From Taku River to ^Taylor Bay 



other large glaciers that descend nearly to the sea- 

 level a few miles up the river canon. Crouching in 

 their little shell of a boat among the great bergs, with 

 paddle and barbed spear, they formed a picture as 

 arctic and remote from anything to be found in 

 civilization as ever was sketched for us by the ex- 

 plorers of the Far North. 



Making our way through the crowded bergs to the 

 extreme head of the fiord, we entered the mouth of 

 the river, but were soon compelled to turn back on 

 account of the strength of the current. The Taku 

 River is a large stream, nearly a mile wide at the 

 mouth, and, like the Stickeen, Chilcat, and Chil- 

 coot, draws its sources from far inland, crossing the 

 mountain-chain from the interior through a majes- 

 tic canon, and draining a multitude of glaciers on its 

 way. 



The Taku Indians, like the Chilcats, with a keen 

 appreciation of the advantages of their position for 

 trade, hold possession of the river and compel the 

 Indians of the interior to accept their services as 

 middle-men, instead of allowing them to trade directly 

 with the whites. 



When we were baffled in our attempt to ascend the 

 river, the day was nearly done, and we began to seek 

 a camp-ground. After sailing two or three miles along 

 the left side of the fiord, we were so fortunate as to 

 find a small nook described by the two Indians, where 

 firewood was abundant, and where we could drag our 

 canoe up the bank beyond reach of the berg-waves. 

 Here we were safe, with a fine outlook across the fiord 



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