hstanding the distance and difficulties in the way,
many of the Indians on the Yukon make a trip every two or three years to
procure goods in exchange for their furs. The clothing and blankets
brought in by the Hudson's Bay Company they claim are much better than
those traded on their own river by the Americans. Those of them that I
saw who had any English blankets exhibited them with pride, and
exclaimed 'good,' They point to an American blanket in contempt, with
the remark 'no good,' and speak of their clothing in the same way.

[Footnote 8: Since the date of this report the North American
Transportation and Trading Company, better known in the Yukon valley as
"Captain Healy's Company," has established a number of posts on the
river.]

"On many maps of Alaska a place named 'Reed's House' is shown on or near
the upper waters of Stewart River. I made enquiries of all whom I
thought likely to know anything concerning this post, but failed to
elicit any information showing that there ever had been such a place. I
enquired of Mr. Reid, who was in the Company's service with Mr. Campbell
at Fort Selkirk, and after whom I thought, possibly, the place had been
called, but he told me he knew of no such post, but that there was a
small lake at some distance in a northerly direction from Fort Selkirk,
where fish were procured. A sort of shelter had been made at that point
for the fishermen, and a few furs might have been obtained there, but it
was never regarded as a trading post.

"Below Fort Selkirk, the Yukon River is from five to six hundred yards
broad, and maintains this width down to White River, a distance of
ninety-six miles. Islands are numerous, so much so that there are very
few parts of the river where there are not one or more in sight. Many of
them are of considerable size, and nearly all are well timbered. Bars
are also numerous, but almost all are composed of gravel, so that
navigators will not have to complain of shifting sand bars. The current
as a general thing, is not so rapid as in the upper part of the river,
averaging about four miles per hour. The depth in the main channel was
always found to be more than six feet.

"From Pelly River to within twelve miles of White River the general
course of the river is a little north of west; it then turns to the
north, and the general course as far as the site of Fort Reliance is due
north.

"White River enters the main river from the west. At the mouth it is
ab