, 1890-10-09
AIN UNKNOWN RIVER.
Heretofore Untraveled Land
Traversed.
RICH MINERAL DISCOVERIES
A Favorable Report From Lar
deau Pass--W Rising in
the Upper Columbia.


date Of September 30, gives the fol-
lowing account of the discovery of
another great river in Alaska during
the past summer.
Yesterday afternoon Il. j. Glave,
artist and correspondent, Of the
Frank Leslie exploring expedition
which left for Alaska last spring,
returned to Victoria in company
with several of the officers of the
United states cutter Patterson,
which reached Nanaimo sunday
evening.
Last spring tile party of five ex-
plorers left New York to explore
the hitherto unknown region of
Alaska lying between the Yukon
river and southern coast.
The party of explorers left here by
the Patterson, being taken to Chill
cat, where explorations proper com
menced. The river was ascended
for several hundred miles. until an
immense glacier was reached. This
glacier Is ut the head of the river,
which flows southerly along the
Chilcat range. Another river dow
ing In u northerly and westerly di-
rection, toward the Yukon, starts
from the northern side of the glacier,
which Is about sixty miles across.
When the headquarters ofthe Iu-
kon were reached Mr. Glave left the
remainder of the party and struck
across to the westward with ap eX-
pcrienced woodman to act us a guide.
y section of the country hitherto
unknown was entered upon, and
after many miles of travel n river
flowing In southerly direction was
found. This river has never been
known to white men before. 1t
Rises In II great lake about 400 miles
from the coast and flows to the sea
in direction parallel with the Chill
cat range. Its native name Is AL
seek, and Mr.. Glave did not think
civilization could improve on this
euphonious sound and will describe
the river as the Alseck in his de-
scriptions of 1t.
Along the course of the river the
try Is much better than the ex-
plorer had any idea it would be.
Fine valleys and gently undulating
prairles were found instead of rock
and sterile mountain.
Timber was plentiful and of
superior quality and the whole
aspect of thecountry was good. The
river could be navigated by ordinary
river steamers, its current not being
over swift.
Natives were found along the river
who had never seen u white man.
They We're of intelligent appearance
and friendly and much superior to
the coast tribes. ......
! After trip down the river to the
coast, the course was laid to Yakitat
| Here an extensive coal field of clear
and free burning bituminous coal,
sandstone overhanging the foot
walls, was found.
Mount st. Elias was not assembled
but its foothills were surveyed by
Mr.. tilave aud sketches taken. Mr..
| Glave leaves by the Patterson on
her arrival from Nanaimo for Port
Tow nsend and will take the North
ern Pacific from Tacoma to New
I York.
The kootenai star says. Mr.. j.
w. Haskins has been absent just
two months in the Lardeau pass,
and returns from his explorations
with n favorable impression as to its
value as n mineral line, as we'll as II
railroad route. lie has located sew
eral claims which runwell in silver,
gold and lead.
]
He has no doubt of its feasibility
as II route for railway from the
North Arm to Kootenai lake, but
finds the maps describing the pass
are quite wrong In many respects,
when giving the direction of streams
and their location and general
course. He is preparing map
showing the result of his
observations. He assembled
many high peaks, which
enabled him to take n broad view of
/ the country, especially to the south
east, and Is fully satisfied from the
lay of the mountains and vallys, MS
he saw them in the clear atinos-
| phere, that there is a good pass for n
! railroad from the headwatcrs of st.
Mury's river, mort h westerly, connect
ing with II tributary of Duncan
river, and reaching the Lardeau
near its junction with Kootenai
lake. This pass, when located, will
be the shortest possible connection
with Crows Nest pass, and will,
without doubt, be the one selected
for uniting that pass with Kootenai
lake, and the present line of the
Canadian Pacific railroad at Revel-
stoke. l. ... f..
The currents of the o cean and of
rivers are mysterious, but according
to the Astorian, Leo Mansur, of the
Knappton mills, accidently made n
discovery in regard to them few
days ago, which he purposes turn
ing to account. .
Mr. Mansur has ranch on Seal
Rock beach, and of late has been
making some improvements in the
way Of buildings thereon. A few
mornings ago he was strolling along
the shore, ON the lookout for stray
bits of driftwood, such rs would be
useful to him In the construction OF
buildings, when he discovered two
large pieces of plank. He secured
q them, but on examination was puz-
zled. They looked familiar, and
some AK mark and cougle of bolts
in each identified them. The
plank had come from the Knappton
mill and npl f,oi,r xypelxs hafnra Mr.