The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-05-20

alent of Rapid river. At our first
camp on it, near its head, it is about
one hundred and twenty-five yards wide
and current of four to five 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 so common near the Arctic
circle are always found just beyond the
northern limit OF the swallows homes,
drawing laudable differences as to the
usefulness of these birds az mosquito
destroyers. Now | found them here
living in comparative harmony or, at
least, the swallows made no appreci-
able inroads on the pests.
Late in the 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
other out of countenance before the
big brutes realized there was any
danger or the humans that they had
weapons to make it dangerous. We did
not bring any otter skins home with
us. The first indication of Indians on
the river was not one of life but the
reverse. The next day we passed a re-
Gently made grave on the east bank.
Over it was tent with two shaved
logs, 10 to y feet high, alongside.
1t was possible that the victim may
have fallen to the ravages of ia
grippe" for it has been epidemic among
the tribes of the far Northwest
as 1 ascertained at different points.
We often tied the folding canvas boats
together for company's sake, but we
soon stopped this, however, for in
rounding a rough rocky point we came
suddenly into a short chute of rapids
that played havoc with the boats tied
together, shipping water and dashing
spray over some books and papers laid
out for map-making, etc. The boats had
stood about twice this height
of waves before on the
lake, riding them like ducks,
but tied together they were unmanage-
able as raft. We pulled ashore, built
fire and dried out the worst splashed
books and papers. These side rapids
were quite common, but the worse dam
ger to q properly managed boat was not
in the rolling of the waves they formed
so much as in the high banks they often
cut under, and which occasionally came
tum bling down in way that would
sink canal boat let alone 4 light canoe.
Several times during the day we saw
the river out of its banks and at few
points reaching from bluff to bluff
Game trails on the side hills were &C.
caSionally seen, but none of them COM
paratively fresh. This is the land of
moose and caribou, the latter being de-
cidely the greater trail-making animal
of the two; the former more of a ramb-
Ter through the river bottoms and low
valleys. just before camping we could
see distant blue mountains, probably
twenty to twenty-five miles away, and
stretching off in that continuous
hay aspect that generally in
dicates a distant stream and, if
so in this case, we surmiSed it
TO be the Yukon. That days run was
fifty-eight miles, our best record. Just
after camping one of the party saw a
large cat-like animal in the woods that
was hastily disappearing. The lynx is
the only one of the eat family in these
northern woods, although / have
heard a miner assert there was 4 cur
rent rumor, generally believed, that a
panther had been seen in the Yukon
valley near the Alaskan British bound
airy. II this rumor be correct this is
the northernmost point they have ever
been observed. That night is chroni-
cled in my. diary as giving US the fewest
mosquitoes we had yet had on the trip;
and right here / might add that found
these torments in far less numbers than
in my trip through the Yukon valley in
1883, when they passed limit be-
yond the reach Of righteous language.
As Russell had passed two previous sea-
sons in this Yukon river valley and
spoke of them as about equal to the
present year ] was forced to believe
that 1888 must have been a
prize year for the pests. / feel sure l
do not ezaggerate when | state found
a half dozen in 1888 to every one in
1921. The miners have the usual gro
tesque frontier exaggeratioh 70 express
their ideas of this numerous insect
One declared he found them SO abuia.