2 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



should like you to persevere, and if for no other 

 reason, because the book is mine. 



Our little expedition to Alaska consisted at its onset 

 of the cousin who shot over Somaliland with me, none 

 the less a sportsman for all that she is a woman, and 

 myself. Our preparations consisted in sending on 

 some of the heavy kit to Victoria, British Columbia, 

 which place we meant to use as a base, and where 

 we knew we could garner in all the stores to fit out 

 the small sealing schooner which we meant to hire for 

 the trip. On sport and adventure bent, the ways and 

 means thereof were more or less as yet a matter for 

 conjecture, since nothing could be really definitely 

 decided until our arrival in Victoria. 



Leaving England in early December we made New 

 York in record time, and put up for a day or two at 

 one of the largest caravanserais in the town. Our 

 immediate intention was to proceed to Victoria by 

 way of Butte City, Montana, as Cecily, my cousin, 

 wanted to see a young brother of hers who is ranch- 

 ing " Out West." I know now that she had excel- 

 lent reasons for this strenuous desire to include Butte 

 in our route. It was not her brother who acted as 

 magnet, but some one else's brother. 



We were much interested with everything in our 

 short two days in New York, and the hotel was " im- 

 mense " in every way. So was our bill. When it 

 was presented we thought we really must, inadvert- 

 ently, have purchased the building. Baths at fifty 

 cents each are not conducive to the state of cleanliness 

 which is next to godliness, for the reason that it is 



