11 WE AGAIN STARTED FOR THE MAINLAND." 



camping there. Stacking about half our 

 supplies on top of the drift wood, so as to 

 lighten our boat, we again started for the 

 mainland, with a rush, and were again 

 driven back. Then we unloaded more of 

 our freight, and a third attempt proved 

 successful, only after the most determined 

 effort. Several times I thought we would 

 fail, and several times it seemed we would 

 sink in the boat, exhausted. When we 

 finally landed we could barely crawl up the 

 low, grass covered bank. 



But what about our supplies — our cam- 

 eras, plates, guns, and provisions — back on 

 the drift wood? 



The man we had with us, a brave man 

 and a good canoeman, saw I was perplexed. 

 We had over 300 feet of rope with us and 

 he suggested that, after unloading the boat, 

 he and I coil in the rope, make fast one 

 end to the shore, let ourselves back to the 

 island and leave Ed and the Indian woman 

 to tow us in. 



We undertook this and down we went 

 like a shot. We managed to make the 

 proper landing, but by the time our stuff 

 was loaded our rope had fouled under some 

 drift wood, about half way, and could not 

 be recovered. Taking my position in the 

 bow I took in rope, hand over hand, until 

 near where it was fast, when we were sud- 



denly thrown from our course by the cur- 

 rent; and had the rope not been cut, in- 

 stantly, we would have capsized. 



When the rope parted we were driven 

 violently down the side current but man- 

 aged to land about a quarter of a mile be- 

 low, on the mainland. Towing and brush- 

 ing were then in order, to reach camp, 

 which was accomplished at 3 o'clock the 

 following morning. 



All this time the mosquitoes fairly drove 

 us crazy; and we were so fatigued we could 

 not think of cooking a meal. There were 

 some cold boiled beans in the kettle and 

 we managed to make some tea. These 

 comprised our repast after 14 hours' exer- 

 tion and excitement, and we went to sleep 

 on the ground, with our heads under pieces 

 of muslin to keep off mosquitoes. 



The next day we rested, fought mosqui- 

 toes, and watched the drift wood disappear, 

 at the point where our supplies had been 

 stacked the evening before. 



I could relate man)'' other incidents of 

 the trip, equally hazardous, but will only 

 say that to navigate the Stickeen requires 

 the best of canoemen, and at least one who 

 knows the river. It was after discovering 

 these facts that I turned back to Fort Wran- 

 gle and secured a complete Indian crew, 

 who knew the stream, to take us up. 



i 9 t 



