Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-17
WITHN THE LAST few months the bound.

i
| has learned.
The Department Of State having perceived
what trouble might arise from the lack Of q
properly determined international boundary,
made suggestions to the coast and geodetic
| survey which resulted in the sending Of an ex-
petition to the northwest territory The work re-
quired was to mark out the line Of the one
hundred and forty-frst meridian Of west
longitude, this being the boundary in ques-
ton Is established by treaties, with pur-
pose to use the maps and data incidentally
obtained for adjusting the matter finally with
Great Britain. This task is now practically
accomplished and the track Of the great earth
circle through that strange region of the north
is indicated by monuments Of stone and other
permanent signs. Particularly have these signs
been set on the margins Of water courses which
are the highways of travel-most important Of
all, on the wonderful Yukon river.
MIGHTY RIVER.
Few people there are who know that one of
the mightiest Of the rivers Of the world flows
| through this northwest property of the United
| States. Between the banks Of the Yukon is
poured a stream Of greater volume than the
Mississippi, and Of length nearly as great.
For much Of its length it is from seven to four
teen miles in width. In the winter it is turned
| to ice, its perilous rapids and cascades con-
gealed; but in the summer it is the most won
derful breeding place in the world for water
| fowl Of all sorts, especially ducks, geese and
swans. The canvas-bsck ducks of the Chesa-
| peake do their mating there.
TO THE ARCTIC.
1t ia an astonishing country altogether. but
| too near the pole to be comfortable. The coast
survey expedition went north from the Yukon
few hundred miles, looked out upon the
| Arctic ocean and set upon its frigid shore a
mark at the point where the one hundred and
forty-irst meridian joins the mainland to the
mysterious ice-bound extremity of the earth's
axis less than 20 degrees of latitude distant.
The expedition was obliged to spend
last winter encamped Con the scene of
| might be continued the following summer. 1t
| was unusually cold, even for Alaska, and pain
full privations were suffered, particularly in the
matter of coal oil. Owing to the wreck of a
bought and for months no light was to be
had during the long arctic nights. Game was
very scarce and even starvation threatened.
wNrKRINe IN ALASKA.
The work Of defining the meridian is well
nigh completed, but the two parties into whic
the expedition is divided are wintering now in
Alaska. One Of them, at present located in
camp near the point where the meridian crosses
the Yukon. was obliged to stay, because its
tsaSA was NOT qulto unlSueu. Inc Otner was all
through, but unluckily reached st. Michael on
the west coast, whence the only transportation
to San Francisco was to be had, lust
in time to lose the last boat for civili-
cation. y is waiting for spring at st.
is well supplied for its present Information with
coal oil and food, SO that it will be compare
| lively comfortable. Before next winter the
entire expedition will have returned, and the
United States government will be in possession
n IA nm. liah tha 80
act in negotiating with Great Britain for an adj
justment of the boundary between its territory
and ours.
ALASKA MosQuIroRs.
Though Alaska is q cool place II will never
become popular summer resort on account Of
the mosquitoes. Explorers all agree that there
are no mosquitoes like Alaska mosquitoes any,
where in the world. They are bigger than the
New Jersey variety and even more bloodthirsty
whenever a native pauses anywhere on his
walks abroad, he Immediately sets fire to the dry
grass around him, for the purpose of keeping
the mosquitoes away, and thus it happens that
the forests Of the country have been to q great
extent DESTROYED. By the fires also the game is
frightened OF and made scarce 1t is believed
that Alaska will never be colonized to any ex-
tent on account Of the mosquitoes.
VAST NUMBERS OF PIsH.
This seems pity, for there is lots Of room
there for an overflow population. Alaska is
1900 miles in extent one way hv / ZOO miles the
other. The icy wastes Of its northern part are
the home Of the polar bear, while in its south
ern forests the humming bird nests. With fish
the streams are SO crowded that favorite method
| Of capturing them is by thrashing the surface
OF the water with a rake-shaped instrument,
| a scaly victim being often jerked out on each
prong. When the salmon are making their way
up the rivers at the spawning season the bears
| come down in numbers and feed upon them
| eating only the leada ROata oh
| lmpeded in their progress by the finny myriads
The ocean fishing banks Of Alaska are greater
in extent than those Of the north Atlantic, and
afford inexhaustible supplies of fish, certainly
those caught on the eastern seaboard. Cod are
| found there in vast quantities. Along the
Yukon the natives dry their fish for winter use,
burying what they require for current con-
| sumption In the ground until it becomes sufi-
ciently putrid, when they eat it with relish.
preferring it much in that way. Funnily
enough, alligators in the south follow very
similar practice, burying their meat in muddy
banks until 1t has become sufficiently decayed
| to be more digestible.
INSECTS AND PLANTS.
The expedition reports that 1t will bring back
collections of insects and Of plants. Doubtless
they will be extremely interesting. The vege-
tation Of Alaska has certain very marked pecu-
iarities. For the most part it is exceedingly
rank, for, owing to the fact that the summer
season lasts almost no time at all, the plants
must do all their growing and produce their
seed with great quiokness. In one small region
In the southeast, not far from Mt. st. Elias,
however, il found an area susceptible of high
cultivation, and it 10 thought that even wheat
might be grown there successfully.
GUNENAs AND cHIcATs.
| This region is occupied by . tribe called the
Gunenas. who are very peaceful, honest and
industrious. But they are not permitted to
sell anything to . white person, being forbid
den to do 30 by their fierce neighbors, the
Chilcats. If they disobeyed the Chilcats would
come and kill them. For the Chilcats choose
themselves to sell to the white men what the
Gunenas produce; they are middle
| men, in fact. The Gunenas dry
strawberries and fish for winter food When
one Of them dies the body il smeared with oil
and placed upon . stack Of dry wood seven feet
long, three feet wide and four feet high Then
the pyre is set on FIRE and reduced 70 cinders,
the charred remains being finally gathered In a
cloth, put into boz and conveyed to brightly
painted little house at the rear Of the village.
II the corpse Il tn. Of priest, however, It ID
tsmbalmed and buried in boxed-in grave.
TIE PorLATcH AND RKsuLra
Owing to the ready accessibility Of Sitka "a
sxcurziouists by cosst-line steamers informa-
ton concerning the natives In that particular
vicinity has been pretty widely spread. De-
scriptions have many times been given of their
feasts called "potlatehes." The iuHusnce and
popularity Of . chief depends upon his liber-
/ nlity. III deairea thine he u;vaa q