The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-03-07
THE COOK INLET REGION.
Treated In a Recent Govern
menf Bulletin.

The Natural History Of TIE Cook
frlet Region" Alaska, forms the sub
7 iect. Of one Of the most recent b1l-
Ietins OF the department Of agricul-
I ture, says the Washington Star.
Among other things IT IS stated
that the region about Cook inlet was
at the beginning Of the field seazon
Of 1900 the only general district OF
4 consequence on the Pacific coast OF
Alaska that had not been recently
visited by naturaIists.
Cook inlet, it is stated. is the first
important indentation Of the Alaskan
coast east of the Alaskan peninsula
It IS a long narrow inlet, bifurcated
at its upper end into two large arms
-Knik arm and Turnagain arm. The
first Of these, Knik arm, is about Is
miles long and at its upper end re-
ceives the waters of a large stream,
the Matanuska- The other, Turn
again arm, Is 90 miles OF more in
length, and extends inland until
within about I've miles Of the waters
Of Prince William sound West Of
Knik arm is the delta Of the Sushitna
river, the largest stream engtying
into the inlet. South of TE1nagain
arm. and rc--~~-od with the main
land o-sy by le Ase miles OF glacier
between the head Of the arm and
Prince William sound. is the Kenai
peninsula. Numerous relatively sman
streams enter both sides OF Turna-
I gain arm and both sides Of the main
inlet as wen, so that in addition to
the great volume received from the
/ Sushitna there is large secondary
/ supply of fresh water. Except IN
TGrnagain arm, the country border
ing Cook inlet IS low and compare
lively level. though high mountains
from ten to sixty miles inland can be
/ seen on all sides. The small trading
station am native village Of Tyonek
is situated on a low sandpit on a
/ plain about 20 miles west of the
mouth Of the Sushltna. Hope City is
situated at the mouth Of Resurrec-
tion creek, on each side of which rug
ged mountains rise to an altitude Of
5000 feet or more.
Moose, bear and mountain sheep
are the principal big game, although
they have already been hunted to a
considerable extent, it is probable
that they are more abundant than in
any equally accessible place IN North
America. Fur-bearing animals are
well represented, but, as elsewhere in
the north, have been much reduced in
numbers. The smaller, less conspic-
uous mammals are such as are gen
orally found throughout northern
Alaska.
Birds are not found in great num-
bers. Land birds, with the exception
Of grouse. which are fairly common,
are not numerous in species or in
dividuals. Water birds. particularly
littoral or semi-pelagic forms, are no
ticeably Uncommon. probably on ac-
count Of the brackish water of the
inlet and the comparative absence
OF marine invertebrates. Ducks and
geese, however, and birds which feed
IN fresh water are locally quite abun-
dant.
Spruce and hemlock timber ceases
between 1000 and 5000 feet eIeva-
tion, and the higher sioP are clothed
only wisA Hattod MASSES of low
Ehrubs Or VIDE e2pauses cf tan grass.
In the guichss thicfats of elders hold
control and a few stuuted individuals
often straggle wen uD toward the
snow line. The chara acteriatie man-
1nals on the mountains are the Dali
mountain sheep tCris daIi). the
hoary marmot (Aretomvs caHaatus),
and the Alaska mountain ro1e f5Ilcro-
rmE rslirrs.-sat