326 THE SUSHITNA RIVER, ALASKA 



followed a long distance, and found it ran all the way in the low, 

 fiat country skirting the foothills of the great range. They as- 

 cended a hill, and far to the west could see what they took to be 

 the headwaters of the Kuskokwim, or some other stream, tiowing 

 in the opposite direction, with no marked divide between the 

 two rivers. 



The branch we followed was the middle fork, which soon en- 

 tered a narrow valley between low hills, which gradually became 

 higher and higher until we came to a canon about 60 miles above 

 the forks, through which it was impossible to take our boats. We 

 had supposed from what we could gather from the Indians that 

 there was a waterfall in the canon, but such does not seem to be 

 the case, though for a distance of about a mile there are very rough 

 rapids in which no boat could live. The walls of the caiion are 

 nearly 1,000 feet high, and in some places are perpendicular. The 

 water, confined in a very narrow channel, looks like a white rib- 

 bon at the base of the great walls. We ascended the mountains 

 on both sides and obtained splendid views of the great cluster of 

 peaks about Mt McKinley, which bore a little north of west. 



The Copper River, or Midnooskie, Indians, who inhabit the 

 upper waters of the river, all agree that the main source of Cop- 

 per river is near the headwaters of this branch of the Sushitna 

 and not far from the Tanana. As the government charts place 

 the main source of Copper river north of the Wrangel group of 

 mountains, I have carefully looked up Lieut. Allen's report, and 

 find that his narrative would agree with the statement of the In- 

 dians. When Lieut. Allen reached the mouth of the Chitsletchnia 

 river he was in doubt as to which was the main river, as the forks 

 were apparently nearly equal in size. He followed the branch 

 now known as the main river, not because it was the larger, but 

 because he was informed that nearby there were Indians living 

 on it from whom he could obtain food, of which his party were 

 in sore need. He goes on to say that the stream diminished in 

 size rapidly as he ascended it, and soon became less than 100 

 yards in width. The main source is, probably, as indicated by 

 the Indians, south of the Tanana and near the Sushitna. Lieut. 

 Allen, in his report, falls into the error of confusing the Sushitna 

 with the Midnooskie or Knik river, down which the Midnoo- 

 skie Indians from the Copper river come each year to trade at 

 the Knik station. They ascend the Tazlina branch of Copper 

 river, cross a low divide, and come down the Midnooskie instead 

 of the Sushitna, as Lieut. Allen erroneously conjectured. The 



