stream on an archway of snow and
ice, and again trod cautiously along its
banks, while the river, broken loose
from its covering, ran turbulently be-
tween its icy banks. The upper lakes
were frozen, but further down we had
to wade knee-deep in slush for miles,
putting occasionally a foot through the
rotten ice beneath ; and finally we were
obliged to .skirt along the shore,
which was ])recipitous. During the last
few miles it rained and snowed alter-
nately. Finally, at nine o'clock at night,
we rcaclunl tiie shore of Lake Linder-
man, the first of the Yukon's navigable
waters.

Linderman is a jiretty little lake sev-
eral miles in length, and ])artly shut in
by the high, snow-capped mountains
over which we had come. Here we

FROM THE COASr TO TUT. GOLDTN KTOXDIKT

S-'9

iiii'l ourselves
tollowc'd the
I' liis pack,
-beaten trail
. and at the
e heeanie of
were oi)lijri.tl
ry step on a
ep that a slip
!,'■ into depths
■odkin;,' down,
)it, shapeless
L'dilyinjf fojf.
tlie top, and
lid come up.
ere surprised
1 a somewhat
i found on in-
.'d to turn off
lieh led in a
lie rocks, with
safety, and
ip the mount-
he summit a
ed down to a
)y tlie miners
of the steep
rround it on
liowever, this
ley, through
; the lake is,
ite sources of
I a feelinj^ of
on its frozen

y down the
tie lakes into
L'd out at in-
walked over
of snow and
isly alonj^- its
iroken loose
bulently be-

upper lakes
own we had
ill for miles,
throu.i,'-h the
ally we were

the shore,
rin^r- the last
lowed alter-
ock at ni^'-ht,
:ike I^inder-
"s navi^tjable

tie lake sev-

rtly shut in

mountains

Here we

'found Wiborj,' waiting: for us under a
shelter made of trees, and presently the
Indian who was carryiiij,' our tent came
aloniu,^ ami we proceeded to make our-
selves as comfortable as jiossible, after
some time spent in settlin^r atTairs with
our packers. The endurance of these
people is shown by the fact th.at they
made this very fatij^uinjr trip, witli loads
averajfinjf over a hundred ])ounds each,
in the same time as ourselves who car-
ried little or nothing;-.

These Indians all have some Enj^lish
natne, which they have <^<.A from the
inissi'jn, where they hanjf arouiul when
there is anythinj^ to be jjfot by it. I find
in m) notes " Tom " credite<^ with car-
ryiu},' one hundred and ten pounds of
meat and "Jim" witl. ne hundred and
sixty-one pounds of sundries. Tom's
orijfinal name was Kuk-shon, and he
claimed to be a chief of the interior, or
Stick, Indians. He spent his spare time
during the short space of my ac([uaint-
ance with him in daubinjj vermilion
around his left eye. IJefc^re startinj^
across the pass he painted the rest of
his face black with soot and j^reasc, but
carefully left the red around his eye ;
and this ornamentation, tojjcther with a
smile, which I think he meant to be en-
gaging, and which he offered on all oc-
casions as a substitute for conversation,
made him a particularly villainous-look-
ing personai,e. Among the packers
were also a number of women. These
were mostly ugly old hag.s, and many of
them plainly suffered greatly from
fatigue ; yet their patient endurance
was remarkable. It seems to fall to the
lot of the old women, among these
people, to do the hardest work ; but
men, women and children are schooled
to carrj' heavy burdens. We met on
the trail a whole family packing, carry-
ing out a S(jrt of contract with some of
the miners. The man carried one hun-
dred and iwenty-seven jKiunds, a boy of
thirteen carried one hundred pt)unds,
and the scpiaw and little girls had heavy
loads. Even the dog, about the size of
a srtt"' carried forty ]JOunds, with which
he w. .ia'cd along patiently enough.

vVe h:id some very slight perplexity
ill setUiKg accounts. One woman, who
started .n-ross the pass as Jenny, turned
up r.d S.illy at Lake Linderman, having
evidently made up her mind to change
her name on the way ; and as she under-
stood no word of English we had a

momentary ditVuulty in identifying her.
She and her frieiuls seemed to have
some inkliii ' ')f political principles, for
they all wanted to be jiaid in silver, and
distrusted gold, v/liile it was with dif-
liculty that tliey could be induced to ac-
cept bills. Nearly all of these people
on ijcing jiaid star'teil immediately back
over the trail, without resting, intending
to travel all night, and be in Sheep
Camp in the morning; anil th fter
they had already been twenty ur
hours on the road.

Wiborg had succeeded in obt. lining
for us a iioat already built, w'l .-h sa^ "d
a great deal of time, as it l. ik.es about
two weeks to whi])saw lumber and bviild
a boat, as minc-s usually ilo.

The ne.xt morning, therefore, we load-
ed our outfit and sailed down Lake Lin-
derman with a fair wind. Tlie boat >vas
a small, double - ender, flat - bottomed
craft, fifteen feet or so in length, and
oi)cn to sun ami rain alike. For a sail
we used our tent-tly, an article which
was put to many important uses in the
course of our trip, but never to that for
which it was originally intended.

De Windt's party followed us in a
similar boat ; and with De Windt came
the priest whom we had encountered on
the Scrambler — a genial and cultured
gentleman, whose light heart kept him
from being long affected by the jihys-
ical discomforts we were all obliged to
undergo. To complete the flotilla, there
was a small scow, of rather shaky con-
struction, which had just been com-
pleted by a parly bound for the .i\nieri-
can mining camp of Circle City ; this
party was remarkable for containing
one of the fair sex, who seemed as well
fitted as the men to make the journey
successfully. In after days we met the
l)arty re])eatedly as we all floated down
the river, the lady always sitting in the
front of the scow and six or seven men
behind, all wearing flowing veils as de-
fence against the niosciuitoes, and wav-
ing branches for the .same purpo.se; and
we likened her to Cleopatra, in her
barge. Just after starting. Cooper, a
frontier.sman who was with De Windt's
l)arty, sigliteil a iiKnintain-goat close to
the sliore, and shot at it, but failed to
iiring it down.

The lake down which we sailed is only
a few miles long ; at its foot it connects
with a larger body of water, called Lake
Bennett, by a short but rapid and danger-

530

OUTING FOR SlirriiMBER.

!ii

CLKOPATKA S KARCE.

ous channel. For such places as this we
had brought along a hundred and fifty
feet of strong line ; and after unloading
our outfit at the head of the rapids, leav-
ing only a few light things which would
not be damaged by water, we attached
the line to the bow of the boat, and let

it drop down with the current. Wiborg
remained on board to steer, for if a boat
sheers or yaws when going over rapids,
she is likely to careen and capsize. We
three greenhorn geologists held the line,
with which we waded in the shallower
parts of the current, and scampered over

EMllARKINC, I.AKK, I.INDKRMAN.

FROM THE COAST TO THE GOLDEN KLONDIKE

531

rrent. Wiborg
er, for if a boat
n'g over rapids,
d capsize. We
ts held the line,
the shalh)\ver
callipered over

the rocks and cliffs where tlie water was
deep and swift, lettin;^- run or holdin<^
firm, as Wibori^ sij^nialed. These rapids
are amonjj^ the most difhcult to pass of
all those (m the Yukon, and it is cus-
tomary for miners to ycj below them be-
fore bnildin<f tlieir boats; so the process
of lininjif our boat down was not devoid
of excitement. Anj' tendency to over-
heating- as a consequence of exertion
was, however, counteracted by our hav-
in<if to wade in ice-water up to the wai.st.
We had unwisely put on rubber boots
reachinof to the hips, and strapped to
the belt •, these soon li^ot full of water,
the weiijht of which was so .threat that it
was hardly possible' to walk, so I was
obli.ned \.o take advantage of a lull in
the proceed-
inj^'s to sta<j-
s,rer as h o re
a n d m a k e
frantic at-

i tempts to
stand on my
head, till
most of the
v,'at.er r a n
out of m y
boots down
my back, and
so made me
capable of
freer ino\-e-
nient. We
were linally
s u c c e s s f u 1 ,
however, and
the boat

« ship]3ed very

i little water,
thanks to Wilwrt^'s manteuvrinj^. After-
ward we named our craft the Skookum
Peti', as a com])liment to the cool and
determined Xorwe.^ian — skookum bcin.t;'
a Chinook word sii;nifyin;.;' strenj^tli and
darin,q;, to,v;ether with other qualities
necessary to a man who lives in the
I woods. Pete's modesty, however, made
I him erase his own name froui the legend,
|so that the boat wa.s, and is, it she still
iexist in the possession of the Indian
I who finally obtained her, simply tiie
\ Skookum, and as sueli she must .uj^o down
fin iiistory.

I The weather was cool, and our bath
in ice-water none of the most a<;reeable;
we were tlu)roui;iily dried, however, be-
fore we finished the remainder of our
task, which was to carry tiie outfit, we

had unloaded at the head of the rapids,
across the porta-^e, which was three-
quarters of a mile in lenj^th. We hiid
about twelve hundred pounds in all.
For this work I had brou<rht specially
made ])acksacks from Minnesota, where
I had used and thorou<rhly tested them;
they consisted of a canvas ba<r with
broad shoulder-straps of leather, and a
still broader one to cfo across the fore-
head or the to]) of the head. This latter
band, called the " tump-strap " in Min-
nesota, is mostly used U) sustain the
weijjj'ht of the articles carried in the
sack, the shoulder-straps beinjj;- mainly
for steadyin<4- the load, and occasionally
relieving the strain upon the neck. The
Alaskan Indians carry packs in much

the s a m e
way, but use
straps which
t h ey fasten
to the article
to be carrietl;
w i t h our
l^acksae k s,
h o w e \- e r ,
t h e y w e r e
much ])leas-
ed, and all
anxi(jus to lie
.allowed l o
carry I hem,
in preference
to more dilh-
cult bundles,
in the trip
across tne
pass. With
this appara-
tiis a man
can carrv for half a mile or more a
weight far greater than he can lift to
his back unaided.

When we had fini.shed ])acking, we
lighted a lire on the beach and cooked
sup])er ; ami ]M"esently we rolled our-
selves in our blankets, lay down in the
sand under the clear sky. ami slept
soundlv. .As the wind was blowing'
smartly, we piled some of our provi-
sions u]) as a wind-break; toward
morning the wiuil fiX'shened and top-
])led over a jiortion of this wall. I was
awakened rudelv i)y a bag of tlour fall-
ing ujion my stomach ; and it took me
fully (i\'e niinules to recall where I was,
and how and why 1 came there.

There was a fresh breeze blowing
fair down the lake, so we .soon got under

SIIK.KI' CAMl

53-'

OUTING FOR SEPTEMBER.

way, and with our little tent-fly as a sail
we went merri'y skimming along. The
further we went, however, the harder
the wind blew, and the roujjher became
the water, so that when about half-way
down the lake we made a landinjj to es-
cape a heavy squall. After dinner, it
seemed from our snug little cove as if
the wind and waves had abated, and so
we ]iut out again. On getting well
away from the sheltering shore we
found it rougher than ever ; but while
we were eating dinner we had seen
Cleopatra's barge go past, its square
bows nearly buried in foaming water,
and had seen it apparently run ashore
on the opposite side of the lake, some
miles further down. Once out, there-
fore, we steered for the place where the
scow had been beached, for the purpose
of giving aid if any were necessary.
On the run over we shipped water re-
peatedly over both bow and stern, and
sometimes were in imminent danger of
swamping, but by skillful handling we
gained the .shelter of a little nook about
half a mile from the open beach on
which the scow was lying, and landed.
We then walked along the shore to the
.scow, and we found them all right, thev
having beached their craft voluntarily,
on acccunt of the roughness of the
water. However, ws had had about
enough navigation for one day, so we
did not again venture out. Presently
another little boat came scudding down
the lake through the white water, and
shot in alongside of the Skookum. It
was a party of miners — the young Irish-
man whom I had overtaken on the trail
to Sheep Camp, and his three "pard-
ners."

It was not an ideal spot where we all
camped, being simply a steep rocky
slope at the fo<»t of cliffs. When the
time came to sleep we had some dif-
ficulty in finding places smooth and
level enough to lie down comfortably,
but finally all were scattered around
here aiul there in various places of con-
cealment among the rocks. I had clear-
ed a space close under a big bowlder, of
exactly my length and breadth (which
does not imply any great labor), and with
inv head mutHed in my blankets, was be-
ginning to doze, when I heard stealthy
footsteps creeping toward me. As I
lay, these sounds were mutilled and mag-
nified in the marvelous (piiet of the
Alaskan night (although the sun was

still shining), so that I could not judge
of the size or distance of the animal.
Soon it got quite c'ose to me, and I
could hear it scratching at something ;
then it seemed to be investigating my
matches, knife and compass. Finally
wide-awake, and sf)mewhat startled, I
sat up suddenly and threw the blanket
from my face, and looked for the ma-
rauding animal. I found him — in the
shape of a sau'-y little gray mouse, that
stared at me in amazement for a mo-
ment, and then scampered into his hole
under a bowlder. As I had no desire to
have the impudent little fellow lunching
on me as I slept, I plugged the hole
with stones before I lav down again.
vSome of the same animals came to visit
Schrader in his bedchamber, and nib-
bled his ears so that they were sore for
some time.

As the gale continued all the next
day without abatement, we profited by
the enforced delay to climb the high
mountain which rose precipitously
above us, for this lake is shut in on al!
.sides by a rock wall. And apropos ot
this climb, it is remarkable what differ-
ence one finds in the appearance of a
bit of countrj' when simply surveyed
from a single point and when actualh^
traveled (jver. Especially is this true
in the mountains. Broad slopes which
appear to be i)erfectly easy to traverse
are in reality cut up by narrow and dee]i
canyons, impossible to crcj.ss; whatseem^-
to be a trifling bench of rock, halt a
mile up the mountain, grows into a ])er-
pendicular clifl^ a hundred feet high be-
fore one reaches it ; and pretty gray
streaks become gulches filled with great
angular rock fragments, so loosely laic!
one over the other that at each careful
step one is in fear of starting the whole
mighty avalanche, and of being buried
under rock enough to build a city. Ow-
ing to difficulties like these, it was near
supper-time when we gained the top of
the main mountain-range. As far as the
eye could see, in all directions, there ro.sc
a wilderness of barren peaks, covered
with snow ; while in one direction lay
a desolatt. , lifeless table-land, shut in by
higher mountains. Below and near us
lay gulches and canyons of magniticent
depth, and the blue waters of one of the
arms of Lake Bennett api)eared. just
lately free from ice. Above us rose a
still higher i)eak, covered with deej)
snow, stec]), and difticult of access; and

this the
us from
Next
as high
ing bee
started
ceded \i
out of
point, '
and the
off and
opposite
at a go(
sail. A
as ' ver
two we
over tl
sometir
mind a
Wiborg
and ca

FROM THE COAST TO THE GOLDEN KLONDIKE.

533

)uld not judije
of the animal,
to nie, and I
at somethinjif ;
restigating- my
ipass. Finally
hat startled, I
;\v the blanket
;d for the ma-
d him — in the
ay mouse, that
nent for a mo-
d into his hole
ad no desire to
ellow lunching
ggcd the hole
y down again.
Is came to visit
nber, and nib-
were sore for

d all the next
we profited by
•limb the higli

l)recipitously
shut in on ali
.nd apropt)s of
)le what differ-
ppearance of a
nply surveyed
when actually
ly is this true
d slopes which
[xsy to traverse
arrow and dee] 1
xss; what seems
A rock, halt a
ows into a per-
d feet high be-
id pretty gra\
lied with great
so loosely laid
It each careful
ting the whole
f being buried
ild a city. ()w-
se, it was near
ined the top of

As far as the
ions, therero.se
|)eaks, covereil
; direction lay
md, shut in by
iv and near us
of magnificent
■s of one of the
appeared, just
o\ e us ntse a
ed with deep
of access ; and

this the lateness of the hour prevented
US from attempting.

Next day and the next the wind v/as
as high as ever; but the enforced wait-
ing became finally too tedious, and we
Started out, the four miners having pre-
ceded us by about half an hour. Once
out of the shelter of the projecting
point, we found the gale very strong
and the chop disagreeable. We squared
off and ran before the wind for the
opposite side of the lake, driving ahead
at a good rate under our little rag of a
sail. Although the boat was balanced
as ' venly as possible, every minute or
two we would take in water, sometimes
over the bow, gometimes the stern,
sometimes amidships. I have in my
mind a very vivid picture of that scene :
Wiborg in the stern, steering intently
and carefully; Goodrich and Schrader
forward, sheets in hand, attending the
Sail, and myself stretched flat on my
iface across the provision sacks, in order
tiot to make the boat top-heavy, and
bailing with the frying-pan. On near-
ing the lower shore we noticed that the
boat containing the miners had n n into
the breakers, and presently one of the
men came running along the beach,
signaling to us. Fearing that they
were in trouble, we made shift to land,
although it was no easy task on this
exposed shore; and we then learned
that they had kept too near the beach,
had drifted into the breakers and been
.swamped, but had all safely landed.
Three of our party went to give assist-
ance in hauling the boat out of the
Water, while I I'cmained behind and
fried the bacon for dinner. After din-
ner we concluded to wait again before
attempting the next stage, picked out
soft places in the sand and slumbered.
Wlien we awoke we found the lake per-
fectly calm and .smooth, and lost no
time in getting under way. On this
day we depended for our motive power
solely on the oars, and we found the
results so satisfactory that we kept up
the practice steadily hundreds of miles.

Below Lake Bennett came Tagish
Lake, beautiful and calm, and walled in
by mountains. Its largest arm is fjord-
like, and is famous for heavy j os,
whence it has been given the name of
Windy Arm; but as we passed it we
could scarcely distinguish the line of
division between the mountains in the
air and those reflected in the sea, so

completely at rest was the water. At
the lower part of the lake, where we
camped, we found the first habitation
since leaving the coast. Here was a
party of natives, belonging to the
Tagish tribe; a handful of wretched,
half-starved creatures, who scatter in
the summer season for hunting and
fishing, but return always to this place,
where they have constructed rude habi-
tations of wood for winter use. We
bought from these people a large pike,
which formed a very agreeable change
from bacon, beans and slap-jacks.

After passing out of this lake we en-
tered another, appropriately called by
the miners. Mud Lake ; it is very shal-
low, with muddy bottom and shores.
On this lake we found camping disa-
greeable, for on account of the shallow-
ness we could not bring our rather
heavily laden boat quite up to the shore ;
but were obliged to wade knee- deep in
soft mud for a rod or two before finding
even moderately solid ground.

About this time also we experienced
the first sharp taste of the terrible Alas-
kan mosquito — or it might be more cor-
rect to rcver.'-e the statement, and say
that the mosquitoes experienced their
first taste of us. At the lower end of
Tagish Lake they suddenly attacked us
in swarms, and remained with us stead-
ily till near the time of our departure
from the Territory. We had heard sev-
eral times of the various difficulties and
hardships to be encountered in Alaska,
before venturing on this trip ; but. as is
often the case, we found that these ac-
counts had left a rather xmduly magni-
fied image of the difficulties in our imag-
inations, as compared with our actual
experiences. In this generalization the
moscjuito must be excepted. I do not
til ink any description or adjectives can
exaggerate the discomfort and even
torture produced by these pests, at their
worst, for they stand peerless among
their kind, so far asmy experience goes,
and that of others with whom I have
talked, for wickedness unalloyed.

Out of Mud Lake we floated into the
river again, and slipped easily down
between sand-banks. Ducks and geese
were very plentiful along here, and we
practiced incessantly on them with the
rifle, without, however, doing any no-
tice;il)le execution. On the second day
we knew we must be near the fanK)Us
canyon and rapids of the Lewes ; and

■■■

■^

534

OUTING FOR SEPTEMBER.

one of our party was put on watch,
in order that we mig-ht know of its
whereabouts before the swift current
should sweep us into it, all heavily
loaded as we were. The rest of us
rowed, steered, and admired the beau-
tiful tints of the hills, now recedinjj
from the river, now coming close.
Presently we heard a jjentle snore from
the lookout, who was comfortably set-
tled among the flour-sacks in the bow ;
this proved to tis that our confidence
had been misplaced, and all hands im-
mediately became alert. Soon after we
noticed a bit of red flannel fluttering-
from a tree projecting- over the bank,
doubtless a part of some traveler's shirt
sacrificed in the cause of humanity ; and
by the time
we had pidl- f
ed into the
shore we
could see
the waters
of the river
go swirling-
and roaring
into a sudden
narrow can-
yon, with
higli, perpen-
dicular walls.

We found
the party of
miners al-
ready landed,
and present-
ly, as we
waited on the
bank and re-
connoitred ,
De Windt's

party came up, and not long after Cleo-
patra, with her barge and retinue; so
th;it we were about twenty in all. Wi-
bcjrg and De Windt's guide. Cooper,
were the only ones who had liad c.\|K'-
rience in this matter, so all tlepended
on their judg'.i .-nt. and waited to see
the results of their efforts before risk-
ing anything themselves.

In former years all travelers made a
portage around tiiis very diflicult place,
hauling tlieir Ixiats over the hill witli a
rude kind of windlass ; but a man hav-
ing been accidentally sucked into the
canyon came out of the other end all
right, which emboldened others. In
this case Wiborg and Coo]icr decided
that the canyon coi:ld bo nm, a' though

INDIAN CRAVE AT I'EI.l V l'(JST.

the water was very high and turbulent ;
and they thought best to run the b(jats
through themselves. Our own boat was
selected to be experimented with ; most
of the articles which were easily dam-
ageable by water were taken out, leav-
ing perhaps eight hundred pounds. I
went as pa.s.senger sitting in the bow,
while the two old frontiersmen managed
paddles and oars. Rowing out from the
shore we were sucked immediately into
the gorge, and went dashing through at
a rate whici; I thought could not be less
tlian twenty miles an hour. So great is
the body of water confined between
these perpendicular walls, and so swift
is tile stream, that its surface becomes
convex, being considerably higher in

the center of
t ii e channel
than (m the
sides. Waves
rushing in
every direc-
tion are also
gen crated,
forming a
very puzzling
chop. Two
or three of
these waves
p r e s e n 1 1 y
l)oarded i.s,
so that I was
thortMigh ly
wet, ami then
came a broad
glare of sun-
light as we
e m e r g- e d
from the first
half of tiie
uldron which
Here we were

canyon into a sort of r
lies about in its center,
twisted about by eddying- currents for
a few seconds, and then preci])itated,
half sidewise, into the canyon again.
This latter half turned out to be the
rougher part, and our bow dipped re-
])eatediy into the waves, till I found
myself sitting in water, and the bow,
where most of the water remained,
sagging alarmingly. It seemed as if
another ducking would sink us. This
fortunately we did not get, but steered
safely through the final swirl to smooth
water. During all this trip I had not
looked uj) once, although as we shot by
we heard faintly a cheer from the rocks
aliove, where our companions were.

and turbulent ;
) run the boats
.irown boat was
ited with ; most
:'re easily dam-
aken out, leav-
red pounds. I
ig- in the bow,
"smen managed
ig out from the
imediately into
ling through at
3uld not be less
iir. So great is
ifined between
Is, and so swift
Lirface becomes
ably higher in
the center of
the channel
than on the
sides. Waves
rushing^ in
every direc-
tion are also
g'cn crated,
forming a
very puzzling
chop. Two
or three of
these waves
p r c s e n 1 1 }•
boarded i.s,
so that I was
thorough ly
wet, anil then
came a broad
glare c)f sun-
light as we
emerged
from the first
half of the
■ uldron which
Here we were
Ig' currents for
n precipitated,
canyon again,
out to be the
)ow (li])ped re-
•s, till I found
and the bow,
ater remained,
L seemed as if
sink us. This
et, but steered
iwirl to smooth
trip I had not
1 as we shot by
from tlie rocks
lions were.

IViliiU'il for OuTiNO l)y J. I.. Winston.

"SOME'''IMKS TIIEV SAW OXI.V TlIK HOTTOM OK THE SCOW." (/.

X?'')

536

OUTING FOR SEPTEMBER.

Next day, after a night rendered al-
most unbearable by mosquitoes, we
arose to face the difficulties of the White
Horse Rapids, which lie below the
canyon proper, and are still more for-
midable. Here the river contracts
again, and is confined between perpen-
dicular cliffs of basalt. The channel is
full of projecting rocks, so that the
whole surface is broken, foaming and
tossing, and there are many strong con-
flicting currents and eddies. At the
end of these rapids, which extend for a
quarter of a mile or so, is a narrow
gorge in the rocks, through which the
whole volume of water is forced. This
is &aid to be only twenty or thirty feet
wide, although at the time of our pass-
ing the water was sufficiently high to
flow over the top of the enclosing walls,
thus concealing the actual width of the
chute. Through this the water plunges
at a tremendous velocity — probably
thirty miles an hour — forming roaring,
foaming, tossing, lashing waves which
somehow make the name White Horse
seem appropriate.

Above the beginning of the rapids we
unloaded our boat, and carefully lowered
it down by ropes, keeping it close to
the shore, and out of the resistless main
current. After having safely landed it,
with considerable trouble, below the
chute, we carried our outfit (about twelve
hundred pounds) to iho same point. De
Windt's boat, and that belonging to the
miners, were, safely gotten through in
the same way, all hands helping in turn.

When It came to Cleopatra's barge,
it was the general opinion that it would
be impossible to lower it safely, for its
square shape gave the current such a
grip that it seemed as if no available
strength of rope or man could hold out
against it. As carrying the boat was
out of the question, the only alternative
was to boldly run it thrtnigh the rapids,
in the middle of the channel ; and this
naturally hazardous undertaking was
rendered more difficult by the frail con-
struction of the scow, which had been
built of thin lumber by unskilled hands.
The royal retinue did not care to make
the venture themselves, but finally pre-
vailed upon Wiborg and Cooper to make
the trial.

Reflecting that at any future time I
might be placed in similar difficulties,
in this unknown country, and thrown
upon my own resources, I resolved to

accompany them, for the sake of finding"
out how the thing was done ; but I was
ruled out of active service by Wiborg,
who, however, consented finally to my
going along as a passenger. Two of
the scow's own crew were drafted to
act as oarsmen, and we pushed out.
Cooper steering, and Wiborg in the
bow, iron-shod pole in hand, fending off
from threatening rocks ; and in a sec-
ond we were dancing down the boiling
rapids, tossed hither and thither like a
cork. I sat facing the bo'v, opposite
the oarsman, who tugged frantically
away, white as death ; behind me
Cooper's paddle flashed and twisted
rapidly, as we dodged by rocks project-
ing from tlie water, sometimes escaping
them by only a few inches, where a col-
lision would have smashed us to chips.
The rest of the party, waiting below at
the chute, said that sometimes they saw
only the bottom of the scow, and some-
times looked down on it as if from
above. As we neared the end, Cooper's
skillful paddle drove us straight for the
center, where the water formed an act-
ual fall ; this was the most turbulent
spot, but the safest, for on either side,
a few feet away, there was danger of
grazing the shallow underlying rocks.
As we trembled on the brink, I looked
u-p and saw our friends standing close
by, looking much concerned.

A moment later there was a dizzying
plunge, a blinding shower of water, a
sudden dashing, too swift for observa-
ti<jn, pasi rock walls ; and then Wiborg
let out an exultant yell ; we were safe.
At that instant one of the oarsmen
snapped his oar. an accident which would
have been serious a moment before.
On the shore below the rapids we found
flour-sacks, valises, boxes and splintered
boards, mementoes of poor fellows less
lucky than ourselves.

We camped at the mouth of the Tah-
keena River that night, and arrived the
next day at Lake Labarge, the last and
longest of the series. When we reached
it at one o'clock its water was calm and
still ; and although it is nearly forty
miles in length, we decided to keep on
without stopping till we reached the
other side, for fear of strong winds such
as had delayed us on Lake Bennett.
De Windt's party concluded to do the
same, and so we rowed steadily all
night, after h;.ving rowed all day.

About two o'clock in the morning a

FFOM THIi COAST TO THE GOLDEN KLONDIKE.

5.57

favorable wind sprung' up suddenly, and
increased to a gale. At this time we be-
came separated from the other boats,
which kept somewhat close to the shore,
while we, with a rag of a sail, stood
strai},dit across the lake for tlie outlet. As
S(jon as we stopped rowing I could not
help falling asleep, although much
against my will, for our position was
neither comfortaljle nor secure; and thus
I dozed and woke half a dozen times be-
fore landing. After landing, we found
difficulty in sleeping, on account of the
swarms of hungry mosquitoes, and so
we soon loaded up again.

Below Lake Labarge the journey was
comparatively easy. The skies were
always clear and blue, and the stream
had by this time increased to a lordly
river; growing larger by continual ac-
ce.'Jsions of new tributaries. It is dotted
with many small islands, which are
covered with a dense growth of ever-
green trees. On the sides of the valley
are often long, smooth terraces, per-
fectly carved, and smoothly grassed, so
as to present almost an artificial aspect.
From this sort of country are sudden
changes to a more bold and picturesque
type, so that at one time the river flows
swiftly through high gates of purple
rock rising steeply for hundreds of feet,
and in a moment more emerges into a
wide low valley. The cliffs are some-
times carved into buttresses or pin-
nacles, which overlook ihe walls, and ap-
pear to form part of a gigantic and im-
pregnable castle, on the top of w-hich
the dead spruces stand out against the
skj'-like .spires and flag-staves. Usually
on one side or the other of the river is
low, fertile land, where is a profusion of
shrubs, vines, and flowers. In the mel-
low twilight, which lasts for two or
three hours in the middle of the night,
one can see nearly as far and as dis-
tinctly as by day, but everything takes
on an unreal air. This is something
like a beautiful sunset effect further
south, but is evenly distributed ov^r all
objects in the landscape. At about ten
o'clock the coloring becomes cxcjuisite,
when the half - light brings out the
violets, the purples, and exquisite shades
of yellow and brown in the rock, in con-
trast with the green of tlic vegetation.

We had .some difficulty in finding suit-
able camping- places in this country
One night, I remember wc ran fifteen
miles after our usual camping- hour,

with cliffs on one side of tlie river and
low thickets on the other. Three times
we landed on small islands, in a tangle
of vines and roses ; and as many times
were driven off by the innumerable
mo.squitoes. Finally, we found a strip
of shore about ten feet wide, between
the water and the thickets, sloping at a
considerable angle, and there made shift
to spend the night.

There are two places below the
White Horse Rapids, where the channel
is so narrowed or shallowed that rapids
are formed. At the first of these, called
tlie Five Finger Rapids, the river is par-
tially blocked by high i.slets of con-
glomerate, which cut up tlie stream into
five chief portions. Although the cur-
rent in each (;f these " fingers " is rapid,
and the water rough, yet we found no
difficulty in running tlirough without
removing any part of the loads, al-
though one of the boats shipped a little
water. When we arrived at the second
rapids, which are called the Rink Rap-
ids, and are not far below tlie Five Fin-
gers, we were relieved to find that, owing
to the fullness of the river, the rough
water, which in this case is caused by a
shallowing of the stream, was smoothed
down, and we pas.sed through, close to
the shore, with no more trouble than if
we had been floating down a lake.

During our whole trip the country
tlirough which we passed was singular-
ly lonely and uninhabited. After leav-
ing the few huts on Tagish Lake, which
I have mentioned, we saw a few In-
dians in a summer camp on Lake La-
barge ; and this was all till we got to
the junction of the Lewes and Polly
Rivers, over three hundred miles from
Tagish Lake. xVt Pelly we found a log
trading-post, with a single white man
in charge, and a few Indians. There
were also three miners, who had met
with a misfortune, and were disconso-
late enough. They had started up the
Pelly River with a two years' outfit, in-
tending to remain and prospect for that
period, but at some rapid water their
boat had been swamped .'uul all their
provisions lost. They had managed to
burn ort" logs enough to make a raft, and
in that way had floated down the river
to tlie post, living in the meantime on
some flour which they had been lucky
enough to pick up after tiie wreck.

Although there are very few people in
the country, one is continually surprised

538

OUTING FOR SEPTEMBER.

at first by perceiving' a solitary white
tent standinjj on some prominent point
or cliff which overlooks the river. At
first this looks very cheerful, and we
sent many a hearty hail across the water
to such habitations ; but our calls were
never answered, for these are not the
dwellings of the living, but of the dead.
Inside each of these tents, which are
ordinarily made of white cloth, though
sometimes of woven matting, is a dead
Indian, and near him are laid his rille,
snow-shoes, ornaments and other person-
al efl:'ects. I do not think the custom of
leaving these articles at the grave im-
plies any belief that they will be used
by the dead man in another world, but
simply signifies that he will have no
more use for the things which were so
dear and necessary to him in life — just
as, among ourselves, articles wh' ii have
been used by some cicad frit..nd are
henceforth laid aside and used no long-
er. These dwellings (^f the dead are al-
ways put in prominent positions, com-
manding as broad and fair a view as
can be obtained. At Pelly we saw

several Indian graves which were sur-
rounded by hewn palings, rudely and
fantastically painted, and some by poles.

Below Pelly wc'foimd no settled hab-
itations till we reached a considerable
village of the Klundek or Clondike In-
dians. Tliese people were watching
very eagerly for the appearance of the
salmon that came up the river every
year from the sea to spawn ; and at the
time of their coming the Indian lays
in a large part of his year's food-sup-
ply, hunting them with spear and club
from a birch canoe, so narrow and so
light that the operation seems a marvel
of skill. On account of the swift current
of the river, the canoes used bv these
natives are very narrow and shallow,
having some suggestion of a racing
shell in their lines, and they are difficult
to mantcuvre.

The day after passing the Klundek
village we arrived at the mining-camp
of Forty Mile. We had reached the edge
of the Klondike. Our ne.xteffort would
be to see the gold producing country
about which we had heard so much.

AN AKM OV THK UVEA (II.ACIER.