The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-17
ON THE PORCUPINE.
Letter From the Coast Survey
Party in Alaska.
HOW THEY sulLTA LOG HOUSE.
Deer and Fish scarce-Forty Degrees
Below Zero. but One Doesn't
Feel the Cold.
esn Frsncisco Chronicle.


News has recently Leen received In this
city from the Porcupine river party OF the
United States Coast Survey expedition to
Northeastern Alaska The letters furnish
ing the news came across the British from
tier to Winnipeg and thence by way of
British Columbia to San Francisco. The
details which follow are taken from a pri-
vate letter from one of the men in Mr.. Tur-
ner's party. He says:
when last wrote to you / dated my
letter Rampant house, thinking that the
steamer YUKON would deposit us there,
but, as q matter OF fact. she put Is ashore
long, long way from Rampant house, the
captain telling US that the river was no
longer navigable. SO We were put ashore
with all our truck. the captain asserting
that we were about five miles from RAM
part house, though, as we afterward found
out, to our infinite disgust. we were at leas,
thirty miles off, A Rampant house Indian
who had come up the river with US was
sent on 10 the fort and instructed to bring
down as many Indians as he could mus
ter. He came back in three days with
three men. The doctor and one of the
men remained in camp to watch the pro-
visions that were left there, and the bal
ance of us started off up the river, tow
ing the lighter and the whaleboat. The
river is swift with occasional rapids; the
banks are steep and rocky, hence the name
'Ramparts.' which they have acquired.
I'VE hauled the boats for about five
miles. the lighter getting aground twice.
The second time shc struck we could not
get her off, SO We anchored her and left
man in charge. going ahead with the
whaleboat IN the hope that the river would
rise little and float the lighter This did,
in fact, happen. Three days after leaving
the lower camp We reached Rampant
house, or the fort, as it is commonly
called. In reality, however, it is no fort at
all, but merely an Indian settlement and
Hudson Bav Company's trading post. The
trader is Scotchman named Firth. 1t is
also missionary settlement, supported by
the English Church Missionary society.
"At Rampant house our leader. Mr.. Tur-
ner, made some observations and found
that the boundary line was about twenty
seven miles east of the fort. he river here
runs in q northeasterly direction and
curls about like snake. Thus it be-
comes necessary to go about forty miles
further up the river. Mr.. Turner, his
assistant and three men, including my
self, started of up the river again, tow
ing q small boat which we had obtained at
the fort, the cook being left at the fort to
receive the stuff as it came up the river.
The foreman with gang of Indians went
down the river again in the whaleboat TO
get the balance of the provisions, amount
ing to about twenty-tbree tons. We had
brought abouttwo tons up in the whaleboat
We had no end OF trouble with the Indians,
They grasped the situation at once, and
saw that we could not do without them.
Accordingly they rushed the labor market
up TO their figure. and declined to work for
less than two dollars day, besides food
and tobacco. As there were about ten of
them at wora for six weeks it was bor-
rible drain upon our resources, but there
was no help for it, for we had fully as
much work to do ourselves as we could
accomplish before the winter came upon
as.
.In course of time everything was got to
the camp up the river. But must 70 back
TO the time when Mr.. Turner and his party
left the fort to search for the boundary