Sept, 28, 1907.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
489 

moved in, and there it stands deserted, neglected 
and a wonder to the natives, as it is the finest 
dwelling in those parts. 
At Sand Point we bought a good staunch fish- 
ing dory capable of carrying about two tons, to 
use after leaving the steamer. We then con- 
tinued down the coast to Pavlof Bay, which is 
twenty miles wide at its entrance and twenty- 
five miles long. This was our long looked for 
destination and the steamer ran slowly in, the 
and 
captain keeping careful watch for shoals 
sunken rocks, as it was poorly charted, and the 
first time the boat had ever been in there. At 
last, about 5 o’clock on a stormy afternoon, with 
ithe wind blowing a gale, we launched our dory 
with part of our outfit,.the ship's boat bringing 
ithe rest, and struck out for land about a mile 
away with the wind on our bow and whitecaps 
lbreaking over us. By good luck we reached 
land, just twenty days out from Seattle, with- 
lout shipping much water, unloaded our boat, the 
lship’s boat returned and the ship steamed away, 
giving us two blasts from her whistle as a last 
leaving us on the unsheltered shore 
hundred miles of 
us and the 

farewell, 
with over a 
jmountains between 
snow-covered 
nearest human 
being. 
We found we were on a narrow beach at the 
foot of a steep sandy cliff, which extended each 
way several miles. Night was upon us and we 
lhad all we could do to pitch our tent, collect our 
freight, which was in two places half a mife 
apart, into one pile and collect enough driftwood 
with which to cook a hasty supper. We were 
ifraid of the tide, as we did not know how high 
it rose at that time of the year, but were camped 
ind had our outfit piled as far from the water 
hs was possible on account of the steep cliff. We 
had folding cots which raised us eighteen inches 
tbove the ground. I awoke about midnight and 
1oticed the side of our tent, next to the water, 
hwaying back and forth, and could not think 
what was the matter until I remembered we 
had fastened that side down to the lumber we 
iad brought with us for sluice boxes, boats, etc., 
's the sand was too loose to hold the tent pegs. 
Ve found the water several inches deep in our 
lent, but the provisions so far safe, as we had 
aised them on stones piled as high as possible. 
(he water kept rising, but did not quite reach 
lar cots and at last ebbed, so we could return 
> our much needed rest. 
The next day was a busy one, as were all of 
he days spent in that country. We moved 
ump in two boat loads, three miles to the head 
f the bay and camped in a fine spot about three 
undred yards from the beach on a small clear 
reani which grew enough dwarfed willow and 
llder brush on its banks to keep us in fuel. 
\Vhen we returned for the second load the water 
as perfectly calm, but when about a mile from 
lore, a gale sprang up in a minute’s time and 
ie water was soon lashed to foam. We put all 
ir strength on the oars, but for a long time 
yuld scarcely hold our own and were about to 
jve up and trust to make the other shore about 
Jn miles away, when the gale relaxed a little. 
aking hope, we pulled with all our strength 
id at last reached shore. We loaded our boat, 
ised a small sail made from a tarpaulin and 
arted back, making the return trip of three 
iles before the wind in a few minutes with 
ily one steering oar out. We were greatly 
ited at our boat being such a good sailer and 
{lt a great deal of confidence in her when mak- 


ing our trip out of the country in her later in 
the season. 
Our next work was to cache all our outfit ex- 
cept enough to last two weeks, to prevent its 
destruction by animals; there being no one to 
steal it except an occasional Indian sea otter 
hunter, and they are always honest. We made 
up packs consisting of our tent, blankets, two 
weeks’ provisions, a few cooking utensils, min- 
ing tools and firearms, weighing about seventy- 
five pounds each and started out intending to 
go twenty-five miles into the interior to pros- 
DECE 
The first day out we crossed a low plain three 
miles wide, covered with moss and so soft and 
wet that at every step we 
At one time when my 
front and my older one behind me, all marching 
in Indian file, I heard a faint call, and on look- 
ing around found my older partner had fallen, 
sinking: up to his waist in the soft mud and 
tundra with pack thrown 
head, bearing it down. We quickly went to his 
assistance, but did not remove our packs, as it 
sank to our knees. 
younger partner was in 
his forward on his 
would have been dangerous work getting them 
on again in that place, as the ground seemed to 
be a kind of quicksand under the tundra. We 
soon had his pack off and got him on his feet, 
none the worse for his fall in the mud and 
water, as it had been raining and blowing a gale 
all day and we were all drenched through. 
About 5 o'clock, after getting well up in the 
foothills and having crossed a great many ravines 
and canons, went down in a deep gorge 
through which a creek flowed and were 
to continue our way, when the young man was 
attacked with cramps, and throwing himself face 
downward on the ground said that he could not 
take another step. He wanted us to go on, say- 
ing he would follow when he better, but 
knowing the danger of being separated where 
we 
ibout 
got 
fogs settle so quickly, I would not hear of it, 
and so we pitched camp on the spot. A few 
dead alder bushes were near and I built a fire 
and cooked supper. The young man soon got 
better, but the older one complained of rheuma- 
tism in his knees, which swelled up, causing him 
much pain and anxiety. After supper I climbed 
up the opposite side of the gorge to 
the country, but a fog settled down and I could 
On back I 
shot a large porcupine, as I thought the boys 
would like a stew for breakfast, but after taking 
a look at it they decided they did not like por- 
cupine meat, so I threw him away and saved 
look over 
see only a short distance. my way 
my ammunition in future when I saw any porcu- 
pines. That night, soaking wet, cold and lying 
on the water-soaked ground, I enjoyed such a 
peaceful, restful had had on 
a feather bed in a 
During the next two days my rheumatic friend 
sleep as | never 
warm room. 
could not walk and the young man and myself 
each day, bring- 
our patient and 
made a round trip to the cache 
ing up a cot and medicine for 
a lot of supplies, as we wanted to make the best 
On the third day our patient was 
for a 
of our time. 
better and we started out again, headed 
low pass we saw in the mountain range. I never 
saw a cut-up country. At a distance it 
looked smooth and level, but on closer inspec 
up by hundreds of deep 
other at 
more 
tion found it cut 
gorges and 
every conceivable angle, and scarcely a square 
we 
canons interlacing each 
foot of level ground. In each gorge was a rapid 
stream fed by the melting snow from the moun- 
tains, and each stream was skirted by a narrow 
dense growth of dwarf alder and willow bushes, 
the only wood of any kind growing there. It 
was a hard country to carry a heavy pack over, 
and at one time we got lost from each other in 
a dense fog which suddenly came down on us, 
but on reaching the found a 
caribou trail over which we made fine time. 
pass well beaten 
We found a good sized river on the other 
side of the range, where we camped for the 
night, then followed it up to its source among 
lofty snow-capped peaks, which were extinct 
volcanic cones. Here we crossed gorges on snow 
bridges one hundred feet deep with rapid tor- 
beneath and first big 
He crossed our trail two hundred yards 
rents here we saw our 
bear. 
ahead of us, stopped, looked at us, then slowly 
went on his way up the side of a peak as if he 
We measured 
had crossed a lava bed 
thought us beneath his notice. 
his footprint where he 
and left a clear impression, and it was fifteen 
inches long and nine inches broad. He looked 
as large as an elephant to us and we were glad 
when he went out of sight. They are the silver- 
tipped grizzly and brown bear, but are called 
the Alaskan grizzly by the hunters. They are 
the largest bears found anywhere in the world 
and their strength is enormous. I met an old 
hunter further the coast who had killed 
one whose skin measured fourteen feet long and 
have 
down 
would 
We crossed 
eleven feet wide, and he said it 
weighed at least a ton and a half. 
many of their trails worn knee-deep in the hard 
lava beds, where they cross from one peak to 
another, but never tried to kill one, as my rifle 
was not powerful enough. 
We crossed another divide and saw before us 
a river with numerous creeks emptying into it, 
and flowing into a large mountain lake, out of 
which another river flowed into the Bering Sea. 
We decided to this valley well, so 
camped on a grassy bench in a ravine well shel- 
tered from the wind. For the next two weeks 
we explored and prospected every stream with- 
in ten miles, but Often we 
worked fourteen hours a day sinking holes, mak- 
cross-cuts, etc., but found the coun- 
prospect 
got poor results. 
ing ditches, 
try wherever we went was of a loose lava for- 
mation and a poor place for gold. The country 
clearly showed it was all of a volcanic origin, 
composed of huge blown out boulders, burnt 
rock, gravel and sand, all of a black substance, 
which plainly showed it had been subjected to 
ereat heat. The high benches sloping toward 
the river were cut by deep ravines, caused by 
snow melting and forming streams, which had 
cut channels in some places hundreds of feet 
deep with sloping sides of loose lava and ashes. 
We saw thousands of caribou grazing in the 
valleys or picking moss from the hills, but killed 
only two, as their hindquarters furnished us all 
the meat we could use. I shot one that was act- 
ing as a sentinel for a herd of at least 500, then 
getting in plain sight of them walked toward 
the I had killed. The whole herd bunched 
together in a solid mass and circled around me 
at a distance of 200 yards, stopping now and 
to stare at me, then continuing their run- 
for a distant 
one 
then 
ning until, satisfied, they headed 
valley and were soon out of sight, as their speed 
is wonderful considering the nature of the 
ground. I was no doubt the first man they had 
ever seen and could easily have killed a dozen 
of them with my repeating rifle, but they will 
disappear fast enough, when found by the butch- 

