FAR AND NEAR 



rosy finch. The vegetation was mostly moss and 

 lichens and low stunted spruce, the latter so flat- 

 tened by the snow that one could walk over them. 



In keeping with the snow and desolation and 

 general dissolution was the group of hasty, ragged 

 canvas buildings and tents at the railroad ter- 

 minus, the larger ones belonging to the company, 

 the others for the accommodation of traveUng gold- 

 seekers. In one of the larger tents a really good 

 dinner was served our party, through the courtesy 

 of the railroad officials. We saw on the trail a few 

 gold-seekers with their heavy packs; they paused 

 and looked up wistfully at our train. 



In ascending the Pass we met a small party of 

 naturalists from the U. S. Biological Survey on their 

 way to the Yukon, the entire length of which they 

 intended traversing in a small boat. We stopped 

 long enough to visit their tent and take a hasty look 

 at the interesting collection of birds and mammals 

 they had already secured here. They have since 

 returned and published a report on the results of 

 their labors. 



At the time of our visit the railroad terminus was 

 at the summit of the pass, from which point pas- 

 sengers bound for the Klondike were transported to 

 Lake Bennett by sleighs. The deep snow was 

 melting so rapidly and slumping so badly that the 

 sled-loads of people and grain we saw depart for the 

 Upper Yukon were, we were told, the last to go 



