TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 201 



of the brightest silver half-dollar ever minted. Here, 

 in this back of beyond, fifty cents was the standard 

 trading amount, not the dollar, as in so many other 

 parts of North America. This is a great economy. 



The daily vista was uninteresting enough at first, 

 but as we progressed the river banks became more 

 entrancing, the bird life more amazing. Save for 

 the presence of the ferocious mosquitoes our days 

 would have been cloudless. The little pests were the 

 source of the greatest annoyance, and necessitated 

 the wearing of veils and gloves. 



Our daily programme varied but little, and our 

 custom was to start after breakfast in any kind of 

 weather, and do as much travelling as strength per- 

 mitted, then to halt, rest awhile, cook a good meal, 

 and go on again until late evening, when we camped 

 for the night. 



I wish I could tell of hairbreadth 'scapes, of battling 

 against rapids, and running into rocks, for such 

 things would seem to be an indispensable part of the 

 exploration of a comparatively unknown river in the 

 wilds of Alaska, and inseparable from the mysterious 

 whole. There were rapids, there were rocks, but 

 truth compels me to say that neither were dangerous. 

 The Kuskokwim has no big rapids, some swiftly 

 running water, racing apace over sandy bars, but the 

 finesse of our little navigators was never at fault, and 

 they propelled the light bidarkas gallantly over the 

 tossing ripples. The slow, tortoise-like dory hugged 

 the bank, usually in tow from the shore ahead. 



The greatest hardship on the voyage was the 



