The Alaska citizen., 1910-08-06

into the poi. and pulled out whatever might be fastened to the end of it. To show the variety of the stew there were brought out from tho depths of the pot moose. caribou wild goose. and wild duck. My first dip brought Up something that look cd like the leg of a chicken. and Was not unlike that fowl in flavor The taste was delicious, and I was livery curious To know what bird oI animal had formerly been iu posses sion of that leg l asked one Of the Indians what il was, showing him he bone. He told me in the In dian language Seeing that had not understood. he walked into the tent and brought out the skin of a mushrat, sieuitying that there was a close relationship between the fun and tho bone. Further explanations . were unnecessary.
 Next morning I saw squaw com ing toward the camp in a birch bark canoe. The sklful way H which she handled the unsteady canoe and the unconscious grace she displayed in making the land ing were admirable. The thing look ei SO easy that i wanted 10 ry my #and a' the manipulation of a canoe some wise man once said that "fht only three things in the world that could not be improved were q good &omau a violin. and a 3irchbara canoe. Part ol the saving may bt true. bat | can suggest an improve ment for the birch-barh canoe. II the canoe could be so constructed .hat it would not be in5Hch a hurry to turn bottom upward and throw its occupant into the water it would be much better.
 l. mus. have been an unusual sight for the Indians to see a white man in all Indian canoe. for all the -quaws and bucks came out of the tents They expected something 10 happen and they were not diSappotua ed. Twenty feet from shore the canoe upset Fortunately, the water gas ouls about foar feet deep. The iudiaus showed every manifestation of pleasure at the diseSmfi.re of the white man.
 This was d "hoodoo' day as the gatt struck q suag in mid-egrcam and was not released until the snag was chopped in two. This was strenuous work, as the choppius was done un- der water. l got vet during the op- eration and soaked by a rain that began falling shortly afterward. Thoroughly disgusted l pulled for the shore and stayed with the In dians that day.
 NcX morning, after leaving ToIo- yana, drifted for about nineteen miles 10 the mouth of the Eantishua river. tributary of the Tanana This river heads near Mt Mckinley, auI about four years ago was the scene of a very remarkable stam- pcdc X pfospector while in this re zion, discovered gold on a small creek, which he named Eureka creek. " As a result of his report all the .o her camps in this part of Alaska were well-nigh depopulated in the rush that took place to the Kan tishna, and fortunes were invested both in food and machinery. Strange l 10 say, the only claim that ever pro duccd any gold in large quantity was the claim first staked by the ] Iiscoyerer. This piece of ground produced nearly $SO,O0O.
 l beached the raft at the mouth of the Kantishua, and lii a fire with rhe idea of preparing a lunch. While so engaged an Indian came padding down the river and landed at the same place where l had tied up my raft He sat down by my fire, and l invited him to eat. l found that 1 he could speak a little English, and i to my surprise he told me that he had come from the Kuskokwim. This river is one of the largest in Alas ka, and runs almost parallel with ] the Lower Yukon. In order to reach l the mouth of the Kantishna he must i have travelled to the head waters of the Kuskokwi and then carried his canoe over the divide until he reach ed the kantishna This would have been remarkable journey even for Ia white man, but the trip was more surprising for an Indian as they sel- dom travel alone.
 After some desultory conversation he asked: "Tanana Indian, he sick?''
 No" I replied.
 He seemed somewhat surprised at this, then followed up with another question, Yukon Indian, he sick?"
 l was somewhat mystified at his queries. but assured him that l had heard nothing about any sickness among the Yukon Indians. He looked at me steadily for a moment and again fired a question at me:
 1 ..'Tanona Indian bo cicl- DIantv