Travel and Adventure in the Territory of Alaska, Formerly Russian America--Now Ceded to the United States--And in Various Other Parts of the North Pacific (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1869. Excerpt: ... 234 Meet A De.serter. CHAPTER XIX. CANOE JOURNEY (continued).--ASCENT OF THE YUKON. Meet a Deserter.--Indian Taste for " Nigger " Minstrelsy.--Tracking.--Lagoon.--Piles of Drift-wood.--Nuclukayette.--Unsophisticated Indians.--Ceremony.--Leave the Russians.--The Indian's Head.--Mountain Gorge--Indian Dogs.--Canoe Leak.--The Rapids.--The "Ramparts."--Moose-hunting.--Islands.--Overhanging Banks.--Shallows.--Shortest Night.--First English Indians.--Porcupine River.--Fort Yukon. June 5th.--We got off about 5 A.M., and travelled till the noonday heat compelled us to camp for a time. The evening and early morning are the only times for travelling in this country during the brief summer. Few would believe that here, almost in the latitude of Behring Straits, it was nearly 80 in the shade, and the effect was nearly doubled by the fact that this heat followed so closely on the intense cold of winter. We wished, as far as possible, to accompany the Russian traders, or we would long ere this have travelled exclusively by night; but they preferred the day, for reasons best known to themselves. After we left them we followed our own ideas in this matter. In the cooler afternoon we again started, and were proceeding steadily, when we were surprised to see, a little way ahead, a large fire on the beach. Indians rarely make such, but prefer to sit, even in winter, shivering over a few sticks, and we felt sure that it must be the camp of a white traveller or travellers. We landed, ran up to the place, and found standing there a deserter from the Hudson Bay Company's fort. He had, with one Indian, descended the river thus far, when his canoe had upset, and his few worldThe Deserter's History. 235 ly possessions, including his gun, had gone to the bottom. He and his companio...