50 CRUISK OK THE STEAMKR CnRWlN. 



Tlif iialivfs iiotictMl tliis. and cNiufssccl surprise tliat al'U'r being wet all day I should delib- 

 erately f,"' i'i''> '''>' '■"''' \\':it'''' instead of .nettiii- thoroughly warm and <lry before goii.g to 

 sle(>]).' Rut wlicii Tah-tah-rok exitlained to liieni my reasons they iiiiiih'<li;itely began to imi- 

 tate my |iractice. and the cliaiigc in tlicii- appcai-aiirc was truly most astoiiLsliiug as w.'ll as 

 gratifying during the short time we were togethei-. 



When 1 lirst saw 'rah-lah-rok. in the summer of ISSt. he was a, good si.ecimen ofthe^iNer- 

 iige Esciuimaux liuntei'. but in contaet with white nii;u he rapidly im|ii-o\ eel. .-iihI when we 

 parted a juore respectable or cleaner looking nuui could not be selected fi'om an ordinnry crowd 

 of intelligent workingmen in any city (jf the United States. A present of a hair-(h>/,eu towels 

 and ;i, bar of soap seemed to please him more than anything else I gave him. 



■Just o]iposite our camping place a small stream runs into the Kowak from the south, and 

 from the high banks of the river we could see it was the outlet of several small lakes some 

 threi' or four miles inland. Mr. Townsend and I took our guns and, getting into our .small 

 birch-bark canoes, struck out for tliese lakes to hunt for ducks, which the old wonn-n assured 

 us were abundant in that direction. We had become quite expert in handling tlierathei- 

 "ticklisir' canoes by this time, and we soon covered the distance between the river and the' 

 lakes. Here we found abundant sport, and after securing a dozen delicious little widgecais 

 and teal we started on our way back to camp. Half way down the narrow stream wliicli led 

 to the river we suddenly came upon a fiock of geese, and as they got up we tired into them. 

 ( )ne or t wo were killed at the first shot and the flock flew oi? at right angles to our course. 1 

 inciuiliously fired again, this tiuu:^ '• broadside on," and in a moment found myself struggling 

 in the water with my boat upset and game scattered over the surface of the stream in the 

 wildest (onfusion. With Mr. Townsend's help, however, I was (>nabled to extricate my.'::elf 

 from my unpleasant position with no injury except a rather cold ducking. 



The inciifcnt is related to illustrate the clmracter of the small "one man"" canoes whicl\ 

 are in common use on the Kowak. No more graceful tiling in the way of water craft can pos- 

 sibly be imagined than these canoes. Tliey are from eight to ten feet long, and from twelve 

 to fifteen inches wide on the water line. The stem and stern pieces are long, and so fashioned 

 as to form, with the rail, a graceful curve, giving to the whole a finish which would delight 

 the eye of the most exacting canoeist. The thin birch l)ark is fastened to the frame by means 

 of strips of willow bark in the most ingenious manner, and the seams are made tight by rub- 

 bing them with melted spruce gum. On the lower river these canoes ar'e never made, and but 

 seldom seen, as l)ireli Ijark is not to lie obtained, and the natives use the common kyack or 

 seal-skin canoe, common along the sea-coast. 



The river at this point is exceedingly tortuous and altogetlier uninteresting. Its course 

 is through the low tundra lauds, whicdi are bare of trees except on the immediate river bank, 

 and as tlie mouth of the river is ai)])roached even these disappear and only rank grass and 

 stunted willows appear. On the morning of August -ii, after getting a.stronomical observations 

 as nsuiit. we liade good-bye to oui- Indian friends of the village opposite and steamed away d(_>wn 

 stri'ani. 



During the day we ohsei-ved many liaii- seal in the river, and I am inclined to believe they 

 come up str(^a.m to avoid their enemy, the narwhale, which freipu'ut the waters of Kotzebue 

 Sound. At 5 o"clock- we passed out from the Kowak by its westernmost mouth, aiid our eyes, 

 grown tired of the inon. it ouous shores, were gladdened by the sight of the crisp, sj)arJding waves 

 of llotham Ink^t. 



A-l)risk easterly wind w;is hhiwing and 1 made luiste to reacdi the iirolection which a sand- 

 spit lying at the enti-:inee to Selawik Lake albirded, and there we camped for the inght. The 

 wind ra])idly inci-eased ami shifted to tli(> southeast, so that a heavy sea. soon began running in 

 tlie lake and inlet. The surf beat heavily on the other side of our protecting saud-s])it, liut 

 within <iur little basin the water was undisi uihed. 



A party of natives on their way to their wintei' homes on tlii' Sel.-iwik R.iv(>r encamped 

 near our camp, and from them I learned llial all of the Indians had deserted (he rendezvous at 

 Hothani inlet and were i\')W o'n their wav lioni.': Jlr. McLi'Ui'gan had returned from his 



