The Return to the Coast. 125 



not without excitement. - The river has a fall of about twenty feet 

 to the mile, so that it is practically a continuous rapid from the 

 point where we embarked thirty-five miles down to its conflu- 

 ence with the Chittenah. For seven miles above the confluence 

 the river flows through a canyon with rocky walls from 350 to 

 500 feet high. It is extremely narrow and crooked; the water, 

 which above the canyon frequently spreads out half a mile or 

 more in breadth, being compressed into a channel in places only 

 a few yards across. 



We were presumably on a part of the river descended by 

 Lieutenant Allen in 1886 with a crew of natives, but thus far 

 had been unable to make the country fit his map and were in 

 doubt until we reached the lower end of the canyon, when it was 

 of less interest to know that another had been through than it 

 would have been before we started in. After endeavoring with 

 poor success to learn something of the character of the canyon 

 from the top of the l)luffs, we decided to attempt its passage. 

 Our boat w^as tossed from side to side like a shuttlecock, whirled 

 around sharp projecting points of rock and through narrow 

 chutes with a velocity that fairly took our breath. Twice 

 more the canyon wall was scaled, but the river could be seen 

 only a short distance ahead. Several times Ave came uncom- 

 fortably near disaster, and that we got through in safety is largely 

 due to the coolness and skill witli which Mark Russell navigated 

 our craft. 



Continuing down the Chittenah about forty miles to its con- 

 fluence with Copper river, we reached Taral, a few miles beloAV 

 the confluence, August 12, just fourteen days after the natives 

 left us on White river. We had come through exactly on schedule 

 time, with three pounds of flour and a handful of tea remaining 

 of the provisions with which we left Selkirk. 



At Taral we found Nicolai, or " Scolai," as the Yukon Indians 

 call him, the autocrat of the Copper river country. He gave us 

 a most hospitable reception and supplied us with provisions so 

 far as his Ihnited stores permitted. Salmon, both fresh and 

 dried, were abundant, so that we had no further apprehension 

 of famine. The Copper river Indians have an unenviable repu- 

 tation for treachery and hostilit}^ to the whites ; but we saw 

 nothing to justify it. They are greatl}^ superior to the Yukon 

 ]iatives, physically at least, and have a much more elaborate 

 family and tribal organization. 



IS— Nat. Geoo. Mao., vol. IV, 18!)-', 



