i 4 4 THE WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER YUKON 



wind blew from the north-west. Selous and Louis climbed 

 Plateau Mountain, and I started to climb the ranges 

 to the north-west. The adjoining mountains, separated 

 from Plateau Mountain by draws, extend in vast rolling 

 plateaus north-east to the Russell Mountains. They are 

 about six thousand feet high and covered with dwarf 

 birch and moss. Two or three miles across the rolling 

 summits the west slopes descend abruptly in broken 

 rocks, cliffs, and precipices. 



When I reached the top, the wind was so strong that 

 it was not easy to face it and hence quite impossible to 

 use my field-glasses. There was a magnificent view of 

 the MacMillan River below, which appeared like a huge 

 reptile winding back and forth between the ridges; and 

 on the other side of it, Dromedary Mountain stood forth 

 boldly in snowy outlines, a strong contrast to the sombre 

 timbered area below. 



The tracks of a bull moose, which had crossed the 

 summit, and descended to the timber early that same 

 morning, were before me, and a short distance farther 

 on, the fresh tracks of a cow moose and calf, joined by 

 those of the bull, which had circled back again to meet 

 them, showed that all of them had been feeding on scrub 

 willow. Going toward the west, I came upon the tracks 

 of five mountain sheep and followed them toward the 

 north for two hours, until, having found a sheltered spot 

 behind a rock where I could use my field-glasses, I saw 

 that the trail was visible on the snow for two or three 

 miles ahead, leading toward the Russell Mountains. 

 Turning west again, I found fresh tracks of a cow caribou 



