Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-11-19
/ sTuNG 70 DEATH.

y NatO OF tho Big brown DA0r Of AlaskA
ID Mosquito SoaSOn.
j. fair wind one day made me think
it possible to take q hunt inland, but
to my disgust it died down after had
proceeded two 0r three miles, and my
fight back tocamp with the mosquitoes
\ shall always remember IS one Of the
salient points Of my life. It seemed as
II there was an upward rain Of insects
from the grass that became . delugc
over marshy tracts.-and more than
half the ground was inarshy. Of course
not a sign Of any game was seen. ex-
cept q few old tracks; and the tracks Of
an animal are about the only part of it
that could exist here in the mosquito
season, which lasts from the time the
snow is half off the ground until the
first severe frost. period Of some
three or four months. During that
time every living creature that can
leave the valleys ascends the noun
tsins, closely following the snow line,
and even there peace is not completely
attained, the exposure 70 the winds
being Of far more benefit than the COOL
hess due to the altitude, while the mos
quitoes are left undisputed masters OF
the valleys, except for few struggling
animals on their way from one range
of mountains to the other K - ]
Had there been any game. and had l.
obtained fair shot, T honestly doubt
if I could have secured it, owing to
these pests; not altogether on account
Of their ravenous attacks upon my face,
and especially the eyes, but for the rea-
son that they were SO absolutely dense
that it was impossible to see clearly
through the mass in taking aim. When
] got TO camp i was thoroughly exhaust
ed with my incessant fight, and COM
pletely out of breath, which had to
regain as best could in a. sitting
smoke from dry, resinous pine knots.
IA traveller who had spent summer on
the lower Yukon, where did not find
the pests so bad on my journey a. on
the upper river, was of the opinion
that d nervous person without mask
would soon be killed by nervous pros
!tration. unless he were to take refuge
i'm midstream. know that the native
dogs are killed by the mosquitoes un-
,IGI CSltdlu ClECutIlSLhlCCS, tIlu ucuIO
reports which I believe to be well
founded, both from Indians and trust
worthy white persons, that the great
brown bear--crroneously but COM
monty called the grizzly-of these re-
igions is at times compelled to succumb
to these insects. The statement seems
, !almost preposterous, but the explana-
ition is comparatively simple. Bruin,
exhausted all the roots and her,
,ries of one mountain, or, finding them
scarce, thinks he will cross the valley
ito another range, or perhaps it is the
odor of salmon washed up along the
rivers banks that attracts him. Cow
ered with a heavy fur on his body, his
seyes, nose and ears are the vulnerable
points for mosquitoes, and here Of
course they congregate in the greatest
numbers. At last, when he reaches q
'swampy stretch, they rise in myriads.
until his forepaw is kept 50 busy, as
!he strives to keep his eyes clear OF
them, that he can not walk, whcreupon
he becomes enraged, and, bear-like,
raises upon his launches to fight 1t
lis now q mere question Of time until
the bears eyes become so swollen from
innnmerable bites as to render him
perfectly blind, when he wanders help
lessly about until he gets mired in the
midland starves to death.-Froe Lieut..
Schunatk1's "AlasE0."