Public Ledger

Alaska's Big River.
[Baltimore Sun's San Francisco Letter.]

Alaska explorers report one of the largest rivers in the world, the Yukon, as navigable for steamers, and at five hundred miles from its mouth it receives a very large navigable tributary. The basin formed by the confluence is as large as our Mississippi. Indians are everywhere, and war between the tribes is a fixed institution. There is snow for six months, and without roads, dog-sledges and good traveling. Game abounds and Indians have an easy life. From seven to nine dogs make a team, the odd one being the leader. The driver has to watch his dog. If it gets on the scent of game it is off, and the whole team is demoralized. Off they scatter through the woods and thickets, upsetting the load, smashing the sled, tearing the harness, and giving the boss days of hunting to restore the status quo. So vast a country, traversed by navigable waters, will soon tempt restless and speculative adventurers to explore it. Yankee wit will not fail to find profitable sources of commerce.