Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-04-07

us 10 anA Ank-kla1n, Wnlcn ID SlIu'
ply the largest of a series of lakes on
that trail according to the Indian YER
zion. Again, Lake Bennett (which
named after James Gordon Bennett In
1881 is Ahk-klain to the Chilkats, .
land of Ilinkits that trade in the In.
terror by trail that takes them over
Bennett is among the largest. So sew
eral more or less clearly defined Ahk-
kliins have been known for varying
periods as existing hereabouts and
some of them have even
crcpt into maps but nearly always
rs Lake Ahk-lain with several methods
of spelling it), Pathological error
about equivalent to Lake Lac Quiparle
or Rio Grunde river. One of the at
tractive features of it's shores was the
large number of wild roses seen in
bloom and that crowded all the open
spaces where timber fires had killed the
tree and allowed the sun to get freely
at the soil. The robins and the roses
were grateful contrast TO the snow
banks and ptarmigan we had SO re-
Gently left behind. But there is no
rose without thorn, and there were
certainly a thousand tborns in this case
for each rose if the mosquitoes can be
figuratively spoken of as such. Two of
the party tried to take a short hunting
and fishing tour up the lake and were
driven back by these numerous pests.
The nth of June was spent in rig
cling out the folding canvas boats
for lake navigation. Masts
and stays were made from
poles and boards and fish slicker blank
cts were ext mporized into sails. Very
good oars were made by Russell from
rough slals, he being n carpenter and
boat builder. We had not struck the
upl CIR end OF the long narrow lake as
some may imagine from my previous
desc riptions, Int on the western shore
some distance from that point. To de-
termine how far it was to this end and
make its survey complete, the doctor
and started for it in a boat the after
noon Of the nth, but after rowing Wig
orously half the afternoon against a
head wind, we were forced to turn
back, the lake still stretching ont
southwark around a slight bend us far
as the eye could reach. 1t was quite
evident that the lake, like the river we
had met on the Pacific slope, was far
above its normal level. All of the shore
line timber was half under water.
showing that the lake beach was we'll
submerged, and it was only at the very
open places we could launch or
land our boats favorably. During
signal smoke far down the lake show
that all the Indians had not left the
country despite the large number of
Onward bound fur traders that we had
met on only one trail. In fact was
surprised to find such number of
TlinSits Of any clan these are the
Takou clam making their houses on
the British American inland plateau.
knew personally that several of the
clans had trails leading thereto, but
supposed they only used them to make
fur trading excursions to the inland
tribes. the Takons have Legend, SC
my own Indians told me, that all the
Tliniits were once Takons and lived us
friends in one big village on the banks
OF the Takon river until general quar-
rel arose lit may be n waste of printers
ink to state there was woman in the
case) ana many were killed and manned
therein. Asa consequence number OF
discontinued parties radiatcd ont from
this Tlinkit Babel and founded the
various clans or sub-tribes of Chilknts,
Sitkas. kootznahoOs. Anks, Stickeens,
. and others of the Tlinlsit tongue.
From Ahk-kain n trail, wagon road
or even railway could be run practical.
" in any direction that bore the ear
dinal point OF eastward in it's course.
The forenoon of June Is we got
away under ''slicker" sail with q fair
four-mile breeze. Some six OF
seven miles beyond camp there il
| tumble down Indian shack" on the
east bank that may Ee inhabited oc-
casionally for had found out by this
, time that however d lapifat native
building looked, especially about the
roof, it was no positive sign bu. that
! that part may lie repaired annually and
at certain seasons it is occupied. A
heavy roaring sound from this bank
showed us that quite large river came
In Le:e 1t was about fifty yards wiae,