The Alaska citizen., 1910-08-06

a.- ..m. Tor over two years. but ;. Tn. spring us ian>. after the ice r.. started uu irs long trip 10 Be l.. ..a ! made Hn my mind to try my H.h H some other par, of Alas
 t- w-.aoE the water in the .#r.ra ra-H.a- down is rhree-hm- ..-.m.-. .rIp 0p tne Yukon river, the .aa a# 5a of me 10 take advant- asa rG #a, current and float down
 ..aa na raf-. At Cinema. a small place down inc river. got .aa H..eszars -rmhcr to build the raf.
 wHa rHo assistance of a friend ]. took oils a short time to construct The raf. in ease any of my readers ..-.a al ans ame care to try their
 =r rafting ! will give the di- ## a. HHe raf. l hai)t, on which I a..a Eur three hundred miles. It ... twelve feet long and five feet wide. Ha tn three layers. or tiers. Inc @oai H-eI being dry spruce Al .a.. sa# ot inc raft was long oar. 1T. ..s.. .o 1c us,d in guiding the r.r through swift currents and also -s make landing.
 Aar-. orJa.G in thc afternoon uf Mag g+ rHa raft was finished I -rs.f mt naaeago. and took the .H..aa#ou To lash if securely 10 the r.E.. la avoid any chance of it's being washed off in case I was swamped. .a- vel provided with baggage. Fl. ta addition To my personal be .e-l.e-. l had a mosquito tent, a tr r.ha. sn. camera. and cooking ouar
 Ahoa. arco miles below Cinema rHg ratr e1r zfuak on a sand bar. at i4 ms efforts to free il I man a.f te break one of my oars. AS -a.l a- fl swung into the current a-.H IouHd # impossible to keep a .rt.eaf course. as the raft would persist in turning round and round, Yer. mach after tAe fashion of a dog trying 10 Life his own tail I at aa.a saw that I should make very 'i.-1e progress until I got another sweep With the raft still turning I tat@oI along in this aimIess manner .e~ about t"o miles, until I struck another sand bar, opposite to an Indian camp With my remaining sweep l ol3eayorcd to push the raft ashore, In. finding this impossible I Wa= forced 10 step into the water. and dragging the raft after me man aged to reach shore, feeling almost frozen after my trip through the ice cold water Fortunately the Indians had a large fire While standing by tho side of the fire l managed to take some pictures of the Indians. aIHough l must admit they were moi taken with the consent of the "=irrcrs." A general rule the Alaska Indians, the squaws more es- necialIE. have a strong aversion to being ploro&raphed, and l had to be very careful in order 10 allay their suspicious regarding the bad medi- cine box If squaw saw the cam era pointed in her direction she would at once make a bolt for the tent. and unless was very quick my picture would simply consist of a flying skirt. If the tent was not close enough to prove a haven of refuge. the lady would lie fiat on the ground with her nose in the mud The reader can easily imagine that his is not a graceful pose be fore The camera. but the squaws s.,mei 10 prefer being on the ground 10 having their pictures taken. managed 10 get a few pictures by an arfGce wc,lknown to professional photographers. I would first of all allow them to examine the interior of the camera. in order to satisfy themselves that there was no malig- nant spirit concealed in the myster- ious black box, and then through their interpreter would tell them to look for q little bird that would sure ly appear. They would stand like children, with open-mouthed curios- ity, looking for the arrival of the little bird,' only to be rewarded wifh a click of the shutter and a folding mp of the camera. In their harsh guttmal tongue they would discuss this further evidence of the duplicity of the white man.
 Many of the Indians had chains around their necks to which were suspended small crosses. a tribute to the white mans religion, and pre- senting a curious contrast to their ragged appearance. It is a curious fact that when the Indian contem- plates drinking some of the forbidden whiskey, or committing some act that he knows is wrong, he will sol emuly take off the cross and lay it under a neighboring tree until the act is committed, when he will once more replace his cross.
 Having rpDairad my SWean and