- CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWIN. 39 



morasses, and clambering along the crumbling precipitous mountain ridges, and at the same 

 time holding a ship's chronometer with sufficient care to insure its accuracy, would be simply 

 impossible. 



Having completed the reconnaissance of the lake, we returned to our boat, and next morn- 

 ing set out for the smaller branch of the river by means of a shallow stream which leads from 

 the lake outlet almost across the low swampy land which lies between this river and the Kowak. 

 We made a short portage and reached the Kowak, up which we began to shove the Unit. The 

 river here was not over fifty yards wide and scarcely more than one foot dee]> anywhere. All 

 day we pushed the boat up the shoal stream past the mouth of a small stream called the Kit- 

 chah-ee-yak, and did not rest until the lightened boat, drawing five inches, would no longer float. 



The river was now nothing but a shallow brawling brook, tumbling down from between 

 the rugged mountains lying on the north side of the lake. From this i)oint we could see the 

 mountains running in an unbroken line from the vicinity of the head of Lake Car-loog-ah- 

 look-tah in an ea,sterly direction, bounding the horizon, and showing no break through which 

 a river could possibly flow. The Indians pointed out to me the ridge along which they travel 

 during the winter when approaching the lake from the south. The sides of the mountains are 

 almost perpendicular masses of gray rugged rocks. Toward the southeast they di]) lower and 

 finally ruji off into rolling foothills. It is from there the natives approach the ridge. 



The Kit-chah-ee-yak River, which flows into the Kowak near the foot of Lake Car-loog-ah- 

 look-tah, drains a valley in the southeast which lies at right angles to the K(jwak Valley, and 

 is the most noticeable, in fact the only, break in the mountain-bounded horizon. The natives 

 informed me that by crossing the ridge which forms the northern boundary of the Kit-chah-ee- 

 yak one day's journey in winter brings them to the Ah-lash-ok River, which is a Iriliutary of 

 the Koyoukuk. This is the route taken by the Kowak Indians when they wish to nn'ct < liose 

 of the Koyoukuk in order to trade. 



After spending the day in looking around in the vicinity, I ])repared to go into cam)), 

 intending to make an early start down stream the next day. The wind was from the south 

 and the clouds were beginning to gather threateningly along the tops of the mountains. The 

 Indians advised me to get back as quickly as jjossible, as a very short rain would ])e sufiicient to 

 swell the river so much as to make the gorge impassable. Accordingly we started at once, and 

 after getting the boat down as far as the junction of the Kowak with the Kit-chah-ee-yak, we 

 got in her and the descent of the river began in earnest. By nightfall we had shot the rapids 

 below the lake successfully, but not without injury. Half w^ay through the canon the boat 

 " took a sheer" and started off across stream, utterly l)eyond control. She crashed into a fiat 

 rock in the bank, breaking her rail and tearing a hole in her side a foot long. We were com- 

 pelled to jump overboard and lift her up on the bank and repair damages. 



This accident caused me to think more seriously of the dangerous places through which we 

 would be compelled to take the boat before reaching the launch, and as she might yet be our 

 only means of reaching the coast (in the event of the loss of the launch), I resolved to stoj) and 

 arrange some means of jirotecting her rotting sides and bottom from the rocks and gravel beds 

 which we found it impossible to avoid running over. Fortunately we had with us an ax and 

 a small Irrace-and-lnt, and with these and a few nails the boat was made proof against ordinary 

 encounters with rocks or the bottom, as follows: 



A false keel was made of a straight spruce tree, one of the roots being left to form the 

 stem. This was easily fitted, as the Ixiat's keel was originally constructed in the same manner. 

 Holes six inches apart were bored transversely through the false keel, and then it was securely 

 fastened on the bottom of the boat. Willow wands were then fitted into the holes in the keel 

 piece and brought up around the outside, and the ends secured to the rail. Smaller branches 

 of willow were then woven with the others, basket fashion, forming a complete covering for 

 the boat's bottom and sides below the water-line. Although this made the boat much heavier 

 and harder to handle, it effectually protected her while shooting the rapids. 



July 25 was ushered in by a terrific rain-storm, and we found ourselves half way l)etween 

 the two rocky gorges. If we were to get through the lower one no time must be lost; so, in 



