ith these rocks. It is no great distance to either
shore, and one would think an ordinary swimmer would have no difficulty
in reaching land; but the coldness of the water soon benumbs a man
completely and renders him powerless. In the summer of 1887, an Indian,
from Tanana, with his family, was coming down to trade at the post at
the mouth of Forty Mile River; his canoe struck on these rocks and
upset, and he was thrown clear of the canoe, but the woman and children
clung to it. In the rough water he lost sight of them, and concluded
that they were lost: it is said he deliberately drew his knife and cut
his throat, thus perishing, while his family were hauled ashore by some
miners. The chief of the band to which this Indian belonged came to the
post and demanded pay for his loss, which he contended was occasioned by
the traders having moved from Belle Isle to Forty Mile, thus causing
them to descend this dangerous rapid, and there is little doubt that had
there not been so many white men in the vicinity he would have tried to
enforce his demand.

"The length of the so-called canon is about a mile. Above it the river
up to the boundary is generally smooth, with swift current and an
occasional ripple. The amount of water discharged by this stream is
considerable; but there is no prospect of navigation, it being so swift
and broken by small rapids.

"From Forty Mile River to the boundary the Yukon preserves the same
general character as between Fort Reliance and Forty Mile, the greatest
width being about half a mile and the least about a quarter.

"Fifteen miles below Forty Mile River a large mass of rock stands on the
east bank. This was named by Schwatka 'Roquette Rock,' but is known to
the traders as Old Woman Rock; a similar mass, on the west side of the
river, being known as Old Man Rock.

"The origin of these names is an Indian legend, of which the following
is the version given to me by the traders;--

"In remote ages there lived a powerful shaman, pronounced Tshaumen by
the Indians, this being the local name for what is known as medicine man
among the Indians farther south and east. The Tshaumen holds a position
and exercises an influence among the people he lives with, something
akin to the wise men or magi of olden times in the East. In this
powerful being's locality there lived a poor man who had the great
misfortune to have an inveterate scold for a wife. He bore the
infliction for a long time without murm