The morning call., 1892-09-29
THE MACKENZIE RIVER.
Some Account of the Whaling Ground
Whore the Hume Cruised.

| Some Account of tho Whaling Grounds
Where the Hume Cruised.
So distant is the Mackenzie River from
the usual track of vessels that it is little
| known.
1t Is situated north of Alaska, northeast
| of the BeriDg Sea, and on the northern side
of the neck of land dividing the North Pa
| cific Ocean from the Arctic Ocean.
More exactly speaking, the river rises in
the ROCKY Mountains in British America,
and fed by various streams. among which
| is the outflow from the Great Bear Lake, 1t
| empiies finally into the Arctic Ocean at
| point about 500 miles from Point Barrow
and 3C0 miles from Cape Bathurst.
The voyage round by Cape Prince OF
| Wales through the Bering Sea. the Aleutian
| Islands and across the North Pacific Ocean
! to Vancouver Island is not less than 800
| miles, which will convey some idea OF the
rivers remoteness from the ordinary lines
| of travel.
The district about the mouth of the
Mackenzie River is very sparsly Inhabited
by Indian tribes, the ice and intense cold
during the greater part of the year driving
even the natives to more southerly lati-
tudes.
Fishing and hunting are the principal
pursuits in that country, although the name
of the Coppermine River to the north OF
the Great Bear Lake would seem to imply
that the ubiquitous prOspector had not been
deferred from pursuing his hopes OF gain
even by the cold and desolation of that in
hOspitable shore during the major portion
OF the twelve months
With the exception of those in the north
ern section, the Indians and Esquimaux Of
Alaska are peaceable, friendly aud inclined
to trade.
No one claims for Alaska the dignity of
an organized Territory, but the spaIseness
of the population and the feeling of klnship
engendered by mutual dependence has de-
velOped straightforward dealing among the
few in the more desolate regions who come
into contact, so that the necessity for re-
course to law 10 redress wrong arises proba-
bly, less frequently in proportion than in
more So-calied civilized communities.
WAITING FOR THE wHALERs.
Boardin c-House Runners Swarm Over
Meiggs Wharf I'm Search of Custom.
The steam whaling schooner Mary d.
Hume was expected to arrive in port last
night.
At2:3O o'clock this morning she had not
come in.
Early In the evening there was quite
number of people at the seawall section /.
Some were anxious about the vessels mr.
rival for business reasons, others simply
wanted to see the wbaler that had the great
est catch on record.
The night was pleasant, but most of the
people went away before midnight. as there
was nothing 70 see except the two lights at
the harbor entrance.
But one crowd remained and increased in
numbers as the hours passed. They were
the hotel runners, who had heard that the
men on the boat were to receive a large sum
Of money.
They have not been at the wharf for
years, but last night they fairly swamped
over the stringers and discussed the amount
of money the men on the vessel were likely
TO receive, all Of which they hoped TO get.
They brought their own boats, and were
ready TO sWoop down upon the vessel as
soon as she appeared in sight.
Everything appeared 10 have been ar
ranged among them, and, from appear
ances, the men who had suffered In the
Arctic would not have much of their hard
earned money left after they escaped the
clutches of the runners.