1 88 BIG GAME SHOOTING IN ALASKA chap. 



safely through the attack, having had some previous experi- 

 ence of the complaint myself. As he was afraid of being left 

 alone, I sent Simeon out with the rifle to try to replenish our 

 larder, since the meat supply had run out. He returned in 

 the evening bringing back a fine young yearling ram, but 

 still not having seen an old one with decent horns. 



On the following day Simeon had to make a journey down 

 to the base camp at the lake, to bring up a further supply of 

 small necessaries, such as tea, sugar, etc. I remained in camp 

 to discharge the mixed duties of cook and nurse. He had 

 instructions to inquire, on his return journey next day, at 

 Mr. Bonham's camp, to hear whether he had yet found any 

 rams. The reply Simeon brought was that Bonham had got 

 a number of ewes and lambs, but could find no sign of any 

 decent rams. This decided me to move to fresh ground as 

 soon as Pitka was sufficiently recovered. Two or three more 

 days saw him crawling round the camp with his face in 

 bandages. The weather during our stay at Indian Creek 

 was magnificent, and on reference to my notes taken on the 

 spot I find the following effusion, which was written on 

 August 26 during one of my days of enforced idleness, 

 and when evidently I must have been feeling somewhat 

 sentimental : — 



" Where now are the terrors of the Alaskan climate as I 

 sit lazily at 10 a.m. 'neath the shade of a cotton-wood tree, in 

 a grove of which my tents are pitched ? The sun shines 

 bright and warm overhead, scarcely a breath of air stirs 

 the leaves or tall grasses which grow around in almost 

 tropical luxuriance, and the smoke from a dying camp 

 fire drifts slowly upwards towards the blue sky. On either 

 side are lofty hills towering up some 1500 feet, with rocky 

 summits on which are visible occasional mountain sheep. 



