Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-24

can hardly realize that no trout .
salmon trout or the white lake fish "
this extreme Northwestern coast va
to be found IN these waters,
THE ONLY KIND OF FISH CAUGHT.
The grsyling was the only hsh
caught BY the party up to this time,
and the reputed elk and moose OK were
nowhere 10 be seen. In fact this
portion Of the country seemed devoid
Of all animated life, except an occs-
sional grouse or pheasant. He who
has read Baron Won Wrangell's expe-
dition Of 1924 will remember the
thrilling description given OF huge
elks being driven BY natives into pens
and there slaughtered BY the hundreds
in the fall ofthe year to supply the
natives with their winter food, The
fisherman had in his minds eye con
ceived tito be paradise, where noun.
tain trout would swim ashore and
fasten themselves on hiss hook, and
the dreaded worm, so often used for
bait, would be dispensed With.
The miner had believed it
to be a regien Astounding in precious
metals and was 10th to give up the
ghost until he had heard from that
unknown region. But this party found
none of the poetry depicted in the
Imagination of the above classes.
Government provender and plenty Of
manual labor was the regular routine
of the day. The party proceeded
some $50 miles from the last named
lake before they.reached Fort Selkirk,
having travelled over 800 miles on
their raft. From Fort Selkirk to Fort
Reliance is about 400 miles further,
and from Fort Reliance to Fort Yukon
shout 800 miles.
CONE FROM ABOVE.
At Fort Yukon the party met the
steamer Of the Alaska Fur Company
on her trip up the river for the last
load Of furs for the season. 1t was
near this place one day that the raft
shot out from a canyon and came near
being wrecked upon the beach where
a miner stood at work. Amazed at
the strange apparition he cried out,
Good God where did you come
from?n
From above" sang out some one
on the raft, and the miner inadver-
tently turned his eyes towar heaven to
see if there was going to be a shower
Of RATS and explorers. From Fort
Yukon the party proceeded on down
TIE river on their raft to old Fort
Adams, having made a journey Of over
1890 miles byraft-at times through a
wild and unexplOred country, shooting
through canyons and Wading waist
deep to shove their raft over sandbars,
taking observations and noting the
topography Of the country, in case the
government is ever interested sufi-
ciently to send an expedition thither
to find out its true resources and
wealth.
TAKING A SCHOONER.
AT old Fort Adams the party tade
farewell to the raft that had carried
them safely thus far, and chartered a
schooner to take them to the mouth
Of the. Yukon, hoping they might
SIGHT passing whaler and thus return
to civilization before winter set in.
Leaving Chileat on the 9TH OF June
the party reached Fort Selkirk July
10 and the mouth Of the Yukon river
August "a, and arrived at St. Michael
on the 18th Of the same month. They
were delayed here for thirteen days,
when, providentially. the Leo came in
with Lieutenant Rays party on board.
Picking the explorers up, they made
OunAlaska in five days, and, after
waiting seven days at that point, again
steamed out Of port and arrived here
the 9th inst.
Lieutenant Sehwatka now claims to
have made the longest raft journey on
record, and has traced the Yukon
river for 5000 miles from its mouth,
1900 Of which he considers nayigable,
should the country ever demand any
great amount Of shipping thereon.