The Red Cloud chief., 1900-09-07

snoOt III MS gun, anu l DeIleNe he
will do it, but | don't want to be around
when the shooting begins, for | am
powerful afraid " a gun.
The Tundra, | do wish | had the
ability to convey even a faint descrip.
ton Of the Tundra; | don't believe any
one can ard | won't try. A piece Of
native poetry that | am going to send
you calls it The Toe Twistit gTundra."
1t is certainly all Of this and more too.
II you travel up or down the beach
you have your choice of two trails, one
along the edge Of the water in sand
about shoe.nouth deep, the other from
100 to 200 feet along the Tundra
When you are on one you wish you
were On the other, when you get on
the other you wish YOU were back, but
when you 60 out in the country away
from the beach anywhere, you must
walk over the Tundra. II is the one
thing that is omnipresent; whether in
the valley or mountain side 1t i all
covered with ''The Tundra" There is
but one thing that | a call to mind
that ear be SAID in ITS favor, it is purely
Il product of Alaska. 1t breeds mos.
quitoes typhoid fever and consumption
and II necessary would breed any or
all diseases to which mankind is heir,
but inasmuch as these three pests will
dtpopulate any country within a short
time, 1t is unnecessary to puzz,e its
brain to get up anything worse. A
bunch Of moss grows very compactly
from n to three feet high and cover.
ing a space of from one to five square
feet. They are not square, but very
irregular in size and shape. In be.
tween these tufts of moss are holes
from n to three feet deep. In walk.
ing over it you step from hill to hill on
the moss, into which in dry weather
you sink down but n few inches and
when the foot is removed there are no
tracks left, but in wet weather the
space between these hills of moss are
even full of water and the moss satu.
rated, so when you step on a hill of
the moss you may go down one foot or
two, you can't tell which, but in order
to keep from getting wet and catching
one or the other of the disesse SEES men.
toned you had better wear hip boots,
and it is best to go in parties so in case
one gets swamped the balance can get
him Oh his feet or the mosquitoes will
get in their deadly work. For a team
to haul an empty wagon across now
while it is wet would be impossible.
Nome is built on the Tundra. Onto
FIRST street they have hauled sand and
gravel from the beach and mixed with
the Tundra so that for a mile or more
it is possible for a team to drive along
but it is impossible for a team to get
days ago saw a big, stout, sober mar
absolutely swamped in the middle of
the street and he would no doubt have
perished had not assistance been given
him. This is Tundra in the city after
having undergone a certain stage of
civilization that wore down the humps
of moss and filled up the pools of water
and left it a common quagmire. |,
wont do to civiliZe "A Tundra.
Up to about the first of August we had
nice pleasant weather as any one could
wish for. We all enjoyed good health
except colds. No high wi ads, but al
ways a gentle breeze. Heavy wooler
undertaking and heavy oyershirt wa.
not uncomfortable, while at night foul
~thicknesses of twelve pound blanket.
was what was repaired TO keep warm
We began to think the climate of Nom,
had been. misrepresented, as well a
the quantity Of gold on the sands o
the beach. About the first of Angus
however, the storms came and tn,
winds blew, the rain fell and the wave
rolled high and beat farther and far
Their ON the beach. First one tent to,
near the waters edge would becom,
submerged and then another. Then
lighter would break its cable and b,
dashed upon the beach; then a IN,
boat would meet n similar fate ant
then a schooner that had successful,
made the trip across from Seattl
to be dashed to pieces within a few
minutes on the ruby sands of Cap
} Nome; then a Yukon steamer read,
, for her return trip to Dawson goe
I down out IN the sound where she wa
+. anchored. We have seen wild day
5 since the first OF August. Not les
than twenty boats, tugs and schooner
are now lying along the beach betwe
our ten and Snake river about on
mile distant. | have seen some Tin
+ heroic seafaring work done in tn
meantime, One fine large four mas
schooner parted her cable and was bt
- H. l.--. 9Th -- " =