CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWW. 



45 



characteristic feature of the entire river where its course is unobstructed by mountains, it may 

 be ^yell to consult the diagram given behnv, in order to better understand its meaning. 



Let .-r" represent the direction of the current and K K 

 ibe lirst cliannel. Tlien. by constant erosion, the l)anks at A A 

 ;ind A' will be gradually broken down; tlie debris gradually 

 forms ■■■'/ slioals, or islands, in Ihe stream, as at C andC, 

 and the" distance from A to A" an<l from A' to B decreases 

 until, no longer capal)le of witlistanding the pressure, the 

 l)ank's give wav, and a new channel is formed. Tlic old 

 channel at A, A', and B is gradually tilled ui) l)y sediment 

 from the river, and the bends A, C, A' and A', C, B become 

 a system of lakes and lagoons. 



From any high hill overlooking the valley of the Kowak 



this formation can be seen, and the number of lakes is only 

 limited l)ythe extent of tlic low level c.,nntry througli wliich 



the river has a, chance to mc^a-nder. 



The rain continued to fall steadily, and the river rose 



rapidly for eight days, during which time we never moved, 



except as forced to do so by the rising water. I wanted to 



get a set of observations at this point, particularly as a check 



on my hist year's work, and so we made ourselves as cmnfort- 



alile as possible under the circumstances. 



With the rising of the river the current increased, and 



the launch was in danger of being torn fi'om her position 



alon-side the bank l)y floating drift-wood. In order to avert the accident two large trees were 



secured an.l the smaller ends lashe.l together at right angles. Tlie l)idts were tlien made 



fast to tlie bank, tlie whole forming a right-angled triangle, 



under the base of which the launch was as safe as if in a dry 



dock. 



The river rose on an average two feet per day. Many 

 lish which were drying on poles arranged along the beach at 

 the village were swept away; the Indians seeming to be too 

 apathetic or improvident to take any precautions to save 

 them. We m<jved our tents to a small hill a short distance 

 from the river the third day we stopped here. The water 

 had by this time overflowed the Ijanks in low places and we 

 were enalfled to reach the lakes with small boats. Our time 

 was occupied in gunning and fishing in the region, and many 

 specimens were obtained. 



Once Marsh encountered a land-otter while paddling 

 across one of the small lagoons near dark. He had never 

 seen one before and arrived in camp with his hair on end to inform us that he had just k^tt a 

 crocodile making a meal of his boat. We were soon in pursuit, but the shy animal got away. 



In conversation with the In.lians I learned that ten days portage in the winter time from 

 the Kowak brought the traveler to the banks of a stream beyond the Noatak, am which flowed 

 into the sea, where " there was always ice." Near its headwaters there Was a lake, which like 

 the lake at the head of the Kowak, became each year the rendezvous for hunting. \Mien a 

 herd of deer is discovered the hunters surround it and gradually frighten the deer so that they 

 seek to escape by means of the lake. Into it they plunge, sometimes fifty at a time, and there 

 fall easy victims to the hunters, who follow them in boats, and in order to save ammunition 

 sive the co«)o de aroce with short spears. ^ j_ i- -^.-u 



At the mouth of- the river they say the Indians gather for the purpose of trading with 

 those from other parts of the country. The current is raphl and the river is shoal for a Ion- 



LAUNCH 



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