James Hunter Shotwell letter to his wife, Margharete Ross Shotwell, describing his search for gold in Alaska, August 7, 1898

• Main Author: Shotwell, James Hunter
• Other Authors: University of Washington Libraries. Special Collections Division.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Shotwell; James Hunter > Correspondence; Margharete Ross > Correspondence; James Hunter > Journeys; Alaska > Description and travel; eskimo*; Alaska
• Online Access: http://cdm16786.contentdm.oclc.org:80/cdm/ref/collection/pioneerlife/id/3233

James Hunter Shotwell writes to his wife, Margharete Ross Shotwell, describing the voyage by ship from Port Clarence to Cape Blossom, Alaska. He offers his impressions of the Eskimo people, describes the native sled dogs, and writes about the huge mastodon tusks found on the banks of the region's lakes and rivers. He also tells her of seeing a boat towed up river by a team of sled dogs led by a white woman onshore. Prospectors taking the "All Water Route" to the Klondike were very familiar with Port Clarence and Cape Blossom, both stops along the journey. Punctuation has been added to the transcription to improve readability.