1 6 CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 



come to a stream to drink, drink deep, but do not 

 leave the pool until you have looked at the sands 

 beneath the water." 



At the northern end of Vancouver Island the 

 steamer crosses Queen Charlotte Sound, a distance 

 of about sixty miles on the open sea, until the nar- 

 row, protected passage between the islands and 

 mainland is again reached. Along the course are 

 numerous salmon canneries, while the fishing boats 

 with their cargoes continually ply up and down the 

 narrow, salt river between the mountains. Oppo- 

 site Prince of Wales Island lies the Alaskan town of 

 Ketchikan, a city built upon a hill, as the mountains 

 rise from the very water's edge. A rushing stream 

 tears its way between two mountains and passes 

 through the town. And it is an interesting sight to 

 go up to the bridge near the falls and watch the 

 silver horde of salmon working up-stream and 

 climbing the falls. Several hours beyond Ketchi- 

 kan the town of Wrangel is reached; the chief inter- 

 est in this place for the traveler centers about the 

 totem poles, which are grotesque, heraldic monu- 

 ments of painted and carved wood from ten to forty 

 feet high, representing the tribal and family identity 

 of the individual Indian who has erected the par- 

 ticular monument. Upon the decease of a man at 

 the head of a family a totem was erected to his 

 memory in front of the abode of his successor. 

 The totem pole seems to be confined to the natives 



