HOMEWARD BOUND 



into such a thick, driving snow-storm that we were obliged to 

 land and go into camp about four o'clock. After much trouble 

 we managed to build a fire by means of the dry rags and pe- 

 troleum always carried by the camper in the coast country. 

 We passed a miserable night, as the snow had again changed 

 into a driving rain, which beat through the worn canvas of the 

 tent in the form of continuous spray. Clothing and bedding 

 were thoroughly soaked, and so steady was the rain that we 

 not only found it impossible to dry anything, but also very 

 difficult to do any cooking. After a soggy breakfast we again 

 started down the Stikine in a drizzle. During the whole day 

 the only cheerful sight we encountered was a crew of six coast 

 Indians towing one of their large canoes up-stream. It usually 

 takes these Indians two weeks to ascend the river from Wrangel 

 to Telegraph Creek and three days to come down. 



We spent that night at the international boundary, and tried 

 to secure some sleep in one of the deserted and leaking cabins 

 used by the Canadian police during the Klondyke excitement. 

 At daylight we again started down the river in the rain. The 

 Stikine was quite wide here and the current very sluggish, 

 compelling hard work at the oars to make any progress with 

 the clumsy scow. We noticed large quantities of ducks and 

 geese, and a lone black wolf loping along a sand-spit opposite 

 Mud Glacier. When we reached the sand-bars at the mouth 

 of the river we found quite a storm blowing at sea, and were 

 obliged to fight our way inch by inch to Wrangel Island. The 

 scow was too heavily laden to toss about much, but icy waves 

 continually broke over the sides and chilled the weary rowers. 

 A swarm of screaming gulls overhead and several seals follow- 

 ing in the water seemed to mock at our determined efforts. 

 Eventually we passed the cannery, deserted now by every- 

 thing except the odors and the gulls, and worked our way up 

 to the dock at Wrangel about two o'clock in the afternoon. 



Two days later I was able to secure passage on the Canadian 



401 



