The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-24

unprotected frrn biting cold save By
blankets slept on frszsn sand OF ice-etad
rncss.
Today, with TIRE assurance 81 reaching
home 40 an early Cay, trey are happy as
sch5oEboys on vacation. snf although foot
sore ard ~eary. feat nserrily o. ire er-
-ersea-ez saa. nearly cost them their lives
IL n .othsrg.s said Er. Harrison. vhe Is
a old-tiraer AZ tel yoa that Is cniy an
iaesent 81 life n the Yukon country"
-when ws react ed Capt Mosre's place.
October z. SAID Mr.. Miller. "we learned
that an early winter had made the 3ouf-
ney By land necessity. We a. once pro-
-txsored ourselves. ten white men ard SIX
Indians. eaeh taking pack % twenty-five
rounds. and tire following morning we
started on cur walk across the tundra II
was bad walking. very. very bad. AZ
noon Ar. Bruce gave cut. and re nao 70
divide MS pack among Us. while ne hoooisd
along es best be could That rtznt We
rpad. the Akcutelik river. and there we
erep, into deserted Indian cave
.s-ras akoute..k, filed with brackfsn
water ana covered with thin coatlhg o1
t~s.s,a Zee formed a serious obstacle; but
wa were Obliged 10 cross IL. and under the
direction % the native guides we thFe"
ourselves fat on orr fac@s, and with e&-
IRENE caution pushed our packs IN frons
n es. The passage was made In SAFETY.
Bruce had declared he could not move
xtso further. but Moran and Sims stayed
nv hin. coaxing and urging him forward
The next night came an experience
rome OF us viii forget to our dying day.
on the bank OF the Kasiolik river. we
came upon a kahn. an Indian building
In which fs combined a dance hall. bata
house ard sleeping room for bachelors.
boys and ,ne lame. the halt and the blind
The chilly north wind was wnisidng
gale and the snow was flying; and wet
hedraggled. cold. weary aud hungry. We
welcomed any kind Of shelter One by one
we entered a little mound-like structure
standing In front Of large dome. ana
diving into an underground passage Wa
crept on bands and knees until We came
TO a bearskin that covered the real en-
trance 10 tho kahn Pushing u aside. We
stood uprigh. in room about twenty-five
feet square. into which crowded ali our
party and enough natives 70 make the
total number present twenty-five. The
natives know nothing OF cleanliness. and
there was no ventilation save that AFFORD
ed by a membrane al the top Of the ka-
zim. The atmosphere would have stified
a buzzard. and we urged the Indians to let
ia some air. The most they would do was
TO move the lid OF the hut a fraction of
an inch The Esquimaux, stripped stark
naked and each wrapped IN a robe, slept
peacefully, varying their siumber with in
ternlttent and noisy expectoration; but
you may be assured that for US there was
little rest that night. We welcomed the
morning. which brought escape from the
noisome and pestilential atmosphere OF
the kahn.
Bruce was found 10 be greatly Inn
proved when we set out the next day.
and that night we reached the coast.
where we slept In the open air, the cold
wind nippIng US until we longed for shell
ter. even kahn. AT o'clock the fol-
lowing morning we were again under
way. and turning our course from the
coast so as 20 avoid point Romanoff. trav-
eled until we reached the house of Keo-
kiak. one Of our guides. At the mouth
OF tho PitmatalIk river we secured dog
team. in hopes OF frelghiing our packs to
st. Michael. One Of our Indians had
fallen sick, having given out under the
hardship Of the trip. and We left him
there.
Tho next morning a fierce snowstorm
was raging. but despite that fact. and the
further fact that we had lost our land
mark a range OF cone-shaped hills to the
west, we pushed on. In some manner
which We do not fully understand we be-
came separated. Harrison. Du Bell.
Brannd. Moran and myself getting in adj
vance OF Sims and his companions. and
losing track OF the provisions. Moran
finally gave out. repeatedly sinking down
in the snow and falling into a stupor from
which Il was next 10 impossible to awaken
him. When darkness came on we could
not pursue our aimless course any fur
Their. and suffering from hunger and cold
ne haddled together under two pairs of
double blankets and passed a nigh; Of
misery and suffering. This morning We
resumed oor Journey as well ~ our stiff
IcneG NHSs and weakened condition
would allow. asd after While were
slsddened by meeting . native. who. when
we Inquired The way. pointed toward a
double volcanic cone ana said:
81 Michael 81, Michael
The Words gave us renewed strength
and sc weut IN the direction indicated.