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“‘Five Finger’? Rapids—the Small Opening at the Extreme Right Is the Steamer Channel. Note Small Picture Below Showing Steamer Actually in the Channel Coming Upstream

On to Whitehorse

Continuing the trip by rail from Carcross, following more
rivers and passing little lakes, the train stops at Miles Canyon.
From here the passenger is given a view of this intensely interest-
ing and historic gorge. About five miles beyond, and the trip by
rail comes to end at Whitehorse, 111 miles from Skaguay, on
the Lewes or Fifty Mile River—the headwaters of the Yukon.
Connection is made here with the steamers of the White Pass
& Yukon Route for Dawson.

Whitehorse

Whitehorse, in addition to being the transfer point from rail
to steamer, is the outfitting point for the big-game hunters going
to the White River, MacMillan River and Teslin River districts.
A good automobile road has been built to the head of Miles
Canyon, following the river and Whitehorse Rapids. A suspen-
sion bridge has been built across the canyon from which a
spectacular view of the rushing waters is obtained. The tnp
to the canyon and the rapids, whether by automobile or on foot,
will be found very interesting and worth while.

Whitehorse contains several hotels and restaurants, a branch
of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, as well as stores of
various sorts.

The Voyage to Dawson

From Whitehorse to Dawson is a sail of 461 miles and
takes about forty hours. But it is a voyage that is unique—
different from any you may have taken before. To begin
with, it is on one of the world’s great rivers, and, too, it-is farther
northward than any river trip on this continent, if not in
the world.

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And, as J. S. McLain says, to whom we have already referred:
“One can almost persuade himself on this journey down the
Yukon that he is an original explorer wandering in the primeval
wilds. Nature is unmarred by the hand of man and the vast
solitude is impressive.” The scene is ever interesting. The
river is tortuous and rapid. There are terraced hills clothed with
spruce, aspen and wild flowers. Then a bit of open country, the

meadows gay with more wild flowers. Then the river cuts its

way through the spurs of mountains, ramparts and gorges.
Here and there small Indian camps are passed, the women busily
engaged in drying salmon.

As you voyage down the Yukon you will appreciate more
fully these lines from Service’s “Spell of the Yukon:”

Steamer in “Five Fingers’® Coming Upstream

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“It’s the great, big, broad land ’way up yonder,
It’s the forests where silence has lease:
It’s the beauty that thrills me with wonder,
It’s the’stillness that fills me with peace.
* * * *
‘“The summer—no sweeter was ever:
The sunshiny woods all athrill,
The grayling aleap in the river,
The bighorn asleep on the hill.
x x x x

‘“The strong life that never knows harness;
The wilds where the caribou call;

The freshness, the freedom, the farness—
O, God! how I’m stuck on it all.”’

Stops are made occasionally at the telegraph stations along

the river and at the wood camps where wood is taken on as

fuel. Sometimes a bear, a caribou or a moose may be seen

| swimming across the river or standing on the bank apparently

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posing for a picture.

_ The trip is tfhusually restful. The air is fresh and invigorat-
ing. The boats are modern and very comfortable. The state-
rooms are commodious and scrupulously clean. Should the
weather be unfavorable the tourist may view the scenery from
his comfortable chair in the spacious observation room. The
meals are excellent. In fact, tourists are surprised to find such a
variety of well-cooked dishes so far from the base of supplies.

There are many points of interest on the voyage. Lake
LeBarge, made famous by Robert Service’s Ballad, “The Crema-
tion of Sam McGee;” the tortuous Thirty-Mile River, where
navigation in this Northland is seen at its best; Cassiar bar,
cer mining was first done in the Yukon country
in the early 80's and up on the mountain side near by lies buried

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