R^, CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWIN. 



tifu! tints were found springing ev'erywhere, as though they exj)ected the midnight sun to sliiiic 

 on tiiem forever, and liad lost all memory of tlie snow and darkness of the northern winter. 



Some of the commonest i)lants and flowers of the Kowak in Jiily and August are: 

 Aconitum NapeUuft. L. Mi/o.'iotifi sijlvatica, Hoff. 



Nasftirtium palustre, D. C. Allium Sch(('ii()})r((si(iii, L. 



Polerium Sifcheiise. S. W. Juncufi slyf/ius. L. 



Saxifraga HircuUi.s, li. Care.r MertinHii, Presc. 



Sa.xifraga leiicantheiui folia var. Bru- A.spid i k in fragrans, Swartz. 



■iioiiiaiKi. T. & G. Hed i/sarum J)()reale, Nutt. 



Epiliihium ffpicdfuiii. Lam. Rubufi arcficns. L. 



Gill ill III boreale, L. Achillea Millefolium. L. 



But some that were in bloom when we tir.st entered the river were replaced by others later 

 in the season. 



The Northwestern Eskimo, or Innuits, although chiefly a coast peojjle, live also on the 

 rivers of the region. On the Kowak their camps and habitations are scattered irregularly 

 along the lower two-thirds of its course, but in summer hunting parties range up to its very 

 headwaters. The pi;rsuit of the reindeer sometimes leads luintei-s far inland; in fact, the 

 majority of the abler-bodied men ajjpear to spend the short summer in the pursuit of game in 

 the interior, while the youths, children, and old men remain on the lower river with the women, 

 whose duty it is to gather in the ichtliyological harvest afforded by the annual salmon run. 

 They often make temporary camps well up stream, where iAwve. ai'e suitable seining gi'ounds. 

 but their earth-covered winter houses are usually at no great distance from the sea. Winter 

 houses or "iglus" are constructed of spruce sai^lings set upright in the ground close together, 

 in the form of a scjuare. four jiosts supporting the arched roof, which is also of light saplings. 

 A hole in the top serves for chimney and ventilator. The entire structure is covered with 

 earth, and when deserted for a year or two, and overgrown with grass and mosses, looks like a 

 mound, identified as having been a human habitation only l)y some tuml:)le-down fish-racks 

 on the river bank near by. or the withei'ed form of a ra^■en stuck upon a pole. 



There is an abundant sujiply of food-fishes in the Kowak region, salmon, trout, grayling, 

 pike, and whitefish being the commonest species. The natives take them in seines, which are 

 made by the women from fibers of roots gathered along the I'iver banks wherever they are 

 exjjosed by the ])reaking away of the earth. These seines, which are usually not more than a 

 yard in Avidth and vary in length from thirty to fifty feet, are strong and durable, bvit would 

 not hold a very heavy haul of salmon. They are fitted with wooden floats, the sinkers being 

 made of reindeer horn. In seining, which is always done in shallow water, one end is carried 

 along shore by the children, the squaws towing the other end down stream in a large birch 

 canoe or a seal-skin boat, keeping it out as far as the length of the seine permits. Large num- 

 bers of salmon are taken in this way, and after being split open, are dried upon poles in the 

 sunshine, a food supply against that time when "Mighty Peboan, the Winter." shall seal up 

 the friendly river, drive off the wild fowl, and cover over '"all the Northland " with his mantles 

 of snow and darkness. 



I expected to find the snowy owl and the hawk-owl on tlie Kowak. but saw nothing of 

 them, althoiigh I kept a bright lookout. 



There are several other species rather widely distributed noi-thward. sucli as the ouzel, 

 downy woodpecker, flicker, iiinc grosbeak, crossbill, &c.. that might be expected as stragglers, 

 but were not met with. 



There are high ranges of hills between this region and the Yukon over which migrating 

 birds doubtless have to pass. As the following pages show, some of the commonest birds of the 

 LTnited States breed regularly in this remote and desolate region. It is comforting to find robins, 

 whitecrown sparrows, bank-swallows, kingfishers, and other well-known and dearly loved home 

 birds following one's meanderings cvrii licyoml (lie .\rctic ("irclr. It ins])iri's thoughts of home 

 and creates a warmth at tlie heart. 



Zoological collecting is iKjt easy work in .-i cnmitry such as that drained by the Kowak 

 River, We traveled in a small steam-launch, heavilv loaded, witli a boat full of r.atives and 



