The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-26
LIFE IN THE ARCTIC ZONE.
Fishing aud Ituutiu- b. the northern Re-
piOrsA Narrow Gauge Ro.d-shuH Ha
Dangerous Rapids IN a vciy TRAIT Craii.

In the month OF AuguN, 1910, WHO WIS
10 charge of IT ing post at the MOUTH ~ the
Il River. on Cooks Inlet. 10 hectnc ncces-
" Go Eci quantity OF goods 80 M "a Toy
nuusn ct "A place lid itOitu what, a' 1u'
ct1uty utlrs uD the river. Tue goods utH been
taken there for trading purpose e rlv In tn"
~ st,u. when the water was low. and a portage
had been made around lung scriri ~ pids
icking not ONLY the goods nut large ni lar or
open skin boat. Now the wafer was 20 It's him
place for goods g. take further up the inle'.
concluded to try the exper,rent of running the
ipids IN the hd r left a. ilupsi Will4u. en-
gag las leader Of theex edition Young Indian
by the name Of Stcptuka, III son OF tue tniet
Of the village " Chketuck. lie nad always
proved himself m intrepid, cptrtgeo is' ana re-
liable Young follow. and j was glad To see him
asse 4 to my request. lie promised to eng &c
the necessary assist ,nce IN the village, while |
concluded to take with me- at their urgent re-
quest. two sailors from the schooner awaiting
tue goods. One Of them WIS young Dutchm n.
Fred, aud the other a quiet, elderly mHn, joe
mailing from Boston. Early In the morning my
little company asse nhled, and when breakfast
h been de-pascned We st red from the trad
Ing post. making a short halt at the village t.
gave the lndians an opportunity to bid farewell
women and children standing In front OF their
low huts. looking after us with the vacant stare
usual with these children of nature.
a soon a. the clear NJ Immediately surround
ing the viii ge was behind US we took to the
road, road travelled by hundre is Of people FOR
hundreds OF We Ts, vet Dot rev inches VIDE
me trail Is the one used ~ the. H.,n. IN all
their jJnrneNs be'wetn the Villages oil skil1kh
ana Cuketuck, both being mentioned bY the
earliest visitors to this lie ion. aud vet II Is no
thing but u track vey Hale WIDER than tue
tyerale human foot. worn from six to eight
inches into the Welding m Hssy ground. out side
Of THIS track the foot sins. into the moss at
every step making the vtll,iiu, Nr,.dtnglN ire
some. 1nc uat.re uf the trIit made 1t urrc- ,iry
to arrange my caravan in q certain order Ia In
dian Tile. FIRST came tnc guido, mild.e- aged
man, not very stro ~ and GO rNing no !" II tx
Get a large copper a-kctt.e. And from tuis
burden ne dtrf'd the - me u" ChVnik " tltu--
stan Tor tet-settie). After him tot owed. car
tviug mN me- ammunition ami sh9ll PACK OF
tx IA cintning Thea came my SAILOR N'lun
tcers, tAc buchanan first, ana then tue 10
from Boston, nj aiter tnesc the man nodl o
NV force-eight scout young Indians, irving
packs ui provisions. ANA some 81 thcm irm,d
Mtth old hu IAN mdskcts. Inc rear was
brought az hy my valiant Lieutenant, rtcpahka.
who had cuOsen that lace In ora = tu prevent
struggling. tut he was back aud forth long tn
line qui.e frequently. sometimes uc-cfitln2
| had in.r stcd uim with : incer caroline &c
longing To the ualtnt post. ana ne was anXioAs
tOuaNs a snOe al some lhug.
coon suOT.
We had been CA The ,ad 70 few hours when
Cnynit turned around aud shoutrd the Indian
word wildcat back 10 ~, D. iut.na t. a ci quo
OF bushes Az AT "A hundred Nafd- dist mt. la "A
second We st~ steptnat Ing tw h"c a
ace Jumping over fallen trees a.id bushes with
the ~ atrst agility, and then tntrc " ~ - mo
mrnts pause, shot. md an uncrthlN Yell ipl'
lowed By htivl 3 ~ uf sumeth lr ln "A Tree.
Ahpth.r snrs non r'ei'thh u tnd ,''iy'hlh|
was Sill. stopp, thc men and b de them II.
down while Ne waited fHr the fcappe rance If
Our hunter. ~ a Few minutes ne came mp
ping wildcat skin over Ms snOAld 1, aud a Jew
choice MOI sells Of tae am nal wrapped up IN
h.ndketchicl heart. the llNef, ana tue
he d rue heart and liver were eaten raw ON
the Indians, " to make them brave aui active
StepinNa eX IidiheI. but tne head was pre-
served 10 ue 4 lukeJ at night.
Inis lmpronutI lunch disposed Of, We march
white bircu Of great axe anj Size. Every little
while some urOt.ne ,NclamdtiOn from Dutch
Fred would reacn nv 90 ; a. hr EXPRESSED Ms
rather strong opinion Of country where Tue
road wouldn't lt his Tees" IRE had way Of
turning his es outward IN wdlkin., AMI tnii,
ol q lur-e. made II rather AWKWARD for MIN TO
fuliON traii oi Tue ~. uro described -, N'' lie
would stumble aid fll, to IN" great metume 4
though he did not unde.st M the exact
meaning Of them. die not tend to IN
ere 4se Fred's ia.t-waning good hunor his
he w s.Oe. made l1comOtiOn on the sol deep
moss outside at the beaten track almost inpOs
siOlc. and II lac had moi ueen air I'D Of losing MS
way IN the nushy wildern -, lac wound GER
tainly have t-rned back alone. lne other sailor,
Joe. trOtted al 'ng cpntentedly enough. auI only
opened ms muu. II for tue purpOs- Of t.iAing q
cuew OF tJn Co nov and then.
Al noon we haltcd on beautiful spot near
htu@ he. IN the ia dow Of some ugge bifcu
and noul,r-. CnYuik had the " ter toiling ~
the Time ali the men had unStrdpped then packs
aud seated themselves around tue hte. there
were no ps, 10y an oVcr-ieht ia packins up hut
their pla was soon supplied oy ne II little
SO ,are rOxes u Urea Dark, folded aui fastened
their purpose very well for one meal, bu soon
a. the oak becomes drs they nod water No
CRACKERS aud "youkala' dried sain."nl. was
coon dcspa ched, and tue line of mdrcu taken
up once more.
IL THE WOODS.
The woods IN ALASKA are silent. only n the
inincdia e vicinity oi witef one hears the crf ~
Wild fowl occasion ,Ily. and at uiGut the wolf
aud wildcat m he themsrlv.A heard In rat sr
un r,iodpus notes. As on f,rtv rassed lioug.
the only noise was produced Nv The cracking ~
/ twlg- uu Ter the iect Of the two sailors the only
/ four shoe III the party. Tue Dltchman was
| cVdcnuy getting too tired to swear. Inc trAit,
witch had thus fr been perfectly level, began
| To SKIRT along some rolling mis-, AID uu liv led
| - over steep piun on To the bank u a river,
! t.e = llsatuw. whicn emptles into the n ut. a
short DIST nee below. r fl WAS found iIden
! in toe bushes along tn snore, ana wis soon
placed IN working order. taking us across IN
| river being high, mad bacAed 10 the iribulsfv,
| giving II the appearance II placid lake, its
smpo surface ofoAen bv the jumping aud mp
| ping Of lnnuuerablc salmon.
During tho trip across StepAnka speared few
choice spe linens for our super. and tuey we're
soon brOiline over the lire a oar camping place
Tor tue ul.ht' IA an lucredlON snort liue all
the comforts TO b. derived from the lrruduu-
ings MAD been brought Oak, into req i'sltion.
Long grass ana sull noushs wer1 hrapei up ana
! covered with cotr skins, offording q utc - luxu-
Iiods couch. semi-circm Dariicade Of dry
| branches was formed behind Tue canning
! ground, to give warning Of Toe approach Of
proving bear during the night ono side Of the
! camp being pr ,cied by the water.
When veryting was arran-e to StepankA's
! satisiacli in and a hearty sIpprr disposed Of,
some of tae men aunouuccd that they wound
eNe us an cntcu luincnt cuuSls iu9 of uantO-
! mimic dance * tcuted uy three young Indians
DIRE sed M III the most gtOtesque sNlo with
| II 81 guns aud pouches, nd gave represent itipns
Of the mode of killing different species u game.
! while chanting some Kind OF song. h" IN rd
hell III his fingers "a long white f. tncr from 4
sw n's wing, seeming to direct the movements
of the others uy tbs motions Of the leather
evidently using it sort of magic wan I,
! drawing the hunters away from the chase
to their nnal death from exhaustion. wnici
| VS. actei tnrQughnQ. with a considerable
degree Of mimic sNll. l. had become uuitauar,
by this time, aud while Law there vaccine the
| strnnge antics II tho dtncers Nv the red, flick.
| erin- llht Of the nre, and listening to their no.
| nOlOnous cnant backed, So To SAY, by the dis,
tant roar Of tue waters, through the gurse OF
Tough william, II MAS diflGIlt t. realz ~ tue ex'
| istence Of "A busy and enlightened world out
| Side; nd when the last ot the dancing brave
| had seemingly expired, grasptns hi, gun in q
last CunvulsiVe clutch, stretched m, self out or
! the dpwnN ftWn skins, and elancing for A whllt
through halt-clpsed cyeids AT The starry heaven,
! above. unalli dtupacd asleep, a prey to all tn,
Wild flncies awakened by the evening" perform
anCc.
UP ny SUNRISE
Our rest that night was not disturbed by ears
Rnd hN sunrise cNe,VhOdY was M nd re- adv ini
another IT mn alonl the banks # the kenat
Tie rail between the mouth Of the SnitatDM
and ll'Ggh william Is steep and very narrow. De-
tng cut through thick uudcrurush. Al dt, 80
could distinctly hear the roar Of the ranids nvei
whlrh we were u run our hlddr on the morrow
snort distance from our Journeys Il III,
"CnNmk' cime suddeniy rInniug back sh nut,