CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWTN. 37 



iows was a dense growth of birch, spruce, and willow, the latter extending to the water's edge 

 and forming an almost impenetrable thicket. We climbed this bank and reached a high roll- 

 ing tnndra 2)lain si retelling away to the northward to the foot of a rugged range of mountains 

 which conipletcdy Ixiundcd the horizon in that direction. On the left the course of the stream 

 we had just left could lie traced by a belt of dark green timber, contrasting strongly with llie 

 light bi-own of the tundi'a moss, and ended at the focjt of the mountains, about six miles distant. 

 On the right the other branch of the Kowak could be seen winding off toward tlio mduniniiis 

 in the southeast, and then turning to the north agnin it was lost to sight behind the i-ollino- 

 hills of the plain ahead. 



The Indians informed me that the lake could be seen from a slight elevation of the. plain a 

 shin't distance ahead, and we struck out across the tundra at once, and in a short time climbed 

 u[> the sides of the hill and looked away toward the north. Four or five miles away, and almost 

 completely suri'ounded by mountains from twenty-five hundred to three thousand feet high, 

 the blue sparkling waters of the long-sought lake burst upon my view. The sensations of 

 pleasure and triumph which took possession of me as I gazed upon its waters, now for the fii-st 

 time seen by a white man, amjily rejiaid me for tlie long, tedious journey. As the last rays of 

 the setting sun gilded the rugged i)eaks and the shadows of approaching night crept silently 

 upward, we turned back toward our boat, and the Indians set up a wild chanting "Hung-hi- 

 hung-ay" of joy. 



We cam])ed on a le\-el place at the foot of the rapids and hauled the boat out to get 

 thoroughly dry while we remained in the vicinitj'' of the lake. 



Tlu^ distance traversed from the nnnith of the river to this point was roughly estimated at 

 five hundred and twenty-five miles. 



Early next morning we left our camp and, taking with us our blankets and ray iii-trn- 

 ments, we walked along the banks of the river toward the lake. With a good boat it would In 

 easy to get her through the rapids, but ours was in such a (filapidated condition that I did not 

 think it advisable to risk the chance of losing her liy dragging her over any moi-e rocks Ibiui 

 were absolutely nccessai'y. 



We rea(died Lake Car-loog-,'ih-l(.iok-tah about two and a, half hours after li.'aving cani}>. 

 Tiie walking was for the most ])art got)d, being over the dry moss of the rolling plain. In llie 

 ravines we struck small thickets of willow, but by making circuits we were enabled lo avoid 

 lliem. When we reached the lake we made a temiKU'ary cam]i on the beach at tlie foot of the 

 mountain not far from the outlet, and I began at once the work of taking observations, plioto- 

 graphing, sketching, &c. 



Indian reports had led me to believe that Lake Car-loog-ah-look-tah was much larger than 

 it really is. It is probably no more than eight miles long by three miles wide. ( )wing to it;? 

 ]ieculiar shape and tln^ limited nicajis a,t my command, very exact measurements were not 

 olitained. 



A diagram of the lake and immediate vicinity may be of service in understanding tlie fol 

 lowing brief description: 



Along the southern side, extending from the spot marked ^ on the diagram, extending to 

 the eastward around the north shoi'e, there was found a narrow strip of beach, composed of 

 white sand and variously colored pebbles. I attempted to walk around toward the west end of 

 the lake, but found it impossible on account of the dense growth of willows which extended to 

 the water's edge in this direction. With Tah-tah-rok and one other Indian I ascended the 

 mountains which bordered the southern side, and from this point obtained a magnificent ^•iew 

 of the entire lake and country in every direction. 



All the northern conifera^ spread the deep green of their branches on the mountain slopes, 

 and the larch, the birch, and willow were massed in clusters of deep foliage, through which the 

 waters of the lake .sparkled like a jewel. 



The country to the northeast, north, and west was nothing but a series of short, detached, 

 and ritgged mountain ranges and isolated peaks, some of which were still snow-covered. On 

 the south, west, and north sides of the lake the mountains were at the water's edge. In sorop 



