Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-21

changed to more attractive expressions. Al
the lively and populous summer village Of RAs-
oanski the bank Of the river was lined with
plump and laughing msidens dressed. ct lesst
was the BEGINNING Of spruce. cottonwood.
alder, willow and birch timber, and eonse-
quens,y OF the birch-bsrk canoe. which IL used
in place of the ''kiak"
One of the Oldest settlements on the Lower
Yukon Is the Russian mission once the seal OF
priests of great power l, j. nov diIapid. ted
and decAyed The priests are half breeds. who
have adopted many OF the repulsiye habits OF
Indian savsgery. The natives were flihv
We found a yeri.able garden at Kascsriski
above the mouth OF Kuskokwin RIVER. This is
the seat OF thriving Jesuit mission aud Indian
boarding school Think OF turnirs onions,
peas and radishes in this frozen wilderness
Beautiful scenery on the Yukon begins Just
below Anvic. In July nature bestows her
mos attractive tints upon the mountains and
zon throughout the twenty-four hours 10 per
feet such scenes as We witnessed at Auyic rapids
BEAUTIFUL SCENE
IL was view Of the Kaiyuh range. Perpetual
snow is not usual in the long arctic summer
DAY. Ii rather chooses TO melt and hide below
the moss in tbs form Of everlasting ice. At
Anrlc rapids the first enow-cspped range was
seen. The picture reminded me Q. views Of the
La Plstas aud Ute Peak in Colorado. As seen
from the lower mountains OF New Mexico, fifty
miles TO the south. The Kaiyuh range extended
from east 20 west, cutting our course at right
angles. The wide siverv sheet OF the river with
ats banks hidden in green chapparal OF alder and
willow, and higher bluffs covered with spruce
and aspen. lost itself in the deep purple base Of
the distant mountains. Over the scene lowered
white domes and peaks into clouds as variegated
as the rainbow
Our vessels whistle was ever the signal
a-f he he
the banks bowling franticslly 10 the WILDERNESS,
and brought squsws. children and men in
small canoes about us like hIes. Most of the
time we kept ourselves closely BARRED in our
little state room; otherwise the mosquitoes
would have devoured US.
We were sometimes entertained with dances
by our Indian crew. These fellows sppropri-
| ated FOR d" part Of the lower deck TO their
sports. labors, beds and meals. The latter
they prepared and consumed at all hours, and a
| meal usually consisted of = salmon stew and
tea.
AT FORT YUKON.
We passed successively through the %Pali-
sades, high walls, from which are exhumed
great quantities Of mammoth. ivory. and the
'Ramparts,' caaons Of the Yukon. Next
we entered the arctic FLATS" These are similar
TO the great fat plains at the delta. 1000 miles
below. The river is so wide here that it,
banks are not intervisible and 1t is filed with
scores Of islands. Timber is plentiful
Mountains-the Sheep range-were seen to the
east
We arrived atthe spot on which Fort Yukon il
located on August q
This is 1.-The land Of the midnight sun." The
| short arctic summer was ended. A great com
motion was raised by the appearance of a star,
the herald Of approaching darkness Ice formed
at night. Camp fires were comfortable.
Our party was divided here We bid good
byes" to ten men, in command of J. Henry
Turner, who, with the steamer, went up the
Porcupine river farther into the land of
boreas. The rest of us in command of J. L.
McGrath. waited the arrival of the Arctic.