The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-16

/ Is therefore exposed to sudden squalls.
which may catch the unfortunate boatman
! where there Is neither landing Place nor
- shelter We had All especially unpleasant
experience this spring spending cold night
/ In April on these fats. unable 10 enter the
/ river or 10 approach near TO the mouth.
! being prevented by great fields Of anchor
! Ice. which extended more than mile from
| any camping place on shore. About fifteen
miles up the river the first land above over
flow is reached. a taRgle OF willows and
cottonwood giving pace TO the customary
upland growth Of the country. which con-
sists Of scattered groves OF spruce and
An idea OF the volume OF water the
river carries can be had from rs Size near
the trading station which is some miles
! station the river for the first time hemmed
into single channel, cuts through rock
| dyke which crosses tts valley diagonally.
! Here the stream ls 200 Yards in width and
is very deep ard swift. sounding indicating
| a de.jth Of er loo feet Irnnediatel
| above this rock dixie the river forks. and It
! az the two streams which carries the more
water, although the northern branch ls
| called the main river and Is the one which
We assembled.
Error of the Government Charts.
| The kuskokwim Indians come down
/ the western branch 10 trade. They say
| there Is an easy passage from the kus
| kokwim into this branch OF the Susai;na.
! which would indicate a low range OF noun
tains as forming the watershed between
| these two valleys instead of the high. ufl-
broken range indicated on the government
charts M previous years
II this so~cailed Alaskan range exists,
! II must be much further west than s indi~
! cated on TIE charts for have been where
! could see at least 100 miles west OF Su-
shitna river. and could see no indications
/ o. such range in that direction. vast.
almost level country, covered with flores =
! OF spruce and birch, with here and there
great s~amps. extended TO the west -
far as could see with rather poor pair
/ OF field glasses 1t IS true that early in
June lSs'. could see patches Of snow 70
| the west. which would indicate the pres
ence Of mountains hut they are not az all
! high as in the previous year the snow was
/ all gone In july. The Indians report a
large lake on this western hren2b, and say
that tho stream forks six days journey
from It's mouth. The other branch has a
generally northern direction. though very
crooked only onEe In '93 miles above the
junction IS the river confined IN a single
channel aud there only where Hcmmed in
+ by hlgh bluffs on both sides. Mary islands
and channels. great masses of dTlftwood
ard countess enag$ characterize this por-
/ ton II }hc river while csvlag banks. fa.l-
/ ing trees ard he swift current make The
Journey both difficult and faneeca0s M
Rherv could We make any aeatway eNcrpt
~ pohoS Or towing. crossing ara reerosS-
nF me .ae .iss Sh43ne + 30 T. rEe
ihat have assembled the Sushltns any Dis
lance have heen i3s; either ny being suent
unfss fae dritt a1d sunk or smashed nv
! eaviac bank or falling t-ees. IockIy
+ lsst season. t,lat - VI parSers ~ S,.attlr
he low mount 't@s thar lie between the
. ineoak.e as oi3o ana he SI~hi'na rivers
petr apparently ahoH{ twelve 20 -wrntv
miles haek srorn tire river ard three e-ele}t
! branches enter -" Sush1tna rom that
side
Mount Hci>inIe~ Dominates
" lille ascer rig This portion ~ the river
a. * e