Stewart River a few days before. They saw no sign of Dr. Dawson having
been there. This was welcome news for me, as I expected he would have
reached that point long before I arrived, on account of the many delays
I had met with on the coast range. These miners also gave me the
pleasant news that the story told at the coast about the fight with the
Indians at Stewart River was false, and stated substantially what I have
already repeated concerning it. The same evening I met more miners on
their way out, and the next day met three boats, each containing four
men. In the crew of one of them was a son of Capt. Moore, from whom the
captain got such information as induced him to turn back and accompany
them out.
"Next day, the 13th, I got to the mouth of the Pelly, and found that Dr.
Dawson had arrived there on the 11th. The doctor also had experienced
many delays, and had heard the same story of the Indian uprising in the
interior. I was pleased to find that he was in no immediate want of
provisions, the fear of which had caused me a great deal of uneasiness
on the way down the river, as it was arranged between us in Victoria
that I was to take with me provisions for his party to do them until
their return to the coast. The doctor was so much behind the time
arranged to meet me that he determined to start for the coast at once. I
therefore set about making a short report and plan of my survey to this
point; and, as I was not likely to get another opportunity of writing at
such length for a year, I applied myself to a correspondence designed to
satisfy my friends and acquaintances for the ensuing twelve months. This
necessitated three days' hard work.
"On the morning of the 17th the doctor left for the outside world,
leaving me with a feeling of loneliness that only those who have
experienced it can realize. I remained at the mouth of the Pelly during
the next day taking magnetic and astronomical observations, and making
some measurements of the river. On the 19th I resumed the survey and
reached White River on the 25th. Here I spent most of a day trying to
ascend this river, but found it impracticable, on account of the swift
current and shallow and very muddy water. The water is so muddy that it
is impossible to see through one-eighth of an inch of it. The current is
very strong, probably eight miles or more per hour, and the numerous
bars in the bed are constantly changing place. After trying for several
hours, the base men succeeded in doing about half a mile only, and I
came to the conclusion that it was useless to try to get up this stream
to the boundary with canoes. Had it proved feasible I had intended
making a survey of this stream to the boundary, to discover more
especially the facilities it offered for the transport of supplies in
the event of a survey of the International Boundary being undertaken.
"I reached Stewart River on the 26th. Here I remained a day taking
magnetic observations, and getting information from a miner, named
McDonald, about the country up that river. McDonald had spent the summer
up the river prospecting and exploring. His information will be given in
detail further on.
"Fort Reliance was reached on the 1st of September, and Forty Mile River
(Cone-Hill River of Schwatka) on the 7th. In the interval between Fort
Reliance and Forty Mile River there were several days lost by rain.
"At Forty Mile River I made some arrangements with the traders there
(Messrs. Harper & McQuestion) about supplies during the winter, and
about getting Indians to assist me in crossing from the Yukon to the
head of the Porcupine, or perhaps on to the Peel River. I then made a
survey of the Forty Mile River up to the cañon. I found the canon would
be difficult of ascent, and dangerous to descend, and therefore,
concluded to defer further operations until the winter, and until after
I had determined the longitude of my winter post near the boundary, when
I would be in a much better position to locate the intersection of the
International Boundary with this river, a point important to determine
on account of the number and richness of the mining claims on the river.
"I left Forty Mile River for the boundary line between Alaska and the
Northwest Territories on the 12th September, and finished the survey to
that point on the 14th. I then spent two days in examining the valley of
the river in the vicinity of the boundary to get the most extensive view
of the horizon possible, and to find a tree large enough to serve for a
transit stand.
"Before leaving Toronto I got Mr. Foster to make large brass plates with
V's on them, which could be screwed firmly to a stump, and thus be made
to serve as a transit stand. I required a stump at least 22 inches in
diameter to make a base large enough for the plates when properly placed
for the transit. In a search which covered about four miles of the river
bank, on both sides, I found only one tree as large as 18 inches. I
mention this fact to give an idea of the size of the trees along the
river in this vicinity. I had this stump enlarged by firmly fixing
pieces on the sides so as to bring it up to the requisite size. This
done, I built around the stump a small transit house of the ordinary
form and then mounted and adjusted my transit. Meanwhile, most of the
party were busy preparing our winter quarters and building a magnetic
observatory. As I had been led to expect extremely low temperatures
during the winter, I adopted precautionary measures, so as to be as
comfortable as circumstances would permit during our stay there.
DESCRIPTION OF THE YUKON, ITS AFFLUENT STREAMS, AND THE ADJACENT
COUNTRY.
"I will now give, from my own observation and from information received,
a more detailed description of the Lewes River, its affluent streams,
and the resources of the adjacent country.
"For the purpose of navigation a description of the Lewes River begins
at the head of Lake Bennet. Above that point, and between it and Lake
Lindeman, there is only about three-quarters of a mile of river, which
is not more than fifty or sixty yards wide, and two or three feet deep,
and is so swift and rough that navigation is out of the question.
"Lake Lindeman is about five miles long and half a mile wide. It is deep
enough for all ordinary purposes. Lake Bennet[3] is twenty-six and a
quarter miles long, for the upper fourteen of which it is about half a
mile wide. About midway in its length an arm comes in from the west,
which Schwatka appears to have mistaken for a river, and named Wheaton
River. This arm is wider than the other arm down to that point, and is
reported by Indians to be longer and heading in a glacier which lies in
the pass at the head of Chilkoot Inlet. This arm is, as far as seen,
surrounded by high mountains, apparently much higher than those on the
arm we travelled down. Below the junction of the two arms the lake is
about one and a half miles wide, with deep water. Above the forks the
water of the east branch is muddy. This is caused by the streams from
the numerous glaciers on the head of the tributaries of Lake Lindeman.
[Footnote 3: A small saw-mill has been erected at the head of Lake
Bennet; lumber for boat building sells at $100 per M. Boats 25 feet long
and 5 feet beam are $60 each. Last year the ice broke up in the lake on
the 12th June, but this season is earlier and the boats are expected to
go down the lake about the 1st of June.]
"A stream which flows into Lake Bennet at the south-west corner is also
very dirty, and has shoaled quite a large portion of the lake at its
mouth. The beach at the lower end of this lake is comparatively flat and
the water shoal. A deep, wide valley extends northwards from the north
end of the lake, apparently reaching to the cañon, or a short distance
above it. This may have been originally a course for the waters of the
river. The bottom of the valley is wide and sandy, and covered with
scrubby timber, principally poplar and pitch-pine. The waters of the
lake empty at the extreme north-east angle through a channel not more
than one hundred yards wide, which soon expands into what Schwatka
called Lake Nares.[4] Through this narrow channel there is quite a
current, and more than 7 feet of water, as a 6 foot paddle and a foot of
arm added to its length did not reach the bottom.
[Footnote 4: The connecting waters between Lake Bennet and Tagish Lake
constitute what is now called Caribou Crossing.]
"The hills at the upper end of Lake Lindeman rise abruptly from the
water's edge. At the lower end they are neither so steep nor so high.
"Lake Nares is only two and a half miles long, and its greatest width is
about a mile; it is not deep, but is navigable for boats drawing 5 or 6
feet of water; it is separated from Lake Bennet by a shallow sandy point
of not more than 200 yards in length.
"No streams of any consequence empty into either of these lakes. A small
river flows into Lake Bennet on the west side, a short distance north of
the fork, and another at the extreme north-west angle, but neither of
them is of any consequence in a navigable sense.
"Lake Nares flows through a narrow curved channel into Bove Lake
(Schwatka). This channel is not more than 600 or 700 yards long, and the
water in it appears to be sufficiently deep for boats that could
navigate the lake. The land between the lakes along this channel is low,
swampy, and covered with willows, and, at the stage in which I saw it,
did not rise more than 3 feet above the water. The hills on the
south-west side slope up easily, and are not high; on the north side
the deep valley already referred to borders it; and on the east side the
mountains rise abruptly from the lake shore.
"Bove Lake (called Tagish Lake by Dr. Dawson) is about a mile wide for
the first two miles of its length, when it is joined by what the miners
have called the Windy Arm. One of the Tagish Indians informed me they
called it Takone Lake. Here the lake expands to a width of about two
miles for a distance of some three miles, when it suddenly narrows to
about half a mile for a distance of a little over a mile, after which it
widens again to about a mile and a half or more.
"Ten miles from the head of the lake it is joined by the Taku Arm from
the south. This arm must be of considerable length, as it can be seen
for a long distance, and its valley can be traced through the mountains
much farther than the lake itself can be seen. It is apparently over a
mile wide at its mouth or junction.
"Dr. Dawson includes Bove Lake and these two arms under the common name
of Tagish Lake. This is much more simple and comprehensive than the
various names given them by travellers. These waters collectively are
the fishing and hunting grounds of the Tagish Indians, and as they are
really one body of water, there is no reason why they should not be all
included under one name.
"From the junction with the Taku Arm to the north end of the lake the
distance is about six miles, the greater part being over two miles wide.
The west side is very flat and shallow, so much so that it was
impossible in many places to get our canoes to the shore, and quite a
distance out in the lake there was not more than 5 feet of water. The
members of my party who were in charge of the large boat and outfit,
went down the east side of the lake and reported the depth about the
same as I found on the west side, with many large rocks. They passed
through it in the night in a rainstorm, and were much alarmed for the
safety of the boat and provisions. It would appear that this part of the
lake requires some improvement to make it in keeping with the rest of
the water system with which it is connected.
"Where the river debouches from it, it is about 150 yards wide, and for
a short distance not more than 5 or 6 feet deep. The depth is, however,
soon increased to 10 feet or more, and so continues down to what
Schwatka calls Marsh Lake. The miners call it Mud Lake, but on this name
they do not appear to be agreed, many of them calling the lower part of
Tagish or Bove Lake "Mud Lake," on account of its shallowness and flat
muddy shores, as seen along the west side, the side nearly always
travelled, as it is more sheltered from the prevailing southerly winds.
The term "Mud Lake" is, however, not applicable to this lake, as only a
comparatively small part of it is shallow or muddy; and it is nearly as
inapplicable to Marsh Lake, as the latter is not markedly muddy along
the west side, and from the appearance of the east shore one would not
judge it to be so, as the banks appear to be high and gravelly.
"Marsh Lake is a little over nineteen miles long, and averages about two
miles in width. I tried to determine the width of it as I went along
with my survey, by taking azimuths of points on the eastern shore from
different stations of the survey; but in only one case did I succeed, as
there were no prominent marks on that shore which could be identified
from more than one place. The piece of river connecting Tagish and Marsh
Lakes is about five miles long, and averages 150 to 200 yards in width,
and, as already mentioned, is deep, except for a short distance at the
head. On it are situated the only Indian houses to be found in the
interior with any pretension to skill in construction. They show much
more labor and imitativeness than one knowing anything about the Indian
in his native state would expect. The plan is evidently taken from the
Indian houses on the coast, which appear to me to be a poor copy of the
houses which the Hudson's Bay Company's servants build around their
trading posts. These houses do not appear to have been used for some
time past, and are almost in ruins. The Tagish Indians are now generally
on the coast, as they find it much easier to live there than in their
own country. As a matter of fact, what they make in their own country is
taken from them by the Coast Indians, so that there is little inducement
for them to remain.
"The Lewes River, where it leaves Marsh Lake, is about 200 yards wide,
and averages this width as far as the cañon. I did not try to find
bottom anywhere as I went along, except where I had reason to think it
shallow, and there I always tried with my paddle. I did not anywhere
find bottom with this, which shows that there is no part of this stretch
of the river with less than six feet of water at medium height, at which
stage it appeared to me the river was at that time.
"From the head of Lake Bennet to the cañon the corrected distance is
ninety-five miles, all of which is navigable for boats drawing 5 feet or
more. Add to this the westerly arm of Lake Bennet, and the Takone or
Windy Arm of Tagish Lake, each about fifteen miles in length, and the
Taku Arm of the latter lake, of unknown length, but probably not less
than thirty miles, and we have a stretch of water of upwards of one
hundred miles in length, all easily navigable; and, as has been pointed
out, easily connected with Taiya Inlet through the White Pass.
"No streams of any importance enter any of these lakes so far as I know.
A river, called by Schwatka "McClintock River," enters Marsh Lake at the
lower end from the east. It occupies a large valley, as seen from the
westerly side of the lake, but the stream is apparently unimportant.
Another small stream, apparently only a creek, enters the south-east
angle of the lake. It is not probable that any stream coming from the
east side of the lake is of importance, as the strip of country between
the Lewes and Teslintoo is not more than thirty or forty miles in
width at this point.
"The Taku Arm of Tagish Lake, is, so far, with the exception of reports
from Indians, unknown; but it is equally improbable that any river of
importance enters it, as it is so near the source of the waters flowing
northwards. However, this is a question that can only be decided by a
proper exploration. The cañon I have already described and will only add
that it is five-eighths of a mile long, about 100 feet wide, with
perpendicular banks of basaltic rock from 60 to 100 feet high.
"Below the cañon proper there is a stretch of rapids for about a mile;
then about half a mile of smooth water, following which are the White
Horse Rapids, which are three-eighths of a mile long, and unsafe for
boats.
"The total fall in the cañon and succeeding rapids was measured and
found to be 32 feet. Were it ever necessary to make this part of the
river navigable it will be no easy task to overcome the obstacles at
this point; but a tram or railway could, with very little difficulty, be
constructed along the east side of the river past the cañon.
"For some distance below the White Horse Rapids the current is swift and
the river wide, with many gravel bars. The reach between these rapids
and Lake Labarge, a distance of twenty-seven and a half miles, is all
smooth water, with a strong current. The average width is about 150
yards. There is no impediment to navigation other than the swift
current, and this is no stronger than on the lower part of the river,
which is already navigated; nor is it worse than on the Saskatchewan and
Red Rivers in the more eastern part of our territory.
"About midway in this stretch the Tahkeena River[5] joins the Lewes.
This river is, apparently, about half the size of the latter. Its waters
are muddy, indicating the passage through a clayey district. I got some
indefinite information about this river, from an Indian who happened to
meet me just below its mouth, but I could not readily make him
understand me, and his replies were a compound of Chinook, Tagish, and
signs, and therefore largely unintelligible. From what I could
understand with any certainty, the river was easy to descend, there
being no bad rapids, and it came out of a lake much larger than any I
had yet passed.
[Footnote 5: The Tahkeena was formerly much used by the Chilkat Indians
as a means of reaching the interior, but never by the miners owing to
the distance from the sea to its head.]
"Here I may remark that I have invariably found it difficult to get
reliable or definite information from Indians. The reasons for this are
many. Most of the Indians it has been my lot to meet are expecting to
make something, and consequently are very chary about doing or saying
anything unless they think they will be well rewarded for it. They are
naturally very suspicions of strangers, and it takes some time, and some
knowledge of their language, to overcome this suspicion and gain their
confidence. If you begin at once to ask questions about their country,
without previously having them understand that you have no unfriendly
motive in doing so, they become alarmed, and although you may not meet
with a positive refusal to answer questions, you make very little
progress in getting desired information. On the other hand I have met
cases where, either through fear or hope of reward, they were only too
anxious to impart all they knew or had heard, and even more if they
thought it would please their hearer. I need hardly say that such
information is often not at all in accordance with the facts.
"I have several times found that some act of mine when in their
presence has aroused either their fear, superstition or cupidity. As an
instance: on the Bell River I met some Indians coming down stream as I
was going up. We were ashore at the time, and invited them to join us.
They started to come in, but very slowly, and all the time kept a
watchful eye on us. I noticed that my double-barrelled shot gun was
lying at my feet, loaded, and picked it up to unload it, as I knew they
would be handling it after landing. This alarmed them so much that it
was some time before they came in, and I don't think they would have
come ashore at all had they not heard that a party of white men of whom
we answered the description, were coming through that way (they had
learned this from the Hudson's Bay Company's officers), and concluded we
were the party described to them. After drinking some of our tea, and
getting a supply for themselves, they became quite friendly and
communicative.
"I cite these as instances of what one meets with who comes in contact
with Indians, and of how trifles affect them. A sojourn of two or three
days with them and the assistance of a common friend would do much to
disabuse them of such ideas, but when you have no such aids you must not
expect to make much progress.
"Lake Labarge is thirty-one miles long. In the upper thirteen it varies
from three to four miles in width; it then narrows to about two miles
for a distance of seven miles, when it begins to widen again, and
gradually expands to about, two and a-half or three miles, the lower six
miles of it maintaining the latter width. The survey was carried along
the western shore, and while so engaged I determined the width of the
upper wide part by triangulation at two points, the width of the narrow
middle part at three points, and the width of the lower part, at three
points. Dr. Dawson on his way out made a track survey of the eastern
shore. The western shore is irregular in many places, being indented by
large bays, especially at the upper and lower ends. These bays are, as a
rule, shallow, more especially those at the lower end.
"Just above where the lake narrows in the middle there is a large
island. It is three and a-half miles long and about half a mile in
width. It is shown on Schwatka's map as a peninsula, and called by him
Richtofen Rocks. How he came to think it a peninsula I cannot
understand, as it is well out in the lake; the nearest point of it to
the western shore is upwards of half a mile distant, and the extreme
width of the lake here is not more than five miles, which includes the
depth of the deepest bays on the western side. It is therefore difficult
to understand that he did not see it as an island. The upper half of
this island is gravelly, and does not rise very high above the lake. The
lower end is rocky and high, the rock being of a bright red color.
"At the lower end of the lake there is a large valley extending
northwards, which has evidently at one time been the outlet of the lake.
Dr. Dawson has noted it and its peculiarities. His remarks regarding it
will be found on pages 156-160 of his report entitled 'Yukon District
and Northern portion of British Columbia,' published in 1889.
"The width of the Lewes River as it leaves the lake is the same as at
its entrance, about 200 yards. Its waters when I was there were murky.
This is caused by the action of the waves on the shore along the lower
end of the lake. The water at the upper end and at the middle of the
lake is quite clear, so much so that the bottom can be distinctly seen
at a depth of 6 or 7 feet. The wind blows almost constantly down this
lake, and in a high wind it gets very rough. The miners complain of much
detention owing to this cause, and certainly I cannot complain of a lack
of wind while I was on the lake. This lake was named after one Mike
Labarge, who was engaged by the Western Union Telegraph Company,
exploring the river and adjacent country for the purpose of connecting
Europe and America by telegraph through British Columbia, and Alaska,
and across Behring Strait to Asia, and thence to Europe. This
exploration took place in 1867, but it does not appear that Labarge
then, nor for some years after, saw the lake called by his name. The
successful laying of the Atlantic cable in 1866 put a stop to this
project, and the exploring parties sent out were recalled as soon as
word could be got to them. It seems that Labarge had got up as far as
the Pelly before he received his recall; he had heard something of a
large lake some distance further up the river, and afterwards spoke of
it to some traders and miners who called it after him.
"After leaving Lake Labarge the river, for a distance of about five
miles, preserves a generally uniform width and an easy current of about
four miles per hour. It then makes a short turn round a low gravel
point, and flows in exactly the opposite of its general course for a
mile when it again turns sharply to its general direction. The current
around this curve and for some distance below it--in all four or five
miles--is very swift. I timed it in several places and found it from six
to seven miles an hour. It then moderates to four or five, and continues
so until the Teslintoo River is reached, thirty-one and seven tenths
miles from Lake Labarge. The average width of this part of the river is
about 150 yards, and the depth is sufficient to afford passage for boats
drawing at least 5 feet. It is, as a rule, crooked, and consequently a
little difficult to navigate.
"The Teslintoo[6] was so called by Dr. Dawson--this, according to
information obtained by him, being the Indian name. It is called by the
miners 'Hootalinkwa' or Hotalinqua, and was called by Schwatka, who
appears to have bestowed no other attention to it, the Newberry,
although it is apparently much larger than the Lewes. This was so
apparent that in my interim reports I stated it as a fact. Owing to
circumstances already narrated, I had not time while at the mouth to
make any measurement to determine the relative size of the rivers; but
on his way out Dr. Dawson made these measurements, and his report,
before referred to, gives the following values of the cross sections of
each stream: Lewes, 3,015 feet; Teslintoo, 3,809 feet. In the same
connection he states that the Lewes appeared to be about 1 foot above
its lowest summer level, while the Teslintoo appeared to be at its
lowest level. Assuming this to be so, and taking his widths as our data,
it would reduce his cross section of the Lewes to 2,595 feet. Owing,
however, to the current in the Lewes, as determined by Dr. Dawson, being
just double that of the Teslintoo, the figures being 5.68 and 2.88 miles
per hour, respectively, the discharge of the Lewes, taking these figures
again in 18,644 feet, and of the Teslintoo 11,436 feet. To reduce the
Lewes to its lowest level the doctor says would make its discharge
15,600 feet.
[Footnote 6: The limited amount of prospecting that has been done on
this river is said to be very satisfactory, fine gold having been found
in all parts of the river. The lack of supplies is the great drawback to
its development, and this will not be overcome to any extent until by
some means heavy freight can be brought over the coast range to the head
of the river. Indeed, owing to the difficulties attending access and
transportation, the great drawback to the entire Yukon district at
present is the want of heavy mining machinery and the scarcity of
supplies. The government being aware of the requirements and
possibilities of the country, has undertaken the task of making
preliminary surveys for trails and railroads, and no doubt in the near
future the avenue for better and quicker transportation facilities will
be opened up.]
"The water of the Teslintoo is of a dark brown color, similar in
appearance to the Ottawa River water, and a little turbid.
Notwithstanding the difference of volume of discharge, the Teslintoo
changes completely the character of the river below the junction, and a
person coming up the river would, at the forks, unhesitatingly pronounce
the Teslintoo the main stream. The water of the Lewes is blue in color,
and at the time I speak of was somewhat dirty--not enough so, however,
to prevent one seeing to a depth of two or three feet.
"At the junction of the Lewes and Teslintoo I met two or three families
of the Indians who hunt in the vicinity. One of them could speak a
little Chinook. As I had two men with me who understood his jargon
perfectly, with their assistance I tried to get some information from
him about the river. He told me the river was easy to ascend, and
presented the same appearance eight days journey up as at the mouth;
then a lake was reached, which took one day to cross; the river was then
followed again for half a day to another lake, which took two days to
traverse: into this lake emptied a stream which they used as a highway
to the coast, passing by way of the Taku River. He said it took four
days when they had loads to carry, from the head of canoe navigation on
the Teslintoo to salt water on the Taku Inlet; but when they come light
they take only one to two days. He spoke also of a stream entering the
large lake from the east which came from a distance; but they did not
seem to know much about it, and considered it outside their country. If
their time intervals are approximately accurate, they mean that there
are about 200 miles of good river to the first lake, as they ought
easily to make 25 miles a day on the river as I saw it. The lake takes
one day to traverse, and is at least 25 miles long, followed by say 12
of river, which brings us to the large lake, which takes two days to
cross, say 50 or 60 more--in all about 292 miles--say 300 to the head of
canoe navigation; while the distance from the head of Lake Bennet to the
junction is only 188. Assuming the course of the Teslintoo to be nearly
south (it is a little to the east of it), and throwing out every fourth
mile for bends, the remainder gives us in arc three degrees and a
quarter of latitude, which, deducted from 61° 40', the latitude of the
junction, gives us 58° 25', or nearly the latitude of Juneau.
"To make sure that I understood the Indian aright, and that he knew what
he was speaking about, I got him to sketch the river and lake, as he
described them, on the sand, and repeat the same several times.
"I afterwards met Mr. T. Boswell, his brother, and another miner, who
had spent most of the summer on the river prospecting, and from them I
gathered the following:
"The distance to the first, and only lake which they saw, they put at
175 miles, and the lake itself they call at least 150 miles long, as it
took them four days to row in a light boat from end to end. The portage
to the sea they did not appear to know anything about, but describe a
large bay on the east side of the lake, into which a river of
considerable size entered. This river occupies a wide valley, surrounded
by high mountains. They thought this river must head near Liard River.
This account differs materially from that given by the Indian, and to
put them on their guard, I told them what he had told me, but they still
persisted in their story, which I find differs a good deal from the
account they gave Dr. Dawson, as incorporated in his report.
"Many years ago, sixteen I think, a man named Monroe prospected up the
Taku and learned from the Indians something of a large lake not far from
that river. He crossed over and found it, and spent some time in
prospecting, and then recrossed to the sea. This man had been at Forty
Mile River, and I heard from the miners there his account of the
appearance of the lake, which amounted generally to this: The Boswells
did not know anything about it." It was unfortunate the Boswells did not
remain at Forty Mile all winter, as by a comparison of recollections
they might have arrived at some correct conclusion.
"Conflicting as these descriptions are, one thing is certain: this
branch, if it has not the greater discharge, is the longer and more
important of the two, and offers easy and uninterrupted navigation for
more than double the distance which the Lewes does, the cañon being only
ninety miles above the mouth of the Teslintoo. The Boswells reported it
as containing much more useful timber than the Lewes, which indeed one
would infer from its lower altitude.
"Assuming this as the main river, and adding its length to the
Lewes-Yukon below the junction, gives upward of 2,200 miles of river,
fully two-thirds of which runs through a very mountainous country,
without an impediment to navigation.
"Some indefinite information, was obtained as to the position of this
river in the neighborhood of Marsh Lake tending to show that the
distance between them was only about thirty or forty miles.
"Between the Teslintoo and the Big Salmon, so called by the miners, or
D'Abbadie by Schwatka, the distance is thirty-three and a-half miles, in
which the Lewes preserves a generally uniform width and current. For a
few miles below the Teslintoo it is a little over the ordinary width,
but then contracts to about two hundred yards which it maintains with
little variation. The current is generally from four to five miles per
hour.
"The Big Salmon I found to be about one hundred yards wide near the
mouth, the depth not more than four or five feet, and the current, so
far as could be seen, sluggish. None of the miners I met could give me
any information concerning this stream; but Dr. Dawson was more
fortunate, and met a man who had spent most of the summer of 1887
prospecting on it. His opinion was that it might be navigable for small
stern-wheel steamers for many miles. The valley, as seen from the mouth,
is wide, and gives one the impression of being occupied by a much more
important stream. Looking up it, in the distance could be seen many high
peaks covered with snow. As the date was August it is likely they are
always so covered, which would make their probable altitude above the
river 5,000 feet or more.
"Dr. Dawson, in his report, incorporates fully the notes obtained from
the miners. I will trespass so far on these as to say that they called
the distance to a small lake near the head of the river, 190 miles from
the mouth. This lake was estimated to be four miles in length; another
lake about 12 miles above this was estimated to be twenty-four miles
long, and its upper end distant only about eight miles from the
Teslintoo. These distances, if correct, make this river much more
important than a casual glance at it would indicate; this, however, will
be more fully spoken of under its proper head.
"Just below the Big Salmon the Lewes takes a bend of nearly a right
angle. Its course from the junction with the Tahkeena to this point is
generally a little east of north; at this point it turns to nearly west
for some distance. Its course between here and its confluence with the
Pelly is north-west, and, I may add, it preserves this general direction
down to the confluence with the Porcupine. The river also changes in
another respect; it is generally wider, and often expands into what
might be called lakes, in which are islands. Some of the lakes are of
considerable length, and well timbered.
"To determine which channel is the main one, that is, which carries the
greatest volume of water, or is best available for the purposes of
navigation, among these islands, would require more time than I could
devote to it on my way down; consequently I cannot say more than that I
have no reason to doubt that a channel giving six feet or more of water
could easily be found. Whenever, in the main channel, I had reason to
think the water shallow, I tried it with my paddle, but always failed to
find bottom, which gives upward of six feet. Of course I often found
less than this, but not in what I considered the main channel.
"Thirty-six and a quarter miles below the Big Salmon, the Little
Salmon--the Daly of Schwatka--enters the Lewes. This river is about 60
yards wide at the mouth, and not more than two or three feet in depth.
The water is clear and of a brownish hue; there is not much current at
the mouth, nor as far as can be seen up the stream. The valley which,
from the mouth, does not appear extensive, bears north-east for some
distance, when it appears to turn more to the east. Six or seven miles
up, and apparently on the north side, some high cliffs of red rock,
apparently granite, can be seen. It is said that some miners have
prospected this stream, but I could learn nothing definite about it.
"Lewes River makes a turn here to the south-west, and runs in that
direction six miles, when it again turns to the north-west for seven
miles, and then makes a short, sharp turn to the south and west around a
low sandy point, which will, at some day in the near future, be cut
through by the current, which will shorten the river three or four
miles.
"Eight miles below Little Salmon River, a large rock called the Eagle's
Nest, stands up in a gravel slope on the easterly bank of the river. It
rises about five hundred feet above the river, and is composed of a
light gray stone. What the character of this rock is I could not
observe, as I saw it only from the river, which is about a quarter of a
mile distant. On the westerly side of the river there are two or three
other isolated masses of apparently the same kind of rock. One of them
might be appropriately called a mountain; it is south-west from the
Eagle's Nest and distant from it about three miles.
"Thirty-two miles below Eagle's Nest Rock, Nordenskiold River enters
from the west. It is an unimportant stream, being not more than one
hundred and twenty feet wide at the mouth, and only a few inches deep.
The valley, as far as can be seen, is not extensive, and, being very
crooked, it is hard to tell what its general direction is.
"The Lewes, between the Little Salmon and the Nordenskiold, maintains a
width of from two to three hundred yards, with an occasional expansion
where there are islands. It is serpentine in its course most of the way,
and where the Nordenskiold joins it is very crooked, running several
times under a hill, named by Schwatka Tantalus Butte, and in other
places leaving it, for a distance of eight miles. The distance across
from point to point is only half a mile.
"Below this to Five Finger Rapids, so-called from the fact that five
large masses of rock stand in mid-channel, the river assumes its
ordinary straightness and width, with a current from four to five miles
per hour. I have already described Five Finger Rapids; I do not think
they will prove anything more than a slight obstruction in the
navigation of the river. A boat of ordinary power would probably have to
help herself up with windlass and line in high water.
"Below the rapids, for about two miles, the current is strong--probably
six miles per hour--but the water seems to be deep enough for any boat
that is likely to navigate it.
"Six miles below this, as already noticed, Rink Rapids are situated.
They are of no great importance, the westerly half of the stream only
being obstructed. The easterly half is not in any way affected, the
current being smooth and the water deep.
"Below Five Finger Rapids about two miles a small stream enters from
the east. It is called by Dr. Dawson Tatshun River. It is not more than
30 or 40 feet wide at the mouth, and contains only a little clear,
brownish water. Here I met the only Indians seen on the river between
Teslintoo and Stewart Rivers. They were engaged in catching salmon at
the mouth of the Tatshun, and were the poorest and most unintelligent
Indians it has ever been my lot to meet. It is needless to say that none
of our party understood anything they said, as they could not speak a
word of any language but their own. I tried by signs to get some
information from them about the stream they were fishing in, but failed.
I tried in the same way to learn if there were any more Indians in the
vicinity, but again utterly failed. I then tried by signs to find out
how many days it took to go down to Pelly River, but although I have
never known these signs to fail in eliciting information in any other
part of the territory, they did not understand. They appeared to be
alarmed by our presence; and, as we had not yet been assured as to the
rumor concerning the trouble between the miners and Indians, we felt a
little apprehensive, but being able to learn nothing from them we had to
put our fears aside and proceed blindly.
"Between Five Finger Rapids and Pelly River, fifty-eight and a
half-miles, no streams of any importance enter the Lewes; in fact, with
the exception of the Tatshun, it may be said that none at all enter.
"About a mile below Rink Rapids the river spreads out into a lake-like
expanse, with many islands; this continues for about three miles, when
it contracts to something like the usual width; but bars and small
islands are very numerous all the way to Pelly River. About five miles
above Pelly River there is another lake-like expanse filled with
islands. The river here for three or four miles is nearly a mile wide,
and so numerous and close are the islands that it is impossible to tell
when floating among them where the shores of the river are. The current,
too, is swift, leading one to suppose the water shallow; but I think
even here a channel deep enough for such boats as will navigate this
part of the river can be found. Schwatka named this group of islands
"Ingersoll Islands."
"At the mouth of the Pelly the Lewes is about half a mile wide, and here
too there are many islands, but not in groups as at Ingersoll Islands.
"About a mile below the Pelly, just at the ruins of Fort Selkirk, the
Yukon was found to be 565 yards wide; about two-thirds being ten feet
deep, with a current of about four and three-quarter miles per hour; the
remaining third was more than half taken up by a bar, and the current
between it and the south shore was very slack.
"Pelly River at its mouth is about two hundred yards wide, and continues
this width as far up as could be seen. Dr. Dawson made a survey and
examination of this river, which will be found in his report already
cited, "Yukon District and Northern British Columbia."
"Just here for a short distance the course of the Yukon is nearly west,
and on the south side, about a mile below the mouth of the Lewes, stands
all that remains of the only trading post ever built by white men in the
district. This post was established by Robert Campbell, for the Hudson's
Bay Company in the summer of 1848. It was first built on the point of
land between the two rivers, but this location proving untenable on
account of flooding by ice jams in the spring, it was, in the season of
1852, moved across the river to where the ruins now stand. It appears
that the houses composing the post were not finished when the Indians
from the coast on Chilkat and Chilkoot Inlets came down the river to put
a stop to the competitive trade which Mr. Campbell had inaugurated, and
which they found to seriously interfere with their profits. Their method
of trade appears to have been then pretty much as it is now--very
onesided. What they found it convenient to take by force they took, and
what it was convenient to pay for at their own price they paid for.
"Rumors had reached the post that the coast Indians contemplated such a
raid, and in consequence the native Indians in the vicinity remained
about nearly all summer. Unfortunately, they went away for a short time,
and during their absence the coast Indians arrived in the early morning,
and surprised Mr. Campbell in bed. They were not at all rough with him,
but gave him the privilege of leaving the place within twenty-four
hours, after which he was informed that he was liable to be shot if seen
by them in the locality. They then pillaged the place and set fire to
it, leaving nothing but the remains of the two chimneys which are still
standing. This raid and capture took place on the 1st August, 1852.
"Mr. Campbell dropped down the river, and met some of the local Indians
who returned with him, but the robbers had made their escape. I have
heard that the local Indians wished to pursue and overtake them, but to
this Mr. Campbell would not consent. Had they done so it is probable not
many of the raiders would have escaped, as the superior local knowledge
of the natives would have given them an advantage difficult to estimate,
and the confidence and spirit derived from the aid and presence of a
white man or two would be worth much in such a conflict.
"Mr. Campbell went on down the river until he met the outfit for his
post on its way up from Fort Yukon, which he turned back. He then
ascended the Pelly, crossed to the Liard, and reached Fort Simpson, on
the Mackenzie, late in October.
"Mr. Campbell's first visit to the site of Fort Selkirk was made in
1840, under instructions from Sir George Simpson, then Governor of the
Hudson's Bay Company. He crossed from the head waters of the Liard to
the waters of the Pelly. It appears the Pelly, where he struck it, was a
stream of considerable size, for he speaks of its appearance when he
first saw it from 'Pelly Banks,' the name given the bank from which he
first beheld it, as a 'splendid river in the distance.' In June, 1843,
he descended the Pelly to its confluence with the larger stream, which
he named the 'Lewes.' Here he found many families of the native
Indians--'Wood Indians,' he called them. These people conveyed to him,
as best they could by word and sign, the dangers that would attend a
further descent of the river, representing that the country below theirs
was inhabited by a tribe of fierce cannibals, who would assuredly kill
and eat them. This so terrified his men that he had to return by the way
he came, pursued, as he afterwards learned, by the Indians, who would
have murdered himself and party had they got a favorable opportunity.
Thus it was not until 1850 that he could establish, what he says he all
along believed, 'that the Pelly and Yukon were identical.' This he did
by descending the river to where the Porcupine joins it, and where in
1847 Fort Yukon was established by Mr. A.H. Murray for the Hudson's Bay
Company.
"With reference to the tales told him by the Indians of bad people
outside of their country, I may say that Mackenzie tells pretty much the
same story of the Indians on the Mackenzie when he discovered and
explored that river in 1789. He had the advantage of having Indians
along with him whose language was radically the same as that of the
people he was coming among, and his statements are more explicit and
detailed. Everywhere he came in contact with them they manifested,
first, dread of himself and party, and when friendship and confidence
were established they nearly always tried to detain him by representing
the people in the direction he was going as unnaturally bloodthirsty and
cruel, sometimes asserting the existence of monsters with supernatural
powers, as at Manitou Island, a few miles below the present Fort Good
Hope, and the people on a very large river far to the west of the
Mackenzie, probably the Yukon, they described to him as monsters in
size, power and cruelty.
"In our own time, after the intercourse that there has been between them
and the whites, more than a suspicion of such unknown, cruel people
lurks in the minds of many of the Indians. It would be futile for me to
try to ascribe an origin for these fears, my knowledge of their language
and idiosyncrasies being so limited.
"Nothing more was ever done in the vicinity of Fort Selkirk[7] by the
Hudson's Bay Company after these events, and in 1869 the Company was
ordered by Capt. Charles W. Raymond, who represented the United States
Government, to evacuate the post at Fort Yukon, he having found that it
was west of the 141st meridian. The post was occupied by the Company,
however, for some time after the receipt of this order, and until
Rampart House was built, which was intended to be on British territory,
and to take the trade previously done at Fort Yukon.
[Footnote 7: This is now a winter port for steamboats of the North
American Transportation and Trading Company, plying the Yukon and its
tributaries. There is also a trading post here owned by Harper & Ladue.]
"Under present conditions the Company cannot very well compete with the
Alaska Commercial Company, whose agents do the only trade in the
district,[8] and they appear to have abandoned--for the present at
least--all attempt to do any trade nearer to it than Rampart House to
which point, notwithstanding the distance and difficulties in the way,
many of the Indians on the Yukon make a trip every two or three years to
procure goods in exchange for their furs. The clothing and blankets
brought in by the Hudson's Bay Company they claim are much better than
those traded on their own river by the Americans. Those of them that I
saw who had any English blankets exhibited them with pride, and
exclaimed 'good,' They point to an American blanket in contempt, with
the remark 'no good,' and speak of their clothing in the same way.
[Footnote 8: Since the date of this report the North American
Transportation and Trading Company, better known in the Yukon valley as
"Captain Healy's Company," has established a number of posts on the
river.]
"On many maps of Alaska a place named 'Reed's House' is shown on or near
the upper waters of Stewart River. I made enquiries of all whom I
thought likely to know anything concerning this post, but failed to
elicit any information showing that there ever had been such a place. I
enquired of Mr. Reid, who was in the Company's service with Mr. Campbell
at Fort Selkirk, and after whom I thought, possibly, the place had been
called, but he told me he knew of no such post, but that there was a
small lake at some distance in a northerly direction from Fort Selkirk,
where fish were procured. A sort of shelter had been made at that point
for the fishermen, and a few furs might have been obtained there, but it
was never regarded as a trading post.
"Below Fort Selkirk, the Yukon River is from five to six hundred yards
broad, and maintains this width down to White River, a distance of
ninety-six miles. Islands are numerous, so much so that there are very
few parts of the river where there are not one or more in sight. Many of
them are of considerable size, and nearly all are well timbered. Bars
are also numerous, but almost all are composed of gravel, so that
navigators will not have to complain of shifting sand bars. The current
as a general thing, is not so rapid as in the upper part of the river,
averaging about four miles per hour. The depth in the main channel was
always found to be more than six feet.
"From Pelly River to within twelve miles of White River the general
course of the river is a little north of west; it then turns to the
north, and the general course as far as the site of Fort Reliance is due
north.
"White River enters the main river from the west. At the mouth it is
about two hundred yards wide, but a great part of it is filled with
ever-shifting sand-bars, the main volume of water being confined to a
channel not more than one hundred yards in width. The current is very
strong, certainly not less than eight miles per hour. The color of the
water bears witness to this, as it is much the muddiest that I have ever
seen.[9]
[Footnote 9: The White River very probably flows over volcanic deposits
as its sediments would indicate; no doubt this would account for the
discoloration of its waters. The volcanic ash appears to cover a great
extent of the Upper Yukon basin drained by the Lewes and Pelly Rivers.
Very full treatment of the subject is given by Dr. Dawson, in his report
entitled "Yukon District and Northern portion of British Columbia."]
"I had intended to make a survey of part of this river as far as the
International Boundary, and attempted to do so; but after trying for
over half a day, I found it would be a task of much labor and time,
altogether out of proportion to the importance of the end sought, and
therefore abandoned it. The valley as far as can be seen from the mouth,
runs about due west for a distance of eight miles; it then appears to
bear to the south-west; it is about two miles wide where it joins the
Pelly valley and apparently keeps the same width as far as it can be
seen.
"Mr. Harper, of the firm of Harper & Ladue, went up this river with
sleds in the fall of 1872 a distance of fifty or sixty miles. He
describes it as possessing the same general features all the way up,
with much clay soil along its banks. Its general course, as sketched by
him on a map of mine, is for a distance of about thirty miles a little
north-west, thence south-west thirty or thirty-five miles, when it
deflects to the north-west running along the base of a high mountain
ridge. If the courses given are correct it must rise somewhere near the
head of Forty Mile River; and if so, its length is not at all in keeping
with the volume of its discharge, when compared with the known length
and discharge of other rivers in the territory. Mr. Harper mentioned an
extensive flat south of the mountain range spoken of, across which many
high mountain peaks could be seen. One of these he thought must be Mount
St. Elias, as it overtopped all the others; but, as Mount St. Elias is
about one hundred and eighty miles distant, his conclusion is not
tenable. From his description of this mountain it must be more than
twice the height of the highest peaks seen anywhere on the lower river,
and consequently must be ten or twelve thousand feet above the sea. He
stated that the current in the river was very swift, as far as he
ascended, and the water muddy. The water from this river, though
probably not a fourth of the volume of the Yukon, discolors the water of
the latter completely; and a couple of miles, below the junction the
whole river appears almost as dirty as White River.
"Between White and Stewart Rivers, ten miles, the river spreads out to a
mile and upwards in width, and is a maze of islands and bars. The survey
was carried down the easterly shore, and many of the channels passed
through barely afforded water enough to float the canoes. The main
channel is along the westerly shore, down which the large boat went, and
the crew reported plenty of water.
"Stewart River enters from the east in the middle of a wide valley, with
low hills on both sides, rising on the north sides in steps or terraces
to distant hills of considerable height. The river half a mile or so
above the mouth, is two hundred yards in width. The current is slack and
the water shallow and clear, but dark colored.
"While at the mouth I was fortunate enough to meet a miner who had spent
the whole of the summer of 1887 on the river and its branches
prospecting and exploring. He gave me a good deal of information of
which I give a summary. He is a native of New Brunswick, Alexander
McDonald by name, and has spent some years mining in other places, but
was very reticent about what he had made or found. Sixty or seventy
miles up the Stewart a large creek enters from the south which he called
Rose Bud Creek or River, and thirty or forty miles further up a
considerable stream flows from the north-east, which appears to be
Beaver River, as marked on the maps of that part of the country. From
the head of this stream he floated down on a raft taking five days to do
so. He estimated his progress at forty or fifty miles each day, which
gives a length of from two hundred to two hundred and fifty miles. This
is probably an over-estimate, unless the stream is very crooked, which,
he stated, was not the case. As much of his time would be taken up in
prospecting, I should call thirty miles or less a closer estimate of his
progress. This river is from fifty to eighty yards wide and was never
more than four or five feet deep, often being not more than two or
three; the current, he said, was not at all swift. Above the mouth of
this stream the main river is from one hundred to one hundred and thirty
yards wide with an even current and clear water. Sixty or seventy miles
above the last-mentioned branch another large branch joins, which is
possibly the main river. At the head of it he found a lake nearly thirty
miles long, and averaging a mile and a half in width, which he called
Mayhew Lake, after one of the partners in the firm of Harper, McQuestion
& Co.
"Thirty miles or so above the forks on the other branch there are
falls, which McDonald estimated to be from one to two hundred feet in
height. I met several parties who had seen these falls, and they
corroborate this estimate of their height. McDonald went on past the
falls to the head of this branch and found terraced gravel hills to the
west and north; he crossed them to the north and found a river flowing
northward. On this he embarked on a raft and floated down it for a day
or two, thinking it would turn to the west and join the Stewart, but
finding it still continuing north, and acquiring too much volume to be
any of the branches he had seen while passing up the Stewart, he
returned to the point of his departure, and after prospecting among the
hills around the head of the river, he started westward, crossing a high
range of mountains composed principally of shales with many thin seams
of what he called quartz, ranging from one to six inches in thickness.
"On the west side of this range he found a river flowing out of what he
called Mayhew Lake, and crossing this got to the head of Beaver River,
which he descended as before mentioned.
"It is probable the river flowing northwards, on which he made a journey
and returned, was a branch of Peel River. He described the timber on the
gravel terraces of the watershed as small and open. He was alone in this
unknown wilderness all summer, not seeing even any of the natives. There
are few men so constituted as to be capable of isolating themselves in
such a manner. Judging from all I could learn it is probable a
light-draught steamboat could navigate nearly all of Stewart Iver and
its tributaries.
"From Stewart River to the site of Fort Reliance,[10] seventy-three and
a quarter miles, the Yukon is broad and full of islands. The average
width is between a half and three quarters of a mile, but there are many
expansions where it is over a mile in breadth; however, in these places
it cannot be said that the waterway is wider than at other parts of the
river, the islands being so large and numerous. In this reach no streams
of any importance enter.
[Footnote 10: This was at one time a trading post occupied by Messrs.
Harper & McQuestion.]
"About thirteen miles below Stewart River a large valley joins that of
the river, but the stream occupying it is only a large creek. This
agrees in position with what has been called Sixty Mile Creek, which was
supposed to be about that distance above Fort Reliance, but it does not
agree with descriptions which I received of it; moreover as Sixty Mile
Creek is known to be a stream of considerable length, this creek would
not answer its description.
"Twenty-two and a half miles from Stewart River another and larger creek
enters from the same side; it agrees with the descriptions of Sixty Mile
Creek, and I have so marked it on my map. This stream is of no
importance, except for what mineral wealth may be found on it.[11]
[Footnote 11: Sixty Mile Creek is about one hundred miles long, very
crooked, with a swift current and many rapids, and is therefore not easy
to ascend.
Miller, Glacier, Gold, Little Gold and Bedrock Creeks are all
tributaries of Sixty Mile. Some of the richest discoveries in gold so
far made in the interior since 1894 have been upon these creeks,
especially has this been the case upon the two first mentioned. There is
a claim upon Miller Creek owned by Joseph Boudreau from which over
$100,000 worth of gold is said to have been taken out.
Freight for the mines is taken up Forty Mile Creek in summer for a
distance of 30 miles, then portaged across to the heads of Miller and
Glacier Creeks. In the winter it is hauled in by dogs.
The trip from Cudahy to the post at the mouth of Sixty Mile River is
made by ascending Forty Mile River a small distance, making a short
portage to Sixty Mile River and running down with its swift current.
Coming back on the Yukon, nearly the whole of the round trip is made
down stream.
Indian Creek enters the Yukon from the east about 30 miles below Sixty
Mile. It is reported to be rich in gold, but owing to the scarcity of
supplies its development has been retarded.
At the mouth of Sixty Mile Creek a townsite of that name is located, it
is the headquarters for upwards of 100 miners and where they more or
less assemble in the winter months.
Messrs. Harper & Co. have a trading post and a saw-mill on an island at
the mouth of the creek; both, of which are in charge of Mr. J. Ladue,
one of the partners of the firm, and who was at one time in the employ
of the Alaska Commercial Company.]
"Six and a half miles above Port Reliance the Thron-Diuck[12] River of
the Indians (Deer River of Schwatka) enters from the east. It is a small
river about forty yards wide at the mouth, and shallow; the water is
clear and transparent, and of beautiful blue color. The Indians catch
great numbers of salmon here. They had been fishing shortly before my
arrival, and the river, for some distance up, was full of salmon traps.
[Footnote 12: Dawson City is situated at the mouth of the Thron-Diuck
now known as Klondyke, and although it was located only a few months ago
it is the scene of great activity. Very rich deposits of gold have been
lately found on Bonanza Creek and other affluents of the Thron-Diuck.]
"A miner had prospected up this river for an estimated distance of forty
miles, in the season of 1887. I did not see him, but got some of his
information at second hand. The water being so beautifully clear I
thought it must come through a large lake not far up; but as far as he
had gone no lakes were seen. He said the current was comparatively
slack, with an occasional 'ripple' or small rapid. Where he turned back
the river is surrounded by high mountains, which were then covered with
snow, which accounts for the purity and clearness of the water.
"It appears that the Indians go up this stream a long distance to hunt,
but I could learn nothing definite as to their statements concerning it.
"Twelve and a half miles below Fort Reliance, the Chandindu River, as
named by Schwatka, enters from the east. It is thirty to forty yards
wide at the mouth, very shallow, and for half a mile up is one
continuous rapid. Its valley is wide and can be seen for a long distance
looking north-eastward from the mouth.
"Between Fort Reliance and Forty Mile River (called Cone Hill River by
Schwatka) the Yukon assumes its normal appearance, having fewer islands
and being narrower, averaging four to six hundred yards wide, and the
current being more regular. This stretch is forty-six miles long, but
was estimated by the traders at forty, from which the Forty Mile River
took its name.
"Forty Mile River[13] joins the main river from the west. Its general
course as far up as the International Boundary, a distance of
twenty-three miles, is south-west; after this it is reported by the
miners to run nearer south. Many of them claim to have ascended this
stream for more than one hundred miles, and speak of it there as quite a
large river. They say that at that distance it has reached the level of
the plateau, and the country adjoining it they describe as flat and
swampy, rising very little above the river. It is only a short distance
across to the Tanana River--a large tributary of the Yukon--which is
here described as an important stream. However, only about twenty-three
miles of Forty Mile River are in Canada; and the upper part of it and
its relation to other rivers in the district have no direct interest for
us.
[Footnote 13: Forty Mile townsite is situated on the south side of the
Forty Mile River at its junction with the Yukon. The Alaska Commercial
Company has a station here which was for some years in charge of L.N.
McQuestion; there are also several blacksmith shops, restaurants,
billiard halls, bakeries, an opera house and so on. Rather more than
half a mile below Forty Mile townsite the town of Cudahy was founded on
the north side of Forty Mile River in the summer of 1892. It is named
after a well known member of the North American Transportation and
Trading Company. In population and extent of business the town bears
comparison with its neighbor across the river. The opposition in trade
has been the means of very materially reducing the cost of supplies and
living. The North American Transportation and Trading Company has
erected a saw-mill and some large warehouses. Fort Constantine was
established here immediately upon the arrival of the Mounted Police
detachment in the latter part of July, 1895. It is described further on
in an extract from Inspector Constantine's supplementary report for the
year 1895.]
"Forty Mile River is one hundred to one hundred and fifty yards wide at
the mouth, and the current is generally strong, with many small rapids.
Eight miles up is the so-called cañon; it is hardly entitled to that
distinctive name, being simply a crooked contraction of the river, with
steep rocky banks, and on the north side there is plenty of room to walk
along the beach. At the lower end of the cañon there is a short turn and
swift water in which are some large rocks; these cannot generally be
seen, and there is much danger of striking them running down in a boat.
At this point several miners have been drowned by their boats being
upset in collision with these rocks. It is no great distance to either
shore, and one would think an ordinary swimmer would have no difficulty
in reaching land; but the coldness of the water soon benumbs a man
completely and renders him powerless. In the summer of 1887, an Indian,
from Tanana, with his family, was coming down to trade at the post at
the mouth of Forty Mile River; his canoe struck on these rocks and
upset, and he was thrown clear of the canoe, but the woman and children
clung to it. In the rough water he lost sight of them, and concluded
that they were lost: it is said he deliberately drew his knife and cut
his throat, thus perishing, while his family were hauled ashore by some
miners. The chief of the band to which this Indian belonged came to the
post and demanded pay for his loss, which he contended was occasioned by
the traders having moved from Belle Isle to Forty Mile, thus causing
them to descend this dangerous rapid, and there is little doubt that had
there not been so many white men in the vicinity he would have tried to
enforce his demand.
"The length of the so-called cañon is about a mile. Above it the river
up to the boundary is generally smooth, with swift current and an
occasional ripple. The amount of water discharged by this stream is
considerable; but there is no prospect of navigation, it being so swift
and broken by small rapids.
"From Forty Mile River to the boundary the Yukon preserves the same
general character as between Fort Reliance and Forty Mile, the greatest
width being about half a mile and the least about a quarter.
"Fifteen miles below Forty Mile River a large mass of rock stands on the
east bank. This was named by Schwatka 'Roquette Rock,' but is known to
the traders as Old Woman Rock; a similar mass, on the west side of the
river, being known as Old Man Rock.
"The origin of these names is an Indian legend, of which the following
is the version given to me by the traders;--
"In remote ages there lived a powerful shaman, pronounced Tshaumen by
the Indians, this being the local name for what is known as medicine man
among the Indians farther south and east. The Tshaumen holds a position
and exercises an influence among the people he lives with, something
akin to the wise men or magi of olden times in the East. In this
powerful being's locality there lived a poor man who had the great
misfortune to have an inveterate scold for a wife. He bore the
infliction for a long time without murmuring, in hopes that she would
relent, but time seemed only to increase the affliction; at length,
growing weary of the unceasing torment, he complained to the Tshaumen
who comforted him, and sent him home with the assurance that all would
soon be well.
"Shortly after this he went out to hunt, and remained away for many days
endeavoring to get some provisions for home use, but without avail; he
returned weary and hungry, only to be met by his wife with a more than
usually violent outburst of scolding. This so provoked him that he
gathered all his strength and energy for one grand effort and gave her a
kick that sent her clean across the river. On landing she was converted
into the mass of rock which remains to this day a memorial of her
viciousness and a warning to all future scolds. The metamorphosis was
effected by the Tshaumen, but how the necessary force was acquired to
send her across the river (here about half a mile wide), or whether the
kick was administered by the Tshaumen or the husband, my narrator could
not say. He was altogether at a loss to account for conversion of the
husband into the mass of rock on the west side of the river; nor can I
offer any theory unless it is that he was _petrified_ by astonishment at
the result.
"Such legends as this would be of interest to ethnologists if they could
be procured direct from the Indians, but repeated by men who have little
or no knowledge of the utility of legendary lore, and less sympathy with
it, they lose much of their value.
"Between Forty Mile River and the boundary line no stream of any size
joins the Yukon; in fact, there is only one stream, which some of the
miners have named Sheep Creek, but as there is another stream further
down the river, called by the same name, I have named it Coal Creek. It
is five miles below Forty Mile, and comes in from the east, and is a
large creek, but not at all navigable. On it some extensive coal seams
were seen, which will be more fully referred to further on.
* * * * *
"At the boundary the river is somewhat contracted, and measures only
1,280 feet across in the winter; but in summer, at ordinary water level,
it would be about one hundred feet wider. Immediately below the boundary
it expands to its usual width, which is about 2,000 feet. The area of
the cross section measured is 22,268 feet, the sectional area of the
Teslintoo, as determined by Dr. Dawson and already referred to, is 3,809
feet; that of the Lewes at the Teslintoo, from the same authority, is
3,015 feet. Had the above cross-section been reduced to the level at
which the water ordinarily stands during the summer months, instead of
to the height at which it stood in the middle of September when it was
almost at its lowest, the sectional area would have been at least 50 per
cent more, and at spring flood level about double the above area.
"It is a difficult matter to determine the actual discharge at the place
of the cross-section, owing to the irregularity in the depth and
current, the latter being in the deep channel at the east side, when I
tried it in September, approximately 4.8 miles per hour; while on the
bar in midstream it was not more than 2.5 miles per hour; and between
the bar and the westerly shore there was very little current.
"The river above this for some miles was no better for the purpose of
cross-section measurement. At the boundary it is narrow and clear of
bars and islands for some miles, but here I did not have an opportunity
to determine the rate of the current before the river froze up, and
after it froze the drift ice was jammed and piled so high that it would
have been an almost endless task to cut holes through it.
"The current from the boundary down to the confluence with the Porcupine
is said to be strong and much the same as that above; from the Porcupine
down, for a distance of five or six hundred miles it is called medium
and the remainder easy.
"From Stewart River to the mouth of the Yukon is about 1,650 miles, and
the only difficult place in all this distance is the part near the
confluence with the Porcupine, which has evidently been a lake in past
ages but is now filled with islands; it is said that the current here is
swift, and the channels generally narrow, rendering navigation
difficult."