the united states geological survey has gathered a volume of information on the subject of the gold fields of alaska. the object of the expedition was to discover the source from which the gold of the yukon placer mines was derived. a belt of auriferous rocks, five hundred miles long and from fifty to one hundred wide, runs from the british territory across the american line at forty mile creek. it is the opinion of the geological survey that the gold deposits of alaska will rival those of south africa.
returning to skagway the gentlemen of our party were entertained at a banquet given by the members of the chamber of commerce, in their building.
the ladies were invited by mrs. bracket to her lovely home where a delightful luncheon was served. the leading ladies of skagway were met at the home of our charming hostess[86] to bid us welcome to their enterprising little city.
an employe of the engineering department of the white pass and yukon railroad is at the portland hotel. he came in from cariboo crossing to celebrate the fourth, and recuperate from a hard trip up the watson river and along the foothills of the mountains to the fifty mile river below white horse rapids. most of the country through which the party traveled is entirely new to map makers and no signs of trails, mess debris, chopping or other evidences of a previous visitation could be found. as a consequence a number of streams and lakes were discovered. of the latter some are quite large and are teeming with large lake trout. the latter were caught in large numbers by throwing a common pickerel trotting hook, attached to a line, out into the lake and hauling it ashore. it was seldom that a cast failed to land a fish. artificial flies had no attraction for them. in appearance these fish look very much like the mountain trout of puget sound, but are much lighter in color. the topographer of the party says they are identical with the trout found in the adirondack lake regions.
[87]
the head chainman killed a huge brown bear, which, after being shot, made a furious charge upon him and was only laid low when but a few feet away from his slayer.
the lower lands of this country are almost entirely devoid of rock. the soil is an ashy sand patched with powdered limestone stretching over the country in white patches like alkali lakes. on the forty mile river declivity the country is cut up with huge pot-holes. many of these contain lakes of the purest water, that gleam in the sunlight in green, azure and dark blue according to their depths and shades. a curious peculiarity of these lakes lies in the fact that their outlets and inlets are subterranean. they receive their supply from the bottoms of lakes above and their overflow percolates through their lower banks to lakes below.
the country swarms with ducks, snipe and other water fowl. it is now the breeding season and ducks followed by broods of ducklings may be seen along the edge of every sheet of water. much fresh sign of bear, moose, mountain sheep and cariboo were seen throughout the country, but the noise attendant upon the progress of the party along the line of their[88] journey, gave all the big game a good opportunity to get out of sight.
the open coulées and plateaus of this country are waving with luxuriant bunch-grass, rye-grass and redtop, but the mosquitoes are in such untold numbers and so violent in their attacks that the pack horses of the party were too worried to receive much benefit in grazing. in places are woodlands of large spruce and tall lodge-pole pines, but most of the timber is scrubby and fit only for fuel.
no indications of mineral could be seen.
the night before the fourth a large flag was planted on top of mt. dewey. the town was decorated with bunting and flags. well dressed people thronged the streets. an oration was delivered from the grand stand and foot and horse races lent zest to the sports.
the town has two fire companies. these exhibited their hose-carts and ran a race, making an exhibition of their skill in handling the hose. water is plenty, as it comes down the mountain side in a vast volume from a lake near the summit of mt. dewey and is piped over the town.
while the town looks and is new there was nothing to distinguish the celebration of the national[89] holiday from the same day in the states.
we are now above the line of night. it is as light as day all night. no light is needed as one can read at any time of night without it. the sun scarcely sets in the west until it rises in the east. at summit lake, which is at the top of the mountains, there is no night at all, it being in latitude sixty north and longitude one hundred and sixty west.
the display of the aurora borealis each night is a scene never to be forgotten. night after night the whole northern sky is aflame with a light akin to sunlight tempered by moonlight and enriched by the splendor of the rainbow’s glorious hues. the tlingit indians believe the aurora to be the ghost-dance of dead warriors who live on the plains of the sky.
the skagway enchantress is a figure in stone high up on the mountain side resembling a woman. her flowing garments resemble those of a stylish parisian gown. the indians formerly crossed the mountains at this point, chilkat pass, but this witch long ago enchanted the trail, so that it meant death to follow it. the indians now turn aside here and follow the white pass.
high above the enchantress’s head a bear, whose head is plainly visible, stands guard over her.
if you look long enough on a moonlight night you can see the enchantress move, but she cannot leave the mountain. she cannot come down, yet chilkat pass remains enchanted.
