CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWIN. 47 



the mountaius bounding the valley on the north. The Not-mok-to-way-ok takes its rise in this 

 chain of mountains, which form the watershed between the Kowak and Noatak, and flows in a 

 southwest direction into the Kowak, its junction witli tlie latter stream being marked by an 

 island some two miles in diameter, so that the tr.iveler in ascending the Kowak and arriving at 

 this point will be puzzled to know which route to take. 



A somewhat similar formation exists at the junction of the Shee-gar-rik-puk or S'luirrel 

 River with tlie Kowak. and the similarity leads me to Ijelieve that at times these two tribu- 

 taries, which at the time of my visit were not half so large as the Kowak, become swollen by 

 the melting snow of the mountains and overflow the valley of the Kowak, breaking tlirougii 

 the low banks, and thus form the i-slands v/hich attracted my attention. 



From the junction of the Not-mok-to-way-ok the Kowak gradually trends toward the west- 

 ward. Tlie bends are less abrupt, the shores become farther apart, and the river seems to 

 cease for a while its erratic and tortuous windings, and to assume all the functions and attri- 

 butes of a majestic stream. Mention has been made before in this report of the calm beauty 

 of the river in the vicinity of the Jade Mountain. We had now reached that portion of the 

 stream, and, on August 1-^, appeared the high clay bluft's in which were discovered last year 

 the remains of the mammoth. Here, on a high blufi", on the opposite side of tlic stream, we 

 saw the white tents and heard the ringing notes of tlie ax. which apprised us of the fact that 

 white men had made this a place to stop and rest. We ran in-shore and ascertained that this 

 was a supply camp of the Stoney exploring party, temporarily in charge of Ensign Reed, 

 U. S. N. At his request we camped near by, and, as I wished to compare my chronometer 

 with his, and to get a set of comparative sights, I determined to remain here one day. 



During the next day we remained in the vicinity, and I succeeded in getting some photo- 

 graphs oi the Jade Mountain, which is about twelve miles from the river at this point. Photo- 

 graphs were also obtained of the river as seen from the high clay bluffs. 



The summer had now practically ended. The nights came on cold and chilly, and we 

 were loth to leave the camp-fire and turn in. The mountains in the north were now snow- 

 covered, and the north winds were beginning to make us shiver when not at work. Ice 

 formed in the still water of the inland lagoons, and suddenly we observed the woods were 

 strangely silent, for the little feathered songsters had migrated at the first cold snap. 



Mr. Townsend brought into camp a specimen of red snow, which he obtained on the mount- 

 ains, and it was put in a bottle and placed with the other articles forming our collection of 

 natural history. 



After spending a most enjoyable time in company with Ensign Reed and Dr. Nash at this 

 eucami)ment, we parted with mutual expressions of good feeling, and our party proceeded on 

 its way. 



With the increasing length of night, the transition fi'om light to darkness is more marked, 

 and a lover of nature's beauties is lost in admiration as he gazes on the transfcn-matiou which 

 takes place when the sun goes d(nvn behind the mountains and the valley goes to sleep. As it 

 disappears beyond the rugged peaks in the west the whole sky is ablaze with light. At first 

 the valley seems bathed in a delicate luminous pink, but as you look the i)ink turns gray and 

 the purple shadows of the lower valley creep out in every direction till darkness comes on. 

 Then one sees the trees are no longer green, but stand out black and sharply defined 

 against the cold gray sky. 



The summer had ended. 



The description of the river from this point has already been entered upon at length, and 

 will hardly bear repetition. Between the Jade Mountain and the mouths of the river but 

 little is seen by the traveler but a tortuous stream winding through a flat uninteresting coun- 

 try, varied in one or two places by high bluft's, which are formed by the foothills of the con- 

 fining chain of mountains. As the delta is neared even these (lisap])ear. The mountains 

 trend more toward the north and the river towai'd the west-southwest, thus forming a valley 

 or plain over which the river has flowed in a hundred different directions. 



At a point eighty or one hundred miles uji stream a low range of mountains touch the river. 



