CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 13 



In the spring of 1896 Bob cleaned up a little over six 

 hundred dollars, which was not so bad for a sailor 

 who had never been in a frozen country before, and 

 after his clean up he prospected around until he 

 found gold on Quartz Creek, which he called ' Gold 

 Bottom.' Here he found two-cent prospect (mean- 

 ing two cents of gold to the pan) and returned to 

 Ogilvie for provisions, which ran out in a couple 

 of months. In July, 1896, he was going down one 

 of the tributaries of the Klondike for more provi- 

 sions, when he met George Washington Carmac, 

 and in accordance with the unwritten miner's code 

 told Carmac of his strike on Gold Bottom and in- 

 vited him to come up and stake some ground. Car- 

 mac at this time was fishing for salmon with his 

 Indian friends, among them being Skookum or 

 * strong ' Jim, and Tagish or * no good ' Charlie. 

 About three weeks later Carmac, Skookum Jim, and 

 Tagish Charlie, with gold pan, spade, and other out- 

 fit, started out to look up Bob Henderson and his 

 find. Going up Bonanza Creek, while panning for 

 fun during a rest, they discovered ten-cent pan, but 

 they agreed to say nothing about it until they tested 

 the ground farther, but would come back and work 

 it in case they found nothing better. 



" After very hard travel in the valley they crossed 

 over the divide between Eldorado and Bonanza 

 creeks, and almost out of grub and no tobacco 

 reached Henderson's camp. Henderson for some 



