New-York tribune., 1870-05-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
DsTJ,S ALASKA.

Shepard ---.-,
This Is a volume to make Mr.. Seward happy and
yur ueoplo wise where before they were ignorant
few months ago and Alaskawas terra incogR'td save
Soa few whose knowledge, in condensed form was
IN he found chiefly in Charles Summers speech; now
we haze an elegant octave volume protuseiy Mus
1rated and crammed with the fruits Of actual OBJ
servation The chief fault of Mr. Dalls book is It's
miuuteness Of description where the reader naturally
eeeks comprehensive view The authors aVoWed
object has been to compass all available information
IN REGARD 10 the native inhabitants history, and re-
sources Of the country andto present il in connected
fosm With this end in view, he has spared no per-
ona labor and has used to advantage the results OF
the laboTs Of Others. The arrangement of the con-
tents is such that the reader can easily turn 10
any subject on which he desires information
Thus Part l., comprising nearly One-thdot the DOOR,
Is chiefly the journal of Mr.. Dalls travels ana eA-
p1oraions the Yukon River and the Yukon Ierrl-
tory: Part II. contains an account OF the history
geography. inhabitants and resources OF Alaska,
while a carefully compiled Appendix, consisting OF
about 100 pages gives glossary, various tables OF
population miscellaneous statistics, meteOrology,
latitudes and longtudes, vOcabularies natural his
tory &c. &c. full Index, covering II pages is an
invauable key to the work. which will be fully ap-
preeiated In these days when students and readers
have no time to waste, it should be an indictabe
ofense send forth book OF this kind without an
Index, and Mr.. Dali is deserving OS hearty thanks
for the hOToughness with which this part of his task
has been done.
Mr.. Dal's official connection with the Western
Union Telegraph Expedition as Director of its Scen
ti6c Corps, gave him facilities such explorer
had ever been favored with before, and he seems TO
have made honest and earnest use of the time and
means at his disposal Aside from the details always
interesting to the general reader of personal adven
tures in strange country, involving descriptions
that necessarily abound in information, Mr. Dalls
explorations of the Yukon Territory and the Yukon
River are the most valuable, and at the same time
entertaining. Few aware, we believe, that this
Yukon is q river about 1900 miles in length, and
nayigabe by steamboats, for threefourths its length,
while in many places, its width is so great that
bank is invisible from the other. Above what are
called the RampaTts including the islands the river
is in some places 30 miles wide by its size, and
the important changes which it is always bringing
about in Behring Sea- ii fairly entitled tOIan
Of the largest rivers in the world 1t larger than the
Gangcs the OrinOco about the size of the Danube
the La Plata and belongs to that great family of
Northern rivers Of which the Obi, Lena Saskatche-
wan, and Mackenzie are the most prominent men,
bers." Into this mighty stream either side,
empty many large rivers draining countries as yet
mexplored, and whose inhabitants and resources
are known only by uncertain report and incidental
and suggestive means. Mr. Dals description Of the
Yukon River and the country through which it
flows is very interesting, and, inasmuch as his
the only party that had, up to 1863 descended
from the Upper Yukon to the by the river, his
narrative has an especial freshness and value
The Yukon Territory, which may be considered
the most interesting portion of Alaska varies from
low, rolling and somewhat rocky hills usually easy
OF ascent, to broad and rahermarshy plains extend
ing for miles on either side of the river, especial Y
near the mouth. OF course, there are no roads,
oept occasional faint trails In fact, the Yukon and
its tributaries form the great highways Of the
country. Some features Of this region of sngu-
lar interest.
Much Of the soil Is rich aluval, composed Of very
fine sand mad and vegetable matter brought down by
fhc river and forming deposits Of indefinite depth; and
1n some such localities freSh-waer maT is found in
abundance The coil is usually frozen at depth OF three
or four ee 10 ~ Gy % rs haS nc Of N e eo1F SnrfSGe Ut Ts his
layer o frozen so ig SS or eig4t ieet thcE; DtioW
very unusual situations. This phenomenon ap
pears TO be directly haeeable to want Of
drainage combined with q nonconductiye covering OF
moss which prevents the scOrchng sun Of the boreal
midsummer from thgwlng ana warming the soil IN
paces where the soil s Wen drained and IS NOT covered
with as in tie large 9nyial deposits near Yukon
further below the surface, and in many places appears
to be entirely wanting. have no doubt that, in
ice could, in Of time, be wholly removed from the
soil A singular phenomenon, on the shores OF
and described in the voyage OF the Rurik by |
ATnenGix to the voyage Of tho Herald by Buckland and
Forbes II consists bluffs banks go to 60 feet high
on slna beach formed by Getrts at the foot Of the
bank. These continuous banks Of ice strange to say
e words OF the renowned boanist, Dr. seemann
heTbs and shrubs ourishing with auxuriance only
cont is exaggerated and highly colored, as is |
confirmed by Ir. Buclilnd and lis companions, |
although Capt. Beeehey had previously, reported
that KotzebJe had been deceived by snow, |
drfted against the OF the banks, and remaining
while thar in other localities had melted away. Dr.
T.ell nd aulh rs Marty examined
less removed from the shore, ana found in every
ter at short distance below the surface. They report
also that the in the bay is becoming shallow,
formation is rapidly disappearing AS no explanation
has been offered Of this singular phenomenon, venture
auses as the suberanean ice layer which found over
y great part OF the Yukon Territory IL is quite possible
drainage that the annual moisture derived from
rainfall and melting snow would collect between
sSSens sSS CONCEAL ie Suns aS the Tn a%d
be prevented from melting during the ensuing summer
which would thus be gradually rased the process, an
nEsy repeated for a. igde1uite PERIOD would form an
ie layer which would well deserve tDe appreciation OF an
'icec5t, when me eDchroaehnentS OF the sea shOud
have away Its barriers, and laid open 70 the ac
ton OF the elements Tne lesson that the agc9tulls OF
ia tha healthy and xUTiant vegetation may existn the
RHd maturing It's seeds as readily az IN SITUATIONS appar
Rntly much favored. Hence we may INFER that
large extent Cf territory long considered valuees may
RbaIdsut harvest at least acceptable and not incon-
siderable addition 70 his fare OF fish venison and game
interior tss is the case throughout Alaskal dif-
lies comparatively adjacent That OF the coast is tenn
poied 10y the body OF water contained IN BenrinS
fr.nu the Pacific making the Winter climate of the coast
much rnldcr than that of the country, thirty miles
Ctng rs bar 20 the progress of warm winds
Te Summers on the other hand from the quantity OF