Page:The frozen North; an account of Arctic exploration for use in schools (IA frozennorthaccou00hort).pdf/114

 Yukon, where the river, which had been about three hundred yards in width, grew narrower, until it was about thirty yards wide.

The walls of the cañon are nearly a mile in length and are perpendicular columns of rock. The center of this cañon expands into a large basin full of whirlpools and eddies. The waters, white with foam, tear through this narrow passage of rock at the rate of six or seven miles an hour, with a roaring that can be heard at a great distance.

At the northern end of the cañon the rushing river widens again, but for four miles it seethes, foams, and falls in cascades. The luggage was sent round by portage, and Schwatka prepared to shoot his raft through the rapids. Once started, the men could not control or guide the raft at all, but left it to work its own way. This it did very successfully, though many times they thought it would surely be dashed in pieces.

After the rapids were passed, the men drew the sturdy raft ashore, and found that it needed but few repairs. While some of the men were engaged in mending the raft, the others fished. Schwatka found this the best fishing ground on the entire river; in a short time between four and five hundred fine grayling were caught with rod and fly.

The raft was ready for use again by July 5, and on that day Schwatka and his party started once more down the Yukon, and soon passed through the last lake they were to encounter. After this the river became wider and was dotted with islands; then the site of old Fort Selkirk came into view.

Fort Selkirk was built in 1850 by the Hudson Bay Trading Company for a trading post with the Indians. But