The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-06-14
THE CHILCAT LAND.
Exploration Of the Southeast
ern Part Of Alaska.
Up THE WELLESLEY RIVER.
The InAfaas' Asariee-A Barren Country
--C.neeing In kapsd Currents and
wadins waist Deep in SNOW.

wadins Waist Deep in SNOW.
Lieut. H. ". s ton-Karr In Wet ria ccioaist-
At Pyramid Harbor Salmon Cannefy.
Chiseat | remained two nights. As my
expedition Vas then in trim and ready TO
start. determined to delay no longer than
VAS absolutely necessary. especially as the
United States steamer Patterson Was ex-
pected in q week and accommoda-
ton would be eomewhat short for
those who had to land here: but TO set
out - soon Is an Indian and canoe
large enough to contain everything could
Be procured These were only to Be had
in the shape of . lame Indian named
Charlie. . small boy and canoe rather re-
sfricted in size than / had anticipated,
which Was to take Us 70 the chief lndian
village up the river Tor the sum Of ST.
This il how prices run in Chilcat Taking
John Hammond with me set out along
the beach. giving instructions that the
canoe Was TO wait for Us 1T the mouth OF
the river.
At low tide and when there is no snow
upon the slopes land there is still about
four feet upon the level on the north sides
OF the mountains down to sea-level in spots
sheltered from the suns rays. but no snow
whatever up to height Of thousand feet
upon the sOuth4acing slopes) this walk OF
fve miles from Pyramid harbor TO Chilcat
river presents no difficulty. 1t We had
known the task We had set ourselves We
should certainly have crowded our addi-
tional bulks into the already overladen
capoe. notwithstanding the breezs that
was sweeping westward up the inlet. We
bad four severe climbs up around cliffs
that descended too perpendicularly into
the sea to allow rs to Chamber along their
bases. The moss and cliffs were damp
and rotten, but generally q friendly
branch Of youngspruce or alder offered .
solid: hand-hold across the toughest and
most abrupt rock faces. Having at last
surmounted all these obstacles We emerged
on to the partly snow-covered mud.flats
Of the Chilcat river. Small oolachans lay
in scattered heaps along the shore, but of
trace or sight Of canoe or human being on
(. the wide expanse Of the Chilcat delta
there was none. However, We had shot
Z grouse. and that during the most difficult
bit of climbing No had to accomplish, 50
that there was no risk Of starvation. We
were tired with frequently sinking waist
the forest trees, while This Photographic
camera (smsliest size Kodak, weighing about
three pounds.) suffered some severe con-
CUSHIONS without apparen8damage. Then
We got into an exasperating thicket Of
long plant elastic stems that interlaced,
and that, IS We tried to pass, reached out
and wrapped themselves round our legs
and tied themselves into hard knots and
I<<x~-~ n -~.l -
and dirt. was vowing the most retri-
butive punishment to the occupants of the
canoe unless they gave . satisfactory &C
count Of their failing to wait to pick US
up at the mouth OF the river; but it turned
out that the actual position of the
mouth was hard to define, as the river had
more than one channel. and that they had
determined to take up position well up
the river for fear OF our passing shem.
At last with glasses l found small tent
upon the opposite shore Of the wide river
bed. The structure resemhled one of those
We had. and We commenced to makesour
way towards the thin column of smoke that
showed camp fire, across trembling
quickssnds that quaked and quivered
After advancing . mile in the required
direction clearly discerned . woman /
had no such article in my outfit It was
an Indian camp after all. and We were as
much lost rs ever-but no, the canoe was
Lost. not We. Then far up the river, across
the gravel fats, they were seen and were
comfortably in camp. An hour later, hav-
ing 6oated down the stream to where
the Indians had camped-as it was the
best spot for the purposes rivuiet ran
down from the mountain above and the
ground was fiat in places and covered with
. convenient growth OF rushes to keep off
the wind and serve for . soft and yielding
bed.
There were numerous sour but palatable
cranberries still hanging pendent in small
lunches from the bushes on which they
had ripened in the early winter. and with
a kind OF scoop net the Indian women OF
the camping party had caught more than
one paiifut Of small Ssh like sickle
backs all spines. of which they
gave us as many as We wanted.
Two orange-colored spines were
firmly fixed crosswise on the front part of
the belly. and there were three spines,
elevable at will upon the back. Altogether
il was an awkward fish to masticate- There
were also a few young salmon about four
inches in length captured with them. The
next day two of my party went mp the
mountain side behind and shot two blue
grouse. while ! noated out to sea in the
canoe. descending the river about five
miles, and endeavored unsuccessfuily to
catch q salmon with spinning baiI We
never. however, fairly got out of the tur-
bid. blackish water OF the estuary before
a smart breeze came on, which compelled
me TO turn. and swept the canoe rapidly
up stream against the swift current under
sail. In the afternoon We reached camp
2, partly sailing. partly rowing, towing
and poiing. On the evening of May 4th,
We reached Klokwan and camped fourth
of mile below the village itself; but were
quickly surrounded by q crowd OF the
natives who were made aware OF the fact OF
our arrival By the fact that had walked
through the village and back 10 find an
eligible camping ground 81 some distance
from IL
During our voyage up stream the
avalanches, which kept laundering
down the gullies every ten minutes
or so. with q noise like distant r,illery.
were superb. each one overlapping the
one preceding and going . little further
towards the valley below. The sounds of
these continually falling bodies of snow re-
sembled unending SUGGESTIONS OF peals OF
thunder. with clear sky We were abe
10 supply the harder with two more grouse.