Evening star., 1897-07-31


SO and build their boats. In ascending the
river much depends ON the build of the
boat empl6 yed ard skill Of the men in
polling. well as on the occurrence of head
winds or otherwise ON the lake. The Whole
distance from Forty Mile creek to Lake
Lindeman has been made once or twice
in so short a time as thirty days, and
believe even this record has been sur
passed by couple Of days ON one occur
renee, but under very exceptional circum-
stances.
The Time Occupied.
"Our actual travelling time from the mouth
of the Lewes to the lower end of Lake La
barge. deducting all stoppages, was twelve
hours. fifteen minutes. From the head OF
Lake Labarge to the lower erd of Lake
Marsh, the time. deducting stoppages as
before. and not including the time occu-
pied on the portages at Miles canon and
White Horse rapids, was twenty-five hours,
fifty-five minutes. Much. however, de-
pends on the stage OF water In the river,
as when 1t Is unusually high the current
is not only stronger. but many of the bars
and beaches are covered and the polling
and travelling is much worse. The time
occupied III traversing the lakes Is not In
cluded in the above statement
Timber suitable for building boats can
scarcely be found in the vicinity OF Lake
Lfnden,an. but no difficulty is met in OBJ
tanning trees Of fair size on Bennett and
Tagish lakes. Below these lakes the coun-
try Is generally wooded. There Is an
abundance of spruce of fair quality, grow
ing tall and straight in several localities,
but seldom reaching the diameter of two
feet"
The Chflkpot Pass.
Considerable space Is given to the Chill
koot pass and the White pass. The re-
port states that the length of the noun
tain portage from Lake Lindeman to Taiya
inlet is twenty-three miles and half, the
summit Of the Chilkoot pass being at a
distance Of S1s miles from Lake Lindeman,
with an elevation Of 1892 feet. The de-
scrfption is follows:
The valley on the north or inland side
of the summit contains several little lakes.
The trail is rough and crooked. without
improvement of any kind. 1t follows the
stream in one place about a mile through
a narrow rocky defile, which has evidently
been cut through. From seven or eight
miles of the highest part of the pass may
be said to be fairly destitute of timber.
AT the actual summit the trail leads
through a narrow, rocky gap. and the
whole scene is one of most complete DESC
tatton. the naked granite rocks rising
steeply to partly snow-clad mountains on
either side. The stone house and sheep
camp are points noted in this part of the
pass. The first is used as shelter by the
Indians at night, and has been formed by
rocks rolling down. The second point is
where arboreal vegetation of fair growth
first begins.
Valley of the Nourxe.
''At six miles from the head Of the inlet
the stream followed down from the sum-
init is Joined by another called Nourse
river. The valley of this stream and that
from the path are narrow and V SHAPED,
but from point of junction wide valley
runs south between high mountain walls
The little river formed by the confluence
may be aSce1ded by canoes with difficulty
for some miles when the water is low. 1t
is easy, however. to walk along the gravel
flats. although 1t is necessary to wade in
swift, ice-cold water.
Another pass from Taiya inlet to the
lakes on the headwaters of the Lewes
is called the White pass. 1t leaves the
coast at the mouth of the Shkagway river
five miles south of Taiya inlet. and runs
parallel with Chilkoot pass at no great
distance from it. Though the land carriage
Is someW hat longer by this. it appears to
present less difficulty for the construction
of a practical trail road. The distance
from the coast to the summit is seventeen
miles. Five miles of this is level bottom
land thickly timbered. The next nine miles
is in canon-like valley, where heavy
work would be encountered in constructing
trail The remaining distance of three
miles TO the sun NIT Is comparatively easy.
Inc summit has an altitude of 900 feet
Beyond the summit a wide valley Is en-
tered. and its descent to the first lake
is not more than a hundred feet The
mountains rapidly decrease in height and
abruptness after the summit is passed.
and the valley divides, one branch leading
to the head of Windy arm of Tagish lake.
the other. down which the water drains.
going to Tako arm of the same lake"
Chilkoot pass is at the head of Lynn
canal 1t leaves the Nourse river or west
branch of the Taiya and runs west of the
ChllkOOt to the head of Lake I Jipfeman