, 1886-12-31
ALASKAN EXPEDITION.
ACROSS THE SNOW BOUND COUNTRY
FOR THE STETCHEON RIVER.
The Mighty Amazon of the North-Trad-
Ing with the Natives-Runaway Dogs.
Hospitality to Travelers-A Sick Indian.
Roasting Salmon.

Roasting Salmon.
The Stecheon in length, width and vol
ume of water ranks among the great
rivers of the earth. 1t is the mighty
Amazon of the north. If you can find
any reliable map of this country trace the
course of this river until it turns west
n you will find a trading post called
Lonata; but as we could gain time in
going across the country instead of fol-
lowing the river to this point, we brought
boats that are a combination " boat and
sledge. They are the native fiat bottomed
ones, made by stretching sealskin over
a wooden frame and fastening it there by
walrus skin.
A stirring trade was now started with
the natives for u full supply of fur cloth
ing for the entire company, and prices
went up 200 per cent, the natives actu-
ally making prices according to the de-
mand. The garments are a fur frock with
a hood attached, fur pants, sack boots
and a fur sleeping bag, all with the fur
inside Or double-that Is, made of two
skins in thickness.
We took possession of Il log house built
by some American in the past year, but
now unused We piled the earth well
round to the height of feet and put
up a Yankee cooking stove. The natives
''Nf ~ ~ Iaat
and energy of the strangers.
To procure dogs was the all important
matter, but with the aid of the natives
they were soon obtained, and ut high IL
II day, some months after landing, we
set out. We started, cheered on by the
shouts and ,~salutes of firearms of those
left behind. We followed the Unirolla
creek, the ice over which we drove was
covered with snow that was not hard,
,r1faI. ..,l. H. .I-. l-- -.
after striking this stream the banks be-
came lined with spruce, fir and birch.
Many of the streams were large. One of
the sledges lost a part Of the bon with
which it was shod, making it draw heav-
lily. This provoked the dogs, who we're
no better behaved than they should be.
Two of them gnawed their harness and
ran back home.
A clear place ON the bank was found
just as the light began to fade. Here we
started n fire n prepared to make our
first out door camp in Alaska. Fire was
started, bacon was cooked and invigorat-
ing tea made. Refreshed by IA good sup
per VT rolled ourselves up in our fur
bags and lay down to sleep with nothing
above us but the branches of the trees
and the blue sky. In the morning we
awoke refreshed, and ound that four
more Of the dogs had gnawed loose and
left for home.
One driver went back after the run
away dogs. and after Harvesting up we
started, some of us helping the dogs in
the hard places. After five hours travel
we came to an Indian village, and as the
usual custom is to assign Il house to all
strange people We had one set aside for
US with Il fire already built, and in order
to keep the heat in the hole in the roof
NyYS rnNprnI Ibn SrnoL. ia. ratufnaI
smell of stale fish, the odor of Il group of
dogs, mingled with perfumes of various
kinds, made il anything but II desirable
place. The hole was uncovered, the fire
~replenished aud the cooking commenced.
Tn atmosphere was becoming purer
when some dogs who We're fighting on
the roof tumbled through the hole. The
pots We're overturned and the room filled
with the smell of burning hair.
The people of this village were busy
making baskets, fish traps, snow shoes
and sledges. The children were fat and
happy. The owner placed Il portion of his
platform at our disposal. We cleaned it
of dirt, covered it with our furs and pro-
ceeded to make ourselves at home.
Fresh reindeer meat and wild fowl were
procured, and, with hot biscuits, ave us
q good supper.
We resolved TO await our dogs here and
devote the time to the study of Indian
life and character. Both sexes use
tobacco. Smokers generally discharge the
smoke from the mouth. In this way
much of the essence of the tobacco escapes.
These people swallow the smoke, and in
this way lodge about the stomach and
lungs what would otherwise be lost.
We had mn application from II sick
Indian, who asked to be cured, and said:
Much hurt hercl'' We applied a blister
of Spanish fly, and the next morning the
invalid was in high spirits. We expected
to find the breast raw, but the blister had
only left a clean spot on his skin. The
man vas cured, M our reputation as
good and great medicine men was estab-
lished.
Our dogs arrived, and we pushed on
up stream for several days and halted at
another Indian village for a rest. Here
several warm springs kept the water free
from ice at all times. Here the finest
salmon abound, and when all other
sources of food fail, give support to the
entire village and many people round
about. Sticks thrust through one Of
these fish as he comes writing from the
water and held over the fire without fur
Their fixing until roasted, makes Il de-
licious morsel fit for a king
Leaving the stream we struck direct
across the snow covered country for the
Stecheon river, and after eighty days of
hard travel were on its broad surface.
1t seemed indeed a sea, for its opposite
shore was three miles away, with an oc-
c~asionnl island intervening. Over its
snow covered, hummocky surface we pro-
ceeded cautiously, and arrived at Lonata
in the early winter or dark season. Now
we would be without the heat or light Of
the u for l45 days. Here we left the
sledges and dogs and toiled on snow shoes
up the river until ,00S miles lay between
us and the point where its waters reach the
ocean. Herbert Bartlett in The Current.