THE YUKON TERRITORY.	83
continue all around its edge, except over the heel. The pattern for females is similar, but the perpendicular band on the leg is omitted. The Koyukun male parka has been described. The pattern of ornamentation is a broad band of beadwork across the breast and back, and over the shoulders, with fringes on the pointed ends, and a few short tails of beadwork in front and on the sleeves. The female parka comes below the knee, and is cut round like an ordinary dress, but a little shorter in front than behind. They are ornamented with a similar band around the shoulders, sometimes one around the wrist, and one around the edge of the skirt in lieu of fringes. Before the introduction of beads by the Russians, this work was done in porcupine quills, often in very tasteful patterns, and among the Tenain Kutchin, or Tananah River Indians, this practice still obtains White and black or brick red are the only colors I have seen used on clothing, and they are always embroidered in alternate bands. Other beads, of various colors, in strings seven feet long, are valued by the natives as property, having a fixed value of two marten-skins a string. They pass from hand to hand, much as we use money. Small beads, of various kinds, are much in demand among the women, who use them as ornaments for their children. Strong beads, over which the hand passes smoothly, are the only kind suited for fur-trading. Red, black, white, dark blue, and amber are the desirable colors.
Friday, 31st. — Making an early start, we passed a point known as Sakatatontan, about half past three in the morning. Large stacks of driftwood, as big as houses, came floating down in the current, and great care was necessary to avoid collision. These were piles of logs thrown upon sandbars by previous freshets, which the unusually high water had floated off entire. We passed many low bluffs of blue sandstone and a few gravel-banks. Tom found a mallard's nest on the bank, with nine eggs in it, which were devoted to an omelet, after carefully emptying the shells with a small blowpipe. We camped on a high bank without taking the tent out of the boat, as the night was remark-ably pleasant and the mosquitoes unusually quiet.
Saturday, dine 1st.—The next morning at one o'clock we were on our way again, working hard against a strong current. The sandstones were now succeeded by conglomerate and meta-