OUR ALASKAN EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



STICKEEN. 



UP THE 



A. T. STONE. 



John Muir, who canoed the Stahkeena, 

 or Great river, from mouth to head, in 1879, 

 epitomized its finest reach as " a Yosemite 

 100 miles long." It is said that 300 living 

 glaciers drain directly into the Stickeen, 

 and Professor Muir claimed to have 

 counted 100 from his canoe. The river is 

 wide and shallow at its mouth, with a cur- 

 rent of about 5 miles an hour. 



reach the head waters of the Stickeen van- 

 ished at once. 



The big, square sail was hoisted, and the 

 10 miles run on salt water to Pt. Rothsay, 

 at the mouth of the river, past picturesque 

 Pt. Highfield, through Labouchere bay, 

 past Kadin and Sergieff islands was quickly 

 made. 



We were but 2 short miles from Wrangle, 

 when we passed from the dark green to the 

 yellowish, dirty white glacial flood of the 



GUIDE, IN THE SERVICE OF RECREATION'S 

 ALASKAN EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



When Recreation's exploring party 

 made a second and successful attempt to 

 stem the current of this mighty stream our 

 monster Indian canoe was shoved from the 

 landing at Ft. Wrangle, by a picked crew of 

 Tlingit boatmen. I carefully noted the 

 clock-like movements of these hardy, well 

 drilled, muscular fellows, as they handled 

 the long, heavy single sweeps, that shot our 

 vessel into the open waters of the bay; and 

 all doubts as to our being able, this time, to 



A GLIMPSE OF THE TAHLTAN RIVER, 



ALASKA. 



Stickeen. This stream is never clear. 

 Draining these many glaciers of their milky 

 waters, and cutting away its banks of yel- 

 low clay and sand, its waters are well mixed 

 ere they reach the sea. 



Just before reaching Pt. Rothsay we met 

 a number of fishermen; and pulling along- 

 side one of their dories inquired as to their 

 success. As a result of the day's work they 

 had hundreds of big, fat salmon. These 

 were principally the kisutch or silver sal- 

 mon, and king, chonicha or quinnat sal- 

 mon. 



94 



