"Travels in Alaska 



lock, the tallest about twenty feet high, sixteen inches 

 in diameter. A few stragglers grew considerably higher, 

 say at about four thousand feet. Birch and two-leaf 

 pine were common. 



The messengers returned next day, bringing back 

 word that we would all be heartily welcomed ex- 

 cepting Toyatte; that the guns were loaded and 

 ready to be fired to welcome us, but that Toyatte, 

 having insulted a Chilcat chief not long ago in Wran- 

 gell, must not come. They also informed us in their 

 message that they were very busy merrymaking with 

 other visitors, Sitka Jack and his friends, but that if 

 we could get up to the village through the running ice 

 on the river, they would all be glad to see us; they had 

 been drinking and Kadachan's father, one of the 

 principal chiefs, said plainly that he had just waked 

 up out of a ten days' sleep. We were anxious to make 

 this visit, but, taking the difficulties and untoward 

 circumstances into account, the danger of being 

 frozen in at so late a time, while Kadachan would not 

 be able to walk back on account of a shot in his foot, 

 the danger also from whiskey, the awakening of old 

 feuds on account of Toyatte's presence, etc., we re- 

 luctantly concluded to start back on the home jour- 

 ney at once. This was on Friday and a fair wind was 

 blowing, but our crew, who loved dearly to rest and 

 eat in these big hospitable houses, all said that Mon- 

 day would be hyas klosh for the starting-day. I 

 insisted, however, on starting Saturday morning, and 

 succeeded in getting away from our friends at ten 

 o'clock. Just as we were leaving, the chief who had 



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