Leave Kenai for the Lake 



estuary very broad, especially at the flood tides, 

 of which we took advantage. 



The boys rowed the first part of the journey 

 until we got into shallow water, when we used 

 poles. Thus the first day. And at night we 

 pitched camp some fourteen miles away from 

 the village at the river's mouth. An early start 

 was made next morning, and I think perhaps it 

 may have some interest for the uninitiated if I 

 describe in detail the exact methods by which 

 we negotiated the difficult water. 



To the very heavy and large boat a tow-rope 

 one hundred yards long was affixed by means of 

 the ring in the bows, and at about thirty feet 

 distance on this rope, measured from the bow 

 of the boat, we placed a light rope by a rolling 

 hitch. I remained in the boat, because a great 

 part of the hauling depended on my efforts. 

 The boys manned the rope, one behind the 

 other, and then went forward with the rope over 

 their shoulders. Splendid ! But in a very short 

 time they were held up by a fallen tree, whose 

 branches and tops stretched far out over the 

 stream. The boys got round the obstacle, and 

 passed the rope through the branches as close 

 to the river as possible, and then they hauled. 

 This is where I came in. If the boat were hauled 

 straight it would crash into the fallen tree. So, 

 taking the light rope, I passed the end through one 

 of the holes carrying the thole pins on the side of 



243 



