Spent most of the day around Hyland’s store, awaiting our 
canoes, and loafing around town. Much to our disappoint¬ 
ment there are no letters, Telegraph Creek not having re¬ 
ceived any mail since the coming of the Hazelton, with us 
aboard. 
Feeling the need of a little exercise, and our canoes not 
having come as yet, Little, Belfry, and I walked up the moun¬ 
tain a few miles to Saw Mill Lake, for duck. Little and I 
did the shooting, and, considering that we are using both 
strange guns and black powder, we made quite a fair bag. 
The birds were most welcome, since there has been no fresh 
meat in all the town in two weeks, with the exception of 
the hind quarter of caribou brought in by ourselves and dis¬ 
tributed to the Hylands and their friends. 
It is remarkable how pleasantly time will pass loafing 
round a trading-post, an occupation which would prove very 
much of a bore if indulged in in the cities. 
This evening the Indian agent came to the saloon and 
told of a “Hulah game” in progress in the Indian village. 
“Hulah” is a native gambling game, in which a certain num¬ 
ber of people sit at either side the arena, each player holding 
a stick in his right hand or left, while a blanket covers his 
hands and knees. One man on either side then proceeds to 
guess in which hand the others’ stick is held. Players will 
wager everything they possess on a game of this kind; tribe 
sometimes staking blankets, ponies and clothing against tribe 
upon the result. During the game the Indians chant a weird 
native song. 
Our boat, which is a small war canoe, built by the Haida 
Indians, and manned by four “Sticks,”* with ex-Half-back 
George Snake, a Carlisle graduate, for Captain, arrived this 
afternoon; and we are to leave for Wrangle at eight to-mor¬ 
row morning. 
With exception of the Captain none of our crew would 
take prizes for beauty. In fact, they form a type of Indian 
quite different from those met up here, before. 
A farewell dance is to be given in our honor at Hyland’s 
warehouse to-night, and we must “dress” for the occasion; 
said dressing consisting, on my part, of the substitution of a 
* Sticks—An Indian tribe residing in American territory, 
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