Amongst men of thought and feeling there is noticeable revulsion from the supercilious attitude that used not to be uncommon toward the little peoples of the world. It begins to be recognised that it is quite possible that even the smallest of the little peoples may have some contribution to make to the welfare and progress of the human race. What is the Boy Scout movement that is sweeping the country, to the enormous benefit of the rising generation, but the incorporating into the nurture of our youth of the things that were the nurture of the Indian youth; that are a large part of the nurture of the Alaskan Indian youth to-day? And the camp-fire clubs and woodcraft associations and the whole trend to the life of the open recognise that the Indian had developed a technique of wilderness life deserving of preservation for its value to the white man. While as for the Esquimaux, the author never sees the extraordinary prevalence amongst them of the art of graphic delineation displayed in bold etchings of incidents of the chase upon their implements and weapons (though not upon the articles made by the dozen for the curio-venders at Nome and Saint Michael) without dreaming that some day an artist will come from out that singular and most interesting people who shall teach the world something new about art. Whatever the future may hold for the interior of Alaska, the author is convinced that its population will derive very largely from the present native stocks, and this alone would justify any efforts to prevent further inroads upon their health and vitality. April, 1916. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE PREFACE vii I. FAIRBANKS TO THE CHANDALAR THROUGH CIRCLE CITY AND FORT YUKON 3 II. CHANDALAR VILLAGE TO BETTLES, COLDFOOT, AND THE KOYUKUK 34 III. BETTLES TO THE PACIFIC--THE ALATNA, KOBUK PORTAGE, KOBUK VILLAGE, KOTZEBUE SOUND 63 IV. THE SEWARD PENINSULA--CANDLE CREEK, COUNCIL, AND NOME 102 V. NOME TO FAIRBANKS--NORTON SOUND--THE KALTAG PORTAGE--NULATO--UP THE YUKON TO TANANA 125 VI. THE "FIRST ICE"--AN AUTUMN ADVENTURE ON THE KOYUKUK 157 VII. THE KOYUKUK TO THE YUKON AND TO TANANA--CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS AT SAINT JOHN'S-IN-THE-WILDERNESS 188 VIII. UP THE YUKON TO RAMPART AND ACROSS COUNTRY TO THE TANANA--ALASKAN AGRICULTURE--THE GOOD DOG NANOOK--MISS FARTHING'S BOYS AT NENANA--CHENA AND FAIRBANKS 219 IX. TANANA CROSSING TO FORTYMILE AND DOWN THE YUKON--A PATRIARCHAL CHIEF--SWARMING CARIBOU--EAGLE AND FORT EGBERT--CIRCLE CITY AND FORT YUKON 251