The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-07-15

everlasting salmon. Aug. II, some In
dams came down the river and were a
portion of the party TO go with us to
its mouth. One clear day we could see
Mount Wrangell. one the highest Alas
kan peaks, and il was smoking at
the apex all day. The old Russians pro-
nounced this n volcano, but there has
been some unwarranted doubt bout it.
That night my house contained dozen
savageS, stark naked, perched on the
wide bench along the wall. all taking
sweat bath and singing q most vocifer-
Gus wild chant. The room was steam
ing, the stencil WIS mephitic, and the
whole thing diabOlica in the extreme.
Nicolai told me of the lynching by
white men at Cooks Inlet of one of the
Atnas las this band is called) that
spring. shortly before our arrival. |
understood him to say this was why he
was anxious TO have me. as chief. sleep
in his room, as his men had not deter
mined what TO do about it. lie thought
the best would be to withdraw all
trading from that district and transfer
it to the Copper's mouth. where they
were now going Their boat, in which
we descended the Copper, was of
strong wooden frame, well put to-
gether and neatly covered with seal
skins from the coast. 1t was from * to 30
feet in length and with eleven Ind ians
whites and a load of furS and 9th er ma
terial that reached the gunw al,a it
drew foot to fourteen inches of water
and stood about the same amount
above. We got away the 10th. at in
the morning, the Indians padding hard
and loudly singing an air that was not
unpleasant. The first four or five miles
was through a canyon, but it was not
formidable. Occasionally rocky points
gave some rough water and the Indians
were as afraid of them as if they had
the hydrophobia. No doubt the heav-
lly-laden fiat-bottOmed craft was not a
ife-boat, but the small dangers which
they energetically avoided explained
why they doubted our shooting the
Neezeenah in the Eli and had OPP
posed our taking it further ANY
thing we met on the Copper would have
been child's play for the canvas craft
We left at Taral About we could Sc
we were getting out of the interior ba-
sin and cutting through the rim range
of mountains that separated it from the
coast. At 4 wecamped in a miserable
place, all brush and boulders, on a
steep slope, fifty miles from Taral.
One of the Indians loaned me
fine large bearsl1in to supplement my
scanty bedding. The next day we We're
away early, the Indians stopping at
times TO cache salmon in the rocky
crevices of the banks for the return
trip. At Taral we misunderstood there
would be trouble with the two great
glaciers near the Copper's mouth. but
just how was not clear, but rapid
around or under one of them was con-
cerned in some way. At noon we came
to the glacier they said we must port
age. The river was very narrow but
seemingly not bad as far as we could
see. Nicolai went ahead to inspect
the trail over the moraine and
on returning we packed up
and at 4:15 started over the portage
to strike the river beyond the rapids.
some two miles away. reaching it at
over an Hadesian trail Just before ar
irving the Indians had long exciting
chase after bear, the poor brute being
finally surrounded and badly wounded.
taking TO the swift rapids. where he
was probably carried against the face
death by the falling ice These two
great glaciers both reach the river and
are constantly shedding icebergs into
it. The Indians are greatly afraid of
the first, since for two or three miles
they have to navigate in front Of ii and
the lale-like expansion of the river
which faces 1t gives the waves made by
the falling icebergs a terrific sweep
which would engulf any boat. I have
seen falling icebergs ana geySers of
water over 100 feet into the air, the
resulting tidal wave being ten to fifteen
feet high. Fortunately there is nearly
always an ice-pack down the lakes !
center which acts like i breakwater /
and partially protects any craft under
its lee. In front of the next glacier /
the river Is narrower and Swifter, but 1
the ice falls in smaller masses and the /
Indians are not SO afraid of it. All /
night we could hear the laundering of /
the glaciers like Sea-coaSt batteries,
and the flashing of the waters on the /
lake shores. At daylight the next I
morning the Indians started back TO /
bring the boat over the trail. and at
noon, with cheers, they landed il on
the beach, having carried it across, up 4
side down, on their shoulders. An +.
hours terrific laundering from the 7.
glaciers was followed by the usual
calm, when Nicolai gave the word to |
start and in Just six minutes their tent /
was down. all the material Packed, the /
boat launched and loaded, and the pad
ding began at 1925 as we shot out into
the lake at the foot of the rapids. Not .
a word WAS uttered except by NicOlai T
who standing up on the load in the 4
stern gave all orders. The silence was