io2 COOK IN THE ANTARCTIC AND IN ALASKA 



the northern base of the mountain thus be reached. But the very 

 rapid current of the stream made navigation difficult, and the pack 

 train, which was sent overland, had a swampy and otherwise trouble- 

 some country to traverse. The crossings of the stream, where deep 

 enough to require swimming, were so perilous that several of the 

 men had very narrow escapes. Ice cold and often running like a 

 mill race, only the strongest swimmer could sustain himself for more 

 than a brief interval in these waters. After the two parties joined 

 at the head of navigation they traveled together up the stream until 

 the mouth of a deep canyon near the headwaters of the Yentna was 

 reached. Dr. Cook and three members of the party sought to ex- 

 plore the gorge on horseback, but soon found the walls becoming 

 vertical, while the water rushed through with such force as to make 

 progress impossible. Desperate chances were taken in swimming 

 the horse across several frightful side channels, but in the end the 

 party was obliged to return. 



It was now decided to cross a width of unexplored country to 

 the Chulitna, a branch of the Susetna River, and follow this up to 

 one of the great glaciers at the foot of the mountain. The work was 

 one of great difficulty, the route being in cases almost impassable; 

 but after some very hard work the Chulitna was reached. 



Here the problem of fording the river proved most serious. 

 After wading through a half mile of ice-cold water they had to give 

 up the attempt and encamp on a sand bar. By good fortune they 

 found that a gold-mining prospector had located on the river side 

 near this point, and a boat was obtained, by the aid of which the 

 men and packs reached the other side. The horses, now unladen, 

 swam across. Many prospectors had already reached this locality 

 and some of them had made a trail over a mountain pass about two 

 thousand feet high. This was followed over swamps and other 

 obstacles until a great glacier descending from the cliffs at the base 

 of Mount McKinley was reached. 



The foot of the mountain was still about twenty miles away, 



