, 1889-10-05
ONE MAIL A YEAR.
Frank Bots in the Far Off Alaskan
Gold Fields.
The PeriIs of a Long Trip Down
the Yukon River.
Indians as Freight Carriers and
Long Distance Hacks.
r O A II n

G. W. Morgan, manager for III. Haas.
has Just received from Frank Bots, form
erly Of this city. a letter consigned to the
care OF the postal authorities at st.
Michaels, Alaska. Aug. Is.
INDIAN FREIGHTs.
Bois and six others, all in search Of
gold, left the steamer Ancon at Janeau
about the middle OF June, 1888. They
chartered e sloop at that place and in due
time reached Chlllacat, 100 miles distant.
They hiIed Indians to pack their belong.
ings to the top of a mountain range be-
tween Chillacat and Lake Linderman, one
of the reservoirs near the source of the
Yukon river. For this service the saw
ages levied a tariff of SIS per hundred
weight for the twenty miles. From the
summit the travellers became their own
burden bearers to the lake. Bots says:
This was a distance of twelve or fifteen
miles over n rugged trail. The water in
the creeks we forded was cold as ice and
the saow was very deep in some places.
but at last we reached Lake Linderman,
a very pretty body of water. Here we
cut logs, built a raft and padded across
the lake. ten miles. Then we carried
our outfit half a mile to Bennett lake.
DANGEROUS RAPIDS.
AT Bennett lake we built a good boat,
'whipsawing' the lumber. Then com
menced our trip down the Yukon river
from its very source, which, by the way,
consists of a cham of lakes VARYING in
size. One is sixty miles long by twenty
to thirty wide. At times they become
very rough and to avoid being swamped
we were several times compelled to land
hurriedly. but after not a little hard work
we passed them safely.
There were greater dangers ahead.
Miles canyon is a deep and narrow gorge
through the mountains where the river
flow is fifteen miles an hour for many
miles. This portion of the journey was a
case of from bad to worse. For two
miles below Miles canyon the river is
filed with big boulders and there occurs a
series o. falls ending with the White
Horse rapids. which have never yet been
safely passed by boatmen. There is a
drop of ten feet to rocks and even the
Indians steer clear of the place with their
reached the shore and made a portage
around the falls. Every member OF a
party of ten preceding us went down to
death here. White Horse rapids cannot
be seen until the swift current carries the
boat almost to them. There are no
marks on the shore to indicate danger.
There is no estimating the loss of life
here. The bodies are never recovered.
Five Fingers and Rink Rapids are
p%erilous points, but we shot them safely.
THE GOLD FIELD.
THE thirteenth day FROM Lake Ben
nett, 800 miles above, we reached Forty
Mile creek, the gold placer field. Miners
grading ware making from So to $50 q
day. OF course all the best ground was
taken, but | skirmished around. secured a
claim and was soon rocking out s. a day.
l now became Ill aud for a time thought
| should die. | determined to leave the
Forty Mile district and Quitting a boat
started for St. Michaels, LOO miles
away.
ALASKA COMPANY.
Il reached St. Michaels Oct. Is. 1t is
on an island in the Behring sea. The
Alaska Fur company has a fort here and
two steamboats, in the Yukon river trade,
selling the natives all sorts of goods for
furs.
A FRUTTLEss RIP.
"Iremained at st. Michaels until March,
when reports came Of rich gold mines up
north along the coast towards Behring's
straits. l hired an Indian to take me up
there with his dogs and sled. l had
been badly fooled, for there was not a
color in that country. 1 came back again
and worked at building a boat-a small
steamer for the Alaska company.
The craft is finished and | will take
passage on ner for Forty-mile creek in a
day or two. l have a good outfit, includ
ing a years grub. l have regained con
idence in the district, with my good
health back and think | can come out
next fall with some gold.
NAIL FACILITIES.
at is quite difficult to carry on core.
spondence satisfactorily from this place.
One mail ship e year touches St. Mich
aels. This is in July. A United States
revenue cutter calls about every fall"