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two members of it going in one direction and two in another to 

 collect natural history specimens, while Mr. Porter with a third 

 section of the expedition undertook to explore the region south of 

 Mount McKinley and make a map of it. Dr. Cook, taking with him 

 two companions, Barrille and Dokkin, set out to explore the sys- 

 tem of rivers and glaciers east of the mountain and examine the 

 northern side for a possible route for future ascent. 



They succeeded this time in ascending the Susetna and Chu- 

 litna rivers by boat, and followed a branch of the latter to the first 

 of the glaciers they had recently visited. Here they put there boat 

 in safe harbor and established a base camp. To the east, a few miles 

 away, were the bold uplands and low woodlands of the river valleys ; 

 to the west the foot-hills of the range which Mr. Porter was then 

 prospecting; to the northwest, forty miles away, McKinley lifted its 

 soaring peak far above the clouds. Dr. Cook, in ascending the 

 Chulitna, had again become hopeful of a possible ascent of the 

 mountain from this quarter, and as the weather had changed from 

 its rainy and disheartening recent state to clear skies and a dry and 

 brisk air, he felt encouraged to make the attempt. 



He did not think of reaching the top. The approaching winter 

 was already sending its pioneer snows and freezing chill to the 

 upper regions, and fast rendering them unassailable. But he hoped 

 to be able to ascend the glaciers for some distance and get a rea- 

 sonable idea of future prospects and possibilities. He and his com- 

 panions were obliged to make the attempt in light marching order. 

 They had with them no guides or porters and no elaborate equip- 

 ment. They were there to blaze the way for later explorers and set 

 out with the idea of quick marches and light weights and of minor 

 results. They proposed to carry shoulder packs of fifty pounds each, 

 these containig all their needs for a ten days' mountain journey. 

 In preparing for this biscuits were baked and then dried and 

 hardened by a slow fire, so that there would be no moisture in them 

 to freeze. The other food substances taken were pemmican, sugar 



