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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:33:47 -0700 |
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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/10043-0.txt b/10043-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a8acf53 --- /dev/null +++ b/10043-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2900 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10043 *** + +KLONDYKE NUGGETS + +A Brief Description of the Great Gold Regions in the Northwest +Territories and Alaska + +BY + +JOSEPH LADUE + +Founder of Dawson City, N.W.T. + +Explorer, Miner and Prospector + +September, 1897 + + + + + +PREFACE. + + +The extraordinary excitement arising from the reports of the discovery +of Gold in the Klondyke region in the great Canadian Northwest is not +surprising to one who, through personal residence and practical +experience, is thoroughly conversant with the locality. + +Having recently returned for a temporary stay, after a somewhat +successful experience, I have received applications for information in +numbers so great that it far exceeds my ability and the time at my +disposal to make direct replies. + +I have therefore arranged with the American Technical Book Co., 45 Vesey +Street, New York City, for the issue of this brief description, +preparatory to the publication of my larger book, "Klondyke Facts," a +book of 224 pages, with illustrations and maps, in which will be found a +vast fund of practical information, statistics, and all particulars +sought for by those who intend emigrating to this wonderful country. + +It is well-nigh impossible to tell the truth of these recent discoveries +of gold, but while I can only briefly describe the territory in this +small work, it shall be my endeavor to give the intending prospector, +in the large work above mentioned, as many facts as possible, and these +may thoroughly be relied upon, as from one who has lived continuously in +those regions since 1882. + +JOSEPH LADUE. + + + * * * * * + + +KLONDYKE NUGGETS + + +CHAPTER I. + + +KLONDYKE. + +Klondyke! The word and place that has startled the civilized world is +to-day a series of thriving mining camps on the Yukon River and its +tributaries in the Canadian Northwest Territories. + +Prior to August 24, 1896, this section of the country had never been +heard of. It was 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 point in the new mining regions. +Its population in June, 1897; 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 Roman Catholic denominations. It is +the headquarters of the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police, _and perfect +law and order is maintained_. + +It is at Dawson City that the prospector files his claims with the +Government Gold Commissioner, in the recording offices. + +Dawson City faces on one of the banks of the Yukon River, and now +occupies about a mile of the bank. It is at the junction of the Klondyke +River with the Yukon River. It is here where the most valuable mining +claims are being operated on a scale of profit that the world has +hitherto never known. The entire country surrounding is teeming with +mineral wealth. + +Copper, silver and coal can be found in large quantities, but little or +no attention is now being paid to these valuable minerals, as every one +is engaged in gold-hunting and working the extraordinary placer mining +claims already located. + +The entire section is given up to placer mining. Very few claims had +been filed for quartz mining. The fields of gold will not be exhausted +in the near future. No man can tell what the end will be. From January +to April, 1897, about $4,000,000 were taken out of the few placer claims +then being worked. This was done in a territory not exceeding forty +square miles. All these claims are located on Klondyke River and the +little tributaries emptying into it, and the districts are known as Big +Bonanza, Gold Bottom and Honker. + +I have asked old and experienced miners at Dawson City who mined +through California in Bonanza days, and some who mined in Australia, +what they thought of the Klondyke region, and their reply has +invariably been, "The world never saw so vast and rich a find of gold as +we are working now." + +Dawson City is destined to be the greatest mining camp in the history of +mining operations. + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +KLONDYKE FACTS. + +There is a great popular error in reference to the climate of the gold +regions. Many reports have appeared in the newspapers which are +misleading. It has been even stated that the cold is excessive almost +throughout 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 chopped wood in my shirt-sleeves in front of my door at Dawson +City when the thermometer was 70 degrees below zero, and I suffered no +inconvenience. We 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, therefore 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. + +The winter days are very short. In this region there are only two hours +from sunrise to sunset. The sun rises and sets away in the south but +there is no pitch darkness. + +The 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 +about twenty hours long. The sun rising and setting in the north. A +great deal has been said about the short seasons, but as a matter of +fact a miner can work 12 months in the year when in that region. + +Spring opens about May 1st and the ice commences to break up about that +time. The Yukon River is generally clear of ice about May 15. The best +part of the miner's work commences then and lasts till about October +1st. + +The winter commences in October but the miner keeps on working through +the winter. The rainy season commences in the latter part of August and +lasts two or three weeks. + +A fall of two feet of snow is considered heavy. + +There is a wide difference in the quantity of snow that accumulates on +the coast and the ranges 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 Klondyke rivers is inconsiderable. + +In my new work on this territory entitled "Klondyke Facts" I deal more +largely on the climate of this region. + +There are still good diggings at Circle City in Alaska, but nearly all +the miners have left for Klondyke, not being satisfied with the pay dirt +which they were working. I know at least 20 good claims in Circle City. + +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 will undoubtedly be new and valuable diggings 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 reported. + +It is my belief that the greatest finds of gold will be made in this +territory. 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 Northwest territory, +which is under the Canadian Government. + +It is possible however 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 the present claims, and would advise +prospectors to work east and south of Klondyke. + + +THE YUKON RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. + +"What 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 highway, which will make it possible for the explorer to +penetrate the mysterious fastnesses 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 +heads in southeastern Alaska. This point of confluence is at Fort +Selkirk, in the Northwest Territory, about 125 miles south-east of the +Klondyke. The Yukon proper is 2,044 miles in length. From Fort Selkirk +it flows north-west 400 miles, just touching the Arctic circle; thence +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 +discharges one-third more water into Behring Sea than does the +Mississippi into the Gulf 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. Only +natives who are thoroughly familiar with the river are entrusted with +the piloting of boats up the stream during the season of low water. Even +at the season of high water it is still so shallow as not to be +navigable anywhere by seagoing vessels, but only by flat-bottomed boats +with a carrying capacity of four to five hundred tons. The draft of +steamers on the Yukon should not exceed three and a half feet. + +"The Yukon district, which is within the jurisdiction of the Canadian +Government and in which the bulk of the gold has been found, has a total +area, approximately, of 192,000 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 unending panorama of extraordinary picturesqueness is +unfolded to the voyager. The banks are fringed with flowers, carpeted +with the all-pervading moss or tundra. 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 the mountain wall, which rises up from a bed of roses. By +September everything is changed. The bed of roses has disappeared before +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 chamber in the mountains. Every +stream becomes 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 in Alaska and partly in +British territory. It covers an area of some 50,000 square miles. But so +far the infinitely richest spot lies some one hundred miles east 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 living throughout +the entire length of the Yukon valley. The horsefly is larger and more +poignantly assertive than the insect which we know by that name. 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 incipient boil. Schwatka reports that one +of his party, so bitten was completely 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 band 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 of about 650 miles along the river from the coast +range of mountains. + +"In 1848 Campbell established Fort Selkirk at the confluence of the +Pelly and Lewes Rivers; it was plundered and destroyed in 1852 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 Rocky +Mountains in the far north. In 1869 the Hudson's Bay Company's officer +was expelled from Fort Yukon by the United States Government, they +haying ascertained by astronomical observations that the post was not +located in British territory. The officer thereupon ascended the +Porcupine to a point which was supposed to be within British +jurisdiction, where he established Rampart House; but in 1890 Mr. J.H. +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 purposes 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 line there +existed extensive and valuable placer gold mines, in which even then as +many as three hundred miners were at work. Mr. Ogilvie determined, by a +series of lunar observations, the point at which the Yukon River is +intersected 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 convenient, owing to the physical +conformation of the region, from which to distribute the supplies +imported for the various mining camps, 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 Fort Cudahy has been given--is well within Canadian territory. The +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 mining fields to the south, the exact +position of which with respect to the boundary he did not have the +opportunity to fix. + +"The number of persons engaged in mining in the locality mentioned has +steadily increased year by year since the date of Mr. Ogilvie's survey, +and it is estimated that at the commencement of the past season not less +than one thousand men were so employed. Incident to this mineral +development there must follow a corresponding growth in the volume of +business of all descriptions, particularly the importation of dutiable +goods, and the occupation of tracts of the public lands for mining +purposes which according to the mining regulations are subject to the +payment of certain prescribed dues and charges. The Alaska Commercial +Company, for many years subsequent to the retirement of the Hudson's Bay +Company, had a practical monopoly of the trade of the Yukon, carrying +into the country and delivering at various points along the river, +without regard to the international boundary line or the customs laws +and regulations of Canada, such articles of commerce as were required +for the prosecution of the fur trade and latterly of placer mining, +these being the only two existing industries. With the discovery of +gold, however, came the organization of a competing company known as the +North American Transportation and Trading Company, having its +headquarters in Chicago and its chief trading and distributing post at +Cudahy. This company has been engaged in this trade for over three +years, and during the past season despatched two ocean steamers from San +Francisco to St. Michael, at the mouth of the Yukon, the merchandise +from which was, at the last mentioned point, transhipped into river +steamers and carried to points inland, but chiefly to the company's +distributing centre within Canadian territory. Importations of +considerable value, consisting of the immediately requisite supplies of +the miners, and their tools, also reach the Canadian portion of the +Yukon District from Juneau, in the United States, by way of the Taiya +Inlet, the mountain passes, and the chain of waterways leading therefrom +to Cudahy. Upon none of these importations had any duty been collected, +except a sum of $3,248.80 paid to Inspector Constantine in 1894, by the +North American Transportation and Trading Company and others, and it is +safe to conclude, especially when it is remembered that the country +produces none of the articles consumed within it except fresh meat, that +a large revenue was being lost to the public exchequer under the then +existing conditions. + +"For the purpose of ascertaining officially and authoritatively the +condition of affairs to which the correspondence referred to in the +next preceding paragraph relates, the Honorable the President of the +Privy Council, during the spring of 1894, despatched Inspector Charles +Constantine, of the Northwest Mounted Police Force, accompanied by +Sergeant Brown, to Fort Cudahy and the mining camps in its vicinity. The +report made by Mr. Constantine on his return, established the +substantial accuracy of the representations already referred to. The +value of the total output of gold for the season of 1894 he estimated at +$300,000. + +"The facts recited clearly establish--first, that the time had arrived +when it became the duty of the Government of Canada to make more +efficient provision for the maintenance of order, the enforcement of the +laws, and the administration of justice in the Yukon country, especially +in that section of it in which placer mining for gold is being +prosecuted upon such an extensive scale, situated near to the boundary +separating the Northwest Territories from the possessions of the United +States in Alaska; and, second, that while such measures as were +necessary to that end were called for in the interests of humanity, and +particularly for the security and safety of the lives and property of +the Canadian subjects of Her Majesty resident in that country who are +engaged in legitimate business pursuits, it was evident that the revenue +justly due to the Government of Canada, under its customs, excise and +land laws, and which would go a long way to pay the expenses of +government, was being lost for the want of adequate machinery for its +collection. + +"Accordingly in June last a detachment[1] of twenty members of the +Mounted Police Force including officers was detailed for service in +that portion of the Northwest Territories. The officer in command, in +addition to the magisterial and other duties he is required to perform +by virtue of his office and under instructions from the Department of +Mounted Police, was duly authorized to represent where necessary, and +until other arrangements can be made, all the departments of the +government having interests in that region. Particularly he is +authorized to perform the duties of Dominion lands agent, collector of +customs, and collector of inland revenue. At the same time instructions +were given Mr. William Ogilvie, the surveyor referred to as having, with +Dr. Dawson, been entrusted with the conduct of the first government +expedition to the Yukon, to proceed again to that district for the +purpose of continuing and extending the work of determining the 141st +meridian, of laying out building lots and mining claims, and generally +of performing such duties as may be entrusted to him from time to time. +Mr. Ogilvie's qualifications as a surveyor, and his previous experience +as explorer of this section of the Northwest, peculiarly fit him for the +task. + +[Footnote 1: The detachment was made up as follows:--Inspector C. +Constantine, Officer Commanding Yukon Detachment N.W.M. Police; +Inspector, D.A.E. Strickland; Assistant Surgeon, A.E. Wills; 2 Staff +Sergeants; 2 Corporals; 13 Constables.] + +"As it appears quite certain, from the report made by Mr. Ogilvie on his +return to Ottawa, in 1889, and from the report of Mr. Constantine, that +the operations of the miners are being conducted upon streams which have +their sources in the United States Territory of Alaska, and flow into +Canada on their way to join the Yukon, and as doubtless some of the +placer diggings under development are situated on the United States side +of the boundary it is highly desirable, both for the purpose of settling +definitely to which country any land occupied for mining or other +purposes actually belongs, and in order that the jurisdiction of the +courts and officers of the United States and Canada, for both civil and +criminal purposes, may be established, that the determination of the +141st meridian west of Greenwich from the point of its intersection +with the Yukon, as marked by Mr. Ogilvie in 1887-88, for a considerable +distance south of the river, and possibly also for some distance to the +north, should be proceeded with at once. Mr. Ogilvie's instructions +require him to go on with the survey with all convenient speed, but in +order that this work may be effective for the accomplishment of the +object in view the co-operation of the Government of the United States +is necessary. Correspondence is in progress through the proper +authorities with a view to obtaining this co-operation. It may be +mentioned that a United States surveyor has also determined the points +at which the Yukon River and Forty Mile Creek are intersected by the +141st meridian." + + +ROUTES, DISTANCES, AND TRANSPORTATION. + +After considerable experience I have decided that the best route for a +man to take to the gold regions is from Seattle, Washington, to Juneau, +Alaska, and then to Dawson City, by the pass and waterways, and I will +therefore describe this route more in detail than any of the others. + +I am devoting a special chapter to the outfit for travellers, and will +therefore deal in this chapter with the route only. + +The traveller having paid his fare to Seattle should on arrival there +have not less than $500. This is the minimum sum necessary to pay his +fare from Seattle to Juneau, purchase his outfit and supplies for one +year and pay his necessary expenses in the gold region for that length +of time. + +I think it deplorable that so many are starting at this time for the +gold-fields. I do not recommend starting before March 15. I will return +at that time to my claims on the Klondyke, if it were wise to go sooner, +I should certainly go. + +The reason March 15 is best is that the season is better then. If a man +has only, say, $500 and wants to do his own packing over the Taiya Pass, +it gives him time to do it by starting March 15, as he will then be in +Juneau April 1st. I fear a great deal of hardship for those who started +out so as to reach Juneau for winter travel. + +Of course while I say $500 is sufficient to go to Dawson City, a man +should take $1,000 or even more if possible as he will have many +opportunities to invest the surplus. + +While prices will undoubtedly advance at Dawson City owing to the large +influx of people, I do not think the advance will be excessive. It has +never been the policy of the two trading companies to take advantage of +the miners. + +The traveller having arrived in Juneau from Seattle, a journey of 725 +miles by water, immediately purchases his complete outfit as described +in another chapter. He then loses no time in leaving Juneau for Dyea, +taking a small steamboat which runs regularly to this port via the Lynn +Canal. Dyea has recently been made a customs port of entry and the head +of navigation this side of the Taiya Pass. The distance between Juneau +and Dyea is about one hundred miles. + +From Dyea, which is the timber-line, he packs his outfit to the foot of +the Taiya Pass--the length of which to the summit is about 15 miles. He +must now carry his outfit up the Pass, which he generally does in two or +more trips according to the weight of his outfit, unless he is able to +hire Indians or mules; but so far there are very few Indians to be hired +and still fewer mules. + +He now starts for Lake Lindeman from the head of the Pass, a distance of +eight miles--the distance from Dyea to Lake Lindeman being 31 miles. + +At Lake Lindeman he commences to make his boat, for which he has brought +the proper supplies in his outfit, with the exception of the timber, +which he finds at Lake Lindeman. He spends one week at Lake Lindeman +making his boat and getting ready for the long trip down the waterways +to Dawson City, the heart of the Klondyke region. The trip through Lake +Lindeman is short, the lake being only five miles long. At the foot of +the lake he must portage to Lake Bennet, the portage however being very +short, less than a mile. + +Lake Bennet is 28 miles long, while going through this lake the +traveller crosses the boundary between British Columbia and the +Northwest Territory. + +After going down Lake Bennet the traveller comes to Caribou +Crossing--about four miles long, which takes him to Lake Tagish, twenty +miles in length. After leaving Tagish he finds himself in Mud or Marsh +Lake, 24 miles long, then into the Lynx River, on which he continues for +27 miles till he comes to Miles Canyon, five-eighths of a mile long. + +Immediately on leaving Miles Canyon he has three miles of what is called +bad river work, which, while not hazardous, is dangerous from the swift +current and from being very rocky. Great care has to be taken in going +down this part of the river. + +He now finds himself in White Horse Canyon the rapids of which are +three-eighths of a mile in length and one of the most dangerous places +on the trip, a man is here guarded by a sign, "Keep a good lookout." + +No stranger or novice should try to run the White Horse Rapids alone in +a boat. He should let his boat drop down the river guided by a rope with +which he has provided himself in his outfit and which should be 150 feet +long. It would be better if the traveller should portage here, the +miners having constructed a portage road on the west side and put down +roller-ways in some places on which they roll their boats over. They +have also made some windlasses with which they haul their boat up the +hill till they are at the foot of the canyon. The White Horse Canyon is +very rocky and dangerous and the current extremely swift. + +After leaving the White Horse Canyon he goes down the river to the head +of Lake Labarge, a distance of 14 miles. He can sit down and steer with +the current, as he is going down the stream all the way. It is for this +reason that in returning from the diggings he should take another +route, of which he will get full particulars before leaving Dawson; +therefore I do not take the time to give a full description of the +return trip via the Yukon to St. Michael. He now goes through Lake +Labarge--for 31 miles--till he strikes the Lewes River, this taking him +down to Hootalinqua. He is now in the Lewes River which takes him for 25 +miles to Big Salmon River and from Big Salmon River 45 miles to Little +Salmon River--the current all this time taking him down at the rate of +five miles an hour. Of course in the canyons it is very much swifter. + +The Little Salmon River takes him to Five Finger Rapids, a distance of +one hundred and twenty miles. In the Five Finger Rapids the voyage +should be made on the right side of the river, going with the current. +These rapids are considered safe by careful management, but the novice +will already have had sufficient experience in guiding his boat before +reaching them. + +From Five Finger Rapids the traveller goes six miles below, down the +Lewes, to the Rink Rapids. On going through the Rink Rapids, he +continues on the Lewes River to Fort Selkirk, the trading post of Harper +and Ladue, where the Pelly and Lewes, at their junction, form the +headwaters of the Yukon. You are now at the head of the Yukon River, and +the worst part of your trip is over. + +You now commence to go down the Yukon, and after a trip of ninety-eight +miles, you are in the White River. You keep on the White River for ten +miles, to the Stewart River, and then twenty-five miles to Fort Ogilvie. +You are now only forty miles from Dawson City. + +Your journey is now almost ended. After a forty-mile trip on the Yukon, +you arrive at Dawson City, where the Klondyke empties in the Yukon. + +All through this trip you have been going through a mountainous country, +the trees there being pine, a small amount of spruce, cottonwood and +birch. You have not seen much game, if any, as it is growing scarce +along that line of river, and very hard to find. The traveller had +therefore better make preparation to depend on the provisions he has +brought with him. If he has stopped to fish, he may have been successful +in catching whitefish, grayling and lake trout, along the lakes and +rivers. + +The total journey from Seattle to Dawson City has taken about two +months. In connection with this trip from Juneau to Dawson City, it is +perhaps better to give the reader the benefit of the trip of Mr. William +Stewart, who writes from Lake Lindeman, May 31st, 1897, as follows:-- + +"We arrived here at the south end of the lake last night by boat. We +have had an awful time of it. The Taiya Pass is not a pass at all, but a +climb right over the mountains. We left Juneau on Thursday, the +twentieth, on a little boat smaller than the ferry at Ottawa. There were +over sixty aboard, all in one room about ten by fourteen. There was +baggage piled up in one end so that the floor-space was only about eight +by eight. We went aboard about three o'clock in the afternoon and went +ashore at Dyea at seven o'clock Friday night. We got the Indians to pack +all our stuff up to the summit, but about fifty pounds each; I had +forty-eight pounds and my gun. + +"We left Dyea, an Indian village, Sunday, but only got up the river one +mile. We towed all the stuff up the river seven miles, and then packed +it to Sheep Camp. We reached Sheep Camp about seven o'clock at night, on +the Queen's Birthday. A beautiful time we had, I can tell you, climbing +hills with fifty pounds on our backs. It would not be so bad if we could +strap it on rightly. + +"We left Sheep Camp next morning at four o'clock, and reached the summit +at half-past seven. It was an awful climb--an angle of about fifty-five +degrees. We could keep our hands touching the trail all the way up. It +was blowing and snowing up there. We paid off the Indians, and got some +sleighs and sleighed the stuff down the hill. This hill goes down pretty +swift, and then drops at an angle of fifty-five degrees for about forty +feet, and we had to rough-lock our sleighs and let them go. There was an +awful fog, and we could not see where we were going. Some fellows helped +us down with the first load, or there would have been nothing left of +us. When we let a sleigh go from the top it jumps about fifty feet +clear, and comes down in pieces. We loaded up the sleighs with some of +our stuff, about two hundred and twenty-five pounds each, and started +across the lakes. The trail was awful, and we waded through water and +slush two and three feet deep. We got to the mouth of the canyon at +about eight o'clock at night, done out. We left there that night, and +pushed on again until morning. We got to the bottom of an awful hill, +and packed all our stuff from there to the hill above the lake. We had +about two and a half miles over hills, in snow and slush. I carried +about five hundred pounds over that part of the trail. We had to get +dogs to bring the stuff down from the summit to the head of the canyon. + +"We worked two days bringing the stuff over from the canyon to the hill +above the lake. Saturday we worked all day packing down the hill to the +lake, and came here on a scow. We were out yesterday morning cutting +down trees to build a boat. The timber is small, and I don't think we +can get more than four-inch stuff. It rained all afternoon, and we +couldn't do anything. There are about fifty boats of all sorts on Lake +Bennet, which is about half a mile from here. I have long rubber boots +up to the hips, and I did not have them on coming from the summit down, +but I have worn them ever since. + +"We met Barwell and Lewis, of Ottawa, to-day. They were out looking for +knees for their boats. They left Ottawa six weeks ago, and have not got +any farther than we have. There was a little saw-mill going here, and +they have their lumber sawn. We have it that warm some days here that +you would fairly roast, and the next day you would be looking for your +overcoat. Everybody here seems to be taking in enough food to do them a +couple of years. + +"We are now in Canadian territory, after we passed the summit. I will +have to catch somebody going through to Dyea to give him this letter, +but I don't know how long before I can get any one going through. This +is the last you will hear from me until I get down to the Klondyke." + +Mr. Stewart adds: "I wrote this in the tent at 11 o'clock at night +during twilight." + +If you take this trip in winter, however, you have to purchase a sled at +Juneau, and sled it over the frozen waterways to Dawson City. + +For the benefit of my readers in Canada and for parties leaving for the +great Northwest Territory for the gold fields, I take pleasure in +quoting the following description of a Canadian route:-- + +"Canadians should awaken to the fact that they have emphatically 'the +inside track' to their own gold fields, a route not half the distance, +largely covered by railways and steamboats, with supply stations at +convenient intervals all the way. By this route the gold-fields can be +reached in two months or six weeks, and the cost of travel is +ridiculously cheap--nearly anybody can afford to go even now, and by the +spring it should be fitted out for the accommodation of any amount of +traffic. + +"The details of the information in the following article are given by Mr. +A.H.H. Heming, the artist who accompanied Mr. Whitney in his journey +towards the Barren Lands, and the data may be accepted as correct, as +they were secured from the Hudson Bay officials. + +"The details of the inland Canadian route, briefly, are as follows: By +C.P.R. to Calgary, and thence north by rail to Edmonton; from there by +stage to Athabasca Landing, 40 miles; then, there is a continuous +waterway for canoe travel to Fort Macpherson, at the mouth of the +Mackenzie River, from which point the Peel River lies southward to the +gold region. The exact figures are as follows: + + MILES. +Edmonton to Athabasca Landing 40 +To Port McMurray 240 +Fort Chippewyan 185 +Smith Landing 102 +Fort Smith 16 +Fort Resolution 194 +Fort Providence 168 +Fort Simpson 161 +Fort Wrigley 136 +Fort Norman 184 +Fort Good Hope 174 +Fort Macpherson 282 + ----- +Total 1882 + +"There are only two portages on this route of any size--that from +Edmonton to Athabasca Landing, over which there is a stage and wagon +line, and at Smith Landing, sixteen miles, over which the Hudson Bay +Company has a tramway. There are four or five other portages of a few +hundred yards, but with these exceptions there is a fine "down grade" +water route all the way. It is the old Hudson Bay trunk line to the +north that has been in use for nearly a century. Wherever there is a +lake or a long stretch of deep water river navigation the company has +small freight steamers which ply back and forward during the summer +between the portage points or shallows. With comparatively little +expenditure the company or the Government can improve the facilities +along the line so that any amount of freight or any number of passengers +can be taken into the gold region at less than half the time and cost +that it takes Americans to reach it from Port St. Michael, at the mouth +of the Yukon to the Klondyke, exclusive of the steamer trip of 2500 +miles from Seattle to Port St. Michael. + +"Canadians can leave here on a Monday at 11.15 A.M., and reach Edmonton +on Friday at 7 P.M. From that point, a party of three men with a canoe, +should reach Fort Macpherson easily in from 50 to 60 days, provided they +are able-bodied young fellows with experience in that sort of travel. +They will need to take canoes from here, unless they propose to hire +Indians with large birch bark canoes to carry them. Birch bark canoes +can be secured of any size up to the big ones manned by ten Indians that +carry three tons. But birch barks are not reliable unless Indians are +taken along to doctor them, and keep them from getting water-logged. The +Hudson Bay Company will also contract to take freight northward on their +steamers until the close of navigation. Travellers to the gold mines +leaving now would probably reach Fort Macpherson before navigation +closed. + +"The letter from Rev. Mr. Stringer, the missionary, published in the +Spectator on July 2, shows that the ice had only commenced to run in the +Peel River, which is the water route south-east from Fort Macpherson +into the gold region, on September 30 last year. + +"Any Canadians who are anxious to get into the Klondyke ahead of the +Americans can leave between now and August 1, reach Fort Macpherson, +and if winter comes on they can exchange their canoes for dog trains, +and reach the Klondyke without half the difficulty that would be +experienced on the Alaska route. The great advantage of the inland route +is that it is an organized line of communication. Travellers need not +carry any more food than will take them from one Hudson Bay post to the +next, and then there is abundance of fish and wild fowl en route. They +can also be in touch with such civilization as prevails up there, can +always get assistance at the posts, and will have some place to stay +should they fall sick or meet with an accident. If they are lucky enough +to make their pile in the Klondyke, they can come back by the dog sled +route during the winter. (There is one winter mail to Fort Macpherson in +winter.) Dogs for teams can be purchased at nearly any of the line of +Hudson Bay posts that form a chain of road-houses on the trip. + +"Parties travelling alone will not need to employ guides until they get +near Fort Macpherson, and from there on to the Klondyke, as the rest of +the route from Edmonton is so well defined, having been travelled for +years, that no guides are required. + +"You don't need a couple of thousand dollars to start for Klondyke +to-morrow by the Edmonton route. All you need is a good constitution, +some experience in boating and camping, and about $150. Suppose a party +of three decide to start. First they will need to purchase a canoe, +about $35 or less; first-class ticket from Hamilton to Edmonton, $71.40; +second class, ditto, $40.90; cost of food at Edmonton for three men for +two months (should consist of pork, flour, tea and baking-powder), $35; +freight on canoe to Edmonton, $23. Total for three men from Hamilton to +Fort Macpherson, provided they travel second-class on the C.P.R. will be +$218.70. These figures are furnished by Mr. Heming, who has been over +the route 400 miles north of Edmonton, and got the rest of his data +from the Hudson Bay officials. + +"If three men chip in $150 each they would have a margin of over $200 for +purchasing their tools and for transport from Fort Macpherson to the +Klondyke. This is how it may be done on the cheap, though Mr. Heming +considers 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 large amount of +supplies for Fort Macpherson immediately and make it the base of +supplies for the Klondyke during the coming winter. + +"Parties should consist of three men each, as that is the crew of a +canoe. It will take 600 pounds of food to carry three men over the +route. Passengers on the C.P.R. are entitled to carry 600 pounds of +baggage. The paddling is all down stream, except when they turn south up +Peel River, and sails should be taken, as there is often a favorable +wind for days. + +"There are large scows on the line, manned by ten men each and known as +'sturgeon heads.' They are like canal boats, but are punted along and +are used by the Hudson Bay people for taking forward supplies 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 +River, 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 left here recently for the Yukon. +He wrote from Lake Lindeman under date of July 4, and 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 expedition 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 everything 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 bedding 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 pushing +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 +precipitous was the mountain side. Time after time the men would slip +back several inches, but they recovered themselves and went at it again. + +Finally, the summit was gained, McLeod being the first of the party to +reach the top. After resting and changing their clothes the descent was +commenced. McLeod and his chums purchased sleighs, on which they loaded +their goods and hauled for five miles. This was extremely laborious +work, and the men were so used up working in the scorching sun that +they were compelled to work at nights and sleep during the day. Two days +after the descent began the 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 terrible, and he has +no desire to repeat the experience. He advises all who go in to have +their goods packed all the way from Dyea to Lake Lindeman. It costs 17 +or 18 cents per pound 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 City. + + +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 Cudahy 650 + +DISTANCES FROM HEAD OF TAIYA INLET. + + Miles +Head of canoe navigation, Taiya River 5.90 +Forks of Taiya River 8.38 +Summit of Taiya Pass 14.76 +Landing at Lake Lindeman 23.06 +Foot of Lake Lindeman 27.49 +Head of Lake Bennet 28.09 +Boundary line B.C. and N.W.T. (Lat 60°) 38.09 +Foot of Lake Bennet 53.85 +Foot of Caribou Crossing (Lake Nares) 56.44 +Foot of Tagish Lake 73.25 +Head of Marsh Lake 78.15 +Foot of Marsh Lake 97.21 +Head of Miles Cañon 122.94 +Foot of Miles Cañon 123.56 +Head of White Horse Rapids 124.95 +Foot of White Horse Rapids 125.33 +Tahkeena River 139.92 +Head of Lake Labarge 153.07 +Foot of Lake 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 opened. Telegraph Creek is the head of steamer +navigation on the Stikine River 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 by the Dominion +Government. A grant of $2,000 has been made by the province of British +Columbia for opening it. + +"J. Dalton, a trader, has used a route overland from Chilkat Inlet to +Fort Selkirk. Going up the Chilkat and Klaheela Rivers, he crosses the +divide to the Tahkeena River and continues northward over a fairly open +country practicable for horses. The distance from the sea to Fort +Selkirk is 350 miles. + +"Last summer a Juneau butcher sent 40 head of cattle to Cudahy. G. +Bounds, the man in charge, crossed the divide over the Chilkat Pass, +followed the shore of Lake Arkell and, keeping to the east of Dalton's +trail, reached the Yukon just below the Rink Rapids. Here the cattle +were slaughtered and the meat floated down on a raft to Cudahy, where it +retailed at $1 a pound. + +"It is proposed to establish a winter road somewhere across the country +travelled over by Dalton and Bounds. The Yukon cannot be followed, the +ice being too much broken, so that any winter road will have to be +overland. A thorough exploration is now being made of all the passes at +the head of Lynn Canal and of the upper waters of the Yukon. In a few +months it is expected that the best routes for reaching the district +from Lynn Canal will be definitely known. + +"It is said by those familiar with the locality that the storms which +rage in the upper altitudes of the coast range during the greater part +of the time, from October to March, are terrific. A man caught in one of +them runs the risk of losing his life, unless he can reach shelter in a +short time. During the summer there is nearly always a wind blowing from +the sea up Chatham Strait and Lynn Canal, which lie in almost a straight +line with each other, and at the head of Lynn Canal are Chilkat and +Chilkoot Inlets. The distance from the coast down these channels to +the open sea is about 380 miles. The mountains on each side of the +water confine the currents of air, and deflect inclined currents in the +direction of the axis of the channel, so that there is nearly always a +strong wind blowing up the channel. Coming from the sea, this wind is +heavily charged with moisture, which is precipitated when the air +currents strike the mountains, and the fall of rain and snow is +consequently very heavy. + +"In Chilkat Inlet there is not much shelter from the south wind, which +renders it unsafe for ships calling there. Capt. Hunter told me he would +rather visit any other part of the coast than Chilkat. + +"To carry the survey from the island across to Chilkoot Inlet I had to +get up on the mountains north of Haines mission, and from there could +see both inlets. Owing to the bad weather I could get no observation for +azimuth, and had to produce the survey from Pyramid Island to Taiya +Inlet by reading the angles of deflection between the courses. At Taiya +Inlet I got my first observation, and deduced the azimuths of my courses +up to that point. Taiya Inlet has evidently been the valley of a +glacier; its sides are steep and smooth from glacial action; and this, +with the wind almost constantly blowing landward, renders getting upon +the shore difficult. Some long sights were therefore necessary. The +survey was made up to the head of the Inlet on the 2d of June. +Preparations were then commenced for taking the supplies and instruments +over the coast range of mountains to the head of Lake Lindeman on the +Lewes River. Commander Newell kindly aided me in making arrangements +with the Indians, and did all he could to induce them to be reasonable +in their demands. This, however, neither he nor any one else could +accomplish. They refused to carry to the lake for less than $20 per +hundred pounds, and as they had learned that the expedition was an +English one, the second chief of the Chilkoot Indians recalled some +memories of an old quarrel which the tribe had with the English many +years ago, in which an uncle of his was killed, and he thought we should +pay for the loss of his uncle by being charged an exorbitant price for +our packing, of which he had the sole control. Commander Newell told him +I had a permit from the Great Father at Washington to pass through his +country safely, that he would see that I did so, and if the Indians +interfered with me they would be punished for doing so. After much talk +they consented to carry our stuff to the summit of the mountain for $10 +per hundred pounds. This is about two-thirds of the whole distance, +includes all the climbing and all the woods, and is by far the most +difficult part of the way. + +"On the 6th of June 120 Indians, men, women and children, 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 the ticket and returned it. The Indians did not seem +to understand the import of this; a few of them pretended to have lost +their tickets; and as they could not get paid without them, my +assistant, who had duplicates of every ticket, furnished them with +receipted copies, after examining their packs. + +"While they were packing to the summit I was producing the survey, and I +met them on their return at the foot of the cañon, about eight miles +from the coast, where I paid them. They came to the camp in the early +morning before I was up, and for about two hours there was quite a +hubbub. When paying them I tried to get their names, but very few of +them would give any Indian name, nearly all, after a little reflection, +giving some common English name. My list contained little else than +Jack, Tom, Joe, Charlie, &c. some of which were duplicated three and +four times. I then found why some of them had pretended to lose their +tickets at the summit. Three or four who had thus acted presented +themselves twice for payment, producing first the receipted ticket, +afterwards the one they claimed to have lost, demanding pay for both. +They were much taken aback 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 payment; 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 man stepped up and demanded pay, stating +that the canoe was his. To see what the result would be, I gave to him +the same amount as to the first. Immediately there were three or four +more claimants for the canoe. I dismissed them with a blessing, and made +up my mind that I would wade the next creek. + +"While paying them I was a little apprehensive of trouble, for they +insisted on crowding into my tent, and for myself 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 difficult 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 tide water I took the azimuths +and altitudes of several of the highest peaks around the head of the +inlet, in order to locate them, and obtain an idea of the general +height of the peaks in the coast range. As it does not appear to have +been done before, I have taken the opportunity of naming all the peaks, +the positions of which I fixed in the above way. The names and altitudes +appear 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 instrument +I had it was inappreciable. From these angles I have computed the height +of the summit of the Taiya Pass,[2] above the head of canoe navigation, +as it appeared to me in June, 1887, and find it to be 3,378 feet. What +depth of snow there was I cannot say. The head of canoe navigation I +estimate at about 120 feet above tide water. Dr. Dawson gives it as 124 +feet. + +[Footnote 2: The distance from the head of Taiya Inlet to the summit of +the pass is 15 miles, and the whole length of the pass to Lake Lindeman +is 23 miles. Messrs. Healy and Wilson, dealers in general merchandise +and miners' supplies at Taiya, have a train of pack horses carrying +freight from the head of Lynn Canal to the summit. They hope to be able +to take freight through to Lake Lindeman with their horses during the +present season.] + +"I determined the descent from the summit to Lake Lindeman by carrying +the aneroid from the lake to the summit and back again, the interval of +time from start to return being about eight hours. Taking the mean of +the readings at the lake, start and return, and the single reading at +the summit, the height of the summit above the lake was found to be +1,237 feet. While making the survey from the summit down to the lake I +took the angles of depression of each station from the preceding one, +and from these angles I deduced the difference of height, which I found +to be 1,354 feet, or 117 feet more than that found by the aneroid. This +is quite a large difference; but when we consider the 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, who 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 built through it, while the new +pass appeared, from what little knowledge I could get of it, to be much +lower and possibly feasible for a wagon 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. None 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; so it was difficult 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 this 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 complete 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 organized. Commencing at Taiya Inlet, about two miles +south of its north end, it follows up the valley, of the Shkagway River +to its source, and thence down the valley of another river which Capt. +Moore reported to empty into the Takone or Windy Arm of Bove Lake +(Schwatka). Dr. Dawson says this stream empties into Taku Arm, and in +that event Capt. Moore is mistaken. Capt. Moore did not go all the way +through to the lake, but assumed from reports he heard from the miners +and others that the stream flowed into Windy Arm, and this also was the +idea of the Indian "Jim" from what I could gather from his remarks in +broken English and Chinook. Capt. Moore estimates the distance from tide +water to the summit at about 18 miles, and from the summit to the lake +at about 22 to 23 miles. He reports the pass as thickly timbered all the +way through. + +"The timber line on the south side of the Taiya Pass, as determined by +barometer reading, is about 2,300 feet above the sea, while on the north +side it is about 1,000 feet below the summit. This large difference is +due, I think, to the different conditions in the two places. On the +south side the valley is narrow and deep, and the sun cannot produce its +full effect. The snow also is much deeper there, owing to the quantity +which drifts in from the surrounding mountains. On the north side the +surface is sloping, and more exposed to the sun's rays. On the south +side the timber is of the class peculiar to the coast, and on the north +that peculiar to the interior. The latter would grow at a greater +altitude than the coast timber. It is possible that the summit of White +Pass is not higher than the timber line on the north of the Taiya Pass, +or about 2,500 feet above tide water, and it is possibly even lower than +this, as the timber in a valley such as the White Pass would hardly live +at the same altitude as on the open slope on the north side. + +"Capt. Moore has had considerable experience in building roads in +mountainous countries. He considers that this would be an easy route for +a wagon road compared with some roads he has seen in British Columbia. +Assuming his distances to be correct, and the height of the pass to be +probably 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 the 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 paying them at the rate of $4 per hundred pounds. After +one trip down only two men remained, and they only in hopes of stealing +something. One of them appropriated a pair of boots, and was much +surprised to find that he had to pay for them on being settled with. I +could not blame them much for not caring to work, as the weather was +very disagreeable--it rained or snowed almost continuously. After the +Indians left I tried to get down the stuff with the aid of my own men, +but it was slavish and unhealthy labor, and after the first trip one of +them was laid up with what appeared to be inflammatory 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 which +were made in Juneau specially for the work of getting over the mountains +and down the lakes on the ice. With these I succeeded in bringing about +a ton and a-half to the lakes, but found that the time 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 protracted physical exertion +under such uncomfortable conditions and continued suffering from snow +blindness expose us to. I had with me a white man who lived at the head +of the inlet with a Tagish Indian woman. This man had a good deal of +influence with the Tagish tribe, of whom the greater number were then +in the neighborhood where he resided, trying to get some odd jobs of +work, and I sent him to the head of the inlet to try and induce the +Tagish Indians to undertake the transportation, offering them $5 per +hundred pounds. In the meantime Capt. Moore and the Indian "Jim" had +rejoined me. I had their assistance 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 powerful coast +tribes, and are in constant dread of offending them 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 vicinity, and the Tagish are afraid to +dispute this claim. When my white man asked the Tagish to come over and +pack they objected on the grounds mentioned. After considerable ridicule +of their cowardice, and explanation of the fact that they had the +exclusive right to all work in their own country, the country on the +side of the north side of the coast range being admitted by the coast +Indians to belong to the Tagish tribe just as the coast tribes had the +privilege of doing all the work on the coast side of the mountains, and +that one of their number was already working with me unmolested, and +likely to continue so, nine of them came over, and in fear and trembling +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 +quite a number at work and was getting my stuff down quite fast. But +this good fortune was not to continue. Owing to the prevailing wet, cold +weather on the mountains, and the difficulty of getting through the soft +wet snow, the Indians soon began to quit work for a day or two at a +time, and to gamble with one another for the wages already earned. Many +of them wanted to be paid in full, but this I positively refused, +knowing that to do so was to have them all apply for their earnings and +leave me until necessity compelled 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 kept at it until all +was delivered. This done, I paid them off, and set about getting my +outfit across the lake, which I did with my own party and the two +Peterborough canoes which I had with me. + +"These two canoes travelled about 3,000 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 packed +over to the head of Lewes River (Lake Lindeman), from where they were +used in making the survey of Lewes and Yukon Rivers. In this work they +made about 650 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 up it to +McDougall's Pass. They were then carried over the pass to Poplar River +and were used in going down the latter to Peel River, and thence up +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 Chipewyan in +fairly good condition, and, with a little painting, they would go +through the same ordeal again. + +"After getting all my outfit over to the foot of Lake Lindeman I set some +of the party to pack it to the head of Lake Bennet. + +"I employed the rest of the party in looking for timber to build a boat +to carry my outfit of provisions and implements 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 make 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 12th I started a portion of the party to load it and go ahead +with it and the outfit to the cañon. They had instructions to examine +the cañon 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, which 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 flat beach +proved very troublesome. On this account I found I could not average +more than ten miles per day on the lakes, little more than half of what +could be done on the river. + +"The survey was completed to the cañon 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 cañon, 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 cañon. The rapids 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 sent two men through the +cañon in one of the canoes to await the arrival of the boat, and to be +ready in case of an accident to pick us up. Every man in the party was +supplied with a life-preserver, so that should a casualty occur we would +all have floated. Those in the canoe got through all right; but 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 I had the same +experience when going through in the boat. + +"The passage through is made in about three minutes, or at the rate of +about 12-1/2 miles an hour. If the boat is kept clear of the sides there +is not much danger in high water; but in low water there is a rock in +the middle of the channel, near the upper end of the cañon, that renders +the passage more difficult. I did not see this rock myself, but got my +information from some miners I met in the interior, who 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 cañon 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 cañon is much rougher to run through than +the upper part, the fall being apparently 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 Rapids 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 accident. 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 sudden drop and +the water rashes through at a tremendous rate, leaping and seething like +a cataract. The miners have constructed a portage road on the west side, +and put down rollways in some places on which to shove their boats over. +They have also made some windlasses with which to haul their boats up +hill, notably one at the foot of the cañon. This roadway and windlasses +must have cost them many hours of hard labor. Should it ever be +necessary, a tramway could be built past the cañon on the east side with +no great difficulty. With the exception of the Five Finger Rapids these +appear to be the only serious rapids on the whole length of the river. + +"Five Finger Rapids are formed by several islands standing in the +channel and backing up the water so much as to raise it about a foot, +causing a swell below for a few 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 past ages. For +about two miles below the rapids there is a pretty swift current, but +not enough to prevent the ascent of a steamboat of moderate power, 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 +required. Six miles below these rapids are what are known as 'Rink +Rapids,' 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 6 foot paddle, +but could not reach the bottom. + +"On the 11th of August I met a party of miners coming out who had passed +Stewart River 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 have +reached that point long before I arrived, on account of the many delays +I had met with on the coast range. These miners also gave me the +pleasant news that the story told at the coast about the fight with the +Indians at Stewart River was false, and stated substantially what I have +already repeated concerning 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 Capt. Moore, from whom the +captain got such information as induced him to turn back and accompany +them out. + +"Next day, the 13th, I got to the mouth of the Pelly, and found that Dr. +Dawson had arrived there on the 11th. The doctor also had experienced +many delays, and had heard the same story of the Indian uprising in the +interior. I was pleased to find that 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 provisions for his party 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 +point; and, as I was not likely to get another opportunity of writing at +such length for a year, I applied myself to a correspondence designed to +satisfy my friends and acquaintances for the ensuing twelve months. This +necessitated three days' hard work. + +"On the morning of the 17th the doctor left for the outside 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 magnetic and astronomical observations, and making +some measurements of the river. On the 19th I resumed the survey and +reached White River on the 25th. Here I spent most of a day trying to +ascend this river, but found it impracticable, on account of the swift +current and shallow and very muddy water. The water is so muddy that it +is impossible to see through one-eighth of an inch of it. The current is +very strong, probably eight miles or more per hour, and the numerous +bars in the bed are constantly changing place. After trying for several +hours, the 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 this stream +to the boundary with canoes. Had it proved feasible I had intended +making a survey of this stream to the boundary, to discover more +especially the facilities it offered for the transport of supplies in +the event of a survey of the International Boundary being undertaken. + +"I reached Stewart River on the 26th. Here I remained a day taking +magnetic observations, and getting information from a miner, named +McDonald, about the country up that river. McDonald had spent the summer +up the river prospecting and exploring. His information will be given in +detail further on. + +"Fort Reliance was reached on the 1st of September, and Forty Mile River +(Cone-Hill River of Schwatka) on the 7th. In the interval between Fort +Reliance and Forty Mile River there were several days lost by rain. + +"At Forty Mile River I made some arrangements with the traders there +(Messrs. Harper & McQuestion) about supplies during the winter, and +about getting Indians to assist me in crossing from the Yukon to the +head of the Porcupine, or perhaps on to the Peel River. I then made a +survey of the Forty Mile River up to the cañon. I found the canon would +be difficult of ascent, and dangerous to descend, and therefore, +concluded to defer further operations until the winter, and until after +I had determined the longitude of my winter post near the boundary, when +I would be in a much better position to locate the intersection of the +International Boundary with this river, a point important to determine +on account of the number and richness of the mining claims on the river. + +"I left Forty Mile River for the boundary line between Alaska and the +Northwest Territories on the 12th September, and finished the survey to +that point on the 14th. I then spent two days in examining the 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 Toronto I got Mr. Foster to make large brass plates with +V's on them, which could be screwed firmly to a stump, and thus be made +to serve as a transit stand. I required a stump at least 22 inches in +diameter to make a base large enough for the plates when properly placed +for the transit. In a search which covered about four miles of the river +bank, on both sides, I found only one tree as large as 18 inches. I +mention this fact to give an idea of the size of the trees along the +river in this vicinity. I had this stump enlarged by firmly fixing +pieces on the sides so as to bring it up to the requisite size. This +done, I built around the stump a small transit house of the ordinary +form and then mounted and adjusted my transit. Meanwhile, most of the +party were busy preparing our winter quarters and building a magnetic +observatory. As I had been led to expect extremely low temperatures +during the winter, I adopted precautionary measures, so 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 the Lewes River, its affluent streams, +and the resources of the adjacent country. + +"For the purpose of navigation a description of the Lewes River begins +at the head of Lake Bennet. Above that point, and between it and Lake +Lindeman, there is only about three-quarters of a mile of river, which +is not more than fifty or sixty yards wide, and two or three feet deep, +and is so swift and rough that navigation is out of the question. + +"Lake Lindeman is about five miles long and half a mile wide. It is deep +enough for all ordinary purposes. Lake Bennet[3] is twenty-six and a +quarter miles long, for the upper fourteen of which it is about half a +mile wide. About midway in its length an arm comes in from the west, +which Schwatka appears to have mistaken for a river, and named Wheaton +River. This arm is wider than the other arm down to that point, and is +reported by Indians to be longer and heading in a glacier which lies in +the pass at the head of Chilkoot Inlet. This arm is, as far as seen, +surrounded by high mountains, apparently much higher than those on the +arm we travelled down. Below the junction of the two arms the lake is +about one and a half miles wide, with deep water. Above the forks the +water of the east branch is muddy. This is caused by the streams from +the numerous glaciers on the head of the tributaries of Lake Lindeman. + +[Footnote 3: A small saw-mill has been erected at the head of Lake +Bennet; lumber for boat building sells at $100 per M. Boats 25 feet long +and 5 feet beam are $60 each. Last year the ice broke up in the lake on +the 12th June, but this season is earlier and the boats are expected to +go down the lake about the 1st of June.] + +"A stream which flows into Lake Bennet at the south-west corner is also +very dirty, and has shoaled quite a large portion of the lake at its +mouth. The beach at the lower end of this lake is comparatively flat and +the water shoal. A deep, wide valley extends northwards from the north +end of the lake, apparently reaching to the cañon, or a short distance +above it. This may have been originally a course for the waters of the +river. The bottom of the valley is wide and sandy, and covered with +scrubby timber, principally poplar and pitch-pine. The waters of the +lake empty at the extreme north-east angle through a channel not more +than one hundred yards wide, which soon expands into what Schwatka +called Lake Nares.[4] Through this narrow channel there is quite a +current, and more than 7 feet of water, as a 6 foot paddle and a foot of +arm added to its length did not reach the bottom. + +[Footnote 4: The connecting waters between Lake Bennet and Tagish Lake +constitute what is now called Caribou Crossing.] + +"The hills at the upper end of Lake Lindeman rise abruptly from the +water's edge. At the lower end they are neither so steep nor so high. + +"Lake Nares is only two and a half miles long, and its greatest width is +about a mile; it is not deep, but is navigable for boats drawing 5 or 6 +feet of water; it is separated from Lake Bennet by a shallow sandy point +of not more than 200 yards in length. + +"No streams of any consequence empty into either of these lakes. A small +river flows into Lake Bennet on the west side, a short distance north of +the fork, and another at the extreme north-west angle, but neither of +them is of any consequence in a navigable sense. + +"Lake Nares flows through a narrow curved channel into Bove Lake +(Schwatka). This channel is not more than 600 or 700 yards long, and the +water in it appears to be sufficiently deep for boats that could +navigate the lake. The land between the lakes along this channel is low, +swampy, and covered with willows, and, at the stage in which I saw it, +did not rise more than 3 feet above the water. The hills on the +south-west side slope up easily, and are not high; on the north side +the deep valley already referred to borders it; and on the east side the +mountains rise abruptly from the lake shore. + +"Bove Lake (called Tagish Lake by Dr. Dawson) is about a mile wide for +the first two miles of its length, when it is joined by what the miners +have called the Windy Arm. One of the Tagish Indians informed me they +called it Takone Lake. Here the lake expands to a width of about two +miles for a distance of some three miles, when it suddenly narrows to +about half a mile for a distance of a little over a mile, after which it +widens again to about a mile and a half or more. + +"Ten miles from the head of the lake it is joined by the Taku Arm from +the south. This arm must be of considerable length, as it can be seen +for a long distance, and its valley can be traced through the mountains +much farther than the lake itself can be seen. It is apparently over a +mile wide at its mouth or junction. + +"Dr. Dawson includes Bove Lake and these two arms under the common name +of Tagish Lake. This is much more simple and comprehensive than the +various names given them by travellers. These waters collectively are +the fishing and hunting grounds of the Tagish Indians, and as they are +really one body of water, there is no reason why they should not be all +included under one name. + +"From the junction with the Taku Arm to the north end of the lake the +distance is about six miles, the greater part being over two miles wide. +The west side is very flat and shallow, so much so that it was +impossible in many places to get our canoes to the shore, and quite a +distance out in the lake there was not more than 5 feet of water. The +members of my party who were in charge of the large boat and outfit, +went down the east side of the lake and reported the depth about the +same as I found on the west side, with many large rocks. They passed +through it in the night in a rainstorm, and were much alarmed for the +safety of the boat and provisions. It would appear that this part of the +lake requires some improvement to make it in keeping with the rest of +the water system with which it is connected. + +"Where the river debouches from it, it is about 150 yards wide, and for +a short distance not more than 5 or 6 feet deep. The depth is, however, +soon increased to 10 feet or more, and so continues down to what +Schwatka calls Marsh Lake. The miners call it Mud Lake, but on this name +they do not appear to be agreed, many of them calling the lower part of +Tagish or Bove Lake "Mud Lake," on account of its shallowness and flat +muddy shores, as seen along the west side, the side nearly always +travelled, as it is more sheltered from the prevailing southerly winds. +The term "Mud Lake" is, however, not applicable to this lake, as only a +comparatively small part of it is shallow or muddy; and it is nearly as +inapplicable to Marsh Lake, as the latter is not markedly muddy along +the west side, and from the appearance of the east shore one would not +judge it to be so, as the banks appear to be high and gravelly. + +"Marsh Lake is a little over nineteen miles long, and averages about two +miles in width. I tried to determine the width of it as I went along +with my survey, by taking azimuths of points on the eastern shore from +different stations of the survey; but in only one case did I succeed, as +there were no prominent marks on that shore which could be identified +from more than one place. The piece of river connecting Tagish and Marsh +Lakes is about five miles long, and averages 150 to 200 yards in width, +and, as already mentioned, is deep, except for a short distance at the +head. On it are situated the only Indian houses to be found in the +interior with any pretension to skill in construction. They show much +more labor and imitativeness than one knowing anything about the Indian +in his native state would expect. The plan is evidently taken from the +Indian houses on the coast, which appear to me to be a poor copy of the +houses which the Hudson's Bay Company's servants build around their +trading posts. These houses do not appear to have been used for some +time past, and are almost in ruins. The Tagish Indians are now generally +on the coast, as they find it much easier to live there than in their +own country. As a 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 200 yards wide, +and averages this width as far as the cañon. I did not try to find +bottom anywhere as I went along, except where I had 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 which +stage it appeared to me the river was at that time. + +"From the head of Lake Bennet to the cañon the corrected 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 about fifteen miles in length, and the +Taku Arm of the latter lake, of unknown length, but probably not less +than thirty miles, and we have a stretch of water of upwards of one +hundred miles in length, all easily navigable; and, as has been pointed +out, easily connected with Taiya Inlet through the White Pass. + +"No streams of any importance enter any of these lakes so far as I know. +A river, called by Schwatka "McClintock River," enters Marsh Lake at the +lower end from the east. It occupies a large valley, as seen from the +westerly side of the lake, but the stream is apparently unimportant. +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 importance, as the strip of country between +the Lewes and Teslintoo is not more than thirty or forty miles in +width at this point. + +"The Taku Arm of Tagish Lake, is, so far, with the exception 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. However, this is a question that can only be decided by a +proper exploration. The cañon I have already described and will only add +that it is five-eighths of a mile long, about 100 feet wide, with +perpendicular banks of basaltic rock from 60 to 100 feet high. + +"Below the cañon proper there is a stretch of rapids for about a mile; +then about half a mile of smooth water, following which are the White +Horse Rapids, which are three-eighths of a mile long, and unsafe for +boats. + +"The total fall in the cañon 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 difficulty, be +constructed along the east side of the river past the cañon. + +"For some distance below the White Horse Rapids the current is swift and +the river wide, with many gravel bars. The reach between these rapids +and Lake Labarge, a distance 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. + +"About midway in this stretch the Tahkeena River[5] joins the Lewes. +This river is, apparently, about half the size of the latter. Its waters +are muddy, indicating the passage through a clayey district. I got some +indefinite information about this river, from an Indian who happened 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 unintelligible. From what I could +understand with any certainty, the river was easy to descend, there +being no bad rapids, and it came out of a lake much larger than any I +had yet passed. + +[Footnote 5: The Tahkeena was formerly much used by the Chilkat Indians +as a means of reaching the interior, but never by the miners owing to +the distance from the sea to its head.] + +"Here I may remark that I have invariably found it difficult to get +reliable or definite information from Indians. The reasons for this are +many. Most of the Indians it has been my lot to meet are expecting to +make something, and consequently are very chary about doing or saying +anything unless they think they will be well rewarded for it. They are +naturally very suspicions 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 previously having them understand that you have no unfriendly +motive in doing so, they become alarmed, and although you may not meet +with a positive refusal to answer questions, you make very little +progress in getting desired information. On the other hand 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 please their hearer. I need hardly say that such +information is often not at all in accordance with the facts. + +"I have several times found that some act of mine when in their +presence has aroused either their fear, superstition or cupidity. As an +instance: on the Bell River I met some Indians coming down stream as I +was going up. We were ashore at the time, and invited them to join us. +They 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 picked it up to unload it, as I knew they +would be handling it after landing. 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 coming 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 determined 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 eastern +shore. The western shore is irregular in many places, being indented by +large bays, especially at the upper and lower ends. These bays are, as a +rule, shallow, more especially those at the lower end. + +"Just above where the lake narrows in the middle there is a large +island. It is three and a-half miles long and about half a mile in +width. It is shown on Schwatka's map as a peninsula, and called by him +Richtofen Rocks. How he came to think it a peninsula I cannot +understand, as it is well out in the lake; the nearest point of it to +the western shore is upwards of half a mile distant, and the extreme +width of the lake here is not more than five miles, which includes the +depth of the deepest bays on the western side. It is therefore difficult +to 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 extending +northwards, which has evidently at one time been the outlet of the lake. +Dr. Dawson has noted it and its peculiarities. His remarks regarding it +will be found on pages 156-160 of his report entitled 'Yukon District +and Northern portion of British Columbia,' published in 1889. + +"The width of the Lewes River as 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 6 or 7 feet. The wind blows 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 Telegraph Company, +exploring the river and adjacent country for the purpose of connecting +Europe and America by telegraph through British Columbia, and Alaska, +and across Behring Strait to Asia, and thence to Europe. This +exploration took place in 1867, but it does not appear that Labarge +then, nor for some years after, saw the lake called by his name. The +successful laying of the Atlantic cable in 1866 put a stop to this +project, 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 Labarge the river, for a distance of about five +miles, preserves a generally 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 opposite 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 five +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 five, and continues +so until the Teslintoo River is reached, thirty-one and seven tenths +miles from Lake Labarge. The average width of this part of the river is +about 150 yards, and the depth is sufficient to afford passage for boats +drawing at least 5 feet. It is, as a rule, crooked, and consequently a +little difficult to navigate. + +"The Teslintoo[6] was so called by Dr. Dawson--this, according to +information obtained by him, being the Indian name. It is called by the +miners 'Hootalinkwa' or Hotalinqua, and was called by Schwatka, who +appears to have bestowed no other attention to it, the Newberry, +although it is apparently much larger than the Lewes. This was so +apparent that in my interim reports I stated it as a fact. Owing to +circumstances already narrated, I had not time while at the mouth to +make any measurement to determine the relative size of the rivers; but +on his way out Dr. Dawson made these measurements, and his report, +before referred to, gives the following values of the cross sections of +each stream: Lewes, 3,015 feet; Teslintoo, 3,809 feet. In the same +connection he states that the Lewes appeared to be about 1 foot above +its lowest summer level, while the Teslintoo appeared to be at its +lowest level. Assuming this to be so, and taking his widths as our data, +it would reduce his cross section of the Lewes to 2,595 feet. Owing, +however, to the current in the Lewes, as determined by Dr. Dawson, being +just double that of the Teslintoo, the figures being 5.68 and 2.88 miles +per hour, respectively, the discharge of the Lewes, taking these figures +again in 18,644 feet, and of the Teslintoo 11,436 feet. To reduce the +Lewes to its lowest level the doctor says would make its discharge +15,600 feet. + +[Footnote 6: The limited amount of prospecting that has been done on +this river is said to be very satisfactory, fine gold having been found +in all parts of the river. The lack of supplies is the great drawback to +its development, and this will not be overcome to any extent until by +some means heavy freight can be brought over the coast range to the head +of the river. Indeed, owing to the difficulties attending access and +transportation, the great drawback to the entire Yukon district at +present is the want of heavy mining machinery and the scarcity of +supplies. The government being aware of the requirements and +possibilities of the country, has 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 +be opened up.] + +"The water of the Teslintoo is of a dark brown color, similar in +appearance to the Ottawa River water, and a little turbid. +Notwithstanding the difference of volume of discharge, the Teslintoo +changes completely the character of the river below the junction, and a +person coming up the river would, at the forks, unhesitatingly pronounce +the Teslintoo the main stream. The water of the Lewes is blue in color, +and at the time I speak of was somewhat dirty--not enough so, however, +to prevent one seeing to a depth of two or three feet. + +"At the junction of the Lewes and Teslintoo I met two or three families +of the Indians who hunt in the vicinity. One of them could speak a +little Chinook. As I had two men with me who understood his jargon +perfectly, with their assistance I tried to get some information from +him about the river. He told me the river was easy to ascend, and +presented the same appearance eight days journey up as at the mouth; +then a lake was reached, which took one day to cross; the river was then +followed again for half a day to another lake, which took two days to +traverse: into this lake emptied a stream which they used as a highway +to the coast, passing by way of the Taku River. He 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 they come light +they take only one to two days. He spoke also of a stream entering the +large lake from the east which came from a distance; but they did not +seem to know much about it, and considered it outside their country. If +their time intervals are approximately accurate, they mean that there +are about 200 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 12 +of river, which brings us to the large lake, which takes two days to +cross, say 50 or 60 more--in all about 292 miles--say 300 to the head of +canoe navigation; while the distance from the head of Lake Bennet to the +junction is only 188. Assuming the course of the Teslintoo to be nearly +south (it is a little to the east of it), and throwing out every fourth +mile for bends, the remainder gives us in arc three degrees and a +quarter of latitude, which, deducted from 61° 40', the latitude of the +junction, gives us 58° 25', or nearly the latitude of Juneau. + +"To make sure that I understood the Indian aright, and 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 another miner, who +had spent most of the summer on the river prospecting, and from them I +gathered the following: + +"The distance to the first, and only lake which they saw, they put 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 river must head near Liard River. +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 incorporated in his report. + +"Many years ago, sixteen I think, a man named Monroe prospected up the +Taku and learned from the Indians something of a large lake not far from +that river. He crossed over and found it, and spent some time in +prospecting, 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 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 certain: this +branch, 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 cañon being only +ninety miles above the mouth of the Teslintoo. The Boswells reported it +as containing much more useful timber than the 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 obtained as to the position of this +river in the neighborhood of Marsh Lake tending to show that the +distance between them was only about thirty or forty miles. + +"Between 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 Lewes 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 hundred yards which it maintains with +little variation. The current 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 concerning this stream; but Dr. Dawson was more +fortunate, and met a man who had spent most of the summer of 1887 +prospecting on it. His opinion was that it might be navigable for small +stern-wheel steamers for many miles. The valley, as seen from the mouth, +is wide, and gives one the impression of being occupied by a much more +important stream. Looking up it, in the distance could be seen many high +peaks covered with snow. As the date was August it is likely they are +always so covered, which would make their 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 say that they called +the distance to a small lake near the head of the river, 190 miles from +the mouth. This lake was estimated to be four miles in length; another +lake about 12 miles above this was estimated to be twenty-four miles +long, and its upper end distant only about eight miles from the +Teslintoo. These distances, if correct, make this river much more +important than a casual glance at it would indicate; this, however, will +be more fully spoken of under its proper head. + +"Just below the Big Salmon the Lewes takes a bend of nearly a right +angle. Its course from the junction with the Tahkeena to this point is +generally a little east of north; at this point it turns to nearly west +for some distance. Its course between here and its confluence with the +Pelly is north-west, and, I may add, it preserves this general direction +down to the confluence with the Porcupine. The river also changes in +another respect; it is generally wider, and often expands into what +might be called lakes, in which are islands. Some of the lakes are of +considerable length, and well timbered. + +"To determine which channel is the main one, that is, which carries the +greatest volume of water, or is best available for the purposes of +navigation, among these islands, would require more time than I could +devote to it on my way down; consequently I cannot say more than that I +have no reason to doubt that a channel giving six feet or more of water +could easily be found. Whenever, in the main channel, I had reason to +think the water shallow, I tried it with my paddle, but always failed to +find bottom, which gives upward of six feet. Of course I often found +less than this, but not in what I considered the main channel. + +"Thirty-six and a quarter miles below the Big Salmon, the Little +Salmon--the Daly of Schwatka--enters the Lewes. This river is about 60 +yards wide at the mouth, and not more than two or three feet in depth. +The water is clear and of a brownish hue; there is not much current at +the mouth, nor as far as can be seen up the stream. The valley which, +from the mouth, does not appear extensive, bears north-east for some +distance, when it appears to turn more to the east. Six or seven miles +up, and apparently on the north side, some high cliffs of red rock, +apparently granite, can be seen. It is said that some miners have +prospected this stream, but I could learn nothing definite about it. + +"Lewes River makes a turn here to the south-west, and runs in that +direction six miles, when it again turns to the north-west for seven +miles, and then makes a short, sharp turn to the south and west around a +low sandy point, which will, at some day in the near future, be cut +through by the current, which will shorten the river three or four +miles. + +"Eight miles below Little Salmon River, a large rock called the Eagle's +Nest, stands up in a gravel slope on the easterly bank of the river. It +rises about five hundred feet above the river, and is composed of a +light gray stone. What the character of this rock is I could not +observe, as I saw it only from the river, which is about a quarter of a +mile distant. On the westerly side of the river there are two or three +other isolated masses of apparently the same kind of rock. One of them +might be appropriately called a mountain; it is south-west from the +Eagle's Nest and distant from it about three miles. + +"Thirty-two miles below Eagle's Nest Rock, Nordenskiold River enters +from the west. It is an unimportant stream, being not more than one +hundred and twenty feet wide at the mouth, and only a few inches deep. +The valley, as far as can be seen, is not extensive, and, being very +crooked, it is hard to tell what its general direction is. + +"The Lewes, between the Little Salmon and the Nordenskiold, maintains a +width of from two to three hundred yards, with an occasional expansion +where there are islands. It is serpentine in its course most of the way, +and where the Nordenskiold joins it is very crooked, running several +times under a hill, named by Schwatka Tantalus Butte, and in other +places leaving it, for a distance of eight miles. The distance across +from point to point is only half a mile. + +"Below this to Five Finger Rapids, so-called from the fact that five +large masses of rock stand in mid-channel, the river assumes its +ordinary straightness and width, with a current from four to five miles +per hour. I have already described Five Finger Rapids; I do not think +they will prove anything more than a slight obstruction in the +navigation of the river. A boat of ordinary power would probably have to +help herself up with windlass and line in high water. + +"Below the rapids, for about two miles, the current is strong--probably +six miles per hour--but the water seems to be deep enough for any boat +that is likely to navigate it. + +"Six miles below this, as already noticed, Rink Rapids are situated. +They are of no great importance, the westerly half of the stream only +being obstructed. The easterly half is not in any way affected, the +current being smooth and the water deep. + +"Below Five Finger Rapids about two miles a small stream enters from +the east. It is called by Dr. Dawson Tatshun River. It is not more than +30 or 40 feet wide at the mouth, and contains only a little clear, +brownish water. Here I met the only Indians seen on the river between +Teslintoo and Stewart Rivers. They were engaged in catching salmon at +the mouth of the Tatshun, and were the poorest and most unintelligent +Indians it has ever been my lot to meet. It is needless to say that none +of our party understood anything they said, as they could not speak a +word of any language but their own. I tried by signs to get some +information from them about the stream they were fishing in, but failed. +I tried in the same way to learn if there were any more Indians in the +vicinity, but again utterly failed. I then tried by signs to find out +how many days it took to go down to Pelly River, but although I have +never known these signs to fail in eliciting information in any other +part of the territory, they did not understand. They appeared to be +alarmed by our presence; and, as we had not yet been assured as to the +rumor concerning the trouble between the miners and Indians, we felt a +little apprehensive, but being able to learn nothing from them we had to +put our fears aside and proceed blindly. + +"Between Five Finger Rapids and Pelly River, fifty-eight and a +half-miles, no streams of any importance enter the Lewes; in fact, with +the exception of the Tatshun, it may be said that none at all enter. + +"About a mile below Rink Rapids the river spreads out into a lake-like +expanse, with many islands; this continues for about three miles, when +it contracts to something like the usual width; but bars and small +islands are very numerous all the way to Pelly River. About five miles +above Pelly River there is another lake-like expanse filled with +islands. The river here for three or four miles is nearly a mile wide, +and so numerous and close are the islands that it is impossible to tell +when floating among them where the shores of the river are. The current, +too, is swift, leading one to suppose the water shallow; but I think +even here a channel deep enough for such boats as will navigate this +part of the river can be found. Schwatka named this group of islands +"Ingersoll Islands." + +"At the mouth of the Pelly the Lewes is about half a mile wide, and here +too there are many 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 565 yards wide; about two-thirds being ten feet +deep, with a current of about four and three-quarter 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 be found in his report already +cited, "Yukon District and Northern British Columbia." + +"Just here for a short distance the course of the Yukon is nearly west, +and on the south side, about a mile below the mouth of the Lewes, stands +all that remains of the only trading post ever built by white men in the +district. This post was established by Robert Campbell, for the Hudson's +Bay Company in the summer of 1848. It was first built on the point of +land between the two rivers, but this location proving untenable on +account of flooding by ice jams in the spring, it was, in the season of +1852, moved across the river to where the ruins now stand. It appears +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 had inaugurated, and +which they found to seriously interfere with their profits. Their method +of trade appears to have been then pretty much as it is now--very +onesided. What they found it convenient to take by force they took, and +what it was convenient to pay for at their own price they paid for. + +"Rumors had reached the post that the coast Indians contemplated such a +raid, and in consequence the native Indians in the vicinity remained +about nearly all summer. Unfortunately, they went away for a short time, +and during their absence the coast Indians arrived in the early morning, +and surprised Mr. Campbell in bed. They were not at all rough with him, +but gave him the privilege of leaving the place within twenty-four +hours, after which he was informed that he was liable to be shot if seen +by them in the locality. They then pillaged the place and set fire to +it, leaving nothing but the remains of the two chimneys which are still +standing. This raid and capture took place on the 1st August, 1852. + +"Mr. Campbell dropped down the river, and met some of the local Indians +who returned with him, but the robbers had made their escape. I have +heard that the local Indians wished to pursue and overtake them, but to +this Mr. Campbell would not consent. Had they done so it is probable not +many of the raiders would have escaped, as the superior local knowledge +of the natives would have given them an advantage difficult to estimate, +and the confidence and spirit derived from the aid and presence of a +white man or two would be worth much in such a conflict. + +"Mr. Campbell went on down the river until he met the outfit for his +post on its way up from Fort Yukon, which he turned back. He then +ascended the Pelly, crossed to the Liard, and reached Fort Simpson, on +the Mackenzie, late in October. + +"Mr. Campbell's first visit to the site of Fort Selkirk was made in +1840, under instructions from Sir George Simpson, then Governor of the +Hudson's Bay Company. He crossed from the head waters of the Liard to +the waters of the Pelly. It appears the Pelly, where he struck it, was a +stream of considerable size, for he speaks of its appearance when he +first saw it from 'Pelly Banks,' the name given the bank from which he +first beheld it, as a 'splendid river in the distance.' In June, 1843, +he descended the Pelly to its confluence with the larger stream, which +he named the 'Lewes.' Here he found many families of the native +Indians--'Wood Indians,' he called them. These people conveyed to him, +as best they could by word and sign, the dangers that would attend a +further descent of the river, representing that the country below theirs +was inhabited by a tribe of fierce cannibals, who would assuredly kill +and eat them. This so terrified his men that he had to return by the way +he came, pursued, as he afterwards learned, by the Indians, who would +have murdered himself and party had they got a favorable opportunity. +Thus it was not until 1850 that he could establish, what he says he all +along believed, 'that the Pelly and Yukon were identical.' This he did +by descending the river to where the Porcupine joins it, and where in +1847 Fort Yukon was established by Mr. A.H. Murray for the Hudson's Bay +Company. + +"With reference to the tales told him by the Indians of bad people +outside of their country, I may say that Mackenzie tells pretty much the +same story of the Indians on the Mackenzie when he discovered and +explored that river in 1789. He had the advantage of having Indians +along with him whose language was radically the same as that of the +people he was coming among, and his statements are more explicit and +detailed. Everywhere he came in contact with them they manifested, +first, dread of himself and party, and when friendship and confidence +were established they nearly always tried to detain him by representing +the people in the direction he was going as unnaturally bloodthirsty and +cruel, sometimes asserting the existence of monsters with supernatural +powers, as at Manitou Island, a few miles below the present Fort Good +Hope, and the people on a very large river far to the west of the +Mackenzie, probably the Yukon, they described to him as monsters in +size, power and cruelty. + +"In our own time, after the intercourse that there has been between them +and the whites, more than a suspicion of such unknown, cruel people +lurks in the minds of many of the Indians. It would be futile for me to +try to ascribe an origin for these fears, my knowledge of their language +and idiosyncrasies being so limited. + +"Nothing more was ever done in the vicinity of Fort Selkirk[7] by the +Hudson's Bay Company after these events, and in 1869 the Company was +ordered by Capt. Charles W. Raymond, who represented the United States +Government, to evacuate the post at Fort Yukon, he having found that it +was west of the 141st meridian. The post was occupied by the Company, +however, for some time after the receipt of this order, and until +Rampart House was built, which was intended to be on British territory, +and to take the trade previously done at Fort Yukon. + +[Footnote 7: This is now a winter port for steamboats of the North +American Transportation and Trading Company, plying the Yukon and its +tributaries. There is also a trading post here owned by Harper & Ladue.] + +"Under present conditions the Company cannot very well compete with the +Alaska Commercial Company, whose agents do the only trade in the +district,[8] and they appear to have abandoned--for the present at +least--all attempt to do any trade nearer to it than Rampart House to +which point, notwithstanding the distance and difficulties in the way, +many of the Indians on the Yukon make a trip every two or three years to +procure goods in exchange for their furs. The clothing and blankets +brought in by the Hudson's Bay Company they claim are much better than +those traded on their own river by the Americans. Those of them that I +saw who had any English blankets exhibited them with pride, and +exclaimed 'good,' They point to an American blanket in contempt, with +the remark 'no good,' and speak of their clothing in the same way. + +[Footnote 8: Since the date of this report the North American +Transportation and Trading Company, better known in the Yukon valley as +"Captain Healy's Company," has established a number of posts on the +river.] + +"On many maps of Alaska a place named 'Reed's House' is shown on or near +the upper waters of Stewart River. I made enquiries of all whom I +thought likely to know anything concerning this post, but failed to +elicit any information showing that there ever had been such a place. I +enquired of Mr. Reid, who was in the Company's service with Mr. Campbell +at Fort Selkirk, and after whom I thought, possibly, the place had been +called, but he told me he knew of no such post, but that there was a +small lake at some distance in a northerly direction from Fort Selkirk, +where fish were procured. A sort of shelter had been made at that point +for the fishermen, and a few furs might have been obtained there, but it +was never regarded as a trading post. + +"Below Fort Selkirk, the Yukon River is from five to six hundred yards +broad, and maintains this width down to White River, a distance of +ninety-six miles. Islands are numerous, so much so that there are very +few parts of the river where there are not one or more in sight. Many of +them are of considerable size, and nearly all are well timbered. Bars +are also numerous, but almost all are composed of gravel, so that +navigators will not have to complain of shifting sand bars. The current +as a general thing, is not so rapid as in the upper part of the river, +averaging about four miles per hour. The depth in the main channel was +always found to be more than six feet. + +"From Pelly River to within twelve miles of White River the general +course of the river is a little north of west; it then turns to the +north, and the general course as far as the site of Fort Reliance is due +north. + +"White River enters the main river from the west. At the mouth it is +about two hundred yards wide, but a great part of it is filled with +ever-shifting sand-bars, the main volume of water being confined to a +channel not more than one hundred yards in width. The current is very +strong, certainly not less than eight miles per hour. The color of the +water bears witness to this, as it is much the muddiest that I have ever +seen.[9] + +[Footnote 9: The White River very probably flows over volcanic deposits +as its sediments would indicate; no doubt this would account for the +discoloration of its waters. The volcanic ash appears to cover a great +extent of the Upper Yukon basin drained by the Lewes and Pelly Rivers. +Very full treatment of the subject is given by Dr. Dawson, in his report +entitled "Yukon District and Northern portion of British Columbia."] + +"I had intended to make a survey of part of this river as far as the +International Boundary, and attempted to do so; but after trying for +over half a day, I found it would be a task of much labor and time, +altogether out of proportion to the importance of the end sought, and +therefore abandoned it. The valley as far as can be seen from the mouth, +runs about due west for a distance of eight miles; it then appears to +bear to the south-west; it is about two miles wide where it joins the +Pelly valley and apparently keeps the same width as far as it can be +seen. + +"Mr. Harper, of the firm of Harper & Ladue, went up this river with +sleds in the fall of 1872 a distance of fifty or sixty miles. He +describes it as possessing the same general features all the way up, +with much clay soil along its banks. Its general course, as sketched by +him on a map of mine, is for a distance of about thirty miles a little +north-west, thence south-west thirty or thirty-five miles, when it +deflects to the north-west running along the base of a high mountain +ridge. If the courses given are correct it must rise somewhere near the +head of Forty Mile River; and if so, its length is not at all in keeping +with the volume of its discharge, when compared with the known length +and discharge of other rivers in the territory. Mr. Harper mentioned an +extensive flat south of the mountain range spoken of, across which many +high mountain peaks could be seen. One of these he thought must be Mount +St. Elias, as it overtopped all the others; but, as Mount St. Elias is +about one hundred and eighty miles distant, his conclusion is not +tenable. From his description of this mountain it must be more than +twice the height of the highest peaks seen anywhere on the lower river, +and consequently must be ten or twelve thousand feet above the sea. He +stated that the current in the river was very swift, as far as he +ascended, and the water muddy. The water from this river, though +probably not a fourth of the volume of the Yukon, discolors the water of +the latter completely; and a couple of miles, below the junction the +whole river appears almost as dirty as White River. + +"Between White and Stewart Rivers, ten miles, the river spreads out to a +mile and upwards in width, and is a maze of islands and bars. The survey +was carried down the easterly shore, and many of the channels passed +through barely afforded water enough to float the canoes. The main +channel is along the westerly shore, down which the large boat went, and +the crew reported plenty of water. + +"Stewart River enters from the east 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 considerable height. The river half a mile or so +above the mouth, is two hundred yards in width. The current is slack and +the water shallow and clear, but dark colored. + +"While at the mouth I was fortunate enough to meet a miner who had spent +the whole of the summer of 1887 on the river and its branches +prospecting and exploring. He gave me a good deal of information of +which I give a summary. He is a native of New Brunswick, Alexander +McDonald by name, and has spent some years mining in other places, but +was very reticent about what he had made or found. Sixty or seventy +miles up the Stewart a large creek enters from the south which he called +Rose Bud Creek or River, and thirty or forty miles further up a +considerable stream flows from the north-east, which appears to be +Beaver River, as marked on the maps of that part of the country. From +the head of this stream he floated down on a raft taking five days to do +so. He estimated his progress at forty or fifty miles each day, which +gives a length of from two hundred to two hundred and fifty miles. This +is probably an over-estimate, unless the stream is very crooked, which, +he stated, was not the case. As much of his time would be taken up in +prospecting, 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, he 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 +possibly 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 he called +Mayhew Lake, after one of the partners in the firm of Harper, McQuestion +& Co. + +"Thirty miles or so above the forks on the other branch there are +falls, which McDonald estimated to be from one to two hundred feet in +height. I met several parties who had seen these falls, and they +corroborate this estimate of their height. McDonald went on past the +falls to the head of this branch and found terraced gravel hills to the +west and north; he crossed them to the north and found a river flowing +northward. On this he embarked on a raft and floated down it for a day +or two, thinking it would turn to the west and join the Stewart, but +finding it still continuing north, and acquiring too much volume to be +any of the branches he had seen while passing up the Stewart, he +returned to the point of his departure, and after prospecting among the +hills around the head of the river, he started westward, crossing a high +range of mountains composed principally of shales with many thin seams +of what he 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 Mayhew Lake, and crossing this got to the head of Beaver River, +which he descended as before mentioned. + +"It is probable the river flowing northwards, on which he made a journey +and returned, was a branch of Peel River. He described the timber on the +gravel terraces of the watershed as small and open. He was alone in this +unknown wilderness all summer, not seeing even any of the natives. There +are few men so constituted as to be capable of isolating themselves in +such a manner. Judging from all I could learn it is probable a +light-draught steamboat could navigate nearly all of Stewart Iver and +its tributaries. + +"From Stewart River to the site of Fort Reliance,[10] seventy-three and +a quarter miles, the Yukon is broad and full of islands. The average +width is between a half and three quarters of a mile, but there are many +expansions where it is over a mile in breadth; however, in these places +it cannot be said that the waterway is wider than at other parts of the +river, the islands being so large and numerous. In this reach no streams +of any importance enter. + +[Footnote 10: This was at one time a trading post occupied by Messrs. +Harper & McQuestion.] + +"About thirteen miles below Stewart River a large valley joins that of +the river, but the stream occupying it is only a large creek. This +agrees in position with what has been called Sixty Mile Creek, which was +supposed to be about that distance above Fort Reliance, but it does not +agree with descriptions which I received of it; moreover as Sixty Mile +Creek is known to be a stream of considerable length, this creek would +not answer its description. + +"Twenty-two and a half miles from Stewart River another and larger creek +enters from the same side; it agrees with the descriptions of Sixty Mile +Creek, and I have so marked it on my map. This stream is of no +importance, except for what mineral wealth may be found on it.[11] + +[Footnote 11: Sixty Mile Creek is about one hundred miles long, very +crooked, with a swift current and many rapids, and is therefore not easy +to ascend. + +Miller, Glacier, Gold, Little Gold and Bedrock Creeks are all +tributaries of Sixty Mile. Some of the richest discoveries in gold so +far made in the interior since 1894 have been upon these creeks, +especially has this been the case upon the two first mentioned. There is +a claim upon Miller Creek owned by Joseph Boudreau from which over +$100,000 worth of gold is said to have been taken out. + +Freight for the mines is taken up Forty Mile Creek in summer for a +distance of 30 miles, then portaged across to the heads of Miller and +Glacier Creeks. In the winter it is hauled in by dogs. + +The trip from Cudahy to the post at the mouth of Sixty Mile River is +made by ascending Forty Mile River a small distance, making a short +portage to Sixty Mile River and running down with its swift current. +Coming back on the Yukon, nearly the whole of the round trip is made +down stream. + +Indian Creek enters the Yukon from the east about 30 miles below Sixty +Mile. It is reported to be rich in gold, but owing to the scarcity of +supplies its development has been retarded. + +At the mouth of Sixty Mile Creek a townsite of that name is located, it +is the headquarters for upwards of 100 miners and where they more or +less assemble in the winter months. + +Messrs. Harper & Co. have a trading post and a saw-mill on an island at +the mouth of the creek; both, of which are in charge of Mr. J. Ladue, +one of the partners of the firm, and who was at one time in the employ +of the Alaska Commercial Company.] + +"Six and a half miles above Port Reliance the Thron-Diuck[12] River of +the Indians (Deer River of Schwatka) enters from the east. It is a small +river about forty yards wide at the mouth, and shallow; the water is +clear and transparent, and of beautiful blue color. The Indians catch +great numbers of salmon here. They had been fishing shortly before my +arrival, and the river, for some distance up, was full of salmon traps. + +[Footnote 12: Dawson City is situated at the mouth of the Thron-Diuck +now known as Klondyke, and although it was located only a few months ago +it is the scene of great activity. Very rich deposits of gold have been +lately found on Bonanza Creek and other affluents of the Thron-Diuck.] + +"A miner had prospected up this river for an estimated distance of forty +miles, in the season of 1887. I did not see him, but got some of his +information at second hand. The water being so beautifully clear I +thought it must come through a large lake not far up; but as far as he +had gone no lakes were seen. He said the current was comparatively +slack, with an occasional 'ripple' or small rapid. Where he turned back +the river is surrounded by high mountains, which were then covered with +snow, which accounts for the purity and clearness of the water. + +"It appears that the Indians go up this stream a long distance to hunt, +but I could learn nothing definite as to their statements concerning it. + +"Twelve and a half miles below Fort Reliance, the Chandindu River, as +named by Schwatka, enters from the east. It is thirty to forty yards +wide at the mouth, very shallow, and for half a mile up is one +continuous rapid. Its valley is wide and can be seen for a long distance +looking north-eastward from the mouth. + +"Between Fort Reliance and Forty Mile River (called Cone Hill River by +Schwatka) the Yukon assumes its normal appearance, having fewer islands +and being narrower, averaging four to six hundred yards wide, and the +current being more regular. This stretch is forty-six miles long, but +was estimated by the traders at forty, from which the Forty Mile River +took its name. + +"Forty Mile River[13] joins the main river from the west. Its general +course as far up as the International Boundary, a distance of +twenty-three miles, is south-west; after this it is reported by the +miners to run nearer south. Many of them claim to have ascended this +stream for more than one hundred miles, and speak of it there as quite a +large river. They say that at that distance it has reached the level of +the plateau, and the country adjoining it they describe as flat and +swampy, rising very little above the river. It is only a short distance +across to the Tanana River--a large tributary of the Yukon--which is +here described as an important stream. However, only about twenty-three +miles of Forty Mile River are in Canada; and the upper part of it and +its relation to other rivers in the district have no direct interest for +us. + +[Footnote 13: Forty Mile townsite is situated on the south side of the +Forty Mile River at its junction with the Yukon. The Alaska Commercial +Company has a station here which was for some years in charge of L.N. +McQuestion; there are also several blacksmith shops, restaurants, +billiard halls, bakeries, an opera house and so on. Rather more than +half a mile below Forty Mile townsite the town of Cudahy was founded on +the north side of Forty Mile River in the summer of 1892. It is named +after a well known member of the North American Transportation and +Trading Company. In population and extent of business the town bears +comparison with its neighbor across the river. The opposition in trade +has been the means of very materially reducing the cost of supplies and +living. The North American Transportation and Trading Company has +erected a saw-mill and some large warehouses. Fort Constantine was +established here immediately upon the arrival of the Mounted Police +detachment in the latter part of July, 1895. It is described further on +in an extract from Inspector Constantine's supplementary report for the +year 1895.] + +"Forty Mile River is one hundred to one hundred and fifty yards wide at +the mouth, and the current is generally strong, with many small rapids. +Eight miles up is the so-called cañon; it is hardly entitled to that +distinctive name, being simply a crooked contraction of the river, with +steep rocky banks, and on the north side there is plenty of room to walk +along the beach. At the lower end of the cañon there is a short turn and +swift water in which are some large rocks; these cannot generally be +seen, and there is much danger of striking them running down in a boat. +At this point several miners have been drowned by their boats being +upset in collision with these rocks. It is no great distance to either +shore, and one would think an ordinary swimmer would have no difficulty +in reaching land; but the coldness of the water soon benumbs a man +completely and renders him powerless. In the summer of 1887, an Indian, +from Tanana, with his family, was coming down to trade at the post at +the mouth of Forty Mile River; his canoe struck on these rocks and +upset, and he was thrown clear of the canoe, but the woman and children +clung to it. In the rough water he lost sight of them, and concluded +that they were lost: it is said he deliberately drew his knife and cut +his throat, thus perishing, while his family were hauled ashore by some +miners. The chief of the band to which this Indian belonged came to the +post and demanded pay for his loss, which he contended was occasioned by +the traders having moved from Belle Isle to Forty Mile, thus causing +them to descend this dangerous rapid, and there is little doubt that had +there not been so many white men in the vicinity he would have tried to +enforce his demand. + +"The length of the so-called cañon is about a mile. Above it the river +up to the boundary is generally smooth, with swift current and an +occasional ripple. The amount of water discharged by this stream is +considerable; but there is no prospect of navigation, it being so swift +and broken by small rapids. + +"From Forty Mile River to the boundary the Yukon preserves the same +general character as between Fort Reliance and Forty Mile, the greatest +width being about half a mile and the least about a quarter. + +"Fifteen miles below Forty Mile River a large mass of rock stands on the +east bank. This was named by Schwatka 'Roquette Rock,' but is known to +the traders as Old Woman Rock; a similar mass, on the west side of the +river, being known as Old Man Rock. + +"The origin of these names is an Indian legend, of which the following +is the version given to me by the traders;-- + +"In remote ages there lived a powerful shaman, pronounced Tshaumen by +the Indians, this being the local name for what is known as medicine man +among the Indians farther south and east. The Tshaumen holds a position +and exercises an influence among the people he lives with, something +akin to the wise men or magi of olden times in the East. In this +powerful being's locality there lived a poor man who had the great +misfortune to have an inveterate scold for a wife. He bore the +infliction for a long time without murmuring, in hopes that she would +relent, but time seemed only to increase the affliction; at length, +growing weary of the unceasing torment, he complained to the Tshaumen +who comforted him, and sent him home with the assurance that all would +soon be well. + +"Shortly after this he went out to hunt, and remained away for many days +endeavoring to get some provisions for home use, but without avail; he +returned weary and hungry, only to be met by his wife with a more than +usually violent outburst of scolding. This so provoked him that he +gathered all his strength and energy for one grand effort and gave her a +kick that sent her clean across the river. On landing she was converted +into the mass of rock which remains to this day a memorial of her +viciousness and a warning to all future scolds. The metamorphosis was +effected by the Tshaumen, but how the necessary force was acquired to +send her across the river (here about half a mile wide), or whether the +kick was administered by the Tshaumen or the husband, my narrator could +not say. He was altogether at a loss to account for conversion of the +husband into the mass of rock on the west side of the river; nor can I +offer any theory unless it is that he was _petrified_ by astonishment at +the result. + +"Such legends as this would be of interest to ethnologists if they could +be procured direct from the Indians, but repeated by men who have little +or no knowledge of the utility of legendary lore, and less sympathy with +it, they lose much of their value. + +"Between Forty Mile River and the boundary line no stream of any size +joins the Yukon; in fact, there is only one stream, which some of the +miners have named Sheep Creek, but as there is another stream further +down the river, called by the same name, I have named it Coal Creek. It +is five miles below Forty Mile, and comes in from the east, and is a +large creek, but not at all navigable. On it some extensive coal seams +were seen, which will be more fully referred to further on. + + * * * * * + +"At the boundary the river is somewhat contracted, and measures only +1,280 feet across in the winter; but in summer, at ordinary water level, +it would be about one hundred feet wider. Immediately below the boundary +it expands to its usual width, which is about 2,000 feet. The area of +the cross section measured is 22,268 feet, the sectional area of the +Teslintoo, as determined by Dr. Dawson and already referred to, is 3,809 +feet; that of the Lewes at the Teslintoo, from the same authority, is +3,015 feet. Had the above cross-section been reduced to the level at +which the water ordinarily stands during the summer 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 per +cent more, and at spring flood level about double the above area. + +"It is a difficult matter to determine the actual discharge at the place +of the cross-section, owing to the irregularity in the depth and +current, the latter being in the deep channel at the east side, when I +tried it in September, approximately 4.8 miles per hour; while on the +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 purpose of +cross-section measurement. At the boundary it is narrow and clear of +bars and islands for some miles, but here I did not have an opportunity +to determine the rate of the current before the river froze up, 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. + +"The current from the boundary down to the confluence with the Porcupine +is said to be strong and much the same as that above; from the Porcupine +down, for a distance of five or six hundred miles it is called medium +and the remainder easy. + +"From Stewart River to the mouth of the Yukon is about 1,650 miles, and +the only difficult place in all this distance is the part near the +confluence with the Porcupine, which has evidently been a lake in past +ages but is now filled with islands; it is said that the current here is +swift, and the channels generally narrow, rendering navigation +difficult." + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +ADVICE TO BEGINNERS. + +Men who are thinking of going to the Klondyke regions and taking a trip +of this character for the first time, will do well to carefully read the +chapter on "Outfit for Miners." It is a great mistake to take anything +except what is necessary; the trip is a long arduous one, and a man +should not add one pound of baggage to his outfit that can be dispensed +with. I have known men who have loaded themselves up with rifles, +revolvers and shot-guns. This is entirely unnecessary. Revolvers will +get you into trouble, and there is no use of taking them with you, as +large game of any character is rarely found on the trip. I have +prospected through this region for some years and have only seen one +moose. You will not see any large game whatever on your trip from Juneau +to Dawson City, therefore do not take any firearms along. + +You will find a list of the implements for the miner in the chapter on +"Outfit for Miners." + +The miners here are a very mixed class of people. They represent 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. The 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 being very small. Those miners who do not work their claims +during the winter confine themselves to these small huts most of the +time. Very often they become indolent and careless, only eating those +things which are most easily cooked or prepared. During the busy time in +summer when they are shovelling in, they work hard and for long hours, +sparing little time for eating and much less for cooking. + +This manner of living is quite common amongst beginners, 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 this, where it is impossible to get fresh +vegetables and fruits, it is most important that the best substitutes +for these should be provided. Nature helps to supply these wants by +growing cranberries and other wild fruits in abundance, but men in +summer are usually too busy to avail themselves of these. + +The diseases met with in this country are dyspepsia, anaemia, scurvy +caused by improperly cooked food, sameness of diet, overwork, want of +fresh vegetables, overheated and badly ventilated houses; rheumatism, +pneumonia, bronchitis, enteritis, cystitis and 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 practical men, able to adapt themselves quickly to their +surroundings. Special care should be taken to see that their lungs are +sound, that they are free from rheumatism and rheumatic tendency, and +that their joints, especially knee joints, are strong and have never +been weakened by injury, synovitis or other disease. It is also very +important to consider their temperaments. Men should be of cheerful, +hopeful dispositions and willing workers. Those of sullen, morose +natures, although they may be good workers, are very apt, as soon as the +novelty of the country wears off, to become dissatisfied, pessimistic +and melancholy. + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +OUTFIT FOR MINERS. + +In giving any advice for outfits for miners, I should first state that +it is a great mistake to purchase anything whatever before arriving at +Juneau, Alaska. This has been a supply point for that region for upwards +of ten years, and store-keepers and supply companies carry in stock +exactly what is necessary for the miners. You will find that their +prices are reasonable, considering the difference in cost of +transportation at any point you might decide to purchase from in the +United States; in fact it is the saving of money to buy in Juneau. + +In the matter of clothing, of course, it must be left to the individual +taste and means of the purchaser, but the miners usually adopt the +native costume of the region. The boots are generally made by the coast +Indians and are of different varieties. The water boot is made of seal +and walrus. It is important to take a pair of rubber boots along. +Additional boots can be purchased at Dawson City. The native boots cost +from two to five dollars a pair. Trousers are generally made from +Siberian fawn skins and the skin of the marmot or the ground squirrel. +The outer garments are generally made of the marmot skin. The people at +Dawson City who are not engaged in mining, such as store-keepers, +clerks, etc., generally wear these garments. Good warm flannels are +important. Everything in the way of underwear is made of flannel, such +as shirts. The cost of flannel shirts at Dawson City is $5. Rubber +boots at Dawson City are $10 to $12.00 a pair. Blankets and robes are +used for bedding, and should be purchased at Juneau. Wolf skins make the +best robes. Good ones cost $100 apiece, but cheaper ones can be obtained +from the bear, mink, and red fox and Arctic Hare. Warm socks are made +from the skin of the Arctic Hare. + +If you have any delay at Juneau, you will, probably, be asked to take +trips to the Giant Glaciers, but my advice is to stay in Juneau until +the steamer is ready to start for Dyea. You will need all the rest you +can get before starting up the Pass. + +In the matter of provisions, the following is a list which is considered +sufficient to last a man on his trip from Juneau to Dawson City:-- + +20 pounds of flour, +12 pounds of bacon, +12 " " beans, + 4 " " butter, + 5 " " vegetables, + 4 cans of condensed milk, + 5 pounds of sugar, + 1 pound of tea, + 3 pounds of coffee, + 1 1-2 pound of salt, + 5 pounds of corn meal, +A small portion of pepper and mustard. + +The following utensils should be taken:-- + +1 frying pan, +1 water kettle, +1 Yukon stove, +1 bean pot, +2 plates, +1 tin drinking cup, +1 tea pot, +1 knife and fork, +1 large and 1 small cooking pan. + +The following tools should he brought as part of the outfit:--These will +be found absolutely necessary to build a boat at Lake Lindeman:-- + +1 jack plane, +1 whip saw, +1 cross-cut saw, +1 axe, +1 hatchet, +1 hunting-knife. +6 pounds of assorted nails, +1 pound of oakum, +5 pounds of pitch, +150 feet of rope, +1 Juneau sled. + +It is also necessary to have one good duck tent and a rubber blanket. + +A good piece of mosquito netting will not be heavy and will also be very +great comfort on the trip. + +Do not forget to put in a good supply of matches, and take a small +supply of fishing tackle, hooks, etc. + +It is very important that you have a pair of snow glasses to guard +against snow blindness. + +It will be interesting to know the prices at Dawson City for supplies: + +When I left in June, 1896. + +Flour was sold in 50 pound bags at $6.00 a bag. + +Fresh beef was supplied at 50 cents a pound. + +Bacon was 40 cents. + +Coffee was 50 cents per pound. + +Brown sugar was 20 cents per pound and granulated sugar was 25 cents a +pound. + +Condensed milk was 50 cents per can. + +Pick axes were $6.00 each. + +Miners' shovels were $2.00 each. + +Lumber right at Dawson City was $130.00 per thousand feet undressed, and +$150.00 per thousand feet dressed. + +It is well perhaps to advise the traveller to supply himself with a +small medicine box which can be purchased in Juneau, but it is not +necessary if he enjoys good rugged health. + +On arriving at Dawson City, luxuries will be found to be very high; what +is to be considered a very cheap cigar in the United States, two for 5 +cents, sells in Dawson City at 50 cents each. + +Liquors command very high prices. Whisky sells in the saloons for 50 +cents a glass, and fluctuates from $15.00 to $25.00 per gallon, +according to the supplies received from the at present overtaxed +transportation companies. There was about 12,000 gallons of whisky +imported into the territory from Canada the past year. Smoking tobacco +was selling at $1.50 a pound and good plug cut and fancy tobacco was +selling at $2.00 a pound. + +The demand for medicine is very light, but the local traders carry a +small stock of patent and proprietary medicines. + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +MINERS' LUCK. + +The reports already received of the finds of gold seem beyond belief but +the greater part of them are actual facts, and the following came under +my personal observation:-- + +Alexander McDonald, on Claim No. 30, Eldorado, on the Klondyke, started +drifting on his claim with four men. The men agreed to work the claim on +shares, the agreement being that they should work on shares by each +receiving half of what they could get out. The five together took out +$95,000.00 in twenty-eight days. The ground dug up was found to measure +but 40 square feet. This was an exceptional find. The men are of course +working the claim and had 460 square feet on the claim still to work out +when I left for the East. + +People in the East or elsewhere can hardly realize what a small space a +mining claim is in this vast and comparatively unexplored territory. + +William Leggatt on Claim No. 13, Eldorado, together with William Gates +and a miner named Shoots, purchased their claim from a miner named +Stewart, and his partner, for the sum of $45,000.00. They did not have +money to make the payment in cash but made a first payment of $2,000.00 +with the agreement to pay the balance of the purchase price, $43,000.00, +prior to July 1st, 1897. They sunk a shaft and commenced taking out +$1,000.00 per day. + +They worked the pay dirt until about May 15, 1897, when they found that +they had taken out $62,000.00, and the space of the claim worked was +only _twenty-four square feet_. + +A young man who went to the Klondyke recently writes that he is taking +out $1,800.00 a day from his claim. + +It is stated on good authority that one claim yielded $90,000 in 45 +feet up and down the stream. Clarence Berry bought out his two partners, +paying one $35,000 and the other $60,000, and has taken up $140,000 from +the winter dump alone. Peter Wiborg has purchased more ground. He +purchased his partner's interest in a claim, paying $42,000. A man by +the name of Wall has all he thinks he wants, and is coming out. He sold +his interests for $50,000. Nearly all the gold is found in the creek bed +on the bed rock, but there are a few good bench diggings. + +Perhaps the most interesting reading in the _Mining Record_ is the +letters written by men in the Klondyke to friends in Juneau. Here is one +from "Casey" Moran: + +DAWSON, March 20, 1897. + +"FRIEND GEORGE: Don't pay any attention to what any one says, but come +in at your earliest opportunity. My God! it is appalling to hear the +truth, but nevertheless the world has never produced its equal before. +Well, come. That's all. Your friend, + +"CASEY." + +Burt Shuler, writing from Klondyke under date of June 5, says: + +"We have been here but a short time and we all have money. Provisions +are much higher than they were two years ago and clothing is clean out +of sight. One of the A.C. Co.'s boats was lost in the spring, and there +will be a shortage of provisions again this fall. There is nothing that +a man could eat or wear that he cannot get a good price for. First-class +rubber boots are worth from an ounce of gold to $25 a pair. The price of +flour has been raised from $4 to $6, as it was being freighted from +Forty Mile. Big money can be made by bringing a small outfit over the +trail this fall. Wages have been $15 per day all winter, though a +reduction to $10 was attempted, but the miners quit work.... Here is a +creek that is eighteen miles long, and, as far as is known, without a +miss. There are not enough men in the country to-day to work the claims. +Several other creeks show equal promise, but very little work has been +done on the latter. I have seen gold dust until it seems almost as cheap +as sawdust. If you are coming in, come prepared to stay two years at +least; bring plenty of clothing and good rubber boots." + +Thus far little attempt to mine quartz has been made in the interior of +Alaska and the Northwest, although many quartz croppings have been seen. +It would cost too much to take in the machinery and to build a plant +until transportation facilities are better. In time, however, quartz +mining operations will commence, for the placer mines were washed down +from the mother veins somewhere. If the washings have made the richest +placers in the world, what must the mother veins be? One dares hardly to +imagine. + +This is a brief description of the gold region in the Northwest. + +For further and more detailed information on Routes and Distances, +Transportations, Mining Laws, How to Stake a Claim, Where to Register +Your Claim, Modes of Placer Mining and Quartz Mining, Return of Gold +from the Diggings, Mortality, Cost of Living, etc., I refer the reader +to my book on this subject entitled "Klondyke Facts," a work of about +224 pages. It is published in paper covers at 50 cents a copy with maps +and illustrations, and is sent postpaid by the publishers on receipt of +50 cents. + +AMERICAN TECHNICAL BOOK CO., 45 Vesey Street, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. + + * * * * * + +*ABC of Electricity*. Now in its 62d thousand. By WM. H. +MEADOWCROFT. 1 volume, 12mo, cloth, 50 cents Fully illustrated. + +This excellent primary book has taken the first place in elementary +scientific works. It has received the endorsement of Thomas A Edison. 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. It is +what its title indicates, the first flight steps in electricity. + +*Scholars' A B C of Electricity*. By WM.H. MEADOWCROFT. One volume, +12mo, illustrated, cloth, 50 cents. + +The author of this work has designed it for the use of teachers and +scholars. A large number of simple experiments have been added, with +notes relative to the work. It is the primary book for school use. + +_A Most Important Work of General Interest_. + +*The X Ray; or, Photography of the Invisible and its Value in Surgery* +By WILLIAM J. MORTON, M.D. Written in collaboration with EDWIN W. +HAMMER. 1 volume, 12mo, cloth and silver, 75 cents; paper, 50 cents. + +Everyone has been waiting for this work to give full information 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 apparatus used, and the text is +profusely illustrated with half tone illustrations giving fac-simile +copies of the pictures taken from the negatives of the author. The +subjects are varied. + +*The A B C of the X Ray*. By WM.H. MEADOWCROFT. 1 volume, 12mo, cloth +and gold, 75 cloth; paper, 50 cents. + +The first primary work on the subject. A book for the people. The author +of "A B C of Electricity," showed clearly in that work his ability to +explain a technical subject for the laymen who know nothing of +scientific terms. He has written this work about the X Ray in his usual +clear and simple style, and a wide circulation of this useful book is +assured. The texts of the author is beautifully embellished with fine +engravings, and nothing is omitted that will give the public a clear +knowledge of this remarkable discovery of Prof. Rontgen. The public +would do well to secure both of these important works. + +*The Art of Cooking by Gas*. By MARION HARLAND 226 pages, 12mo, paper, +50 cents; cloth, 75 cents. + +A timely work by a recognized authority. This new book shows the +economy, cleanliness and comfort of cooking by gas There are nearly 1000 +recipes which are excellent. This valuable work will save its price many +times to all housekeepers. + +_Any of the above books sent, postpaid, on receipt of price_ + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Klondyke Nuggets, by Joseph Ladue + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10043 *** diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Klondyke Nuggets + A Brief Description of the Great Gold Regions in the Northwest + +Author: Joseph Ladue + +Release Date: November 11, 2003 [EBook #10043] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KLONDYKE NUGGETS *** + + + + +Produced by PG Distributed Proofreaders + + + + +KLONDYKE NUGGETS + +A Brief Description of the Great Gold Regions in the Northwest +Territories and Alaska + +BY + +JOSEPH LADUE + +Founder of Dawson City, N.W.T. + +Explorer, Miner and Prospector + +September, 1897 + + + + + +PREFACE. + + +The extraordinary excitement arising from the reports of the discovery +of Gold in the Klondyke region in the great Canadian Northwest is not +surprising to one who, through personal residence and practical +experience, is thoroughly conversant with the locality. + +Having recently returned for a temporary stay, after a somewhat +successful experience, I have received applications for information in +numbers so great that it far exceeds my ability and the time at my +disposal to make direct replies. + +I have therefore arranged with the American Technical Book Co., 45 Vesey +Street, New York City, for the issue of this brief description, +preparatory to the publication of my larger book, "Klondyke Facts," a +book of 224 pages, with illustrations and maps, in which will be found a +vast fund of practical information, statistics, and all particulars +sought for by those who intend emigrating to this wonderful country. + +It is well-nigh impossible to tell the truth of these recent discoveries +of gold, but while I can only briefly describe the territory in this +small work, it shall be my endeavor to give the intending prospector, +in the large work above mentioned, as many facts as possible, and these +may thoroughly be relied upon, as from one who has lived continuously in +those regions since 1882. + +JOSEPH LADUE. + + + * * * * * + + +KLONDYKE NUGGETS + + +CHAPTER I. + + +KLONDYKE. + +Klondyke! The word and place that has startled the civilized world is +to-day a series of thriving mining camps on the Yukon River and its +tributaries in the Canadian Northwest Territories. + +Prior to August 24, 1896, this section of the country had never been +heard of. It was 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 point in the new mining regions. +Its population in June, 1897; 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 Roman Catholic denominations. It is +the headquarters of the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police, _and perfect +law and order is maintained_. + +It is at Dawson City that the prospector files his claims with the +Government Gold Commissioner, in the recording offices. + +Dawson City faces on one of the banks of the Yukon River, and now +occupies about a mile of the bank. It is at the junction of the Klondyke +River with the Yukon River. It is here where the most valuable mining +claims are being operated on a scale of profit that the world has +hitherto never known. The entire country surrounding is teeming with +mineral wealth. + +Copper, silver and coal can be found in large quantities, but little or +no attention is now being paid to these valuable minerals, as every one +is engaged in gold-hunting and working the extraordinary placer mining +claims already located. + +The entire section is given up to placer mining. Very few claims had +been filed for quartz mining. The fields of gold will not be exhausted +in the near future. No man can tell what the end will be. From January +to April, 1897, about $4,000,000 were taken out of the few placer claims +then being worked. This was done in a territory not exceeding forty +square miles. All these claims are located on Klondyke River and the +little tributaries emptying into it, and the districts are known as Big +Bonanza, Gold Bottom and Honker. + +I have asked old and experienced miners at Dawson City who mined +through California in Bonanza days, and some who mined in Australia, +what they thought of the Klondyke region, and their reply has +invariably been, "The world never saw so vast and rich a find of gold as +we are working now." + +Dawson City is destined to be the greatest mining camp in the history of +mining operations. + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +KLONDYKE FACTS. + +There is a great popular error in reference to the climate of the gold +regions. Many reports have appeared in the newspapers which are +misleading. It has been even stated that the cold is excessive almost +throughout 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 chopped wood in my shirt-sleeves in front of my door at Dawson +City when the thermometer was 70 degrees below zero, and I suffered no +inconvenience. We 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, therefore 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. + +The winter days are very short. In this region there are only two hours +from sunrise to sunset. The sun rises and sets away in the south but +there is no pitch darkness. + +The 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 +about twenty hours long. The sun rising and setting in the north. A +great deal has been said about the short seasons, but as a matter of +fact a miner can work 12 months in the year when in that region. + +Spring opens about May 1st and the ice commences to break up about that +time. The Yukon River is generally clear of ice about May 15. The best +part of the miner's work commences then and lasts till about October +1st. + +The winter commences in October but the miner keeps on working through +the winter. The rainy season commences in the latter part of August and +lasts two or three weeks. + +A fall of two feet of snow is considered heavy. + +There is a wide difference in the quantity of snow that accumulates on +the coast and the ranges 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 Klondyke rivers is inconsiderable. + +In my new work on this territory entitled "Klondyke Facts" I deal more +largely on the climate of this region. + +There are still good diggings at Circle City in Alaska, but nearly all +the miners have left for Klondyke, not being satisfied with the pay dirt +which they were working. I know at least 20 good claims in Circle City. + +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 will undoubtedly be new and valuable diggings 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 reported. + +It is my belief that the greatest finds of gold will be made in this +territory. 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 Northwest territory, +which is under the Canadian Government. + +It is possible however 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 the present claims, and would advise +prospectors to work east and south of Klondyke. + + +THE YUKON RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. + +"What 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 highway, which will make it possible for the explorer to +penetrate the mysterious fastnesses 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 +heads in southeastern Alaska. This point of confluence is at Fort +Selkirk, in the Northwest Territory, about 125 miles south-east of the +Klondyke. The Yukon proper is 2,044 miles in length. From Fort Selkirk +it flows north-west 400 miles, just touching the Arctic circle; thence +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 +discharges one-third more water into Behring Sea than does the +Mississippi into the Gulf 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. Only +natives who are thoroughly familiar with the river are entrusted with +the piloting of boats up the stream during the season of low water. Even +at the season of high water it is still so shallow as not to be +navigable anywhere by seagoing vessels, but only by flat-bottomed boats +with a carrying capacity of four to five hundred tons. The draft of +steamers on the Yukon should not exceed three and a half feet. + +"The Yukon district, which is within the jurisdiction of the Canadian +Government and in which the bulk of the gold has been found, has a total +area, approximately, of 192,000 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 unending panorama of extraordinary picturesqueness is +unfolded to the voyager. The banks are fringed with flowers, carpeted +with the all-pervading moss or tundra. 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 the mountain wall, which rises up from a bed of roses. By +September everything is changed. The bed of roses has disappeared before +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 chamber in the mountains. Every +stream becomes 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 in Alaska and partly in +British territory. It covers an area of some 50,000 square miles. But so +far the infinitely richest spot lies some one hundred miles east 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 living throughout +the entire length of the Yukon valley. The horsefly is larger and more +poignantly assertive than the insect which we know by that name. 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 incipient boil. Schwatka reports that one +of his party, so bitten was completely 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 band 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 of about 650 miles along the river from the coast +range of mountains. + +"In 1848 Campbell established Fort Selkirk at the confluence of the +Pelly and Lewes Rivers; it was plundered and destroyed in 1852 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 Rocky +Mountains in the far north. In 1869 the Hudson's Bay Company's officer +was expelled from Fort Yukon by the United States Government, they +haying ascertained by astronomical observations that the post was not +located in British territory. The officer thereupon ascended the +Porcupine to a point which was supposed to be within British +jurisdiction, where he established Rampart House; but in 1890 Mr. J.H. +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 purposes 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 line there +existed extensive and valuable placer gold mines, in which even then as +many as three hundred miners were at work. Mr. Ogilvie determined, by a +series of lunar observations, the point at which the Yukon River is +intersected 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 convenient, owing to the physical +conformation of the region, from which to distribute the supplies +imported for the various mining camps, 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 Fort Cudahy has been given--is well within Canadian territory. The +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 mining fields to the south, the exact +position of which with respect to the boundary he did not have the +opportunity to fix. + +"The number of persons engaged in mining in the locality mentioned has +steadily increased year by year since the date of Mr. Ogilvie's survey, +and it is estimated that at the commencement of the past season not less +than one thousand men were so employed. Incident to this mineral +development there must follow a corresponding growth in the volume of +business of all descriptions, particularly the importation of dutiable +goods, and the occupation of tracts of the public lands for mining +purposes which according to the mining regulations are subject to the +payment of certain prescribed dues and charges. The Alaska Commercial +Company, for many years subsequent to the retirement of the Hudson's Bay +Company, had a practical monopoly of the trade of the Yukon, carrying +into the country and delivering at various points along the river, +without regard to the international boundary line or the customs laws +and regulations of Canada, such articles of commerce as were required +for the prosecution of the fur trade and latterly of placer mining, +these being the only two existing industries. With the discovery of +gold, however, came the organization of a competing company known as the +North American Transportation and Trading Company, having its +headquarters in Chicago and its chief trading and distributing post at +Cudahy. This company has been engaged in this trade for over three +years, and during the past season despatched two ocean steamers from San +Francisco to St. Michael, at the mouth of the Yukon, the merchandise +from which was, at the last mentioned point, transhipped into river +steamers and carried to points inland, but chiefly to the company's +distributing centre within Canadian territory. Importations of +considerable value, consisting of the immediately requisite supplies of +the miners, and their tools, also reach the Canadian portion of the +Yukon District from Juneau, in the United States, by way of the Taiya +Inlet, the mountain passes, and the chain of waterways leading therefrom +to Cudahy. Upon none of these importations had any duty been collected, +except a sum of $3,248.80 paid to Inspector Constantine in 1894, by the +North American Transportation and Trading Company and others, and it is +safe to conclude, especially when it is remembered that the country +produces none of the articles consumed within it except fresh meat, that +a large revenue was being lost to the public exchequer under the then +existing conditions. + +"For the purpose of ascertaining officially and authoritatively the +condition of affairs to which the correspondence referred to in the +next preceding paragraph relates, the Honorable the President of the +Privy Council, during the spring of 1894, despatched Inspector Charles +Constantine, of the Northwest Mounted Police Force, accompanied by +Sergeant Brown, to Fort Cudahy and the mining camps in its vicinity. The +report made by Mr. Constantine on his return, established the +substantial accuracy of the representations already referred to. The +value of the total output of gold for the season of 1894 he estimated at +$300,000. + +"The facts recited clearly establish--first, that the time had arrived +when it became the duty of the Government of Canada to make more +efficient provision for the maintenance of order, the enforcement of the +laws, and the administration of justice in the Yukon country, especially +in that section of it in which placer mining for gold is being +prosecuted upon such an extensive scale, situated near to the boundary +separating the Northwest Territories from the possessions of the United +States in Alaska; and, second, that while such measures as were +necessary to that end were called for in the interests of humanity, and +particularly for the security and safety of the lives and property of +the Canadian subjects of Her Majesty resident in that country who are +engaged in legitimate business pursuits, it was evident that the revenue +justly due to the Government of Canada, under its customs, excise and +land laws, and which would go a long way to pay the expenses of +government, was being lost for the want of adequate machinery for its +collection. + +"Accordingly in June last a detachment[1] of twenty members of the +Mounted Police Force including officers was detailed for service in +that portion of the Northwest Territories. The officer in command, in +addition to the magisterial and other duties he is required to perform +by virtue of his office and under instructions from the Department of +Mounted Police, was duly authorized to represent where necessary, and +until other arrangements can be made, all the departments of the +government having interests in that region. Particularly he is +authorized to perform the duties of Dominion lands agent, collector of +customs, and collector of inland revenue. At the same time instructions +were given Mr. William Ogilvie, the surveyor referred to as having, with +Dr. Dawson, been entrusted with the conduct of the first government +expedition to the Yukon, to proceed again to that district for the +purpose of continuing and extending the work of determining the 141st +meridian, of laying out building lots and mining claims, and generally +of performing such duties as may be entrusted to him from time to time. +Mr. Ogilvie's qualifications as a surveyor, and his previous experience +as explorer of this section of the Northwest, peculiarly fit him for the +task. + +[Footnote 1: The detachment was made up as follows:--Inspector C. +Constantine, Officer Commanding Yukon Detachment N.W.M. Police; +Inspector, D.A.E. Strickland; Assistant Surgeon, A.E. Wills; 2 Staff +Sergeants; 2 Corporals; 13 Constables.] + +"As it appears quite certain, from the report made by Mr. Ogilvie on his +return to Ottawa, in 1889, and from the report of Mr. Constantine, that +the operations of the miners are being conducted upon streams which have +their sources in the United States Territory of Alaska, and flow into +Canada on their way to join the Yukon, and as doubtless some of the +placer diggings under development are situated on the United States side +of the boundary it is highly desirable, both for the purpose of settling +definitely to which country any land occupied for mining or other +purposes actually belongs, and in order that the jurisdiction of the +courts and officers of the United States and Canada, for both civil and +criminal purposes, may be established, that the determination of the +141st meridian west of Greenwich from the point of its intersection +with the Yukon, as marked by Mr. Ogilvie in 1887-88, for a considerable +distance south of the river, and possibly also for some distance to the +north, should be proceeded with at once. Mr. Ogilvie's instructions +require him to go on with the survey with all convenient speed, but in +order that this work may be effective for the accomplishment of the +object in view the co-operation of the Government of the United States +is necessary. Correspondence is in progress through the proper +authorities with a view to obtaining this co-operation. It may be +mentioned that a United States surveyor has also determined the points +at which the Yukon River and Forty Mile Creek are intersected by the +141st meridian." + + +ROUTES, DISTANCES, AND TRANSPORTATION. + +After considerable experience I have decided that the best route for a +man to take to the gold regions is from Seattle, Washington, to Juneau, +Alaska, and then to Dawson City, by the pass and waterways, and I will +therefore describe this route more in detail than any of the others. + +I am devoting a special chapter to the outfit for travellers, and will +therefore deal in this chapter with the route only. + +The traveller having paid his fare to Seattle should on arrival there +have not less than $500. This is the minimum sum necessary to pay his +fare from Seattle to Juneau, purchase his outfit and supplies for one +year and pay his necessary expenses in the gold region for that length +of time. + +I think it deplorable that so many are starting at this time for the +gold-fields. I do not recommend starting before March 15. I will return +at that time to my claims on the Klondyke, if it were wise to go sooner, +I should certainly go. + +The reason March 15 is best is that the season is better then. If a man +has only, say, $500 and wants to do his own packing over the Taiya Pass, +it gives him time to do it by starting March 15, as he will then be in +Juneau April 1st. I fear a great deal of hardship for those who started +out so as to reach Juneau for winter travel. + +Of course while I say $500 is sufficient to go to Dawson City, a man +should take $1,000 or even more if possible as he will have many +opportunities to invest the surplus. + +While prices will undoubtedly advance at Dawson City owing to the large +influx of people, I do not think the advance will be excessive. It has +never been the policy of the two trading companies to take advantage of +the miners. + +The traveller having arrived in Juneau from Seattle, a journey of 725 +miles by water, immediately purchases his complete outfit as described +in another chapter. He then loses no time in leaving Juneau for Dyea, +taking a small steamboat which runs regularly to this port via the Lynn +Canal. Dyea has recently been made a customs port of entry and the head +of navigation this side of the Taiya Pass. The distance between Juneau +and Dyea is about one hundred miles. + +From Dyea, which is the timber-line, he packs his outfit to the foot of +the Taiya Pass--the length of which to the summit is about 15 miles. He +must now carry his outfit up the Pass, which he generally does in two or +more trips according to the weight of his outfit, unless he is able to +hire Indians or mules; but so far there are very few Indians to be hired +and still fewer mules. + +He now starts for Lake Lindeman from the head of the Pass, a distance of +eight miles--the distance from Dyea to Lake Lindeman being 31 miles. + +At Lake Lindeman he commences to make his boat, for which he has brought +the proper supplies in his outfit, with the exception of the timber, +which he finds at Lake Lindeman. He spends one week at Lake Lindeman +making his boat and getting ready for the long trip down the waterways +to Dawson City, the heart of the Klondyke region. The trip through Lake +Lindeman is short, the lake being only five miles long. At the foot of +the lake he must portage to Lake Bennet, the portage however being very +short, less than a mile. + +Lake Bennet is 28 miles long, while going through this lake the +traveller crosses the boundary between British Columbia and the +Northwest Territory. + +After going down Lake Bennet the traveller comes to Caribou +Crossing--about four miles long, which takes him to Lake Tagish, twenty +miles in length. After leaving Tagish he finds himself in Mud or Marsh +Lake, 24 miles long, then into the Lynx River, on which he continues for +27 miles till he comes to Miles Canyon, five-eighths of a mile long. + +Immediately on leaving Miles Canyon he has three miles of what is called +bad river work, which, while not hazardous, is dangerous from the swift +current and from being very rocky. Great care has to be taken in going +down this part of the river. + +He now finds himself in White Horse Canyon the rapids of which are +three-eighths of a mile in length and one of the most dangerous places +on the trip, a man is here guarded by a sign, "Keep a good lookout." + +No stranger or novice should try to run the White Horse Rapids alone in +a boat. He should let his boat drop down the river guided by a rope with +which he has provided himself in his outfit and which should be 150 feet +long. It would be better if the traveller should portage here, the +miners having constructed a portage road on the west side and put down +roller-ways in some places on which they roll their boats over. They +have also made some windlasses with which they haul their boat up the +hill till they are at the foot of the canyon. The White Horse Canyon is +very rocky and dangerous and the current extremely swift. + +After leaving the White Horse Canyon he goes down the river to the head +of Lake Labarge, a distance of 14 miles. He can sit down and steer with +the current, as he is going down the stream all the way. It is for this +reason that in returning from the diggings he should take another +route, of which he will get full particulars before leaving Dawson; +therefore I do not take the time to give a full description of the +return trip via the Yukon to St. Michael. He now goes through Lake +Labarge--for 31 miles--till he strikes the Lewes River, this taking him +down to Hootalinqua. He is now in the Lewes River which takes him for 25 +miles to Big Salmon River and from Big Salmon River 45 miles to Little +Salmon River--the current all this time taking him down at the rate of +five miles an hour. Of course in the canyons it is very much swifter. + +The Little Salmon River takes him to Five Finger Rapids, a distance of +one hundred and twenty miles. In the Five Finger Rapids the voyage +should be made on the right side of the river, going with the current. +These rapids are considered safe by careful management, but the novice +will already have had sufficient experience in guiding his boat before +reaching them. + +From Five Finger Rapids the traveller goes six miles below, down the +Lewes, to the Rink Rapids. On going through the Rink Rapids, he +continues on the Lewes River to Fort Selkirk, the trading post of Harper +and Ladue, where the Pelly and Lewes, at their junction, form the +headwaters of the Yukon. You are now at the head of the Yukon River, and +the worst part of your trip is over. + +You now commence to go down the Yukon, and after a trip of ninety-eight +miles, you are in the White River. You keep on the White River for ten +miles, to the Stewart River, and then twenty-five miles to Fort Ogilvie. +You are now only forty miles from Dawson City. + +Your journey is now almost ended. After a forty-mile trip on the Yukon, +you arrive at Dawson City, where the Klondyke empties in the Yukon. + +All through this trip you have been going through a mountainous country, +the trees there being pine, a small amount of spruce, cottonwood and +birch. You have not seen much game, if any, as it is growing scarce +along that line of river, and very hard to find. The traveller had +therefore better make preparation to depend on the provisions he has +brought with him. If he has stopped to fish, he may have been successful +in catching whitefish, grayling and lake trout, along the lakes and +rivers. + +The total journey from Seattle to Dawson City has taken about two +months. In connection with this trip from Juneau to Dawson City, it is +perhaps better to give the reader the benefit of the trip of Mr. William +Stewart, who writes from Lake Lindeman, May 31st, 1897, as follows:-- + +"We arrived here at the south end of the lake last night by boat. We +have had an awful time of it. The Taiya Pass is not a pass at all, but a +climb right over the mountains. We left Juneau on Thursday, the +twentieth, on a little boat smaller than the ferry at Ottawa. There were +over sixty aboard, all in one room about ten by fourteen. There was +baggage piled up in one end so that the floor-space was only about eight +by eight. We went aboard about three o'clock in the afternoon and went +ashore at Dyea at seven o'clock Friday night. We got the Indians to pack +all our stuff up to the summit, but about fifty pounds each; I had +forty-eight pounds and my gun. + +"We left Dyea, an Indian village, Sunday, but only got up the river one +mile. We towed all the stuff up the river seven miles, and then packed +it to Sheep Camp. We reached Sheep Camp about seven o'clock at night, on +the Queen's Birthday. A beautiful time we had, I can tell you, climbing +hills with fifty pounds on our backs. It would not be so bad if we could +strap it on rightly. + +"We left Sheep Camp next morning at four o'clock, and reached the summit +at half-past seven. It was an awful climb--an angle of about fifty-five +degrees. We could keep our hands touching the trail all the way up. It +was blowing and snowing up there. We paid off the Indians, and got some +sleighs and sleighed the stuff down the hill. This hill goes down pretty +swift, and then drops at an angle of fifty-five degrees for about forty +feet, and we had to rough-lock our sleighs and let them go. There was an +awful fog, and we could not see where we were going. Some fellows helped +us down with the first load, or there would have been nothing left of +us. When we let a sleigh go from the top it jumps about fifty feet +clear, and comes down in pieces. We loaded up the sleighs with some of +our stuff, about two hundred and twenty-five pounds each, and started +across the lakes. The trail was awful, and we waded through water and +slush two and three feet deep. We got to the mouth of the canyon at +about eight o'clock at night, done out. We left there that night, and +pushed on again until morning. We got to the bottom of an awful hill, +and packed all our stuff from there to the hill above the lake. We had +about two and a half miles over hills, in snow and slush. I carried +about five hundred pounds over that part of the trail. We had to get +dogs to bring the stuff down from the summit to the head of the canyon. + +"We worked two days bringing the stuff over from the canyon to the hill +above the lake. Saturday we worked all day packing down the hill to the +lake, and came here on a scow. We were out yesterday morning cutting +down trees to build a boat. The timber is small, and I don't think we +can get more than four-inch stuff. It rained all afternoon, and we +couldn't do anything. There are about fifty boats of all sorts on Lake +Bennet, which is about half a mile from here. I have long rubber boots +up to the hips, and I did not have them on coming from the summit down, +but I have worn them ever since. + +"We met Barwell and Lewis, of Ottawa, to-day. They were out looking for +knees for their boats. They left Ottawa six weeks ago, and have not got +any farther than we have. There was a little saw-mill going here, and +they have their lumber sawn. We have it that warm some days here that +you would fairly roast, and the next day you would be looking for your +overcoat. Everybody here seems to be taking in enough food to do them a +couple of years. + +"We are now in Canadian territory, after we passed the summit. I will +have to catch somebody going through to Dyea to give him this letter, +but I don't know how long before I can get any one going through. This +is the last you will hear from me until I get down to the Klondyke." + +Mr. Stewart adds: "I wrote this in the tent at 11 o'clock at night +during twilight." + +If you take this trip in winter, however, you have to purchase a sled at +Juneau, and sled it over the frozen waterways to Dawson City. + +For the benefit of my readers in Canada and for parties leaving for the +great Northwest Territory for the gold fields, I take pleasure in +quoting the following description of a Canadian route:-- + +"Canadians should awaken to the fact that they have emphatically 'the +inside track' to their own gold fields, a route not half the distance, +largely covered by railways and steamboats, with supply stations at +convenient intervals all the way. By this route the gold-fields can be +reached in two months or six weeks, and the cost of travel is +ridiculously cheap--nearly anybody can afford to go even now, and by the +spring it should be fitted out for the accommodation of any amount of +traffic. + +"The details of the information in the following article are given by Mr. +A.H.H. Heming, the artist who accompanied Mr. Whitney in his journey +towards the Barren Lands, and the data may be accepted as correct, as +they were secured from the Hudson Bay officials. + +"The details of the inland Canadian route, briefly, are as follows: By +C.P.R. to Calgary, and thence north by rail to Edmonton; from there by +stage to Athabasca Landing, 40 miles; then, there is a continuous +waterway for canoe travel to Fort Macpherson, at the mouth of the +Mackenzie River, from which point the Peel River lies southward to the +gold region. The exact figures are as follows: + + MILES. +Edmonton to Athabasca Landing 40 +To Port McMurray 240 +Fort Chippewyan 185 +Smith Landing 102 +Fort Smith 16 +Fort Resolution 194 +Fort Providence 168 +Fort Simpson 161 +Fort Wrigley 136 +Fort Norman 184 +Fort Good Hope 174 +Fort Macpherson 282 + ----- +Total 1882 + +"There are only two portages on this route of any size--that from +Edmonton to Athabasca Landing, over which there is a stage and wagon +line, and at Smith Landing, sixteen miles, over which the Hudson Bay +Company has a tramway. There are four or five other portages of a few +hundred yards, but with these exceptions there is a fine "down grade" +water route all the way. It is the old Hudson Bay trunk line to the +north that has been in use for nearly a century. Wherever there is a +lake or a long stretch of deep water river navigation the company has +small freight steamers which ply back and forward during the summer +between the portage points or shallows. With comparatively little +expenditure the company or the Government can improve the facilities +along the line so that any amount of freight or any number of passengers +can be taken into the gold region at less than half the time and cost +that it takes Americans to reach it from Port St. Michael, at the mouth +of the Yukon to the Klondyke, exclusive of the steamer trip of 2500 +miles from Seattle to Port St. Michael. + +"Canadians can leave here on a Monday at 11.15 A.M., and reach Edmonton +on Friday at 7 P.M. From that point, a party of three men with a canoe, +should reach Fort Macpherson easily in from 50 to 60 days, provided they +are able-bodied young fellows with experience in that sort of travel. +They will need to take canoes from here, unless they propose to hire +Indians with large birch bark canoes to carry them. Birch bark canoes +can be secured of any size up to the big ones manned by ten Indians that +carry three tons. But birch barks are not reliable unless Indians are +taken along to doctor them, and keep them from getting water-logged. The +Hudson Bay Company will also contract to take freight northward on their +steamers until the close of navigation. Travellers to the gold mines +leaving now would probably reach Fort Macpherson before navigation +closed. + +"The letter from Rev. Mr. Stringer, the missionary, published in the +Spectator on July 2, shows that the ice had only commenced to run in the +Peel River, which is the water route south-east from Fort Macpherson +into the gold region, on September 30 last year. + +"Any Canadians who are anxious to get into the Klondyke ahead of the +Americans can leave between now and August 1, reach Fort Macpherson, +and if winter comes on they can exchange their canoes for dog trains, +and reach the Klondyke without half the difficulty that would be +experienced on the Alaska route. The great advantage of the inland route +is that it is an organized line of communication. Travellers need not +carry any more food than will take them from one Hudson Bay post to the +next, and then there is abundance of fish and wild fowl en route. They +can also be in touch with such civilization as prevails up there, can +always get assistance at the posts, and will have some place to stay +should they fall sick or meet with an accident. If they are lucky enough +to make their pile in the Klondyke, they can come back by the dog sled +route during the winter. (There is one winter mail to Fort Macpherson in +winter.) Dogs for teams can be purchased at nearly any of the line of +Hudson Bay posts that form a chain of road-houses on the trip. + +"Parties travelling alone will not need to employ guides until they get +near Fort Macpherson, and from there on to the Klondyke, as the rest of +the route from Edmonton is so well defined, having been travelled for +years, that no guides are required. + +"You don't need a couple of thousand dollars to start for Klondyke +to-morrow by the Edmonton route. All you need is a good constitution, +some experience in boating and camping, and about $150. Suppose a party +of three decide to start. First they will need to purchase a canoe, +about $35 or less; first-class ticket from Hamilton to Edmonton, $71.40; +second class, ditto, $40.90; cost of food at Edmonton for three men for +two months (should consist of pork, flour, tea and baking-powder), $35; +freight on canoe to Edmonton, $23. Total for three men from Hamilton to +Fort Macpherson, provided they travel second-class on the C.P.R. will be +$218.70. These figures are furnished by Mr. Heming, who has been over +the route 400 miles north of Edmonton, and got the rest of his data +from the Hudson Bay officials. + +"If three men chip in $150 each they would have a margin of over $200 for +purchasing their tools and for transport from Fort Macpherson to the +Klondyke. This is how it may be done on the cheap, though Mr. Heming +considers 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 large amount of +supplies for Fort Macpherson immediately and make it the base of +supplies for the Klondyke during the coming winter. + +"Parties should consist of three men each, as that is the crew of a +canoe. It will take 600 pounds of food to carry three men over the +route. Passengers on the C.P.R. are entitled to carry 600 pounds of +baggage. The paddling is all down stream, except when they turn south up +Peel River, and sails should be taken, as there is often a favorable +wind for days. + +"There are large scows on the line, manned by ten men each and known as +'sturgeon heads.' They are like canal boats, but are punted along and +are used by the Hudson Bay people for taking forward supplies 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 +River, 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 left here recently for the Yukon. +He wrote from Lake Lindeman under date of July 4, and 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 expedition 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 everything 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 bedding 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 pushing +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 +precipitous was the mountain side. Time after time the men would slip +back several inches, but they recovered themselves and went at it again. + +Finally, the summit was gained, McLeod being the first of the party to +reach the top. After resting and changing their clothes the descent was +commenced. McLeod and his chums purchased sleighs, on which they loaded +their goods and hauled for five miles. This was extremely laborious +work, and the men were so used up working in the scorching sun that +they were compelled to work at nights and sleep during the day. Two days +after the descent began the 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 terrible, and he has +no desire to repeat the experience. He advises all who go in to have +their goods packed all the way from Dyea to Lake Lindeman. It costs 17 +or 18 cents per pound 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 City. + + +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 Cudahy 650 + +DISTANCES FROM HEAD OF TAIYA INLET. + + Miles +Head of canoe navigation, Taiya River 5.90 +Forks of Taiya River 8.38 +Summit of Taiya Pass 14.76 +Landing at Lake Lindeman 23.06 +Foot of Lake Lindeman 27.49 +Head of Lake Bennet 28.09 +Boundary line B.C. and N.W.T. (Lat 60°) 38.09 +Foot of Lake Bennet 53.85 +Foot of Caribou Crossing (Lake Nares) 56.44 +Foot of Tagish Lake 73.25 +Head of Marsh Lake 78.15 +Foot of Marsh Lake 97.21 +Head of Miles Cañon 122.94 +Foot of Miles Cañon 123.56 +Head of White Horse Rapids 124.95 +Foot of White Horse Rapids 125.33 +Tahkeena River 139.92 +Head of Lake Labarge 153.07 +Foot of Lake 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 opened. Telegraph Creek is the head of steamer +navigation on the Stikine River 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 by the Dominion +Government. A grant of $2,000 has been made by the province of British +Columbia for opening it. + +"J. Dalton, a trader, has used a route overland from Chilkat Inlet to +Fort Selkirk. Going up the Chilkat and Klaheela Rivers, he crosses the +divide to the Tahkeena River and continues northward over a fairly open +country practicable for horses. The distance from the sea to Fort +Selkirk is 350 miles. + +"Last summer a Juneau butcher sent 40 head of cattle to Cudahy. G. +Bounds, the man in charge, crossed the divide over the Chilkat Pass, +followed the shore of Lake Arkell and, keeping to the east of Dalton's +trail, reached the Yukon just below the Rink Rapids. Here the cattle +were slaughtered and the meat floated down on a raft to Cudahy, where it +retailed at $1 a pound. + +"It is proposed to establish a winter road somewhere across the country +travelled over by Dalton and Bounds. The Yukon cannot be followed, the +ice being too much broken, so that any winter road will have to be +overland. A thorough exploration is now being made of all the passes at +the head of Lynn Canal and of the upper waters of the Yukon. In a few +months it is expected that the best routes for reaching the district +from Lynn Canal will be definitely known. + +"It is said by those familiar with the locality that the storms which +rage in the upper altitudes of the coast range during the greater part +of the time, from October to March, are terrific. A man caught in one of +them runs the risk of losing his life, unless he can reach shelter in a +short time. During the summer there is nearly always a wind blowing from +the sea up Chatham Strait and Lynn Canal, which lie in almost a straight +line with each other, and at the head of Lynn Canal are Chilkat and +Chilkoot Inlets. The distance from the coast down these channels to +the open sea is about 380 miles. The mountains on each side of the +water confine the currents of air, and deflect inclined currents in the +direction of the axis of the channel, so that there is nearly always a +strong wind blowing up the channel. Coming from the sea, this wind is +heavily charged with moisture, which is precipitated when the air +currents strike the mountains, and the fall of rain and snow is +consequently very heavy. + +"In Chilkat Inlet there is not much shelter from the south wind, which +renders it unsafe for ships calling there. Capt. Hunter told me he would +rather visit any other part of the coast than Chilkat. + +"To carry the survey from the island across to Chilkoot Inlet I had to +get up on the mountains north of Haines mission, and from there could +see both inlets. Owing to the bad weather I could get no observation for +azimuth, and had to produce the survey from Pyramid Island to Taiya +Inlet by reading the angles of deflection between the courses. At Taiya +Inlet I got my first observation, and deduced the azimuths of my courses +up to that point. Taiya Inlet has evidently been the valley of a +glacier; its sides are steep and smooth from glacial action; and this, +with the wind almost constantly blowing landward, renders getting upon +the shore difficult. Some long sights were therefore necessary. The +survey was made up to the head of the Inlet on the 2d of June. +Preparations were then commenced for taking the supplies and instruments +over the coast range of mountains to the head of Lake Lindeman on the +Lewes River. Commander Newell kindly aided me in making arrangements +with the Indians, and did all he could to induce them to be reasonable +in their demands. This, however, neither he nor any one else could +accomplish. They refused to carry to the lake for less than $20 per +hundred pounds, and as they had learned that the expedition was an +English one, the second chief of the Chilkoot Indians recalled some +memories of an old quarrel which the tribe had with the English many +years ago, in which an uncle of his was killed, and he thought we should +pay for the loss of his uncle by being charged an exorbitant price for +our packing, of which he had the sole control. Commander Newell told him +I had a permit from the Great Father at Washington to pass through his +country safely, that he would see that I did so, and if the Indians +interfered with me they would be punished for doing so. After much talk +they consented to carry our stuff to the summit of the mountain for $10 +per hundred pounds. This is about two-thirds of the whole distance, +includes all the climbing and all the woods, and is by far the most +difficult part of the way. + +"On the 6th of June 120 Indians, men, women and children, 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 the ticket and returned it. The Indians did not seem +to understand the import of this; a few of them pretended to have lost +their tickets; and as they could not get paid without them, my +assistant, who had duplicates of every ticket, furnished them with +receipted copies, after examining their packs. + +"While they were packing to the summit I was producing the survey, and I +met them on their return at the foot of the cañon, about eight miles +from the coast, where I paid them. They came to the camp in the early +morning before I was up, and for about two hours there was quite a +hubbub. When paying them I tried to get their names, but very few of +them would give any Indian name, nearly all, after a little reflection, +giving some common English name. My list contained little else than +Jack, Tom, Joe, Charlie, &c. some of which were duplicated three and +four times. I then found why some of them had pretended to lose their +tickets at the summit. Three or four who had thus acted presented +themselves twice for payment, producing first the receipted ticket, +afterwards the one they claimed to have lost, demanding pay for both. +They were much taken aback 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 payment; 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 man stepped up and demanded pay, stating +that the canoe was his. To see what the result would be, I gave to him +the same amount as to the first. Immediately there were three or four +more claimants for the canoe. I dismissed them with a blessing, and made +up my mind that I would wade the next creek. + +"While paying them I was a little apprehensive of trouble, for they +insisted on crowding into my tent, and for myself 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 difficult 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 tide water I took the azimuths +and altitudes of several of the highest peaks around the head of the +inlet, in order to locate them, and obtain an idea of the general +height of the peaks in the coast range. As it does not appear to have +been done before, I have taken the opportunity of naming all the peaks, +the positions of which I fixed in the above way. The names and altitudes +appear 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 instrument +I had it was inappreciable. From these angles I have computed the height +of the summit of the Taiya Pass,[2] above the head of canoe navigation, +as it appeared to me in June, 1887, and find it to be 3,378 feet. What +depth of snow there was I cannot say. The head of canoe navigation I +estimate at about 120 feet above tide water. Dr. Dawson gives it as 124 +feet. + +[Footnote 2: The distance from the head of Taiya Inlet to the summit of +the pass is 15 miles, and the whole length of the pass to Lake Lindeman +is 23 miles. Messrs. Healy and Wilson, dealers in general merchandise +and miners' supplies at Taiya, have a train of pack horses carrying +freight from the head of Lynn Canal to the summit. They hope to be able +to take freight through to Lake Lindeman with their horses during the +present season.] + +"I determined the descent from the summit to Lake Lindeman by carrying +the aneroid from the lake to the summit and back again, the interval of +time from start to return being about eight hours. Taking the mean of +the readings at the lake, start and return, and the single reading at +the summit, the height of the summit above the lake was found to be +1,237 feet. While making the survey from the summit down to the lake I +took the angles of depression of each station from the preceding one, +and from these angles I deduced the difference of height, which I found +to be 1,354 feet, or 117 feet more than that found by the aneroid. This +is quite a large difference; but when we consider the 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, who 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 built through it, while the new +pass appeared, from what little knowledge I could get of it, to be much +lower and possibly feasible for a wagon 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. None 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; so it was difficult 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 this 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 complete 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 organized. Commencing at Taiya Inlet, about two miles +south of its north end, it follows up the valley, of the Shkagway River +to its source, and thence down the valley of another river which Capt. +Moore reported to empty into the Takone or Windy Arm of Bove Lake +(Schwatka). Dr. Dawson says this stream empties into Taku Arm, and in +that event Capt. Moore is mistaken. Capt. Moore did not go all the way +through to the lake, but assumed from reports he heard from the miners +and others that the stream flowed into Windy Arm, and this also was the +idea of the Indian "Jim" from what I could gather from his remarks in +broken English and Chinook. Capt. Moore estimates the distance from tide +water to the summit at about 18 miles, and from the summit to the lake +at about 22 to 23 miles. He reports the pass as thickly timbered all the +way through. + +"The timber line on the south side of the Taiya Pass, as determined by +barometer reading, is about 2,300 feet above the sea, while on the north +side it is about 1,000 feet below the summit. This large difference is +due, I think, to the different conditions in the two places. On the +south side the valley is narrow and deep, and the sun cannot produce its +full effect. The snow also is much deeper there, owing to the quantity +which drifts in from the surrounding mountains. On the north side the +surface is sloping, and more exposed to the sun's rays. On the south +side the timber is of the class peculiar to the coast, and on the north +that peculiar to the interior. The latter would grow at a greater +altitude than the coast timber. It is possible that the summit of White +Pass is not higher than the timber line on the north of the Taiya Pass, +or about 2,500 feet above tide water, and it is possibly even lower than +this, as the timber in a valley such as the White Pass would hardly live +at the same altitude as on the open slope on the north side. + +"Capt. Moore has had considerable experience in building roads in +mountainous countries. He considers that this would be an easy route for +a wagon road compared with some roads he has seen in British Columbia. +Assuming his distances to be correct, and the height of the pass to be +probably 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 the 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 paying them at the rate of $4 per hundred pounds. After +one trip down only two men remained, and they only in hopes of stealing +something. One of them appropriated a pair of boots, and was much +surprised to find that he had to pay for them on being settled with. I +could not blame them much for not caring to work, as the weather was +very disagreeable--it rained or snowed almost continuously. After the +Indians left I tried to get down the stuff with the aid of my own men, +but it was slavish and unhealthy labor, and after the first trip one of +them was laid up with what appeared to be inflammatory 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 which +were made in Juneau specially for the work of getting over the mountains +and down the lakes on the ice. With these I succeeded in bringing about +a ton and a-half to the lakes, but found that the time 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 protracted physical exertion +under such uncomfortable conditions and continued suffering from snow +blindness expose us to. I had with me a white man who lived at the head +of the inlet with a Tagish Indian woman. This man had a good deal of +influence with the Tagish tribe, of whom the greater number were then +in the neighborhood where he resided, trying to get some odd jobs of +work, and I sent him to the head of the inlet to try and induce the +Tagish Indians to undertake the transportation, offering them $5 per +hundred pounds. In the meantime Capt. Moore and the Indian "Jim" had +rejoined me. I had their assistance 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 powerful coast +tribes, and are in constant dread of offending them 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 vicinity, and the Tagish are afraid to +dispute this claim. When my white man asked the Tagish to come over and +pack they objected on the grounds mentioned. After considerable ridicule +of their cowardice, and explanation of the fact that they had the +exclusive right to all work in their own country, the country on the +side of the north side of the coast range being admitted by the coast +Indians to belong to the Tagish tribe just as the coast tribes had the +privilege of doing all the work on the coast side of the mountains, and +that one of their number was already working with me unmolested, and +likely to continue so, nine of them came over, and in fear and trembling +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 +quite a number at work and was getting my stuff down quite fast. But +this good fortune was not to continue. Owing to the prevailing wet, cold +weather on the mountains, and the difficulty of getting through the soft +wet snow, the Indians soon began to quit work for a day or two at a +time, and to gamble with one another for the wages already earned. Many +of them wanted to be paid in full, but this I positively refused, +knowing that to do so was to have them all apply for their earnings and +leave me until necessity compelled 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 kept at it until all +was delivered. This done, I paid them off, and set about getting my +outfit across the lake, which I did with my own party and the two +Peterborough canoes which I had with me. + +"These two canoes travelled about 3,000 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 packed +over to the head of Lewes River (Lake Lindeman), from where they were +used in making the survey of Lewes and Yukon Rivers. In this work they +made about 650 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 up it to +McDougall's Pass. They were then carried over the pass to Poplar River +and were used in going down the latter to Peel River, and thence up +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 Chipewyan in +fairly good condition, and, with a little painting, they would go +through the same ordeal again. + +"After getting all my outfit over to the foot of Lake Lindeman I set some +of the party to pack it to the head of Lake Bennet. + +"I employed the rest of the party in looking for timber to build a boat +to carry my outfit of provisions and implements 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 make 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 12th I started a portion of the party to load it and go ahead +with it and the outfit to the cañon. They had instructions to examine +the cañon 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, which 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 flat beach +proved very troublesome. On this account I found I could not average +more than ten miles per day on the lakes, little more than half of what +could be done on the river. + +"The survey was completed to the cañon 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 cañon, 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 cañon. The rapids 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 sent two men through the +cañon in one of the canoes to await the arrival of the boat, and to be +ready in case of an accident to pick us up. Every man in the party was +supplied with a life-preserver, so that should a casualty occur we would +all have floated. Those in the canoe got through all right; but 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 I had the same +experience when going through in the boat. + +"The passage through is made in about three minutes, or at the rate of +about 12-1/2 miles an hour. If the boat is kept clear of the sides there +is not much danger in high water; but in low water there is a rock in +the middle of the channel, near the upper end of the cañon, that renders +the passage more difficult. I did not see this rock myself, but got my +information from some miners I met in the interior, who 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 cañon 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 cañon is much rougher to run through than +the upper part, the fall being apparently 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 Rapids 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 accident. 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 sudden drop and +the water rashes through at a tremendous rate, leaping and seething like +a cataract. The miners have constructed a portage road on the west side, +and put down rollways in some places on which to shove their boats over. +They have also made some windlasses with which to haul their boats up +hill, notably one at the foot of the cañon. This roadway and windlasses +must have cost them many hours of hard labor. Should it ever be +necessary, a tramway could be built past the cañon on the east side with +no great difficulty. With the exception of the Five Finger Rapids these +appear to be the only serious rapids on the whole length of the river. + +"Five Finger Rapids are formed by several islands standing in the +channel and backing up the water so much as to raise it about a foot, +causing a swell below for a few 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 past ages. For +about two miles below the rapids there is a pretty swift current, but +not enough to prevent the ascent of a steamboat of moderate power, 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 +required. Six miles below these rapids are what are known as 'Rink +Rapids,' 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 6 foot paddle, +but could not reach the bottom. + +"On the 11th of August I met a party of miners coming out who had passed +Stewart River 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 have +reached that point long before I arrived, on account of the many delays +I had met with on the coast range. These miners also gave me the +pleasant news that the story told at the coast about the fight with the +Indians at Stewart River was false, and stated substantially what I have +already repeated concerning 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 Capt. Moore, from whom the +captain got such information as induced him to turn back and accompany +them out. + +"Next day, the 13th, I got to the mouth of the Pelly, and found that Dr. +Dawson had arrived there on the 11th. The doctor also had experienced +many delays, and had heard the same story of the Indian uprising in the +interior. I was pleased to find that 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 provisions for his party 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 +point; and, as I was not likely to get another opportunity of writing at +such length for a year, I applied myself to a correspondence designed to +satisfy my friends and acquaintances for the ensuing twelve months. This +necessitated three days' hard work. + +"On the morning of the 17th the doctor left for the outside 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 magnetic and astronomical observations, and making +some measurements of the river. On the 19th I resumed the survey and +reached White River on the 25th. Here I spent most of a day trying to +ascend this river, but found it impracticable, on account of the swift +current and shallow and very muddy water. The water is so muddy that it +is impossible to see through one-eighth of an inch of it. The current is +very strong, probably eight miles or more per hour, and the numerous +bars in the bed are constantly changing place. After trying for several +hours, the 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 this stream +to the boundary with canoes. Had it proved feasible I had intended +making a survey of this stream to the boundary, to discover more +especially the facilities it offered for the transport of supplies in +the event of a survey of the International Boundary being undertaken. + +"I reached Stewart River on the 26th. Here I remained a day taking +magnetic observations, and getting information from a miner, named +McDonald, about the country up that river. McDonald had spent the summer +up the river prospecting and exploring. His information will be given in +detail further on. + +"Fort Reliance was reached on the 1st of September, and Forty Mile River +(Cone-Hill River of Schwatka) on the 7th. In the interval between Fort +Reliance and Forty Mile River there were several days lost by rain. + +"At Forty Mile River I made some arrangements with the traders there +(Messrs. Harper & McQuestion) about supplies during the winter, and +about getting Indians to assist me in crossing from the Yukon to the +head of the Porcupine, or perhaps on to the Peel River. I then made a +survey of the Forty Mile River up to the cañon. I found the canon would +be difficult of ascent, and dangerous to descend, and therefore, +concluded to defer further operations until the winter, and until after +I had determined the longitude of my winter post near the boundary, when +I would be in a much better position to locate the intersection of the +International Boundary with this river, a point important to determine +on account of the number and richness of the mining claims on the river. + +"I left Forty Mile River for the boundary line between Alaska and the +Northwest Territories on the 12th September, and finished the survey to +that point on the 14th. I then spent two days in examining the 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 Toronto I got Mr. Foster to make large brass plates with +V's on them, which could be screwed firmly to a stump, and thus be made +to serve as a transit stand. I required a stump at least 22 inches in +diameter to make a base large enough for the plates when properly placed +for the transit. In a search which covered about four miles of the river +bank, on both sides, I found only one tree as large as 18 inches. I +mention this fact to give an idea of the size of the trees along the +river in this vicinity. I had this stump enlarged by firmly fixing +pieces on the sides so as to bring it up to the requisite size. This +done, I built around the stump a small transit house of the ordinary +form and then mounted and adjusted my transit. Meanwhile, most of the +party were busy preparing our winter quarters and building a magnetic +observatory. As I had been led to expect extremely low temperatures +during the winter, I adopted precautionary measures, so 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 the Lewes River, its affluent streams, +and the resources of the adjacent country. + +"For the purpose of navigation a description of the Lewes River begins +at the head of Lake Bennet. Above that point, and between it and Lake +Lindeman, there is only about three-quarters of a mile of river, which +is not more than fifty or sixty yards wide, and two or three feet deep, +and is so swift and rough that navigation is out of the question. + +"Lake Lindeman is about five miles long and half a mile wide. It is deep +enough for all ordinary purposes. Lake Bennet[3] is twenty-six and a +quarter miles long, for the upper fourteen of which it is about half a +mile wide. About midway in its length an arm comes in from the west, +which Schwatka appears to have mistaken for a river, and named Wheaton +River. This arm is wider than the other arm down to that point, and is +reported by Indians to be longer and heading in a glacier which lies in +the pass at the head of Chilkoot Inlet. This arm is, as far as seen, +surrounded by high mountains, apparently much higher than those on the +arm we travelled down. Below the junction of the two arms the lake is +about one and a half miles wide, with deep water. Above the forks the +water of the east branch is muddy. This is caused by the streams from +the numerous glaciers on the head of the tributaries of Lake Lindeman. + +[Footnote 3: A small saw-mill has been erected at the head of Lake +Bennet; lumber for boat building sells at $100 per M. Boats 25 feet long +and 5 feet beam are $60 each. Last year the ice broke up in the lake on +the 12th June, but this season is earlier and the boats are expected to +go down the lake about the 1st of June.] + +"A stream which flows into Lake Bennet at the south-west corner is also +very dirty, and has shoaled quite a large portion of the lake at its +mouth. The beach at the lower end of this lake is comparatively flat and +the water shoal. A deep, wide valley extends northwards from the north +end of the lake, apparently reaching to the cañon, or a short distance +above it. This may have been originally a course for the waters of the +river. The bottom of the valley is wide and sandy, and covered with +scrubby timber, principally poplar and pitch-pine. The waters of the +lake empty at the extreme north-east angle through a channel not more +than one hundred yards wide, which soon expands into what Schwatka +called Lake Nares.[4] Through this narrow channel there is quite a +current, and more than 7 feet of water, as a 6 foot paddle and a foot of +arm added to its length did not reach the bottom. + +[Footnote 4: The connecting waters between Lake Bennet and Tagish Lake +constitute what is now called Caribou Crossing.] + +"The hills at the upper end of Lake Lindeman rise abruptly from the +water's edge. At the lower end they are neither so steep nor so high. + +"Lake Nares is only two and a half miles long, and its greatest width is +about a mile; it is not deep, but is navigable for boats drawing 5 or 6 +feet of water; it is separated from Lake Bennet by a shallow sandy point +of not more than 200 yards in length. + +"No streams of any consequence empty into either of these lakes. A small +river flows into Lake Bennet on the west side, a short distance north of +the fork, and another at the extreme north-west angle, but neither of +them is of any consequence in a navigable sense. + +"Lake Nares flows through a narrow curved channel into Bove Lake +(Schwatka). This channel is not more than 600 or 700 yards long, and the +water in it appears to be sufficiently deep for boats that could +navigate the lake. The land between the lakes along this channel is low, +swampy, and covered with willows, and, at the stage in which I saw it, +did not rise more than 3 feet above the water. The hills on the +south-west side slope up easily, and are not high; on the north side +the deep valley already referred to borders it; and on the east side the +mountains rise abruptly from the lake shore. + +"Bove Lake (called Tagish Lake by Dr. Dawson) is about a mile wide for +the first two miles of its length, when it is joined by what the miners +have called the Windy Arm. One of the Tagish Indians informed me they +called it Takone Lake. Here the lake expands to a width of about two +miles for a distance of some three miles, when it suddenly narrows to +about half a mile for a distance of a little over a mile, after which it +widens again to about a mile and a half or more. + +"Ten miles from the head of the lake it is joined by the Taku Arm from +the south. This arm must be of considerable length, as it can be seen +for a long distance, and its valley can be traced through the mountains +much farther than the lake itself can be seen. It is apparently over a +mile wide at its mouth or junction. + +"Dr. Dawson includes Bove Lake and these two arms under the common name +of Tagish Lake. This is much more simple and comprehensive than the +various names given them by travellers. These waters collectively are +the fishing and hunting grounds of the Tagish Indians, and as they are +really one body of water, there is no reason why they should not be all +included under one name. + +"From the junction with the Taku Arm to the north end of the lake the +distance is about six miles, the greater part being over two miles wide. +The west side is very flat and shallow, so much so that it was +impossible in many places to get our canoes to the shore, and quite a +distance out in the lake there was not more than 5 feet of water. The +members of my party who were in charge of the large boat and outfit, +went down the east side of the lake and reported the depth about the +same as I found on the west side, with many large rocks. They passed +through it in the night in a rainstorm, and were much alarmed for the +safety of the boat and provisions. It would appear that this part of the +lake requires some improvement to make it in keeping with the rest of +the water system with which it is connected. + +"Where the river debouches from it, it is about 150 yards wide, and for +a short distance not more than 5 or 6 feet deep. The depth is, however, +soon increased to 10 feet or more, and so continues down to what +Schwatka calls Marsh Lake. The miners call it Mud Lake, but on this name +they do not appear to be agreed, many of them calling the lower part of +Tagish or Bove Lake "Mud Lake," on account of its shallowness and flat +muddy shores, as seen along the west side, the side nearly always +travelled, as it is more sheltered from the prevailing southerly winds. +The term "Mud Lake" is, however, not applicable to this lake, as only a +comparatively small part of it is shallow or muddy; and it is nearly as +inapplicable to Marsh Lake, as the latter is not markedly muddy along +the west side, and from the appearance of the east shore one would not +judge it to be so, as the banks appear to be high and gravelly. + +"Marsh Lake is a little over nineteen miles long, and averages about two +miles in width. I tried to determine the width of it as I went along +with my survey, by taking azimuths of points on the eastern shore from +different stations of the survey; but in only one case did I succeed, as +there were no prominent marks on that shore which could be identified +from more than one place. The piece of river connecting Tagish and Marsh +Lakes is about five miles long, and averages 150 to 200 yards in width, +and, as already mentioned, is deep, except for a short distance at the +head. On it are situated the only Indian houses to be found in the +interior with any pretension to skill in construction. They show much +more labor and imitativeness than one knowing anything about the Indian +in his native state would expect. The plan is evidently taken from the +Indian houses on the coast, which appear to me to be a poor copy of the +houses which the Hudson's Bay Company's servants build around their +trading posts. These houses do not appear to have been used for some +time past, and are almost in ruins. The Tagish Indians are now generally +on the coast, as they find it much easier to live there than in their +own country. As a 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 200 yards wide, +and averages this width as far as the cañon. I did not try to find +bottom anywhere as I went along, except where I had 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 which +stage it appeared to me the river was at that time. + +"From the head of Lake Bennet to the cañon the corrected 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 about fifteen miles in length, and the +Taku Arm of the latter lake, of unknown length, but probably not less +than thirty miles, and we have a stretch of water of upwards of one +hundred miles in length, all easily navigable; and, as has been pointed +out, easily connected with Taiya Inlet through the White Pass. + +"No streams of any importance enter any of these lakes so far as I know. +A river, called by Schwatka "McClintock River," enters Marsh Lake at the +lower end from the east. It occupies a large valley, as seen from the +westerly side of the lake, but the stream is apparently unimportant. +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 importance, as the strip of country between +the Lewes and Teslintoo is not more than thirty or forty miles in +width at this point. + +"The Taku Arm of Tagish Lake, is, so far, with the exception 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. However, this is a question that can only be decided by a +proper exploration. The cañon I have already described and will only add +that it is five-eighths of a mile long, about 100 feet wide, with +perpendicular banks of basaltic rock from 60 to 100 feet high. + +"Below the cañon proper there is a stretch of rapids for about a mile; +then about half a mile of smooth water, following which are the White +Horse Rapids, which are three-eighths of a mile long, and unsafe for +boats. + +"The total fall in the cañon 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 difficulty, be +constructed along the east side of the river past the cañon. + +"For some distance below the White Horse Rapids the current is swift and +the river wide, with many gravel bars. The reach between these rapids +and Lake Labarge, a distance 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. + +"About midway in this stretch the Tahkeena River[5] joins the Lewes. +This river is, apparently, about half the size of the latter. Its waters +are muddy, indicating the passage through a clayey district. I got some +indefinite information about this river, from an Indian who happened 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 unintelligible. From what I could +understand with any certainty, the river was easy to descend, there +being no bad rapids, and it came out of a lake much larger than any I +had yet passed. + +[Footnote 5: The Tahkeena was formerly much used by the Chilkat Indians +as a means of reaching the interior, but never by the miners owing to +the distance from the sea to its head.] + +"Here I may remark that I have invariably found it difficult to get +reliable or definite information from Indians. The reasons for this are +many. Most of the Indians it has been my lot to meet are expecting to +make something, and consequently are very chary about doing or saying +anything unless they think they will be well rewarded for it. They are +naturally very suspicions 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 previously having them understand that you have no unfriendly +motive in doing so, they become alarmed, and although you may not meet +with a positive refusal to answer questions, you make very little +progress in getting desired information. On the other hand 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 please their hearer. I need hardly say that such +information is often not at all in accordance with the facts. + +"I have several times found that some act of mine when in their +presence has aroused either their fear, superstition or cupidity. As an +instance: on the Bell River I met some Indians coming down stream as I +was going up. We were ashore at the time, and invited them to join us. +They 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 picked it up to unload it, as I knew they +would be handling it after landing. 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 coming 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 determined 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 eastern +shore. The western shore is irregular in many places, being indented by +large bays, especially at the upper and lower ends. These bays are, as a +rule, shallow, more especially those at the lower end. + +"Just above where the lake narrows in the middle there is a large +island. It is three and a-half miles long and about half a mile in +width. It is shown on Schwatka's map as a peninsula, and called by him +Richtofen Rocks. How he came to think it a peninsula I cannot +understand, as it is well out in the lake; the nearest point of it to +the western shore is upwards of half a mile distant, and the extreme +width of the lake here is not more than five miles, which includes the +depth of the deepest bays on the western side. It is therefore difficult +to 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 extending +northwards, which has evidently at one time been the outlet of the lake. +Dr. Dawson has noted it and its peculiarities. His remarks regarding it +will be found on pages 156-160 of his report entitled 'Yukon District +and Northern portion of British Columbia,' published in 1889. + +"The width of the Lewes River as 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 6 or 7 feet. The wind blows 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 Telegraph Company, +exploring the river and adjacent country for the purpose of connecting +Europe and America by telegraph through British Columbia, and Alaska, +and across Behring Strait to Asia, and thence to Europe. This +exploration took place in 1867, but it does not appear that Labarge +then, nor for some years after, saw the lake called by his name. The +successful laying of the Atlantic cable in 1866 put a stop to this +project, 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 Labarge the river, for a distance of about five +miles, preserves a generally 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 opposite 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 five +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 five, and continues +so until the Teslintoo River is reached, thirty-one and seven tenths +miles from Lake Labarge. The average width of this part of the river is +about 150 yards, and the depth is sufficient to afford passage for boats +drawing at least 5 feet. It is, as a rule, crooked, and consequently a +little difficult to navigate. + +"The Teslintoo[6] was so called by Dr. Dawson--this, according to +information obtained by him, being the Indian name. It is called by the +miners 'Hootalinkwa' or Hotalinqua, and was called by Schwatka, who +appears to have bestowed no other attention to it, the Newberry, +although it is apparently much larger than the Lewes. This was so +apparent that in my interim reports I stated it as a fact. Owing to +circumstances already narrated, I had not time while at the mouth to +make any measurement to determine the relative size of the rivers; but +on his way out Dr. Dawson made these measurements, and his report, +before referred to, gives the following values of the cross sections of +each stream: Lewes, 3,015 feet; Teslintoo, 3,809 feet. In the same +connection he states that the Lewes appeared to be about 1 foot above +its lowest summer level, while the Teslintoo appeared to be at its +lowest level. Assuming this to be so, and taking his widths as our data, +it would reduce his cross section of the Lewes to 2,595 feet. Owing, +however, to the current in the Lewes, as determined by Dr. Dawson, being +just double that of the Teslintoo, the figures being 5.68 and 2.88 miles +per hour, respectively, the discharge of the Lewes, taking these figures +again in 18,644 feet, and of the Teslintoo 11,436 feet. To reduce the +Lewes to its lowest level the doctor says would make its discharge +15,600 feet. + +[Footnote 6: The limited amount of prospecting that has been done on +this river is said to be very satisfactory, fine gold having been found +in all parts of the river. The lack of supplies is the great drawback to +its development, and this will not be overcome to any extent until by +some means heavy freight can be brought over the coast range to the head +of the river. Indeed, owing to the difficulties attending access and +transportation, the great drawback to the entire Yukon district at +present is the want of heavy mining machinery and the scarcity of +supplies. The government being aware of the requirements and +possibilities of the country, has 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 +be opened up.] + +"The water of the Teslintoo is of a dark brown color, similar in +appearance to the Ottawa River water, and a little turbid. +Notwithstanding the difference of volume of discharge, the Teslintoo +changes completely the character of the river below the junction, and a +person coming up the river would, at the forks, unhesitatingly pronounce +the Teslintoo the main stream. The water of the Lewes is blue in color, +and at the time I speak of was somewhat dirty--not enough so, however, +to prevent one seeing to a depth of two or three feet. + +"At the junction of the Lewes and Teslintoo I met two or three families +of the Indians who hunt in the vicinity. One of them could speak a +little Chinook. As I had two men with me who understood his jargon +perfectly, with their assistance I tried to get some information from +him about the river. He told me the river was easy to ascend, and +presented the same appearance eight days journey up as at the mouth; +then a lake was reached, which took one day to cross; the river was then +followed again for half a day to another lake, which took two days to +traverse: into this lake emptied a stream which they used as a highway +to the coast, passing by way of the Taku River. He 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 they come light +they take only one to two days. He spoke also of a stream entering the +large lake from the east which came from a distance; but they did not +seem to know much about it, and considered it outside their country. If +their time intervals are approximately accurate, they mean that there +are about 200 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 12 +of river, which brings us to the large lake, which takes two days to +cross, say 50 or 60 more--in all about 292 miles--say 300 to the head of +canoe navigation; while the distance from the head of Lake Bennet to the +junction is only 188. Assuming the course of the Teslintoo to be nearly +south (it is a little to the east of it), and throwing out every fourth +mile for bends, the remainder gives us in arc three degrees and a +quarter of latitude, which, deducted from 61° 40', the latitude of the +junction, gives us 58° 25', or nearly the latitude of Juneau. + +"To make sure that I understood the Indian aright, and 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 another miner, who +had spent most of the summer on the river prospecting, and from them I +gathered the following: + +"The distance to the first, and only lake which they saw, they put 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 river must head near Liard River. +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 incorporated in his report. + +"Many years ago, sixteen I think, a man named Monroe prospected up the +Taku and learned from the Indians something of a large lake not far from +that river. He crossed over and found it, and spent some time in +prospecting, 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 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 certain: this +branch, 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 cañon being only +ninety miles above the mouth of the Teslintoo. The Boswells reported it +as containing much more useful timber than the 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 obtained as to the position of this +river in the neighborhood of Marsh Lake tending to show that the +distance between them was only about thirty or forty miles. + +"Between 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 Lewes 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 hundred yards which it maintains with +little variation. The current 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 concerning this stream; but Dr. Dawson was more +fortunate, and met a man who had spent most of the summer of 1887 +prospecting on it. His opinion was that it might be navigable for small +stern-wheel steamers for many miles. The valley, as seen from the mouth, +is wide, and gives one the impression of being occupied by a much more +important stream. Looking up it, in the distance could be seen many high +peaks covered with snow. As the date was August it is likely they are +always so covered, which would make their 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 say that they called +the distance to a small lake near the head of the river, 190 miles from +the mouth. This lake was estimated to be four miles in length; another +lake about 12 miles above this was estimated to be twenty-four miles +long, and its upper end distant only about eight miles from the +Teslintoo. These distances, if correct, make this river much more +important than a casual glance at it would indicate; this, however, will +be more fully spoken of under its proper head. + +"Just below the Big Salmon the Lewes takes a bend of nearly a right +angle. Its course from the junction with the Tahkeena to this point is +generally a little east of north; at this point it turns to nearly west +for some distance. Its course between here and its confluence with the +Pelly is north-west, and, I may add, it preserves this general direction +down to the confluence with the Porcupine. The river also changes in +another respect; it is generally wider, and often expands into what +might be called lakes, in which are islands. Some of the lakes are of +considerable length, and well timbered. + +"To determine which channel is the main one, that is, which carries the +greatest volume of water, or is best available for the purposes of +navigation, among these islands, would require more time than I could +devote to it on my way down; consequently I cannot say more than that I +have no reason to doubt that a channel giving six feet or more of water +could easily be found. Whenever, in the main channel, I had reason to +think the water shallow, I tried it with my paddle, but always failed to +find bottom, which gives upward of six feet. Of course I often found +less than this, but not in what I considered the main channel. + +"Thirty-six and a quarter miles below the Big Salmon, the Little +Salmon--the Daly of Schwatka--enters the Lewes. This river is about 60 +yards wide at the mouth, and not more than two or three feet in depth. +The water is clear and of a brownish hue; there is not much current at +the mouth, nor as far as can be seen up the stream. The valley which, +from the mouth, does not appear extensive, bears north-east for some +distance, when it appears to turn more to the east. Six or seven miles +up, and apparently on the north side, some high cliffs of red rock, +apparently granite, can be seen. It is said that some miners have +prospected this stream, but I could learn nothing definite about it. + +"Lewes River makes a turn here to the south-west, and runs in that +direction six miles, when it again turns to the north-west for seven +miles, and then makes a short, sharp turn to the south and west around a +low sandy point, which will, at some day in the near future, be cut +through by the current, which will shorten the river three or four +miles. + +"Eight miles below Little Salmon River, a large rock called the Eagle's +Nest, stands up in a gravel slope on the easterly bank of the river. It +rises about five hundred feet above the river, and is composed of a +light gray stone. What the character of this rock is I could not +observe, as I saw it only from the river, which is about a quarter of a +mile distant. On the westerly side of the river there are two or three +other isolated masses of apparently the same kind of rock. One of them +might be appropriately called a mountain; it is south-west from the +Eagle's Nest and distant from it about three miles. + +"Thirty-two miles below Eagle's Nest Rock, Nordenskiold River enters +from the west. It is an unimportant stream, being not more than one +hundred and twenty feet wide at the mouth, and only a few inches deep. +The valley, as far as can be seen, is not extensive, and, being very +crooked, it is hard to tell what its general direction is. + +"The Lewes, between the Little Salmon and the Nordenskiold, maintains a +width of from two to three hundred yards, with an occasional expansion +where there are islands. It is serpentine in its course most of the way, +and where the Nordenskiold joins it is very crooked, running several +times under a hill, named by Schwatka Tantalus Butte, and in other +places leaving it, for a distance of eight miles. The distance across +from point to point is only half a mile. + +"Below this to Five Finger Rapids, so-called from the fact that five +large masses of rock stand in mid-channel, the river assumes its +ordinary straightness and width, with a current from four to five miles +per hour. I have already described Five Finger Rapids; I do not think +they will prove anything more than a slight obstruction in the +navigation of the river. A boat of ordinary power would probably have to +help herself up with windlass and line in high water. + +"Below the rapids, for about two miles, the current is strong--probably +six miles per hour--but the water seems to be deep enough for any boat +that is likely to navigate it. + +"Six miles below this, as already noticed, Rink Rapids are situated. +They are of no great importance, the westerly half of the stream only +being obstructed. The easterly half is not in any way affected, the +current being smooth and the water deep. + +"Below Five Finger Rapids about two miles a small stream enters from +the east. It is called by Dr. Dawson Tatshun River. It is not more than +30 or 40 feet wide at the mouth, and contains only a little clear, +brownish water. Here I met the only Indians seen on the river between +Teslintoo and Stewart Rivers. They were engaged in catching salmon at +the mouth of the Tatshun, and were the poorest and most unintelligent +Indians it has ever been my lot to meet. It is needless to say that none +of our party understood anything they said, as they could not speak a +word of any language but their own. I tried by signs to get some +information from them about the stream they were fishing in, but failed. +I tried in the same way to learn if there were any more Indians in the +vicinity, but again utterly failed. I then tried by signs to find out +how many days it took to go down to Pelly River, but although I have +never known these signs to fail in eliciting information in any other +part of the territory, they did not understand. They appeared to be +alarmed by our presence; and, as we had not yet been assured as to the +rumor concerning the trouble between the miners and Indians, we felt a +little apprehensive, but being able to learn nothing from them we had to +put our fears aside and proceed blindly. + +"Between Five Finger Rapids and Pelly River, fifty-eight and a +half-miles, no streams of any importance enter the Lewes; in fact, with +the exception of the Tatshun, it may be said that none at all enter. + +"About a mile below Rink Rapids the river spreads out into a lake-like +expanse, with many islands; this continues for about three miles, when +it contracts to something like the usual width; but bars and small +islands are very numerous all the way to Pelly River. About five miles +above Pelly River there is another lake-like expanse filled with +islands. The river here for three or four miles is nearly a mile wide, +and so numerous and close are the islands that it is impossible to tell +when floating among them where the shores of the river are. The current, +too, is swift, leading one to suppose the water shallow; but I think +even here a channel deep enough for such boats as will navigate this +part of the river can be found. Schwatka named this group of islands +"Ingersoll Islands." + +"At the mouth of the Pelly the Lewes is about half a mile wide, and here +too there are many 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 565 yards wide; about two-thirds being ten feet +deep, with a current of about four and three-quarter 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 be found in his report already +cited, "Yukon District and Northern British Columbia." + +"Just here for a short distance the course of the Yukon is nearly west, +and on the south side, about a mile below the mouth of the Lewes, stands +all that remains of the only trading post ever built by white men in the +district. This post was established by Robert Campbell, for the Hudson's +Bay Company in the summer of 1848. It was first built on the point of +land between the two rivers, but this location proving untenable on +account of flooding by ice jams in the spring, it was, in the season of +1852, moved across the river to where the ruins now stand. It appears +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 had inaugurated, and +which they found to seriously interfere with their profits. Their method +of trade appears to have been then pretty much as it is now--very +onesided. What they found it convenient to take by force they took, and +what it was convenient to pay for at their own price they paid for. + +"Rumors had reached the post that the coast Indians contemplated such a +raid, and in consequence the native Indians in the vicinity remained +about nearly all summer. Unfortunately, they went away for a short time, +and during their absence the coast Indians arrived in the early morning, +and surprised Mr. Campbell in bed. They were not at all rough with him, +but gave him the privilege of leaving the place within twenty-four +hours, after which he was informed that he was liable to be shot if seen +by them in the locality. They then pillaged the place and set fire to +it, leaving nothing but the remains of the two chimneys which are still +standing. This raid and capture took place on the 1st August, 1852. + +"Mr. Campbell dropped down the river, and met some of the local Indians +who returned with him, but the robbers had made their escape. I have +heard that the local Indians wished to pursue and overtake them, but to +this Mr. Campbell would not consent. Had they done so it is probable not +many of the raiders would have escaped, as the superior local knowledge +of the natives would have given them an advantage difficult to estimate, +and the confidence and spirit derived from the aid and presence of a +white man or two would be worth much in such a conflict. + +"Mr. Campbell went on down the river until he met the outfit for his +post on its way up from Fort Yukon, which he turned back. He then +ascended the Pelly, crossed to the Liard, and reached Fort Simpson, on +the Mackenzie, late in October. + +"Mr. Campbell's first visit to the site of Fort Selkirk was made in +1840, under instructions from Sir George Simpson, then Governor of the +Hudson's Bay Company. He crossed from the head waters of the Liard to +the waters of the Pelly. It appears the Pelly, where he struck it, was a +stream of considerable size, for he speaks of its appearance when he +first saw it from 'Pelly Banks,' the name given the bank from which he +first beheld it, as a 'splendid river in the distance.' In June, 1843, +he descended the Pelly to its confluence with the larger stream, which +he named the 'Lewes.' Here he found many families of the native +Indians--'Wood Indians,' he called them. These people conveyed to him, +as best they could by word and sign, the dangers that would attend a +further descent of the river, representing that the country below theirs +was inhabited by a tribe of fierce cannibals, who would assuredly kill +and eat them. This so terrified his men that he had to return by the way +he came, pursued, as he afterwards learned, by the Indians, who would +have murdered himself and party had they got a favorable opportunity. +Thus it was not until 1850 that he could establish, what he says he all +along believed, 'that the Pelly and Yukon were identical.' This he did +by descending the river to where the Porcupine joins it, and where in +1847 Fort Yukon was established by Mr. A.H. Murray for the Hudson's Bay +Company. + +"With reference to the tales told him by the Indians of bad people +outside of their country, I may say that Mackenzie tells pretty much the +same story of the Indians on the Mackenzie when he discovered and +explored that river in 1789. He had the advantage of having Indians +along with him whose language was radically the same as that of the +people he was coming among, and his statements are more explicit and +detailed. Everywhere he came in contact with them they manifested, +first, dread of himself and party, and when friendship and confidence +were established they nearly always tried to detain him by representing +the people in the direction he was going as unnaturally bloodthirsty and +cruel, sometimes asserting the existence of monsters with supernatural +powers, as at Manitou Island, a few miles below the present Fort Good +Hope, and the people on a very large river far to the west of the +Mackenzie, probably the Yukon, they described to him as monsters in +size, power and cruelty. + +"In our own time, after the intercourse that there has been between them +and the whites, more than a suspicion of such unknown, cruel people +lurks in the minds of many of the Indians. It would be futile for me to +try to ascribe an origin for these fears, my knowledge of their language +and idiosyncrasies being so limited. + +"Nothing more was ever done in the vicinity of Fort Selkirk[7] by the +Hudson's Bay Company after these events, and in 1869 the Company was +ordered by Capt. Charles W. Raymond, who represented the United States +Government, to evacuate the post at Fort Yukon, he having found that it +was west of the 141st meridian. The post was occupied by the Company, +however, for some time after the receipt of this order, and until +Rampart House was built, which was intended to be on British territory, +and to take the trade previously done at Fort Yukon. + +[Footnote 7: This is now a winter port for steamboats of the North +American Transportation and Trading Company, plying the Yukon and its +tributaries. There is also a trading post here owned by Harper & Ladue.] + +"Under present conditions the Company cannot very well compete with the +Alaska Commercial Company, whose agents do the only trade in the +district,[8] and they appear to have abandoned--for the present at +least--all attempt to do any trade nearer to it than Rampart House to +which point, notwithstanding the distance and difficulties in the way, +many of the Indians on the Yukon make a trip every two or three years to +procure goods in exchange for their furs. The clothing and blankets +brought in by the Hudson's Bay Company they claim are much better than +those traded on their own river by the Americans. Those of them that I +saw who had any English blankets exhibited them with pride, and +exclaimed 'good,' They point to an American blanket in contempt, with +the remark 'no good,' and speak of their clothing in the same way. + +[Footnote 8: Since the date of this report the North American +Transportation and Trading Company, better known in the Yukon valley as +"Captain Healy's Company," has established a number of posts on the +river.] + +"On many maps of Alaska a place named 'Reed's House' is shown on or near +the upper waters of Stewart River. I made enquiries of all whom I +thought likely to know anything concerning this post, but failed to +elicit any information showing that there ever had been such a place. I +enquired of Mr. Reid, who was in the Company's service with Mr. Campbell +at Fort Selkirk, and after whom I thought, possibly, the place had been +called, but he told me he knew of no such post, but that there was a +small lake at some distance in a northerly direction from Fort Selkirk, +where fish were procured. A sort of shelter had been made at that point +for the fishermen, and a few furs might have been obtained there, but it +was never regarded as a trading post. + +"Below Fort Selkirk, the Yukon River is from five to six hundred yards +broad, and maintains this width down to White River, a distance of +ninety-six miles. Islands are numerous, so much so that there are very +few parts of the river where there are not one or more in sight. Many of +them are of considerable size, and nearly all are well timbered. Bars +are also numerous, but almost all are composed of gravel, so that +navigators will not have to complain of shifting sand bars. The current +as a general thing, is not so rapid as in the upper part of the river, +averaging about four miles per hour. The depth in the main channel was +always found to be more than six feet. + +"From Pelly River to within twelve miles of White River the general +course of the river is a little north of west; it then turns to the +north, and the general course as far as the site of Fort Reliance is due +north. + +"White River enters the main river from the west. At the mouth it is +about two hundred yards wide, but a great part of it is filled with +ever-shifting sand-bars, the main volume of water being confined to a +channel not more than one hundred yards in width. The current is very +strong, certainly not less than eight miles per hour. The color of the +water bears witness to this, as it is much the muddiest that I have ever +seen.[9] + +[Footnote 9: The White River very probably flows over volcanic deposits +as its sediments would indicate; no doubt this would account for the +discoloration of its waters. The volcanic ash appears to cover a great +extent of the Upper Yukon basin drained by the Lewes and Pelly Rivers. +Very full treatment of the subject is given by Dr. Dawson, in his report +entitled "Yukon District and Northern portion of British Columbia."] + +"I had intended to make a survey of part of this river as far as the +International Boundary, and attempted to do so; but after trying for +over half a day, I found it would be a task of much labor and time, +altogether out of proportion to the importance of the end sought, and +therefore abandoned it. The valley as far as can be seen from the mouth, +runs about due west for a distance of eight miles; it then appears to +bear to the south-west; it is about two miles wide where it joins the +Pelly valley and apparently keeps the same width as far as it can be +seen. + +"Mr. Harper, of the firm of Harper & Ladue, went up this river with +sleds in the fall of 1872 a distance of fifty or sixty miles. He +describes it as possessing the same general features all the way up, +with much clay soil along its banks. Its general course, as sketched by +him on a map of mine, is for a distance of about thirty miles a little +north-west, thence south-west thirty or thirty-five miles, when it +deflects to the north-west running along the base of a high mountain +ridge. If the courses given are correct it must rise somewhere near the +head of Forty Mile River; and if so, its length is not at all in keeping +with the volume of its discharge, when compared with the known length +and discharge of other rivers in the territory. Mr. Harper mentioned an +extensive flat south of the mountain range spoken of, across which many +high mountain peaks could be seen. One of these he thought must be Mount +St. Elias, as it overtopped all the others; but, as Mount St. Elias is +about one hundred and eighty miles distant, his conclusion is not +tenable. From his description of this mountain it must be more than +twice the height of the highest peaks seen anywhere on the lower river, +and consequently must be ten or twelve thousand feet above the sea. He +stated that the current in the river was very swift, as far as he +ascended, and the water muddy. The water from this river, though +probably not a fourth of the volume of the Yukon, discolors the water of +the latter completely; and a couple of miles, below the junction the +whole river appears almost as dirty as White River. + +"Between White and Stewart Rivers, ten miles, the river spreads out to a +mile and upwards in width, and is a maze of islands and bars. The survey +was carried down the easterly shore, and many of the channels passed +through barely afforded water enough to float the canoes. The main +channel is along the westerly shore, down which the large boat went, and +the crew reported plenty of water. + +"Stewart River enters from the east 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 considerable height. The river half a mile or so +above the mouth, is two hundred yards in width. The current is slack and +the water shallow and clear, but dark colored. + +"While at the mouth I was fortunate enough to meet a miner who had spent +the whole of the summer of 1887 on the river and its branches +prospecting and exploring. He gave me a good deal of information of +which I give a summary. He is a native of New Brunswick, Alexander +McDonald by name, and has spent some years mining in other places, but +was very reticent about what he had made or found. Sixty or seventy +miles up the Stewart a large creek enters from the south which he called +Rose Bud Creek or River, and thirty or forty miles further up a +considerable stream flows from the north-east, which appears to be +Beaver River, as marked on the maps of that part of the country. From +the head of this stream he floated down on a raft taking five days to do +so. He estimated his progress at forty or fifty miles each day, which +gives a length of from two hundred to two hundred and fifty miles. This +is probably an over-estimate, unless the stream is very crooked, which, +he stated, was not the case. As much of his time would be taken up in +prospecting, 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, he 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 +possibly 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 he called +Mayhew Lake, after one of the partners in the firm of Harper, McQuestion +& Co. + +"Thirty miles or so above the forks on the other branch there are +falls, which McDonald estimated to be from one to two hundred feet in +height. I met several parties who had seen these falls, and they +corroborate this estimate of their height. McDonald went on past the +falls to the head of this branch and found terraced gravel hills to the +west and north; he crossed them to the north and found a river flowing +northward. On this he embarked on a raft and floated down it for a day +or two, thinking it would turn to the west and join the Stewart, but +finding it still continuing north, and acquiring too much volume to be +any of the branches he had seen while passing up the Stewart, he +returned to the point of his departure, and after prospecting among the +hills around the head of the river, he started westward, crossing a high +range of mountains composed principally of shales with many thin seams +of what he 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 Mayhew Lake, and crossing this got to the head of Beaver River, +which he descended as before mentioned. + +"It is probable the river flowing northwards, on which he made a journey +and returned, was a branch of Peel River. He described the timber on the +gravel terraces of the watershed as small and open. He was alone in this +unknown wilderness all summer, not seeing even any of the natives. There +are few men so constituted as to be capable of isolating themselves in +such a manner. Judging from all I could learn it is probable a +light-draught steamboat could navigate nearly all of Stewart Iver and +its tributaries. + +"From Stewart River to the site of Fort Reliance,[10] seventy-three and +a quarter miles, the Yukon is broad and full of islands. The average +width is between a half and three quarters of a mile, but there are many +expansions where it is over a mile in breadth; however, in these places +it cannot be said that the waterway is wider than at other parts of the +river, the islands being so large and numerous. In this reach no streams +of any importance enter. + +[Footnote 10: This was at one time a trading post occupied by Messrs. +Harper & McQuestion.] + +"About thirteen miles below Stewart River a large valley joins that of +the river, but the stream occupying it is only a large creek. This +agrees in position with what has been called Sixty Mile Creek, which was +supposed to be about that distance above Fort Reliance, but it does not +agree with descriptions which I received of it; moreover as Sixty Mile +Creek is known to be a stream of considerable length, this creek would +not answer its description. + +"Twenty-two and a half miles from Stewart River another and larger creek +enters from the same side; it agrees with the descriptions of Sixty Mile +Creek, and I have so marked it on my map. This stream is of no +importance, except for what mineral wealth may be found on it.[11] + +[Footnote 11: Sixty Mile Creek is about one hundred miles long, very +crooked, with a swift current and many rapids, and is therefore not easy +to ascend. + +Miller, Glacier, Gold, Little Gold and Bedrock Creeks are all +tributaries of Sixty Mile. Some of the richest discoveries in gold so +far made in the interior since 1894 have been upon these creeks, +especially has this been the case upon the two first mentioned. There is +a claim upon Miller Creek owned by Joseph Boudreau from which over +$100,000 worth of gold is said to have been taken out. + +Freight for the mines is taken up Forty Mile Creek in summer for a +distance of 30 miles, then portaged across to the heads of Miller and +Glacier Creeks. In the winter it is hauled in by dogs. + +The trip from Cudahy to the post at the mouth of Sixty Mile River is +made by ascending Forty Mile River a small distance, making a short +portage to Sixty Mile River and running down with its swift current. +Coming back on the Yukon, nearly the whole of the round trip is made +down stream. + +Indian Creek enters the Yukon from the east about 30 miles below Sixty +Mile. It is reported to be rich in gold, but owing to the scarcity of +supplies its development has been retarded. + +At the mouth of Sixty Mile Creek a townsite of that name is located, it +is the headquarters for upwards of 100 miners and where they more or +less assemble in the winter months. + +Messrs. Harper & Co. have a trading post and a saw-mill on an island at +the mouth of the creek; both, of which are in charge of Mr. J. Ladue, +one of the partners of the firm, and who was at one time in the employ +of the Alaska Commercial Company.] + +"Six and a half miles above Port Reliance the Thron-Diuck[12] River of +the Indians (Deer River of Schwatka) enters from the east. It is a small +river about forty yards wide at the mouth, and shallow; the water is +clear and transparent, and of beautiful blue color. The Indians catch +great numbers of salmon here. They had been fishing shortly before my +arrival, and the river, for some distance up, was full of salmon traps. + +[Footnote 12: Dawson City is situated at the mouth of the Thron-Diuck +now known as Klondyke, and although it was located only a few months ago +it is the scene of great activity. Very rich deposits of gold have been +lately found on Bonanza Creek and other affluents of the Thron-Diuck.] + +"A miner had prospected up this river for an estimated distance of forty +miles, in the season of 1887. I did not see him, but got some of his +information at second hand. The water being so beautifully clear I +thought it must come through a large lake not far up; but as far as he +had gone no lakes were seen. He said the current was comparatively +slack, with an occasional 'ripple' or small rapid. Where he turned back +the river is surrounded by high mountains, which were then covered with +snow, which accounts for the purity and clearness of the water. + +"It appears that the Indians go up this stream a long distance to hunt, +but I could learn nothing definite as to their statements concerning it. + +"Twelve and a half miles below Fort Reliance, the Chandindu River, as +named by Schwatka, enters from the east. It is thirty to forty yards +wide at the mouth, very shallow, and for half a mile up is one +continuous rapid. Its valley is wide and can be seen for a long distance +looking north-eastward from the mouth. + +"Between Fort Reliance and Forty Mile River (called Cone Hill River by +Schwatka) the Yukon assumes its normal appearance, having fewer islands +and being narrower, averaging four to six hundred yards wide, and the +current being more regular. This stretch is forty-six miles long, but +was estimated by the traders at forty, from which the Forty Mile River +took its name. + +"Forty Mile River[13] joins the main river from the west. Its general +course as far up as the International Boundary, a distance of +twenty-three miles, is south-west; after this it is reported by the +miners to run nearer south. Many of them claim to have ascended this +stream for more than one hundred miles, and speak of it there as quite a +large river. They say that at that distance it has reached the level of +the plateau, and the country adjoining it they describe as flat and +swampy, rising very little above the river. It is only a short distance +across to the Tanana River--a large tributary of the Yukon--which is +here described as an important stream. However, only about twenty-three +miles of Forty Mile River are in Canada; and the upper part of it and +its relation to other rivers in the district have no direct interest for +us. + +[Footnote 13: Forty Mile townsite is situated on the south side of the +Forty Mile River at its junction with the Yukon. The Alaska Commercial +Company has a station here which was for some years in charge of L.N. +McQuestion; there are also several blacksmith shops, restaurants, +billiard halls, bakeries, an opera house and so on. Rather more than +half a mile below Forty Mile townsite the town of Cudahy was founded on +the north side of Forty Mile River in the summer of 1892. It is named +after a well known member of the North American Transportation and +Trading Company. In population and extent of business the town bears +comparison with its neighbor across the river. The opposition in trade +has been the means of very materially reducing the cost of supplies and +living. The North American Transportation and Trading Company has +erected a saw-mill and some large warehouses. Fort Constantine was +established here immediately upon the arrival of the Mounted Police +detachment in the latter part of July, 1895. It is described further on +in an extract from Inspector Constantine's supplementary report for the +year 1895.] + +"Forty Mile River is one hundred to one hundred and fifty yards wide at +the mouth, and the current is generally strong, with many small rapids. +Eight miles up is the so-called cañon; it is hardly entitled to that +distinctive name, being simply a crooked contraction of the river, with +steep rocky banks, and on the north side there is plenty of room to walk +along the beach. At the lower end of the cañon there is a short turn and +swift water in which are some large rocks; these cannot generally be +seen, and there is much danger of striking them running down in a boat. +At this point several miners have been drowned by their boats being +upset in collision with these rocks. It is no great distance to either +shore, and one would think an ordinary swimmer would have no difficulty +in reaching land; but the coldness of the water soon benumbs a man +completely and renders him powerless. In the summer of 1887, an Indian, +from Tanana, with his family, was coming down to trade at the post at +the mouth of Forty Mile River; his canoe struck on these rocks and +upset, and he was thrown clear of the canoe, but the woman and children +clung to it. In the rough water he lost sight of them, and concluded +that they were lost: it is said he deliberately drew his knife and cut +his throat, thus perishing, while his family were hauled ashore by some +miners. The chief of the band to which this Indian belonged came to the +post and demanded pay for his loss, which he contended was occasioned by +the traders having moved from Belle Isle to Forty Mile, thus causing +them to descend this dangerous rapid, and there is little doubt that had +there not been so many white men in the vicinity he would have tried to +enforce his demand. + +"The length of the so-called cañon is about a mile. Above it the river +up to the boundary is generally smooth, with swift current and an +occasional ripple. The amount of water discharged by this stream is +considerable; but there is no prospect of navigation, it being so swift +and broken by small rapids. + +"From Forty Mile River to the boundary the Yukon preserves the same +general character as between Fort Reliance and Forty Mile, the greatest +width being about half a mile and the least about a quarter. + +"Fifteen miles below Forty Mile River a large mass of rock stands on the +east bank. This was named by Schwatka 'Roquette Rock,' but is known to +the traders as Old Woman Rock; a similar mass, on the west side of the +river, being known as Old Man Rock. + +"The origin of these names is an Indian legend, of which the following +is the version given to me by the traders;-- + +"In remote ages there lived a powerful shaman, pronounced Tshaumen by +the Indians, this being the local name for what is known as medicine man +among the Indians farther south and east. The Tshaumen holds a position +and exercises an influence among the people he lives with, something +akin to the wise men or magi of olden times in the East. In this +powerful being's locality there lived a poor man who had the great +misfortune to have an inveterate scold for a wife. He bore the +infliction for a long time without murmuring, in hopes that she would +relent, but time seemed only to increase the affliction; at length, +growing weary of the unceasing torment, he complained to the Tshaumen +who comforted him, and sent him home with the assurance that all would +soon be well. + +"Shortly after this he went out to hunt, and remained away for many days +endeavoring to get some provisions for home use, but without avail; he +returned weary and hungry, only to be met by his wife with a more than +usually violent outburst of scolding. This so provoked him that he +gathered all his strength and energy for one grand effort and gave her a +kick that sent her clean across the river. On landing she was converted +into the mass of rock which remains to this day a memorial of her +viciousness and a warning to all future scolds. The metamorphosis was +effected by the Tshaumen, but how the necessary force was acquired to +send her across the river (here about half a mile wide), or whether the +kick was administered by the Tshaumen or the husband, my narrator could +not say. He was altogether at a loss to account for conversion of the +husband into the mass of rock on the west side of the river; nor can I +offer any theory unless it is that he was _petrified_ by astonishment at +the result. + +"Such legends as this would be of interest to ethnologists if they could +be procured direct from the Indians, but repeated by men who have little +or no knowledge of the utility of legendary lore, and less sympathy with +it, they lose much of their value. + +"Between Forty Mile River and the boundary line no stream of any size +joins the Yukon; in fact, there is only one stream, which some of the +miners have named Sheep Creek, but as there is another stream further +down the river, called by the same name, I have named it Coal Creek. It +is five miles below Forty Mile, and comes in from the east, and is a +large creek, but not at all navigable. On it some extensive coal seams +were seen, which will be more fully referred to further on. + + * * * * * + +"At the boundary the river is somewhat contracted, and measures only +1,280 feet across in the winter; but in summer, at ordinary water level, +it would be about one hundred feet wider. Immediately below the boundary +it expands to its usual width, which is about 2,000 feet. The area of +the cross section measured is 22,268 feet, the sectional area of the +Teslintoo, as determined by Dr. Dawson and already referred to, is 3,809 +feet; that of the Lewes at the Teslintoo, from the same authority, is +3,015 feet. Had the above cross-section been reduced to the level at +which the water ordinarily stands during the summer 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 per +cent more, and at spring flood level about double the above area. + +"It is a difficult matter to determine the actual discharge at the place +of the cross-section, owing to the irregularity in the depth and +current, the latter being in the deep channel at the east side, when I +tried it in September, approximately 4.8 miles per hour; while on the +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 purpose of +cross-section measurement. At the boundary it is narrow and clear of +bars and islands for some miles, but here I did not have an opportunity +to determine the rate of the current before the river froze up, 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. + +"The current from the boundary down to the confluence with the Porcupine +is said to be strong and much the same as that above; from the Porcupine +down, for a distance of five or six hundred miles it is called medium +and the remainder easy. + +"From Stewart River to the mouth of the Yukon is about 1,650 miles, and +the only difficult place in all this distance is the part near the +confluence with the Porcupine, which has evidently been a lake in past +ages but is now filled with islands; it is said that the current here is +swift, and the channels generally narrow, rendering navigation +difficult." + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +ADVICE TO BEGINNERS. + +Men who are thinking of going to the Klondyke regions and taking a trip +of this character for the first time, will do well to carefully read the +chapter on "Outfit for Miners." It is a great mistake to take anything +except what is necessary; the trip is a long arduous one, and a man +should not add one pound of baggage to his outfit that can be dispensed +with. I have known men who have loaded themselves up with rifles, +revolvers and shot-guns. This is entirely unnecessary. Revolvers will +get you into trouble, and there is no use of taking them with you, as +large game of any character is rarely found on the trip. I have +prospected through this region for some years and have only seen one +moose. You will not see any large game whatever on your trip from Juneau +to Dawson City, therefore do not take any firearms along. + +You will find a list of the implements for the miner in the chapter on +"Outfit for Miners." + +The miners here are a very mixed class of people. They represent 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. The 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 being very small. Those miners who do not work their claims +during the winter confine themselves to these small huts most of the +time. Very often they become indolent and careless, only eating those +things which are most easily cooked or prepared. During the busy time in +summer when they are shovelling in, they work hard and for long hours, +sparing little time for eating and much less for cooking. + +This manner of living is quite common amongst beginners, 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 this, where it is impossible to get fresh +vegetables and fruits, it is most important that the best substitutes +for these should be provided. Nature helps to supply these wants by +growing cranberries and other wild fruits in abundance, but men in +summer are usually too busy to avail themselves of these. + +The diseases met with in this country are dyspepsia, anaemia, scurvy +caused by improperly cooked food, sameness of diet, overwork, want of +fresh vegetables, overheated and badly ventilated houses; rheumatism, +pneumonia, bronchitis, enteritis, cystitis and 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 practical men, able to adapt themselves quickly to their +surroundings. Special care should be taken to see that their lungs are +sound, that they are free from rheumatism and rheumatic tendency, and +that their joints, especially knee joints, are strong and have never +been weakened by injury, synovitis or other disease. It is also very +important to consider their temperaments. Men should be of cheerful, +hopeful dispositions and willing workers. Those of sullen, morose +natures, although they may be good workers, are very apt, as soon as the +novelty of the country wears off, to become dissatisfied, pessimistic +and melancholy. + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +OUTFIT FOR MINERS. + +In giving any advice for outfits for miners, I should first state that +it is a great mistake to purchase anything whatever before arriving at +Juneau, Alaska. This has been a supply point for that region for upwards +of ten years, and store-keepers and supply companies carry in stock +exactly what is necessary for the miners. You will find that their +prices are reasonable, considering the difference in cost of +transportation at any point you might decide to purchase from in the +United States; in fact it is the saving of money to buy in Juneau. + +In the matter of clothing, of course, it must be left to the individual +taste and means of the purchaser, but the miners usually adopt the +native costume of the region. The boots are generally made by the coast +Indians and are of different varieties. The water boot is made of seal +and walrus. It is important to take a pair of rubber boots along. +Additional boots can be purchased at Dawson City. The native boots cost +from two to five dollars a pair. Trousers are generally made from +Siberian fawn skins and the skin of the marmot or the ground squirrel. +The outer garments are generally made of the marmot skin. The people at +Dawson City who are not engaged in mining, such as store-keepers, +clerks, etc., generally wear these garments. Good warm flannels are +important. Everything in the way of underwear is made of flannel, such +as shirts. The cost of flannel shirts at Dawson City is $5. Rubber +boots at Dawson City are $10 to $12.00 a pair. Blankets and robes are +used for bedding, and should be purchased at Juneau. Wolf skins make the +best robes. Good ones cost $100 apiece, but cheaper ones can be obtained +from the bear, mink, and red fox and Arctic Hare. Warm socks are made +from the skin of the Arctic Hare. + +If you have any delay at Juneau, you will, probably, be asked to take +trips to the Giant Glaciers, but my advice is to stay in Juneau until +the steamer is ready to start for Dyea. You will need all the rest you +can get before starting up the Pass. + +In the matter of provisions, the following is a list which is considered +sufficient to last a man on his trip from Juneau to Dawson City:-- + +20 pounds of flour, +12 pounds of bacon, +12 " " beans, + 4 " " butter, + 5 " " vegetables, + 4 cans of condensed milk, + 5 pounds of sugar, + 1 pound of tea, + 3 pounds of coffee, + 1 1-2 pound of salt, + 5 pounds of corn meal, +A small portion of pepper and mustard. + +The following utensils should be taken:-- + +1 frying pan, +1 water kettle, +1 Yukon stove, +1 bean pot, +2 plates, +1 tin drinking cup, +1 tea pot, +1 knife and fork, +1 large and 1 small cooking pan. + +The following tools should he brought as part of the outfit:--These will +be found absolutely necessary to build a boat at Lake Lindeman:-- + +1 jack plane, +1 whip saw, +1 cross-cut saw, +1 axe, +1 hatchet, +1 hunting-knife. +6 pounds of assorted nails, +1 pound of oakum, +5 pounds of pitch, +150 feet of rope, +1 Juneau sled. + +It is also necessary to have one good duck tent and a rubber blanket. + +A good piece of mosquito netting will not be heavy and will also be very +great comfort on the trip. + +Do not forget to put in a good supply of matches, and take a small +supply of fishing tackle, hooks, etc. + +It is very important that you have a pair of snow glasses to guard +against snow blindness. + +It will be interesting to know the prices at Dawson City for supplies: + +When I left in June, 1896. + +Flour was sold in 50 pound bags at $6.00 a bag. + +Fresh beef was supplied at 50 cents a pound. + +Bacon was 40 cents. + +Coffee was 50 cents per pound. + +Brown sugar was 20 cents per pound and granulated sugar was 25 cents a +pound. + +Condensed milk was 50 cents per can. + +Pick axes were $6.00 each. + +Miners' shovels were $2.00 each. + +Lumber right at Dawson City was $130.00 per thousand feet undressed, and +$150.00 per thousand feet dressed. + +It is well perhaps to advise the traveller to supply himself with a +small medicine box which can be purchased in Juneau, but it is not +necessary if he enjoys good rugged health. + +On arriving at Dawson City, luxuries will be found to be very high; what +is to be considered a very cheap cigar in the United States, two for 5 +cents, sells in Dawson City at 50 cents each. + +Liquors command very high prices. Whisky sells in the saloons for 50 +cents a glass, and fluctuates from $15.00 to $25.00 per gallon, +according to the supplies received from the at present overtaxed +transportation companies. There was about 12,000 gallons of whisky +imported into the territory from Canada the past year. Smoking tobacco +was selling at $1.50 a pound and good plug cut and fancy tobacco was +selling at $2.00 a pound. + +The demand for medicine is very light, but the local traders carry a +small stock of patent and proprietary medicines. + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +MINERS' LUCK. + +The reports already received of the finds of gold seem beyond belief but +the greater part of them are actual facts, and the following came under +my personal observation:-- + +Alexander McDonald, on Claim No. 30, Eldorado, on the Klondyke, started +drifting on his claim with four men. The men agreed to work the claim on +shares, the agreement being that they should work on shares by each +receiving half of what they could get out. The five together took out +$95,000.00 in twenty-eight days. The ground dug up was found to measure +but 40 square feet. This was an exceptional find. The men are of course +working the claim and had 460 square feet on the claim still to work out +when I left for the East. + +People in the East or elsewhere can hardly realize what a small space a +mining claim is in this vast and comparatively unexplored territory. + +William Leggatt on Claim No. 13, Eldorado, together with William Gates +and a miner named Shoots, purchased their claim from a miner named +Stewart, and his partner, for the sum of $45,000.00. They did not have +money to make the payment in cash but made a first payment of $2,000.00 +with the agreement to pay the balance of the purchase price, $43,000.00, +prior to July 1st, 1897. They sunk a shaft and commenced taking out +$1,000.00 per day. + +They worked the pay dirt until about May 15, 1897, when they found that +they had taken out $62,000.00, and the space of the claim worked was +only _twenty-four square feet_. + +A young man who went to the Klondyke recently writes that he is taking +out $1,800.00 a day from his claim. + +It is stated on good authority that one claim yielded $90,000 in 45 +feet up and down the stream. Clarence Berry bought out his two partners, +paying one $35,000 and the other $60,000, and has taken up $140,000 from +the winter dump alone. Peter Wiborg has purchased more ground. He +purchased his partner's interest in a claim, paying $42,000. A man by +the name of Wall has all he thinks he wants, and is coming out. He sold +his interests for $50,000. Nearly all the gold is found in the creek bed +on the bed rock, but there are a few good bench diggings. + +Perhaps the most interesting reading in the _Mining Record_ is the +letters written by men in the Klondyke to friends in Juneau. Here is one +from "Casey" Moran: + +DAWSON, March 20, 1897. + +"FRIEND GEORGE: Don't pay any attention to what any one says, but come +in at your earliest opportunity. My God! it is appalling to hear the +truth, but nevertheless the world has never produced its equal before. +Well, come. That's all. Your friend, + +"CASEY." + +Burt Shuler, writing from Klondyke under date of June 5, says: + +"We have been here but a short time and we all have money. Provisions +are much higher than they were two years ago and clothing is clean out +of sight. One of the A.C. Co.'s boats was lost in the spring, and there +will be a shortage of provisions again this fall. There is nothing that +a man could eat or wear that he cannot get a good price for. First-class +rubber boots are worth from an ounce of gold to $25 a pair. The price of +flour has been raised from $4 to $6, as it was being freighted from +Forty Mile. Big money can be made by bringing a small outfit over the +trail this fall. Wages have been $15 per day all winter, though a +reduction to $10 was attempted, but the miners quit work.... Here is a +creek that is eighteen miles long, and, as far as is known, without a +miss. There are not enough men in the country to-day to work the claims. +Several other creeks show equal promise, but very little work has been +done on the latter. I have seen gold dust until it seems almost as cheap +as sawdust. If you are coming in, come prepared to stay two years at +least; bring plenty of clothing and good rubber boots." + +Thus far little attempt to mine quartz has been made in the interior of +Alaska and the Northwest, although many quartz croppings have been seen. +It would cost too much to take in the machinery and to build a plant +until transportation facilities are better. In time, however, quartz +mining operations will commence, for the placer mines were washed down +from the mother veins somewhere. If the washings have made the richest +placers in the world, what must the mother veins be? One dares hardly to +imagine. + +This is a brief description of the gold region in the Northwest. + +For further and more detailed information on Routes and Distances, +Transportations, Mining Laws, How to Stake a Claim, Where to Register +Your Claim, Modes of Placer Mining and Quartz Mining, Return of Gold +from the Diggings, Mortality, Cost of Living, etc., I refer the reader +to my book on this subject entitled "Klondyke Facts," a work of about +224 pages. It is published in paper covers at 50 cents a copy with maps +and illustrations, and is sent postpaid by the publishers on receipt of +50 cents. + +AMERICAN TECHNICAL BOOK CO., 45 Vesey Street, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. + + * * * * * + +*ABC of Electricity*. Now in its 62d thousand. By WM. H. +MEADOWCROFT. 1 volume, 12mo, cloth, 50 cents Fully illustrated. + +This excellent primary book has taken the first place in elementary +scientific works. It has received the endorsement of Thomas A Edison. 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For +example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at: + + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/2/3/10234 + +or filename 24689 would be found at: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/6/8/24689 + +An alternative method of locating eBooks: + https://www.gutenberg.org/GUTINDEX.ALL + + diff --git a/old/10043-8.zip b/old/10043-8.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a205a4c --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10043-8.zip diff --git a/old/10043.txt b/old/10043.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3c84210 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10043.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3319 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Klondyke Nuggets, by Joseph Ladue + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Klondyke Nuggets + A Brief Description of the Great Gold Regions in the Northwest + +Author: Joseph Ladue + +Release Date: November 11, 2003 [EBook #10043] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KLONDYKE NUGGETS *** + + + + +Produced by PG Distributed Proofreaders + + + + +KLONDYKE NUGGETS + +A Brief Description of the Great Gold Regions in the Northwest +Territories and Alaska + +BY + +JOSEPH LADUE + +Founder of Dawson City, N.W.T. + +Explorer, Miner and Prospector + +September, 1897 + + + + + +PREFACE. + + +The extraordinary excitement arising from the reports of the discovery +of Gold in the Klondyke region in the great Canadian Northwest is not +surprising to one who, through personal residence and practical +experience, is thoroughly conversant with the locality. + +Having recently returned for a temporary stay, after a somewhat +successful experience, I have received applications for information in +numbers so great that it far exceeds my ability and the time at my +disposal to make direct replies. + +I have therefore arranged with the American Technical Book Co., 45 Vesey +Street, New York City, for the issue of this brief description, +preparatory to the publication of my larger book, "Klondyke Facts," a +book of 224 pages, with illustrations and maps, in which will be found a +vast fund of practical information, statistics, and all particulars +sought for by those who intend emigrating to this wonderful country. + +It is well-nigh impossible to tell the truth of these recent discoveries +of gold, but while I can only briefly describe the territory in this +small work, it shall be my endeavor to give the intending prospector, +in the large work above mentioned, as many facts as possible, and these +may thoroughly be relied upon, as from one who has lived continuously in +those regions since 1882. + +JOSEPH LADUE. + + + * * * * * + + +KLONDYKE NUGGETS + + +CHAPTER I. + + +KLONDYKE. + +Klondyke! The word and place that has startled the civilized world is +to-day a series of thriving mining camps on the Yukon River and its +tributaries in the Canadian Northwest Territories. + +Prior to August 24, 1896, this section of the country had never been +heard of. It was 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 point in the new mining regions. +Its population in June, 1897; 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 Roman Catholic denominations. It is +the headquarters of the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police, _and perfect +law and order is maintained_. + +It is at Dawson City that the prospector files his claims with the +Government Gold Commissioner, in the recording offices. + +Dawson City faces on one of the banks of the Yukon River, and now +occupies about a mile of the bank. It is at the junction of the Klondyke +River with the Yukon River. It is here where the most valuable mining +claims are being operated on a scale of profit that the world has +hitherto never known. The entire country surrounding is teeming with +mineral wealth. + +Copper, silver and coal can be found in large quantities, but little or +no attention is now being paid to these valuable minerals, as every one +is engaged in gold-hunting and working the extraordinary placer mining +claims already located. + +The entire section is given up to placer mining. Very few claims had +been filed for quartz mining. The fields of gold will not be exhausted +in the near future. No man can tell what the end will be. From January +to April, 1897, about $4,000,000 were taken out of the few placer claims +then being worked. This was done in a territory not exceeding forty +square miles. All these claims are located on Klondyke River and the +little tributaries emptying into it, and the districts are known as Big +Bonanza, Gold Bottom and Honker. + +I have asked old and experienced miners at Dawson City who mined +through California in Bonanza days, and some who mined in Australia, +what they thought of the Klondyke region, and their reply has +invariably been, "The world never saw so vast and rich a find of gold as +we are working now." + +Dawson City is destined to be the greatest mining camp in the history of +mining operations. + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +KLONDYKE FACTS. + +There is a great popular error in reference to the climate of the gold +regions. Many reports have appeared in the newspapers which are +misleading. It has been even stated that the cold is excessive almost +throughout 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 chopped wood in my shirt-sleeves in front of my door at Dawson +City when the thermometer was 70 degrees below zero, and I suffered no +inconvenience. We 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, therefore 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. + +The winter days are very short. In this region there are only two hours +from sunrise to sunset. The sun rises and sets away in the south but +there is no pitch darkness. + +The 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 +about twenty hours long. The sun rising and setting in the north. A +great deal has been said about the short seasons, but as a matter of +fact a miner can work 12 months in the year when in that region. + +Spring opens about May 1st and the ice commences to break up about that +time. The Yukon River is generally clear of ice about May 15. The best +part of the miner's work commences then and lasts till about October +1st. + +The winter commences in October but the miner keeps on working through +the winter. The rainy season commences in the latter part of August and +lasts two or three weeks. + +A fall of two feet of snow is considered heavy. + +There is a wide difference in the quantity of snow that accumulates on +the coast and the ranges 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 Klondyke rivers is inconsiderable. + +In my new work on this territory entitled "Klondyke Facts" I deal more +largely on the climate of this region. + +There are still good diggings at Circle City in Alaska, but nearly all +the miners have left for Klondyke, not being satisfied with the pay dirt +which they were working. I know at least 20 good claims in Circle City. + +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 will undoubtedly be new and valuable diggings 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 reported. + +It is my belief that the greatest finds of gold will be made in this +territory. 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 Northwest territory, +which is under the Canadian Government. + +It is possible however 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 the present claims, and would advise +prospectors to work east and south of Klondyke. + + +THE YUKON RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. + +"What 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 highway, which will make it possible for the explorer to +penetrate the mysterious fastnesses 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 +heads in southeastern Alaska. This point of confluence is at Fort +Selkirk, in the Northwest Territory, about 125 miles south-east of the +Klondyke. The Yukon proper is 2,044 miles in length. From Fort Selkirk +it flows north-west 400 miles, just touching the Arctic circle; thence +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 +discharges one-third more water into Behring Sea than does the +Mississippi into the Gulf 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. Only +natives who are thoroughly familiar with the river are entrusted with +the piloting of boats up the stream during the season of low water. Even +at the season of high water it is still so shallow as not to be +navigable anywhere by seagoing vessels, but only by flat-bottomed boats +with a carrying capacity of four to five hundred tons. The draft of +steamers on the Yukon should not exceed three and a half feet. + +"The Yukon district, which is within the jurisdiction of the Canadian +Government and in which the bulk of the gold has been found, has a total +area, approximately, of 192,000 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 unending panorama of extraordinary picturesqueness is +unfolded to the voyager. The banks are fringed with flowers, carpeted +with the all-pervading moss or tundra. 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 the mountain wall, which rises up from a bed of roses. By +September everything is changed. The bed of roses has disappeared before +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 chamber in the mountains. Every +stream becomes 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 in Alaska and partly in +British territory. It covers an area of some 50,000 square miles. But so +far the infinitely richest spot lies some one hundred miles east 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 living throughout +the entire length of the Yukon valley. The horsefly is larger and more +poignantly assertive than the insect which we know by that name. 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 incipient boil. Schwatka reports that one +of his party, so bitten was completely 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 band 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 of about 650 miles along the river from the coast +range of mountains. + +"In 1848 Campbell established Fort Selkirk at the confluence of the +Pelly and Lewes Rivers; it was plundered and destroyed in 1852 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 Rocky +Mountains in the far north. In 1869 the Hudson's Bay Company's officer +was expelled from Fort Yukon by the United States Government, they +haying ascertained by astronomical observations that the post was not +located in British territory. The officer thereupon ascended the +Porcupine to a point which was supposed to be within British +jurisdiction, where he established Rampart House; but in 1890 Mr. J.H. +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 purposes 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 line there +existed extensive and valuable placer gold mines, in which even then as +many as three hundred miners were at work. Mr. Ogilvie determined, by a +series of lunar observations, the point at which the Yukon River is +intersected 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 convenient, owing to the physical +conformation of the region, from which to distribute the supplies +imported for the various mining camps, 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 Fort Cudahy has been given--is well within Canadian territory. The +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 mining fields to the south, the exact +position of which with respect to the boundary he did not have the +opportunity to fix. + +"The number of persons engaged in mining in the locality mentioned has +steadily increased year by year since the date of Mr. Ogilvie's survey, +and it is estimated that at the commencement of the past season not less +than one thousand men were so employed. Incident to this mineral +development there must follow a corresponding growth in the volume of +business of all descriptions, particularly the importation of dutiable +goods, and the occupation of tracts of the public lands for mining +purposes which according to the mining regulations are subject to the +payment of certain prescribed dues and charges. The Alaska Commercial +Company, for many years subsequent to the retirement of the Hudson's Bay +Company, had a practical monopoly of the trade of the Yukon, carrying +into the country and delivering at various points along the river, +without regard to the international boundary line or the customs laws +and regulations of Canada, such articles of commerce as were required +for the prosecution of the fur trade and latterly of placer mining, +these being the only two existing industries. With the discovery of +gold, however, came the organization of a competing company known as the +North American Transportation and Trading Company, having its +headquarters in Chicago and its chief trading and distributing post at +Cudahy. This company has been engaged in this trade for over three +years, and during the past season despatched two ocean steamers from San +Francisco to St. Michael, at the mouth of the Yukon, the merchandise +from which was, at the last mentioned point, transhipped into river +steamers and carried to points inland, but chiefly to the company's +distributing centre within Canadian territory. Importations of +considerable value, consisting of the immediately requisite supplies of +the miners, and their tools, also reach the Canadian portion of the +Yukon District from Juneau, in the United States, by way of the Taiya +Inlet, the mountain passes, and the chain of waterways leading therefrom +to Cudahy. Upon none of these importations had any duty been collected, +except a sum of $3,248.80 paid to Inspector Constantine in 1894, by the +North American Transportation and Trading Company and others, and it is +safe to conclude, especially when it is remembered that the country +produces none of the articles consumed within it except fresh meat, that +a large revenue was being lost to the public exchequer under the then +existing conditions. + +"For the purpose of ascertaining officially and authoritatively the +condition of affairs to which the correspondence referred to in the +next preceding paragraph relates, the Honorable the President of the +Privy Council, during the spring of 1894, despatched Inspector Charles +Constantine, of the Northwest Mounted Police Force, accompanied by +Sergeant Brown, to Fort Cudahy and the mining camps in its vicinity. The +report made by Mr. Constantine on his return, established the +substantial accuracy of the representations already referred to. The +value of the total output of gold for the season of 1894 he estimated at +$300,000. + +"The facts recited clearly establish--first, that the time had arrived +when it became the duty of the Government of Canada to make more +efficient provision for the maintenance of order, the enforcement of the +laws, and the administration of justice in the Yukon country, especially +in that section of it in which placer mining for gold is being +prosecuted upon such an extensive scale, situated near to the boundary +separating the Northwest Territories from the possessions of the United +States in Alaska; and, second, that while such measures as were +necessary to that end were called for in the interests of humanity, and +particularly for the security and safety of the lives and property of +the Canadian subjects of Her Majesty resident in that country who are +engaged in legitimate business pursuits, it was evident that the revenue +justly due to the Government of Canada, under its customs, excise and +land laws, and which would go a long way to pay the expenses of +government, was being lost for the want of adequate machinery for its +collection. + +"Accordingly in June last a detachment[1] of twenty members of the +Mounted Police Force including officers was detailed for service in +that portion of the Northwest Territories. The officer in command, in +addition to the magisterial and other duties he is required to perform +by virtue of his office and under instructions from the Department of +Mounted Police, was duly authorized to represent where necessary, and +until other arrangements can be made, all the departments of the +government having interests in that region. Particularly he is +authorized to perform the duties of Dominion lands agent, collector of +customs, and collector of inland revenue. At the same time instructions +were given Mr. William Ogilvie, the surveyor referred to as having, with +Dr. Dawson, been entrusted with the conduct of the first government +expedition to the Yukon, to proceed again to that district for the +purpose of continuing and extending the work of determining the 141st +meridian, of laying out building lots and mining claims, and generally +of performing such duties as may be entrusted to him from time to time. +Mr. Ogilvie's qualifications as a surveyor, and his previous experience +as explorer of this section of the Northwest, peculiarly fit him for the +task. + +[Footnote 1: The detachment was made up as follows:--Inspector C. +Constantine, Officer Commanding Yukon Detachment N.W.M. Police; +Inspector, D.A.E. Strickland; Assistant Surgeon, A.E. Wills; 2 Staff +Sergeants; 2 Corporals; 13 Constables.] + +"As it appears quite certain, from the report made by Mr. Ogilvie on his +return to Ottawa, in 1889, and from the report of Mr. Constantine, that +the operations of the miners are being conducted upon streams which have +their sources in the United States Territory of Alaska, and flow into +Canada on their way to join the Yukon, and as doubtless some of the +placer diggings under development are situated on the United States side +of the boundary it is highly desirable, both for the purpose of settling +definitely to which country any land occupied for mining or other +purposes actually belongs, and in order that the jurisdiction of the +courts and officers of the United States and Canada, for both civil and +criminal purposes, may be established, that the determination of the +141st meridian west of Greenwich from the point of its intersection +with the Yukon, as marked by Mr. Ogilvie in 1887-88, for a considerable +distance south of the river, and possibly also for some distance to the +north, should be proceeded with at once. Mr. Ogilvie's instructions +require him to go on with the survey with all convenient speed, but in +order that this work may be effective for the accomplishment of the +object in view the co-operation of the Government of the United States +is necessary. Correspondence is in progress through the proper +authorities with a view to obtaining this co-operation. It may be +mentioned that a United States surveyor has also determined the points +at which the Yukon River and Forty Mile Creek are intersected by the +141st meridian." + + +ROUTES, DISTANCES, AND TRANSPORTATION. + +After considerable experience I have decided that the best route for a +man to take to the gold regions is from Seattle, Washington, to Juneau, +Alaska, and then to Dawson City, by the pass and waterways, and I will +therefore describe this route more in detail than any of the others. + +I am devoting a special chapter to the outfit for travellers, and will +therefore deal in this chapter with the route only. + +The traveller having paid his fare to Seattle should on arrival there +have not less than $500. This is the minimum sum necessary to pay his +fare from Seattle to Juneau, purchase his outfit and supplies for one +year and pay his necessary expenses in the gold region for that length +of time. + +I think it deplorable that so many are starting at this time for the +gold-fields. I do not recommend starting before March 15. I will return +at that time to my claims on the Klondyke, if it were wise to go sooner, +I should certainly go. + +The reason March 15 is best is that the season is better then. If a man +has only, say, $500 and wants to do his own packing over the Taiya Pass, +it gives him time to do it by starting March 15, as he will then be in +Juneau April 1st. I fear a great deal of hardship for those who started +out so as to reach Juneau for winter travel. + +Of course while I say $500 is sufficient to go to Dawson City, a man +should take $1,000 or even more if possible as he will have many +opportunities to invest the surplus. + +While prices will undoubtedly advance at Dawson City owing to the large +influx of people, I do not think the advance will be excessive. It has +never been the policy of the two trading companies to take advantage of +the miners. + +The traveller having arrived in Juneau from Seattle, a journey of 725 +miles by water, immediately purchases his complete outfit as described +in another chapter. He then loses no time in leaving Juneau for Dyea, +taking a small steamboat which runs regularly to this port via the Lynn +Canal. Dyea has recently been made a customs port of entry and the head +of navigation this side of the Taiya Pass. The distance between Juneau +and Dyea is about one hundred miles. + +From Dyea, which is the timber-line, he packs his outfit to the foot of +the Taiya Pass--the length of which to the summit is about 15 miles. He +must now carry his outfit up the Pass, which he generally does in two or +more trips according to the weight of his outfit, unless he is able to +hire Indians or mules; but so far there are very few Indians to be hired +and still fewer mules. + +He now starts for Lake Lindeman from the head of the Pass, a distance of +eight miles--the distance from Dyea to Lake Lindeman being 31 miles. + +At Lake Lindeman he commences to make his boat, for which he has brought +the proper supplies in his outfit, with the exception of the timber, +which he finds at Lake Lindeman. He spends one week at Lake Lindeman +making his boat and getting ready for the long trip down the waterways +to Dawson City, the heart of the Klondyke region. The trip through Lake +Lindeman is short, the lake being only five miles long. At the foot of +the lake he must portage to Lake Bennet, the portage however being very +short, less than a mile. + +Lake Bennet is 28 miles long, while going through this lake the +traveller crosses the boundary between British Columbia and the +Northwest Territory. + +After going down Lake Bennet the traveller comes to Caribou +Crossing--about four miles long, which takes him to Lake Tagish, twenty +miles in length. After leaving Tagish he finds himself in Mud or Marsh +Lake, 24 miles long, then into the Lynx River, on which he continues for +27 miles till he comes to Miles Canyon, five-eighths of a mile long. + +Immediately on leaving Miles Canyon he has three miles of what is called +bad river work, which, while not hazardous, is dangerous from the swift +current and from being very rocky. Great care has to be taken in going +down this part of the river. + +He now finds himself in White Horse Canyon the rapids of which are +three-eighths of a mile in length and one of the most dangerous places +on the trip, a man is here guarded by a sign, "Keep a good lookout." + +No stranger or novice should try to run the White Horse Rapids alone in +a boat. He should let his boat drop down the river guided by a rope with +which he has provided himself in his outfit and which should be 150 feet +long. It would be better if the traveller should portage here, the +miners having constructed a portage road on the west side and put down +roller-ways in some places on which they roll their boats over. They +have also made some windlasses with which they haul their boat up the +hill till they are at the foot of the canyon. The White Horse Canyon is +very rocky and dangerous and the current extremely swift. + +After leaving the White Horse Canyon he goes down the river to the head +of Lake Labarge, a distance of 14 miles. He can sit down and steer with +the current, as he is going down the stream all the way. It is for this +reason that in returning from the diggings he should take another +route, of which he will get full particulars before leaving Dawson; +therefore I do not take the time to give a full description of the +return trip via the Yukon to St. Michael. He now goes through Lake +Labarge--for 31 miles--till he strikes the Lewes River, this taking him +down to Hootalinqua. He is now in the Lewes River which takes him for 25 +miles to Big Salmon River and from Big Salmon River 45 miles to Little +Salmon River--the current all this time taking him down at the rate of +five miles an hour. Of course in the canyons it is very much swifter. + +The Little Salmon River takes him to Five Finger Rapids, a distance of +one hundred and twenty miles. In the Five Finger Rapids the voyage +should be made on the right side of the river, going with the current. +These rapids are considered safe by careful management, but the novice +will already have had sufficient experience in guiding his boat before +reaching them. + +From Five Finger Rapids the traveller goes six miles below, down the +Lewes, to the Rink Rapids. On going through the Rink Rapids, he +continues on the Lewes River to Fort Selkirk, the trading post of Harper +and Ladue, where the Pelly and Lewes, at their junction, form the +headwaters of the Yukon. You are now at the head of the Yukon River, and +the worst part of your trip is over. + +You now commence to go down the Yukon, and after a trip of ninety-eight +miles, you are in the White River. You keep on the White River for ten +miles, to the Stewart River, and then twenty-five miles to Fort Ogilvie. +You are now only forty miles from Dawson City. + +Your journey is now almost ended. After a forty-mile trip on the Yukon, +you arrive at Dawson City, where the Klondyke empties in the Yukon. + +All through this trip you have been going through a mountainous country, +the trees there being pine, a small amount of spruce, cottonwood and +birch. You have not seen much game, if any, as it is growing scarce +along that line of river, and very hard to find. The traveller had +therefore better make preparation to depend on the provisions he has +brought with him. If he has stopped to fish, he may have been successful +in catching whitefish, grayling and lake trout, along the lakes and +rivers. + +The total journey from Seattle to Dawson City has taken about two +months. In connection with this trip from Juneau to Dawson City, it is +perhaps better to give the reader the benefit of the trip of Mr. William +Stewart, who writes from Lake Lindeman, May 31st, 1897, as follows:-- + +"We arrived here at the south end of the lake last night by boat. We +have had an awful time of it. The Taiya Pass is not a pass at all, but a +climb right over the mountains. We left Juneau on Thursday, the +twentieth, on a little boat smaller than the ferry at Ottawa. There were +over sixty aboard, all in one room about ten by fourteen. There was +baggage piled up in one end so that the floor-space was only about eight +by eight. We went aboard about three o'clock in the afternoon and went +ashore at Dyea at seven o'clock Friday night. We got the Indians to pack +all our stuff up to the summit, but about fifty pounds each; I had +forty-eight pounds and my gun. + +"We left Dyea, an Indian village, Sunday, but only got up the river one +mile. We towed all the stuff up the river seven miles, and then packed +it to Sheep Camp. We reached Sheep Camp about seven o'clock at night, on +the Queen's Birthday. A beautiful time we had, I can tell you, climbing +hills with fifty pounds on our backs. It would not be so bad if we could +strap it on rightly. + +"We left Sheep Camp next morning at four o'clock, and reached the summit +at half-past seven. It was an awful climb--an angle of about fifty-five +degrees. We could keep our hands touching the trail all the way up. It +was blowing and snowing up there. We paid off the Indians, and got some +sleighs and sleighed the stuff down the hill. This hill goes down pretty +swift, and then drops at an angle of fifty-five degrees for about forty +feet, and we had to rough-lock our sleighs and let them go. There was an +awful fog, and we could not see where we were going. Some fellows helped +us down with the first load, or there would have been nothing left of +us. When we let a sleigh go from the top it jumps about fifty feet +clear, and comes down in pieces. We loaded up the sleighs with some of +our stuff, about two hundred and twenty-five pounds each, and started +across the lakes. The trail was awful, and we waded through water and +slush two and three feet deep. We got to the mouth of the canyon at +about eight o'clock at night, done out. We left there that night, and +pushed on again until morning. We got to the bottom of an awful hill, +and packed all our stuff from there to the hill above the lake. We had +about two and a half miles over hills, in snow and slush. I carried +about five hundred pounds over that part of the trail. We had to get +dogs to bring the stuff down from the summit to the head of the canyon. + +"We worked two days bringing the stuff over from the canyon to the hill +above the lake. Saturday we worked all day packing down the hill to the +lake, and came here on a scow. We were out yesterday morning cutting +down trees to build a boat. The timber is small, and I don't think we +can get more than four-inch stuff. It rained all afternoon, and we +couldn't do anything. There are about fifty boats of all sorts on Lake +Bennet, which is about half a mile from here. I have long rubber boots +up to the hips, and I did not have them on coming from the summit down, +but I have worn them ever since. + +"We met Barwell and Lewis, of Ottawa, to-day. They were out looking for +knees for their boats. They left Ottawa six weeks ago, and have not got +any farther than we have. There was a little saw-mill going here, and +they have their lumber sawn. We have it that warm some days here that +you would fairly roast, and the next day you would be looking for your +overcoat. Everybody here seems to be taking in enough food to do them a +couple of years. + +"We are now in Canadian territory, after we passed the summit. I will +have to catch somebody going through to Dyea to give him this letter, +but I don't know how long before I can get any one going through. This +is the last you will hear from me until I get down to the Klondyke." + +Mr. Stewart adds: "I wrote this in the tent at 11 o'clock at night +during twilight." + +If you take this trip in winter, however, you have to purchase a sled at +Juneau, and sled it over the frozen waterways to Dawson City. + +For the benefit of my readers in Canada and for parties leaving for the +great Northwest Territory for the gold fields, I take pleasure in +quoting the following description of a Canadian route:-- + +"Canadians should awaken to the fact that they have emphatically 'the +inside track' to their own gold fields, a route not half the distance, +largely covered by railways and steamboats, with supply stations at +convenient intervals all the way. By this route the gold-fields can be +reached in two months or six weeks, and the cost of travel is +ridiculously cheap--nearly anybody can afford to go even now, and by the +spring it should be fitted out for the accommodation of any amount of +traffic. + +"The details of the information in the following article are given by Mr. +A.H.H. Heming, the artist who accompanied Mr. Whitney in his journey +towards the Barren Lands, and the data may be accepted as correct, as +they were secured from the Hudson Bay officials. + +"The details of the inland Canadian route, briefly, are as follows: By +C.P.R. to Calgary, and thence north by rail to Edmonton; from there by +stage to Athabasca Landing, 40 miles; then, there is a continuous +waterway for canoe travel to Fort Macpherson, at the mouth of the +Mackenzie River, from which point the Peel River lies southward to the +gold region. The exact figures are as follows: + + MILES. +Edmonton to Athabasca Landing 40 +To Port McMurray 240 +Fort Chippewyan 185 +Smith Landing 102 +Fort Smith 16 +Fort Resolution 194 +Fort Providence 168 +Fort Simpson 161 +Fort Wrigley 136 +Fort Norman 184 +Fort Good Hope 174 +Fort Macpherson 282 + ----- +Total 1882 + +"There are only two portages on this route of any size--that from +Edmonton to Athabasca Landing, over which there is a stage and wagon +line, and at Smith Landing, sixteen miles, over which the Hudson Bay +Company has a tramway. There are four or five other portages of a few +hundred yards, but with these exceptions there is a fine "down grade" +water route all the way. It is the old Hudson Bay trunk line to the +north that has been in use for nearly a century. Wherever there is a +lake or a long stretch of deep water river navigation the company has +small freight steamers which ply back and forward during the summer +between the portage points or shallows. With comparatively little +expenditure the company or the Government can improve the facilities +along the line so that any amount of freight or any number of passengers +can be taken into the gold region at less than half the time and cost +that it takes Americans to reach it from Port St. Michael, at the mouth +of the Yukon to the Klondyke, exclusive of the steamer trip of 2500 +miles from Seattle to Port St. Michael. + +"Canadians can leave here on a Monday at 11.15 A.M., and reach Edmonton +on Friday at 7 P.M. From that point, a party of three men with a canoe, +should reach Fort Macpherson easily in from 50 to 60 days, provided they +are able-bodied young fellows with experience in that sort of travel. +They will need to take canoes from here, unless they propose to hire +Indians with large birch bark canoes to carry them. Birch bark canoes +can be secured of any size up to the big ones manned by ten Indians that +carry three tons. But birch barks are not reliable unless Indians are +taken along to doctor them, and keep them from getting water-logged. The +Hudson Bay Company will also contract to take freight northward on their +steamers until the close of navigation. Travellers to the gold mines +leaving now would probably reach Fort Macpherson before navigation +closed. + +"The letter from Rev. Mr. Stringer, the missionary, published in the +Spectator on July 2, shows that the ice had only commenced to run in the +Peel River, which is the water route south-east from Fort Macpherson +into the gold region, on September 30 last year. + +"Any Canadians who are anxious to get into the Klondyke ahead of the +Americans can leave between now and August 1, reach Fort Macpherson, +and if winter comes on they can exchange their canoes for dog trains, +and reach the Klondyke without half the difficulty that would be +experienced on the Alaska route. The great advantage of the inland route +is that it is an organized line of communication. Travellers need not +carry any more food than will take them from one Hudson Bay post to the +next, and then there is abundance of fish and wild fowl en route. They +can also be in touch with such civilization as prevails up there, can +always get assistance at the posts, and will have some place to stay +should they fall sick or meet with an accident. If they are lucky enough +to make their pile in the Klondyke, they can come back by the dog sled +route during the winter. (There is one winter mail to Fort Macpherson in +winter.) Dogs for teams can be purchased at nearly any of the line of +Hudson Bay posts that form a chain of road-houses on the trip. + +"Parties travelling alone will not need to employ guides until they get +near Fort Macpherson, and from there on to the Klondyke, as the rest of +the route from Edmonton is so well defined, having been travelled for +years, that no guides are required. + +"You don't need a couple of thousand dollars to start for Klondyke +to-morrow by the Edmonton route. All you need is a good constitution, +some experience in boating and camping, and about $150. Suppose a party +of three decide to start. First they will need to purchase a canoe, +about $35 or less; first-class ticket from Hamilton to Edmonton, $71.40; +second class, ditto, $40.90; cost of food at Edmonton for three men for +two months (should consist of pork, flour, tea and baking-powder), $35; +freight on canoe to Edmonton, $23. Total for three men from Hamilton to +Fort Macpherson, provided they travel second-class on the C.P.R. will be +$218.70. These figures are furnished by Mr. Heming, who has been over +the route 400 miles north of Edmonton, and got the rest of his data +from the Hudson Bay officials. + +"If three men chip in $150 each they would have a margin of over $200 for +purchasing their tools and for transport from Fort Macpherson to the +Klondyke. This is how it may be done on the cheap, though Mr. Heming +considers 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 large amount of +supplies for Fort Macpherson immediately and make it the base of +supplies for the Klondyke during the coming winter. + +"Parties should consist of three men each, as that is the crew of a +canoe. It will take 600 pounds of food to carry three men over the +route. Passengers on the C.P.R. are entitled to carry 600 pounds of +baggage. The paddling is all down stream, except when they turn south up +Peel River, and sails should be taken, as there is often a favorable +wind for days. + +"There are large scows on the line, manned by ten men each and known as +'sturgeon heads.' They are like canal boats, but are punted along and +are used by the Hudson Bay people for taking forward supplies 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 +River, 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 left here recently for the Yukon. +He wrote from Lake Lindeman under date of July 4, and 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 expedition 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 everything 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 bedding 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 pushing +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 +precipitous was the mountain side. Time after time the men would slip +back several inches, but they recovered themselves and went at it again. + +Finally, the summit was gained, McLeod being the first of the party to +reach the top. After resting and changing their clothes the descent was +commenced. McLeod and his chums purchased sleighs, on which they loaded +their goods and hauled for five miles. This was extremely laborious +work, and the men were so used up working in the scorching sun that +they were compelled to work at nights and sleep during the day. Two days +after the descent began the 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 terrible, and he has +no desire to repeat the experience. He advises all who go in to have +their goods packed all the way from Dyea to Lake Lindeman. It costs 17 +or 18 cents per pound 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 City. + + +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 Cudahy 650 + +DISTANCES FROM HEAD OF TAIYA INLET. + + Miles +Head of canoe navigation, Taiya River 5.90 +Forks of Taiya River 8.38 +Summit of Taiya Pass 14.76 +Landing at Lake Lindeman 23.06 +Foot of Lake Lindeman 27.49 +Head of Lake Bennet 28.09 +Boundary line B.C. and N.W.T. (Lat 60 deg.) 38.09 +Foot of Lake Bennet 53.85 +Foot of Caribou Crossing (Lake Nares) 56.44 +Foot of Tagish Lake 73.25 +Head of Marsh Lake 78.15 +Foot of Marsh Lake 97.21 +Head of Miles Canon 122.94 +Foot of Miles Canon 123.56 +Head of White Horse Rapids 124.95 +Foot of White Horse Rapids 125.33 +Tahkeena River 139.92 +Head of Lake Labarge 153.07 +Foot of Lake 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 opened. Telegraph Creek is the head of steamer +navigation on the Stikine River 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 by the Dominion +Government. A grant of $2,000 has been made by the province of British +Columbia for opening it. + +"J. Dalton, a trader, has used a route overland from Chilkat Inlet to +Fort Selkirk. Going up the Chilkat and Klaheela Rivers, he crosses the +divide to the Tahkeena River and continues northward over a fairly open +country practicable for horses. The distance from the sea to Fort +Selkirk is 350 miles. + +"Last summer a Juneau butcher sent 40 head of cattle to Cudahy. G. +Bounds, the man in charge, crossed the divide over the Chilkat Pass, +followed the shore of Lake Arkell and, keeping to the east of Dalton's +trail, reached the Yukon just below the Rink Rapids. Here the cattle +were slaughtered and the meat floated down on a raft to Cudahy, where it +retailed at $1 a pound. + +"It is proposed to establish a winter road somewhere across the country +travelled over by Dalton and Bounds. The Yukon cannot be followed, the +ice being too much broken, so that any winter road will have to be +overland. A thorough exploration is now being made of all the passes at +the head of Lynn Canal and of the upper waters of the Yukon. In a few +months it is expected that the best routes for reaching the district +from Lynn Canal will be definitely known. + +"It is said by those familiar with the locality that the storms which +rage in the upper altitudes of the coast range during the greater part +of the time, from October to March, are terrific. A man caught in one of +them runs the risk of losing his life, unless he can reach shelter in a +short time. During the summer there is nearly always a wind blowing from +the sea up Chatham Strait and Lynn Canal, which lie in almost a straight +line with each other, and at the head of Lynn Canal are Chilkat and +Chilkoot Inlets. The distance from the coast down these channels to +the open sea is about 380 miles. The mountains on each side of the +water confine the currents of air, and deflect inclined currents in the +direction of the axis of the channel, so that there is nearly always a +strong wind blowing up the channel. Coming from the sea, this wind is +heavily charged with moisture, which is precipitated when the air +currents strike the mountains, and the fall of rain and snow is +consequently very heavy. + +"In Chilkat Inlet there is not much shelter from the south wind, which +renders it unsafe for ships calling there. Capt. Hunter told me he would +rather visit any other part of the coast than Chilkat. + +"To carry the survey from the island across to Chilkoot Inlet I had to +get up on the mountains north of Haines mission, and from there could +see both inlets. Owing to the bad weather I could get no observation for +azimuth, and had to produce the survey from Pyramid Island to Taiya +Inlet by reading the angles of deflection between the courses. At Taiya +Inlet I got my first observation, and deduced the azimuths of my courses +up to that point. Taiya Inlet has evidently been the valley of a +glacier; its sides are steep and smooth from glacial action; and this, +with the wind almost constantly blowing landward, renders getting upon +the shore difficult. Some long sights were therefore necessary. The +survey was made up to the head of the Inlet on the 2d of June. +Preparations were then commenced for taking the supplies and instruments +over the coast range of mountains to the head of Lake Lindeman on the +Lewes River. Commander Newell kindly aided me in making arrangements +with the Indians, and did all he could to induce them to be reasonable +in their demands. This, however, neither he nor any one else could +accomplish. They refused to carry to the lake for less than $20 per +hundred pounds, and as they had learned that the expedition was an +English one, the second chief of the Chilkoot Indians recalled some +memories of an old quarrel which the tribe had with the English many +years ago, in which an uncle of his was killed, and he thought we should +pay for the loss of his uncle by being charged an exorbitant price for +our packing, of which he had the sole control. Commander Newell told him +I had a permit from the Great Father at Washington to pass through his +country safely, that he would see that I did so, and if the Indians +interfered with me they would be punished for doing so. After much talk +they consented to carry our stuff to the summit of the mountain for $10 +per hundred pounds. This is about two-thirds of the whole distance, +includes all the climbing and all the woods, and is by far the most +difficult part of the way. + +"On the 6th of June 120 Indians, men, women and children, 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 the ticket and returned it. The Indians did not seem +to understand the import of this; a few of them pretended to have lost +their tickets; and as they could not get paid without them, my +assistant, who had duplicates of every ticket, furnished them with +receipted copies, after examining their packs. + +"While they were packing to the summit I was producing the survey, and I +met them on their return at the foot of the canon, about eight miles +from the coast, where I paid them. They came to the camp in the early +morning before I was up, and for about two hours there was quite a +hubbub. When paying them I tried to get their names, but very few of +them would give any Indian name, nearly all, after a little reflection, +giving some common English name. My list contained little else than +Jack, Tom, Joe, Charlie, &c. some of which were duplicated three and +four times. I then found why some of them had pretended to lose their +tickets at the summit. Three or four who had thus acted presented +themselves twice for payment, producing first the receipted ticket, +afterwards the one they claimed to have lost, demanding pay for both. +They were much taken aback 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 payment; 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 man stepped up and demanded pay, stating +that the canoe was his. To see what the result would be, I gave to him +the same amount as to the first. Immediately there were three or four +more claimants for the canoe. I dismissed them with a blessing, and made +up my mind that I would wade the next creek. + +"While paying them I was a little apprehensive of trouble, for they +insisted on crowding into my tent, and for myself 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 difficult 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 tide water I took the azimuths +and altitudes of several of the highest peaks around the head of the +inlet, in order to locate them, and obtain an idea of the general +height of the peaks in the coast range. As it does not appear to have +been done before, I have taken the opportunity of naming all the peaks, +the positions of which I fixed in the above way. The names and altitudes +appear 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 instrument +I had it was inappreciable. From these angles I have computed the height +of the summit of the Taiya Pass,[2] above the head of canoe navigation, +as it appeared to me in June, 1887, and find it to be 3,378 feet. What +depth of snow there was I cannot say. The head of canoe navigation I +estimate at about 120 feet above tide water. Dr. Dawson gives it as 124 +feet. + +[Footnote 2: The distance from the head of Taiya Inlet to the summit of +the pass is 15 miles, and the whole length of the pass to Lake Lindeman +is 23 miles. Messrs. Healy and Wilson, dealers in general merchandise +and miners' supplies at Taiya, have a train of pack horses carrying +freight from the head of Lynn Canal to the summit. They hope to be able +to take freight through to Lake Lindeman with their horses during the +present season.] + +"I determined the descent from the summit to Lake Lindeman by carrying +the aneroid from the lake to the summit and back again, the interval of +time from start to return being about eight hours. Taking the mean of +the readings at the lake, start and return, and the single reading at +the summit, the height of the summit above the lake was found to be +1,237 feet. While making the survey from the summit down to the lake I +took the angles of depression of each station from the preceding one, +and from these angles I deduced the difference of height, which I found +to be 1,354 feet, or 117 feet more than that found by the aneroid. This +is quite a large difference; but when we consider the 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, who 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 built through it, while the new +pass appeared, from what little knowledge I could get of it, to be much +lower and possibly feasible for a wagon 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. None 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; so it was difficult 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 this 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 complete 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 organized. Commencing at Taiya Inlet, about two miles +south of its north end, it follows up the valley, of the Shkagway River +to its source, and thence down the valley of another river which Capt. +Moore reported to empty into the Takone or Windy Arm of Bove Lake +(Schwatka). Dr. Dawson says this stream empties into Taku Arm, and in +that event Capt. Moore is mistaken. Capt. Moore did not go all the way +through to the lake, but assumed from reports he heard from the miners +and others that the stream flowed into Windy Arm, and this also was the +idea of the Indian "Jim" from what I could gather from his remarks in +broken English and Chinook. Capt. Moore estimates the distance from tide +water to the summit at about 18 miles, and from the summit to the lake +at about 22 to 23 miles. He reports the pass as thickly timbered all the +way through. + +"The timber line on the south side of the Taiya Pass, as determined by +barometer reading, is about 2,300 feet above the sea, while on the north +side it is about 1,000 feet below the summit. This large difference is +due, I think, to the different conditions in the two places. On the +south side the valley is narrow and deep, and the sun cannot produce its +full effect. The snow also is much deeper there, owing to the quantity +which drifts in from the surrounding mountains. On the north side the +surface is sloping, and more exposed to the sun's rays. On the south +side the timber is of the class peculiar to the coast, and on the north +that peculiar to the interior. The latter would grow at a greater +altitude than the coast timber. It is possible that the summit of White +Pass is not higher than the timber line on the north of the Taiya Pass, +or about 2,500 feet above tide water, and it is possibly even lower than +this, as the timber in a valley such as the White Pass would hardly live +at the same altitude as on the open slope on the north side. + +"Capt. Moore has had considerable experience in building roads in +mountainous countries. He considers that this would be an easy route for +a wagon road compared with some roads he has seen in British Columbia. +Assuming his distances to be correct, and the height of the pass to be +probably 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 the 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 paying them at the rate of $4 per hundred pounds. After +one trip down only two men remained, and they only in hopes of stealing +something. One of them appropriated a pair of boots, and was much +surprised to find that he had to pay for them on being settled with. I +could not blame them much for not caring to work, as the weather was +very disagreeable--it rained or snowed almost continuously. After the +Indians left I tried to get down the stuff with the aid of my own men, +but it was slavish and unhealthy labor, and after the first trip one of +them was laid up with what appeared to be inflammatory 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 which +were made in Juneau specially for the work of getting over the mountains +and down the lakes on the ice. With these I succeeded in bringing about +a ton and a-half to the lakes, but found that the time 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 protracted physical exertion +under such uncomfortable conditions and continued suffering from snow +blindness expose us to. I had with me a white man who lived at the head +of the inlet with a Tagish Indian woman. This man had a good deal of +influence with the Tagish tribe, of whom the greater number were then +in the neighborhood where he resided, trying to get some odd jobs of +work, and I sent him to the head of the inlet to try and induce the +Tagish Indians to undertake the transportation, offering them $5 per +hundred pounds. In the meantime Capt. Moore and the Indian "Jim" had +rejoined me. I had their assistance 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 powerful coast +tribes, and are in constant dread of offending them 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 vicinity, and the Tagish are afraid to +dispute this claim. When my white man asked the Tagish to come over and +pack they objected on the grounds mentioned. After considerable ridicule +of their cowardice, and explanation of the fact that they had the +exclusive right to all work in their own country, the country on the +side of the north side of the coast range being admitted by the coast +Indians to belong to the Tagish tribe just as the coast tribes had the +privilege of doing all the work on the coast side of the mountains, and +that one of their number was already working with me unmolested, and +likely to continue so, nine of them came over, and in fear and trembling +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 +quite a number at work and was getting my stuff down quite fast. But +this good fortune was not to continue. Owing to the prevailing wet, cold +weather on the mountains, and the difficulty of getting through the soft +wet snow, the Indians soon began to quit work for a day or two at a +time, and to gamble with one another for the wages already earned. Many +of them wanted to be paid in full, but this I positively refused, +knowing that to do so was to have them all apply for their earnings and +leave me until necessity compelled 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 kept at it until all +was delivered. This done, I paid them off, and set about getting my +outfit across the lake, which I did with my own party and the two +Peterborough canoes which I had with me. + +"These two canoes travelled about 3,000 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 packed +over to the head of Lewes River (Lake Lindeman), from where they were +used in making the survey of Lewes and Yukon Rivers. In this work they +made about 650 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 up it to +McDougall's Pass. They were then carried over the pass to Poplar River +and were used in going down the latter to Peel River, and thence up +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 Chipewyan in +fairly good condition, and, with a little painting, they would go +through the same ordeal again. + +"After getting all my outfit over to the foot of Lake Lindeman I set some +of the party to pack it to the head of Lake Bennet. + +"I employed the rest of the party in looking for timber to build a boat +to carry my outfit of provisions and implements 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 make 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 12th 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 canon 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, which 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 flat beach +proved very troublesome. On this account I found I could not average +more than ten miles per 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 canon. The rapids 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 sent two men through the +canon in one of the canoes to await the arrival of the boat, and to be +ready in case of an accident to pick us up. Every man in the party was +supplied with a life-preserver, so that should a casualty occur we would +all have floated. Those in the canoe got through all right; but 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 I had the same +experience when going through in the boat. + +"The passage through is made in about three minutes, or at the rate of +about 12-1/2 miles an hour. If the boat is kept clear of the sides there +is not much danger in high water; but in low water there is a rock in +the middle of the channel, near the upper end of the canon, that renders +the passage more difficult. I did not see this rock myself, but got my +information from some miners I met in the interior, who 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 canon 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 apparently 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 Rapids 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 accident. 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 sudden drop and +the water rashes through at a tremendous rate, leaping and seething like +a cataract. The miners have constructed a portage road on the west side, +and put down rollways in some places on which to shove their boats over. +They have also made some windlasses with which to haul their boats up +hill, notably one at the foot of the canon. This roadway and windlasses +must have cost them many hours of hard labor. Should it ever be +necessary, a tramway could be built past the canon on the east side with +no great difficulty. With the exception of the Five Finger Rapids these +appear to be the only serious rapids on the whole length of the river. + +"Five Finger Rapids are formed by several islands standing in the +channel and backing up the water so much as to raise it about a foot, +causing a swell below for a few 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 past ages. For +about two miles below the rapids there is a pretty swift current, but +not enough to prevent the ascent of a steamboat of moderate power, 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 +required. Six miles below these rapids are what are known as 'Rink +Rapids,' 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 6 foot paddle, +but could not reach the bottom. + +"On the 11th of August I met a party of miners coming out who had passed +Stewart River 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 have +reached that point long before I arrived, on account of the many delays +I had met with on the coast range. These miners also gave me the +pleasant news that the story told at the coast about the fight with the +Indians at Stewart River was false, and stated substantially what I have +already repeated concerning 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 Capt. Moore, from whom the +captain got such information as induced him to turn back and accompany +them out. + +"Next day, the 13th, I got to the mouth of the Pelly, and found that Dr. +Dawson had arrived there on the 11th. The doctor also had experienced +many delays, and had heard the same story of the Indian uprising in the +interior. I was pleased to find that 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 provisions for his party 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 +point; and, as I was not likely to get another opportunity of writing at +such length for a year, I applied myself to a correspondence designed to +satisfy my friends and acquaintances for the ensuing twelve months. This +necessitated three days' hard work. + +"On the morning of the 17th the doctor left for the outside 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 magnetic and astronomical observations, and making +some measurements of the river. On the 19th I resumed the survey and +reached White River on the 25th. Here I spent most of a day trying to +ascend this river, but found it impracticable, on account of the swift +current and shallow and very muddy water. The water is so muddy that it +is impossible to see through one-eighth of an inch of it. The current is +very strong, probably eight miles or more per hour, and the numerous +bars in the bed are constantly changing place. After trying for several +hours, the 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 this stream +to the boundary with canoes. Had it proved feasible I had intended +making a survey of this stream to the boundary, to discover more +especially the facilities it offered for the transport of supplies in +the event of a survey of the International Boundary being undertaken. + +"I reached Stewart River on the 26th. Here I remained a day taking +magnetic observations, and getting information from a miner, named +McDonald, about the country up that river. McDonald had spent the summer +up the river prospecting and exploring. His information will be given in +detail further on. + +"Fort Reliance was reached on the 1st of September, and Forty Mile River +(Cone-Hill River of Schwatka) on the 7th. In the interval between Fort +Reliance and Forty Mile River there were several days lost by rain. + +"At Forty Mile River I made some arrangements with the traders there +(Messrs. Harper & McQuestion) about supplies during the winter, and +about getting Indians to assist me in crossing from the Yukon to the +head 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 +be difficult of ascent, and dangerous to descend, and therefore, +concluded to defer further operations until the winter, and until after +I had determined the longitude of my winter post near the boundary, when +I would be in a much better position to locate the intersection of the +International Boundary with this river, a point important to determine +on account of the number and richness of the mining claims on the river. + +"I left Forty Mile River for the boundary line between Alaska and the +Northwest Territories on the 12th September, and finished the survey to +that point on the 14th. I then spent two days in examining the 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 Toronto I got Mr. Foster to make large brass plates with +V's on them, which could be screwed firmly to a stump, and thus be made +to serve as a transit stand. I required a stump at least 22 inches in +diameter to make a base large enough for the plates when properly placed +for the transit. In a search which covered about four miles of the river +bank, on both sides, I found only one tree as large as 18 inches. I +mention this fact to give an idea of the size of the trees along the +river in this vicinity. I had this stump enlarged by firmly fixing +pieces on the sides so as to bring it up to the requisite size. This +done, I built around the stump a small transit house of the ordinary +form and then mounted and adjusted my transit. Meanwhile, most of the +party were busy preparing our winter quarters and building a magnetic +observatory. As I had been led to expect extremely low temperatures +during the winter, I adopted precautionary measures, so 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 the Lewes River, its affluent streams, +and the resources of the adjacent country. + +"For the purpose of navigation a description of the Lewes River begins +at the head of Lake Bennet. Above that point, and between it and Lake +Lindeman, there is only about three-quarters of a mile of river, which +is not more than fifty or sixty yards wide, and two or three feet deep, +and is so swift and rough that navigation is out of the question. + +"Lake Lindeman is about five miles long and half a mile wide. It is deep +enough for all ordinary purposes. Lake Bennet[3] is twenty-six and a +quarter miles long, for the upper fourteen of which it is about half a +mile wide. About midway in its length an arm comes in from the west, +which Schwatka appears to have mistaken for a river, and named Wheaton +River. This arm is wider than the other arm down to that point, and is +reported by Indians to be longer and heading in a glacier which lies in +the pass at the head of Chilkoot Inlet. This arm is, as far as seen, +surrounded by high mountains, apparently much higher than those on the +arm we travelled down. Below the junction of the two arms the lake is +about one and a half miles wide, with deep water. Above the forks the +water of the east branch is muddy. This is caused by the streams from +the numerous glaciers on the head of the tributaries of Lake Lindeman. + +[Footnote 3: A small saw-mill has been erected at the head of Lake +Bennet; lumber for boat building sells at $100 per M. Boats 25 feet long +and 5 feet beam are $60 each. Last year the ice broke up in the lake on +the 12th June, but this season is earlier and the boats are expected to +go down the lake about the 1st of June.] + +"A stream which flows into Lake Bennet at the south-west corner is also +very dirty, and has shoaled quite a large portion of the lake at its +mouth. The beach at the lower end of this lake is comparatively flat and +the water shoal. A deep, wide valley extends northwards from the north +end of the lake, apparently reaching to the canon, or a short distance +above it. This may have been originally a course for the waters of the +river. The bottom of the valley is wide and sandy, and covered with +scrubby timber, principally poplar and pitch-pine. The waters of the +lake empty at the extreme north-east angle through a channel not more +than one hundred yards wide, which soon expands into what Schwatka +called Lake Nares.[4] Through this narrow channel there is quite a +current, and more than 7 feet of water, as a 6 foot paddle and a foot of +arm added to its length did not reach the bottom. + +[Footnote 4: The connecting waters between Lake Bennet and Tagish Lake +constitute what is now called Caribou Crossing.] + +"The hills at the upper end of Lake Lindeman rise abruptly from the +water's edge. At the lower end they are neither so steep nor so high. + +"Lake Nares is only two and a half miles long, and its greatest width is +about a mile; it is not deep, but is navigable for boats drawing 5 or 6 +feet of water; it is separated from Lake Bennet by a shallow sandy point +of not more than 200 yards in length. + +"No streams of any consequence empty into either of these lakes. A small +river flows into Lake Bennet on the west side, a short distance north of +the fork, and another at the extreme north-west angle, but neither of +them is of any consequence in a navigable sense. + +"Lake Nares flows through a narrow curved channel into Bove Lake +(Schwatka). This channel is not more than 600 or 700 yards long, and the +water in it appears to be sufficiently deep for boats that could +navigate the lake. The land between the lakes along this channel is low, +swampy, and covered with willows, and, at the stage in which I saw it, +did not rise more than 3 feet above the water. The hills on the +south-west side slope up easily, and are not high; on the north side +the deep valley already referred to borders it; and on the east side the +mountains rise abruptly from the lake shore. + +"Bove Lake (called Tagish Lake by Dr. Dawson) is about a mile wide for +the first two miles of its length, when it is joined by what the miners +have called the Windy Arm. One of the Tagish Indians informed me they +called it Takone Lake. Here the lake expands to a width of about two +miles for a distance of some three miles, when it suddenly narrows to +about half a mile for a distance of a little over a mile, after which it +widens again to about a mile and a half or more. + +"Ten miles from the head of the lake it is joined by the Taku Arm from +the south. This arm must be of considerable length, as it can be seen +for a long distance, and its valley can be traced through the mountains +much farther than the lake itself can be seen. It is apparently over a +mile wide at its mouth or junction. + +"Dr. Dawson includes Bove Lake and these two arms under the common name +of Tagish Lake. This is much more simple and comprehensive than the +various names given them by travellers. These waters collectively are +the fishing and hunting grounds of the Tagish Indians, and as they are +really one body of water, there is no reason why they should not be all +included under one name. + +"From the junction with the Taku Arm to the north end of the lake the +distance is about six miles, the greater part being over two miles wide. +The west side is very flat and shallow, so much so that it was +impossible in many places to get our canoes to the shore, and quite a +distance out in the lake there was not more than 5 feet of water. The +members of my party who were in charge of the large boat and outfit, +went down the east side of the lake and reported the depth about the +same as I found on the west side, with many large rocks. They passed +through it in the night in a rainstorm, and were much alarmed for the +safety of the boat and provisions. It would appear that this part of the +lake requires some improvement to make it in keeping with the rest of +the water system with which it is connected. + +"Where the river debouches from it, it is about 150 yards wide, and for +a short distance not more than 5 or 6 feet deep. The depth is, however, +soon increased to 10 feet or more, and so continues down to what +Schwatka calls Marsh Lake. The miners call it Mud Lake, but on this name +they do not appear to be agreed, many of them calling the lower part of +Tagish or Bove Lake "Mud Lake," on account of its shallowness and flat +muddy shores, as seen along the west side, the side nearly always +travelled, as it is more sheltered from the prevailing southerly winds. +The term "Mud Lake" is, however, not applicable to this lake, as only a +comparatively small part of it is shallow or muddy; and it is nearly as +inapplicable to Marsh Lake, as the latter is not markedly muddy along +the west side, and from the appearance of the east shore one would not +judge it to be so, as the banks appear to be high and gravelly. + +"Marsh Lake is a little over nineteen miles long, and averages about two +miles in width. I tried to determine the width of it as I went along +with my survey, by taking azimuths of points on the eastern shore from +different stations of the survey; but in only one case did I succeed, as +there were no prominent marks on that shore which could be identified +from more than one place. The piece of river connecting Tagish and Marsh +Lakes is about five miles long, and averages 150 to 200 yards in width, +and, as already mentioned, is deep, except for a short distance at the +head. On it are situated the only Indian houses to be found in the +interior with any pretension to skill in construction. They show much +more labor and imitativeness than one knowing anything about the Indian +in his native state would expect. The plan is evidently taken from the +Indian houses on the coast, which appear to me to be a poor copy of the +houses which the Hudson's Bay Company's servants build around their +trading posts. These houses do not appear to have been used for some +time past, and are almost in ruins. The Tagish Indians are now generally +on the coast, as they find it much easier to live there than in their +own country. As a 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 200 yards wide, +and averages this width as far as the canon. I did not try to find +bottom anywhere as I went along, except where I had 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 which +stage it appeared to me the river was at that time. + +"From the head of Lake Bennet to the canon the corrected 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 about fifteen miles in length, and the +Taku Arm of the latter lake, of unknown length, but probably not less +than thirty miles, and we have a stretch of water of upwards of one +hundred miles in length, all easily navigable; and, as has been pointed +out, easily connected with Taiya Inlet through the White Pass. + +"No streams of any importance enter any of these lakes so far as I know. +A river, called by Schwatka "McClintock River," enters Marsh Lake at the +lower end from the east. It occupies a large valley, as seen from the +westerly side of the lake, but the stream is apparently unimportant. +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 importance, as the strip of country between +the Lewes and Teslintoo is not more than thirty or forty miles in +width at this point. + +"The Taku Arm of Tagish Lake, is, so far, with the exception 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. However, this is a question that can only be decided by a +proper exploration. The canon I have already described and will only add +that it is five-eighths of a mile long, about 100 feet wide, with +perpendicular banks of basaltic rock from 60 to 100 feet high. + +"Below the canon proper there is a stretch of rapids for about a mile; +then about half a mile of smooth water, following which are the White +Horse Rapids, which are three-eighths of a mile long, and unsafe for +boats. + +"The total fall in the canon 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 difficulty, be +constructed along the east side of the river past the canon. + +"For some distance below the White Horse Rapids the current is swift and +the river wide, with many gravel bars. The reach between these rapids +and Lake Labarge, a distance 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. + +"About midway in this stretch the Tahkeena River[5] joins the Lewes. +This river is, apparently, about half the size of the latter. Its waters +are muddy, indicating the passage through a clayey district. I got some +indefinite information about this river, from an Indian who happened 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 unintelligible. From what I could +understand with any certainty, the river was easy to descend, there +being no bad rapids, and it came out of a lake much larger than any I +had yet passed. + +[Footnote 5: The Tahkeena was formerly much used by the Chilkat Indians +as a means of reaching the interior, but never by the miners owing to +the distance from the sea to its head.] + +"Here I may remark that I have invariably found it difficult to get +reliable or definite information from Indians. The reasons for this are +many. Most of the Indians it has been my lot to meet are expecting to +make something, and consequently are very chary about doing or saying +anything unless they think they will be well rewarded for it. They are +naturally very suspicions 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 previously having them understand that you have no unfriendly +motive in doing so, they become alarmed, and although you may not meet +with a positive refusal to answer questions, you make very little +progress in getting desired information. On the other hand 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 please their hearer. I need hardly say that such +information is often not at all in accordance with the facts. + +"I have several times found that some act of mine when in their +presence has aroused either their fear, superstition or cupidity. As an +instance: on the Bell River I met some Indians coming down stream as I +was going up. We were ashore at the time, and invited them to join us. +They 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 picked it up to unload it, as I knew they +would be handling it after landing. 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 coming 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 determined 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 eastern +shore. The western shore is irregular in many places, being indented by +large bays, especially at the upper and lower ends. These bays are, as a +rule, shallow, more especially those at the lower end. + +"Just above where the lake narrows in the middle there is a large +island. It is three and a-half miles long and about half a mile in +width. It is shown on Schwatka's map as a peninsula, and called by him +Richtofen Rocks. How he came to think it a peninsula I cannot +understand, as it is well out in the lake; the nearest point of it to +the western shore is upwards of half a mile distant, and the extreme +width of the lake here is not more than five miles, which includes the +depth of the deepest bays on the western side. It is therefore difficult +to 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 extending +northwards, which has evidently at one time been the outlet of the lake. +Dr. Dawson has noted it and its peculiarities. His remarks regarding it +will be found on pages 156-160 of his report entitled 'Yukon District +and Northern portion of British Columbia,' published in 1889. + +"The width of the Lewes River as 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 6 or 7 feet. The wind blows 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 Telegraph Company, +exploring the river and adjacent country for the purpose of connecting +Europe and America by telegraph through British Columbia, and Alaska, +and across Behring Strait to Asia, and thence to Europe. This +exploration took place in 1867, but it does not appear that Labarge +then, nor for some years after, saw the lake called by his name. The +successful laying of the Atlantic cable in 1866 put a stop to this +project, 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 Labarge the river, for a distance of about five +miles, preserves a generally 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 opposite 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 five +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 five, and continues +so until the Teslintoo River is reached, thirty-one and seven tenths +miles from Lake Labarge. The average width of this part of the river is +about 150 yards, and the depth is sufficient to afford passage for boats +drawing at least 5 feet. It is, as a rule, crooked, and consequently a +little difficult to navigate. + +"The Teslintoo[6] was so called by Dr. Dawson--this, according to +information obtained by him, being the Indian name. It is called by the +miners 'Hootalinkwa' or Hotalinqua, and was called by Schwatka, who +appears to have bestowed no other attention to it, the Newberry, +although it is apparently much larger than the Lewes. This was so +apparent that in my interim reports I stated it as a fact. Owing to +circumstances already narrated, I had not time while at the mouth to +make any measurement to determine the relative size of the rivers; but +on his way out Dr. Dawson made these measurements, and his report, +before referred to, gives the following values of the cross sections of +each stream: Lewes, 3,015 feet; Teslintoo, 3,809 feet. In the same +connection he states that the Lewes appeared to be about 1 foot above +its lowest summer level, while the Teslintoo appeared to be at its +lowest level. Assuming this to be so, and taking his widths as our data, +it would reduce his cross section of the Lewes to 2,595 feet. Owing, +however, to the current in the Lewes, as determined by Dr. Dawson, being +just double that of the Teslintoo, the figures being 5.68 and 2.88 miles +per hour, respectively, the discharge of the Lewes, taking these figures +again in 18,644 feet, and of the Teslintoo 11,436 feet. To reduce the +Lewes to its lowest level the doctor says would make its discharge +15,600 feet. + +[Footnote 6: The limited amount of prospecting that has been done on +this river is said to be very satisfactory, fine gold having been found +in all parts of the river. The lack of supplies is the great drawback to +its development, and this will not be overcome to any extent until by +some means heavy freight can be brought over the coast range to the head +of the river. Indeed, owing to the difficulties attending access and +transportation, the great drawback to the entire Yukon district at +present is the want of heavy mining machinery and the scarcity of +supplies. The government being aware of the requirements and +possibilities of the country, has 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 +be opened up.] + +"The water of the Teslintoo is of a dark brown color, similar in +appearance to the Ottawa River water, and a little turbid. +Notwithstanding the difference of volume of discharge, the Teslintoo +changes completely the character of the river below the junction, and a +person coming up the river would, at the forks, unhesitatingly pronounce +the Teslintoo the main stream. The water of the Lewes is blue in color, +and at the time I speak of was somewhat dirty--not enough so, however, +to prevent one seeing to a depth of two or three feet. + +"At the junction of the Lewes and Teslintoo I met two or three families +of the Indians who hunt in the vicinity. One of them could speak a +little Chinook. As I had two men with me who understood his jargon +perfectly, with their assistance I tried to get some information from +him about the river. He told me the river was easy to ascend, and +presented the same appearance eight days journey up as at the mouth; +then a lake was reached, which took one day to cross; the river was then +followed again for half a day to another lake, which took two days to +traverse: into this lake emptied a stream which they used as a highway +to the coast, passing by way of the Taku River. He 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 they come light +they take only one to two days. He spoke also of a stream entering the +large lake from the east which came from a distance; but they did not +seem to know much about it, and considered it outside their country. If +their time intervals are approximately accurate, they mean that there +are about 200 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 12 +of river, which brings us to the large lake, which takes two days to +cross, say 50 or 60 more--in all about 292 miles--say 300 to the head of +canoe navigation; while the distance from the head of Lake Bennet to the +junction is only 188. Assuming the course of the Teslintoo to be nearly +south (it is a little to the east of it), and throwing out every fourth +mile for bends, the remainder gives us in arc three degrees and a +quarter of latitude, which, deducted from 61 deg. 40', the latitude of the +junction, gives us 58 deg. 25', or nearly the latitude of Juneau. + +"To make sure that I understood the Indian aright, and 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 another miner, who +had spent most of the summer on the river prospecting, and from them I +gathered the following: + +"The distance to the first, and only lake which they saw, they put 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 river must head near Liard River. +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 incorporated in his report. + +"Many years ago, sixteen I think, a man named Monroe prospected up the +Taku and learned from the Indians something of a large lake not far from +that river. He crossed over and found it, and spent some time in +prospecting, 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 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 certain: this +branch, 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 canon being only +ninety miles above the mouth of the Teslintoo. The Boswells reported it +as containing much more useful timber than the 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 obtained as to the position of this +river in the neighborhood of Marsh Lake tending to show that the +distance between them was only about thirty or forty miles. + +"Between 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 Lewes 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 hundred yards which it maintains with +little variation. The current 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 concerning this stream; but Dr. Dawson was more +fortunate, and met a man who had spent most of the summer of 1887 +prospecting on it. His opinion was that it might be navigable for small +stern-wheel steamers for many miles. The valley, as seen from the mouth, +is wide, and gives one the impression of being occupied by a much more +important stream. Looking up it, in the distance could be seen many high +peaks covered with snow. As the date was August it is likely they are +always so covered, which would make their 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 say that they called +the distance to a small lake near the head of the river, 190 miles from +the mouth. This lake was estimated to be four miles in length; another +lake about 12 miles above this was estimated to be twenty-four miles +long, and its upper end distant only about eight miles from the +Teslintoo. These distances, if correct, make this river much more +important than a casual glance at it would indicate; this, however, will +be more fully spoken of under its proper head. + +"Just below the Big Salmon the Lewes takes a bend of nearly a right +angle. Its course from the junction with the Tahkeena to this point is +generally a little east of north; at this point it turns to nearly west +for some distance. Its course between here and its confluence with the +Pelly is north-west, and, I may add, it preserves this general direction +down to the confluence with the Porcupine. The river also changes in +another respect; it is generally wider, and often expands into what +might be called lakes, in which are islands. Some of the lakes are of +considerable length, and well timbered. + +"To determine which channel is the main one, that is, which carries the +greatest volume of water, or is best available for the purposes of +navigation, among these islands, would require more time than I could +devote to it on my way down; consequently I cannot say more than that I +have no reason to doubt that a channel giving six feet or more of water +could easily be found. Whenever, in the main channel, I had reason to +think the water shallow, I tried it with my paddle, but always failed to +find bottom, which gives upward of six feet. Of course I often found +less than this, but not in what I considered the main channel. + +"Thirty-six and a quarter miles below the Big Salmon, the Little +Salmon--the Daly of Schwatka--enters the Lewes. This river is about 60 +yards wide at the mouth, and not more than two or three feet in depth. +The water is clear and of a brownish hue; there is not much current at +the mouth, nor as far as can be seen up the stream. The valley which, +from the mouth, does not appear extensive, bears north-east for some +distance, when it appears to turn more to the east. Six or seven miles +up, and apparently on the north side, some high cliffs of red rock, +apparently granite, can be seen. It is said that some miners have +prospected this stream, but I could learn nothing definite about it. + +"Lewes River makes a turn here to the south-west, and runs in that +direction six miles, when it again turns to the north-west for seven +miles, and then makes a short, sharp turn to the south and west around a +low sandy point, which will, at some day in the near future, be cut +through by the current, which will shorten the river three or four +miles. + +"Eight miles below Little Salmon River, a large rock called the Eagle's +Nest, stands up in a gravel slope on the easterly bank of the river. It +rises about five hundred feet above the river, and is composed of a +light gray stone. What the character of this rock is I could not +observe, as I saw it only from the river, which is about a quarter of a +mile distant. On the westerly side of the river there are two or three +other isolated masses of apparently the same kind of rock. One of them +might be appropriately called a mountain; it is south-west from the +Eagle's Nest and distant from it about three miles. + +"Thirty-two miles below Eagle's Nest Rock, Nordenskiold River enters +from the west. It is an unimportant stream, being not more than one +hundred and twenty feet wide at the mouth, and only a few inches deep. +The valley, as far as can be seen, is not extensive, and, being very +crooked, it is hard to tell what its general direction is. + +"The Lewes, between the Little Salmon and the Nordenskiold, maintains a +width of from two to three hundred yards, with an occasional expansion +where there are islands. It is serpentine in its course most of the way, +and where the Nordenskiold joins it is very crooked, running several +times under a hill, named by Schwatka Tantalus Butte, and in other +places leaving it, for a distance of eight miles. The distance across +from point to point is only half a mile. + +"Below this to Five Finger Rapids, so-called from the fact that five +large masses of rock stand in mid-channel, the river assumes its +ordinary straightness and width, with a current from four to five miles +per hour. I have already described Five Finger Rapids; I do not think +they will prove anything more than a slight obstruction in the +navigation of the river. A boat of ordinary power would probably have to +help herself up with windlass and line in high water. + +"Below the rapids, for about two miles, the current is strong--probably +six miles per hour--but the water seems to be deep enough for any boat +that is likely to navigate it. + +"Six miles below this, as already noticed, Rink Rapids are situated. +They are of no great importance, the westerly half of the stream only +being obstructed. The easterly half is not in any way affected, the +current being smooth and the water deep. + +"Below Five Finger Rapids about two miles a small stream enters from +the east. It is called by Dr. Dawson Tatshun River. It is not more than +30 or 40 feet wide at the mouth, and contains only a little clear, +brownish water. Here I met the only Indians seen on the river between +Teslintoo and Stewart Rivers. They were engaged in catching salmon at +the mouth of the Tatshun, and were the poorest and most unintelligent +Indians it has ever been my lot to meet. It is needless to say that none +of our party understood anything they said, as they could not speak a +word of any language but their own. I tried by signs to get some +information from them about the stream they were fishing in, but failed. +I tried in the same way to learn if there were any more Indians in the +vicinity, but again utterly failed. I then tried by signs to find out +how many days it took to go down to Pelly River, but although I have +never known these signs to fail in eliciting information in any other +part of the territory, they did not understand. They appeared to be +alarmed by our presence; and, as we had not yet been assured as to the +rumor concerning the trouble between the miners and Indians, we felt a +little apprehensive, but being able to learn nothing from them we had to +put our fears aside and proceed blindly. + +"Between Five Finger Rapids and Pelly River, fifty-eight and a +half-miles, no streams of any importance enter the Lewes; in fact, with +the exception of the Tatshun, it may be said that none at all enter. + +"About a mile below Rink Rapids the river spreads out into a lake-like +expanse, with many islands; this continues for about three miles, when +it contracts to something like the usual width; but bars and small +islands are very numerous all the way to Pelly River. About five miles +above Pelly River there is another lake-like expanse filled with +islands. The river here for three or four miles is nearly a mile wide, +and so numerous and close are the islands that it is impossible to tell +when floating among them where the shores of the river are. The current, +too, is swift, leading one to suppose the water shallow; but I think +even here a channel deep enough for such boats as will navigate this +part of the river can be found. Schwatka named this group of islands +"Ingersoll Islands." + +"At the mouth of the Pelly the Lewes is about half a mile wide, and here +too there are many 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 565 yards wide; about two-thirds being ten feet +deep, with a current of about four and three-quarter 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 be found in his report already +cited, "Yukon District and Northern British Columbia." + +"Just here for a short distance the course of the Yukon is nearly west, +and on the south side, about a mile below the mouth of the Lewes, stands +all that remains of the only trading post ever built by white men in the +district. This post was established by Robert Campbell, for the Hudson's +Bay Company in the summer of 1848. It was first built on the point of +land between the two rivers, but this location proving untenable on +account of flooding by ice jams in the spring, it was, in the season of +1852, moved across the river to where the ruins now stand. It appears +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 had inaugurated, and +which they found to seriously interfere with their profits. Their method +of trade appears to have been then pretty much as it is now--very +onesided. What they found it convenient to take by force they took, and +what it was convenient to pay for at their own price they paid for. + +"Rumors had reached the post that the coast Indians contemplated such a +raid, and in consequence the native Indians in the vicinity remained +about nearly all summer. Unfortunately, they went away for a short time, +and during their absence the coast Indians arrived in the early morning, +and surprised Mr. Campbell in bed. They were not at all rough with him, +but gave him the privilege of leaving the place within twenty-four +hours, after which he was informed that he was liable to be shot if seen +by them in the locality. They then pillaged the place and set fire to +it, leaving nothing but the remains of the two chimneys which are still +standing. This raid and capture took place on the 1st August, 1852. + +"Mr. Campbell dropped down the river, and met some of the local Indians +who returned with him, but the robbers had made their escape. I have +heard that the local Indians wished to pursue and overtake them, but to +this Mr. Campbell would not consent. Had they done so it is probable not +many of the raiders would have escaped, as the superior local knowledge +of the natives would have given them an advantage difficult to estimate, +and the confidence and spirit derived from the aid and presence of a +white man or two would be worth much in such a conflict. + +"Mr. Campbell went on down the river until he met the outfit for his +post on its way up from Fort Yukon, which he turned back. He then +ascended the Pelly, crossed to the Liard, and reached Fort Simpson, on +the Mackenzie, late in October. + +"Mr. Campbell's first visit to the site of Fort Selkirk was made in +1840, under instructions from Sir George Simpson, then Governor of the +Hudson's Bay Company. He crossed from the head waters of the Liard to +the waters of the Pelly. It appears the Pelly, where he struck it, was a +stream of considerable size, for he speaks of its appearance when he +first saw it from 'Pelly Banks,' the name given the bank from which he +first beheld it, as a 'splendid river in the distance.' In June, 1843, +he descended the Pelly to its confluence with the larger stream, which +he named the 'Lewes.' Here he found many families of the native +Indians--'Wood Indians,' he called them. These people conveyed to him, +as best they could by word and sign, the dangers that would attend a +further descent of the river, representing that the country below theirs +was inhabited by a tribe of fierce cannibals, who would assuredly kill +and eat them. This so terrified his men that he had to return by the way +he came, pursued, as he afterwards learned, by the Indians, who would +have murdered himself and party had they got a favorable opportunity. +Thus it was not until 1850 that he could establish, what he says he all +along believed, 'that the Pelly and Yukon were identical.' This he did +by descending the river to where the Porcupine joins it, and where in +1847 Fort Yukon was established by Mr. A.H. Murray for the Hudson's Bay +Company. + +"With reference to the tales told him by the Indians of bad people +outside of their country, I may say that Mackenzie tells pretty much the +same story of the Indians on the Mackenzie when he discovered and +explored that river in 1789. He had the advantage of having Indians +along with him whose language was radically the same as that of the +people he was coming among, and his statements are more explicit and +detailed. Everywhere he came in contact with them they manifested, +first, dread of himself and party, and when friendship and confidence +were established they nearly always tried to detain him by representing +the people in the direction he was going as unnaturally bloodthirsty and +cruel, sometimes asserting the existence of monsters with supernatural +powers, as at Manitou Island, a few miles below the present Fort Good +Hope, and the people on a very large river far to the west of the +Mackenzie, probably the Yukon, they described to him as monsters in +size, power and cruelty. + +"In our own time, after the intercourse that there has been between them +and the whites, more than a suspicion of such unknown, cruel people +lurks in the minds of many of the Indians. It would be futile for me to +try to ascribe an origin for these fears, my knowledge of their language +and idiosyncrasies being so limited. + +"Nothing more was ever done in the vicinity of Fort Selkirk[7] by the +Hudson's Bay Company after these events, and in 1869 the Company was +ordered by Capt. Charles W. Raymond, who represented the United States +Government, to evacuate the post at Fort Yukon, he having found that it +was west of the 141st meridian. The post was occupied by the Company, +however, for some time after the receipt of this order, and until +Rampart House was built, which was intended to be on British territory, +and to take the trade previously done at Fort Yukon. + +[Footnote 7: This is now a winter port for steamboats of the North +American Transportation and Trading Company, plying the Yukon and its +tributaries. There is also a trading post here owned by Harper & Ladue.] + +"Under present conditions the Company cannot very well compete with the +Alaska Commercial Company, whose agents do the only trade in the +district,[8] and they appear to have abandoned--for the present at +least--all attempt to do any trade nearer to it than Rampart House to +which point, notwithstanding the distance and difficulties in the way, +many of the Indians on the Yukon make a trip every two or three years to +procure goods in exchange for their furs. The clothing and blankets +brought in by the Hudson's Bay Company they claim are much better than +those traded on their own river by the Americans. Those of them that I +saw who had any English blankets exhibited them with pride, and +exclaimed 'good,' They point to an American blanket in contempt, with +the remark 'no good,' and speak of their clothing in the same way. + +[Footnote 8: Since the date of this report the North American +Transportation and Trading Company, better known in the Yukon valley as +"Captain Healy's Company," has established a number of posts on the +river.] + +"On many maps of Alaska a place named 'Reed's House' is shown on or near +the upper waters of Stewart River. I made enquiries of all whom I +thought likely to know anything concerning this post, but failed to +elicit any information showing that there ever had been such a place. I +enquired of Mr. Reid, who was in the Company's service with Mr. Campbell +at Fort Selkirk, and after whom I thought, possibly, the place had been +called, but he told me he knew of no such post, but that there was a +small lake at some distance in a northerly direction from Fort Selkirk, +where fish were procured. A sort of shelter had been made at that point +for the fishermen, and a few furs might have been obtained there, but it +was never regarded as a trading post. + +"Below Fort Selkirk, the Yukon River is from five to six hundred yards +broad, and maintains this width down to White River, a distance of +ninety-six miles. Islands are numerous, so much so that there are very +few parts of the river where there are not one or more in sight. Many of +them are of considerable size, and nearly all are well timbered. Bars +are also numerous, but almost all are composed of gravel, so that +navigators will not have to complain of shifting sand bars. The current +as a general thing, is not so rapid as in the upper part of the river, +averaging about four miles per hour. The depth in the main channel was +always found to be more than six feet. + +"From Pelly River to within twelve miles of White River the general +course of the river is a little north of west; it then turns to the +north, and the general course as far as the site of Fort Reliance is due +north. + +"White River enters the main river from the west. At the mouth it is +about two hundred yards wide, but a great part of it is filled with +ever-shifting sand-bars, the main volume of water being confined to a +channel not more than one hundred yards in width. The current is very +strong, certainly not less than eight miles per hour. The color of the +water bears witness to this, as it is much the muddiest that I have ever +seen.[9] + +[Footnote 9: The White River very probably flows over volcanic deposits +as its sediments would indicate; no doubt this would account for the +discoloration of its waters. The volcanic ash appears to cover a great +extent of the Upper Yukon basin drained by the Lewes and Pelly Rivers. +Very full treatment of the subject is given by Dr. Dawson, in his report +entitled "Yukon District and Northern portion of British Columbia."] + +"I had intended to make a survey of part of this river as far as the +International Boundary, and attempted to do so; but after trying for +over half a day, I found it would be a task of much labor and time, +altogether out of proportion to the importance of the end sought, and +therefore abandoned it. The valley as far as can be seen from the mouth, +runs about due west for a distance of eight miles; it then appears to +bear to the south-west; it is about two miles wide where it joins the +Pelly valley and apparently keeps the same width as far as it can be +seen. + +"Mr. Harper, of the firm of Harper & Ladue, went up this river with +sleds in the fall of 1872 a distance of fifty or sixty miles. He +describes it as possessing the same general features all the way up, +with much clay soil along its banks. Its general course, as sketched by +him on a map of mine, is for a distance of about thirty miles a little +north-west, thence south-west thirty or thirty-five miles, when it +deflects to the north-west running along the base of a high mountain +ridge. If the courses given are correct it must rise somewhere near the +head of Forty Mile River; and if so, its length is not at all in keeping +with the volume of its discharge, when compared with the known length +and discharge of other rivers in the territory. Mr. Harper mentioned an +extensive flat south of the mountain range spoken of, across which many +high mountain peaks could be seen. One of these he thought must be Mount +St. Elias, as it overtopped all the others; but, as Mount St. Elias is +about one hundred and eighty miles distant, his conclusion is not +tenable. From his description of this mountain it must be more than +twice the height of the highest peaks seen anywhere on the lower river, +and consequently must be ten or twelve thousand feet above the sea. He +stated that the current in the river was very swift, as far as he +ascended, and the water muddy. The water from this river, though +probably not a fourth of the volume of the Yukon, discolors the water of +the latter completely; and a couple of miles, below the junction the +whole river appears almost as dirty as White River. + +"Between White and Stewart Rivers, ten miles, the river spreads out to a +mile and upwards in width, and is a maze of islands and bars. The survey +was carried down the easterly shore, and many of the channels passed +through barely afforded water enough to float the canoes. The main +channel is along the westerly shore, down which the large boat went, and +the crew reported plenty of water. + +"Stewart River enters from the east 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 considerable height. The river half a mile or so +above the mouth, is two hundred yards in width. The current is slack and +the water shallow and clear, but dark colored. + +"While at the mouth I was fortunate enough to meet a miner who had spent +the whole of the summer of 1887 on the river and its branches +prospecting and exploring. He gave me a good deal of information of +which I give a summary. He is a native of New Brunswick, Alexander +McDonald by name, and has spent some years mining in other places, but +was very reticent about what he had made or found. Sixty or seventy +miles up the Stewart a large creek enters from the south which he called +Rose Bud Creek or River, and thirty or forty miles further up a +considerable stream flows from the north-east, which appears to be +Beaver River, as marked on the maps of that part of the country. From +the head of this stream he floated down on a raft taking five days to do +so. He estimated his progress at forty or fifty miles each day, which +gives a length of from two hundred to two hundred and fifty miles. This +is probably an over-estimate, unless the stream is very crooked, which, +he stated, was not the case. As much of his time would be taken up in +prospecting, 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, he 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 +possibly 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 he called +Mayhew Lake, after one of the partners in the firm of Harper, McQuestion +& Co. + +"Thirty miles or so above the forks on the other branch there are +falls, which McDonald estimated to be from one to two hundred feet in +height. I met several parties who had seen these falls, and they +corroborate this estimate of their height. McDonald went on past the +falls to the head of this branch and found terraced gravel hills to the +west and north; he crossed them to the north and found a river flowing +northward. On this he embarked on a raft and floated down it for a day +or two, thinking it would turn to the west and join the Stewart, but +finding it still continuing north, and acquiring too much volume to be +any of the branches he had seen while passing up the Stewart, he +returned to the point of his departure, and after prospecting among the +hills around the head of the river, he started westward, crossing a high +range of mountains composed principally of shales with many thin seams +of what he 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 Mayhew Lake, and crossing this got to the head of Beaver River, +which he descended as before mentioned. + +"It is probable the river flowing northwards, on which he made a journey +and returned, was a branch of Peel River. He described the timber on the +gravel terraces of the watershed as small and open. He was alone in this +unknown wilderness all summer, not seeing even any of the natives. There +are few men so constituted as to be capable of isolating themselves in +such a manner. Judging from all I could learn it is probable a +light-draught steamboat could navigate nearly all of Stewart Iver and +its tributaries. + +"From Stewart River to the site of Fort Reliance,[10] seventy-three and +a quarter miles, the Yukon is broad and full of islands. The average +width is between a half and three quarters of a mile, but there are many +expansions where it is over a mile in breadth; however, in these places +it cannot be said that the waterway is wider than at other parts of the +river, the islands being so large and numerous. In this reach no streams +of any importance enter. + +[Footnote 10: This was at one time a trading post occupied by Messrs. +Harper & McQuestion.] + +"About thirteen miles below Stewart River a large valley joins that of +the river, but the stream occupying it is only a large creek. This +agrees in position with what has been called Sixty Mile Creek, which was +supposed to be about that distance above Fort Reliance, but it does not +agree with descriptions which I received of it; moreover as Sixty Mile +Creek is known to be a stream of considerable length, this creek would +not answer its description. + +"Twenty-two and a half miles from Stewart River another and larger creek +enters from the same side; it agrees with the descriptions of Sixty Mile +Creek, and I have so marked it on my map. This stream is of no +importance, except for what mineral wealth may be found on it.[11] + +[Footnote 11: Sixty Mile Creek is about one hundred miles long, very +crooked, with a swift current and many rapids, and is therefore not easy +to ascend. + +Miller, Glacier, Gold, Little Gold and Bedrock Creeks are all +tributaries of Sixty Mile. Some of the richest discoveries in gold so +far made in the interior since 1894 have been upon these creeks, +especially has this been the case upon the two first mentioned. There is +a claim upon Miller Creek owned by Joseph Boudreau from which over +$100,000 worth of gold is said to have been taken out. + +Freight for the mines is taken up Forty Mile Creek in summer for a +distance of 30 miles, then portaged across to the heads of Miller and +Glacier Creeks. In the winter it is hauled in by dogs. + +The trip from Cudahy to the post at the mouth of Sixty Mile River is +made by ascending Forty Mile River a small distance, making a short +portage to Sixty Mile River and running down with its swift current. +Coming back on the Yukon, nearly the whole of the round trip is made +down stream. + +Indian Creek enters the Yukon from the east about 30 miles below Sixty +Mile. It is reported to be rich in gold, but owing to the scarcity of +supplies its development has been retarded. + +At the mouth of Sixty Mile Creek a townsite of that name is located, it +is the headquarters for upwards of 100 miners and where they more or +less assemble in the winter months. + +Messrs. Harper & Co. have a trading post and a saw-mill on an island at +the mouth of the creek; both, of which are in charge of Mr. J. Ladue, +one of the partners of the firm, and who was at one time in the employ +of the Alaska Commercial Company.] + +"Six and a half miles above Port Reliance the Thron-Diuck[12] River of +the Indians (Deer River of Schwatka) enters from the east. It is a small +river about forty yards wide at the mouth, and shallow; the water is +clear and transparent, and of beautiful blue color. The Indians catch +great numbers of salmon here. They had been fishing shortly before my +arrival, and the river, for some distance up, was full of salmon traps. + +[Footnote 12: Dawson City is situated at the mouth of the Thron-Diuck +now known as Klondyke, and although it was located only a few months ago +it is the scene of great activity. Very rich deposits of gold have been +lately found on Bonanza Creek and other affluents of the Thron-Diuck.] + +"A miner had prospected up this river for an estimated distance of forty +miles, in the season of 1887. I did not see him, but got some of his +information at second hand. The water being so beautifully clear I +thought it must come through a large lake not far up; but as far as he +had gone no lakes were seen. He said the current was comparatively +slack, with an occasional 'ripple' or small rapid. Where he turned back +the river is surrounded by high mountains, which were then covered with +snow, which accounts for the purity and clearness of the water. + +"It appears that the Indians go up this stream a long distance to hunt, +but I could learn nothing definite as to their statements concerning it. + +"Twelve and a half miles below Fort Reliance, the Chandindu River, as +named by Schwatka, enters from the east. It is thirty to forty yards +wide at the mouth, very shallow, and for half a mile up is one +continuous rapid. Its valley is wide and can be seen for a long distance +looking north-eastward from the mouth. + +"Between Fort Reliance and Forty Mile River (called Cone Hill River by +Schwatka) the Yukon assumes its normal appearance, having fewer islands +and being narrower, averaging four to six hundred yards wide, and the +current being more regular. This stretch is forty-six miles long, but +was estimated by the traders at forty, from which the Forty Mile River +took its name. + +"Forty Mile River[13] joins the main river from the west. Its general +course as far up as the International Boundary, a distance of +twenty-three miles, is south-west; after this it is reported by the +miners to run nearer south. Many of them claim to have ascended this +stream for more than one hundred miles, and speak of it there as quite a +large river. They say that at that distance it has reached the level of +the plateau, and the country adjoining it they describe as flat and +swampy, rising very little above the river. It is only a short distance +across to the Tanana River--a large tributary of the Yukon--which is +here described as an important stream. However, only about twenty-three +miles of Forty Mile River are in Canada; and the upper part of it and +its relation to other rivers in the district have no direct interest for +us. + +[Footnote 13: Forty Mile townsite is situated on the south side of the +Forty Mile River at its junction with the Yukon. The Alaska Commercial +Company has a station here which was for some years in charge of L.N. +McQuestion; there are also several blacksmith shops, restaurants, +billiard halls, bakeries, an opera house and so on. Rather more than +half a mile below Forty Mile townsite the town of Cudahy was founded on +the north side of Forty Mile River in the summer of 1892. It is named +after a well known member of the North American Transportation and +Trading Company. In population and extent of business the town bears +comparison with its neighbor across the river. The opposition in trade +has been the means of very materially reducing the cost of supplies and +living. The North American Transportation and Trading Company has +erected a saw-mill and some large warehouses. Fort Constantine was +established here immediately upon the arrival of the Mounted Police +detachment in the latter part of July, 1895. It is described further on +in an extract from Inspector Constantine's supplementary report for the +year 1895.] + +"Forty Mile River is one hundred to one hundred and fifty yards wide at +the mouth, and the current is generally strong, with many small rapids. +Eight miles up is the so-called canon; it is hardly entitled to that +distinctive name, being simply a crooked contraction of the river, with +steep rocky banks, and on the north side there is plenty of room to walk +along the beach. At the lower end of the canon there is a short turn and +swift water in which are some large rocks; these cannot generally be +seen, and there is much danger of striking them running down in a boat. +At this point several miners have been drowned by their boats being +upset in collision with these rocks. It is no great distance to either +shore, and one would think an ordinary swimmer would have no difficulty +in reaching land; but the coldness of the water soon benumbs a man +completely and renders him powerless. In the summer of 1887, an Indian, +from Tanana, with his family, was coming down to trade at the post at +the mouth of Forty Mile River; his canoe struck on these rocks and +upset, and he was thrown clear of the canoe, but the woman and children +clung to it. In the rough water he lost sight of them, and concluded +that they were lost: it is said he deliberately drew his knife and cut +his throat, thus perishing, while his family were hauled ashore by some +miners. The chief of the band to which this Indian belonged came to the +post and demanded pay for his loss, which he contended was occasioned by +the traders having moved from Belle Isle to Forty Mile, thus causing +them to descend this dangerous rapid, and there is little doubt that had +there not been so many white men in the vicinity he would have tried to +enforce his demand. + +"The length of the so-called canon is about a mile. Above it the river +up to the boundary is generally smooth, with swift current and an +occasional ripple. The amount of water discharged by this stream is +considerable; but there is no prospect of navigation, it being so swift +and broken by small rapids. + +"From Forty Mile River to the boundary the Yukon preserves the same +general character as between Fort Reliance and Forty Mile, the greatest +width being about half a mile and the least about a quarter. + +"Fifteen miles below Forty Mile River a large mass of rock stands on the +east bank. This was named by Schwatka 'Roquette Rock,' but is known to +the traders as Old Woman Rock; a similar mass, on the west side of the +river, being known as Old Man Rock. + +"The origin of these names is an Indian legend, of which the following +is the version given to me by the traders;-- + +"In remote ages there lived a powerful shaman, pronounced Tshaumen by +the Indians, this being the local name for what is known as medicine man +among the Indians farther south and east. The Tshaumen holds a position +and exercises an influence among the people he lives with, something +akin to the wise men or magi of olden times in the East. In this +powerful being's locality there lived a poor man who had the great +misfortune to have an inveterate scold for a wife. He bore the +infliction for a long time without murmuring, in hopes that she would +relent, but time seemed only to increase the affliction; at length, +growing weary of the unceasing torment, he complained to the Tshaumen +who comforted him, and sent him home with the assurance that all would +soon be well. + +"Shortly after this he went out to hunt, and remained away for many days +endeavoring to get some provisions for home use, but without avail; he +returned weary and hungry, only to be met by his wife with a more than +usually violent outburst of scolding. This so provoked him that he +gathered all his strength and energy for one grand effort and gave her a +kick that sent her clean across the river. On landing she was converted +into the mass of rock which remains to this day a memorial of her +viciousness and a warning to all future scolds. The metamorphosis was +effected by the Tshaumen, but how the necessary force was acquired to +send her across the river (here about half a mile wide), or whether the +kick was administered by the Tshaumen or the husband, my narrator could +not say. He was altogether at a loss to account for conversion of the +husband into the mass of rock on the west side of the river; nor can I +offer any theory unless it is that he was _petrified_ by astonishment at +the result. + +"Such legends as this would be of interest to ethnologists if they could +be procured direct from the Indians, but repeated by men who have little +or no knowledge of the utility of legendary lore, and less sympathy with +it, they lose much of their value. + +"Between Forty Mile River and the boundary line no stream of any size +joins the Yukon; in fact, there is only one stream, which some of the +miners have named Sheep Creek, but as there is another stream further +down the river, called by the same name, I have named it Coal Creek. It +is five miles below Forty Mile, and comes in from the east, and is a +large creek, but not at all navigable. On it some extensive coal seams +were seen, which will be more fully referred to further on. + + * * * * * + +"At the boundary the river is somewhat contracted, and measures only +1,280 feet across in the winter; but in summer, at ordinary water level, +it would be about one hundred feet wider. Immediately below the boundary +it expands to its usual width, which is about 2,000 feet. The area of +the cross section measured is 22,268 feet, the sectional area of the +Teslintoo, as determined by Dr. Dawson and already referred to, is 3,809 +feet; that of the Lewes at the Teslintoo, from the same authority, is +3,015 feet. Had the above cross-section been reduced to the level at +which the water ordinarily stands during the summer 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 per +cent more, and at spring flood level about double the above area. + +"It is a difficult matter to determine the actual discharge at the place +of the cross-section, owing to the irregularity in the depth and +current, the latter being in the deep channel at the east side, when I +tried it in September, approximately 4.8 miles per hour; while on the +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 purpose of +cross-section measurement. At the boundary it is narrow and clear of +bars and islands for some miles, but here I did not have an opportunity +to determine the rate of the current before the river froze up, 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. + +"The current from the boundary down to the confluence with the Porcupine +is said to be strong and much the same as that above; from the Porcupine +down, for a distance of five or six hundred miles it is called medium +and the remainder easy. + +"From Stewart River to the mouth of the Yukon is about 1,650 miles, and +the only difficult place in all this distance is the part near the +confluence with the Porcupine, which has evidently been a lake in past +ages but is now filled with islands; it is said that the current here is +swift, and the channels generally narrow, rendering navigation +difficult." + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +ADVICE TO BEGINNERS. + +Men who are thinking of going to the Klondyke regions and taking a trip +of this character for the first time, will do well to carefully read the +chapter on "Outfit for Miners." It is a great mistake to take anything +except what is necessary; the trip is a long arduous one, and a man +should not add one pound of baggage to his outfit that can be dispensed +with. I have known men who have loaded themselves up with rifles, +revolvers and shot-guns. This is entirely unnecessary. Revolvers will +get you into trouble, and there is no use of taking them with you, as +large game of any character is rarely found on the trip. I have +prospected through this region for some years and have only seen one +moose. You will not see any large game whatever on your trip from Juneau +to Dawson City, therefore do not take any firearms along. + +You will find a list of the implements for the miner in the chapter on +"Outfit for Miners." + +The miners here are a very mixed class of people. They represent 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. The 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 being very small. Those miners who do not work their claims +during the winter confine themselves to these small huts most of the +time. Very often they become indolent and careless, only eating those +things which are most easily cooked or prepared. During the busy time in +summer when they are shovelling in, they work hard and for long hours, +sparing little time for eating and much less for cooking. + +This manner of living is quite common amongst beginners, 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 this, where it is impossible to get fresh +vegetables and fruits, it is most important that the best substitutes +for these should be provided. Nature helps to supply these wants by +growing cranberries and other wild fruits in abundance, but men in +summer are usually too busy to avail themselves of these. + +The diseases met with in this country are dyspepsia, anaemia, scurvy +caused by improperly cooked food, sameness of diet, overwork, want of +fresh vegetables, overheated and badly ventilated houses; rheumatism, +pneumonia, bronchitis, enteritis, cystitis and 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 practical men, able to adapt themselves quickly to their +surroundings. Special care should be taken to see that their lungs are +sound, that they are free from rheumatism and rheumatic tendency, and +that their joints, especially knee joints, are strong and have never +been weakened by injury, synovitis or other disease. It is also very +important to consider their temperaments. Men should be of cheerful, +hopeful dispositions and willing workers. Those of sullen, morose +natures, although they may be good workers, are very apt, as soon as the +novelty of the country wears off, to become dissatisfied, pessimistic +and melancholy. + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +OUTFIT FOR MINERS. + +In giving any advice for outfits for miners, I should first state that +it is a great mistake to purchase anything whatever before arriving at +Juneau, Alaska. This has been a supply point for that region for upwards +of ten years, and store-keepers and supply companies carry in stock +exactly what is necessary for the miners. You will find that their +prices are reasonable, considering the difference in cost of +transportation at any point you might decide to purchase from in the +United States; in fact it is the saving of money to buy in Juneau. + +In the matter of clothing, of course, it must be left to the individual +taste and means of the purchaser, but the miners usually adopt the +native costume of the region. The boots are generally made by the coast +Indians and are of different varieties. The water boot is made of seal +and walrus. It is important to take a pair of rubber boots along. +Additional boots can be purchased at Dawson City. The native boots cost +from two to five dollars a pair. Trousers are generally made from +Siberian fawn skins and the skin of the marmot or the ground squirrel. +The outer garments are generally made of the marmot skin. The people at +Dawson City who are not engaged in mining, such as store-keepers, +clerks, etc., generally wear these garments. Good warm flannels are +important. Everything in the way of underwear is made of flannel, such +as shirts. The cost of flannel shirts at Dawson City is $5. Rubber +boots at Dawson City are $10 to $12.00 a pair. Blankets and robes are +used for bedding, and should be purchased at Juneau. Wolf skins make the +best robes. Good ones cost $100 apiece, but cheaper ones can be obtained +from the bear, mink, and red fox and Arctic Hare. Warm socks are made +from the skin of the Arctic Hare. + +If you have any delay at Juneau, you will, probably, be asked to take +trips to the Giant Glaciers, but my advice is to stay in Juneau until +the steamer is ready to start for Dyea. You will need all the rest you +can get before starting up the Pass. + +In the matter of provisions, the following is a list which is considered +sufficient to last a man on his trip from Juneau to Dawson City:-- + +20 pounds of flour, +12 pounds of bacon, +12 " " beans, + 4 " " butter, + 5 " " vegetables, + 4 cans of condensed milk, + 5 pounds of sugar, + 1 pound of tea, + 3 pounds of coffee, + 1 1-2 pound of salt, + 5 pounds of corn meal, +A small portion of pepper and mustard. + +The following utensils should be taken:-- + +1 frying pan, +1 water kettle, +1 Yukon stove, +1 bean pot, +2 plates, +1 tin drinking cup, +1 tea pot, +1 knife and fork, +1 large and 1 small cooking pan. + +The following tools should he brought as part of the outfit:--These will +be found absolutely necessary to build a boat at Lake Lindeman:-- + +1 jack plane, +1 whip saw, +1 cross-cut saw, +1 axe, +1 hatchet, +1 hunting-knife. +6 pounds of assorted nails, +1 pound of oakum, +5 pounds of pitch, +150 feet of rope, +1 Juneau sled. + +It is also necessary to have one good duck tent and a rubber blanket. + +A good piece of mosquito netting will not be heavy and will also be very +great comfort on the trip. + +Do not forget to put in a good supply of matches, and take a small +supply of fishing tackle, hooks, etc. + +It is very important that you have a pair of snow glasses to guard +against snow blindness. + +It will be interesting to know the prices at Dawson City for supplies: + +When I left in June, 1896. + +Flour was sold in 50 pound bags at $6.00 a bag. + +Fresh beef was supplied at 50 cents a pound. + +Bacon was 40 cents. + +Coffee was 50 cents per pound. + +Brown sugar was 20 cents per pound and granulated sugar was 25 cents a +pound. + +Condensed milk was 50 cents per can. + +Pick axes were $6.00 each. + +Miners' shovels were $2.00 each. + +Lumber right at Dawson City was $130.00 per thousand feet undressed, and +$150.00 per thousand feet dressed. + +It is well perhaps to advise the traveller to supply himself with a +small medicine box which can be purchased in Juneau, but it is not +necessary if he enjoys good rugged health. + +On arriving at Dawson City, luxuries will be found to be very high; what +is to be considered a very cheap cigar in the United States, two for 5 +cents, sells in Dawson City at 50 cents each. + +Liquors command very high prices. Whisky sells in the saloons for 50 +cents a glass, and fluctuates from $15.00 to $25.00 per gallon, +according to the supplies received from the at present overtaxed +transportation companies. There was about 12,000 gallons of whisky +imported into the territory from Canada the past year. Smoking tobacco +was selling at $1.50 a pound and good plug cut and fancy tobacco was +selling at $2.00 a pound. + +The demand for medicine is very light, but the local traders carry a +small stock of patent and proprietary medicines. + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +MINERS' LUCK. + +The reports already received of the finds of gold seem beyond belief but +the greater part of them are actual facts, and the following came under +my personal observation:-- + +Alexander McDonald, on Claim No. 30, Eldorado, on the Klondyke, started +drifting on his claim with four men. The men agreed to work the claim on +shares, the agreement being that they should work on shares by each +receiving half of what they could get out. The five together took out +$95,000.00 in twenty-eight days. The ground dug up was found to measure +but 40 square feet. This was an exceptional find. The men are of course +working the claim and had 460 square feet on the claim still to work out +when I left for the East. + +People in the East or elsewhere can hardly realize what a small space a +mining claim is in this vast and comparatively unexplored territory. + +William Leggatt on Claim No. 13, Eldorado, together with William Gates +and a miner named Shoots, purchased their claim from a miner named +Stewart, and his partner, for the sum of $45,000.00. They did not have +money to make the payment in cash but made a first payment of $2,000.00 +with the agreement to pay the balance of the purchase price, $43,000.00, +prior to July 1st, 1897. They sunk a shaft and commenced taking out +$1,000.00 per day. + +They worked the pay dirt until about May 15, 1897, when they found that +they had taken out $62,000.00, and the space of the claim worked was +only _twenty-four square feet_. + +A young man who went to the Klondyke recently writes that he is taking +out $1,800.00 a day from his claim. + +It is stated on good authority that one claim yielded $90,000 in 45 +feet up and down the stream. Clarence Berry bought out his two partners, +paying one $35,000 and the other $60,000, and has taken up $140,000 from +the winter dump alone. Peter Wiborg has purchased more ground. He +purchased his partner's interest in a claim, paying $42,000. A man by +the name of Wall has all he thinks he wants, and is coming out. He sold +his interests for $50,000. Nearly all the gold is found in the creek bed +on the bed rock, but there are a few good bench diggings. + +Perhaps the most interesting reading in the _Mining Record_ is the +letters written by men in the Klondyke to friends in Juneau. Here is one +from "Casey" Moran: + +DAWSON, March 20, 1897. + +"FRIEND GEORGE: Don't pay any attention to what any one says, but come +in at your earliest opportunity. My God! it is appalling to hear the +truth, but nevertheless the world has never produced its equal before. +Well, come. That's all. Your friend, + +"CASEY." + +Burt Shuler, writing from Klondyke under date of June 5, says: + +"We have been here but a short time and we all have money. Provisions +are much higher than they were two years ago and clothing is clean out +of sight. One of the A.C. Co.'s boats was lost in the spring, and there +will be a shortage of provisions again this fall. There is nothing that +a man could eat or wear that he cannot get a good price for. First-class +rubber boots are worth from an ounce of gold to $25 a pair. The price of +flour has been raised from $4 to $6, as it was being freighted from +Forty Mile. Big money can be made by bringing a small outfit over the +trail this fall. Wages have been $15 per day all winter, though a +reduction to $10 was attempted, but the miners quit work.... Here is a +creek that is eighteen miles long, and, as far as is known, without a +miss. There are not enough men in the country to-day to work the claims. +Several other creeks show equal promise, but very little work has been +done on the latter. I have seen gold dust until it seems almost as cheap +as sawdust. If you are coming in, come prepared to stay two years at +least; bring plenty of clothing and good rubber boots." + +Thus far little attempt to mine quartz has been made in the interior of +Alaska and the Northwest, although many quartz croppings have been seen. +It would cost too much to take in the machinery and to build a plant +until transportation facilities are better. In time, however, quartz +mining operations will commence, for the placer mines were washed down +from the mother veins somewhere. If the washings have made the richest +placers in the world, what must the mother veins be? One dares hardly to +imagine. + +This is a brief description of the gold region in the Northwest. + +For further and more detailed information on Routes and Distances, +Transportations, Mining Laws, How to Stake a Claim, Where to Register +Your Claim, Modes of Placer Mining and Quartz Mining, Return of Gold +from the Diggings, Mortality, Cost of Living, etc., I refer the reader +to my book on this subject entitled "Klondyke Facts," a work of about +224 pages. It is published in paper covers at 50 cents a copy with maps +and illustrations, and is sent postpaid by the publishers on receipt of +50 cents. + +AMERICAN TECHNICAL BOOK CO., 45 Vesey Street, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. + + * * * * * + +*ABC of Electricity*. Now in its 62d thousand. By WM. H. +MEADOWCROFT. 1 volume, 12mo, cloth, 50 cents Fully illustrated. + +This excellent primary book has taken the first place in elementary +scientific works. It has received the endorsement of Thomas A Edison. 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