The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-06-25

beautiful and looked so good.
We were working hard and sweating
and thirsty, but it was almost like tax
ing poison to drink much Of the water
We had to warm it We kept a sort
Of diary Of our trip down the river,
and here it is:
LOG OF THE GOOD SHIP, eTHE GREEN
RAT"
Of White Horse, Yukon Territory, SO
Christened by Her Owners.
She was builded of natural fir lum-
Der, three-fourths Of au inch thick.
She is y feet long, feet a.beam, draft
, inches. She cost 500, complete, ana
is truly good ship, She cleared port
May 81, bound for Dawson. Her po-
lice number is 4945; motive power, two
ten-fOot oars and a mast for sail in case
the wind was favorable. Her crew
was three and she was otiicered as fol-
lows; Captain Ratcliff; First officer,
"Cy' Green; Deck hand and man of
all work, Pietdez Peticicsco, a big Sla-
vonian we picked up in White Horse,
and who want.d TO come down. He
had money but couldn't talk much and
understood less However, we soon
taught him such words as, "Pull the
oars; Get aboard" Wash dishes, "
ETC. He proved to be a good man, ex-
cept when in close place he would
get excited.
May 2l-Made n miles, to the head
OF the lake; man there reported lake
passable around the west side; made
about miles around side Of the lake.
Saw hundreds of ducks-killed two;
overlook a boat containing three
Swedes; camped at 9 o'clock in deserted
freighters camp
May 22-Rowed half mile down the
lake, came upon a camp. Campers in
formed us that we could 20 no farther
by water. We Joined forces with the
Swede crew, built sleds OF fir poles, got
our on the ice; sleded boats until ice
became too soft, sleds cut in, making
going hard. Go ashore to camp; Swede
crew fry one of the ducks which they
report tough but good-everything
tastes good Three o'clock start with
Swede boat following; water along the
shore imam who told us we couldn't
lied, / guess). Take Swede boat bv
water and mush Ice till 10 o'clock at
night. Made about five miles; camp
on rocky beach. sleep on the rocks too
could sleep anywhere. Sunsets about
$3.50, rises $3.50; water freezes while sun
is down; sleep by big tire-keep fairly VI
warm.
May 23-Captain's birthday. Main
body Of ice joined to shore by a skim
Of ice half inch thick; ice on lake
feet thick. Seven O'Clock, a. n.-Both
crews go back after our boatand bring
her to camp by ! O'Clock. Dinner.
Afternoon by hard work, made some
proRress-part OF the time on water,
part in mush ice; sometimes lift the
BOAT out on the ice and slide her to
lext open space. "Pete" is made off,
'ial dishwasher We do the cooking.
Camp at 1920 p. m.
May 24-Green's birthday-Big day
q Canada. No time to celebrate: work
lard, get wet above knees in the icy
water; Pete shoots two ducks. In the
fternoon we strike open water: sail +
'oat for half an hour. This is fine
Wind keen. Find ice jammed by the
Winds on the shore blocking our open
ca easy going; great blocks Of ice five
eet thick and 20 feet square piled high
nd dry on the banks. No chance TO
ct over the ice at that point. We
nload and carry both boats and car
oes a mile or more on our shoulders
round the ice jam. This was no fun.
ut We ind open water again and row
d till midnight.
May 25-Seven o'clock. Start again
DR. the river, in company with severa
ther boats whose crews have been
amped az the foot Of the lake for
sVeral days. We have two or three
lilies Of stiff, mush ice to push through
18th poles; no chance to use oars: we
ush our way foot at time-some.
mes only an inch or two and some
mes stuck completely Reach the
ltfow OF the lake into the river about
O'Clock in the afternoon, after a day
the most trying and hardest work 4
my experience. The skin is all
orn of my hands and they are numb n
ON being 50 long in ice cold water. :
inner; start down the river and row
Il 9;36. Camp and sleep on the bare r.
ound, as we have done every night 4'
cept one. When we reached the
YER We fonDd rbrao NOR falfo,,,.. ~. =. III