“It appears that the Indians go up this stream a long distance to hunt, but I could learn nothing definite as to their statements concerning it.

“Twelve and a half miles below Fort Reliance, the Chandindu River, as named by Schwatka, enters from the east.  It is thirty to forty yards wide at the mouth, very shallow, and for half a mile up is one continuous rapid.  Its valley is wide and can be seen for a long distance looking north-eastward from the mouth.

“Between Fort Reliance and Forty Mile River (called Cone Hill River by Schwatka) the Yukon assumes its normal appearance, having fewer islands and being narrower, averaging four to six hundred yards wide, and the current being more regular.  This stretch is forty-six miles long, but was estimated by the traders at forty, from which the Forty Mile River took its name.

“Forty Mile River[13] joins the main river from the west.  Its general course as far up as the International Boundary, a distance of twenty-three miles, is south-west; after this it is reported by the miners to run nearer south.  Many of them claim to have ascended this stream for more than one hundred miles, and speak of it there as quite a large river.  They say that at that distance it has reached the level of the plateau, and the country adjoining it they describe as flat and swampy, rising very little above the river.  It is only a short distance across to the Tanana River—­a large tributary of the Yukon—­which is here described as an important stream.  However, only about twenty-three miles of Forty Mile River are in Canada; and the upper part of it and its relation to other rivers in the district have no direct interest for us.

[Footnote 13:  Forty Mile townsite is situated on the south side of the Forty Mile River at its junction with the Yukon.  The Alaska Commercial Company has a station here which was for some years in charge of L.N.  McQuestion; there are also several blacksmith shops, restaurants, billiard halls, bakeries, an opera house and so on.  Rather more than half a mile below Forty Mile townsite the town of Cudahy was founded on the north side of Forty Mile River in the summer of 1892.  It is named after a well known member of the North American Transportation and Trading Company.  In population and extent of business the town bears comparison with its neighbor across the river.  The opposition in trade has been the means of very materially reducing the cost of supplies and living.  The North American Transportation and Trading Company has erected a saw-mill and some large warehouses.  Fort Constantine was established here immediately upon the arrival of the Mounted Police detachment in the latter part of July, 1895.  It is described further on in an extract from Inspector Constantine’s supplementary report for the year 1895.]