Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-01
RIVAL OF THE YUKON.
A Mighty Stream In Alaska of Which
Little is Known.

From the Alaska News
In a country so vast in extent and pos
sessing the physical characteristics of the
territory of Alaska there must Of necessity
be very great portion of her surface re-
main yeritable terra incognita. The In
tense cold. together with the total absence
of any supplies whatever except those that
are carried along by the intrepid explorer,
makes travelling in the interior hazardous
in the extreme. Voyages of exploration
may be made In the summer by water, but
land travel can only be done in the winter
on the frozen crust of the snow. Over
year ago the Kuwak river was visited by
Father Tosi, Roman Catholic missionary,
located on the Yukon. He did not attempt
to ascend the river, as he was told by
natives located near its mouth that there
were no inhabitants dwelling on its shores,
and that after leaving the settlement at
which he was then stopping 1t would be i'm
possible for him to get food either for him
self or his dogs. 1t is generally supposed
the first white man who ever saw the
Kuwak river was Lieut. George NJ. Stony.
United States navy, who In the summer of
1888, was sent by the general government to
the Arctic ocean for the purpose of reward
ing the Tchukchees Of Alaska for their kind
ness in feeding and sheltering the crew of
the steamer Rogers. that was burned In
those waters in 1881. While distributing
the 5000 worth Of presents that had been
voted by Congress for the purpose he heard
of large river in the vicinity that was I'M
known to geographers. Securing a guide
and an interpreter, he boldly launched into
the wilderness and soon reached the banks
Of very large river. which he ascenled
for fifty miles. He named the river the Put
man, after the gallant Putnam, who sac
rificed his life IN search of the Jeanette
In the summer of 1884 and again in 1886 he
returned To the river to cOmn1efa his
explorations.
This river. probably over 900 miles long
lies within the arctic circle. Taking it's rise
near the Valley Of the Mackenzie on the
British line, 1t flows in a general west and
southwest direction, until 1t empties in Ho-
than Inlet. kotzebue Sound. The delta is
composed Of hundreds of channels one being
a mile wide. The channel over the Ho-
than Inlet bar is thirty feet deep, and for
500 miles the river is navigable for boats
drawing from five to six feet of water.
Above this point is a long distance of navi-
cation interrupted by rapids. Five hun
dred miles above it's mouth the river passes
through Lake Charlaogahlooktah. This
lake is about eight miles long and three
wide. Three hundred miles above this lake
another was reported, with the river ex-
tending hundreds of miles farther on.
From the north the river receives MANY
tributaries: from the south but one large
stream, the Pah. The country around the
upper portions Of the river is described as
mountainous in the extreme, the higher
peaks reaching an elevation Of 1900 feet.
The banks are heavily wooded with spruce
larch, cottonwood. birch and willow Roses
were seen in large numbers and wild flowers
abounded. Raspberries blue and salmon
and jade were found In 1884 and again in
1885 Lieut.. ]. c. Cantwell of the United
States reyenue steamer Corwin also made
explorations. ascending the river over 500