ross the lakes. The trail was awful, and we waded through water and
slush two and three feet deep. We got to the mouth of the canyon at
about eight o'clock at night, done out. We left there that night, and
pushed on again until morning. We got to the bottom of an awful hill,
and packed all our stuff from there to the hill above the lake. We had
about two and a half miles over hills, in snow and slush. I carried
about five hundred pounds over that part of the trail. We had to get
dogs to bring the stuff down from the summit to the head of the canyon.

"We worked two days bringing the stuff over from the canyon to the hill
above the lake. Saturday we worked all day packing down the hill to the
lake, and came here on a scow. We were out yesterday morning cutting
down trees to build a boat. The timber is small, and I don't think we
can get more than four-inch stuff. It rained all afternoon, and we
couldn't do anything. There are about fifty boats of all sorts on Lake
Bennet, which is about half a mile from here. I have long rubber boots
up to the hips, and I did not have them on coming from the summit down,
but I have worn them ever since.

"We met Barwell and Lewis, of Ottawa, to-day. They were out looking for
knees for their boats. They left Ottawa six weeks ago, and have not got
any farther than we have. There was a little saw-mill going here, and
they have their lumber sawn. We have it that warm some days here that
you would fairly roast, and the next day you would be looking for your
overcoat. Everybody here seems to be taking in enough food to do them a
couple of years.

"We are now in Canadian territory, after we passed the summit. I will
have to catch somebody going through to Dyea to give him this letter,
but I don't know how long before I can get any one going through. This
is the last you will hear from me until I get down to the Klondyke."

Mr. Stewart adds: "I wrote this in the tent at 11 o'clock at night
during twilight."

If you take this trip in winter, however, you have to purchase a sled at
Juneau, and sled it over the frozen waterways to Dawson City.

For the benefit of my readers in Canada and for parties leaving for the
great Northwest Territory for the gold fields, I take pleasure in
quoting the following description of a Canadian route:--

"Canadians should awaken to the fact that they have emphatically 'the
inside track' to their own gold fields, a route not half the distance,
largely covered