The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-10-14
Alaskau EXPLORATION.
LIEUTENANT sCHwATKA's ACCOUNT OF HIS
IIXEn AI.EAA

LIEUTENANT SCIIwATKAS ACCOUNT OF HIS
DISCOVERIES ON THE RIVER YUKON.
A San Francisco telegram says: Lieu
tenant Schwatka, Of Arctic fame, who. with
his party. was picked up by Lieutenant
Ray at st. Michaels. speaking Of his TRIP
up the Yukon river. Alaska. saws they
started from Fort Vancouver, Washing
ton Territory. on May DIST, being detailed
by General Miles. commanding the Depart
mcnt OF Columbia, TO make an eNplo-
ration of The Valley OF the Yukon. He
travelled $500 miles overland. reaching
the headwaters Of the rive, where they
constructed a raft of LOGS to M ate the
stream TO its mouth. The" y 'Ocu"ed a
crew OF six Indians and preceded down
the gradually-incrcasing stream " thin $50
miles of Fort CT lcai, when rapids were
encountered. Down them the Indians re-
fused TO 20, and attempted to force the raft
ashore. Schwatka, in order To suppress
the mutiny, opened fire on the indians,
killing three, when the Others submitted
and the rapids were run. The voyage ON
tue raft was $40 miles. From the mouth
OF the Yukon they proceeded TO II.
Michaels. where they boarded the Leo for
this port.
Lieutenant Schwatka claims that he has
been further up the Yukon than any other
white man. This is denied by Signal-Scr-
vcc-Ofliccr Lcavitt, who has been sta
| toned at It. Michacls, and " no also came
down on TIE Leo. He "Gys he assembled
| the Yukon to Fort Sc X. 1000 miles
| from its mouth. lie describes the river a.
being one Of the largest in the world, dis
charging 30 per cent. more water than The
| Mississippi, and rs being at places seven
miles In breadth.
| Lieutenant Storey, who went upon the
last trip Of the reconnaissance Thomas
| Corwin for the purpose OF distributing
among the Tchuckchee Indians of Alaska
the five thousand dollars worth OF pres
cnts given by the Government i'm recogn-
ton OF the fact that they afforded shelter
and food to the officers and crew OF the
steamer Rogers, burned in 1881. reports
the discovery Of al immense river hitherto
unknown TO geographers. The river had
been vaguely spoken Of 10y Indians 10
former explorers, and Lieutenant Storey.
being compelled TO await the return trip OF
the Corwin. Determined to see If il existed.
Accompanied 10y one attendant and an in
terpretcr, he proceeded inland from Uo-
than Inlet IN Il southcaSlerly direction un-
I'll he struck what he believed 10 he the
mysterious river. He traced il to its
mouth, distance Of about fifteen miles,
I where he saw such huge pieces Of float
ing timber rs 10 satisfy him that the
stream must be Of immense size. lie
, retraced his steps for Il distance OF
NIFTY miles, where he encountered ma
tiyes, from whom he learned that Ia
: reach the head waters Of Sic unknown
stream would take several months. The
Indians told him that trey had come down
the river distance Of 1900 miles To meet
a fur-tradcr, and that il went up higher
Than th?t, Having no time To- 90 further
Lieutenant Storey returned. II is his
opinion, as stated by those on the Coz.
win from whom this information was OBJ
tanned, that the discovery of this rive,
accounts for the large guam ties OF
, floating timber in the Arctic ocean, which
has popularity been supposed to come down
; the Yukon river. The Indians stated that
the liver in some places is twenty lies
/, wide. IL lies within the Arctic circle, but
, la August, when Lieutenant Storey was
, there, he found flowers and vegetation moi
hitherto discovered in so high latitude.
lie has forwarded his report TO the Secre-
Try OF the Navy, and hopes TO be per-
; mtted TO 80 back and continue his explo-
rations.