Chapter 8 Chapter Eight Going North

The afternoon of that day was spent resting.Also, some preparations were to be made for the drive on the lake, and the scouts were about to start doing these things.Indeed, Sammy Skin and Ben Rado, with his traveling companions, could only secretly be thankful to be working with such a prudent and expert man. Bill Stell's stuff is in a camp that already has 1,000 travelers at the southern end of Lake Lindemann.His main facility was set back on a small hill, and the whole complex consisted of a wooden house divided into completely enclosed bedrooms, with attached storerooms for sledges and other means of transport.Behind the house are the stables and kennels for the drawn animals.

Although the White Valley leads directly to Lake Bennett without going through Lake Lindemann, more and more people are not going to the White Valley, but to the Chilcoot Valley.On the lake, regardless of whether it is frozen or not, it is easier to transport personnel and materials in the mine than on land.From the White Valley to the south bank of Bennett Lake, there is a long distance on the plains, and there are many plateaus that have to be crossed.Therefore, the camp chosen by the scout becomes increasingly important.Therefore, his business is booming, and of course it is much more reliable than developing Klondike's gold mines.

Bill Steele wasn't alone in this lucrative business.He has no shortage of competitors, whether at camp at Lake Lindemann or at Lake Bennett.We can even say that in the face of the tens of thousands of immigrants coming in this time of year, there are not enough transportation contractors who are originally from Canada or the United States. Indeed, in order to save money, many of these immigrants did not seek Scout and his colleagues.Thus they had to carry their supplies from Skagway on sledges in detachable boats of wood or iron.We saw with what difficulty they had to carry such heavy packs through the Chilcoot Valley, and the White Valley as well.No matter which way they went, they lost part of their supplies.

Some people prefer to hire someone to build a ship on the spot or build a ship themselves to avoid the trouble or cost of shipping.In this wooded area, there is no shortage of materials.There are already several shipbuilding sites and several sawmills are operating around Lake Lindemann. When the party arrived, he was greeted by one of Bill Steel's men, some of the men he had used as a crew.They sailed across the lakes to the Yukon River.Their skill can be trusted and they know what to do on such a difficult voyage. The temperature was fairly low, and Sammy Skin and Ben Rado, with their traveling companions, were quite satisfied with lodging in the Scout's house, the best room of which was at their disposal.Soon they were gathered in the warm common room.

"Oh! the hardest time is over!" said Sammy Skinning, sitting down. "Well," said Bill Steer, "maybe so in terms of fatigue, but there's more! . . . We've got hundreds of miles to go to get to the Klondike." "I know, my honour, Bill," answered Sammy Skin, "but I suppose there is neither danger nor fatigue in the journey." "Mr. Skinner, you are mistaken." The scout replied. "But, we just need to drift with the current in the lake and the red river." "If winter is over, that's fine. Sadly the flooding period hasn't started yet. If it does, it will be very dangerous for our ship to be surrounded by drifting ice floes; more than once we will be forced to bring the boat ashore for handling , then it will be difficult..."

"Of course," exclaimed Sammy Skin, "something should be done to make traveling in this damned region a little more comfortable!" "These things will be done," said Ben Rado affirmatively, "because the railroad will be built here. Two thousand men will be constantly working on this project for the Hawkins engineers." "Good! . . . good!" exclaimed Sammy Skin. "I'd rather come before that. Don't think of the railroad that's supposed to be, but study the route we're going to take now, if you like." To satisfy this requirement, the scout opens up a rather crude map of the area.

"First," said he, "this is Lindemann's Lake, which begins at the foot of the Chilcoot Mountains, and we shall go across it from south to north." "Was it long across the lake?" asked Sammy Skin. "Not long," replied the scout, "provided that the lake is covered with a thick layer of ice, or completely melted and free of ice." "What about the future?" Ben Rado asked. "In the future, we will drag the boat and luggage and walk half a mile to the camp at Bennett Lake. There, the length of the journey still depends on the temperature. You can see that the temperature may be very different from one day to another."

"Indeed," Ben Rado went on, "it can vary from twenty to twenty-five degrees, depending on whether the wind is from the north or the south." "In summary," added Bill Stern, "we either need ice to melt so ships can sail, or we need a dry, cold climate to freeze snow so that ships can slide on it like a sled." "We've reached Bennett Lake at last..." said Sammy Skin. "It's 12 miles long," the scout explained. "It will take at least three days to cross it, because there is a necessary time to park." "After the lake," said Sammy Skin, looking at the map, "do you still have to drag the boat on land?"

"No, beyond the lake is the Cariboo River, which is 1 mile long. It connects Lake Benet with Lake Tagish. The lake is connected. After leaving Maresh Lake, you have to walk along a winding river for 10 miles. During this journey, you will encounter the difficult and sometimes dangerous White Horse Rapids. Then, you will reach the top of Labag Lake The place where the Tajina River joins it. There may be a long delay in this process, because it has to cross the White Horse Rapids. I have experienced it: I was stuck in the upper reaches of Lake Rabag for a whole week.” "Can boats go on this lake?" Ben Rado asked.

"The 13-mile lake is perfectly navigable," Bill Steer replied. "All in all," Ben Rado noted, "except for a few times of towing the boat, we can reach Dawson City by boat?" "Directly, Mr. Ben," replied Bill Steele. "Anyway, it's much easier to travel by water." "What's the distance from Lake La Bag to the Klondike, whether it's the Lewis River or the Yukon River?" asked Ben Rado. "Counting the curve, about 150 miles." "I see," announced Sammy Skin, "we're not there yet." "Certainly," replied the scout, "we were just half way down when we reached the Lewis River at the northern end of Lake La Bag."

"Then," concluded Sammy Skin, "we'll put our batteries up for the trek. Now that we've had a chance of spending a good night in camp at Lindemann's Lake, let's go to sleep." Indeed, it was one of the best nights the brothers have had since leaving Vancouver.A well-stocked fire kept warm in the sheltered, fully enclosed little house. The next day was May 1, and the signal for departure was given at exactly nine o'clock.Most of those who followed Scout from Skagway followed him all the way to Klondike.They are useful when pulling the boat as a sled.As the weather warms up, boats will be able to drive on the lake and down the Lewis and Yukon rivers. Dogs are native breeds.These animals are fully adapted to the local climate, and their hairless paws make it easier to run on the snow without the danger of being entangled.Then, say that they are adapted to the local climate, and do not conclude that they have lost their wildness.In fact, they are as wild as wolves and foxes.Therefore, their masters use caresses and sugar cubes to make them docile. One of Bill Steele's men steers the ship.This is an Indian named Neruto who has been working for the Scouts for 9 years.He is well versed in his work, well aware of the difficulties involved in crossing lakes, rapids, and rivers, and can be relied upon in his skill.Before working for the Scouts, he served with the Hudson's Bay Company, a long-term guide to fur hunters across the vast land.He knew the area well, and he'd been all over the place, even down to Dawson City all the way to the edge of the Arctic Circle. Neruto knows some English, can understand, and others can understand his words.Besides, he seldom talked except on business matters; as they used to say: to get his words out of his throat.Still, it might be instructive to ask someone who knows the Klondike climate well.Therefore, Ben Rado thinks that he should be asked about his views on the future weather, and whether he thinks the torrential period will come soon. Neruto declared that, in his opinion, the snow would not melt or run for 15 days, unless there was a sudden change in the climate, which is rare at such high altitudes. Ben Rado wondered what pleased him about this somewhat vague message.Either way, he gave up getting anything else from the man who decided to speak again. If the future is unpredictable, at least for now there is nothing to hesitate.Instead of sailing, a boat is pulled like a sled on Lake Lindemann.So Jane and Edith could sit in the boat again, with the side of the boat gliding on the ice, and the men following on foot. The weather is calm, yesterday's high winds have eased, and there is a tendency to move to the south.However, the temperature is very low: minus 12 degrees, which is more conducive to walking than a snowstorm. At about 11:00, we crossed Lindeman Lake, and it took one hour to walk the two kilometers that separated it from Lake Bennett; at noon, the scouts and their team rested in the camp at the south end of Lake Bennett up. The camp was as overcrowded as the "sheep camp" in the Chilkoot Valley.There are thousands of immigrants waiting for the opportunity to continue on their way.There are tents erected everywhere, and if the mass migration to the Klondike continues for a few more years, these tents will soon be replaced by board houses and formal houses. This near-village may become a town and a city in the future, some inns may become hotels, some sawmills and shipyards are scattered along the lake, and there is a police station. The job is not without danger. Neruto the Indian made the weather forecast ambiguously and he was smart.At the beginning of the afternoon, the weather suddenly changed. The wind turned south and the temperature rose to zero degrees Celsius.This is a very obvious sign.There is reason to believe that the cold season is coming to an end, the ice and snow will melt, and boats will be able to sail on the Red River lake soon. The surface of Lake Bennett is no longer completely frozen.There are some winding passages between the ice layers that can be used by ships, provided that the voyage is extended. In the evening, the temperature was still rising; the melting speed of the snow and ice was accelerating, and some ice began to break off the shore and drift away from the north.Therefore, unless the temperature suddenly drops again at night, there will not be much difficulty in reaching the northern end of the lake. The temperature did not drop during the night, and at daybreak on 2 May Bill Steer saw that the ships could sail under fairly favorable conditions.If the south wind continues to blow, sails can still be used. At dawn, when the scouts were about to load their luggage and provisions on board, they found this work already done.Edith and Jane have been working on this since last night.Under their command, everything was loaded on board the ship in perfect order, which the scouts certainly couldn't do.The smallest corners have been utilized, and all luggage items, from the largest to the smallest, are neatly stacked, looking comfortable and easy to hold. When the two brothers met the Scout on the shore, the latter told them of his surprise. "Yes," replied Ben Rado, "they're both amazing, Miss Jane, active and always jovial; A good deal." "What deal?" Bill Steel asked. "You don't understand . . . but tell me, Scout," Ben Rado continued, "what do you think about the weather? Is winter over?" "I don't want to express an absolute opinion," the scout replied, "but it seems that the Red River and lake will thaw soon. Besides, when passing through the valley, we are extending the land route, and our ship..." "And not out of its natural environment," Sammy Skin went on, "which is better." "What does Neruto think?" Ben Rado asked. "Neruto thinks," said the Indian seriously, "that if the temperature doesn't drop, there's no need to worry about the ice stopping to melt." "That's great!" Ben Rado agreed with a smile, "Young man, you don't have to worry about saying the wrong thing... But, are the floating ice cubes dangerous?" "Oh! She's a strong boat," Bill Steer assured. "She's been through the water and tried." Ben turned to the Indians. "Hey, Neruto," he demanded again, "wouldn't you like to make your opinion clearer to me?" "It has been two days since the first ice-blocks began to move," replied the Indian, "which proves that the north side of the lake has thawed." "Ah! ah!" said Ben, looking satisfied, "an idea at last. So, what do you think about the wind?" "The wind that started two hours before daybreak is good for us." "That's true, but can the wind last?" Neruto turned away, scanning the southern horizon, partially obscured by the Chilcoot Mountains.A very light mist floats on the mountainside.The helmsman pointed in this direction with his finger and replied: "Sir, I think the wind can last through the night..." "great!" "...unless there is a change between now and night," said the helmsman very earnestly. "Thanks, helmsman," said a somewhat exasperated Ben, "I've figured it out now." The scout's boat was a 35-foot skiff, or a small undecked fishing boat.There was a tarpaulin awning at the stern in which two or three persons could take shelter, day or night, in heavy snow and rainstorms.The boat is flat-bottomed, has little resistance, and is 6 feet wide, allowing it to carry a larger area of ​​tarpaulin.Its sail was cut to resemble the fore-sail of a fishing boat, and was fastened to the top of the boat on a small mast fifteen feet high.In bad weather it was easy to fold this little mast off its saddle and lay it down on the crossbench. Such a small boat cannot persist against the wind, but the rear crosswind can keep the boat going.When the zigzagging passages in the ice forced the helmsman to steer the boat against the wind, he drew up the sails and paddled; four Canadians with strong arms paddled the boat to greater speed. Lake Bennett is small in size and cannot be compared with the wide, storm-ravaged inland seas of northern America.For this voyage, the provisions brought by the scouts were undoubtedly sufficient: well-preserved meat, biscuits, tea, coffee, a small barrel of brandy, and charcoal for the stove.In addition, fishing and hunting are also available. There are many fish in the lake, and partridges and grouse often appear on the shore of the lake. Neruto steered behind the awning at the stern, Edith and Jane sat under the awning, Sammy Skinner and Ben Rado leaned against the wing of the boat with Bill Steele, Four men poked through the ice at the bow; the boat set sail at eight o'clock. There are many ships in the passage, so navigation becomes quite difficult.To take advantage of the tide and the favorable wind, several hundred boats left the camp on Lake Bennett.In the middle of such a fleet, it is inevitable to collide with each other. At this time, reprimands, abuse, threats, and even punches and kicks sounded from all directions. In the afternoon, I encountered a police boat, and there were too many cases where the people on the boat came out to intervene. The squad leader of this police squad knew the scout and called him: "Hello, Scout! . . . Or the immigrant from Skagway to the Klondike? . . . " "Yes," replied the Canadian, "more people than needed..." "More people than came back..." "That's for sure! How many people are estimated to have crossed Lake Beibat?" "About 15,000 people." "It's not over yet!" "It's early." "Do you know about the upper reaches?" "Someone said so. You can take a boat right down to the Yukon." "Yes, if there is no cold snap." "Hopefully so." "Yes, Thanks." "Bon Voyage!" However, the ship's progress felt windless.The ship stopped near the top of Lake Bennett on the afternoon of 4 May, after two nights of layovers. At this part of the lake there is a small river, or rather the Cariboo Canal, which is less than a mile long and connects to Tagish Lake at the other end. Camp at night, leave tomorrow morning.Sammy Skinn planned to use the hours before dark to hunt game on the nearby plains.No sooner had he uttered his intention than he was pleasantly surprised, and more satisfied, to see Jane Egerton announce that she was going with him. What Jane was doing seemed less and less crazy to her traveling companions.She carries a weapon just in case.Sammy Skin is an excellent hunter, and her skills are not bad at all.Soon, the two of them brought back the harvest of their joint hunt: three pairs of prairie partridges, and four grouse with pale green feathers.During this period, Edith lit a fire with dry wood on the shore, and the game was cooked on the crackling fire, and the taste was really good. Tagish Lake is seven and a half miles long and is connected to Marsh Lake by a narrow canal.When the team arrived here on May 6, the canal had been blocked by lingling for half a mile the night before.Therefore, they had to hire several mules to pull the boat. On the morning of May 7, the ship was able to sail on the water. Although Marsh Lake is no more than seven or eight miles long, it takes 48 hours to cross it from one end to the other.The wind direction is northerly, even if you paddle, the speed of the boat will not be very fast.Very lucky: the boats on the lake seemed less crowded than on Lake Bennett, as some boats were gradually falling behind. Before sunset on May 8, the team camped at the northern end of the lake. "If I'm not mistaken, Scout," Ben Rado said after dinner, "we only have one more lake to cross, the last in the area?" "Yes, Mr. Rado," replied Bill Steer, "Lake La Bag. But before that, we have to go down the Lewis River, which is the most difficult part of the journey. We have to pass the White Horse Rapids, more than one The boat capsized there, and people and money were lost.” Indeed, these rapids constitute the greatest danger on the passage from Skagway to Dawson City.Rapids account for 3.5 kilometers of the 85 kilometers of waterway from Lake Marsh to Lake Lamargue.For such a short distance, the water drops no less than 32 feet, and the river is strewn with rocks that would shatter a boat if it hit it. "Can't you walk along the bank?" asked Sammy Skin. "There is no way to go on the shore," replied the scout, "but a cableway is being built to carry the boat with people and belongings down the rapids." "Isn't this ropeway finished?" Sammy Skin continued. "It is, sir, though there are hundreds of workmen working there." "Then it's none of our business. You'll see, my good Bill, it won't be finished when we get back." "Unless you're in the Klondike longer than expected," replied Bill Steer, "People know when to go to the Klondike, but don't know when to come back from there..." "Don't even know if I can come back!" agreed Sammy Skin confidently. The next day, on the afternoon of May 9, the boats going down the river reached the White Horse Rapids.They were not the only boats at risk on this treacherous stretch of river.Other boats followed them, how many boats appeared upstream and never appeared again downstream... In this way, people understand: the helmsmen who specialize in driving ships through the rapids of the White Horse charge extremely high prices, and the 3-kilometer voyage brings them 150 francs per trip.Therefore, they do not want to give up this lucrative trade to become prospectors with uncertain future. In this place, the river flows at 5 miles an hour.The 3 km of rapids would have been very fast had it not been necessary to weave among the many basalt reefs that randomly strewn the channel, or to avoid the flowing reefs: the impact of ice that crushes even the sturdiest boats. Adopted; for the reasons stated above, the period has been considerably extended. The boat nearly collided with other ships or ice blocks many times. The crew rowed hard, and the bow deflected when it was about to hit. Neruto's skillful technology saved the boat from danger.The last stages of these rapids are the most dangerous, and it is here that many disasters have occurred.If you don't want to be thrown into the water, you have to hold on to the side of the boat.Neruto, however, saw well, had no mistaking his hands, and was calm and undisturbed; at last the dreadful stretch of water was passed without loss, except that some water got into the boat and was quickly washed out again. "Now," cried Sammy Skin, "is the hardest part over!" "Without a doubt." Ben Rado replied. "Indeed, gentlemen," announced the scout, "we only have to cross Lake La Bag and follow the Lewis River for about 160 miles..." "160 miles!" Sammy Skin repeated, laughing. "You can say we're there!" They arrived at the Rabag Lake camp on the night of May 10. Bill Ster agreed with Neruto's suggestion and decided to rest here for 24 hours.The wind was blowing violently from the north.After paddling desperately, the boat was just able to sail away from the shore. The helmsman was unwilling to pass the lake under such conditions, not to mention that the drop in temperature made him worry that the lake would be frozen and silted up, which would freeze the boat on the lake. This camp was built after the Lindeman Lake and Bennett Lake camps for the same needs.There are already about 100 houses and wooden houses here.Our travelers were lucky enough to find a spare room in a house with the words Hotel written on it. About 50 kilometers long, Labag Lake consists of two parts that stand side by side where the Lewis River forms. On the morning of May 12, the boat set sail and spent 36 hours passing the first part of the lake. At about 5:00 pm on May 13, Scout and his companions reached the Lewis River after many torrential rains.The river flows northeastward towards the fortress of Selkirk.From the second day, the boat will sail in the ice. At 5 o'clock, the scout ordered to move to the right bank, where he was going to spend the night.Jane and Sammy disembarked, and soon gunshots were heard, and couples of mallard and pheasant could save cans for dinner. Besides, Bill Steer had to spend the night here, and so did the other boats down the Lewis.On the river bank, many campfires were lit. From this day on, the problem of melting ice and snow seems to be completely solved.Under the influence of southerly winds, the temperature remained at 5 to 6 degrees above zero.Therefore, there is no need to fear that the river will freeze again. At night, there is no need to worry about the attack of wild beasts.No bears have been found near the Lewis River.Sammy Skin may have regretted not having the chance to kill such a stunning foot-moving animal.However, having to fend off an innumerable number of mosquitoes, and pouring wood into the fire all night, is just enough to avoid their itchy and painful bites. After traveling 50 kilometers down the Lewis, the scout and his companions came upon the mouth of the Huta Linkwa and, the next day, the mouth of the Great Salmon, two tributaries of the Lewis.Notice that the blue water of the river has changed color due to the mixing of the two tributaries.The next day the boat passed the mouth of the Walsh River, which had been abandoned by the miners; Alluvial gold worth 30,000 francs. Sometimes the weather is good and sometimes the weather is bad.The boat is sometimes rowed by oars, sometimes pushed by sails; sometimes it is even pulled by ropes on the shore in some very tortuous channels. By the time the Scouts set up camp at Thielen on May 25, most of the Lewis River, which would become the Yukon, had passed safely.Thielen sits on a cliff, which at this moment is full of fresh flowers; anemones, crocuses, and fragrant junipers.Many immigrants set up tents here.The boat needs repairs, so stay here for 24 hours; Sammy Skin is back to doing his favorite activities. During the next two days, the speed of the boat down the current was quite fast due to the current speed of 4 knots per hour. On the afternoon of May 28, after passing through the labyrinth of the Maiersel Islands, the boat moved to the left bank, ready to anchor at the foot of the Selkirk Fort. Built in 1848 for the service of the Hudson Bay Emissaries, it was demolished by the Indians in 1852 and is currently only a fairly well-supplied market.It is surrounded by immigrant huts and tents, and it overlooks the great river.From here the river bears the name Yukon, where the waters of the Pelly River, a major tributary on its right bank, flow into the Yukon. Indeed, the Scout could buy anything he wanted at Fort Selkirk for a good price.After mooring here for 24 hours, on the morning of May 30, the boat set sail again.The boat passed without stopping the mouth of the Stewart River, which had begun to attract gold prospectors.There are development plots here and there along the river's 300-kilometer course.The boat then stopped for half a day at Ogilvie on the right bank of the Yukon. The river widens downstream and ships can navigate easily among the many ice floes that drift northward. Scout and his companions reached the Klondike on the afternoon of June 3, after leaving the mouths of the Indian and Sixty Mile Rivers (the two estuaries face each other at a distance of 48 kilometers from Dawson City) behind them. capital city. Just as the passengers got off the ship, Jane approached Ben Rado and handed him a page torn from a small book, on which she had just written a few words as she walked. "Mr. Rado, please allow me to hand over your receipt." Ben took the page and read: "Mr. Ben Rado provided comfortable travel from Skagway to Dawson, in accordance with the contract. Take it for granted." Below is the signature. "It's in order," said Ben quietly, and solemnly put the paper in his pocket. "Gentlemen, allow me," said Jane again, addressing the brothers this time, "to add to Edith's and my thanks for the kindness you have shown us, which I hope I have fully recognized. On this receipt." Jane stopped talking, and she shook Ben Rado’s hand.However, when it was his turn to shake hands with Sami, the latter did not intend to hide his excitement and held the little hand that was extended. "Look!...Look!...Miss Jane," said Sammy, who was a little at a loss, "are you really going to leave us?" "Do you have any doubts?" Jane replied in surprise, "Didn't it be agreed a long time ago?" "Yes, yes..." Sammy conceded, "I think at least we'll see each other again." "I hope so, Mr. Sammy, but it's not up to me. From now on, everything will depend on the chance of exploration." "Exploration!..." Sammy yelled, "What! Miss Jane, you've always had this crazy idea!" Jane pulled out the hand that was being held all at once. "I don't know what's crazy about my plan, Mr. Skinn," she said in an angry voice, "and you should think that I didn't come all the way to Dawson just to change my mind like a weathervane that turns with the wind. . . . Not to mention now that I've signed a contract and intend to honor it," she added, turning to Ben Rado. Is Sammy Skinn's compassion especially rich?What is certain is that he felt aching, deep sadness, and did not analyze it. "Of course!...Of course!..." He stammered uncertainly, and at the same time, the two cousins ​​walked towards Dawson Hospital with firm steps.