UNDER ARCTIC SKIES. 



L. L. EALES. 



In the spring of 1900 I made the trip 

 from Seattle to Nome, carrying a special 

 mail. After passing through 3 successive 

 disasters at sea, I finally reached the main- 

 land at Iliamna bay, 150 miles Northwest 

 of Kadiak island, May 9th, I was then 

 40 days behind time. It was too late for 

 dog sleighing and too early for boating 

 along the route I had proposed taking. 

 Therefore I struck across the Alaskan pe- 

 ninsula, coming out at Koggiung, Bristol 

 bay, on Bering sea. 



Iliamna lake is 90 miles long and 35 

 miles wide. Its water is clear and trans- 

 parent.. The Eastern shore is fairly well 

 timbered. This lake contains fresh water 

 seals. In size they are between the hair 

 seal and the sea lion, and they have a pecu- 

 liar whitish mark on the back. They can 

 be taken only in winter, when they come 

 out on the ice. I left an order with the 

 Iliamna chief for 2 skins and skeletons to 

 be sent to the coast. There is also in this 

 lake a peculiar fish having a bill like a 

 duck's. It looks much like the pickerel of 

 the East. 



There are at least 100 islands of all sizes 

 in the Eastern half of the lake, but only 

 3 small ones in the Western part. Several 

 varieties of gulls nest on the islands and 

 eggs are plentiful in May and June. Near 

 the lake I found a deposit of fine black 

 sand. There is a lot of quartz near, but 

 men who claim to know* say it is micaceous 

 quartz and worthless. At one place the 

 beach is strewn with bits of petrified bark 

 of the soft pine. I also found many kinds 

 of petrified wood. 



Willow grouse are numerous. There are 

 a few snowshoe rabbits, many marmots, 

 and a few ducks and geese. On the bars 

 of the river, which is the out'et of Iliamna 

 lake, many water fowl were seen. 



In traveled in a kayak, a skin boat used 

 by the natives. Skillfully handled, it will 

 outlive a ship in a storm. I saw a few 

 bears, but little other game. 



The day I arrived at Koggiung the na- 

 tives were having a beluga hunt. The 

 beluga, or white whale, attains a length 

 of 40 to 50 feet. They go in schools, and 

 when feeding they come to the surface 

 every 10 minutes to blow. 'Before hunting 

 them the natives paint their kayaks, oars, 

 wooden helmets and other gear white. 

 Soon after a school is sighted every able 

 bodied man owning a kayak is on the bay. 

 When a whale rises the nearest hunter 

 gives a signal and follows it, while the 



others scatter in different directions. 

 Sometimes the whales become frightened 

 and run up high and dry on the mud flats. 

 Twenty-five were killed the day I was 

 there. Their skins are used for kayaks and 

 muk-luk soles ; their oil is an article of 

 trade. 



From Bering sea I went inland 150 miles 

 at 2 different places ; going up a river, 

 making a portage to the headwaters of 

 another, and down to the sea again. In 

 that way I cut off capes Constantine and 

 Newenham. 



While coming down those rivers many 

 were the mutual surprises as I came silently 

 on foxes and other animals at play or 

 feeding. One family of 6 fox pups and 

 their dam I especially remember. The 

 pups were half grown and as playful as 

 kittens I was within a few yards when a 

 pup scented me and ran into the brush. 

 The mother sat staring at me until I pur- 

 posely moved. Then she gave 2 short, 

 howling barks, and in an instant all were 

 in cover.. In the same way I surprised a 

 lynx. He showed no fear, although I 

 was within 20 feet of him. I spoke to 

 him and even struck the water with my 

 paddle without causing him to flee. He 

 merely held his head low, and every few 

 seconds would drop it a little and wink 

 both eyes. He kept that up until my ap- 

 proach fairly drove him into the brush. 



In the 1,500 mile trip I saw a few fish- 

 hawks, Siwash robins, magpies, and great 

 numbers of violet, green, and barn swal- 

 lows at every cliff. Along the coast and 

 within the range of tide water, all the 

 water fowl in creation appeared to breed. 

 Even on the fresh water lakes in the tun- 

 dra, hundreds of miles from the sea, they 

 fairly swarmed. 



The common rabbit is exceedingly 

 abundant along the Kuskokwim river, from 

 Bethel up. Willow grouse are numerous, 

 and great numbers are snared by the na- 

 tives. There is a run of some kind of fish 

 every month in the year. The river is 

 about the size of the lower Ohio, and is 

 navigable 600 miles. So far there has 

 never been a steamboat on it. It offers 

 great opportunities for fishing stations and 

 trading ports, and the region through 

 which it flows is undoubtedly rich in 

 minerals. 



There is a large native population, per- 

 fectly peaceable and self supporting. I 

 made the trip without fire arms of any kind 

 and was everywhere well received. 



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