izo THE WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER YUKON 



to disturb my ground he had tramped all the afternoon 

 without seeing anything more. 



September 1 6. It snowed about half an hour early 

 the next morning as I was heading through the meadows 

 directly for the north mountain, but all the rest of the 

 day a strong wind blew from the north. Just before I 

 arrived at the foot, I saw a single ewe and lamb, both 

 white in appearance, following a sheep-trail high on the 

 slope. This trail was so well beaten that it was clearly 

 defined in the broken rock and visible at a long distance. 

 They soon passed out of sight around the slope, and with 

 very slow progress, zigzagging up through snow and 

 over slippery rock, I gained the top of the mountain a 

 great dome-shaped snow-field glittering in the sun and 

 almost blinding me. 



This mountain was the first one rising above the 

 valley of the river where it bends to an easterly course 

 and a new landscape stretched before me. For the first 

 time there was an unobstructed view to the north. Below, 

 bordering the river, was the same desolate flat country 

 all covered with timber, and with lakes and meadow 

 glades scattered about, some of them high on the slopes 

 of the ridges; while rising from the dark-timbered area, 

 as far as the eye could reach, extending beyond the 

 Stewart River on the north, and toward the Mackenzie 

 divide on the east, were parallel chains of majestic, snow- 

 covered mountains a vast, austere wilderness, all the 

 mighty summits shining under the dazzling rays of the 

 sun. These were the Selwyn Rockies. 



Chilled by the strong, cold wind, I went along the 



