Leave Kenai for the Lake 
estuary very broad, especially at the flood tides, 
of which we took advantage. | 
The boys rowed the first part of the journey 
until we got into shallow water, when we used 
poles. Thus the first day. And at night we 
pitched camp some fourteen miles away from 
the village at the river’s mouth. An early start 
was made next morning, and I think perhaps it 
may have some interest for the uninitiated if I 
describe in detail the exact methods by which 
we negotiated the difficult water. 
To the very heavy and large boat a tow-rope 
one hundred yards long was affixed by means of 
the ring in the bows, and at about thirty feet 
distance on this rope, measured from the bow 
of the boat, we placed a light rope by a rolling 
hitch. I remained in the boat, because a great 
part of the hauling depended on my efforts. 
The boys manned the rope, one behind the 
other, and then went forward with the rope over 
their shoulders. Splendid! But in a very short 
time they were held up by a fallen tree, whose 
branches and tops stretched far out over the 
stream. The boys got round the obstacle, and 
passed the rope through the branches as close 
to the river as possible, and then they hauled. 
This is where I came in. If the boat were hauled 
straight it would crash into the fallen tree. So, 
taking the light rope, I passed the end through one 
of the holes carrying the thole pins on the side of 
243 
