iirducka] WRITER'S TRIP OX YUKON 71 



Stop a bit at the mission to give Mrs. Barrick a fish and get a bag 

 or two from Mr. Betsch, ami then proceed. From the river the 

 Russian Mission settlement is seen to be very favorably situated at 

 the foot of the southern slope of a big hill. But the recency of the 

 Hat below and in front of the church and schoolhouse is clearly 

 seen again. The site about where the church and school are may — 

 in fact must, it is so favored — be a very old one, and doubtless a 

 thorough excavation of the slope from the back of the houses 

 upward would be both easy and very instructive. The place should 

 by all means receive attention. 



Reach and examine the " 32 kashim slough," a beautiful side chan- 

 nel about 7 miles long; reach about V/ 2 miles from its entrance, 

 examine banks and pass through jungle, find tracks of foxes and of 

 a bear, also see one big beautiful red fox trotting ahead of us on the 

 other beach — but not a trace of man. Examine also the " mounds " 

 on Grand Island, but find them to be only dunes. 



Lunch on the beach; remarkably few mosquitoes and no gnats; 

 smoked raw salmon strips again, and coffee; and at 5 leave for home, 

 it being impossible so late to go down to the end of the channel. 



On return all going nicely until 5. Then, in a slough 3y 2 miles 

 from the Russian Mission, after an examination of another likely site, 

 breakdown of the motor. Do everything possible to make it go until 

 about 8, but in vain. Then I take the crazy little rowboat that luck- 

 ily we took with us. bail out the water with our shovel, and row to 

 the mission for help. Get there about 9, send back a launch with some 

 natives, have a little supper with the teacher, and row home around 

 the hill, reaching Gurtler's near 11. In a few minutes the launch 

 is towed in and all is well once more. Mr. Betsch got for us two 

 good native " kantags " or wooden dishes. Also we fix to go down to 

 the " 32 kashims " to-morrow once more with Mr. Betsch and the 

 teacher. 



July 8. Up a little after 6 ; breakfast ; and then comes in a native 

 from the mission with two letters and information that the Agnes, 

 the little mail-carrier boat, has arrived during the night and is wait- 

 ing for me to take me to Marshall and to Old Hamilton, whence 

 another boat will take me in a day or two to St. Michael. So get 

 ready in a minute, put my baggage on a native's boat, pay my bill, 

 leave another lot of good friends, and row to the mission. There is 

 the little dinghy Agnes with its "accommodation" for three passengers 

 already two-thirds filled up. and towing two big logs as a freight. 

 Put my things partly in a "bunk," partly on the roof, give good-byes 

 to Betsch and the teacher, help to push off the boat which is stuck in 

 the mud, and we are off for another Yukon chapter. 



