CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWIN. 57 



about five days farther up stream. They say that whoever goes to that mountain and brings away 

 any stone will be afflicted with some dreadful malady ever afterwards, and that tlie stone belongs to 

 the natives and not to the white men. I argued that the stone did not belong to theiu individually, 

 but had come to them from their great-grandfathers, who were also our greatgrandfathers. 

 This direct claim to relationship did not meet with a very cordial reception, bnt they were not 

 inclined to <liscuss the matter any further. All day the Indians hovered about us in their frail 

 birch-bark canoes, and it was wonderful to see with what ease and address they ventured into 

 places where 1 know the cumbersome launch would have been unmanageable. At 4 p. m. we 

 arrived at a second Indian village and found the uitives, as usual, impassive and undemonstrative, 

 but not unkind, for when our fires were lighted a little girl came u]i and laid a bunch of fresh fish 

 near at haiul and then stole away as if fearful of disturbing us. We camped early to oblige 

 the " shaman" of the village, who desired to perform the ceremonies of his office for our especial 

 benefit. After the sun had gone down behind the hills he retired to his tent, and shortly after- 

 wards a tremendous beating of drums, singing, and howling were heard from the interior. The 

 front of the tent was thrown back and the " shaman" was discovered sitting between his two wives, 

 alternately beating a tambourine like drum and uttering short sentences as if in conversation with 

 some unseen party. A crowd soon gathered, and the utmost attention was given to the imposter, 

 who, I must say, acted the role of medium to perfection. We left him in his glory at about 9 p. m., 

 but the sound of his drum was heard until long after midnight. To-day we made 14J miles. The 

 river varied fnnii two to sis hundred yards in width. The banks were moderately high, and back 

 of them was the usual rolling tundra land running to the mountains about twenty miles distant. 

 Soundings were from two to five fathoms and the current vai'ied from two to six knots per hour. 



July 18, 1884. — We were detained as usual this morning by a heavy rain, which began at about 

 4 a. m. and continued until 9 a. m., when the wind came out from the northeast and the weather 

 gradually cleared sufficiently to allow us to break camp. Before leaving I was called upon to treat 

 a native for colic, aud relieved him by administering a dose of Pain Killer and applying a 

 mustard plaster. To-day we had another experience in the lapids. Shortly after leaving the village 

 we came to a part of the river where it is about half a mile wide and the depth of the water 

 decrt ases from six fathoms to as many feet. The channel contains more water, but the shoals 

 extend in all directions, and in some places are bare. The velocity of the cm rent was about seveu 

 knots, and it was only by bottling up steam and getting out warps ahead that we managed to get 

 through and in view of a beautiful part of the river. Ahead and on our left high, rugged mount- 

 ains, whose summits were still covered by snow, were reflected with mirror-like truth in the now 

 l)lacid stream. Between us and the mountains there stretched a low, undulating country, crossed 

 by many streams which tumbled down the gulches and formed cascades and small lakes, giving 

 life and spirit to the picture. In this way we struggled on, sometimes finding the current almost 

 too strong for us to stem, aud then hardly perceptible. Wood along the banks became scarce, 

 aud we were much delayed in getting a supply. At 7 o'clock a high serrated mountain was 

 discovered ahead, anil the Indian guide told us it was the Ashiganok or green-stone mountain. The 

 mosquitoes were worse than ever, and some of our party were almost unrecognizable from the 

 effects of these pests. It is no uncommon thing to see a man who has been cutting wood a little 

 way from the banks suddenly drop his ax aud rush frantically for the rivei', his face and bauds 

 covered with blood. The hoods we made are but little protection, as the mosquitoes sting through 

 the cloth with apparent ease. At 7..'W p. m. we camped on a high wooded bluff on the right side 

 of the stream, having made 14J miles during the day. 



JuJy 10, 1884. — Begins with heavy rain and cloudy weather. Mid part cloudy and ends 

 cloudy, with passing showers. At 5.30 a. m. called all bauds and began cutting wood. At 9.30 

 finished breakfast, broke camp, and got under way. Duriug the day the left shores were observed 

 to be low, with rolling back country to the mountains, sixteen miles distant, varied by occa- 

 sional ridges running in at an angle with the river course aud forming bluffs. On our right the 

 banks were from seventy-five to one hundred feet high, with high rolling country back of the 

 river, covered by a tlii(;k growth of pine, birch, and spruce trees of small size. The Indians still 

 hovered about our expedition, now dropping behind and again shooting ahead to show us the deep 

 water. Two of their number were induced to join our party and help Andre aud Natorok with 



