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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1883)
a6o THE WEST SHORE. October. The rdurn of Lieutenant Schwatka from the Yukon, Lieutenant Ray from Point Barrow, Lieutenant Stoney from hii trip to reward the Tchackchee Indiana for their assistance to the suffering crew of the Rodgert in 1881, and the SchclTclin brothers from the mines, affords us an opportunity to learn much about our Arctic pos sessions. Lieutenant Schwatka started with a small party to explore the Yukon river early in June. On the sixth of thatmonth they left Chilcat, crossed inland to the Doya river, ascended that stream in canoes as far as possible and then packed their outfit thirty-five miles across the mountains to the head waters of the great Yukon. Con structing a raft 16x40 feet, the party of nine started down the stream on that rude conveyance. They passed five lakes varying from ten to thirty five miles in length. Around two rapids, one three miles in length and the other half a mile, they were compelled to make a portage, while their craft made the dangerous passage alone. A journey ol 1,300 miles brought them to a station of the Alaska Commercial Co., called New Claquiet. A large boat took them to St, Michael's, seventy-five miles from the ocean, and there they boarded the U. S. schooner Leo for San Francisco, This is the first party to visit the head waters of the great Yukon, thou h small steamers navigate the stream a distance of 1,300 miles above its mouth. They saw only three Indian villages on the upper river. No frosts were experienced till near the mouth of the stream. Moose and bears abound and the water Is full of trout, grayling and large salmon. The country along the Upper Yukon is thickly covered with Cottonwood and small spruce. Two largt parties of miners were working on branches of the river near the ruins of old Fort Selkirk. The river discharges a greater volume of water than the Mississippi, is seven miles wide in some places, and is one of the largest streams in the world.. Lieutenant Stoney reports '.he discovery of an immense river even larger than the Yukon. Vague accounts of such a stream have occasionally been given by the natives, and while waiting for the Ctrunn to return, he determined to investigate the matter. Accompanied by one attendant and an interpreter, he proceeded inland from Hotham inlet in a southeasterly direction until he struck what he believed to be the mysterious river. He lollowed It to its mouth, a distance of about fifteen miles, where he saw such immense pieces ol floating timber as to satisfy him that the stream must be of great site. He retraced hit steps a distance ol hlty miles, where he encountered natives, from whom he learned that to reach the head water of the unknown stream would take several months. The Indians told him they came down tt a distance of 1,500 miles to meet fur traders, and that the river went up higher than that. Having no tin to go further, Stoney re turned. It is bis opinion that the discovery of this river account for the Urge amount of Boating timber in the Arctic, popularly supposed to come down the Yukon. The Indians stated that the river in some places is twenty miles wide. It is within the Arctic circle, but in August, when Stoney was there, he found flowers and vegetation not hitherto discovered in so high latitudes. Lieutenant Ray gives the following details of his sojourn in the north. He left San Francisco in July, 1881, under instructions from the signal service bureau to establish a permanent signal station at Point Barrow, and to remain there till 1884, unless otherwise ordered. The order for him and the whole party to return created great surprise, as the work was being successfully car ried nut, having accomplished all the portion re specting international work, corresponding with that of similar stations established by Russia, Sweden, Denmark and Austria. The details of his work will be made the subject of an official report. Apart from scientific importance, the station is a necessity as a refuge for crews of whaling vessels. Every year in the Arctic are an average of forty vessels, with a cargo of four mil lions, and 1,600 men are engaged. Out of eighty seven vessels fifty have been lost within one hundred miles of Point Barrow , In one year alone, 1877, twelve were lost with all on board. The crews would not abandon their vessels, knowing there was nothing on shore for them to live on. Had a station existe d probably all would have been saved. Since the station was estab lished two years ago over fifty lives have been aved. Ray says all the party lived comfortably and in good health. The climate was particularly beneficial to those suffering from malaria. Be sides regular provisions they had seal, walrus and white whale. The last was the best meat, being the sweetest and most nutritious. The buildings erected were left to the Indians. He expressed regret at the recall. It is certainly hard to under stand why the only practical and useful effort to aid our industries in the Arctic should be thus summarily abandoned. The last report of interest comes from the well known mining prospectors, the Scheffelin Bros., who have returned from an extended exploration of the Alaska mines. They report that the placets and quartz ledges are very rich, but doubt if they can be worked profitably owing to the shortness of the season and expense of working. There are several mining parties which have made preparation to winter in the mines, and upon their report in the spring the reputation of Alaskan gold fields will largely depend. Other parties report diggings ranging from $25 to $150 per day to the man, and intend to return as early as possible in the spring. Taking it all together it would seem a though Mr. fceward when he " bought a pig in a poke " for $7,000,000, secured in Alaska a prise far greater than he or anyone else imagined. It i a rich field for exploration, and it resources of minerals, fish, fur and timber are valuable and almost exhaustless. John Carton, whose saw mill has been cutting 30,000 leet of lumber per day since it began run ning in New Tacoma last iprine, has formed 1 copartnership with a Mr. Johnson, of Walla waiia, tor the manufacture of sash, door, blind, furniture, etc Machinery for that purpose has oeen put into ni mill building, a two-story struc wre, 33x135 feet, and will be run by four engines. Fisheries. T-Tnn Tm n C 1 Charlotte islands in the interest of Uk U.j ! Commission and the National Museum. wL-j yesterday by the steamer SBgate. Mr. Sum', researches have been conducted with assiduit, and attended with success. He returns with! valuable collection of natural curiosities, etc, and a fund of information that will be ol pat ultimate importance to the world atlsrge. Amour, many objects of interest discovered is a large and well sheltered inlet on Graham's island, which a not laid down on any chart. It is well protected, being really a harbor within a harbor, lu ihora are clothed with fine timber and it offers a harbor of refuge to vessels bound up or down the cout or to whale, cod, dog and seal fishermen. A new food fish has also been found. Mr, Swan hu named it the black cod It is caught by Indians in very deep water in large numbers. It h lit and tender, wholesome and nutritious. Mr, Swan regards it as one of the most valuable ad ditions to fish that are known to be edible and ii of opinion that when its importance is understood it will be largely exported. Whale and seal were seen off Skajdolhlet in large numbers. Cobnut, On the fifteenth of September a train of twenty eight cars freighted with Columbia salmon canned at Astoria, and highly embellished with gaudily colored labels, started on its journey from Ibis city to Portland, Maine, the first direct shipment overland of this peculiar product of the Columbia, Its progress eastward was reported from da; to day, as was the westward movement of the train of canned corn shipped from that city to ill western namesake, and its arrival was greeted enthusiastically by the people of the metropolis of the pine tree state. But there have been some subsequent developments which are thus spoken of by the Boston Herald: "It is a trifling surprise to the people in Fort- land, Maine, who contracted for ten carloads ol this canned salmon, to find it will cost them more than it would the dealers in St. John, N. B., 350 miles further east, if the same train load wanenl there. Thi is one of the incidental benuliesof the tariff. The cans are made in this country of British tin. The Portland Advtrtiser sayi ike brokers in that city find that, if they ship pot"01 of their train of canned salmon to St. John, l exporting the tin of which the cans are mi they will be entitled to a drawback on crow the boundary at Vanceboro equal to the oripMl duty on the tin les 10 per cent. This iipne tically a bounty on the exportation of the W While it can be wholesaled in Portland t JiJj per dosen cans, it can be afforded in St. Jok f the same dealer, at $1-33 P d0"- ni"7 tariff help the American consumer-wto""011' else." . The prospects for the revival of the of" business at Yaquina bay are very "P where there is plentiful supply of thr!"1" bivalve, owing to the fact that the beds torn been drawn from for several years. AwKJ, have been perfected for sending JTj , per month to San Francisco, with pmsp1 large increase in the amount. Three new saw mill. re being com" the Chehali and Gray' harbor. Thai : W w rapidly becoming a leadrr in the lml". dsnrry. . ' '