34 CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 



inches in diameter and by piling logs beside the hub 

 and using the long tree for a lever, we pried the back 

 wheel out of the mud and blocked it. We gave the 

 front wheel the same treatment, and then started 

 the horses and in this way gained about two feet ad- 

 vance. After repeating this procedure we reached 

 solid ground and cruised ahead, having lost only 

 about an hour and a half. 



After leaving the mudhole we made excellent time, 

 mostly down-grade, and late in the afternoon came 

 to the Aishihik River, which comes from a large 

 lake of the same name on the north and with tre- 

 mendous force rips and roars through a narrow can- 

 yon across which is a very fair log bridge. There 

 are a number of Indian log cabins at this point, but 

 the Indians are all away at the lake fishing for their 

 winter supply of dog and man food, being white 

 fish and salmon, which are dried and smoked for 

 preservation. Some one suggested a bath, but so 

 momentous a suggestion could not be easily decided, 

 so we held a council of war, and finally decided the 

 process could be more comfortably undertaken now 

 than later when we should be in higher altitudes. 

 The outriders of the St. Elias range are only thirty 

 miles away as the crow flies, and seem much nearer 

 as the declining sunlight falls across their wonder- 

 ful snow crests. 



August 10. We did not trouble to put up the 

 tents last night as it was very clear and cold, and 



