Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-04-30

alent Of Rapid rlvor.F Al our frs.
camp ON II, near It's head. II Is about
one hundred aud twenty hye yards wide
and current of four to i've miles an
hour. There were myriads OF
swallows burrowing In the white
clay. noticed recently the
comments OF northern traveller
who asserts that the dense swArms Of
mosquitoes ~ common near the Arctic
circle are always found just beyond the
northern limit Of tho swallows homes,
drawing laudable differences as 10 tho
usefulness OF these birds ns mosquito
destroyers Now I found than hero
living In comparative harmony or, at
least. the swallows made no apprecl.
able inroads ON the pests
Late In tho afternoon we saw two
large otter among the submerged brush
on the west bank. They seemed TO be
playing as we came suddenly upon them
and both parties were so surprised at
the encounter that each stared the
othor out Of countenance before tho
big brutes realized there wns any
danger or tho humans that they had
weapons to make II daprcroua We did
not bring any otter skins home with
us. The frat indication OF Indians on
the rivor VIC not one of life but the
reveuc. The ncKt day we passed re.
Gently made grave on the east bank.
Over IL Syas tent with two shaved
logs, 10 To ls feet high, alongside.
IL was possible that the victim may
have fallen TO the ravngcs Of "ln
grippe" for II has been epidemic among
the tribes OF tho far Northwest
ns ascertained at different points.
We often tied tho folding canvas boats
together for company's sake, but we
soon stopped this, however, for In
rounding n rough rocky point we came
suddenly into short chute OF rapids
that played havoc with the boats tod
together, shipping water and dashing
sprny over somo books and papers laid
out for map+nnking. etc. The boats had
htood about twice this height
of wnvea before on tho
lake, riding them like ducka,
but tied together they were unuiannRe-
able asa raft. Wepulled ashore, built n
fire aud dried out the worst splnshed
books and papers. These sidc rapids
were quite common, but tie worse dan.
ger toa properly managed boat was not
IN the rolling Of the waves they formed
b. much rs In the high banks they often
cutundor, and which occasionally came
tlunbling down In way that would
tink canal boat let alone q light canoe.
Bevoral tupa during the day we saw
the river out OF lta banks and at a row
points reaching from blum TO bluff.
Gnme trails on tho side hills were oc-
casionaliy seen. but none Of them COM
paratively fresh. This Is the land OF
moose and carbon, tho latter being de-
cidely the greater trnil.maltng animal
Of the two; the former more OF ramb-
Ter through the river bottoms and low
valleys. Just before camping we could
zee distant blue mountains, probably
twenty TO twenty-five igilos away, aud
stretching OF In that continuous
hasy aspect that generally in.
dicatea distant stream and II
No IN this case, We Burmisod II
20 be the Yukon. That days run was
hity-eiBht miles our best record. Just
nftor camping ono OF the party Jaw "A
large cat-lilSc animal in the woods that
was hnhtily disappearing. The LYNX Is
the only one Of The cat family In theee
northern woods. although | have
heard miner assert there was cur
rent rumor, generally believed, that a
panther had been acon In the Yukon
valley near the Alaska n British bound
hry' II this rumor be correct this is
the northernmost point they have ever
been observed That night Ia chroni-
eled in my diary ~ giving us the fowcst
mosquitoes we had yet had on the trip;
and right here ! might add that found
,hese torments In far less numbers than
IN my trip through the Yukon valley In
1883, whnn they passed limit be-
yond the reach Of righteous language.
- Hnssen had passed two previous So. .
tons In this Yukon river valley and
tpoise OF them as about equal 10 tho
lrn'.ant. zzar MAJ forced 70 believe