igh water.

"Below the rapids, for about two miles, the current is strong--probably
six miles per hour--but the water seems to be deep enough for any boat
that is likely to navigate it.

"Six miles below this, as already noticed, Rink Rapids are situated.
They are of no great importance, the westerly half of the stream only
being obstructed. The easterly half is not in any way affected, the
current being smooth and the water deep.

"Below Five Finger Rapids about two miles a small stream enters from
the east. It is called by Dr. Dawson Tatshun River. It is not more than
30 or 40 feet wide at the mouth, and contains only a little clear,
brownish water. Here I met the only Indians seen on the river between
Teslintoo and Stewart Rivers. They were engaged in catching salmon at
the mouth of the Tatshun, and were the poorest and most unintelligent
Indians it has ever been my lot to meet. It is needless to say that none
of our party understood anything they said, as they could not speak a
word of any language but their own. I tried by signs to get some
information from them about the stream they were fishing in, but failed.
I tried in the same way to learn if there were any more Indians in the
vicinity, but again utterly failed. I then tried by signs to find out
how many days it took to go down to Pelly River, but although I have
never known these signs to fail in eliciting information in any other
part of the territory, they did not understand. They appeared to be
alarmed by our presence; and, as we had not yet been assured as to the
rumor concerning the trouble between the miners and Indians, we felt a
little apprehensive, but being able to learn nothing from them we had to
put our fears aside and proceed blindly.

"Between Five Finger Rapids and Pelly River, fifty-eight and a
half-miles, no streams of any importance enter the Lewes; in fact, with
the exception of the Tatshun, it may be said that none at all enter.

"About a mile below Rink Rapids the river spreads out into a lake-like
expanse, with many islands; this continues for about three miles, when
it contracts to something like the usual width; but bars and small
islands are very numerous all the way to Pelly River. About five miles
above Pelly River there is another lake-like expanse filled with
islands. The river here for three or four miles is nearly a mile wide,
and so numerous and close are the islands that it is impossible to tell
when floating among them