182 /. E. McGrath — The Alaskan Boundary Survey. 



to 703,000 cases. In the interior gold, copper and coal have been 

 found, but as yet the most valuable exports are the many rich 

 furs for which Alaska has long been noted. 



No feature of Alaska is more remarkable and noteworthy, geo- 

 graphically, than its great river, the Yukon. This mighty stream, 

 rising within twenty miles of the Pacific ocean (estimated from 

 the head of Lynn canal), flows for about 1,000 miles northwest- 

 erly, passing inside the arctic circle, near fort Yukon, and then, 

 bending its course south-southwestward, flows on for another 

 1,000 miles until it reaches Bering sea. 



The Russians during their domination in Alaska did but little 

 in the way of exploring the interior, and it remained for the 

 hardy pioneers of the A¥estern Union Telegraph expedition, Avho 

 were occupied during 1866 and 1867 in selecting a route for a 

 telegraph line to connect Europe and America by way of Siberia, 

 established the identity of the river known to the British as the 

 Lewes and to the Russians as the Kwikpak or Yukon. 



In the early days the trade of the river was divided between 

 the two peoples just mentioned. The Hudson Bay company 

 had established a post at fort Yukon, and the servants of this 

 company received their goods by dog trains from the Mackenzie 

 River district, extending their operations as far down the river 

 as Nuklukayet, near the mouth of Tanana river, and so securing 

 the trade which at the present day is considered the best in the 

 Yukon district. The Russians had to bring their supplies up 

 the Yukon in sailing vessels, and with this slow means of trans- 

 portation found Nulato far enough in the interior for their trad- 

 ing post. The English occupation of the site of fort Yukon con- 

 tinued until 1869. In that year Captain Raymond, of the United 

 States Engineers, was sent up the river to determine the location 

 of the post. A total eclipse of the sun afforded him an admirable 

 opportunity to determine his longitude. This being supple- 

 mented by observations of the moon and moon-culminating stars, 

 a latitude was observed ; and then, as it was placed beyond doubt 

 that the station was in the United States territory, the Hudson 

 Bay company retired up Porcupine river to a point that the 

 factor, Mr McDougall, thought was well within the Bwtish pos- 

 sessions. Captain Raymond also mapped the river between fort 

 Yukon and its mouth, and when Lieutenant Schwatka made his 

 famous raft journey down the river (from its head) in 1883 he 

 supplemented Raymond's work, and for the first time a fair idea 

 of the course of Yukon river was given to the world. 



