ad, but very fat, and we know that he has slept warm and had
plenty grub to eat. He has much fine clothes and is all the same white
man, and he has gathered large wisdom so that he is very quick head man
in the village.

"And he has strange things to tell of the way of the white man, for he
has seen much of the white man and done a great travel into the white
man's country. First place, soldier white men take him down the river
long way. All the way do they take him down the river to the end, where
it runs into a lake which is larger than all the land and large as the
sky. I do not know the Yukon is so big river, but Yamikan has seen with
his own eyes. I do not think there is a lake larger than all the land
and large as the sky, but Yamikan has seen. Also, he has told me that
the waters of this lake be salt, which is a strange thing and beyond
understanding.

"But the White Man knows all these marvels for himself, so I shall not
weary him with the telling of them. Only will I tell him what happened
to Yamikan. The white man give Yamikan much fine grub. All the time
does Yamikan eat, and all the time is there plenty more grub. The white
man lives under the sun, so said Yamikan, where there be much warmth, and
animals have only hair and no fur, and the green things grow large and
strong and become flour, and beans, and potatoes. And under the sun
there is never famine. Always is there plenty grub. I do not know.
Yamikan has said.

"And here is a strange thing that befell Yamikan. Never did the white
man hurt him. Only did they give him warm bed at night and plenty fine
grub. They take him across the salt lake which is big as the sky. He is
on white man's fire-boat, what you call steamboat, only he is on boat
maybe twenty times bigger than steamboat on Yukon. Also, it is made of
iron, this boat, and yet does it not sink. This I do not understand, but
Yamikan has said, 'I have journeyed far on the iron boat; behold! I am
still alive.' It is a white man's soldier-boat with many soldier men
upon it.

"After many sleeps of travel, a long, long time, Yamikan comes to a land
where there is no snow. I cannot believe this. It is not in the nature
of things that when winter comes there shall be no snow. But Yamikan has
seen. Also have I asked the white men, and they have said yes, there is
no snow in that country. But I cannot believe, and now I ask you if snow
never come in that country. Also, I would