Amador ledger., 1903-12-18
FROM ALASKA.

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Neglected but not forgotten Ledger
The prospecting season being over
for this year, you may expect to hear
from me twice month, unless ordered
to the contrary. At the end of nv last
letter we were at White Horse. Y. T..
ready to start down the river. June
18th, having slowed our goods in the
barge, aud domiciled tho two cows in
their small but elegant stateroom, a
little s'abaft of amidships" we all went
on board, and an obliging friend threw
OIL the line Our party was composed
OF 10 persons, two miners bound for
dawson, a woman with her mother and
daughter going TO Rampant, Swede
woman who was taking two mich COWS
to the Interior, a photographer and two
doctors, one with his 8 year old son. 1t
was just in the evening as we drifted
past the town OF White Horse, one of
our party playing a banjo, friends on
the bank waving gOodbys, tourists on
the decks OF two steamers about to
start Tor Dawson, regarding us with
looks OF interest, whetber of pity or
derision we worried not, Our barge
was feet wide and 30 feet long, with
live foot Outriggers- for great oar.
called sweep at each end, making the
whole length 40 feet, and fitted with a
"A foot mast carrying sail ~ by IS
feet. The current was about 4 miles
an hour, and very little work was nee
essary to keep the channel; the even
ing was such as only Alaskan summers
furnish, the sun did not set till after 8.
and it was past midnight before anv one
felt like going to sleep. We had plenty
of provisions and bedding, and by being
good natured, plenty of room. Two
remained awake to steer the barge. but
the work was easy and full of interest.
Fifteen miles below White Horse we
passed the mouth of the Tahkina, a
! stream entering Fifty Mile river from
the west, and large enough for steam
boats. From here to the head of Lake
Lebarge, l3 miles, the current is less
than two miles an hour, and it was 6 in
the morning when we reached the ietty
built by the Canadian government, to
make channel deep enough for steam
ers, through the shoals at the head of
the lake. This was done two years
ago at heavy expense. The engineers
in their excess of wisdom, made a new
channel for the jetty, which the water
refused to follow, but broke the barrier
and continued the old course, which
the steamers are now obliged to take,
and have more trouble than before the
improvements were made. The wind
was blowing from the north, so Ne tied
up and spent the day hunting rabbits
and watching the two steamers that
had left White Horse the evening be-
fore, and were stuck on sand bars near
by. The mud was too soft to give any
support to the steam levers with which
all river boats are provided, and the
only practical resource left was the free
use of energetic and intensely bias
phemous language. In the afternoon
a boat from Dawson arrived, aud at
taching cable to the stranded boat.
and putting all engines under full
steam, soon cleared the bar. About
4 O'Clock the wind began to change to
the south, so We drifted down the chan
mel and out into the lake, which is 30
miles long and from to 10 miles wide.
Soon smart breeze favored us, and
the sail carried us at good rate for
couple OF hours, when the wind changed
again and thunderstorm drove down
from the north. We succeeded in
reaching small cove on the east side
OF the lake, and as the wind continued
alter the rain had passed, We went
ashore, built great fire of drift wood.
dried ourselves, and tried to imagine
how Eneas and his followers felt after
their shipwreck. The women were
comfortable under tarpaulin on board
the barge. 1t was the next after
noon before the lake was calm enough
to venture further, but we feasted on
rabbits and milk, and were happy.
The wind being contrary we kept close
to the shore, two men walking along
the beach and pulling line, while the
others stayed on board, and with long
poles pushed the craft forward. About
midnight we were all tired, and went
to sleep. The next day strong breeze
from the south favored us, and we set
the sail. The wind increased and we
made splendid time, but few miles
from the foot of the lake we we're driven
back by another thunderstorm and had
to run ashore again. On the evening
of the fourth day on the lake we reach
ed its foot, and were drawn into the
head of Thirty Mile river as though
there was no such thing as delay. The
places where 1 had been stranded or
wrecked three years ago seemed like
old acquaintanccs, but not dear enough
to merit call. Our craft was so easily
managed that the Is miles of rapids
were almost like shooting the chutes.
At ii we called at Hootalinqua, and
learned that some idiot had reported
that we were all drowned. We sent a
message to our friends in Skagway, as
suring them, la Mark Twain, that
the reports of our death had been
greatly exaggerated, and on, we went.
For gigantic picnic this sort of trip
cannot be surpassed. The rapids of
Five Fingers, Rink and He'll Gate, were
just exciting enough to be interesting.
nothing more. Our only accident oc.
Cured when rounding bend in the
Lewes river. An overhanging tree
caught out mast, but the stout fir stick
was so strong it stopped the boat. One
man was knocked off the upper deck
and somewhat bruised, one woman
sprained her ankle in trying to get out
of his way, and stove was swept of
into the river, where it still remains.
We made no stop at Selkirk or Ogilvie,
and arrived at Dawson on the morning
OF the 26th.
(To be continued)