CEUISE OF THE STEAMER COEWIK 57 



about five days further 4ip stream. Tliey say that whoever goes to that mountain and brings away 

 any stone will be alllicted with some dreadful maUidy ever afterwards, and that the stone belongs to 

 tlie natives and not to the white men. I argued that the stone did not belong to them individually, 

 hut had come to them from their great-grandfathers, who were also our greatgrandfathers. 

 This direct claim to relationship did not meet with a very cordial reception, but they were not 

 inclined to discuss the matter any further. All day the Indians hovered about us in their frail 

 Itirchbark canoes, and it was wonderful to see with what ease and address they ventured into 

 l)laccs wheie 1 know the cumbersome launch would have been unmanageable. At 4 p. m. we 

 arrived at a second Indian village and found the natives, as usual, impassive and undemonstrative, 

 but not unkind, for when our fires were lighted a little girl came up and laid a bunch of fresh lish 

 near at hand and then stole away as if fearful of disturbing us. We camped eaily to oblige 

 the " shaman" of the village, who desired to i)erform the ceremonies of his oiiice for our especial 

 benefit. After the sun had gone down behind the hills he retired to his tent, and shortly after- 

 wards a tremendous beating of drums, singing, and howling were heard from the interior. Tlie 

 front of the tent was thrown back and the "shaman" was discovered sitting between his two wives, 

 alternately beating a tambourine-like drum and uttering short sentences as if in conversation with 

 some unseen party. A crowd soon gathered, and the utmost attention was given to the imposter, 

 who, I must say, acted the role of medium to perfection. We left him in his glory at about 9 p. m., 

 but the sound of his drum was heard until long after midnight. To-day we made 14J miles. The 

 river varied from two to six hundred yards in width. The banks were moderately high, and back 

 of them was the usual rolling tundra land running to the mountains about twenty miles distant. 

 Soundings were from two to five fathoms and the current varied from two to six knots per hour. 



Jmz/iS, 1884.— We were detained as usual this morning by a heavy rain, which began at about 

 4 a. m. and continued until 9 a. m., when the wind came out from the northeast and the weather 

 gradually cleared sufiSciently to allow us to break camp. Before leaving I was called upon to treat 

 a native for colic, and relieved him by administering a dose of Pain Killer and applying a 

 mustard plaster. To-day we had another experience in the rapids. Shortly after leaving the \illage 

 we came to a part of the river where it is about half a mile wide and the depth of the water 

 deceases from six fathoms to as many feet. The channel contains more water, but the shoals 

 extend in all directions, and in some places are bare. The velocity of the current was about seven 

 knots, and it was only by bottling up steam and getting out warps ahead that we managed lo get 

 through and in view of a beautiful part of the river. Ahead and on our left high, rugged mount- 

 ains, whose summits were still covered by snow, were reflected with mirror-like truth in the now 

 placid stream. Between us and the mountains there stretched a low, undulating country, crossed 

 by many streams which tumbled down the gulches and formed cascades and small lakes, giving 

 life and spirit to the picture. In this way we struggled on, sometimes finding the current almost 

 too strong for us to stem, and then hardly perceptible. Wood along the banks became scarce, 

 and we were much delayed in getting a supply. At 7 o'clock a high serrated mountain was 

 discovered ahead, and the Indian guide told us it was the Ashiganok or green-stone mountain. The 

 mosquitoes were worse than ever, and some of our party were almost unrecognizable fro)u the 

 effects of these pests. It is no uncommon thing to see, a man who has been cutting wood a little 

 way from the banks suddenly drop his ax and rush frantically for the river, his face and hands 

 covered with blood. The hoods we made are but little protection, as the mosquitoes sting through 

 the cloth with appareut ease. At 7.:!() p. m. we camped on a high wooded bluff on the right shie 

 of the stream, having made 14J miles during the <lay. 



Jiihj 19, 1884.— Begins with heavy rain and cloudy weather. Mid part cloudy and ends 

 cloudy, with passing showers. At 5.;5() a. m. called all hands and began caitting wood. At '.».;50 

 finished breakfast, broke (tamp, and got under way. During the day lh(^ left shores were observed 

 to be low, with rolling back country to the mountains, sixteen miles distant, varied by (M;ca- 

 sional ridges running in at. an angle with the river course and forming blufl's. On our right the 

 banks were from seventy-five to one hundred feet high, with high rolling country back of the 

 river, covered by a thick growth of pine, birch, and spruce trees of small size. The In.lians still 

 hovered about our expedition, now dropping behiml and again shooting ahead to show us the deep 

 water. Two of their number were inducted to join our party and help Andre and Natorok with 



