The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-05-30

- sas -
But we have still mole recent oy.-
dence Of the comparative mildncss IF
the climate upon the American side,
even in a higher latitude. At Point
Barrow in II degrees north, where
there is large Esquimaux village, and
"hece Her Naicsty's ship PIoyer win
ta-'i iu 1923 her commander, Lieu
toG4nt Hgi.vu, reported that during the
cuure winter the fall Of snow did not
exceed one foot in depth, and that on
the coolest day the thermometer only
marked forty,threo degrees below zero;
degree OF cold not much greater than
that winch was experienced at Quebec
last winter, whore, also tho entire
quantity of snow which fell during that
period was about fifteen times greater
than that reported to have fallen dur
ing the winter of 1923 at Point Bar
row, situated twenty degrees further
north.
OF the many lar &c rivers which
flow through Russian America, none 0,
them have been explored to their sour
ces but several of them, such as til
Colvillo, the Stikino, the Yuken o.
Kwichpack, and the Kukokwln, ar
supposed to run a course of upwards Of
one thousand miles, and to be navigab,o
for a considerable distance. From thcil
breadth as well as their length, and th
volume Of water wnich they discharq.
into the sea, they may certainly be il
ciuded in rivers Of the first class. II.
Colville, which was discovered by Simp-
son and Decse since the convention {.
1925 is two miles wide at It's mouth !.
the Arctic Sea where Capt. MClur
observed its influence twelve or fou
teen miles out at sea, the water at tha
distance being of dirty mud color an
scarcely salt. The Stikine enters til
Pacific at 80 degrees 50 minutes mort
latitude, where it is three miles wide
and at a distance of thirty miles frou
the sea has a width of one mile but
its source is in British territory. o.
the Yukon or Kwichpack, Sir Johr
Richardson says 4: 1t rises to the wos
Of the Rocky Mountains, not far fror
the union OF the Francis and Levi.
which form the Pelly, flows first to tn
north, and after receiving a large tribuS
tory named Porcupiue, to the westward,
falls irto Behring's Sea- and that in 60
degrees north latitude, and 147A deg.
west longitude which is about ono
thousand miles from its mouth, { il is
one mile and quarter wide. These
three magnificent rivers, falling into
different seas, probably represent three
distinct river systems Of the northwest
corner Of this continent, each being fed
by numerous smaller, yet considerable
streams, and the three together draining
an extent of country much larger than
the whole Of Canada. The Rat River,
mentioned by Mr.. lbister, of the Hud-
son Bay Company's service, in commit
nication to the Royal Geographical So
ciety, flows from Russian America thro'
the Rocky Mountains at the first cou.
plete break in the chain in 67 degrees
north latitude into the Mackenzie of the
British territory, the latter having ac.
cording to Sir John Richardson, q
course of $500 miles $500 miles longer
than the st. Lawrence); and an unbrok -
en- navigation, fit for steamboats,, from
its entrance in the Arctic Sea to the
Portage Of the Drowned, a distance Of
frsm twelve to thirteen hundred miles.
In addition to the Russian territory be-
ing everywhere drained by the finest
rivers, it contains many large lakes
communicating with the former, and is
indented with numerous deep and spac-
ious haIbo,s, aud also by several extern
sive arms Of the sea. Of the latter,
Cooks inlet runs upwards of two hun.
dred miles into the land. These lakes
and rivers, and these inlets and harbors,
may be viewed as very important fea-
lures Of the country. They not only
assist to temper the climate (the former
by draining the land) which generally
shapes towards the sea and towards the
Mackenzie, and the latter by the salt
atmosphere, which their waters diffuse
through the interior, but they tend to
enrich the soil upon their banks, by
a short period of overflow in the
spring, and may be made to afford
facilities for inter~oommunication, rem
dering accessible the most retired aud
most sheltered valleys, and for the
establishment and active prosecution
Of an Outward commerce."
|
Gea. The Cleveland Plaiudealer tells
| thiS horrible story. q VVa onna kpoyy n