Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-11-19
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NEW ALASKAN TRIBE.
High Type of Red Men Discovered BY
Archaeoloaist.

recently returned to Philadelphia af-
ter a dive into the Alaskan wilderness
says the New York Evening Sun.
The tribe was discovered 800 miles
from the mouth of the Koskokwim riv-
er, and Dr. Gordon has named them
| "Kuswagamutes." Instead Of wear
ing furs the people dress in the skies
of birds, making clothing from the
breast feathers of looms. The explorer
brought home a collection Of their
clothing and utensils.
When the collection arrives at Phil
adelphia he and other ethnologists will
try to determine whether the tribe
came from Asia or whether it emigrat-
ed from Lower California. DR.. Gordon
believes the race has been gradually
driven by Athabascan Indians and
is a natural fortress. They represent
perhaps the most ancient dwellers of
Alaska, who made their way there
from Asia. They are monogamists,
and no such thing as vice is known
among them. They are permitted by
their priests to have more than one
wife, but never do so. The men are
tall and strong physically and the
women graceful and good looking. Dr..
Gordon says there are only 400 of
them left.
The members of the tribe show q
higher mentality and development than
any of the known inhabitants Of the
far north. They alone Of all the tribes
north Of Mexico and southern Califor-
and are believed to be the last Of the
undiscovered races on this continent
to be brought to light DR.. Gordon
heard Of them when he was in Alaska
In 1905, and determined to find them,
although 1t necessitated his penetrat-
ing an unknown Alaskan wilderness.
DR.. Gordon lived for several months
with these strange people Of the Kos
kokwim to study their language, reli-
gion and habits. He found them re-
markably free from crime and with
no set laws, being governed by priests
who are patriarchs. The exploring
expedition was fitted out by Mrs.
Charles c. Harrison Of Philadelphia,
and set out last spring.
AS a companion for the journey he
engaged a guide. They took steamer
as far as Fairbanks the largest mining
camp in the Alaskan interior. At
Fairbanks they built canoe and made
their way in it to the mouth Of the
kantishua river, hitherto uncharted
and unnamed river emptying into the
Tanana fifty miles below Fairbanks.
Although this river Is as large as
the Delaware at Philadelphia the
geography Of the northwest Is on so
tremendous a scale, says DR.. Gordon,
that hitherto 1t has been ignored as
an insignificant creek. DR.. Gordon
resolved to go up 1t as far as possible
and trust fortune as to his finding a
portage from its head to the Koskok-
vim.
He camped one night near the mouth
of this stream in an Indian village.
One of the young men declared that
he had crossed the divide between the
two streams and volunteered to make
a map Of the portage for the doctors
guidance. Accordingly the youth drew
on birch bark map Of a route up the
Kantishua to its source, the hitherto
unknown lake, Mintuana, within fifty
miles Of Mount Mckinley, the tallest
peak in North America, and across by
an easy portage Of ten miles to the
Koskokwim, whose course he outlined
for a considerable distance both ways.
The canoe was forced up the river,
which ran so swiftly that 1t was neces-
sary constantly to resort to the tump
line-a line attached to the forehead Of
one of the travellers, who walks in the
stream and pulls the canoe while the
other steers. After $50 miles Of this
heartbreaking work DR.. Gordon came
to Lake Mintuana, nesting at the foot
Of Mount Mckinley, and found the
easy ten mile portage. 1t took him
six days to traverse the ten miles. Once
across, for two solid months the party
padded down the Koskokwim, max
ing geographical and ethnographic re-
searches as they went
On his return journey from the
mouth Of the Koskokwim river to
Nome, a distance Of over 100 miles.
DR.. Gordon nearly died of starvation
and thirst He was compelled to haz-
ard the stormy trip in twenty foot
trading skiff. On the first day out a
storm arose, and the skiff was driven
across Bering sea to the Siberian
coast For twenty days the doctor and
his companions were buffeted by the
sea in the neighborhood Of Bering
after the first five days there was moth
ing to eat but hardtack biscuit. Near
the end Of the voyage water gave out,
and only the sight of Siberia, where
stream. saved the party from the hor-
hors of thirst. At the time Of the land
ing in Siberia the provisions ran out
altogether, and as the coast was abso-
lutely barren of life the party was
compelled to put to sea again and face
the return journey to America abso-
lutely without provisions. Fortunately
fresh easterly breeze took them TO
Nome in three days, during which
they had nothing to eat.
TREED BY A TlGRESS.