ettled and frontier lands, Alaska is a very hospitable
place in general, but the Koyukuk has earned the name of the most
hospitable camp in Alaska. Since the numbers are small, and each man is
well known to all the others, any sickness or suffering makes an
immediate appeal and brings a generous response. Again and again the
unfortunate victim of accident or disease has been sent outside for
treatment, the considerable money required being quickly raised by
public subscription. There is probably no other gold camp in the world
where it is a common thing for the owner of a good claim to tell a
neighbour who is "broke" to take a pan and go down to the drift and help
himself.

Until my visit of the previous year no minister of religion of any sort
had penetrated to the Koyukuk, and, save for one journey thither by
Bishop Rowe, my annual visits have been the only opportunities for
public worship since. It will suffice for the visit now describing as
well as for all the others to say that the reception was most cordial
and the opportunity much appreciated. We went from creek to creek and
gathered the men and the few women in whatever cabin was most
convenient, and no clergyman could wish for more attentive or interested
congregations.

[Illustration: THE UPPER KOYUKUK.]

Upon our return to Coldfoot from the creek visits the thermometer stood
at 52 deg. below zero, although it had been no lower than 38 deg. below when we
left the last creek, some fifteen miles away. As a general rule, the
temperature on these mountain creeks, which are at some considerable
elevation above the river into which they flow, will read from 10 deg. to
15 deg. higher than on the river, and if one climbed to the top of the peaks
around Coldfoot, the difference then would probably be 20 deg. or 25 deg.. At
the summit road-house between Fairbanks and Cleary City in the Tanana
country in cold weather the thermometer commonly reads 20 deg. above the one
place and 10 deg. or 15 deg. above the other.

[Illustration: THE BARREN SHORES OF KOTZEBUE SOUND.]

[Sidenote: LINGO]

This interesting fact, which surprises a good many people, for we are
used to think of elevated places as cold places, is due to the greater
heaviness of cold air, which sinks to the lowest level it can reach; and
the river bed is the lowest part of the country. It would be interesting
to find out to what extent this rule holds good. The ridges and the
hilltops are always the warm