Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-08
AND THE NEW GOLD FIELD.
The characteristics of the Yukon
Country Summarized.

Prof. W. III. Dali, in the Forum
Ordinary wooden clothing for the body
and leather boots for the feet are, of
course. utterly unsuitable, and can be worn
only at serious risk when travelling. Indian
snow shoes essential: the Norwegian
variety proved worthless.
AS the season advances the snow settles,
ard at night a firm crust forms. The most
favorable months for travelling are March
and April. The midwinter Gays are short,
with sunlight in some ATTITUDES from 10
in the morning to in the afternoon.
When necessary, one can travel fairly well
by starlight and moonlight over the snowy
tUnCrd.- but not IN the WOODS. In May,
the snow is wet and heavy, and travel
difficult. Pools of water and the first
mosquitoes then begin to appear. By
May - the river river bursts S. its bounds ina
debris and broken timber pouring, with
grinding noise, headlong toward the sea.
For at least week navigation is impossi-
BILE.
Summer. swift-footed. trips upon the
heels of winter. The sun pours Down with
a violence not soon forgotten, though in
the shade it is always cool. The cry of
the brant. northward bound. is continually
heard, and myrads of smaller water fowl
appear On every hand All the minor
forms of life, native to the region or mi
grants from the south, with startling sud-
air Vegetation springs into leaf and
flower at a bound. and. with hardly hint
of spring. summer is upon US.
Mosquitoes, the pest of the north, ap-
pear in clouds. Except In mid-stream or
where brisk breeze is blowing. life with
out net and leather gloves is misery.
The Indians smear their faces with mix
tur6 OF grease and charcoal and paddle
with a smudge on square of turf in the
bows of their birch canoes The caribou
moose and bear, driven from the thickets,
plunge into the river for a temporary re-
spite Curiously enough. during three
summers, black flies and midges. SO plenti-
full to the eastward, were encountered only
once on the Yukon; possibly, near its head
waters. our luck would have been worse.
The records show that the lower Yukon
valley has a summer temperature much
in excess of that normal to the latitude
As the days are long, the traveller will
prUdently sleep at noon, and utilize for his
work the cooler hours when the sun
sweeps low along the northern horizon
ard the mosquitoes are less active.
Frosts appear in mid-September. Early
in October the Yukon begins to be covered
with ice; though ii is not fully icebound
until late in November. So the round is
completed.
one serious danger menaces the large
population now pouring into the district.
Tine upper Yukon is a country where SUBJ
sisteace has always been difficult. The
hrst party which ever reached it-that
Under Robt Campbell of the Hudson Bay
Company. who named the Pelly river
though composed OF seasoned voyageurs-
was. If tradition be reliable forced to sup
pert life by cAnnibalism before il could
reach help In 1866 not more than three
hsndrcd Indians were able to find subsist-
ence between Fort Yukon and Fort Sell
kirk The abundant fish and game of the
lower Yukon are absent. The river steam
ers available for transportation cannot
during the remainder of the present sea-
son carry up to Dawson City much more
food than will supply its present population
II seems improbable that any large propor-
portion of the people now hurrying over
the Chilkoot portage can transported, in
deed. they possess-food enough to carry
them over the winter and up to the ar
rival OF summer supplies from the lower
Yukon.
Very serious hardships, and even proba-
Die starvation, therefore, confront the rash
and foolhardy, who push forward without
proper supplies into a region whose linn
itations they do not realize. Fortunately
II Is likely that many of those least pre-
pared for the undertaking will never get
over the divide, ard will be Obliged to re-
main in southeastern Alaska where the
rush to Klondike will have left open many
opportunities for employment Were it
otherwise the coming winter and spring
would probably furnish material for trag-
edy. Even il Is, the circumstances
offer ground for very grave apprehen-
sionS.