ALASKA. 



23 



range of mountains appears on the right bank. This is a succession of well- 

 defined peaks and ridges, describing a beautiful curve of many miles, with its 

 concavity toward the river and its flanks resting upon the water's edge. All 

 this bank is well timbered with spruce, poplar, and birch. 



The principal northern tributaries of the river are the Koyakuk, 

 the Porcupine, the Melozikat, and the Tozikakat. The Koyakuk 

 was ascended by Lieutenant Allen for 532 miles from its mouth. 

 He says that at that point, although there had been several large 

 tributaries, the volume of water in the river had not apparently 

 diminished. He estimates that the Koyakuk drains 55,000 

 square miles. 



The Tanana empties into the Yukon on the south "about 30 

 miles below the Ramparts and near the great trading ground 

 called Nuklukaiet, where the Indians are accustomed to congregate 

 in the spring and meet the white traders." From the place where 

 Lieutenant Allen reached the Tanana on his trip from the Cop- 

 per River to the junction of the Tanana with the Yukon was 546 

 miles. The river, says Lieutenant Allen, drains 45,000 square 

 miles. Owing to its violent rapids, it is dangerous to navigation. 

 Continuing the description of the Yukon, Mr. Petroff says: 



From Nulato, situated some i;o miles south of the mission, to Andreafski 

 the distance is about 350 miles, and the river has the following approximate 

 directions: From Nulato to Anvik, south-southwest; from Anvik to the upper 

 entrance of Shageluk Slough, south-southeast; from the upper entrance of the 

 slough to the great bend, southwest ; from the great bend to Andreafski, west by 

 south. It is difficult to convey an idea of this portion of the river, as its numer- 

 ous windings, its hundreds of islands, its bars and shoals, ever changing and 

 shifting, baffle the traveler in his search for a navigable channel. Generally 

 speaking, the right bank is high, exhibiting many bluffs of sand and rock much 

 eroded by the ice torrents of the spring. The ice sometimes undermines the 

 high banks to a distance of 20 or 30 feet, and the trees standing on the project- 

 ing tops of the banks are loosened by the action of frost and water and pre- 

 cipitated into the stream beneath, and thus the river goes on widening and 

 shoaling, and floating immense quantities of driftwood down to the sea. Some- 

 times the right bank rises into high hills, but the left bank is generally low and 

 level; here and there, however, a few isolated hills are seen standing back a 



