8 Smithsonian Exploration in Alaska in 1904 



by glaciers bore to that in the region of the United States before, 

 during, and after separation by the snow and ice fields; also the 

 relation of forms in Alaska to those of Siberia, with the time and 

 duration of the land connection across Bering Straits and their sub- 

 sequent separation, form a complex problem, the solution of which 

 will require the accumulation of much material. 



The writer takes this opportunity to express his thanks to the 

 members of the staff of the U. S. Geological Survey engaged 

 in Alaska for valuable suggestions ; especially to Mr. A. H. Brooks, 

 in charge of geological work in Alaska, for the use of data pre- 

 sented on the accompanying map together with the photographs 

 used as illustrations, and to Mr. A. J. Collier for looking over the 

 manuscript. 



II. Itinerary 



The party consisted of the writer and one man employed as camp- 

 hand and boatman ; the plan being to employ natives for additional 

 labor as found necessary. We travelled by steamer from Seattle, 

 Washington, and arrived at Skagway, Alaska, May 28. Thence 

 by rail over White Pass to the town of White Horse, Northwest 

 Territory, Canada, the terminus of the railway and head of steam- 

 boat navigation on the Yukon River. Here we were delayed several 

 days waiting for the water of the river to rise sufficiently to allow 

 stern-wheel steamboats which draw twenty-six inches of water to 

 proceed down stream. We left White Horse June 6 and reached 

 Dawson June 8. Our inquiries here pointed toward the fact that 

 no complete skeletons of mammoth have been found in the mining 

 diggings of the Klondike, though scattered fragments of this and 

 other Pleistocene mammals are of common occurrence as will be 

 mentioned later. Without delay a " poling " boat thirty-five feet 

 long was purchased and with this, travel was continued down the 

 Yukon. 



Circle City was reached on June 18. Here inquiry was made 

 to learn the identity of the " Kotlo River " of Dall.' 



'This name was first used by Dall to designate a stream shown on his map, 

 published in "Alaska and Its Resources " in 1870, and also in Bull. 84. U. S. 

 Geol. Surv., 1892, pi. Ill, draining the general area of the valley of the present 

 Birch Creek and indicated by him as emptying into the Yukon about thirty 

 miles below the site of the present settlement of Circle. The writer was 

 informed that a little-used Indian portage exists across the low bottoms of 

 the Yukon Flats from the Yukon to Birch Creek on approximately the same 

 route marked by Dall for the lower course of the " Kotlo " river and un- 

 doubtedly in compiling his map he misinterpreted information intended to 

 convey the location of this portage for the course of a river. 



