Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-06-24

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Suioq cum ouu 'suluIom axou psliris
Job oM oioJ9q cS;Oi suA " avs aVi
o. ssAiasIuo dieu pinoo 9M uoluM IslJu
TO six miles OF heavier rRpids than any
mot 20 far, and remarked. There was
not one chance In a hundred Tor any
sort OF boat 20 got through safely"
The roaring rapid Just ahead. probably
equal 10 the wi i'lpool rapids below
Niagara, was but ono OF n score or
more la the course. The high canyon
walls were perpendicular now as an
average, and quite a. often were pro-
jccung Over us as they slanted back
wards The canyons course was n
tortuous one. with sharp turning On.
giles. yet somewhat uniform Ia proper
TONS, ~ a little experience taught Us
how 10 manage them to the leasr dan
ger Oftcntimes the swift glacial
water, perfect snnd-blnst for ccntur-
les. had cut far under the rock wall,
nguinst which II impingcd sometimes
nj right angles. until The cavern under
meath looked like death itself rs we
shot towards H. The impinging points
were always flaukcd by danger.
Gus whirlpools, whose yorticcs were
were often two 10 four feet below the
rim. The Highest waves were Just "
the sharp angles, and while seemingly
10 To the novice, they were not tho
most dangerous however Justaround
under the lee Of the points small gravel
bars were occasionally found, but they
were not frequent They were our
life prcsergcrs In ease OF upsctting,
ripping holes In the boat, or other ac.
cidcut no padding was needed 10
get ahead IN the lightning express
current, but oil energy was bcut Ia
maldng from point to point, no we
really fcrried backward and forward,
while the current carried IN along.
The boats how was, therefore. al.
ways pointing toward the canyon wall
which Terminated in the point we
were trying TO make. Hut In going
through the high waves this perprn.
dicular position ~ the current was
pcrilous, rs the curling breakers could
easily have upset o much better made
craft, 80 here we swung around, At
li:2O We came to u clean, sheer fall u
Eve 10 six feet ON the outward, sweep.
ing curve that faded to q rnpid at The
salient point OF The wnll opposite. The
rapid on our left curlod around to the
foot Of the fall In whirlpool greater
than any yet seem perfect cone Of
rushing water, atty feet across. that,
grnsping a great log, spun II around
like a straw and SUCKED u out Of sight
In the vortex. We were not over
twenty yards from II when seen and
We all expected 10 go over IT, but un'
usuul padding put as 10 the bar Op'
positc, where we dropped the boat
around BY painters just below we
launched whore tho canyon seemed
opening Undoubtedly the escape at
the whirlpool fall was our closest that
day and marrow enough 10 satisfy even
a iimc.novcl hero. Notpa could not be
taken In ,hc rapids owing TO the boats
motions, no we jottod them down Al
bars whore we rested what wc romcm-
bcrcd yom the last stopping place. At
this bar find recorded In my book;
"a perfectly fearful forenoon, with
enough danger 10 turn hair mat.
tross gray" From here, seven milca
from our morning camp. we could sce
wider aud more open valley ahead,
which wo rcgolicd In iow minutes. II
was the Chit.yua OF the Indians, the
river flowing less and clearer water
than the one we had Just descended.
II was running high waves but very
long ones, not at all dangerous, the
current dropping TO six or seven miles
an hour. We camped after making
thir,y.hye miles, our original i've miles
OF rapids having drawn out Into nearly
fifty, which, could We have Viewed
them ahead, all eonourrcd We would
rather have tried packing around them
than attempt what we had cone. II
was lucky, Indeed, we could not thus
have viewed them. IL was grateful
| sight next day TO sec low wooded
points projecting into the river, instead
| OF trOwning canyon walls. Al o We
came 10 tho confluence OF tho
Chittyna and Copper rivers and
at 10 sighted the Atna Indian
village of Taul, aud to our satisfaction
| found that II was well pcoplcd.
Nicolni, the chief, gave us hearty
welcome and still hcnrticr dinner u
tea, some graham bread and "a great
slab of dried bacon each. II does not
seem NO wondrously palntablc just
now, looking back at Il, but II could
combine it's palatabllity 40 that timo
| with It, present price IN the great cities
] would not exchange the combination
| for the richest mine In the world. lln
sold us all the bacon he had, small
/ piece, and some Hour, while another
Indian gave Us n salmon, altogether We
were fnring unusually we'll. was
greatly surprised 10 hnd that Sicolni
spoke Chinook well enough 10 get
along with him. This jarRon had be.
lieyed from my former experience on
the pncihc coast did not extend above
Southeastern Alaska. Nicolni told Us
he expected to assemble party Of
Indian fur traders In week TO ten
days and descend the Copper river 70
the trading stations near its mouth
and that we could join tho party We
now saw that II we had packed out we
would havo been too late 10 take nd.
vantage Of this, the last chnnce Of the
year for native help to assist us TO the
coast, A little discussion disclosed he
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