all of gold, and every one, from
captain to cook, seemed indirectly interested in the capture of the
precious metal. The purser had claims to dispose of, and even your
bedroom steward knew of a likely ledge of which he would divulge the
position--for a consideration. The Koyukuk and Tanana rivers on this
part of the Yukon are new ground, and are said to be promising, but I
could hear of no reliable discoveries of any extent on either of these
streams.

"Cities" on the American Yukon consist of perhaps a score or more of log
huts, which Yankee push and enterprise have invested with the dignity
of towns. "Rampart City," for instance, which the _Hannah_ reached on
the sixth day in from the coast, consisted of only about thirty
one-storied wooden dwellings, the erection of which had been due to the
discovery of gold in the vicinity, although during the previous year
(1901) the claims around had only produced L40,000. And yet even this
tiny township could boast of two hotels, five or six saloons, electric
light and two newspapers: the _Alaska Forum_ and _Rampart Sun_. The
circulation of these journals was not disclosed to the writer, who was,
however, gravely interviewed by the editors of both publications. Just
before leaving Rampart City news of the postponement of the coronation
of his Majesty King Edward VII. on account of serious illness, reached
us, and it was gratifying to note the respectful sympathy for the Queen
of England displayed by the American inhabitants of this remote Alaskan
settlement.

Four days after this the hideous Yukon flats were reached, a vast desert
of swamp and sand dunes, through which the great river diffuses itself,
like a sky-rocket, into hundreds of lesser streams, lakes, and aqueous
blind alleys, which severely taxed the skill and patience of our
skipper. Here the outlook was even more depressing than on the dreary
Lena. Before reaching Circle City the Yukon attains its most northerly
point and then descends in a south-easterly direction for the remainder
of its course. At the bend it is joined by the Porcupine River; and here
is Fort Yukon, once an important trading coast of the Hudson Bay
Company, but now an overgrown clearing in the forest, of which a few
miserable Indians in grimy tents disputed the possession with dense
clouds of mosquitoes. But even the appearance of Circle City,[74] once a
prosperous mining town and now a collection of ruined log-huts, was
hailed with delight by th