Mohave County miner., 1888-12-01
WAY OUT In ALASKA.
How q Tenderfoot Sought Gold II
Our Arctic Territory. /.
noseate Romance OF Isoundiess wsaitA
and Magnificent scenery and tlss
Stern Reality OF Bacon and Beans
AN Hospjtabie Indian.

ora gives Efdpnlc GcscFlptlCn Oh cxpcrI
ences while in the recent prospecting tour
IN Alaska: On the morning OF July ., he
says, we left Douglas City ON the fayorin
and fast-sailing canoe Hiak, Captain Jim
tboth well and favorably known ia Alaskan
waters) for prospecting trip In Lynn
Canal. As the day was fine and the wind
fairthc sail through Gastineapx, Stephens
passage and Lynn Canal was delightful, a.
each one is dotted with little islands, rising
from the waters edge TO height OF Q
Thousand fcetor more. whilst the mountains
on the mainland are thousands Of feet high,
with ragged peaks not unlike the teeth OF
an old-fasbioned cross-eut saw, the spaces
between the peaks being filed with glaciers
and the peaks themselves are covered with
perpetual snow. As l am chee-chaco In
the country that's what my chums call mel,
every thing appeared wild and picturesque,
and ~ burst out IN exclamatIons Of admir-.
alton every once in a while at the scenery,
they would say: "Oh, shucls that amt
nothing; you had ought 10 see the scenery
on the Yukon"
The first night we camped on q creek
about thirty miles from Juneau, where our
native told US there was some quartz. We
stayed and examined IL, but did not think
enough Of II TO locate it, The next day we
arrived at our natives illahee (as he called.
~, situated at Lynn Canal, and distant about
forty miles from Juneau. IL Is beautiful
bay. flied with many islands and teeming
with fish, from the mighty whale To the tiny
herring, while the woods and mountains are
full OF game--the small and harmless
grounding and the large and fierce brown
bear.
The Indian who accompanied us Is fine
specimen Of his race; he stands over six feet
In his bare feet, aad weighs over two hun
drcd pounds. He Is Mormon In prociiy.
ities, for he has number Of wives. who ap.
pear well satisfied with him as their lord
and master, and could see no sign Of the
green-cycd monster He is bear hunter
by occupation, and an enthusiast In that
line, and many were the stories and hair.
breadth escapes he related. can well be-
Hcye he Is good hunter, as his larder Is
well stocked with fish, flesh and fowl; his
wives were brown, fat and greasy; his
dogs, Of which he had seven, were all in
splendid condition, and that is more than
can be said Of most Indian dogs. He told
US the peculiarities OF each, and showed US
the many wounds they had received in their
encounters with bruin. He also showed US the
hole where he buried the bears heads, and
there must have been twenty skulls In IL I
inquired OF him why he did So and he told
me: Bear all same Indian; by and by he
go 10 the happy roofing ground" )
As host he Is prince, and right royalty
he treated US TO all kinds Of game put up in
Indian style. We had smoked porcupins
put up in seal oil. and one OF our crowd who
prctends TO be an cpicure said it was de-
licious; there were seals fiIppers cooked In
grease, which were not dissimilar TO pigs
feet; baked ground hog stuffed with mus.
sells, which gave the hog fshy taste and
improved the favor OF the mussels His
bears head cheese YVES actually immense,
and there were many more dishes too
numerous TO mention. He showed many
kinds of roots and herbs good for food and
medicine. He also showed his canned hal
ibnt, hooks and all OF his dancing outfit.
His headgear and mask cost him fifty dol
lars; IL was wild and uncouth, and was
carved out OF yellow cedar. IL had large
nose like parrots beak, eyes made Of
mother OF pearl, q mouth which contained
the teeth OF tho only siwash doctor on
Noah's ark. ears made from the hide of the
icbthyosaurus, hair made from the sea
lions whiskers. His hunting knife had
some unique carving on the handle that
represented some Indian myth the bears
were afraid Of AS prospector, like many
more following that vocation, do not con-
slider him success, as we examined many
places that he showed us, but could see
nothing except white and barren quartz.
He had other places he wanted to show
us, and we would have gone with him, but
one OF the party had an acute attack of In
fammat0ry rheumatism. The native told
us the extent OF his territory, and said be
cxpected white men prospecting on his do
main TO pay him 81. 80 per day for his knowl-
edge and services. He said the land and
water belonged TO his ancestors from time
immemorial, aud he inquired IL white men
owning similar amount Of land would al
low every body on It, His argument brought
forcibly to our mind tho ssbloatcd bond
holders" Of America and the land question
that is now agitating the British Empire,
where Lords, Dukes and Earls are holding
hundreds of mics square that their ances-
tors acquired by might, while he claims his
by right. The only differeace see between
them and this Indian is that he win be glad
TO see you hunt or fisk on his supposed
country, while IL you caught trout In their
waters or shot pheasant in their woods
you would get about fve years.
The next day we Travelled against head
wind and terrible rain, and after getting
drenched TO the skin we camped. II would
be very pleasant prospecting IN Alaska
were 1t not for the rain, head wind and
tides, thick brush and mosquitoes, and q
few other little inconyenences. Then,
again, II was looking through tourists
eyes from the deck Of an ocean steamer,
how romantic the majestic mountains and
rivers, hundreds OF miles of pinc-clad
shores, and every now aud then vast
glacier! Then in smooth, narrow channels
can be seen the mammoth whale, forging
his way along nearly as fast as the steamer,
and every few feet Gun be seen the shining
silyery sides Of beautiful salmon, dis
porting, or trying TO escape from some
iinny monster who Is trying to catch him
fora meal saw seal gobble one In less
than two seconds To me the animals on
such trip remind oneofag great menagerie,
without having 70 pay at the door, while the
waters are grand aquarium; and take ii
altogether, were IL not for the stern re.
ality Of beans and bacon, a prospecting tour
In Alaska is like visiting an ever-changing
panorama.