'I have journeyed far on the iron boat; behold! I am still alive.'
It is a white man's soldier-boat with many soldier men upon it.

"After many sleeps of travel, a long, long time, Yamikan comes to a
land where there is no snow. I cannot believe this. It is not in
the nature of things that when winter comes there shall be no snow.
But Yamikan has seen. Also have I asked the white men, and they
have said yes, there is no snow in that country. But I cannot
believe, and now I ask you if snow never come in that country.
Also, I would hear the name of that country. I have heard the name
before, but I would hear it again, if it be the same - thus will I
know if I have heard lies or true talk."

Old Ebbits regarded me with a wistful face. He would have the
truth at any cost, though it was his desire to retain his faith in
the marvel he had never seen.

"Yes," I answered, "it is true talk that you have heard. There is
no snow in that country, and its name is California."

"Cal-ee-forn-ee-yeh," he mumbled twice and thrice, listening
intently to the sound of the syllables as they fell from his lips.
He nodded his head in confirmation. "Yes, it is the same country
of which Yamikan made talk."

I recognized the adventure of Yamikan as one likely to occur in the
early days when Alaska first passed into the possession of the
United States. Such a murder case, occurring before the instalment
of territorial law and officials, might well have been taken down
to the United States for trial before a Federal court.