The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-04-08

ITlgnU6n a novice, WHO Proudly, WOuIQ
assume that the interior was yet worse
and correspondingly harder to travel.
This deception is more or less pro-
nounced along the whole Pacific shore
line of Alaska, where the mountainous
coast once broken through, the inter-
Tor gives better travelling in many ways.
We got away about Z, a good wind
behind US, but the weather
threatening. AS we left behind the in
let, we were now traversing region
that had never been travelled by pen,
pencil or photographer to give the re-
suits to the world, so we felt disap-
pointed in the dismal weather spelling
our Photographic chances. Some
four or five miles up the river
deep break in the mountains to the
north gave US pretty vista of the
Tahku glacier, lying like white wedge
between the black sides of the preci-
pitous gorge. The Indians call this
pass the Koo-dah-sake, or 1.-The Fair
Wind GAP" as through it such breeze
could always be depended upon for
mornings sail up the stream-the very
wind we were now using. About
Q we passed single Tahl1u
house on the south bank, that looked
like a pig-pen struck by an avalanche.
Dogs kept coming out from various
apertures in its sides, until no less than
eight stood on the high bank and fav-
ored us with the usual canine chorus
given strangers. After while an In
dian, that looked as if he had been
squeezed between two colliding avail
anches, crawled out, and, standing in
the center of the scenic circle of dogs,
put his hands to his mouth and walled,
"Hoochinoo!'' This hoochinoo is the
native Indian liquor surreptitiously
distilled from sugar and molasses, us
ing a coal oil can for retoTt, and
a long kelp stock for worm. 1t tastes
of all these ingredients, plus fair share
of the fiavors usually given the freedom
of an Indian cabin. A prospector
assured me that it was not unlike proof
Prussic acid favored with Rough on
Rats" Whether the Indian had any to
sell or wanted to buy-the more likely
of the two-we never knew, for we were
just then enjoying a good sailing wind
which we did not propose to lose for all
the hoochinoo existing, and we never
afterwards heard his voice again above
the din OF the dogs. | have lived about
a third of century among Indians and
have seen wildernesses and deserts of
dogs, but have never seen one of that
breed of any use before; and this was
entirely unintentional. Silvery cascades
were numerous on all sides and fairly
stripping some of the mountain sides.
Here we also heard our first avalanches,
showing that all the watery elements
were breaking up. There are several
glaciers along the course of the Tahlxu,
but only three or four reach the valley
and none of those reach the river itself
SO as to impede its valley to transporta-
ton on that, side Even railroad
could be constructed the whole length
of the river; but as to this later. We
were abreast of the first glacier on the
north side by $50. 1t is really double
glacier, their feet joining in the valley,
but in nearly all other aspects they are
dissimilar Hair seal were seen fishing
for salmon, their favorite diet, among
which they make great havoc Ten
o'clock saw us sail by the abandoned
Indian village of Klame-quah, a town
that was deserted before it was built
The rapidly thriving American town of
Juneau, and the attendant work which
all this activity promised them, induced
them to move alongside and relinquish
Klame-quah. The third glacier is from
the south side and the only important
one from that direction. We had
breasted it by noon. and on one of the
numerous low islands, covered with
cottonwood, we stopped for our lunch.
That day we passed several
deserted Indian villages of more
or less permanence. All were fishing
ranches" the occupants being farther
up the valley hunting. Later they re-
turn, repair the ranches and go to fish /
ing At each house one will see well |
worn paths closely hugging the river |
bank, and made by the village fisher |
man prospecting for salmon. About /
We came to the first noticeable 4
contraction in the river where it swiftly /
flowed through low stoney banks. We |
got both sails fairly set to a strong
wind. and by dint of severe padding |
and Wagnerian war-whoops. went |
through like a rocket. Just beyond it |
widened and the Doctor pronounced it
fully equal to the Tennessee at Chatta-
nooga- Late in the evening we got
damp, unpleasant camp, but we had
made twenty-five miles, thanks to the
stiff breeze Next forenoon (27th) we
saw mountain goats on the high south
ern cliffs, but the Indians seemed I'M
willing to hunt them. These animals
are numerous throughout Alaskan
mountains and have never yet ira
versed range (some seven altogether)
without seeing them in greater or less
abundance.
The river was now getting very
swift, and the big canoe quivered like
a high pressure steamer when polling it
against the current. This shaking of
the poles against the boats side is very
trying to the nerves of the polemen, so
they claim, and more exhausting than
severe labor of purely muscular char