at Fort Simpson was estimated to be ninety-seven years old. The eastern Tinneh and Kutchin tribes far surpass the western Tinneh in their proficiency with the needle, and in their love for ornament. The latter care little for trinkets, seldom paint, and will barter their furs only for tobacco and useful articles. This should be borne in mind by traders. Preparations for the spring shooting soon became necessary. I had no shot, and was obliged to make all I needed. The Russians are accustomed to hammer lead out into slender bars, to cut these in small cubes, and roll them. This process being exceedingly laborious, I hit upon another plan. I took a piece of walrus tusk and planed it off until it was about half an inch thick, flat on each side, and about two inches wide by six long. Taking a large nail, I filed the point and rigged a "fiddle-bow drill." With this I bored a hole about three eighths of an inch in diameter, a little smaller at one end than at the other. I then filed off a little more of the point and bored another hole a little smaller, and repeated the process until the last hole was about the diameter of a duck-shot. I ran my lead into small bars, and, greasing them well, wire-drew them through the holes, beginning with the largest. The result was lead wire of the diameter required. This was cut up into pieces, each piece as long as the diameter of the wire. These were then rolled with a little ashes in an iron pan under a flat stone. This produced shot nearly as round as dropped shot, though not polished. In this way I manufactured seventy pounds of shot of different sizes, which answered every purpose. It was a work of great labor, but less so than by the Russian method. A man can make in this manner about three pounds in a day. The Russians at Nuláto were each furnished every spring with five pounds of lead and half a pound of powder. With this they must supply themselves with game, or go hungry. The same practice is usual at Fort Yukon, except that the men are furnished with manufactured shot. As spring approached, we made ready for our journey to the Yukon-mouth. The collections of natural history grew apace. Many hundred birdskins, and other specimens, were brought together, some of which had not previously been collected. On the 21st of April, Tékunka paid us a visit. He was accompanied by all the Káiyuh Ingaliks who were returning from Ulúkuk. While sitting peaceably in the casarmer he was insulted and struck by Shabounin, a convict from Archangel in Russia, who had been sent to Nuláto to build the raft on which the Russians were to descend in the spring. I heard Kurilla calling to Pávloff, in the yard, that Shabounin was killing Tékunka. I rushed into the casarmer at once. Tékunka was standing on one side, his face bleeding, and hurling defiance in good Russian at his assailant. The Russians were huddled in one corner, unarmed, and cowed by the crowd of Ingaliks, each with his hand on his gun, which half filled the room. Sure of his power, though himself unarmed, Tékunka did not spare his tongue. He told them that he held their lives in his hand. "A word," said he, "and my men wash this floor with your blood. You call us 'dogs of Indians!' We know what you are, murderers, thieves, and outlaws, driven from Russia for your crimes! Yet you come to our country and abuse us without reason, take away our daughters, and pay us with a leaf of tobacco for furs which you cannot trap yourselves! Why should I not avenge this unprovoked insult? Why do I not order my men to exterminate you like vermin? Because I had rather stand here and tell you in your own casarmer that I hate, despise, and defy you!" - Pávloff now entered, and was called upon to redress the injury, which he did sullenly and reluctantly. Shabounin was rebuked before the Indians for his conduct, and a present of tobacco and ammunition was made to Tékunka, who received it with unconcealed disdain. The Indians slowly left the room, and I followed them. They took their baggage and sleds, and left the fort. It is very seldom that such an exhibition of spirit is seen among these Indians, but Tékunka was unusually intelligent, and had worked in the fort among the Russians when young. It must also be said that such an outrage on the part of any Russian had never before occurred at Nuláto, and probably very seldom anywhere. On the 11th of April the first swallows appeared, and on the 27th Kurilla earned the pound of tobacco by killing the first goose of the season. The Russian raft was well under way, and was a clumsy · concern, shaped like a flat-iron, and provided with high bul warks, a mast, rudder, or rather sweep, and a sail. They informed me that it was after the pattern of the rafts on which timber is floated down the rivers of Russia which flow into the Northern Sea. Meanwhile the skin had been taken off our little bidarrá, well oiled, repaired, and replaced. The mast, oars, and sail were manufactured, as well as an enormous paddle, which Kurilla, in his capacity as coxswain, proposed to use himself. The Russian bidarrá was made ready for their trading-voyage to Nuklukahyét. Johnny would accompany them, and go on to Fort Yukon with. the Indians. He was a useful little fellow, but gratitude or affection formed no part of his nature, and I did not expect to miss him much. On the 24th of May the Nuláto River broke up, and the water and ice came down with a rush. About four o'clock in the afternoon the ice on the Yukon moved a little, and then stuck fast. An ice-barrier fifteen feet high formed near the bluff north of Nuláto. This remained several days without change. On the 28th I went up to the Klat-kakhátne River, and crossed in an old birch canoe which I found there, after hewing out a rough paddle, and leaving my axe in a dry log, four feet above the water. On the other side the beach between the ice and the high perpendicular bluff was only about six feet wide. I collected here a number of interesting fossils which had been uncovered by the melting snow. Suddenly I heard a crash, and the water began to rise very rapidly. The barrier had broken, and I had to run to escape being crushed between the bluff and the enormous blocks of ice which the rising river ground against it. I was just able to keep pace with the water, and found my canoe on the little point quite submerged. On the other side the log, with the axe in it, was floating away with the ice. I emptied the canoe, and paddled after the axe, and got safely ashore on the Nuláto side. Here I stopped awhile and enjoyed the sight. Blocks of ice six feet thick were driven against the bank, cutting off large trees, and carrying ice and turf many yards inland. In some places the ice was piled thirty feet high. I only regretted that my artist companion of the previous year, Mr. Whymper, was not there to preserve the scene with his ready pencil. The break-up of 1867 was nothing to it. At the fort the ice came close to the bank. A little more, and the buildings would have been in danger. Pávloff said that he had seen a similar freshet only once before in fifteen years. The barrier being removed, the water soon began to fall, and left the great blocks and piles of ice stranded all along the beach. There was hardly room to land a boat anywhere near the fort. We now set about packing up in earnest. full of goods, which I could not carry away. tions, with our baggage, filled the bidarrá. beauty, well shaped, light, and elegant. The store was half The boxes of collec- The season was very late. On the 1st of June, Pávloff and his men left for Nuklukahyét. The river was full of ice, and Tékunka and his men had not appeared; so I was still delayed. Johnny departed with the Russians, not even bidding me good by, although he was loaded with articles which I had given him. He had letters for Mr. McDougal, the Fort Yukon commander, which I took pleasure in addressing to "Fort Yukon, Alaska Territory, United States of America," as the Scotchmen had insisted against all reason that the post was situated on the British side of the line. As my Indians did not make their appearance, I secured Kurilla's brother, "Monday" by name, as he was engaged on that day, and determined that, if Tékunka failed to keep his promise, I would start the next day, and trust to luck to obtain another man somewhere on the river below. CHAPTER VI. Departure from Nulato. - Lateness of the season. — - Yeto. - Kwikhtana barrabora. - Lofka's. - Habits of the beaver. Indians. - Klantilinten. A letter. Swan-shooting. - Indian carvings. — First Meeting with the Mahlemuts. — Anvik. The Stareek. Sand-hill cranes. - Canoes. Pottery. Leather village on the Shageluk. — Great abundance of food. — Demand for liquor by the Mahlemuts. — Dances. Attack and narrow escape. - Leave the village. — Manki. · Ekogmuts. -Loon-cap village. Carvings, old houses and graves. - Great breadth of the Lower Yukon. Arrive at the Mission. - Pass the Great Bend. Fishing-village. -Myriads of wild fowl. — Energetic collection of specimens. — Rasbinik village. -Starry Kwikhpak village. · Obtain a guide. — Andreaffsky. - Tragedy in 1855. - Mistake of guide. — Arrive at the Uphoon. — Kutlik. — Emperor geese. rival of Teleezhik. Drawings on bone. - Go on to Pastolik. Beluga-hunting. Innuit carvings. Rise of the water. - Elephant bones. - Start for the Redoubt. - News of the ships. Arrival at the Redoubt, and meeting with old friends. — -Traders. Embarkation for California. - Abuses prevalent in the new territory. -Value of a territorial government. -Necessary legislation. — Disparagement of the territory. Arrival in San Francisco. VERYTHING was ready for our departure. The bidarrá upon the outside, and inside it was as dry as a bone. Tékunka had apparently deceived me. There were no signs of him or his men. Long experience had inured me to such disappointments, but there were few Indians at Nuláto, and it was difficult to fill the place of those whom I had expected. By giving to Monday's mother all the úkali and oil which were left over, I induced him to go with me, as the old woman, with these provisions, would not suffer from hunger before his return. On the morning of the 2d of June everything was put aboard. The supplies which I left behind were put into the storehouse, and the door fastened with a padlock and chain and then securely nailed up. The Koyúkuns were already threatening to burn the post as soon as the Russians left it, but, in case they did not, the goods I left behind might prove of some use to somebody. The beach in front of the fort was covered with large blocks of |