CHAPTER IX 



A CANOE VOYAGE TO NORTHWARD 



I ARRIVED at Wrangell in a canoe with a party of 

 Cassiar miners in October while the icy regions to 

 the northward still burned in my mind. I had met 

 several prospectors who had been as far as Chilcat at 

 the head of Lynn Canal, who told wonderful stories 

 about the great glaciers they had seen there. All the 

 high mountains up there, they said, seemed to be 

 made of ice, and if glaciers "are what you are after, 

 that's the place for you," and to get there "all you 

 have to do is to hire a good canoe and Indians who 

 know the way." 



But it now seemed too late to set out on so long a 

 voyage. The days were growing short and winter 

 was drawing nigh when all the land would be buried 

 in snow. On the other hand, though this wilderness 

 was new to me, I was familiar with storms and en- 

 joyed them. The main channels extending along the 

 coast remain open all winter, and, their shores being 

 well forested, I knew that it would be easy to keep 

 warm in camp, while abundance of food could be 

 carried. I determined, therefore, to go ahead as far 

 north as possible, to see and learn what I could, es- 

 pecially with reference to future work. When I made 

 known my plans to Mr. Young, he offered to go with 

 me, and, being acquainted with the Indians, procured 

 a good canoe and crew, and with a large stock of pro- 



[ 114] 



