The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-24
Letter Received From One of the
Heron Exploring Party.
ALL ARE SAFE At FORT oIssoN.
Guided to Remote Army Post by
Friendly Natives After Three
Months of Wandering In the
Wilderness-Horses abandoned
and Rstions Exhausted-Ed. N.
Webster's story of Hardshfps.

The first detailed Information concerning
the recent perilous experience in the COOK
inlet country of the military exploring ex-
petition headed by Lieut.. Heron has been
received in a letter written by I'D. NJ.
Webster, one of the Heron party, 10 reia-
lives In this city.
For several months grave fears fer the
safety OF the expedition we're entertained.
which were only aiAyed when brief DIS
patch was sent out from Washington stat
ing that Lieut. Heron and his men mad
been heard from and that all was veil
Webster's letter is more specific and states
that the expedition Is at Fort Gibbon,
which point was reached after innume-abie
hardships. But for the aid Of friendly IN
dams, Webster says. many Of the expedi-
ton would undoubtedly have died VI cold
and hunger on the trail.
The Heron expedition, which had for its
object the discovery Of feasible routs from
Cook inlet to the Yukon, set out from the
headwaters OF the tributaries Of the inlet
late In last July 1t consisted of abou; ten
men and double that number OF pack ami
mails. II was branch Of Capt. Glenn's
celebrated expedition. Concerning its rs
Fort Gibbon. December H. The following
is an extract from his letter:
Il suppose you have wondered wnat mad
become OF me and the party. Well, We ar
rived here December IL with the therinom-
eter thirty-nine degrees below zero, We
were received by the soldiers with OUT
stretched hands. You can imagine we were
pleased to get in We had been given up as
dead. or lost and we are a very lucky lot
Of boy Seys ,ro,a loo. ,or ,,ro. r,on,,s and -or
entirely out OF rations after wandering for
several weeks with heavy packs on ctr
backs. We had previously abandoned all
OF our faithful horses. and made RATS, but
had to abandon them also on account OF log
jams ! will not attempt TO describe:Sh
We have all been through.
I'VE were finally picked up I'm the noun
tains by a lone Indian. his name Ia She
sawy, and he belongs 70 the kuskok~lm
twenty-five miles from where he found us
We remained with him sixty-hye days, and
lived on dried fish and a little moose meat
AT this camp were four Indians and their
families. Their names are She-Sawy, B5cll-
la, Yagnicia, and Rubber Indian. They
were more than kind to us and gave Us
everything they had but they are very
poor tribe. They subsist almost entirely on
fish. moose and birds
I'VE finally made them understand we
wanted them TO guide us to the Yukon, so
after offering them large sum OF money
they agreed to take us as soon as the lakes,
swamps and rivers were frozen over. We
left our winter home on November p and
arrived here December II. They guided us
2ls miles.
I'VE viii remain at this post until naviga-
tfon opens, about June next. We are wen
except that my foot Is swollen from walk
ing on snow shoes We came 200 miles on
snow shoes. But for the Indians guess
II would have been all up with us. but here
we are tonight eating pie.
Il am writing this In the postofflce and
store l am feeling fine, Just got out Of a
hot bath and have new clean clothes on
something have not had since I left We
have Undertaking, sweaters. maelSnaw
clothes, socks. felt shoes. moccasins and
German socks, so you see We are all light
plenty to eat and Uncle Sam 10 feed as
We all feel very grateful to the Indians
for all they have done for us. but they
were well paid We gave them $50 and all
the flour. sugar and bacon they could haul.
have just told them goodby. They have
started for home"