274 CASSIAR

cook that you would be liable to procure for such a trip,
The main trouble with the Indians is that they must be
allowed to run the whole trip just the way they want to;
they will camp when it suits them, break camp when they
feel like it, and hunt or stay in camp as the spirit, or —
the state of their livers, moves them. It is a fatal mistake
to attempt to force them to do anything different from the
way they have been accustomed, or expect more attention
than they have been in the habit of giving. A great
deal of tact is needed. While you must keep your own
position, you must be pleasant and friendly to them,
and above all, if you want anything, do not go and shout
your orders to the handiest man, but ask the head guide
to have it done for you. There are sure to be many
things that you will not like, but of one thing you may
rest assured, they will get you a goodly array of trophies
if you can do your own part, as they are very jealous
of their reputations as guides and would be ashamed to
return with a poor showing.

The length of time it takes to make the one hundred and
fifty miles of river from Wrangel to Telegraph Creek
depends entirely on the state of the water. It may only
be a matter of a day and a half, or if the water is low
twice that time. The steamer is a flat-bottomed boat of
shallow draft, built especially to run in swift water;
there are cabins to sleep in and the meals that are served
are by no means bad.

If only the weather is kind the trip is a delightful one.
There are sure to be others for congenial company who are
bent on sport, while the beauty of the scenery and the
novelty of watching the boat being worked up the numerous
rapids serve to pass the time away.

One of the great drawbacks of this river trip is that
you must be back on a certain day to catch the boat
which takes the return trip. If you want to stay out long
the chances are that you will find the water too low for
the steamer, and then the only thing you can do is to
arrange for some Indians to take you down in a canoe or
“* poling boat.”