MY TRIP TO WOOD'S CANYON. 
{(Report of Edward Cashman to Captain Abercrombie, U. S. A.) 
I left Valdez October 18th with 4 com- 
panions, to recover 13 horses left in Wood’s 
canyon. One of these men, Charles An- 
derson, made the trip from Sawmill camp, 
on Klutena river, to the soldiers’ camp on 
Low river in 1% days. We had 2 days’ 
supplies. Our first stop was at Dutch 
camp on Low river. The second day we 
camped with the soldiers who were cutting 
trail. The trail from Valdez to their camp 
was good. The third day we left camp at 
8 o’clock and at 10:30 were on top of the 
divide. The trail up the divide was clear 
of brush, and on the top was level. On our 
left was a bluff and a small lake. 
We were about half way around the lake 
when we saw a bear. Going through the 
pass we saw another bear sitting on a rock. 
We arrived at the banks of a large river at 
one o’clock, and camped the rest of the day. 
We looked for some flour which the sol- 
diers: told us was there, but found none. 
The next day we broke camp at 8 a. m., 
went down the valley 2 miles and started 
through a small canyon to our left. We 
broke through the ice several times, my 
boots getting full of water. Beyond the 
canyon we found a small glacier. It took 
us from 11 until 4 to cross it, traveling 
through 2 feet of snow, which was falling 
all the time. Beyond the glacier we entered 
a small valley, all rocks. We could go no 
farther, as it was dark. We walked around 
a large rock all night. At daylight we 
started out and at to o’clock found some 
wood. We built a fire to thaw out. It took 
half an hour to get my boots off, and I 
found all the toes of my left foot and the 
great toe of my right foot frozen. 
rubbed them with snow and went on down 
the valley. It began to snow, and we could 
not see Io yards. We traveled 4% hours, 
then came back to our camp fire again. 
About that time we concluded we were 
lost. In the morning we climbed the moun- 
tain, but could not see because of the thick 
weather. Several days were lost in that 
way. One clear day while I was on the 
mountain I saw a large lake. I suggested 
that we go to the lake and find out where 
we were. We started down a stream which 
came from the glacier, crossed it and fol- 
lowed it several days, walking on the ice, 
struck what I recognized as the Quartz 
creek trail. We were so weak by that time 
we could hardly travel. When I told the 
boys we could get to the rapids in a day, 
it braced them up; but it took us 1% days 
to get there. 
When we arrived at the camp the people 
could not do enough for us. Through the 
kindness of Dr. Townsend, who treated my 
toes, and Mr. Fishline, who gave us pro- 
visions, we were soon on our feet again. 
“ My companions stopped there and I left 
We > 
* 2 miles wide. 
as the stream was freezing. The streams. 
freeze from the bottom, then from the side. 
In going down we saw tracks of bears and 
wolverines in the snow, and found where a 
bear had been fishing for salmon. Both 
stream and lake were full of large salmon. 
We saw 9 bears in the woods. It took us a 
day to oe ‘around the lake, when we 
for Copper Center. We had been 8 days 
without eating. It had taken us 11 days 
to make the trip, but I could do it again in 
4. We kept too far to the Northwest. In 
my opinion a good trail can be made to 
Copper river via Low river. 
I left Copper Center November Ist with 
Jack Stewart and Joe Ham. We were 2 
days getting to Nicolai No. 2 wigwam, 
and stopped there 2 hours. 
We left Copper Center Monday. The river 
was full of mush ice. Wednesday we 
stopped at the mouth of Tonsena river to 
deliver a Jetter to Mr. Fritts, who was win- 
tering 12 horses there. We had a hard time 
on account of cold and ice. Friday we were 
caught in the ice jam, and our boat was 
lifted 8 feet in the air. We had to use the 
seats of the boat for snow shoes to reach 
a shoal 100 yards from us, as the ice was 
not solid enough to hold us. We camped on 
the shoal and at 3 the next morning were 
awakened by the ice moving. We were 
like rats in a trap. Our boat was gone and 
the ice was moving all around us. It piled 
up, cake on cake, 15 feet high in the middle 
of the river. It was forced up on the shoal 
and stopped within 3 feet of our tent. At 
daylight the ice stopped moving and was 
solid enough to walk on. 
Some Indians came over and helped us 
pack what was left of our stuff to the bank 
of the river, which there was about 
We were almost opposite 
Kotsena river. It took us till Monday 
morning to pack our goods to where we 
found the horses. Nine were alive and 3 
dead, and one was missing. We found 
him later on the river flats. One leg 
was broken and his tongue hung from 
his mouth, which was _ frozen _ shut. 
We shot him. Stewart and I left 
Ham to watch the horses and went down to 
Wood’s canyon to find a crossing to Taral. 
The Chittyna river was about one mile above 
and was open as far as we _ could 
see. We found a place where the ice had 
jammed, crossed to Taral and found the 
old squaw of whom you bought fish when 
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