The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-18

We made start early on the morning
| Of the 18th OF July, carrying with US only
| absolutely necessary Sustenance and equip
age. The journey proved trying in the
! extreme. We travelled by slow and toii-
| some stages for six weeks. and on no day
did we make progress far in excess of that
possible TO an unincum5ered man walk
| ing on level ground in an hours time.
Tie country was wild and beautiful. Our
journey carried US mostly above timber
line and among mountains in some places
as rugged as those OF the Mckinley range
Wild flowers grew in abundance every
where below the snow line. We saw
plenty of game, mostly grouse and carl
bou. We also saw some bear and signs
Of moose, but did not stop to do any hunt
ing.
We crossed two mountain ranges; the
first at the head OF Indian Creek, some
twenty miles up from Sushitna. About
thirty miles farther on we crossed the
main divide at an elevation OF 400 feet.
In the centre of the pass through the
great divide there is d lake whose waters
drain both into the Boring Sea and into
Cook Inlet. The pass was christened Carl
boq Pass on account of the large number
Of caribou which we saw in the vicinity,
and we gave the name of Summit Lake
to the lake. The immediate discovery Of
the pass and Of the lake came about
through our meeting With an Indian whom
we located by the smoke which arose from
his camp fire which rose from his camp
fire a little distance 10 the left. II was
the first signs of human habitation that
We had seen for months, and party OF
US went over TO investigate. There we
found the Indian, man Of perhaps IS or
40, camped comfortably with thEse or four
of his squaws. They had been hunting all
summer with only tolerable success. He
could speak only word or two of broken
English. and was prevailed upon TO guide
our party in the direction Of the Tanana.
When we arrived at Summit Lake ne
pointed toward the Chulitna, which he
called by name, and then pointed north
ward, indicating by signs and language
that if we followed the direction of the
stream we woul go Tanana." This We
accordingly did. and followed the course
of the stream for ten days. The coun-
try on the north side of the great divide
differs from that on the south, in that 1t
is much dryer and vegetation grows much
less luxuriantly. Our course led US north
westerly, and we followed the stream I'M
til we felt assured that it was tributary
of the Tanana. We would have penetrated
the country until we arrived at the Yukon,
had it not been for the fact that our pro-
visions had run alarmingly short. Ac-
cordingly on the 2Sth of August we de-
termined to retrace our steps.
The return trip was accomplished with
out incident. The party arrived safely at
the mouth of Indian Creek on the 29d OF
September, and the boats and provisions
were found to be just we had left them.
After a short delay for repairs we launch
ed the boats and ran 100 miles down the
Sushitna in fourteen hours. We arrived at
Tyoonok on the 9th OF September. and
there learned for the first time our coun-
try was at war with Spain. After wait
ing fifteen days for the steamer Dora we
arrived at Juneau. Oct. l. We waited
there five days for the boat, and arrived az
Seattle on the 9Th of October.
ROBERT MULDROW.