The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-05

Company, which had a monopoly of the
FUR trade, retired upon the transfer of the
territory to the United States, and sew
eral American companies at once located
establishments upon the Yukon river. The
traders of these companies came into con-
fiict with the traders of the great Hud-
son Bay Company, and it became advis-
able to have the location of Fort Yukon,
the most western post of the English
company finally settled. Its vicinity was
supposed to be particularly rich in furs,
and II found in the territory of the United
States, it was desirable that steps should
be taken to cause its abandonment by the
Hudson Bay Company.
capt Raymond was therefore directed
to ascend the Yukon river to Fort Yukon
and, by ascertaining the latitude and long
itude of the post, settle the question as to
whether it was in United States territory
He was also instructed to collect inform
alton about the trade of the Hudson Bay
Company in the territory of the United
States, and to obtain information about
the resources of the Yukon river and the
native tribes of Indians
Capt. Raymond's report is of interest as
it is corroborative of several statements
which have been made regarding Alaska
and its characteristics. Fort Yukon is 10,
Gated at the most northerly point of the
Yukon, 966 miles from the sea, where the
river receives the waters of the Rat or
Porcupine river and where is bends south
east toward the Klondike region. This
part of the Yukon river is just above the
Arctic circle. Capt. Raymond said in his
report that no valuable mineral deposits
in workable quantities had been found in
the vicinity of the Yukon river up to the
time of his visit. 1t is understood that
since that time gold has been discovered
along the Rat or Porcupine river, down
to its junction with the Yukon.
Pc In Of
the annoyance of swarms of mosquitoes
and gnats which abound in the river in
June and July. When the steamboat was
not in motion, he said, the members of
the party were obliged to wear face nets
and gloves. The mosquitoes, he said are
much larger than those met with in lower
ATTITUDES, but not quite as active. The
gnats were extremely troublesome and the
face nets were little protection, as the
insects easily crept through the meshes
The ascent of the river was made in a
small stern-wheel steamboat named the
Yukon, owned by one of the trading COM
panies, which was brought from San Fran
cisco on a sailing vessel to St Michaers
Island. The steamer left st. Michaers
July 4, 1869, towing two large open boats
filled with supplies and trading goods.
There were thirteen persons on board, and
Capt. Raymonds immediate party con-
sisted of himself and two companions
Frequent stops were made by the steamer
and several trading stations established.
The two rapids between the mouth of
the river and Fort Yukon were assembled
by the steamer without serious difficulty
The lower rapids, to which Capt. Ray
mond gave the name of Halls Rapids, in
honor of the captain of the steamer, are
$50 miles from the mouth of the river and
the Rampant Rapids are III miles from the
rivers mouth. The report states that the
current at the Rampant Rapids is very
swift, and that the channel is not more
than $50 yards wide. Above the Rampant
rapids, the report states, the progress of
the steamer was slow, on account of the
shallow channel and the rapid current
Fort Yukon was reached on July 81, the
time in transit from st. Michaers being
twenty-three days and the distance 1,O40
miles. The party was given cordial
welcome by John Wilson. agent of the
Hudson Bay Company. and Capt. Ray
mond at once proceeded to ascertain the
geographical position of the fort. This
work was delayed by unfavorable wealth
er, but the approximate location was Sc
cured in a few days and found to be well
within the territory of the United States
Later observations indicated that the To-
cation was latitude 66:31A6, and longitude
145:17:47. The 141st meridian is the boun-
Diary line between Alaska and the Brit
ish possessions.
On Aug. II, Capt Raymond raised the
Stars and Stripes over the fort and took
possession in the name of the United
States, notifying the representatives of
the Hudson Bay Company to cease trading
in the territory of Alaska. The steamer
left the fort to return on Aug 10, falling
water indicating that the sources of the
river We're freezing, and that it was ad-
visable to leave at once In order that the
vessel might pass the shallow places with
out difficulty.
Capt. Raymond and his party left Fort
Yukon on Aug. 2S in a skiff, which his
men had constructed, for their trip of a
thousand miles to the sea. Both rapids
were passed without accident, and on
Sept. 10 the party reached a trading post
named Anvic, located a the mouth of the
Anvlc river, miles from the sea, with
the boat in such bad condition that it
had to be abandoned. Being unable to
procure another large boat to continue the
descent of the river, the route was chang
ed, and the party, assisted by Indians, as
cended the Anvlc river in birchbark ca
noes for a distance of fifty miles, and then
travelled overland with much hardships,
to the shore of Norton's sound, which was
reached on Sept. %. Boats were secured
from St Michaels, from which place Capt.
Raymond returned to San Francisco
In speaking of the characteristics of the
river the report says that below Fort
Yukon ii is on an average three-quarters
of mile wide, with frequent islands, 50
that in some places it widened out to five
or six miles, measured across the islands.
The current was rapid, and in some places
only three feet deep. Below the Rampant
Rapids the river is deeper and the current
slower and the scenery very beautiful.
About fifty miles below Fort Adams,
which is 666 miles from the mouth of the
river and 800 miles below Fort Yukon,
Capt. Raymond found a good quality of
bituminous coal.
Moose were abundant along the upper
part of the river, and during the summer
months reindeer were abundant in the
hills. The party saw many large herds of
reindeer, but at that time, even, the num-
Der of reindeer had been diminished by
shooting. From the reports received from
Alaska In these days. it appears that all
the reindeer were killed off or driven away
into the remote parts of the territory sew
eral years ago. Reindeer have recently
been imported from Russia and other
countries, and an effort is now being made
to breed them not only as food for the
inha bitants, but, now that a demand for
transportation facilities In winter has
sprllue m to make them aVailab Bile as