^^\^> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1^ |m 12.5 |50 ^^^ HBB •^ 1^ 12.2 bf. I 2.0 11 IL25 III 1.4 1.6 PhotDgraphic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STKSIT WMSTIR.N.Y. I4SS0 (716) •73-4S03 ^ ^-k ^^^\ 4^%"^ ^ mm 4 **>^ ^^<^ <^^,. CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/iCIVIH Coiiection de microficlies. Canadian Inatituta for Historical Microraproductions Institut Canadian da microraproductions historiquas 1980 £ Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notas techniques et bibiiographiques The Institute has attempted to obtein the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checlced below. □ Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur □ Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagie □ Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurAe et/ou pelliculAe □ Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque □ Coloured maps/ Cartes g^ographiques en couleur □ Coloured inic (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encrexle couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I — I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ D D PInnches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Relii avec d'autres documents r~l\ Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion n along interior mergin/ La reliure serr6e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intArieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajout^es lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas At4 filmAes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmentaires; L'Institut a microfilmil le meilleur exempleire qu'il lui a AtA possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exempleire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographique. qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modificetion dans la mAthode normale de filmage sont indiquAs ci-dessous. I — I Coloured pages/ EZI Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagAes Pages restored and/oi Pages restauries et/ou pelliculAes Pages discoloured, stibined or foxe( Pages dicolor^es, tacheties ou piquies Pages detached/ Pages ddtachies Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Quality inigale de I'impresslon Includes supplementary materia Comprend du materiel supptimentaire Only edition available/ Seule Mition disponible I — I Peges damaged/ I — I Pages restored and/or laminated/ I — I Pages discoloured, stibined or foxed/ I I Pages detached/ I I Showthrough/ I I Quelity of print varies/ I I Includes supplementary material/ I — I Only edition available/ Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont M filmies A nouveau de fapon A obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed et the reduction retio checked below/ Ce document est film6 eu taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X I tails > du odifier une mage The copy filmed here ha* been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: Morissat Library Univtrtity of Ottawa The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or Illustrated Impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. Ail other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. L'exemplaire film* fut reproduit grice A la gAnArositA da: BibliothkiiM Morinat Univar>it4 d'Ottawa Les Images sulvantes ont At* reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition at de la nettetA de rexemplaire film*, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de fl^mage. Les exemplalres originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimie sont filmte en commen9ant par le premier plat et en terminant solt par la derniire page qui comporte une emprelnte d'impression ou d'illustration. soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplalres originaux sont filmAs en commen^ant par la premlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on eech microfiche shall contain the symbol ^^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, charts, etc.. may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entiraiy included In one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Un des symboles suivants apparattra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUiVRE", le symbols ▼ signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre filmte A des taux de rMuction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA. II est film* A partir de Tangle supArleur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'Images n^cessalre. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. irrata to pelure. n 32X 1 2 3 [-,_ _ 1 2 3 4 5 6 ALAS K A ' S RESOURCES. •V WILLIAM II. DALL, Tll BXrUilTION. BOSTON: tEE AN I) SH Fi Pa RD 1870. BlSNOTHtCA ) f . v^l^W ALASKA AND ITS RESOURCES. BV -*i WILLIAM H. DALL, DIRECTOR OF THB SCIENTIFIC CORPS OF THE I.ATE WESrBRN UNION TEI.ECRAPH EXPEDITION. BOSTON : LEE AND SHEPARD 1870. VJnivorwJaj"-'^ BiBLIOTHKCA / itr Kntered according to Act of Congress, in tlie ycai 1870, by WILLIAM H . D A L L , in (he Clerk's Office of the District Court of tlie District of Massachusetts. Univbrsitv Press: Wblch, Bigslow, & Co., Cambriixib. F /370 do ti)c memory OF ROBERT KENNICOTT. FIRST DIRECTOR OF THE SCIENTIFIC CORPS, CfjiK Woxk is rebtrtntlg StJiiratrH. HE JOINED TO A NOltI.E AND CENEROUS HEART AN ENTHUSIASTIC LOVE OF nature; defying in the pursuit OF KNOWLEDC.E THE MIASMA OF THE TROPICS AND THE RIC.ORS OF THE ARCTIC WINTER; MANFULLY ENDURINIJ ISOLA- TION, SICKNESS, AND PRIVATION, AND DYING IN THE FIELD, A MARTYR TO THE CONSCIENTIOUS DIS- CHARGE OF HIS DUTY. INTRODUCTION. ' I "HE purpose of this volume has been to comprise in a small -^ compass the most valuable part of the present knowledge of Alaska. The writer has specially endeavored to convey as much information as his scope would allow, in regard to the native inhabitants, history, and resources of the country. This end has been kept steadily in view, perhaps at the risk of dulness. The greatest care has been taken to verify such facts as have not come under the personal observation of the writer. Toward this end every accessible work containing information in regard to the country has been consulted in the original. Where au- thorities have differed, the statements thought most worthy of confidence, or such as best agreed with the experience of the author, have been adopted. Many discrepancies have been recon- ciled, and not a few errors have been corrected. Mistakes to a certain extent are inevitable, but it is hoped that, in all important points, ihe statements herein made will stand the test of time and future observation. Many of the conclusions in regard to the natives may seem, to the superficial observer, unwarranted ; indeed, the author found, during a second year's experience, that not a few of his earlier impressions were erroneous, and constant intercourse with the natives, during that year while isolated from other white men, enabled him to clear up many doubtful points which previous observations had left unsettled. The geograph- ical information here recorded is, of necessity, partly approximate. With a base upon which to found future observations, it is to be hoped that accurate determination of many points will not long be delayed. VI INTRODUCTION. Theories and opinions have been, as far as possible, kept in the background, or, when expressed, so separated from the statements of facts, that the reader is left free to adopt or reject them from the evidence presented. Now that the native and Russian names of places and people in Alaska are to be introduced into American literature, it is very desirable that they should be spelled as simply and uniformly as their phonetic value will allow. Great care has been taken in this respect ; a slight knowledge of the Russian language having been of much assistance. It is earnestly recommended that other writers will join their cfibrts to promote the acceptance and use of the method of spelling adopted in this volume. It is evidently for the interest of all that simplicity and accuracy should be the only guides, and, above all, that uniformity should prevail. It is but just that the first acknowledgment should be made to the Directors of the Western Union Telegraph Company. By the liberality and generosity of these gentlemen a grand opportunity was afforded of investigating the Natural History of this interest- ing region ; while the operations of the ICxpedition were not impeded, a large amount of information was collected, for which they should receive the thanks of scientific men of all countries. In the fiiilure of the direct objects of the Expedition, it must be no small consolation to reflect that by such liberal conduct, at an insignificant expense, results of such importance and of lasting value have been obtained. The writer has been under many obligations, during the progress of the explorations, to Captain Charles S. Bulkley, En- gineer-in-Chief of the Expedition ; Captain C M. Scammon, U. S. R. S., Chief-of-Marine ; Adjutant George M. Wright ; Fred- erick Whymper, Flsq., Artist of the Expedition ; and especially to Captain E. Everett Smith, of the schooner F. L. Steele, for many favors. The writer also desires to express his sense of the favors con- INTRODUCTION. Vll favors con- ferred and facilities offcroil, during the progress of this work, by the Smithsonian Institution, under the (hrcction of Professor Joseph Henry. There is no other place where so much practical and valuable information can be found, in regard to the less known parts of North America, as in the archives of this establishment. To Professor S. F. Baird, of the Institution, the author is also under deep obligations for advice and assist- ance. To the trustees and librarian of the Boston Athcnxum and the Boston Public Library; to Professor Theodore Gill, and Mr. Spof- ford, of the Congressional Library; to Mr. S. II. Scudder, of t»"^ Boston Society of Natural History ; Mr. Kalusowski, Librarian tf the United States Treasury ; Mr. Buynitsky, of the Treasury T e- partment ; Mr. Chew, of the Department of State; Mr. "* ung, of the Bureau of Stati tics ; Dr. C. A. Parry, of the Agricul- tural Bureau ; Captam Patterson, Mr. Hilgaru, and other offiwcrs of the United .jtatcs Coa.st Survey ; Mr. Bannister, of the Smith- sonian Institution ; Dr. Torrey, of the United States Assay Office; Dr. J. T. Rothrock, of the Agricultural College of Penn- sylvania; Dr. Packard, of the Peabody Academy of Science; Dr. Uhler, of the Peabody Institute in Baltimore ; Mr. George (libbs ; Mr. F. B. Meek; Mr. George Davidson; Dr. A. Kel- logg ; Professor Pxsche ; R. D. Cotter ; Mr. Chas. Wright ; Mr. J. T. Dyer; VV. H. Ennis ; Baron O. de Bendeleben; Mr. Michael Lebarge ; Captain P'rank E. Kctchum ; Mr. George R. Adams ; F. H. Francis ; Captain Charles Riedell ; Miss S. K. Dall, and many others, he is indebted for information or assistance. The illustrations are all from original sketches by the writer, or from the articles themselves, and owe whatever artistic merit they may possess to the pencil of Mr. H. W. Elliott. The illustra- tions of birds were engraved by Mr. H. H. Nichols, and the others are by Mr. John Andrew. The map is a photo-lithograph from the original, drawn under the direction of the writer and now in the possession of the Vlll INTRODUCTION. United States Coast Survey, and was put on stone by Mr. Julius Bien, of New York. The ethnological specimens figured are mostly from the col- lection of the Smithsonian Institution. Should further details be desired, reference may be made to the works of which a list is given in the Appendix. Addi- tional information of any kind is requested, and will be used and full credit given, should a future opportunity be offered. Smithsonian Institution, November, I869. CONTENTS. PART I. TRAVELS ON THE YUKON AND IN THE YUKON TERRITORY. CHAPTER I. Arrival in Norton Sound. — Circumstances of previous visit. — News of the death of Robert Kennicott. — Change of plans. — Receive my appointment as Director of the Scientific Corps, and determine to remain in the country. — Landing, organization, and departure of the vessels. — Departure of the Wilder for Unalaklik. — Russian peechka. — St. Michael's Redoubt and Isl- and. — Russian traders. — Stepanoff. — Natives and their houses. — Skin belts. — Departure from the Redoubt. — Journey to Unalaklik. — Detention at Kegiktowruk — Seal-hunting. — Innuit graves. — Bath as enjoyed by the Innuit. — Character of the coast. — Departure from Kegiktowruk. — Topa- nika. — Arrival off the mouth of the river. — Ice-cakes. — Arrival at Unala- klik. — Cockroaches. — Native clothing. — Description of the post and vilKige. — Deficiency of medical supplies. — Departure for Nulato via Ulukuk. — Iktigalik and its inhabiLints. — Telegraph stew. — Escape of dogs and return to Unalaklik. — Russian baths. — Disagreeable trip to Iktigalik. — All gone on my arrival. — Second return to Unalaklik. — Impromptu theatricals. — Departure for Ulukuk. — Deserted village. — Arrival at Ulukuk. — Springs. — Transportation of goods. — Arrival of Mike with the brigade from Nulato. — Departure for Nulato. — Parhelia. — Mysterious caterpillar. — First view of the Yukon. — Arrival at Nulato Pacb CHAPTER II. Arrival at Nulato, and introduction to the Creole bidarshik. — Description of the post and its inhabitants. — Adjacent points. — History. — The Nulato massacre and its cause. — Barnard's grave. — Daily life at Nulato. — Larri- own. — Koyukun Indians. — Ingaliks. — Kurilla. — Plans for the coming season. — Examination of a coal-seam. — Nuklukahyet chief. — Christm.is festivities. — New Year's and erection of the first telegraph i)ole. — Aurora. — Return of Ketchum. — Collections in Natural History. — Indian rumor. — Cannibalism. — Russian ingenuity. — P'ounding of Fort Kennicott. — Depart- ure of Ketchum and Mike on their wintc! journey to Fort Yukon. — Arrival of our bidarra. — Trip to Woksatn.x' barrabora. — Scarcity of food. — First signs of spring. — Rolibing a grave. — First goose. — Indian children. — Rescue of the bidarshik. — Anecdote of M.-\jor Kennicott and erection of a monument to his men'ory. — Formation o.'' alluvium. — Prepar.itions for our journey. — Breaking up of the ice on the Yukon ........ 44 ■PPI X CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. Our departure from Nulato. — Sukaree. — Crossing in the Ice. — Peculation. — Camp. — Koyukuk Sopka. — Barter on the Yukon. — Indian grave. — Oos- kon. — Indian pipes. — Tohonidola. — Koyukun dress. — Catching butterflies Melozikakat River. — Arrival at Nowikakat. — Trading for meat. — Shaman- ism. — Indian theology. — Treating the sick. — Departure from Nowikakat. — Hirch canoes. — Runaw.iy from Fort Yukon. — Tozikakat River. — Nuklu- kahyet and the Twin Mountains. — Nuklukahyet tyone and other Indians. — Departure from Nuklukahyet. — The Ramparts and Rapids. — Moose-killing. — Pass the Ramparts. — Mosquitoes. — Plains north of the Yukon. — Kutcha Kutchin camp. — Sachniti. — Arrival at Fort Yukon. — History of the fort. — Five years without bread. — Degradation of the servants of the Hud.son Bay Company. — Intense heat. — Arrival of the bateaux. — The annual trade. — Tenan Kutchin Indians. — Other tribes. — Drowning of Cowley. — Red Leg- gins. — Arrival of Ketchum and Mike — Missionaries and their value. — Course of the Hudson Bay Company with the Indians. — Massacre at Fort Nelson. — Indians of the Western United Slates. — Furs in the storehouse. — Departure from Fort Yukon. — Arrival at Nulato. — Unexpected orders. — Start for the Yukon-mouth. — Seal and beluga in the river. — Arrival at St. Michael's 74 CHAPTER IV. Arrival of the vessel. — Arrange to remain in the country. — Departure of the Clara Bell. — Mushrooms. — Plans for the season. — Start for Unalaklik. - - The Major's Cove. — Voyage to Kegiktowruk. — Description of the casine. End of the old bidarra. — Leave Kegiktowruk. — Crossing the bar of the Unalaklik River. — Send back for the goods. — Trip to Ulukuk. — Death of Starcek. — Bears and bear-hunting. — Geological rcconnoissance, and discov- ery of fossils. — Return to Unalaklik. — Purchasing winter supplies. — Innuit of Norton Sound. — Tribes, physique, games, kyaks. — Disposition, morality, ' marri.iges, and infanticide. — Treatment of the women, and work allotted toi the sexes. — Dress, labrets of the different tribes. — Property, method of com- ' putation, and map-drawing. — Fire-drills. — ^Vcapons of bone, flint, and ivory. — Guns and trading. — Intercourse with Indians, and boundary lines of their territory. — Shamanism. — Patron spirits. — Interment of the dead. — Habits and means of gaining subsistence throughout the year. — Dances and festivals. — Arrival of my new bidarra. — Sudden illness, and departure for the Redoubt. — Storm and detention at Kegiktowruk. — Proceed to the Redoubt on foot. — Return to Unahiklik. — Kill a deer. — Cowardly abuse of the natives by the Russians. — Kamokin and his barbarity to the sick. — Deaths in the village. — Making dog-harness 121 CHAPTER V. Arrival of Kurilla and the dogs. — Departure from Unalaklik. — Various kinds of sledges, — Arrival at Iktigalik. — Series of detentions. — Indian avarice. — At Ulukuk and across the portage. — Comparative merits of different sledges. — Wohisatux. — Arrival at Nulato. — Sham hysterics. — Fish-traps. — Kurilla's return. — Journey to the Kaiyuh River. — Housekeeping. — Christmas and New-Year's. — Snaring grouse. — Yukon fish. — Continued CONTENTS. XI sickness. — Arrival of the mail. — Start for the Redoubt. — IIow the Russians travel vs. how the American.s travel. — Arrival at the Redoubt. — Return to Iktigalik. — break-down >d repairs. — Dog-driving, and camp life in the Yukon territory. — Snowshoes. — Arrival at Nulato. — Expeditions among the Nulato hills. — Hostile Koyukuns. — Reasons for their hostility. — Char- acter of the western Tinneh. — Endurance. — rrev.-ilcnt diseases. - Snow- goggles. — Totems. — Dances and songs. — Arms. — Habits of life.— Addi- tional notes on the Kutchin tribes. — Making shot. — Attack on Tekunka and the result. —Arrival of swallows and geese. — IJrcak-up of the ice. — Narrow escape. — Non-arrival of Indians. — I'avloff's departure 164 CHAPTER VI. Departure from Nulato. — Lateness of the season. — Veto. — Kwikhtana bar- rabora. — Lof k.Vs. — Habits of the beaver. — Swan-shooting. — Indian carv- ings. — First Indians, — Kl.-intilinten. — A letter. — Meeting with the Mahle- muts. — Anvik. — The Stareck. — Tottery. — Sand-hill cranes. — Canoes. — Leather village on the Shageluk. — Great abundance of food. — Demand for liquor by the Mahlenii''^. — Dances. — Attack and narrow escajjc. — Leave the village. — Manki. — Kkogmuts. — Loon-cap vilKige. — Carvings, old houses and graves. — Great breadth of the Lower Yukon. — Arrive at the Mission. — Pass the Great Jiend. — Fishing-village. — Myriads of wild fowl. — Energetic collection of specimens. — R.isbinik village. — Starry Kwikhpak village. — Obtain a guide. — AndreafTsky. — Tragedy in 1S55. — Mistake of guide. — Arrive at the Uphoon. — Kutlik. — Emperor geese. — Arrival of Teleezhik. — Go on to I'astolik. — IJeluga-hunting. — Innuit carvings. — Drawings on bone. — Rise of the water. — Elephant bones. — Start for the Redoubt. — News of the ships. — Arrival at the Redoubt, and meeting with old friends. — Traders. — Embarkation for California. — Abuses prevalent in the new territory. — Value of a territorial government — Necessary legisla- tion. — Disparagement of the territory. — Arrival in San Francisco . . 207 PART II. f.EOGRAPHY, HISTORY, INHABITANTS, AND RF..SOURCES OF ALASKA. CHAI'TER I. Cicncral geographical and topographical description of Alaska. — Adjacent seas. — Groups of islands. — Coasts and harbors. — River system. — Ocean cur- rents. — Mountain chains and peaks. — Are.n. — Earlier maps. — Review of some recent maps. — The authorities for the p.esent map. — Field for future explorations 245 CHAPTER II. A chronological history of the progress of exploration and trade in Alaska and ihc adjoining territories, from 1542 to 1868 294 xu CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. Aboriginal Inhabitants of Alaslta ^j^ CHAPTER IV. Climate and Agricultural Resources 433 CHAPTER V. Geology and Mineral Resources ^cy CHAPTER VI. Fisheries, Fur Trade, and other Resources not previously mentioned . . 481 CHAPTER VII. Adjacent Territories and their Inhabitants 506 APPENDIX. A. Glossary 529 B. Population of Alaska • • 537 C. Statistics of the Fur Trade of Alaska 538 D. Meteorology 539 E. Latitude and Longitude of Importawt Points ..... 545 F. Vocabularies 547 G Natural History. / List of the Mammalia of Alaska 576 List of the Fishes of Alaska 579 List of the Birds of Alaska • . . . 580 List of the I^pidoptera of Alaska 587 List of the Hymenoptera of Alaska 5^7 List of the Neuroptera of Alaska 588 List of Useful Plants of Alaska 589 H. List of Works containing Information in regard to Alaska and the Adjacent Territories 595 INDEX 610 373 433 • • 4S7 d . 481 506 • • • 529 S37 • • 538 539 • . S4S 547 576 • • 579 580 • • 587 587 588 589 ro Alaska PART I. TRAVELS ON THE YUKON AND IN THE YUKON TERRITORY. 595 610 F lOur W CHAPTER I. Arrival in Norton Sound. — Circumstances of previous visit. — News of the death of Robert Kcnnicott. — Change of plans. — Receive my appointment as Director of the Scientific Corps, and tletcrmine to remain in the country. — Landing, organiza- tion, and departure of the vessels. — Departure of the Wilder for Unalaklik. — Russian peechka. — St. Michael's Redoubt and Island. — Russian traders. — Ste- panofT. — Natives and their houses. — Skin Iwats. — Departure from the Redoubt. — Journey to Unalaklik. -^ Detention at Kegiktowruk. — Seal-hunting. — Innuit graves. — IJath as enjoyed by the Innuit. — Character of the coast. — Depar- ture from Kegiktowruk. — Topanika. — Arrival off the mouth of the river. — Ice- cakes. — Arrival at Unalaklik. — Cockroaches. — Native clothing. — Descrip- tion of the post and village. — Deficiency of medical supplies. — Departure for Nulato via Ulukuk. — Iktigalik and its inhabitants. — Telegraph stew. — Escape of dogs and return to Unalaklik. — Russian baths. — Disagreeable trip to Iktigalik. — All gone on my arrival. — Second return to Unalaklik. — Impromptu theatricals. — Departure for Ulukuk. — Deserted village. — Arrival at Ulukuk. — Spiings. — Transportation of goods. — Arrival of Mike with the brigade from Nulato. — De- parture for Nulato. — Parhelia. — Mysterious caterpillar. — First view of the Yu- kon. — Arrival at Nulato. ON the 24th of September, 1866, the clipper ship Nightin- gale came to anchor half a mile southeast of Egg Island, ; Norton Sound. A driving storm from the north and northeast obscured the I atmosphere, and covered the deck with an inch or two of half- melted snow and hail. The waves were yellow with sediment, churned up by their own violence, and the very white-caps had la sullied look which spoke of shallow water. We were drawing [nineteen feet, with a rise and fall of the waves of at least twelve Ifect more, and the breeze was freshening. This did not leave la very large margin under the keel, and the well-known rapidity jwith which a north wind will diminish the depth of water in Ithe Sound, sometimes making a difference of a fathom in the Icourse of a few hours, added to the anxiety of our ship's officers. jOur indefatigable commander, Captain Scammon, was seriously ill. Altogether, the circumstances attending our arrival in the vicinity of Redoubt St. Michael's were not propitious. THE VUKON TERRITORY. Ill A little more than a year before, we had visited this point in the bark Golden Gate. We left a party to make the prelimi- nary explorations, previous lo deciding on the line on which it was proposed to build the international telegraph. This party was under the command of the Director oi the Scientific Corps, Robert Kennicott, whose previous experience in the Hudson Bay Territory to the westward had fitted him above all others to fill the arduous post of commander of the explorations in Russian America. Several members of the Scientific Corps were of his party, and to their combined labors we looked hopefully for a solution of the problem of the identity of the Yukon River with the so-called Kwikhpak of the Russians. This identity was stoutly upheld by Mr. Kennicott, though persistently denied by many, who looked upon the so-called Colvile River, flowing into the Arctic Ocean, as the true mouth of the Yukon, while they considered the Kwikhpak as a distinct river. The question was regarded as uncertain by all. Information received from the Russians, however, soon put the matter beyond a doubt, and we looked to Mr. Kennicott and his party as the favored few who were to p ss the term incognita between the limit of Russian explorations and the Hudson Bay Territory, and thus complete the exploration of the Lower Yukon. Though their equipment was not such as we could have wished, and though grave doubts prevailed as to the value of a miniature steamer, of which much had been expected, still we left all of them in the highest spirits, and with the heartiest wishes for their success, as we sailed slowly away from Stuart Island, September \ 17, 1865. During the year which had passed many changes had taken place in the organization of the Expedition. No word had been received from the party eve.n through the Russian mail, which is carried overland from St. Michael's every winter to Nushergak \ and thence by sea to Sitka. Various detentions kept the vessels of the fleet lying in San Francisco Bay long after they should have reached the shores of Bering Sea, and it was only in the month of July that the Expe- dition finally set sail. We had been lying in Plover Bay .several ; weeks, during which time a rumor had reached us that an explor- ing party had been at Grantley Harbor during the winter, and that THE YUKON TERRITORY. one member of the party had been badly frost-bitten. All were supposed to be alive and well. Now that we had again come within reach of our friends and companions, our anxiety may be imagined. The state of the weather and our distance from St. Michael's, almost twelve miles, prevented our landing in a body. A boat with two officers was despatched late in the afternoon, but the distance and the still increasing storm forbade us to expect their return that night. My own impatience was so great that I soon abandoned the attempt to sleep, and accompanied the officer of the deck in his inclement night-watch, pacing up and down in the rain and sleet ; and I almost fancied that there was something derisive in the whistle of the wind through the rigging and insulting in the masses of slush which the swaying cordage occasionally threw in our faces. The next morning the storm continued with little abatement. About noon we saw the steamer George S. Wright, which we knew had arrived with the commander of the expedition a day or two before, getting up steam behind the point of Stuart Island. About four o'clock in the afternoon she came out and anchored under the lee of Egg Island near us, and we soon saw a boat put off from her. Every glass was pointed at her, and every eye was strained for a glimpse of some familiar face ; but the long hair and beards, the unfamiliar deer-skin dresses and hoods defied recog- nition. Pressing forward to the gangway, as the first man came over the side, my first question was, " Where is Kennicott } " and the answer, " Dead, poor fellow, last May," stunned me with its sudden anguish. I stayed to hear no more, but went to my cabin as one walks in a dream. So he was gone, that noble, impetuous, but tender-hearted man, who had been to me and many others as more than a brother ! During the past two years many had had bitter controversies with him, but all felt and expressed their grief at his untimely death. He was one who made enemies as well as friends, but even ene- mies could not but respect the purity of motive, the open-handed generosity, the consideration, almost too great, for his subor- dinates, and the untiring energy and lively spirits which were the prominent characteristics of the man. THE YUKON TERRITORY. w'r The details of his explorations and death will be found else- where. His body had been tenderly cared for, brought down the Yukon from the point where he died, placed in a vault at the Redoubt, and was to be taken home in charge of Mr. Charles Pease, who had been his friend from boyhood, and Mr. II. M. Hannister, both members of the Scientific Corps. This would leave the Corps without a single representative in the whole of Russian America north of Sitka. My own plan had been, to explain the operations of the Corps during the past year to Mr. Kennicott, and if approved by him to cross to the Siberian side and obtain such information and col- lections as opportunity might offer, and especially to determine by the barometer the height of the different volcanoes for which Kamchatka is renowned. Under the circumstances, however, and considering the infor- mation in regard to North American natural history and geology more important than that relating to the other continent, I re- solved to remain at St. Michael's or in the valley of the Yukon during the ensuing season. I determined to use my best energies to complete the scientific exploration of the northwest extremity of the continent, as it had been planned by Mr. Kennicott, and which comprised the exploration of, — First, the region between Fort Yukon, at the junction of the Yukon and the Porcupine, and Nulato, the most eastern Russian post on the former river ; Second, the region between Nulato and the sea, westward across the portage, and south by way of the Yukon to the sea ; and, — Lastly, the whole region bordering on Norton Sound and the sea to the north and south of it. Toward this considerable collections and many observations had been made at St. Michael's, but little had been done in other parts of the country. Captain Charles S. Bulkley, U. S. A., Engineer-in-chief of the Expedition, having signified his desire that I should succeed Mr. Kennicott as Director of the Scientific Corps, and learninii that I desired to, remain in the country, ordered me to act as Surgeon in general charge of the district between Bering Strait and the Yukon. I submitted my plans for the scientific opera- tions of the coming year to him, and they met with his entire approval. THE YUKON TERRITORY. unci and the Great expedition was necessary in niakin}? my preparations. The continued north wind began to tell on the depth of water in the Sound, and on Saturday we grounded with every swell. Luckily the bottom here is an impalpable soft mud, without any stones, otherwise the old Nightingale would have left her bones there ; and as it was, every few moments she came thumping down, with a severity that shook everything, from truck to kelson. The following morning it cleared off. and those who were to remain took their seats in a large scow li)aded with coal, which was to be towed ashore by the steamer Wilder. The Wilder was one of two small stern-wheel steamers, built in San Francisco, and brought up on the deck of the Nightingale, designed fo*- river navigation. They were shaped much like an old-fashioned tlat-iron, and were just about as valuable for the jnirposes required ; being unable to tow anything, or to carry any freight, while in a breeze of any strength it was no easy matter to steer them. Sitting pensively on the larger lumps of coal, we had ample opportunity of studying the defects of our tug, and it became an interesting matter as to what we should do if she should break down before reaching shore, as seemed likely. A cold and extremely penetrating rain gave us a foretaste of the concom- itants of exploration, and rendered our dej)arture anything but romantic. Indeed, I could not help thinking that we bore much more resemblance to a party of slaves ai route for the galleys, as Victor Hugo describes them, than to a party of young and ardent explorers, defying the powers of winter, and only anxious for an opportunity to exhibit our prowess. We finally arrived in safety at the landing, near the Russian trading-post of St. Michael. Having pocketed some biscuit, I was provisioned, and, picking out a soft plank in a back room, I rolled myself in a blanket, and after some diificulty got to sleep. The rain continued ; the Russians were hokling an orgie, with li(luor obtained from the vessels ; the dogs howled nearly all night ; the roof leaked, not water, but fine volcanic gravel, with which it was covered. If this is a sample of the country, I thought, it is not prepossessing ! On rising in the morning I found, as might be expected, that 'i\ 8 THE YUKON TERRITORY. I was likely to feci for some time the effect of my new style of bed in a way that was anything but agreeable. On Monday, the ist of October, 1866, the Nightingale sailed for Plover Hay. All was activity on shore, preparing the Wilder and all available boats for a trip to Unalaklik, the seaboard terminus of the portage to the Yukon, at the mouth of the Una- laklfk River. My friend, Mr. Whympcr, the genial and excellent artist of the expedition, proposed to leave for Unalaklik on the steamer. The work of construction and exploration had been divided. The larger number of men, and the work to be done in the region west of the Yukon, had been placed in charge of Mr. VV. H. Ennis and several assistants. Here the work of exploration had been mainly finished, and construction, exclusive of putting up the wires, was to be immediately commenced. The work of exploration and future construction, to the north and east of Nuldto on the Yukon, was intrusted to Mr. F. E. Ketchum, to whom, with Mr. Michael Lebarge, the honor of exploring the region between Nulato and Fort Yukon had fallci after Kennicott's death. Mr. Ketchum, who bore the title of Captain in the service of the Expedition, was thoroughly qualified for the execution of the trust committed to him. He had been eminently faithful to Mr. Kennicott during his arduous explorations, and had successfully carried out his plans after his death. I proposed to accompany him to Nuldto, the place best suited for the prosecution of the scientific work, and as he had decided to remain for a while at St. Michael's, after consultation with him, we secured a room in the Russian quarters together. On Tuesday the steamer, in charge of Captain E. E. Smith, with a Russian pilot, started for UnalakHk. As we were waving our congratulations, to our dismay we saw her come to a stand-still, plump on a rock at the entrance of the cove. It seemed as if her career were about to come to an ignominious conclusion, but after a good deal of labor she worked off without damage, and proceeded on her way. We returned to our quarters, where we built a fire in the Russian stove. These stoves are a *' peculiar institution," in use throughout the territory, and worthy of description. Here they THE YUKON TERRITORY. are built of fragments of basalt, the prevalent rock, and smeared inside and out with a mortar made of clay. A damper in the chimney is so arranged as to shut off all draught, and is taken out when the fire is made. After the whole has been thoroughly heated by a wood fire the coals are removed. The damper is put in, thus preventing the escape of hot air by the chimney, and without further fire this stove will warm the room for twenty-four hours. It is admirably suited to the climate and country, and its only objectionable point is the amount of room it occupies. A i;ood deal of cooking, baking, &c., can be accomplished in a large one, and the remainder is done in a building erected for the pur- pose, and called the fovdruia. The Russian name for this stove is fci'chka, but an iron stove, such as is used in the United States, is called a kana'la. The foundation of the pedchka is of wood, filled in with volcanic gravel, and covered with brick or slabs of lava. In Russia they are generally built of brick entirely, and arc often tiled over on the outside with painted tiles, such as are yet to be found in some of the older houses in New England. Our beds, as in all the houses in this part of the territory, were made on a platform raised a few feet from the floor, and about seven feet wide. Mine onsisted of a reindeer skin with the hair on, and with one end s.-vvn 'ip, so as to make a sort of bag to put the feet in ; a pillow of wiiJ-goose and other feathers is essential to comfort ; this, with a pair of good blankets, is all that one needs in most instances. Sheets are unknown in this part of the world, and counterpanes are almost so. Our time was well occupied in getting everything in readiness for transportation, if the steamer should return as we hoped. If, as was probable, she found ice in the Unalakli'k River, she would have to go into winter quarters at once. Meanwhile I took a careful survey of the old trading-post, or Michaelovski Redoubt, as the Russians call it. By order of Baron Wrangell, Michael T^benkofi", an officer of the Russian American Company, established this post in 1833. It is stated by different writers to be in latitude 63° 33' or 63° 28' north, and longitude 161° 55' or 161° 44' west of Greenwich. Few points were established by the Russians with the accuracy deemed indispensable in modern English or American surveys. It is stated by Tikhm6nief that, in 1836, the Unali'gmuts of the lO THE YUKON TERRITORY. t fli I N ll vicinity attacked the Redoubt, which was successfully defended by Kurupdnoff, the commander. It is built of spruce logs, brought by the sea from the mouths of the Yukon and Kuskoqufm, which annually discharge immense quantities of driftwood. This is stacked up by the Russians in the fall, for miles along the ccast north and west of the Redoubt, and is carried in winter to the fort over the ice by means of dogs and slec'!. No other fuel exists on the island and adjoining shores. These are entirely destitute of wood, if we except low, scrubby willows and alders, which are found in the vicinity of water. St. Michael's is situated on a small point of the island of the same name, which puts out into the sound and forms a small cove, abounding in rocks and very shallow. Here a temporary landing-place is built out into water deep enough for loaded boats drawing five feet to come up at high tide. This is removed when winter approaches, as otherwise it would be destroyed by the ice. The shore is sandy, and affords a moderately sloping beach, on which boats may be drawn up. A few feet only from high-water mark are perpendicular banks from six to ten feet high, composed of decayed pumice and ashes, covered with a layer, about four feet thick, of clay and vegetable matter resembling peat. This forms a nearly even meadow, with numerous pools of water, which gradually ascends for a mile or more to a low hill of volcanic ori- gin, known as the Shaman Mountain. The fort is composed of log buildings with plank roofs, placed in the form of a square, and with the intervals filled by a palisade about ten feet high, surmounted by a chciHiiix-dc-frise of pointed stakes. This is also continued round the eaves of the buildings. There are two outlying bastions, pierced for cannon and musketry, and con- taining a number of pieces of artillery of very small calibre and mostly very old-fashioned and rusty, except two fine brass howitzers of more modern manufacture. The principal buildings are the com- mander's house, — consisting of two private rooms, an armory and a counting-room, or contoriim, — a couple of buildings used as store- houses, a bath-house, and separate houses for the married and unmarried workmen. There is a flag-staff leaning apologetically as if consciously out of place, and a gallery for the watchman, who is on duty day and night, with reliefs, and who tolls a bell on the hour stroke to notify the inmates that he is not asleep. One of "ully defended the mouths of irge immense : Russians in the Redoubt, neans of dogs md adjoining e except low, le vicinity of the island of forms a small a temporary ■ loaded boats emoved when :d by the ice. ing beach, on m high-water gh, composed r, about four J peat. This f water, which volcanic ori- )ofs, placed in )alisade about Dinted stakes. ;s. There are ;try, and con- I calibre and ■ass howitzers s are the com- II armory and used as store- married and ipologetically Itch man, who a bell on the 2ep. One of THE Yr» ■ « »f ^'..attci i. d ahrul : :i .sun-clia1 is to Hid a ii.'iicuahle feature in the 'iw'ood "'ImcIi. fioni a distance. • ■unit and the inaiii- vifich tlirre fcitho)iis J -le bastions i*: withou? cannuo.. ar*4 ». ♦ v ; ?s i ; ^Aipihd^^ for f refractory subject.'^. Outside of the stockade ar : w-vcra'. jK^- buddings, — a snuul !reh diring a beil at the side of .-s • porih v^hich covens the door -\-%f. Other small buildings ,' . . ft^und not far from the chui ...il is the stacks of bleached ...k not unlike tents or bastioM '<-£t\v<'cn the point on which ' VWchac!- ■■■Ht. a small arm ot the sea ;?kV' - ui, ii> iV be carried uri\ti the fl., . . ' m the \ ;i- i clKukotl' ■•' wo enter a narrow ani tortu'His cltanin.-l, often i> it mare V liitty feet wide. whii:h s-rparates the island of .St. Mi.»'iae! '(-■ »';c mainland. Tlii''. has been aptly nanit-d. the Canal by ^- '. .sians, and it divides midway into two branches wliieh are. •.'■..•; to me. eqii illy tortuous. thv)Uf;h th.-} are styled the , .*. and the Crooked re.-ipectiv<''y. :' 'r>ainland near St. Michael's gra'iually rises bom the Canal .'-^ adjacent shores into low basaltic Kills, with a riii;.:;ed and • iiough not elevated coast. • nmales of the f(.rt — with the exceptinn oi 9>i'' commands not only this, but all , uiEj-postc. in the i:)isirict of .^1. ■Michael, ur.ilcr the title ■: >Vi>lisha — may be divided into IhKi" elas-^i (..oiivicts, • and natives. .voiknjen of the kus'-ian Ameriean Coni|M:i\ wen, al- . ^'.'ithont e.xccption, convicts, mo-lls from Sii-.;ria, wheie impany was ori).iii;:!!h or{^anized. Tiny ni^n. men eon- nf such crimes as theft, incorrii;ib[e dru^kcnne^^. lair'^lary, ;'Vf>.n mansla'ighler. Those men, at'ter a continued vesi- m the country, naturally took to themselves wives. af><'r the •11 of the country, snee Russian subjects in the Cumpany's ■. were juohibilcd from leg.il marriage with native women tSSBft THE YUKON TERRITORY. I I the bastions is without cannon, and is used as a guard-house for refractory subjects. Outside of the stockade are several other buildings, — a small storehouse used for furs, a large shed where boats are draw.i up in winter, a blacksmith's shop, and a church. The latter is octagonal in shape, with a small dome, surmounted by a cross, and a beam bearing a bell at the side of a small porch which covers the door- way. Other small buildings are scattered about ; a sun-dial is to be found not far from the church, and a noticeable feature in the fall is the stacks of bleached driftwood, which, from a distance, look not unlike tents or bastions. Between the point on which St. Michael's is built and the main- land, a small arm of the sea makes in, in which three fathoms may be carried until the flagstaff of the fort bears west by north. This is the best-protected anchorage, and has as much water and as good bottom as can be found much farther out. At the southwest extremity of this arm, known as Tcbenkoft" Cove, we enter a narrow and tortuous channel, often not more than fifty feet wide, which separates the island of St. Michael from the mainland. This has been aptly named the Canal by the Russians, and it divides midway into two branches which are, it seems to me, equally tortuous, though the)' are styled the Straight and the Crooked respectively. The mainland near St. Michael's gradually rises from the Canal and the adjacent shores into low basaltic hills, with a rugged and rocky, though not elevated coast. The inmates of the fort — with the exception of Sergei Stepan- olT Riisanoff, an old soldier, who commands not only this, but all the trading-posts in the District of St. Michael, under the title of Uprovalisha — may be divided into three classes: convi is, Creoles, and natives. The workmen of the Russian American Company were, al- most without exception, convicis, mostly from Siberia, where the Company was originally u;g;tnized. They were men con- victed of such crimes as theft, incorrigible drunkenness, burglary, and even manslaughter. These men, after a continued resi- dence in the country, naturally took to themselves wives, after the fashion of the country, since Russian subjects in the Company's employ were prohibited from legal marriage with native women. • i 12 THE YUKON TERRITORY. These connections are looked upon with a diflferent feeling from that which prevails in most communities, and these native women mix freely with the few Russian ind half-breed women in the territory who have been legally married. Their children are termed Creoles, and formerly were taken from their parents and educated in Sitka by the Company, in whose service they were obliged to pass a certain number of years, when they became what is called "free Creoles," and were at liberty to continue in the service or not, as they liked. Many of the most distinguished officers of the Company were Creoles, among them Etolin, Kush- evaroff, and Malakoflf. There are a few Yakuts in the service of the Company, and these, with some native workmen, who are generally of the tribe which inhabits the immediate vicinity of the post, compose the garrison. The regular workman gets about fifty pounds of flour, a pound of tea, and three pounds of sugar, a month ; his pay is about twenty cents a day. Some of the older men get thirty cen«" and a corresponding addition to the ration of flour. They work with little energy and spirit as a general thing, but can accomplish a great deal if roused by necessity. Small offences are punished by confinement in the guard-house, or boofka, and greater ones by a thrashing administered by the commander in person ; those who commit considerable crimes are forced to run the gauntlet, receive one or two hundred blows with a stick, or in extreme cses are sent for trial to Sitka, or, in case of murder, to St. Petersburg. The present Uprovali'sha, Stepanoff", has been in office about four years. He is a middle-aged man of great energy and iron will, with the Russian fondness for strong liquor and with un- governable passions in certain directions. He has a soldier's con- tempt for making money by small ways, a certain code of honor of his own, is generous in his own way, and seldom does a mean thing when he is sober, but nevertheless is a good deal of a brute. He will gamble and drink in the most democratic way with his workmen, and bears no mauce for a black eye when received in a drunken brawl ; but woe to the unfortunate who infringes discipline while he is sober, for he shall certainly receive his reward ; and Stepanoff often says of his men, when speaking to an American, " You can expect nothing good of this rabble : they left Russia because they were not wanted there." THE YUKON TERRITORY. 13 The commanders, or hiddrshiks, of the smaller posts in the Dis- trict of St. Michael are appointed by Stepanoff, who has absolute authority over them, and does not fail to let them understand it, making them row his boat, when the annual supply-ship is in port, as Alexander might have called his captive kings to do him menial service. But Stepanoff trembles before the captain of the ship or an old officer of the Company, much in the same way that his workmen cringe before him. This sort of subserviency, the fruit of a despotic government, is characteristic of the lower classes of Russians ; and to such an extent is it ingrained in their characters that it seems impossible for them to comprehend any motives of honor or truthfulness as being superior to self-intercst. The native inhabitants of this part of the coast belong to the great family of Innuit. The name of the tribe is Unalcd, and their name for the village, half a mile west of the Redoubt on the island of St. Michael, is T'satsi'nni. The few families living there bear the local designation of Tutsigcmnt, much as we should say Bostonian or New-Yorker. The village comprises half a dozen houses and a dance-house, built in the native fashion ; that is to say, half underground, with the entrance more or less so, and the roof furnished with a square opening in the centre, for the escape of smoke and admission of light. Diagram of Innuit T(5pek. They are built of spruce logs, without nails or pins, and are usually about twelve or fifteen feet square. The entrance is a small hole through which one must enter on hands and knees, and is usually furnished with a bear or deer skin or a piece of matting to exclude the air. Outside of this entrance is a passage-way, hardly larger, which opens under a small shed, at the surface of the ground, to protect it from the weather. H THE YUKON TERRITORY. 1 They are about eight feet high in the middle, but the caves are rarely more than three or four feet above the ground. The floor is divided by two logs into three areas of nearly equal size, the entrance being at the end of the middle one. This portion of the floor is always the native earth, usually hardened by constant passing over it. In the middle, under the aperture in the roof, the fire is built, and here are sometimes placed a few stones. On either side the portion separated by the logs before men- tioned is occupied as a place to sit and work in during the day, and as a sleeping-place during the night. The earth is usually covered with straw, or spruce branches when obtainable, and over this is laid a mat woven out of grass. Sometimes the .space is raised, or a platform is built of boards, or iogs hewn flat on one side. This is a work of such labor, however, that it is seldom resorted to. The beds, which generally consist of a blanket of dressed deerskin, or rabbit-skins sewed together, are rolled up and put out of the way during the day. Almost all sorts of work are done in the houses after the cold weather sets in. At this time, however, there did not appear to be any people in the village, and Captain Ketchum told mt' that they would not return for a week or two, being absent at Pastolik, where they were killing the beluga or white whale. A solitary old woman, perhaps of exceptional uglineis, spent her time picking berries, which were abundant near the village. Sumiay, October jth. — A party of natives of the Mahlemut tribe arrived, in a skin boat, bringing letters from UnalakHk, saying that the boats had arrived safely at that point. The tur- rets or bastions of the Russian post were being fitted up for the accommodation of the officers, and winter quarters for the men were being arranged and made comfortable. The ground was well covered with snow, and we were advised to use all practi- cable expedition in reaching UnalakKk by water, before the forma- tion of ice should interfere with navigation. The thermometer averaged 9° Fahrenheit during the day, and no time was to be lost. We therefore made arrangements for starting the next day, — Captain Ketchum and myself in one boat, Mr. Westdahl our astronomer, and a party of natives, with two others. The skin boats, in which most of the travelling by water is done, 1. I THE YUKON TERRITORY. '15 are of three kinds. One is a large open boat, flat-bottomed and con- sisting of a wooden frame tied with sealskin thongs, or rdmni, and Bidarri. with the skins of the seal properly prepared, oiled, and sewed to- gether, stretched over this frame and held in place by walrus-skin line, or mdliout. This kind of boat is known among all the In- nuit by the name oSmiak, and is called a bidarrd by the Russians. ater is done, Bidirka. Another, a smaller boat, for one man, is made essentially in the same way, but covered completely over, except a hole in which the occupant sits, and around the projecting rim of which, when at sea, he ties the edge of a waterproof shirt, called a kamldyka by the Russians. This is securely tied around the wrists and face also ; the head being covered by a hood, so that no water can by any means penetrate to the interior of the boat. This boat is called by the natives a kyak, and by the Russians a biddrka. The other kind is used only by the Russians, and was copied from those of the Aleutians, differing from the last only by being longer and having two or three holes ; it is adapted to carry two or three people. These boats are admirably light and strong, and extremely valuable for making short journeys. It is, with persons skilled in their use, all but impossible to swamp them, and the Russians have introduced them into every part of the territory as an invaluable adjunct to exploration. They call them simply two or three holed bidarkas. They are propelled by single or double ended paddles, and attain an extraordinary speed. Monday, ^tli. — The weather being clear and fine, the wind nearly fair, we determined to put off for Unalaklfk. We left St. Michael's about noon, Westdahl leading, but the wind hauling ahead we ran closer in, and left him making a long tack, which Kctchum was rather apprehensive would be unsuccessful, as it is ti THE YUKON TERRITORY. impossible, or almost so, to beat against the wind with one of these flat-bottomed skin boats. About eight o'clock p. M. we put into a small rocky cove about twenty-two miles from the Redoubt. This, from two small rocky islets which protect it, is known to the Unaleets as Kcgiktownik, a word derived from kikhtitk, meaning an island. There is quite a village on the high bank back of the cove, and the inhabitants came down and helped us to haul our boat up on a sort of ways, built of round logs, held in place by large masses of rock. These are necessary, as the cove is very shallow and so full of rocks that the skin boats are very liable to be cut on them at low tide. There were no signs of the other boats. The village is notable on account of the number of graves scattered over the plain about it, and also for the large size of the dance-house, or casinc as the Russians term it. This building is to be found in almost every village, and serves for a general work- room, a sort of town-hall, a steam bath-house, a en -avanserai for travellers, and a meeting-house for celebrating their annual dances and festivals. It is usually the largest and cleanest house in the village, and generally empty at night, so that travellers prefer it to one of the smaller and more dirty and crowded houses. In the present case we were quartered in it very comfortably. We immediately sent out our teakettle, in this country always made of copper, and universally known as the c/iynik, — tea be- ing c/iy in the Russian, a derivative from the original Chinese c/ia/i. Chy being ready, we imbibed deeply, and filling up the chynik with water we dispensed the diluted fluid to our native friends, in the bountiful tin cups provided by the Company. A small hand- ful of broken biscuit added to the acceptability of the treat and disguised the weakness of the chy. This is the invariable and e.xpected tribute to the hospitality of the natives from all travellers who avail themselves of the casine and other accommodations of the village ; for which the Innuit have not yet learned to charge by the night's lodging. Appreciating the banquet, and warmed to enthusiasm by the hot water, an old blear-eyed individual seized an article something between a drum and a tambourine, and began to beat upon it with THE YUKON TERRITORY. 17 with one of J cove about small rocky Kcgiktowrnk, icre is quite i inhabitants sort of ways, ock. These of rocks that at low tide. ler of graves ge size of the s building is jeneral work- avanserai for nnual dances 3 village, and Ito one of the present case luntry always ik, — tea be- iiial Chinese p the chynik ve friends, in . small hand- he treat and variable and all travellers odations of |ed to charge kasm by the le something upon it with a long clastic rod. lie was joined by all the old men in tlic vicinity, in a dismal chorus of Ung lii Villi, ah ha yah, yali yah yah, &c., keeping time upon his drum with an energy which showed that the vigor of his youth liad not tleparted from him. Four or five of the young men began to dance, posturing in different attitudes, moving their arms and legs, stamping on the floor, all in perfect accord with one another, and keeping accurate time with the drum. We were too tired, however, to appreciate tills exhibition, and signified as much to the company, who finally left us to enjoy a good night's rest. Tuesday, ()t/i. — We were awakened by an officious native, who put his head in, bawling at the top of his lungs that the weather was bad, very bad indeed, and that we could not get away to- day ; after which pleasing piece of information he left us to our own reflections. Cn getting up and going out I found that the sky was cloudy and the wind adverse, and ordering one of our Mahlemuts to put on the chynik, I went down and reported the situation, which involved our remaining a day or two where we were. Ureakfast, consisting of chy, with sugar, — but of course no milk, — biscuit, and a savory piece of bacon, was duly discussed ; and after a com- forting pipe, we were quite ready to bear our detention with the true voyageur's philosophy. I went out, and soon made the acquaintance, by signs and the very few native words which I had picked up, of a fine-looking young Miihlemut, who was also on his way to Unalakh'k with his family. The interview commenced by his begging for a little tobacco, upon receiving which he was so delighted as to take me to his tent, a poor little affair, made of unbleached sheeting pro- cured from the Russians. Here he introduced me by signs to his wife and child, the latter about two years old. The former was not particularly ugly or pretty, but was engaged in manufacturing tinder, which rather detracted from the neatness of her person. This tinder is made out of the fur of the rabbit, the down from the seed-vessels of the river poplar, or cotton lint obtained from the Russians ; either of which is rubbed up with charcoal and water, with a very little gunpowder, and then dried. The rubbing pro- : I i8 THE YUKON TERRITORY. cess was just going on, and I was thankful that etiquette did not require hand-shaking, among the Innuit of Norton Sound. The husband was a fine-looking, athletic fellow, standing about five feet five inches, with a clear brunette complexion, fine color, dark eyes, and finely arched eyebrows. The flat nose, common to all the ICskimo tribes, was not very strongly marked in him, and a pleasant smile displaying two rows of very white teeth conquered any objection I might have felt to his large mouth. The baby looked like any other baby, and was notable only from never show- ing any disposition to disturb the peace. Returning after awhile to the casine, I observed that the aper- ture in the roofwas closed by a covering composed of the intestines of seals, cut down on one side, cleaned, oiled, and sewed together into a sheet, which is sufficiently translucent to admit the light while it retains the warm air. The universal salutation of the Innuit is Chammi ! Chammi ! and as likely as not, some greasy old fellow will hug you like a brother upon a first meeting. As they are given to raising a certain kind of live-stock, this method of proceeding is not likely to suit the fastidious. A note arrived from Westdahl by a native, one of his crew, saying that on account of rough weather he had been obliged to put into a small cove, some miles south of us, had cut Lis bidarrd on the rocks and wet i-Omost everything. Ketchum immediately despatci, ' '"'>'•- "^en with a needle, some twisted thread made of deer sinew, callea^'^.u, . 'id a piece of seal- skin prepared for use, technically known as litvtdk. These, with some grease to rub on the seam, are all that is needed to repair any injury done to the skin of a bidarrd or bidarka. Wednesday, \otJi. — The water of the littie lovc in front of the village was white with foam when we rose in ihe morning : evi- dently we were not to get away yet. We »vj;ked over to a small bay on the other side of the point on which Kegiktowruk is situ- ated. Here we found a cache, that is to say, a kind of small log en- closure about six feet squire, covered with logs held down by heavy stones. In it were the bodies of four small hair seal, called m^rpa by the Russians and nlksuk by the Mdhlemuts. They are covered with short, stiff hair of a greenish silvery tinge, with darker spots surrounded by dark rings, especially on the back. The young are THE YUKON TERRITORY. «9 tte did not )iuul. The about five color, dark imon to all him, and a 1 conquered The baby never show- it the aper- lic intestines /cd together nit the light '/ Chammi! uig you like \ to raising a ; is not likely of his crew, icen obliged had cut liis [needle, some piece of seal- These, with led to repair front of the [orning : evi- ler to a small /ruk is situ- ;mall log en- |wn by heavy called m^rpa are covered Idarker spots le young are very beautiful, covered with long, silky, silvery hair, softer than in the adult and without the dark spots. They are about eighteen inches long, and the adults not more than four feet. The flippers have five long nails and are covered with hair like that on the body. The eye of the seal is black, very large and liquid, almost human in its expression, and Jie whiskers -are placed like those on a cat ; the bristles are perfectly transparent, three-sided aiul twisted, looking like glass threads, about four inches long. I'hc blood of these seal is very black, and so is the flesh, both having a slightly disagreeable odor when fresh. They are caught in rawhide nets. There is a much larger seal (like Pliocnjubata) which is called maklok by the natives ; the name has been frequently applied to both species, but erroneously. The fat or blubber is about an inch and a half thick, very white and firm. The natives cat it, as well as the meat, and trade it with the Indians of the interior. The oil is ned for burning, and the casine is lighted by means of four saucer-shaped dishes full of dry moss or sphagnum soaked in this oil, which give out quite as much smoke as light. Returning, our attention was attracted by the numerous graves. These are well worth the careful attention of the eth- nologist ; many of them are very old. The usual fashion is to p'.. : the body, doubled up, on its side, in a box of plank hewed out of spruce logs and about four fee mg ; this is elevated sev- eral feet above the ground on four posts, which project above the cofTm or bo.x. The sides are often painted with red chalk, in fig- ures of fur animals, birds, and fishes. According to the wealth of the dead man, a number of articles which belonged to him are attached to the coffin or strewed around it. Some of them have kyaks, bows and arrows, hunting implements, snowshoes or even kettles, around the grave or fastened to it ; and almost invariably the wooden dish, or kantdg, from which the deceased was accus- tomed to eat is hung on one of the posts. There are many more graves than present inhabitants of the village, and the story is that the whole coast was once much more densely populated. On arriving at the casine we met some men carrying long sticks of light-wood, and were requested to remove our bedding and other traps from the building, as the inhabitants were about to take a il f I ! 20 THE YUKON TERRITORY. bath. This we did, much to our disgust, and adjourned to one of the houses till it should be over, as a cold wind was blowing. These baths are made by building a very hot fire in the casine, the :niddle part of the floor being removable, so that the earth may be exposed. Here the fire is built, and when it has sub- sided into coals the gut cover before mentioned is put over the smoke-hole, and the inmates proceed to bathe themselves in an unmentionable liquid, which is carefully saved for this and other purposes. Strange as it may appear, this habit was not con- tracted without reason, for the alkaline properties of this fluid combine with the oil with which they are smeared, and form a soapy lather, which cleanses as thoroughly as soap, which they cannot obtain, and removes the dirt, which water alone would not do. After this they wash off with water and retire to certain shelves, which are placed near the roof of the building, and repose, wrapped in a deerskin, until the lassitude produced by the bath passes away. We waited as long as possible before entering the casine, but as evening came on we were obliged to return to it. As might be supposed, the amnion iacal odor was nearly stifling, and only the raw, blustering weather prevented us from sleeping outside. TJiursday., \\t/i. — To our great delight the sea had gone down a good deal and the wind was fair. We bundled our things into the boat, and although short-handed — two of our men having remained with Westdahl — we put out about eight o'clock, and just as we rounded the point saw the other boats, which had repaired damages, following. The character of the shore is abrupt and rocky from the Redoubt to Kegiktowruk, thence to Golsova River, known by the two small islets or rather rocks in the vicinity, and finally around Tolstoi Point to a place called Topanika. There are very few points at which a boat, especially a skin boat, can land even in perfectly smooth weather, and in rough weather only two between Tolstoi Point and the Redoubt. The first of these is the Major's Cove, so named because it was the first point at which Major Kennicott landed, after leaving St. Michael's with his party. The other is Kegikt6wruk. We passed Tolstoi Point and reached To- pdnika in safety. Here there is, except at high tide, a narrow, shelving beach, backed by perpendicular walls of sandstone in THE YUKON TERRITORY. 21 |do, a narrow, sandstone in bluffs from twenty to one hundred feet high. This beach con- tinues all the way to the mouth of the Unalakli'k River, the bluff growing gradually lower, until near the mouth of the river there is only a marshy plain behind the beach. As the wind was light we sent two of our men ashore with a long mahout line to "track" the boats along the beach. We were now about ten English miles from Unalakli'k. The wind blowing fair and freshening, we took our men on board and made a straight course for the mouth of the river. Meanwhile it was growing dark. I had been snoozing under a deerskin for an hour or two, as the air was very cold, but finally took up the paddle to warm myself, when Ketchum's experienced ear caught the crunch of ice, and in a minute v/e were into it. Large cakes about four inches thick covered the surface of the water, and we all had our hands full in staving them off, as they would have sunk the boat had they nipped us. We were not far from shore ; the lights at the trading-post at the mouth of the river were plainly visible. We fired several shots, but appar- ently without rousing any one, and were obliged to go nearly a mile north of the post to find a bit of beach suffici>.ntly clear of ice to land upon. Having succeeded in hauling the boat above high-water mark, we stumbled amongst the driftwood with which the beach was strewn, up to the fort or trading-post, which was closed, every one being asleep. W^e soon roused them, how- ever, and after a regale of tea and bread I appropriated the bed of a Russian, and sank to slumber, surrounded and overrun by not less than thirty thousand adult cockroaches and their families. Friday, 12///. — Rose with the determination of going some- where where there were no iaralcdnoff, as the Russians call the insects with which their apartment was i.ifested. I obtained a tent, pitched it, and moved most of my traps out into it. Planted a flag-pole and threw the ensign of the Scientific Corps to the breeze, with the resolution to carry the blue cross and scallop, before the year was out, where no other flag had yet floated, if that were possible. I began to provide myself with suitable clothing, such as the natives wear. First,'' artcgi, or />iirhj, a'A the Russians call it. This is a shirt of dressed deerskin, with the hair on, coming down to the knees, and to be confined by a belt around the waist. There is no opening in the breast or back, but a hood large 29 THE YUKON TERRITORY. enough to cover the head, which may be pushed back when not needed. This garment is trimmed around the skirt, wrists, and hood with strips of white deerskin and wolverine or wolfskin, both of which are highly prized for the purpose. Around the hood the wolfskin is broad and taken from the back of the animal, where the longest hairs are barred with white and black, which, when the hood is drawn up, makes a kind of halo about the face which is not unbecoming. When travelling, these long hairs shield the face from a side wind to a surprising extent. The parka is exceedingly warm, and the wind does not penetrate it ; while in exceedingly cold weather a light one, made of fawn-skin, or ivipcrotky, as the Russians term it, may be worn with the hair turned in, inside of the usual garment, which is made of various skins, according to the fancy. The fall skin of the young deer, known as naUircss, is the most common and perhaps the best. The skins of Parry's marmot {Spennophiliis PatTyi) and the musk- rat {Fiber zibethicits) are praised for their durability, and wipe- rotky parkies are neat and light, but do not last long. On the whole the needress is as strong, durable, and warm as any, and almost as handsome when well trimmed. The next most important articles are the torbassd or Eskimo boots. These are made of the skin of the reindeer's legs, where the hair is short, smooth, and stiff. These are sewed together to make the tops of the boots, which come up nearly to the knee, where they are tied. The sole is made of sealskin, or luvtak pre- pared in the same way as for making boats. This sole is turned over at heel and toe, and gathered like the skirt of a dress, so as to protect those parts, and brought up on each side. It is of course nearly waterproof and rather durable, but can be easily replaced in half an hour by a new one if necessary. It is wetted before being sewed, which makes the sealskin flexible, and the proper formation of the toe is aided by the teeth of the seamstress. In wearing these boots, which are made much larger than the foot, a pad of dry grass, folded to the shape of the sole, is worn under the foot. This absorbs any moisture, serves as a non-conductor, and protects the foot from the inequalities of ice or the soil. The whole fur- nishes a warm and comfortable covering, indispensable to winter travel. There are a pair of strings, one on each side, which are tied about the ankle, supporting it and preventing the foot from slipping about in the boot. THE YUKON TERRITORY. ack when not •t, wrists, and or wolfskin, Around the )f the animal, black, which, Dout the face e long hairs extent. The penetrate it ; of fawn-skin, ivith the hair de of various : young deer, aps the uest. ,nd the musk- ty, and wipe- )ng. On the 1 as any, and id or Eskimo s legs, where together to to the knee, luvtak pre- ole is turned ress, so as to is of course replaced in Dcfore being )er formation In wearing )ot, a pad of der the foot. and protects le whole fur- le to winter e, which are ■le foot from Deerskin breeches are worn by the natives, but are rarely needed by white men when provided with clothing of ordinary warmth and thickness. The value of a good parka is at present about six dollars. Boots and other articles are usually obtained by barter. Ten musket-balls and a few caps are the regular price for a pair of torbassa, a pair of deerskin mittens being worth from four to six balls ; ornamental gloves and other articles are more or less costly, according to the amount of work and the scarcity of the article at the time. So far, the natives have not yet learned to m.ike a well-shaped thumb to gloves and mittens, a triangular shapeless protuberance serving their needs, but they may be easily taught a better mode of manufacture. A Ai.r- ivr bear skin in the raw, dry state is used as a bed, and a M tn'cr,! ; Jressed deer or rabbit skins, in addition to a pair of woolicii ' nes, completes the list of articles needed for winter travel, though a small pillow is a great addition to one's com- foit. A deerskin is worth, at the regular price, about sixty cents. For a number of days nothing occurred of special interest. Captain Ketchum delayed starting across the portage to the Yukon for Nulato, as it was still doubtful whether all the small rivers were securely frozen over. I found my nights in the tent not uncomfortable, though the thermometer ranged from twenty- eight to zero of Fahrenheit. Waking one morning, I found myself so deeply snowed vp that I had a good deal of difficulty in get- ting out of the ■ : i»t It proved to be only a drift, however. A tin dippc; of 'arr. /,o?en the first night showed no signs of melting. The Russian trad; ^f-r ''St at this point is much smaller than the Redoubt. It is in rather a decayed condition, and has only two glass windows, the remainder being made of gut, as used by the natives. Glass i? a rare article here. The stockade is built after the same plan as that at St. Michael's, and encloses one barrack building, with a room for the commander, a store, cook-house, bath-house, and a shed for storing oil, f'--.. , ii is defended by two square bastions pierced for cannon. 1./. 07'(ini in, or kitchen. The front of the yard was closed in by a stockade about sixteen feet high, of pointed logs set upright in the ground, and was provided with a large gate. 'J'he houses were of round logs ; the roofs, nearly flat and covered with earth, could be reached by means of steps provided for the purpose. The windows were all of the parchment, or seal intestines, before mentioned, and the buildings were warmed by the universal peechkas, the seams of the walls being calked with dry moss. ■ — - — I. - gj. ' . ' Interior of Fort DerSbip, from above. Directly across from the fort, which faces the river, is a low island, less than a mile long. The river is narrow here, being by exact measurement only a mile and a half wide. The lati- tude of the fort is nearly 64° 42' north, and the longitude 157° 54' west. The variation of the compass is nearly thirty-two degrees to the eastward. A mile and a furlong east-northeast is a small creek, a raging torrent in the spring, called Klat-kakhdtnc\>y the Indians, literally " Stop-a-bit River." Half a mile west-southwest is the mouth of tiquc, rusty, IS occupied d ten wide, pt dry ; the by courtesy ;losed in by t upright in 'Jhc houses with earth, he purpose, tines, before le universal y moss. THE YUKON TERRITORY. 47 the Nuldto River, from which the post takes its name, though it was originally called Fort Derabin, from its builder and first biddrshik. Hetwecn these two streams the land is low, gradually rising from the river into low hills, and for the most put densely wooded. A short distance from its mouth the Niilato River -C-" * ir, is a low lere, being The lati- [de 157° 54' |wo degrees |k, a raging IS, literally mouth of Nul4to and the Yukon from the Bluffs. receives two streams of no great size. Its total length is about twenty miles, inclusive of windings. The opposite bank of the Klat-kakhdtnc rises abruptly into a rocky, precipitous bluff, affording a fine view down the river. Not far below the mouth of the Nulato the river-bank rises, but not so abruptly, into bluffs 48 THE YUKON TERRITORY. about one hundred feet high, with higher hills behind them. Neither deer nor moose are often found in this vicinity. In 1838, Malakoff, a Creole, explored the Yukon as far north as Nulato. Here he built a small trading-post, without a stockade, consisting of several small houses. This was occupied during the summer and fall, but in consequence of the scarcity of pro- visions, at the approach of winter the Russians, under Notarmi the bidarshik, left it and returned to the Redoul L. On their return, in the spring, it was found that the Indians, jealous of the permanent settlement of the whites in their immediate vicinity, had destroyed it by fire. The same thing was repeated in 1839, the buildings being burned and contents carried off. In 1 84 1, according to Tikhm^nief, the historian of the Russian American Company, Derdbin was sent to Nulato and rebuilt the fort, after arranging the difficulty with the natives by means of numerous presents given to the most influential chiefs. Yet, not having benefited by previous experience, the post was composed of several detached log-houses, strongly built, but several hundred yards apart, and without a stockade or other efficient means of de- fence. Other buildings were added as necessity called for them, and in 1842, Lieutenant Zagoskin, I. R. N., a special explorer of the Company, arrived, and assisted at the erection of some of these. For ten years, though frequently threatened, the little settle- ment escaped injury, Derdbin meanwhile carrying on a lucrative traffic with the natives for furs. In the spring of 185 1, Lieutenant Barnard, of H. M. S. Enterprise, arrived at Nulato with the bidar- shik, in search of information in regard to the fate of Sir John Franklin. He was a member of Captain Collinson's Expedition, and, with Mr. Adams a surgeon, and one man, had been left by the Enterprise at St. Michael's the preceding fall Being prob- ably a blunt, straightforward Englishman, with no knowledge of Indian character and suspicion, he made the remark, in the presence of others, that he intended to " send " for the principal chief of the Koyukun tribe of Indians, whose head-quaitors wen; on the Koyukuk an-^l Kotclkakat Rivers, and who were then hold- ing one of their annual festivals, about twenty-five miles from Nuldto. This unfortunately-worded remark was conveyed to the chief in question, through some of the Indians at the post, by a passing native. THE YUKON TERRITORY. 49 ehind them. far north as t a stockade, jpicd during ircity of pro- der Notdrmi L. On their ealous of the liate vicinity, Ltcd in 1839, ' the Russian d rebuilt the by means of zk. Yet, not > composed of 'eral hundred ; means of de- lUed for them, explorer of the me of these. little settle- on a lucrative I, Lieutenant ith the bidar- of Sir John ; Expedition, been left by Being prob- lO knowledge mark, in the the principal uurters were re then hokl- le miles from vcyed to the [he post, by a This chief was the most wealthy and influential in that part of the country, widely known and distinguished by a remarkably large and prominent Roman nose, from which he had received a name which, literally translated, means " humpbacked nose.' He was not accustomed to be " sent "' for. When the Russians desired to see him they respectfully requested the honor of his presence. His Indian pride rose at the insult, and he immediately called a council to discuss the rumor. The .shamans were of course first consulted, and they unanimously declared that it boded no good to the chief in question. The council then de- cided that, if the report proved true, they would, with all the Indians there assembled, go together to the fort and demand satisfaction. They waited some time, and finally were about to disperse to their homes, when a single dog-sled appeared on the river. This sled was accompanied by Ivan Biilegin, a Russian, and an Indian workman of the Nukito tribe, who had been sent up to see if any information were attainable, and if so, to bring down the Tyone of Koyiikuk. The ill-fated Biilegin drew his sled up on the bank, sending the Indian who accompanied him for water to boil the chynik. Sit- ting down on his sled to rest himself, he was approached stealth- ily from behind and, being struck on the head with an a.xc or club, was instantly killed. The sled was dragged away and j^lundcred ; when the Nulato Indian returned and saw what had been done, he turned to run, but the Koyukuns called to him, saying, "Are you not one of us .■* We will not hurt you." Overcome by fear, he returned and un- willingly assisted in the atrocity which followed. Biilegin's body was stripped, the flesh cut in slices from the bones, and the sav- ages, infuriated like wild animals by the sight of blood, roasted these remains and devoured them. An Indian, who noticed the reluctance with whicli Bulcgin's companion joined in the horrid feast, crept up behind him and drove his knife up to the hilt in his neck. The fighting men present then stripped themselves of all incumbrances except their bows and arrows, and, putting on their snowshocs, set out at once for Nulato. Less than a iialf-mile below the trading-post were thiee largo winter houses, crowded with Ingaliks of the Nulato tribe, — in all, about a hun- 50 THE YUKON TERRITORY. dred men, women, and children. These houses were situated near the river-bank, a few rods northeast of the mouth of the Nulato River. It being in the month of February, and an unusually warm spring, the Nulato Indians had taken the precaution to clear away the snow from above their birch-bark canoes, forty or fifty of which were lying about. Intending to forestall retaliation for the death of Biilegin's companion, the Koyukuns approached with the greatest quietness, not to disturb the sleeping inmates. The canoes were seized, broken up, thrust into the apertures in the roofs and the narrow underground entrances of the houses, and fired. The frightened inhabitants, wakened by the noise and crackling of the flames, endeavored vainly to force a passage through the fire. Some of ihe men, seizing axes, cut their way out through the wooden walls, but were mercilessly shot down by the arrows of the Koyukuns. Many were suffocated in the smoke. A few women ',y<;re taken by the victors, and one or two children were able to save themselves in the woods, through the negligence or pity of the conquerors. A young man called Wolasatux, renowned for his skill with the bov/, escaped to the mountains, eluding the vigilance of the pur- suers by his swiftness of foot. All the rest were smothered or fell beneath the knives and arrows of the assailants. But little noise was made, except by the screams of the women and the shouts of the destroyers, for at that time the Ind'ans had no guns. The slumbers of the Russians were not disturbed. It is said that two Indian women who were employed at the fort, having risen early to boil the chyniks for the morning meal, heard and understood the cries of the victims, but, overcome by fear and anguish at the death of their kindred, stupidly shut themselves into the cook-house, and did not alarm the Russians. The Koyukuns next made for the tradiag-post, and found the bidarshik, just risen, sitting behind one of the houses. Saying to Ivan, one of their tribe who had been employed at the fort as interpreter, " If you do not kill the bidarshik, we will kill you," they forced him to consent. He approached Derabin and .stabbed him in the back repeatedly, so that he fell to rise no more. The Russian interpreter, a man said to have understood seven languages, happening to come out, saw the act, and turning unarmed to the Indians, upbraided them for the murder, but fell THE YUKON TERRITORY. tuated near the Nulato 1 unusually tion to clear y or fifty of Ltion for the ed with the The canoes le roofs and fired. The kling of the ^h the fire. ;hrough the e arrows of )ke. A few lildren were egligence or ikill with the of the pur- ;hered or fell t little noise le shouts of guns. The [oyed at the irning meal, ivercome by .ipidly shut Russians, found the les. Saying at the fort e will kill lerabin and to rise no understood ,nd turning ler, but fell SI in the doorway, pierced with seven arrows. Rushing over his prostrate body, they entered the house. Barnard was lying on his bed reading ; at the sight of the hostile Indians he raised him- self up to reach his gun, which hung above his head. Twice he fired, and twice the barrel was struck upwards, the balls taking effect in the ceiling. An Indian shaman — christened Larriown by the Russians — and his brother seized the arms, and one plunged his knife into the Englishman's abdomen, so that when it was withdrawn the inte<5tines followed it, and he fell back mortally wounded. Several shots were fired, and one struck Larriown in the groin. Three children and their mother were killed; their father, Teleezhik, being absent in the Kaviak peninsula, as inter- preter, with Captain Bedford Pirn. Leaving the bidarshik's house, the Indians next attacked the casdnncr, or room where the workmen lived, where there were two Russians and several Creoles. Tliey had barricaded the door, and being at some distance from the other house, knew nothing that had happened. One of them aimed through uhe window at the crowd of Indians ; when the other, hoping to avoid blood- shed, advised him to fire above their heads, in hope that they would disperse. The crowd separated, but did not retreat, and only answered by a shower of arrows. The next shot, better aimed, killed one of the Indian?, when a panic seemed to seize them, and they immediately retreated with their booty and pris- oners to Koyukuk. Larriown sat in great agony in the outer room of the bidarshik's house. A Russian lay in the inner room, helpless from fever, who had been overlooked by the Indians in the excitement. His wife, an Indian woman named Maria, brought hi-n a loaded pistol, and held him up while he fired at the sha- man. His trembling hands could not direct the ball, and Lar- riown dragged himself out to the river-bank. Here he found a Koyiikun woman, who had been stayin<; at the fort, with her baby on a little sled, which she was drawing by a band over her forehead. He threw the child into the snow, and ordered her to draw him to Koyukuk. She refused, and he stabbed her to the bcart ! How he finally got away, no one knows. Thus ended the Nulato massacre. An Ingalik, named Lofka, was sent by the Russians with a letter to the Redoubt. He placed it in his boot, fortunately, for Ill J'U ■I ' *' , i 1 f Sa THE YUKON TERRITORY. he was stopped on the river and searched by two Koyukuns, who suspected his errand. Finding nothing, they let him go. Mr. Adams, the surgeon, immediately started, with Tel^ezhik and a party of Russians, for Nulato. Captain Pirn, having re- turned from his adventurous journey frost-bitten, could not ac- company him, and remained at Unalaklfk. The Russians had sewed up the wounds ; but, before Mr. Adams arrived. Lieutenant Barnard was dead. It only remained for him to perform the last sad offices and to erect a cross over his grave, with the following inscription : — LIEUTENANT J. J. BARNARD, Of H. M. Enterprise, Killed Feb. i6, 185 1, BY THE KOUKUK INDIANS. F. A. The Russian American Company, as is the wont of trading companies, never took any measures of retaliation for this mas- sacre. Larriown, and Ivan, the murderer of the bidarshik, arc frequent visitors at the fort. Presents wore sent to the Koyiikuu chiefs, and there the matter ended. A stockaded fort was soon built on the present site, and the graves of Barnard and Derd- bin lie a stone's throw behind it. The excavations where the Indian houses stood are still to be seen, and form the graves of those natives who perished by the massacre. On the 29th of November the indefatigable Mike started again for Ulukuk. I occupied myself with putting my instru- ments in order for meteorological observations. The thermome- ter, a standard one, registered thirty-six below zero. Our cook and principal assistant about the house, in the absence of the fairer sex, was Peetka, the son of Ivan, previously mentioned as the murderer of Derabin. His father was acting as an inter- preter for the Russians. In an Indian house, outside the stock- ade, Larri6wn was domiciled with his wife and child. The appear- ance of this man was remarkable. A small round head and face, piercing eyes, thin scattered hair, a short pug nose (unusual in an Indian), a tremendous development of the muscles of the jaw, a very dark complexion, and a fiendish expression of countenance combined to make his appearance the reverse of attractive, even when in good humor. THE YUKON TERRITORY. 53 )yukuns, who 1 go. ith Teleezhik n, having re- could not ac- t, before Mr. )nly remained a cross over ont of trading for this mas- bidarshik, are ) the Koyukuvi fort was soon ard and Derd- ons where the 1 the graves of Mike started Ing my instru- Mie thermome- |ro. Our cook ibsence of the mentioned as as an inter- Iside the stock- The appear- Ihead and face, (unusual in an Ics of the jaw, )f countenance Ittractive, even His wife possessed some of these characteristics in a lesser degree, but was equally repulsive. Both of them had gained, by a long list of evil deeds, a reputation as sorcerers or shamans, which made their influence among the Indians immense. Both of them were well acquainted with the uses of intoxicating liquors, which for some years the Koyiikuns have obtained from traders at Kotzebue Sound. This circumstance has done much to ren- der the tribe, naturally cruel and turbulent, one of the worst in the territory. Fortunately, disease and the scarcity of food, annu- ally increased by the use of firearms in killing reindeer, have reduced their numbers, and at present they can hardly muster over two hundred families. From increased immorality, due to the introduction of liquor, the births are few, and hardly replace the deaths. Few women have more than two children, while many have only one, a large proportion being barren. The tribe, therefore, may be regarded as on its way to extinction. They are of the family of Ti'nneh, belonging, with the Ingaliks and Nowikakat Indians, to the division of Eastern Ti'nneh. Their dialect is closely allied t the Ingalik, hardly differing more from it than the widely separated local dialects of Ingalik differ from one another. Their principal villages are on the Kotclkdkat and Kotelno Rivers, the largest being known as Kotelkakat. The Indians living on the Yukon between Koyiikuk and Nuklukahyet are known to the Ingaliks as Unakatana, or "far-off people," and call themselves, with most other Indians living on the river, Yukon ikatana, or " men of the Yukon." The Nukito Ingaliks are nearly extinct. The Ingaliks liv- ing on the other side of the Yukon, between it and the Kaiyuh Mountains (known as Takai'tsky to the Russians), bear the name of Kaiyuhkatdna, or " lowland people," and the other branches of Ingaliks have similar names, while preserving their general tribal name. The Ingaliks are, as a rule, tall, well-made, but slender. They have very long, squarely oval faces, high prominent cheek-bones, large ears, small mouths, noses, and eyes, and an unusually large lower jaw. The nose is well formed and aquiline, but small in proportion to the rest of the face. The hair is long, coarse, and black, and generally parted in the middle. But few of them II n',! 54 THE YUKON TERRITORY. shave the crowr.j as is the custom among the Eskimo. Their complexion is an ashy brown, perhaps from dirt in many cases, and they seldom have much color. On the other hand, the Koyukuns, with the same high cheek-bones and piercing eyes, have much shorter faces, more roundly oval, of a pale olive hue and frequently arched eyebrows and a fine color. They are the most attractive in appearance of the Indians in this part of the territory, as they are the most untamable. The women espe- cially are more attractive than those among the Ingaliks, whose square faces and ashy complexion render the latter very plain, not to say repulsive. The women do up their hair in two braids, one on each side ; but among the Koyukuns it is not uncommon to see the hair cut short, especially after a death in the family. The detached hair is tied up in a little bundle and placed in the crotch of a tree, or anywhere where it will not be disturbed by animals. Parings from the nails are treated in the same way, as they have a superstition that disease will follow the disturbance of such remains by wild animals. The original dress of the male Koyukuns consists of a pair of breeches of deerskin, with the moccasins, or coverings for the feet, attached, and a deerskin parka w'thout any hood, long and pomted before and behind. At present they buy many articles of cioihing from the Eskimo and from the Russians, especially for winter wear. They are fond of ornaments and gay colors, while the Ingaliks, who wear clothing much like that adopted by the Eskimo, care little for ornaments or beads. Both build houses similar to those already described, while the other tribes of the same family, to the eastward, build only tem- porary lodges of skins and poles, which they transport from place to place. The habits, utensils, and mode of life of the Ingaliks and Koyukuns are very similar, and will be more fully uescribed hereafter. They depend for food upon the reindeer and moose, salmon and other fish, and small game, more or less, according to the re- sources of the locality in which they live. At Nulato the only dependence is fish, and some small game, such as grouse and water-fowl in their seasons. There are no deer or moose at Nulilto, and food is often very scarce. I found a constant current of cold air, with a temperature from THE YUKON TERRITORY. 55 kimo. Their I many cases, er hand, the )iercing eyes, lie olive hue They are the is part of the women espe- galiks, whose r very plain, in two braids, )t uncommon in the family, placed in the disturbed by same way, as ; disturbance sts of a pair ;rings for the y hood, long y buy many he Russians, ents and gay ch like that ts or beads. d, while the d only tem- rt from place the Ingaliks ly uescribed oose, salmon ng to the re- ito the only grouse and or moose at erature from 32° to — 55° Fah., entering our room by means of the cracks in the floor, which was composed of logs squared on the upper side. Needles, forks, spoons, and other articles of use and orna- ment followed each other into the abyss. The matter, though lau""hable, was also serious, as our stock of the last-named articles amounted to only one apiece. After consultation we employed Kun'lla, one of the few surviving Nuldto Indians, to calk the seams with moss. Our stock of this was soon ex- hausted, following the spoons, and we made the best of a bad job by covering the floor thickly with straw, that again with mats, and over all nailing some old blankets. By placing a few reindeer-skins about for rugs, we managed to improve matters a good deal. Previously, one day when the freshly heated peechka was pouring out a generous supply of hot air, I tried the ther- mometer at the eaves, where it stood at ninety ; four feet above the floor gave a temperature of forty-five, while on the floor the mer- cury indicated several degrees below freezing. The walls were inything but tight, and the warm air of the room deposited its extra moisture in hoar-frost, like feathers, near the fissures. Peetka proved very unreliable, disappearing and staying so, just when we wanted him, and Kun'lla, the Indian before men- tioned, was secured as a substitute. His history was romantic. Son of a wealthy and influential chief and shaman, at the time of the Nulato massacre he was but three or four years old ; in it his father, mother, and all their family perished. The boy and his sister, a year older, were in the trading-post at the time, and escaped unharmed, from their extreme youth. Some of the Rus- sians had taken pity on them and brought them up, until, as they grew older, they were able to earn their own living. His sister, christened Anna, was one of the most comely Inga- liks who came under our notice. Both of them were unusu- ally tall ; both had acquired habits of neatness and an excel- lent knowledge of the Russian language, from their residence in the trading-post. Anna was married to a very good kind of fellow, an Ingalik, who had accompanied us in our journey from Ulukuk and who was named Little Sidorka, to distinguish him from another of the same name but of greater longitude. Kun'lla proved to be a faithful and intelligent fellow, and having had some experience in cooking for our parties during the previ- T 56 THE YUKON TERRITORY. ous year, was well qualified to assist in the culinary department. To be sure, our style of living was simple and unostentatious, consisting principally of fried white-fish three times a day, varied by bacon, of which we were very sparing when fish was obtain- able. Finding a blanket on the bare boards, even alleviated by a deerskin, rather uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, we pur- chased several large feather-beds, filled with spoils from the wild geese and ducks, and had a small mattress made from them for each one of the party. With the addition of a pillow from the same source, we felt as if we could enjoy the sleep of the just, without danger of rheumatism. Our plans for the coming season were now discussed and approximately settled. Whymper and myself decided to ascend the Yukon together, as far as Fort Yukon, by water in the spring. Ketchum proposed, in company with Mike Lebarge, to make the same journey over the ice, with dogs and sleds, in February. Dyer was to descend the Yukon and investigate the delta. On the 4th of December the temperature was fifty-six, below zero. Faint parhelia appeared. In a short walk I observed that the atmosphere seemed filled with an icy mist, small acicular crystals of ice suspended in the air. On the 7th, the weather being milder (twenty-two below zero), I decided to visit the coal seam below Nulato before the snow should cover it. Only one dog was available ; so, getting a small sled, and packing our blankets, chynik, and mess-pan upon it, with a bag for bringing some coal from the vein for trial, I started ahead, while Kurflla followed with the sled. We met Yagorsha on the way, who with many gesticulations declared that we were going to have a severe snow- storm, and that we had better turn back. I concluded to risk it, however, and we finally arrived at the Shaman Bluff, where we soon found a sheltered ravine with plenty of dry wood ; spread- ing a blanket as an awning to keep off the snow, which came thick and fast, we built a cheerful fire and enjoyed our tea. After a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast of bacon, biscuit, and tea, I went to the end of the bluff, where the coal was situ- ated. A thorough examination of it showed that the seam was much contorted, running out at each end completely ; that the only mass of coal was in a large pocket or elbow of the contorted THE YUKON TERRITORY. 57 seam ; and that the whole deposit contained less than a ton. What there was of it was of excellent quality, hardened by heat and compression ; it was enclosed on each side by thin layers of shale and the brown Miocene sandstone previously alluded to. Filling a bag with fragments of coal and geological specimens as trophies, we started homeward. The poor dog, I am afraid, had a hard time of it, what with the soft new snow and the weight of the bag, but we arrived without detention or accident, though rather tired. Kurflla, who was an excellent shot and an enthusiastic sports- man, liked nothing better than to spend an hour every day shoot- ing specimens for our collection. I obtained many more than I had dared to hope for in this way, — redpolls, downy and three-toed woodpeckers, pine grosbeaks, titmice, hawk-owls, and (strange to say) a bullfinch {Pyrrlnda), the first ever shot on the American continent. On the nth, Mike returned from Uliikuk with Francis, and this event, with the news that our friends brought from below, was quite a relief to the monotony of our daily life. On the 1 2th, a chief arrived at the fort from Nukliikahy^t, where the Tanandh River joins the Yukon. He greeted Ketchum as an old acquaintance, and promised to have plenty of moose meat for us when we should come that way in the spring. He remained several days at the fort, and on one of them assembled a number of Indians in our room and discoursed to them at the top of his lungs for nearly two hours. I expected to see him drop from exhaustion, every minute of the last half-hour, but long practice had doubtless inured him to it, and I resigned myself, while one of the party took up a concertina and played " Tramp, tramp " by way of diversity. The return brigade was intrusted to Scratchett, who left, with Francis, for Unalaklfk on the 17th, while Mike rested his wearv bones for a season. I continued adding to my collections and vocabularies, and setting traps for foxes, who had a fashion of carrying off the bait without disturbing the trap. Ivan Pavloff, however, succeeded in trapping several, of which I secured the skeletons. Whymper was busily at work on his sketches, while Mike and Ketchum ■■■1 h i! 38 THE YUKON TERRITORY. were getting ready for their proposed journey. Altogether, time did not hang very heavily on our hands. We found the Indians to be a great nuisance in one way. They had a habit of coming in and sitting down, doing and saying nothing, but watching everything. At meal-times they seemed to count and weigh every morsel we ate, and were never backward in assisting to dispose of the remains of the meal. Occasionally we would get desperate and clean them all out ; but they would drop in again, and we could do nothing but resign ourselves to the annoyance, as we did not wish to offend them. They intended no offence, doubtless, but wanted an oppor- tunity of studying the Anglo-Saxon species of the genus homo in its lair. Fish growing scarce, Kdrpoff was fitted out with some trading- goods, and sent to Koyiikuk in hope that he might obtain some grouse or rabbits from the Indians of that locality. Christmas time approaching, we joined in endeavoring to cele- brate the day appropriately. Our knowledge of chemistry and the domestic arts was taxed to the utmost in the production of pies, gingerbread, and cranberry dumplings ; while a piece of Uliikuk reindeer meat, which had been kept frozen ever since our journey across the portage, performed the office of the customary "roast beef of old England," and a brace of roasted ptarmigan represented the Yankee turkeys. Green peas, tomatoes, and other preserved vegetables were produced for the occasion ; and, with the company of the bidarshik and his assist- ant, we sat down to the best dinner ever eaten in that part of the continent. The day was enlivened by the reading of several original literary productions, and the brewing of a mild bowl of punch from a supply of old Jamaica, which we owed to the kind thoughtfulness of Mrs; Scammon. Altogether the occasion was one which will long be remembered with pleasure by those who took part in it. The 27th of December an observation was made, which showed the day to be just three hours long. As nearly as our watches could determine, the sun rose at a quarter before eleven, and set at a quarter of two. Proposing on New- Year's day to raise the first telegraph pole in the division of the Yu- kon, Mike went out with Kun'lla, and returned with a fine THE YUKON TERRITORY. 59 spruce, of the orthodox dimensions, for the purpose. An In- dian, with the euphonious Russian name of Squirtzoff, was em- ployed to peel and trim it. On the 31st we sat the Old Year out, and hailed the New with its prospect of successful explorations. We had hoped that our party might all be present on New- Year's day; but there was no sign of the expected arrival of Mr. Dyer. After breakfast we went out in a body and raised the first telegraph pole, ornamented with the flags of the United States, the Tele- graph Expedition, the Masonic fraternity, and the Scientific Corps. A salute of thirty-six guns was fired, — one for each State ; and the enthusiastic Kun'Ua was brought to the ground by the recoil of a great Russian blunderbuss, which he had undertaken to discharge. A few days after, Ivan Pavloff returned from a journey of several hundred miles with dog-sleds, bringing about five hundred marten or American sable skins. The Russians throughout this territory compute their time according to Old Style, and hence are always eleven days behind time. They celebrated Christmas and New-Year's day on the 5th and 1 2th of January, respectively. Dyer arrived on the 3d, and on the 5th Captain Ketchum started on a last visit to the Redoubt. Strong endeavors were made to construct some sleds for Ketchum's trip, after the style of the Hudson Bay Company ; but, having no patterns, much good birch was spoiled without satis- factory results. We had entertained great expectations of seeing exhibitions of the Aurora Borealis of unusual beauty ; but they were not realized. The few displays which were observed were of an insignificant character. No colored lights were noticed, and the brilliancy of the light was far below what we had anticipated. Several of these displays, however, presented phenomena which may not be uninteresting to the general reader, as showing dis- tinctly some points not previously established in regard to the mode of appearance of the aurora under some circumstances. February nth, 1867, an aurora was observed under the following conditions. From a gap in the hills north of Nulato, a white light was seen to issue, early in the evening. The sky was fi r f 90 THE YUKON TERRITORY. 'M! , I much overcast with cirro-stratus clouds, which were rapidly pass- ing in a different direction from the wind at the surface of the earth, which last was from the north. The light before alluded to approached with the wind, at about half the pace of the wind, m a cloudlike shape or condition, not far from the surface of the earth. The form of this luminous cloud was in successive waves, or ripples, and resembled the rings of smoke rising from a pipe, one within another, gradually expanding. The inner or focal rings were more intense than the outer ones, and the light was more intense in some parts of the rings than in others. They advanced as the ripples do when a stone is thrown into still water, and these ripples were compressed in an -oval form by the wind, the longer diameter being east and west, across the current. It showed unmistakably that the shining medium was in consistence similar to cloud or mist. From the brighter portions of the rings, light streams of the same medium occasionally dripped, and dissipated at some distance below the point whence they originated ; from which it might be inferred that the r^ore intense portion of this medium was denser than the atmosphere. No rays or streamers issued upwards from the upper edges of the rings, which were clearly defined and below the real clouds, of which the altitude seemed less than fifteen hundred feet. The hills from between which the auroral cloud had issued, and the tops of the higher trees between the fort and the hills, were dimly seen, or obscured by the lower portion of the haze, or cloud, which seemed not more than a hundred feet above the earth, as seen from the roof of the higher building. It followed the air- currents entirely; and all its motions seemed guided or controlled by them. Wavy outlines in the ripples seemed caused by the dif- fering velocity of the air in different parts of the current. It cov- ered the whole sky in about two hours from the time of its first appearance. As it spread and enlarged, the light became fainter. It did not give out a positive light, but had a mildly luminous appearance, like phosphorescence.* Captain Ketchum and Mike had returned February ist, bring- mg with them Captain Everett Smith, of the Wilder, and a * These remarkable phenomena were observed, in a greater or lesser degree, in several instances, of which an account was communicated to the National Academy, at its session in September, 1869, by the writer. THE YUKON TERRITORY. 6l good budget of news. Several miles of poles had been erected in the vicinity of Grantley Harbor and Unalakli'k. Provisions, especially tea and sugar, were at a high premium. Our sup- ply of tea had been very small, and coffee in this climate is worthless. A point near the Klatkakhatnc River was decided upon for the location of the head-quarters of the Yukon division, and a bargain was made with Paspi'lkoff, the shaky-headed Russian, to put up the building, which was to be of logs. I prepared the specimens of natural history which had been obtained during the winter, for transportation to UnalakHk and the Redoubt. They filled two large boxes, many acceptable ad- ditions having been made through the kindness of my compan- ions. A walk with Captain Smith, near the fort, resulted in obtaining a fine specimen of the Hudson Bay titmouse {Pnriis Hiidsonicus), a bird which I had not previously collected, and the first specimen of which I owe, with many other valuable birds, to his quick eye and unerring aim. About this time a little excitement occurred, owing to a rumor, started by one of the Indian women in the fort, to the effect that Larridvvn had planned the destruction of one of the proposed parties which were to ascend the Yukon. A council of inquiry proved, however, that the rumor had no more reliable foundation than a dream. The Indians are exceedingly suspicious in the most unimportant things, and the following incident is a good illustration of it. In talking over the scarcity of provisions, some one had jokingly remarked, that, if we were driven to the wall, we should have to make soup of Paspflkoff's baby, a new addition to our population. This was repeated by one of the women, and very soon old Ivan the interpreter made his appearance, saying that the Indians wished to know if we were cannibals. He added that, since the time of Biilegin's murder at Koyukuk, there was no instance known where the Indians had eaten human flesh. After indulg- ing in a hearty laugh, we relieved his apprehensions, which seemed to be serious, and thereafter were more guarded in our remarks. Peetka, his son, had been very active in procuring birds for my collection, and much to my regret appeared one day with \ ^1 '^1 I 1 4; :u I ;■(.■[■ fill 62 THE YUKON TERRITORY. three fingcrr. of his left hand nearly blown off, by carelessly pull- ing his gun through the bushes by the muzzle. The injury was so serious that amputation seemed necessary, but by careful ap- plication of water dirissings twice daily, I was enabled to preserve them, though in a si'ff and useless condition. Sometime after, the little fellow brought me in a marten, one of his own trapping, the only fee for medical spr\'ices I received in Russian America during two years' practice. The details of our Yukon trip were settled, and the boatmen engaged, so that we felt a reasonable confidence in the suc- cessful result of our proposed explorations. In the mean time I occupied myself taking angles and measurements for a chart of the Yukon and the small rivers near Nuk'ito, in the constant ad- dition of specimens to the collection, with the meteorological rec- ords, and the enlargement of my vocabularies. One of the Russians took occasion one evening to express his dislike of the Americans by beating and abusing, without cause, a boy in our employ called Antoshka. Without recourse to the bidarshik, Ketchum treated him to his deserts, — a well merited thrashing. This timely protection to our Indian servants much increased our popularity among the Indians, and enforced re- spect from the Russian convicts employed by the Russian Ameri- can Company, in a salutary manner. Breaking the minute-hand of my watch one day, I repaired the damage by uuvvinding the silver tliread from a violin-string and twisting a portion of it around the barrel of the broken hand. Opportunities for the exercise of ingenuity of this kind are fre- quent in this country, where few mechanics of any kind are to be found. The remarkable facility with which the Russian peas- ant can turn his hand to anything was well exemplified among the men in the fort. All of them, with the ta/>(>r, or short-handled Russian broad-axe, could accomplish almost any piece of carpen- tering, from squaring a log to building a boat or a house. Many of them could handle blacksmiths' tools, and even manufacture, from sheet copper (provided by the Russian Company), chy- niks, kettles, and lamps for burning the seal oil used in winter. There are several good blacksmiths in the country, and Aleuts, Creoles, and even Indians learn the use of their tools with re- markable ease. THE YUKON TERRITORY. 63 •elessly pull- injury was ^ careful ap- to preserve ictinie after, vn trapping, in America he boatmen in tlic suc- nean time I r a chart of :onstant ad- ological rec- cxprcss his thout cause, Durse to the veil merited vants much enforced re- sian Ameri- "epaired the i-string and okcn hand. nd ate fre- vind are to ssian peas- fied among ort-handled of carpen- ise. Many anufacture, any), chy- in winter. nd Aleuts, s with re- On the 6th of March the plans for our proposed new station were decided upon, and the exact location selected. The en- closure was to be one hundred feet by sixty-five, and to con- tain a barrack, officers' quarters, bath-house, cook-house, and several store-houses. Paspi'lkoff promised to set about the work at once, and it was agreed that the members of the party would assist him in bringing and raising the heavy timbers. On the nth of March, having completed his preparations, Cap- tain Ketchum set out on his adventurous journey with Mike over the ice to Fort Yukon. It was undertaken under the most dis- couraging circumstances. Neither his provisions nor hi- dog- focd were sufficient to last during the journey of over six hun- dred miles. Russians and Indians alike shook their heads and declared their disbelief in his prospects of success. The snow would be soft and impassable. The dogs would run away, or <;ive out for want of food, and die. He could mt feed himself or his Indians, and all would perish of starvation. The Uliikuk Indians who had engaged to go backed out at the last mo- ment, and there was extreme difficulty in obtaining two men and two boys to take their place. This was finally done through the intervention of old Ivan, who sent his own son Peetka, and induced the others to go. The very day was dull and cloudy, with indications of snow. For two white men to undertake such a journey, in the face of all this discouragement, through a coun- try of which the resources were known to be very precarious, with the prospect of certain st irvation if their guns did not sup- ply them with sufficient g .uc to ic^iS he dogs and i»irty, was resolute and courageous in the extreme. From this point of view Mie journey was unquestionabW one of the most 'emarkable undertaken by modern explorers. As their heavily laden sleds moved slowly away over the soft snow, we hoisted the stars and stripes, gave them three volleys from the big gun, a liearty cheer, and any number of salutes from guns and pistols. As tho) passed out of sight, the chances of success and failure seemed so unevenly balanced that we liardly dared .) anticipate the realization of the plans which they were so bravely and energetically endeavoring to carry out. Our party now consisted only of Messrs. Dyer, Whymper, and myself, with Scratchett the constructor, and two Indians. f! : J|iPf.W-il|l*HP***" '■'»• «^pa^qpmiB|pq^^« 64 THE YUKON TERRITORY. vl i:7 On the 1 8th our eyes were gladdened by tlie appearance of old Yagorsha, with the little skin boat, purchased at Uliikuk last fall, for which he had been sent. It came up from Ulukuk entire, on a sled drawn by five dogs, and had sustanied some slight injuries. In this boat, Mr. Whymper and myself were to ascend the Yu- kon after the .spring freshet. Antoshka and another Indian were sent by Dyer down the Yukon to a place called Yaknts-kaldtciiik, where a three-holed bidarka was supposed to lie, which he pro- posed to use in descending the Yukon and pursuing his examina- tion of the delta. We determined, although it was not strictly in the line of our duty, to cut and erect the poles necessary to bear the line ])e- tween the Nukito post and the proposed site of our new Fort Kennicott. The distance was a few rods over a mile, and re- quired about thirty poles. The work was done entirely by the four members of our party, except clearing away the brush and trees for twelve feet on each side, which we intrusted to one of the Russian workmen. Dog-feed and fresh provisions giving out, I proposed to make a trip to the Kaiyuh villages, and endeavor tc purchase any sup- plies which the Indians might be able to spare. I arrived with Kuri'lla and the dogs at a small village of two houses, on the left bank of the river, nearly opposite Alikoff's barrabora, and being the residence of the old veteran Wolasatu.x. The village is known by his name. I fouml all the Indians away, and was obliged to take some fish out of his cache to feed the dogs with. Wolasatu.x' barrabora is a well built Indian winter house, and stantis near another smaller one, with two or three caches about it, or a small clearing in a dense growth of poplars and willows. These trees grow so close together, that they have reached the height of some thirty or forty feet, almost without branches, and so slender that it gives one a feeling as of standing on a Hat pin- cushion beset with enormous needles and pins. An old man finally appeared, who sold us a few ukali and some grouse. The next morning, Kurilla went out, and in the course of his hunting met some Indians, who informed him that Antoshka had not been able to obtain any dog -feed here or at Kaltag, and that it n-as not improbable his dogs might be starving. Also, that all the Indians were awav after deer, and that it was uncertain when they would THE YUKON TERRITORY. 65 irance of old kuk last fall, uk entire, on ight injuries. :encl the Yu- Indian were uts-kaldtciiik, vhich he pro- his cxamina- thc line of r the line be- )ur new Fort mile, and rc- itirely by the lie brush and ted to one of :)osed to make base any sup- I arrived with es, on the left ra, and bein.i; lagc is known | Ivas obli;;cd to r return. This determined me to return to Nulato, so that Dyer might send some fish from our slender store to Antoshka, and thus prevent his journey from coming to an unfortunate con- clusion. There was no prospect of buying anything where we were. The next morning we set out for Nulato, and found that the moist snow rendered the travelling very hard. The weather was so warm that the snow adhered in large lumps to the snowshoes, aJding a weight of ten or twelve pounds to the foot at each step, ,^^-..tsS Wolasatux' b.irrabcira in wiiittr. until the masses would break off by tlieir own weight, the same process being repeated indefinitely. VVc were exceedingly fa- tigued upon our arrival, near dusk. It was immediately letermincd to send Scratchctt down to Kahag with some fish for Antoshka. Our pr<»spccts of food at this time were anything but encouraging. Wherever the bhune should have fallen, th^^ fact remained, that if it iiad not been for the flour and fish we obtained from the Russians, we should have been in a starving condition ; while it was said, and never denied, •so far as I know, that the Nightingale, on her return, carried with 66 THE YUKON TERRITORY. '1 11 ' : mi BSiIlS! iii U ; I <\t her ten thousand rations. The preposterous folly of issuing food by ordinary rations to men in an a "ctic, or nearly arctic climate, was never more fully demonstrated. On the resources of the country as developed by the natives, who have all they can do to feed themselves, a large body of men cannot support themselves in this part of the territory, unless their time be devoted to noth- ing else. On tlie 8th of April, .Scratchctt returned with a load of fresh reindeer meat, which he liad obtained from ihe Indians, a number of whom accompanied him. Among them was Wolasatux and his foster-son Mikaishka, and Tekunka, a noted shaman and tyone among the Kaiyuh Indians. The latter proved to be a very good kind of fellow ; he sold us a large amount of meat, refusing the offers of the Russians, who saw his slcd-load taken into our store-house with unconcealed disgust. The day had gone by when they could control the trade of that kind, and force the reluctant Indian to sell against his will his hard-earned booty for a leaf or two of tobacco and a few balls. We paid liberally, but not extravagantly, for provisions of all kinds, and as the supply was very limited, the Russians, un- willing to raise their tariff of prices, were often obliged to go without. The continued warm weather was melting the snow rapidly, and although we had cleaned off the roof as much as possible, still the melting ice caused a constant dripping during the day. The ev(^ning frost would put an end to it for a while, but it returned with the heat of the morning sun. The Nulato and other small rivers had felt the elfects of the melting snow, and the ice on the edge of the Yukon, which rests on and is frozen to the beach, was covered with water from them. Mies, to all appearance the common universal house-fly, as well as the bluebottle, had appeared in large numbers, and might be seen on the sunny side of every wall. On the loth I found the first fully expanded willow catkinr,, and the pretty red catkin of the alder. A white-winged crossbill the first so far obtained, was shot in a grove of poplars not far from the post. On the roof of the house I obtained a large number of sm^ •1 i THE YUKON TERRITORY. 67 r issuing food irctic climate, ources of the :hey can do to ,rt themselves looted to noth- , load of fresh ians, a number A'olasatux and I shaman and iroved to be a lount of meat, ^led-load taken The day had kind, and force rd-earned booty )rovisions of all : Russians, un- 1 obliged to go e snow ra\>idly, .ich as possible, hiring the day. a while, but it the eflects of Yukon, which Iwith water from kouse-fiy, as well [•s, and might be willow catkins, | vinged crossbill | poplars not far Lumber of small musk-beetles, of a steel-green color and strong odor. Several other species were obtained from the stumps and mossy hillocks which began to project above the level of the snow. The field- mice were also beginning to be active, and the children about the for*" eagerly scanned with their keen eyes, bow and arrow in band, the various stumps and crevices where they might find them ; when successful they flocked with their prizes to me, sure of a few beads or some other trinket to repay them for their labor. The white i)tarmigan began moulting, or rather brown feathers began to appear in their necks and on the edges of the wings, wheie the first change may be looked for. While skinning a hawk-owl I discovered in the ovary an egg, nearly perfect. Kuri'lla, on his return from a foragirg expedition, brought fine specimens of the great gray owl [Syrniiim cincirum), which measured four feet across the wings, and the white owl {Nyctca nivca). The latter frequently flies by day without diffi- culty, and he is a sharp hunter who can approach it within gun- shot, even at midday. April 23d being a good snowy day, I took advantage of the opportunity, to visit a grave on the point, near the Nulato River. Carefully lifting the cover, I removed the cranium, and putting it into my haversack, I returned by a roundabout way to the fort. I had long had my eye upon this grave, and had been waiting for weather which would cover up my tracks, in order to secure the skull. The Indians are very superstitious in regard to touching anything that has belonged with a dead body, and would have been highly incensed had it become known. There- fore T took the first opportunity of packing safely away the only Ingalik cranium ever collected. An expedition to the bluffs above Nulato resulted in my obtain- ing a number of fossils, which probably indicate a Miocene age for these beds. There are very few and very poor fossils in these sandstones, notwithstanding their wide euent and great thickness. Birds became more plentiful as spring advanced, many sum- mer visitors arriving in April and the earh part of May. The hawks and owls were already laying their eggs, and the young of the Canada jay, as I afterwards learned, were already hatched. Scratchett started for Unalakli'k April 25th, with the last mails, Hi I '1 I it n ! I ip i ( 68 THE YUKON TERRITORY. and on the last trip possiljle this season. The Russians prophe- sied that he woukl not be able to get through, and the weather gave some probability to their croakings. The 25tb of April was a great holiday, or prdsnik, of the Rus- sians. It was their Easter, and was a day of rejoicing for us also, as Ant(')shka returned from a foraging expedition on the Kdiyuh River with a good load of deer meat from Tekunka. Out of our plenty we sent a haunch in to Ivan Tavlofl", to his great satisfaction. The walls of Fort Kennicott already begnr. to assume their proportions, and we frecpiently went up li) assist Paspi'lkoff in the work of raising the loj^s to their proper places. On thj ..'Sth old Maria died. She was an Indian woman, long domiciled with the Russians, and had been present at the Nuhito massacre. On the following day the first goose was seen, the solitary advance-guard of the thousands to come. Strolling on the beach, I obtained a :imall hawk and the first snipe of the season. The weather had become exceedingly warm. Shirt-sleeves were the rule, and the little children enjoyed themselves on the broad river-beach, building houses with pel)bles and making mud jiies, much as their brothers and sisters do all over the world when a vacation or a holiday releases them from restraint and the mother's watchful eye. I never saw a young child punished in Russian America, c-xcept the well-^rown boys of the Russian bidarshik. They behave quite as well as civilized children, and grow up with quite as much respect for their parents. An Indian baby, unless sick, never cries; and why should it .'' It has no one to rub soa|) in its eyes, and never feels the weight of the parental hand. The mother makes it a doll, if a girl, out of bits of sc|uirrel-skin and fur. If a boy, the father builds for him a little sable-lrap, a miniature cache, in which to put his shinitig pebbles and other childish treasures, or a tiny fish-trap, in wliich the mother takes care that a choice bit of uknli. a rabbit's head, or a piece of reindeer fat shall be caught in some mysterious way. As soon as they can toddle about they are instructed in the mysteries of setting snares, and the pride with which the boys or girls bring home their first grouse, or even, by great good luck, an unfortunate rabbit, is fully shared by the parents. Their dresses THE YUKON TERRITORY. 69 he weather arc ornamented with the ehoicest beads ; the sweet marrow or tongue of the fallen reindeer is reserved for them by the father successful in the chase. They travel hundreds of miles with the ciog-sleds, and from these little children I have o(U:n obtained dozens of mice or small birds, canj^iit near some solitary lodge far away among the mountains, which rumor had informed them I would jnu'chase with beads or trinkets, i'hcy carried these proudly home again as tlnir own earnings and the prize of their own industry. I always paid something for such specimens, even if (juite worthless, to encourage them to perseverance, and in tliis way I obtained many invaluable specimens. Scratchett arrived from Unalakh'k on the 4th of May, having li;td a very hard journey, and getting up to his neck in water while crossing some of liie small rivers, swelled witii the melting snow. The scurvy had attacked the parties at Unalakh'k, from the absence of fresh provisions, but was fortunately stayed in its progress by the providential advent on the L^nalaklik plains of large herds of deer, of which mrny were killed. On the 3d, Kurdla killed a goose, a white-cheeked brant (/'. Icucopardn), and two ducks, — a mallard and a (iolden-eye. He received the annual pound of tobacco, the pcr()uisit'.' of him who kills the first goose in the spring. I'rom thi> time we hoped to obtain an .d)undance of water-fowl, which are the only support of the inhabitants of Nulato until the freshets subside and the salmon begin to ascend the river. Curiously enough, there are no fish in lliese rivers which will take die hook. On the 7th of May the first swans were sc:c:n. They are the small American species, the trumpeter not being found in this region, and very rarely visiting Fort Yukon. The geese did not arrive in large numbers until the 9th of May. trn days later than oti the previous year. The commonest ducks were the pin-tail and the green-winged teal. On the 1 2th of May the water came down with a rush, break- ing up the ice on the Nulato River, and Hooding the ice on the \''akon. At the same time a torrent ]ioured down the Klat- kakhatne River. Ivan IVivlolf, having gone shooting over to the island, on his return was caught between the two currents and swept into a hole in the ice. Paspilkoff gave the alarm, and, catching up two paddles, T hurried to the beach, where Scratchett ill 70 THE YUKON TERRITORY. had already launched a birch canoe. With Ant(Sshka, he rapidly made his way among the fragments which threatened to crush the frail boat, and succeeded in extri';atinf; the Russian in safely. To his credit be it said, the act was very handsomely done. The Russians were shouting and running wildly about, like chickens when a hawk is preparing for a swoop, and were not of the slight- est assistance. A year before, the ice having broken up, a convict named Tarentoff had been to the island in a birch-bark canoe. Retr ru- ing, he was nipped between the ice-cakes and was sinking, when Major Kennicott saw him from his seat on the roof of the fort, and hurried two men to his assistance, unquestionably saving his life. When the Russian had changed his clothes, he came with protestations of gratitude to his preserver, who answered, " Do not thank mc, Tarentoff; thank (iod." The ne.xt day, while walking in the early morning on the beach near the fort, taking the angles of the mountains for his proposed map, and with thoughts per- haps intent on the long anticipated journey, then only awaiting the disappearance of the floating ice, the Major was called to his eternal home ! Ills remains were found where he fell; struck down by disease of the heart, aggravated by exposure, privation, and anxiety. On the sad anniversary of his death we erected, on the nearest hillock not swept by the spring freshets, a cross, which was hewn out by the blacksmith Taspilkoff, and which upheld a tablet with the following in.scription : — In Mkmokv ok RonickT KENN'icorr, NATURAI.Isr, who liicil near this place. May \^t/i, 1866, ai^ed thirty. On asking PaspHkoff what he wanted for his labor in hewing out the arms of the cross, he replied, "We Russians take nothing for what we may do for the dead ; we do not know when it may be our turn." On the 12th of May the mosquitoes made their appearance, though the snow still lay on the ground in abundance. They were larger than our home moscpiitoes, and V' ry bloodthirsty. After a few days it was impossible to sleep without a net. THE YUKON TKRRITOUY. 71 tak'j nothing when it may We had abundance to do, gcttin^j our bidarnl in onh-T for the journey, and packinj; our stores into the smallest possible space, knowing by experience that every ounce counted. Collecting was not neglected ; and many specimens of birds were obtained which are only summer visitors. A walk to the blufl' above the Klatkakhatne River was rewarded by the discovery of a few more fossils, and some very minute land-shells, similar to, if not identi- cal with, r^'istcrn American and Northern European s])ecies. I had at this time a good op|)ott unity of observing the forma- tion of the alluvial soil of the islands and baidvs of the Yukon. Two or three feet below the surface, the ground is frozen, and probably always continues so, as therj are no roots of living trees below that depth. The soil is composed of distinct layers, each layer consisting of a stratum of sand, overlaid by mud, and covered with a thin sheet of vegetable matter. These layers evidently mark the annual inundat ons, the materials brought down settling according to their specific gravity. They varied in thickness from half an inch to three inches, but averaged about about an inch. I counted one hundred and eighty of them in one bank, exposed by the undermining and washing away of the soil by the river, leaving a perpendicular bank about ten feet high. This action of deposition and denudation is constantly going on ; and so great is the amount cairied out to sea by the Yukon water, that the water of Bering .Sea is discolored by it for many miles, even (piite out of sight of [hv. land. Occasionally the roots and stumps of trt-cs might be seen exposed, in their natural position, but deep below the surface. These had evidently been broken off in some ancient Hood, and fmally buried under new deposits of alluvium. I even thought I detected, in the lower and older layers, indications of carbon- ization, or transformation into a kind of lignite, among the strata ofvtigetable mattiM". The Russians had already put their large bidarr.'i in order, and, looking with contempt upon oiii' little boat, which was J^haped like a dory, about (ifleen feel long and four and a half wide, asserted that we could not keep up with them ; that it was impossible to row such a bag-shaped contrivance against the rapid river current ; that it would not bear a sail as large as the one we had had made ; and, fmally, that, with such a boat, it ji Jl If I n iH ! 7t THE YUKON TERRITORY. was useless to attempt ascending the river, for we should cer- tainly fail. Wc did not fail to appreciate the consideration for our weakness and inexperience, which was indicated by such comments ; and it but strengthened our determination to reach Fort Yukon at all hazards, even if the boat had to be replaced by a raft. We had provided a mast, and Kurdla exercised his taste and ingenuity in carving an arrow, with a broad tail to which some blue cotton was attached, to serve as a fly. The square sail was composed of stout linen towelling, purchased of the Russians ; and we were provided with an A-tent, and a large piece of drill, with which our Indians might make a tent for their own shelter. Our boat was too small to admit of a rudder, and an enormous paddle for use in steering was made by Kun'lla, and ornamented with bars and stripes of red ochre. We had jjrovided several oars cut out of seasoned spruce, no harder wood being attain- able, except birch, which is too brittle. On the i6th and i8th of May we all united in erecting the poles between the Nulato post and Fort Kennicott. Dyer had decided to take Antoshka, and a Creole called Aloshka, who understood the Eskimo dialect of the Innuit of the Yukon- mouth, serving as an interpreter as well as an assistant in paddling the three-holed bidarka in which the journey was to be made. Scratchett was to remain at Nulato and secure logs for the buildings to be put up at Fort Kennicott after the ice had passed out of the river. The ice on the Yukon was separated from the shore by a wide belt of water, and we hourly looked for a rise which should give it a start down stream. On the 19th of May, about one o'clock, as Whymper and my- self were sitting on the roof, we perceived a slight motion, and upon our raising a shout to that effect, the whole population of the fort was soon out on the bank, watching the slow progress of the great sheet of ice between us and the island. The pre vious year the ice had broken up on the 21st. The water began to rise very rapidly, and soon covered much of the beach. We watched it with a great deal of interest ; but the sight was by no means as grand as we had anticipated. It passed very quietly THE YUKON TERRITORY. 73 for a time, and finally stopped, a jam having occurred somewhere below, and the water being still too low to carry all before it. On the 2 1 St it began to move again ; and the water had risen to the foot of an inclined plane opposite the fort-gate, where the bank is usually ascended. The Russians do not start up the river until the ice is well out of it, as the danger to skin-boats would be too great to risk. Our necessary trading-goods and provisions amounted to nearly eight hundred pounds, which, with the men, oars, sails, and other baggage, made up nearly eighteen hundred pounds. Of this we intended to put a bag of flour and one of bread on board the large Russian boat, maKing about sixteen hundred and fifty pounds that our little bidar-d must carry. On the 25th, all our preparations being completed, we took our last night's rest in the old Nulato trading-post. ^, <^,^o. o.-r-.*^ ^ ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I Ui§2t 12.5 ■" Ui 12.2 ?* Hi ■" |i-25 i 1.4 M e Photografiiic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRIIY WnSTH.N.Y. MSN (716) •72-4303 ^^t. Michael's. helped our the bidarka, 1 Ant6shka We gave r own boat ussians had igious cere- pushed off. sahited the The Rus- ght freight. r was com- Ua ; a little Vlenoh61noi, md lastly, a ipronounce- lad arrived number of which, with their owners, were to accompany us to Nuklukah- The rain poured down on us and made everything wet and un- comfortable. I realized, for the first time, the size and power of the logs and fragments of ice which, seen from the banks, seemed so small and insignificant. KurHla, whose Indian name was Unookuk, had had much experience in this sort of navigation, and proved himself active, energetic, and efficient. The boat had been hurriedly loaded, and the goods were not arranged to the best advantage. It always takes a day to get the party and boat into good working order. After pulling about six miles we felt the necessity for taking some breakfast, and, the Russians setting the example, we hauled close into the bank and boiled the chyniks. It is, of course, impossible to take or make soft bread on such a journey, as it would very soon mould. The traditional "damper" is a humbug. It is invariably heavy, and a fruitful cause of heartburn, indigestion, and consequent ill humor. Hence, in the absence of biscuit, a substitute being necessary, the Russians are accustomed to bake a large quantity of bread which, after slicing, they dry in t'.ie oven, so that, without browning, it becomes as hard as a rock. This hardness, however, immediately disappears when the siikan'e, as the Russians call it, is immersed in hot tea ; and in this respect it is preferable to biscuit, which takes a long time to soak. It is, however, more liable to break up than biscuit, when carried in a bag, and not unfrequently re- tains dust and grit from the mud walls of the peechka, unless very carefully dried. We had both biscuit and sukar^e ; some of the latter having been made of white flour, it proved execrable, the Russian sukar^e being always made of groats or Graham flour. Just above the ravine and little brook where we took our tea was a rounded rock, boldly jutting out into the river. Around this a constant .^itream of ice-cakes, logs, and driftwood was pour- ing. The Russians first reached this point, and after one or two trials tnrned back and camped, hoping that the ice would cease running before the next morning. KurfUa saw this move with great disgust. " The Russians retreat : Un6okuk will not retreat," said he, and struck boldly out into the stream of ice and drift- ■ 'ood. For ten minutes all had their hands full, staving off logs 76 THE YUKON TERRITORY. ii 1 1 B< i^ S|j':: and ice-cakes, and the danger was too imminent to think about. A clearer part of the river was soon reached in safety, the drift always running most thickly in the strongest current. Paddling up stream a mile or two, the severity of the rain induced us to camp on an island, where we pitched our tent in a willow grove, and < ndeavored to dry ourselves. The evening meal consisted of salted white-fish and tea. We now discovered that Scratchett had availed himself of the confusion of our starting to appropriate sundry spoons, and other articles of use and necessity, to his own advantage. Although of iron, the loss was as great as if they had been of gold ; for who can eat bread and tea without a spoon ? We had just two left, and our Indians must take turn and turn about in using them. Another loss which we all regretted was three pounds of sugar, which I had purchased with a shirt, of the individual above mentioned. It is to be hoped that he has duly repented in his subsequent retirement. Several canoes had followed us through the ice in fear and trembling. Their inmates, camped near us, presented a melan- choly spectacle. A woman whose long upper garment consisted of white cotton, with her hair streaming down her back, resembled a drowned rabbit ; and an old man seemed to have received a more thorough washing than for many years previous. We were all very wet, but our clothing repelled the rain much better than deerskins or cotton drill. Blessed be the man who invented rubber blankets ! Mine, after a season in the Lake Superior region, did noble service, as well as Whymper's, which he had obtained in British Columbia. Laying them down on the mud in which our camp was situated, only covered by a little willow brush, we spread out our blankets, and were soon at rest. '^\e Indians, except Kurdla, who, as coxswain, slept in our tent, made their tent out of a great sheet of drill, after their own fashion. Bending down the tops of several slender wil- lows, they crossed them in different directions, and spreading the covering over that, the whole was nearly circular. It was always a marvel to me how they could lie down in it, it was so small. After all got inside, the edges were carefully tucked in and the mosquitoes effectually excluded. The rain prevented the latter from being very troublesome, and we slept comfortably. think about, fety, the drift It. Paddling nduced us to willow grove, I consisted of at Scratchett appropriate :y, to his own IS if they had DUt a spoon? irn and turn egretted was 1 shirt, of the t he has duly in fear and ted a melan- ent consisted ck, resembled 'e received a IS. We were h better than ! Mine, after ce, as well as bia. Laying situated, only blankets, and •, as co.xswain, : of drill, after .1 slender wil- spreading the [t was always vas so small. J in and the blesome, and u > o a, O u III :j X IMi: YUKON TKRHITOKY 7? The browti Miocene samlstoncs before mentioned arc auc- -nied ncre by blue sandstones, which at Nuldto lie below tbcm. he latter contain few fossils, — mostly sy^amore leaves (f^/ti litis), and other ve;i;etable remains. Monday, May 27///. — Starting about three o'clock in the morn- .'. we sov>a passed the Russians, who had gone a little farther the night and camped above us. We passrd throu^jh a small ;h or fiiiidka between some islands. About ten oclook we • cd at a tine blutf near the mouth of the Koyukuiv River, a mark in this part of lh<; rciuntry, and known as the Koyii- .Sopka. Here is a small kt'vukun village, where wc stopped took tea. I bought a large pike- i^hstix rtt&r) and a quunllty ',' reindeer meat. \fter' passing the Sopkatbc river is very winding, and wc •lently crossed it in order to «ihor«t.'n the distance. When in 4 .-o wc came to the in.un thannri, »! a4» a hard tug to . it, and we invariably lost groui^d, si^iOictHneit swfr ilm tit m a . roimding a turn In the river we saw a large number of 3 lying near the bank and a crowd of dark fignres on the These proved to be Koyukuns, »vho proposed to ac- my us. Iv.'in the tyonc, l.anidwn, and a handsome fellow red shirt, named "Cousin" by Kctohum on his last season's iccosted us with gesticulations of welcome. As rain throat- and we wished to keep our provisions dry, we camped in ■St pi ice we could find among the dcn.se thickets of willow.s line the shore everywhere. There were a. few hills in the .^e, but no mountains. The foliag<> was not fully out, but hcate green of the young leaves made the river banks very iiul Close to the warrr grow willows and alders. A little r back are belt.'? of btoad-lcaved poplars (/-". bahamifira), 1 the dry gn^und spruce {AbLs alba), growinj:^ to a very size and mixefl witi" :i.*«)v;ns (Pofnlus tremuloidis), whose ilorcd hark and silve >-d leaves contrast tmely with the vcrgreens. On the rtH^kv blutfs a ..species of junij^er is ant, crawling over the '<*cks. but nut rising from the soil. the left bank, which i« pvrrywhere low, the willows and i^ ai»pear to predominate The banks in many piaccs^are iinincd by the rapid curn;*ht, arnl frequently fall into thr I i THE YUKON TERRITORY. 77 ::W'it^- i.i'J- ■**<.' ill i*l- ti^\ .■; '!:'■ The brown Miocene sandstones before mentioned are suc- ceeded here by blue sandstones, which at Nuldto lie below them. The latter contain few fossils, — mostly sycamore leaves {P/a- tanus). and other vegetable remains. Monday, May 27th. — Starting about three o'clock in the morn- ing, we soon passed the Russians, who had gone a little farther in the night and camped above us. We passed through a small slough or pratdka between some islands. About ten o'clock we arrived at a fine bluff near the mouth of the Koyukuk River, a landmark in this part of the country, and known as the Koyii- kuk Sopka. Here is a small Koyiikun village, where we stopped and took tea. I bought a large pike (Esox estor) and a quantity of dry reindeer meat. After passing the Sopka the river is very winding, and we frequently crosse*^' it in order to shorten the distance. When in doing so we ca.ne to the main channel, it was a hard tug to cross it, and we invariably lost ground, sometimes as much as a mile. On rounding a turn in the river we saw a large number of canoes lying near the bank and a crowd of dark figures on the shore. These proved to be Koyukuns, who proposed to ac- company us. Ivan the tyone, Larriown, and a handsome fellow in a red shirt, named "Cousin" by Ketchum on his last season's trip, accosted us with gesticulations of welcome. As rain threat- ened, and we wished to keep our provisions dry, we camped in the best place we could find among the dense thickets of willows which line the shore everywhere. There were a few hills in the distance, but no mountains. The foliage was not fully out, but the delicate green of the young leaves made the river banks very beautiful. Close to the water grow willows and alders. A little farther back are belts of broad-leaved poplars {P. balsamifcrd), and on the dry ground spruce {Abies alba), growing to a very large size and mixed with aspens {Poptiltis trctmiloidcs), whose light-colored bark and silvered leaves contrast finely with the dark evergreens. On the rocky bluffs a species of juniper is abundant, crawling over the rocks, but not rising from the soil. On the left bank, which is everywhere low, the willows and poplars appear to predominate. The banks in many places are undermined by the rapid current, and frequently fall into the iX< 7» THE YUKON TERRITORY. !i river in large masses, with the trees and shrubs upon them, startling the unaccustomed ear with a noise like thunder. The ground where Ketchum camped the previous year, accord- ing to Kurflla, was under water; we had camped on a low island somewhat in advance of the Russians. The Koyukuns brought their stores of dried meat and fat, and I purchased about fifty pounds of the former. The tariff of prices was high, compared with what we had paid for the same things on the coa-:!. We gave five loads of powder for a duck, seven for a goose, if fat ; five balls or a small bundle of leaves of Circassian tobacco, called by the Russians a papodsh, for a beaver-tail ; six to eight balls for the dry breast of a deer ; four or five for a deer's tongue ; and for fat, especially the marrow of the long bones of the reindeer, whatever would buy it, usually a pretty high price. A ball, a charge of powder, or two caps, are the units of trade, and will buy almost anything. Knives, beads, flints and steels, needles, small looking-glasses, handkerchiefs of various colors, woollen scarfs, and cotton drill or calico are all useful, but tobacco and ammunition are the great staples. The Circassian or Chcrkdtsky tobacco, imported only by the Russians, and exceedingly strong, is the prime favorite where the Russians trade ; but those who deal more with the English at Fort Yukon like the long natural Kentucky leaf best. The latter we used for our own smoking, obtaining an excellent article from the Russians for thirty cents a pound. Swans, brant, and sandhill cranes were seen, the former abun- dantly. Ivia PavloflF sent me two eggs of the white-cheeked goose (B. latcoparcid), which were found on a bit of sandy beach near the camp, and every step added some new plant, insect, or bird to our col'^ctions. The Koyiikuk S6pka is composed of a soft crystalline rock apparently unstratified. In this kind of journey, sluggards are out of place. We allowed ourselves but four or five hours for sleep, and after a cup of tea continued on our way. Tuesday, 28///. — Ivan the tyone, and old Wolasdtux came along in their little canoes with some half-dried fish for sale, which we purchased for our Indians. Passing through a narrow pra- toka between two islands and the shore, we came to a solitary Indian house, quite empty. On the hillside near it stood a THE YUKON TERRITORY. 79 solitary grave. A little fence of white spruce stakes was built around it, and from several long poles streamers of white cotton were floating. KurHla said that it was the grave of an Indian who had died in the previous fall, and that the house was occu- pied by his wife, who spent all her time (except when procuring food) in watching the grave, and devoting all her property to the purpose of adorning it. The house looked neat and clean, the hillside was green, and the sun shone brightly on the lonely grave, as we passed by on the other side of the pratoka. Just be- yond, a perpendicular and solitary bluff fronted the river. Close to its face rushed the swift current, with its burden of driftwood, at the rate of seven knots an hour. There was no backing out : we had to cross here. The swift part of the current appeared to be narrow. The canoes first essayed it, and were swept like straws a mile down stream in the twinkling of an eye. This made us careful. We kept close to the rock, where there was a little slack water, and then, driving our paddles into the water with a will, we passed the current, and reached the op- posite bank, not more than a quarter of a mile below. Waiting to rest, we saw the Russians kill a beaver in the water, and then cross the stream with about the same success as ourselves. Con- tinuing on our way, about six o'clock we stopped to boil the chynik and to rest, Ivan Pavloff was invited to take tea with us. Sugar being a very scarce article in this country, it is usually boiled with water into hard cakes, which, when properly done, are not affected by the weather. Soft sugar will waste away imperceptibly with the dampness. The orthodox way is to take a fragment of this hard sugar, bite off a small piece of it, and drink your tea without putting any into it. This is much more economical, and is hereby recommended to boarding-house keep- ers. I was much amused by observing Pavloff, who after finish- ing his tea replaced the lump from which he had been biting in the common sugar-box. About ten o'clock we came to a very wide part of the river, where the Russians lay to for a while, and fired a small boat-gun which they carried in their bidarrd. This was to notify the In- dians, if any were in the vicinity, that the Russians were ready to trade ; but none made their appearance, and the bidarrd soon con- tinued on its way. On a low sand-bar, where the sun poured I I i I I 80 THE YUKON TERRITORY. down with double force, and mosquitoes hummed in myriads, we also found an old man and his old wife. I afterwards heard that he had a young one. His hair stood out in every direction where it was not matted down by dirt. His clothing hung in the filthiest rags, and his voice sounded like that of a fishhawk with a cold. His name was Oosk6n, or Rabbit, and it was stated by Kurdla that he was noted for his good-humor and generosity. He might have given away all his clothes, which would account for his ap- pearance. His wife was his duplicate, except that she was silent, which is an excellent thing in women. The old fellow brought me a gull's egg, which I gratefully accepted, wished to sell me some fish, which I respectfully declined, and finally brought out two stuffed skins of the beautiful northern phalarope, which I purchased, as they were in very fair condition. I afterwards discovered they were stuffed with a very sweet-scented grass. On pointing this out to Wolasatux, he shook his head gravely, and said, " They are rotten ! " These Indians have no apprecia- tion of sweet odors. The wild rose {^Rosa cinnamomca), which is one of the few fragrant flowers to be found or. the Yukon, is called among them by an untranslatable name, on account of its perfume. The only odor they appreciate lies hidden in the steam arising from the soup-kettle. Rain coming on, we camped on a steep bank, and the Russians followed our example. I afterwards added a green-winged teal and hooded grebe {Podiceps cornutus) to our collection. A high sandy bluff near our camp was full of the nests of the bank swallow. It seemed like a gigantic honeycomb swarming with bees, as the light- winged swallows darted about. The eggs are white, and are laid on a few very fine twigs, which keep them off the sand. I counted nearly eight hundred holes, all of which seemed to be occupied. I obtained from the Indians quite a number of ducks and geese for our kettle. Wednesday, 29///. — We broke camp about five o'clock in the morning. Nothing occurred to break the monotony of con- stant steady paddling. Two Indians in the bow of the boat would row until tired, and then we would stop for a few minutes to rest, and let them smoke. The last operation takes less than a minute : their pipes are so constructed as to hold but a very THE YUKON TERRITORY. 8i the Russians A. — Kiitcliin. II. — Innuit. C. — Koyiikun. I), K. — Chukctice. small pinch of tohacco. The bowl, with cars for tying it to the stem, is generally cast out of lead. Sometimes it is made of soft stone, bone, or even hard wood. The stem is made of two |)ieccs of wood, hollowed on one side, and bound to the bowl and to each other by a narrow strip of deerskin. In smoking, the economical Indian generally cuts np a little birch wood, or the in- ner bark of the poplar, and mixes it with his tobacco. A few rein- deer hairs, pulled from his parka, are rolled into a little ball, and placed in the bottom of the bowl to prevent the contents from being drawn into the stem. A pinch of tobacco, cut as fine as sniiflf, is inserted, and two or three whifts are afforded by it. The smoke is inhaled into the lir : , producing a moment.nry stupefaction, and the operation is over. A fundus which grows on decayed birch trees, or tnider manufactured from the down of the poplar rubbed up with charcoal, is used with flint and steel for obtaining a lij;ht. Matches are highly valued, and rcailily purchased. The eflfect of the Circassian tobacco on the lungs is extremely bad, and among those tribes who use it many die from asthma and congestion of the lungs. This is principally due to the saltpetre with which it is impregnated. The Indian pipe is copied from the Kskimo, as the latter were the first to obtain and use tobacco. Many of the tribes call it by the Eskimo name. The Kutchin and Kastern Tinneh use one modelled after the clay pipes of the Hudson Hay Company, but they also carve very pretty ones out of birch knots and the root of the wild rose- bush. The Chukchees use a pipe similar to those of the Es- kimo, but with a much larger and shorter stem. This stem is hollow, and is filled with fine birch shavings. After smoking for some months these shavings, impregnated with the oil of tobacco, are taken out through an opening in the lower part of the stem, and smoked over. The Hudson Bay men make passable pipe- stems by taking a straight-grained piece of willow or spruce, without knots, and cutting through the outer layers of bark and wood. This stick is heated in the ashes, and by twisting the 6 82 THE YUKON TERRITORY. f \ li' : ends in contrary directions, the heart-wood may be gradually drawn out, leaving a wooden tube. The Kutchin make pretty pipe-stems cut of goose-quills wound about with colored porcu- pine quills. It is the custom in the English forts to make every Indian who comes to trade, a present of a clay pipe filled with tobacco. We were provided with cheap brown ones, with wooden stems, which were much liked b^ the natives, and it is probable that small brier-wood pipes, which are not liable to break, would form an acceptable addition to any stock of trading-goods. For the first time we were able to use our sail, as a fair wind sprang up in the afternoon, and for a short time we made excel- lent progress. About five o'clock we camped at a place where In summer the Indians have a fishery, and which is called Kam^n-sikhtcr. Thursday, ^oih. — The sealskin of which the bidarrds are made, by long contim mce in the water becomes soft and unsound. Hence, as the weather continued rainy, we decided to lay over a day, take the boat out of the water, dry and oil it ; the Rus- sians doing the same with their bidarrd. During the interval, many additions were made to our collections. I ob- served a fine-looking Ko- yukun, called ToJio-nidola, who wore a mantle made of a dressed deerskin. It was cut to a point behind, and into fringes around the edge. It was orna- mented with a few beads, hanging in short strings, and was colored on the inside with red ochre; making a very graceful ar- ticle of apparel. The breeches had the moccasins continuous with the leg, and were heavily embroidered with large black and white beads. The pattern universal among the Koyiikun men consists of a band of beads in front, from the thigh to the ankle, a short one crossing it at the knee. At the ankle the long baud bifurcates, and the two ends, after reaching the sides of the foot, Tohonidola. 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 Koyiikun 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 Tcndn Kittchin, or Tananah River Indians, this practice still obtains White and black or brick red are the only colors I have seen used on cloth- ing, 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, 31J/. — Making an early start, we passed a point known as Sakatalontan, 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 cgi;s in it, which were devoted to an omelet, after carefully emptying the shells with a small blowpipe. We comped 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, yune \st. — 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- 11: i 84 THE YUKON TERRITORY. morphous quartzose rocks. Many butterflies, including the fa- miliar swallow-tail (JPapilio Turnus), and another species some- what similar {P. Aliaska), were hovering over the surface. Upon mentioning that I would give a needle apiece for good speci- mens, a commotion was aroused amongst the little fleet of birch canoes which accompanied us. All was excitement, paddles were flourished in the air, the light canoes darted about after the slowly sailing, unsuspecting butterflies, and the result was a considerable number of passable specimens. I saw, also, several wax-wings {Ampelis garrulus) in the bushes along shore, and obtained a sandhill crane. A fair wind sprang up and sent the Mt. Hohonila from the Melnzikakat. Russians scudding around a si.\-mile bend under their large sail. Our boat proved a very slow sailei, the wind soon dropped, and we had to pull all the way around the bend. After camping we employed Larriown's wife to sew up some cuts in the sealskin of our bidarrd. These were made by the constant stream of driftwood ; but when sewed up and the seam well rubbed with tallow, the boat was as tight as ever. The skin was old and very rotten, so that we had to exercise the utmost precaution in landing and in avoiding driftwood or rocks. Sunday, 2d. — About ten o'clock the next day we took our tea at the mouth of the Melozikdkat or Clear River. From this THE YUKON TERRITORY. 85 Mr large sail. point a fine view may be had of a mountain which rises per- haps two thousand feet above the river, and is known to the In- dians as Hoho-nHa. The upper portion still retained snow in many ravines, though later in the season it disappears entirely. The mosquitoes were exceedingly troublesome. The night had ceased to be dark, as the sun remained only about two hours behind the high hills which shut out the horizon. Monday, ^d. — Passed the Uka-wiitne or " Look-and-see-it " River. It is a small stream. Near its mouth the Yukon is very broad and full of islands. About noon the sun was so scorching (90° in the shade) that we pulled into the bank and rested for a couple of hours. We then proceeded to the point on the right bank where the Russians had camped, waiting the report of a messenger who had been sent to the village of Nowikakat on the left bank a few miles above. As he did not appear I turned in, and had h.irdly got under the blankets, when I heard the well- known voice of Larri6wn, who poked his ugly head into the tent, saying there was plenty of dry meat and many Indians at Nowi- kakat, and begging a little tobacco for his information. I put on my boots and stepped out of the tent, around which a number of Indians had gathered. The old Nowikakat tyone was there, and one of the men who had gone up with Ketchum suddenly appeared. He gave us the welcome information tlxit Ketchum and the party had reached Fort Yukon in safety, and had started with open water for Fort Selkirk, having sent the In- dians and six remaining dogs down the river in a bidarrd made of moose-hide. Tuesday, ^th. — We struck our tent, broke camp, and started for Nowikakat, in company with the Russians and Indians. We hoisted the American flag over the blue cross and scallop- shell of the Scientific Corps, and came into Nowikakat Harbor with colors flying. We received and returned a salute of mus- lv- k'likk and oi the Yd view this v> much bru.Kl' man has clipp^ ihr br. »•! mouth uf the Tanandh River was acetj, the \ nkon. The latter curves abruptly to the left, i« rn ii< s the low laiui, fuiming a point or island. 'u< Mr- neutral [;roiintl where all ti»e tribes meet " wnd it rose the moiintains. Two summits iher.t iinown by the Inf-lian nimes of Mo-khinih- !,i{j-at-hn'. The latter '\» really on the right bank 'i the former on the left, but from our point of ' per''[>tible. At the junction the Tananah is ui the V'lil-on, yet u)to this noble nvcr nc white iui* paddle. llelow the juc tion the Yukon attains a width of five miles at least A fair wm«ie and pr(jvided. We forme' in line, with blank char^ies in •yr guns. The Indians did th.i . sa ne. Tiiey advanced on us ^'■uting, and discharged Ibcir guns i.i the air. Wo returned ih'i '«niplimont, and they retreated to repeat the performance. After minute ' of this mock fi;^ht the tyone appeal cvl between us. •• harangued the Indians, who answered by a .shout. Turning ■ •!, ho informed us ihnt wc wv.rc n>»w at liberty to transact : asiiicss. ^ntoine and bis Indians had left for I'ort Yukon two days be- There was little or nchhiitg to eat at Nuklukahyet. Some 'lad been sent by thi- tyone after moose, and meanwhile the ' dances which take place here were performed on empty hs. iyone came in with a 5; 'tie di'^h o\ fat as a present. Ijc ;• .J that there was nothing better to ofter us, and i,'ave us a ■- *hich Ketchum bad*wrttt«n during the winter; in it be r*. ;od that we would give the tyone, who had materially assisted .»!iy powder and bail we couid spare. The pqwdfr and k«?' liwhed by the Companv vv;is exhausted at NowikdkaS, tiift I ■s^' ^^^ 0", THE YUKON TERRITORY. 93 To the east the broad mouth of the Tanandh River was seen, where it joins the Yukon. The latter curves abruptly to the left, and between them lies the low land, forming a point or island. This is Nuklukahyet, the neutral ground where all the tribes meet in spring to trade, lichind it rose the mountains. Two summits rose above the othe known by the Indian names of Mo-kldu-o- klikli and Alout-klag-at-lin . The latter is really on the right bank of the Yukon, and the former on the left, but from our point of view this was not perceptible. At the junction the Tanandh is much broader than the Yukon, yet into this noble river no white man has dipped his paddle. Helovv the junction the Yukon attains a width of five miles at least. A fair wind sprang up, and, as usual, the Russians left us far behind. Hy dint of hard paddling, about half past five in the afternoon we rounded the bluft" opposite Nuklukahy<^t. Here we found Piivlofir, who, with unexpected consideration, was waiting for us. We crossed together, with our flags flying. The Nuklukahyt^t tyone, who had been at Nuldto during the winter, hailed us from the beach. Pdvloff answered him, and we landed, drew up our boats, and prepared to go through the ceremony for such cases made and provided. We formed in line, with blank charges in our guns. The Indians did the same. They advanced on us shouting, and discharged their guns in the air. We returned the compliment, and they retreated to repeat the performance. After ten minutes of this mock fight the tyone appeared between us. He harangued the Indians, who answered by a shout. Turning to us, he informed us that we were now at liberty to transact our business. Antoine and his Indians had left for Fort Yukon two days be- fore. There was little or nothing to eat at Nuklukuhy6t. Some men had been sent' by the tyone after moose, and meanwhile the annual dances which take place here were performed on empty stomachs. The tyone came in with a little dish of fat as a present. He regretted that there was nothing better to otiter us, and gave us a note which Ketchum had written during the winter; in it he re- quested that we would give the tyone, who had materially assisted him, any powder and ball we could spare. The powder and ball furnished by the Company was exhausted at Nowikdkat, but I ' 1 f I 94 THE YUKON TERRITORY. made him a present of a can of powder and forty balls from my own private supplies, and asked him to keep a little meat for us when we should return, \vaich he promised to do. He was a rather good-looking Indian, possessed a good deal of intelligence, and was younger than any other tyone we had seen. He wore an English hunting-shirt of red flannel, ornamented on the shoulders with large pearl buttons, and fringes of mooseskin. Around his waist was a long Hudson Bay sash. He wore moccas-ns, and mooseskin trousers cut in the English fashion, with fringes down Young Nuklukahyet tyone. the outside of the leg, and blue leggins tied with a band of bead- work below the knee. His black glossy hair was cut st.aight around the neck, and parted a little on one side. Altogethev, he appeared much cleaner and more attentive to dress than any of the Indians of the Lower Yukon. All these Indians paint their faces. Black is obtained by rub- bing charcoal and fat together. Vermilion is purchased of the traders, and supplies the place of the red oxide of iron which they formerly used. I saw one who appeared to have used graphite, or plumbago, on his face, but on examining the article itself it THE YUKON TERRITORY. 95 from my leat for us He was a telligence, ^e wore an ; shoulders Ground his ;as'ns, and nges down Ind of bead- :ut st.aight lAltogethev, Idress than led by rub- iscd of the [which they Id graphite, :le itself it proved to be micaceous oxide of iron, and was said to be obtained on the banks of the Tananah. They wear an ornament made of dentalium, the sookli of the Russians, and " money-shell " of American traders. It is here Nuse ornament of the Yukon Indians. represented of natural size. A hole is pierced through the skin of the nose, below the cartilage, when very young. Women and men alike wore it ; while at Koyiikuk we noticed it only among the women. These Indians are fond of ornaments, and among other things I noticed in use as such were necklaces of bears' claws and teeth, sable tails, wolf ears, bands of beads and dentalia, embroidery of dyed porcupine quills, small ermine skins, hawk and eagle feath- ers, beavers' teeth (with which they whet their knives), and the bright green scalps of the mallard. Some wore hoops of birch wood around the neck and wrists, with various patterns and fig- ures cut on them. These were said to be emblems of mourn- ing for the dead. I noticed several graves in which the dead were enclosed, in a standing posture, in a circle of sticks squared on four sides and r>ecured by hoops of green wood, thus looking much like a cask. From the sticks hung strips of cloth and fur. In the afternoon we witnessed one of their dances. The spec- tators formed a circle around two men who were the performers, and joined in the usual monotonous chorus of" Ho, ho, ha, ha," &c. The dancers were stripped to the waist, and held in each hand eagles' feathers tipped with bits of swan's-down. Their heads were shaved, and bound with fillets of feathers. The dance con- sisted in motions of the head, arms, legs, and every muscle of the body in succession ; putting themselves in every imaginable posture, joining in the chorus, and keeping exact time with it and with each other. I could not find out its emblematic meaning. We engaged two Indians to take the canoe of meat to Fort Yukon. One of them, whom we had called Bidarshik, had come with us from Novvikakat. The other was a wild specimen of the Nuklukahy^t tribe, whom we decided to name Dick. A number 96 THE YUKON TERRITORY. if i ■ \ of others indicated their intention to travel with us to Fort Yukon and trade there. One of them had been employed by Ketch um the previous summer. About three o'clock in trie afternoon we loft Nuklukahyet and the Russians behind us, receiving a salute from them, which we duly returned. The river was becoming deeper and narrower, and the hills were rising and approaching more closely to the Yukon, as we ascended. Late in the afternoon a sunken rock cut a hole in the In the Ramparts, bidarra, and we halted for repairs. On account of the extreme heat we now decided to travel by night and camp in the hottest part of the day. Monday, \oth. — We entered, about three o'clock in the after- noon, between high bl'iffs and hills rising perhaps fifteen hun- dred feet above the river, which here was exceedingly deep and rapid and not more than half a mile wide. The bends were abrupt, and the absence of sunlight and the extreme quiet THE YUKON TERRITORY. 97 us to Fort :mployed by lock in the i behind us, ncd. md the hills rukon, as we a hole in the produced a feeling as if we had been travelling underground. The appropriate and expressive English name for these bluffs is " the Ramparts." We were approaching the so-called Rapids of the Yukon, of which we had heard so many rtories. The Russians had pre- dicted that we should not be able to ascend them. The Indians joined in this expression of opinion, and had no end of stories about the velocity of the current and the difficulty experienced in If the extreme lin the hottest in the after- fifteen hun- pedingly deep The bends lextreme quiet Looking back at the Rapido. ascending them. We all felt a little anxious, but v^rere conhdent of overcoming the supposed difficulty in fon'" way. We met some Indians and obtained a little fresh meat. About midnight we arrived at the Rapids. The river is very narrow here, an(| the rocky hills rise sharply from the water. The rocks are metamorphic quartzites, and a dike or belt of hard granitic rock crosses the river. The fall is about twelve feet in half a mile. The rapid current has worn the granite away on either side, 7 IT tl 98 THE YUKON TERRITORY. forming two good channels, but in the middle is an island of granite, over which the river rushes in a sheet of foam during high water. There are several smaller " rips " along the shore, especially near the left bank, but nothing to interr ipt steamer navigation, except the very rapid current. Several Indians attempted to ascend in their small canoes. We saw them reach a point just below the island, and by dint of the hardest paddling keep stationary there a few minutes ; when, their strength being exhausted, away went the canoes down stream like arrows. We joined our tracking-line with several rawhide lines belong- ing to the Indians, and by keeping close to the rocks succeeded in tracking over the worst part without much difficulty. Taking our seats again, we had a hard pull to pass one jutting rock, and our troubles were over. We then enjoyed a well-earned cup of tea, and took a parting glance at the Rapids from above. From this point only a broad patch of foam in the middle of the river indicated their existence. Tuesday, wth. — Coal has been said to exist in this vicinity, but erroneously, Ther:; are no sandstones or other fossiliferous rocks, and the granite is immediately succeeded by quartzites. I found plenty of wild garlic on the rocks, and currant and goose- berry vines in blossom. The Indians were attended by numerous l.'ttle dogs, which ran along the shore, following the canoes, and sometimes swam across the Yukon two or three times in a day. These were excellent hunters, but too small to use with sleds. During the day they dislodged a porcupine, of which I secured the skull. Several women were with their husbands, who intended to leave them somewhere on the road until their return from trad- ing. They were hideously ugly and dirty, — far worse than the Koyvikuns or Ingaliks whom I had seen. They took chaige of the large canoes with the baggage, while the husband carried the furs in his small canoe. There were several babies, all very dirty, but otherwise like most Indian babies. During the day they were tied into a kind of chair made of birch bark and packed v^ h clean dry moss, which was changed when occasion required. : ' e object itself looked much like an ordinary willow baby-chair, but nad a projection in front between the child's legs, which came THE YUKON TERRITORY. 99 ; an island of f foam during jng the shore, ;rr ipt steamer small canoes, id, and by dint few minutes ; nt the canoes le lines belong- ocks succeeded iculty. Taking Iting rock, and 1-earned cup of 1 above. From die of the river in this vicinity, her fossiliferous i by quartzites. rant and goose- ed by numerous the canoes, and times in a day. use with sleds, which I secured ho intended to turn from trad- worse than the took chai ge of )and carried the -s, all very dirty, T the day they ark and packed casion required. low baby-chair, 3gs, which came up as far as its breast, and prevented its tumbling out when untied. It is remarkable that there are no terraces along the river, and the flinty rocks show ice-markings only for a foot or two along high-water mark. Wednesday, \2t/t, — The water, which had fallen some two feet, rose about six inches during the day. The Indians assert that this second rise always takes place, and precedes the starting of the salmon up stream. We passed a dead moose in ihe water, and shortly after the Indians killed another, some of the meat of which we purchased. Passed a wrecked canoe on some shoals. The next day we passed the Yukutzcharkat River, which Cap- tain Ketchum had called, on his sketch-map, the VVhymper River, in compliment to our friend and companion, Mr. Frederick Whymper. Thursday, 13///. — The long handle of our frying-pan having broken off, as they invariably do in travelling, it had been bent, «o that it might be used to catch hold of the pan, put it on and off the fire when hot, &c. We were much annoyed at finding that our Indians had left it behind at the last camp. This may .seem trivial ; but it is no small undertaking to use a frying-pan without a handle on an open wood-fire. Such acc'dents in an un- inhabited country bring forcibly before the mind the great value of many small conveniences which we never think of at home. The night was spent in tracking around a very long bend, which left us in the morning only a few miles in a direct line from the point which we had left in the afternoon. We cut the skin of our bidarra again, but pushed on, keeping her dry by bailing. Bidarshik and Mikaishka, who kept in advance of us, killed a large moose, and we were well supplied with fresh meat. Friday, 14///. — Passed a very small stream called by the In- dians Tdtsun-ikhtnn, or " Caught-in-the-rocks." I found a fos- sil skull of the musk ox {Ovibos vioschaius) on the beach. Wild roses, snowballs, and gold-thread were in blossom on the hillsides, and the fragrant juniper scented the air. A fine bluff, with a rocky face like a great staircase, marked the mouth of the Tsee- toht River on the right bank. After this the river begins to widen, and numerous small islands occur. Saturday, \ yh. — The next day we left the mountains be- BlBUOTHi !:. OUavionsi-' R]' ' lOO THE YUKON TERRITORY. hind us. Just beyond them the Notokdkat, or Dall River of Ketchum, enters the Yukon from the north. The latter river is very broad at this point. We passed through some very strong water. Not the least annoyance in this kind of travel is the con- stant complaining of the Indians, unused to steady hard work and ever ready to shirk, doing on principle the least they can. Monday, ijth. — We enjoyed from our camp a fine view of the end of the Ramparts and the intervening islands. Passed by several deserted houses formerly inhabited by some Indians of the Kutchin tribes, who all died five years ago of the .scarlet fever. This fever was introduced by a trading-vessel at the mouth of the Chilkaht River. From the Chilkaht Indians it spread to those of the Upper Yukon, and down the river to this point, where all died and the disease spent itself. These are known to the Eng- lish as the Small Houses, and the locality is an excellent one for game and fish of all kinds. The women were left behind on an island in the morning, and the Indians, relieved of the heavy canoes, were already far in advance of us. Ttiesday, \%th. — One of the few who accompanied us fol- lowed a cow-moose in the water until tired out, when he killed her with his knife, and with some difficulty we towed her ashore. We occasionally saw a black bear or a Canada lynx on the bank. For .several days we kept steadily on, little of interest occurring. It was noticed that the trees began to grow smaller and more sparse as we ascended the river. The sun hardly dipped below the horizon at midnight, and his noontide rays scorched like a furnace. The mosquitoes were like smoke in the air. Through constant and enforced observation, I came to dis- tinguish four kinds, — a large gray one, and another with white leg-joints, a very small dust-colored one which held its probos- cis horizontally in advance, and another small one which carried its probe in the orthodox manner. All were distinguished from the civilized species by th^; reckless daring of their attack. Thousands might be killed before their eyes, yet the survivors sounded their trumpets and carried on the war. A blanket of- fered them no impediment ; buckskin alone defied their art. At meal-times, forced to remove our nets, we sat until nearly stifled in the smoke, and, emerging for a breath of air, received no mercy. My companion's hands, between sunburn and mos- U River of itter river is very strong 1 is the con- ' hard work it they can. I view of the Passed by : Indians of scarlet fever, mouth of the ead to those int, where all I to the En^- illent one for behind on an of the heavy s^*Vi,;^ ■*. :* ■■ V 4lr:' inied us fol- hen he killed d her ashore, lynx on the le of interest grow smaller sun hardly oontide rays smoke in the came to dis- r with white Id its probos- hich carried guished from their attack. |the survivors blanket of- Iheir art. At nearly stifled received no n and mos- ■;./ . V.U ii .(;., . , ^r^' 'V: > •i1 I % ' -^ *■" '""'"^.l' '■ H r lOO THE YUKON TKRKITORV, hinfj U3. Just bcyomJ ihau the Motokdk.it, or l).x\[ River oi Kclchum, « jiters the Yukon fnuM the north. The latter river i« very brijul at tfiis point. We passed throngli some very stroni water. Not the least ann())ar'ce in ihi.'' kin*! of travel is the cor stanr i.-'mp!aming of the Indiana, unused ti> steady iiard wor. an«.< ever ready to shirk, doin^,' om principle the least they can Muntiaw 17///. — We enjo)ed from our camp a fine view of tii end of the Kamparts and the intcrveninj<: islands. I'as.scd b several deserted houses formerly inhabited by some Indians o the Kut_hin tri!x;s, who all died five yeais ago of the scarlet fevei This fever was introduced by a tnuhnjf-vessel at tl» mouth of th » 'liilkaht River. From the Chi]k;iht Indians \* -prrad to tho 'fih'' I'|.<}icr ^'.iluii, and down uie river tu this point, where a' ilied and tlic disea-^e .spent ithrlf. These are known to tlie ICn- lish as the Small Houses, an behind on :: of the heav.' anied iis ; ' 'hen ho kilt< 1 :d her ashcirf. lynx on t'le le of intenfSt ^nnw sniaUer • su!i liaidlv -•..uiitidc ray-, smt'ke in the 1 came to diii- ■ , with white ' its prolws- wl.ich catricf! riguished Ironi their attacii. {\v survivors A blanket of- liheir art. A' nearly stifled received w vn and mov ^ c n n a ol hi tr T C; lei THE YUKON TERRITORY. lOI quitoes, were nearly raw, and T can well conceive that a man without a net, in one of these marshes, would soon die from nervous exhaustion. The mosquitoes drive the moose, deer, and bear into the river, and all nature rejoices when the end of July comes, and their reign is at an end. Hoth banks had become very low and flat ; the repion had a dreary appearance. Only five snow-covered peaks, supposed to be ]iart of the Romdntzoff range, rose above the level of the plains. These are the only mountains near the Yukon, in Russian .America north of the Alaskan range, which bear snow through- out the year. The plain here described reaches to the shores of the Arctic Ocean, broken only by a few ranges of low mountains near the coast, of which the Romdntzoffare the highest. To the eastward it rises almost imperceptibly, attaining its highest elevation be- tween the head-waters of the Porcupine and the left bank of the Mackenzie. This table-land, somewhat broken and rocky, as seen abutting on the Mackenzie River has the appearance of high hills. These are the "mountains" of Richardson. There arc no true mountains north of the Yukon, except the Romdntzoff. Nothing of less than five thousand feet in height has a ri^^ht to the title of mountain ; but in the careless speech of the Hudson Bay trappers and traders anything more than two hundred feet high is a " mountain." Saturday, 22d. — After passing the Birch River of the Eng- lish, called by the Indians To/nvnn-tinkdka, we came upon a camp of the Kutcha Kutchin'. Camping here, I purchased a number of fish, which they were catching and drying. There were four or five men, a boy or two, and five women. All were much finer-looking than the Unakhatana we had left behind us at Nuklukahydt. All wore many articles of English make ; one of the women had a calico drc-.s on. They had many dogs, all of the black, short-haired, long-leg^jed English breed. The men wore the Hudson Bay moccasins, leggins, and fringed hunting-shirts of buckskin, originally introduced by the English traders, who obtained them from the tribes to the southeast. They had abimdance of the fine bead-work in which the French Canadians delight, and which those women who frequent the forts learn to excel in. I02 THE YUKON TERRITORY. The next afternoon, when we awoke we found the old chief from Fort Yukon waiting to see us. After a Hberal present of tobacco and a tin cup, he returned the compliment by a small piece of very fa' moose meat. The old fellow's name was SaUi- iii-ii, which the traders have corrupted into Senatee. The heat was so extreme that we deferred our start until half past eight in the evening. Sunday, 2id. — We stopped for tea and rest twice , and when opposite the mouth of the Porcupine River v/c delayed a few mo- ments, to set the colors and load our fire-arms. Rounding a bend of the river, about noon we saw the white buildings of the fort on the right bank, about a mile above the mouth of the Porcupine. We gave them a hearty salute, which was returned by a fusillade from a large crowd of Indians who had collected on the bank. Landing, we received a cordial greeting from an old French Cana- dian and two Scotchmen, who were the only occupants. The commander and Antoine Houle were daily expected, with the remainder of the men and the auiiual supply of goods from La Pierre's house, by way of the Porcupine River. We were shown to a room in the commander's house, where we deposited our baggage ; and, after putting our boat and equipment in safety, we turned in for a good nap. The journey, exclusive of the time spent at Nowikakat and Kame,.sikhter, had occupied less than twenty-seven days, and the disip.nce travelled we estimated as about six hundred and thirty miles. In a straight line the distance from Nuldto to Fort Yukon is over four hundred and eighty miles. We were much elated at the successful issue of our journey, and I confess to having felt a pardonable pride in being the first American to reach Fort Yukon from the sea. This trading-post was founded by McMurray in the season of 1846-47, and the original fort was a mile or more farther up the river. The present fort was commenced in 1864, and at the time of our visit needed only the erection of a stockade to com- plete it. The cause of the change of location was the undermin- ing and washing away by the river of the steep bank on which the old fort was built. At this period, the old houses had been removed, and some of the remaining foundation-timbers projected far over the water. the old chief ral present of nt by a small ime was SaUi- :ee. The heat mlf past eight ce ; and when lyed a few mo- unding a bend I of the fort on the Porcupine. I by a fusillade on the bank. French Cana- :upants. The ;ted, with the oods from La house, where our boat and ip. owikakat and ^en days, and hundred and *Iulato to Fort r our journey, being the first the season of farther up the 4, and at the ckade to com- the undermin- xnk on which scs had been bers projected ■V. • <. U irrrr- i I ! ^ ^ !l W '^ liiii ' THE YUKON TERRITORY, 103 u i\ If, c LV, -ont builc!ing;.s cunsist of a lar;bn Hay Company. Most <.>f ■ '."J are from the Orkney Islands and tin' rorth of Scotland, . ,!c a few arc F,. licb. Catiadians, with a tni.xtureof Indian !)iooil. v ihis time the garrison eonsisleri/of !Vir.J. McDongal the com- .• .dcr, and si,x. men, of wliom (our were .Scotchmen The Rev. McDonald, a mi.ssionary of the Estnblislied Church, wns also • «:ted with the boats. 'fie ue.xl day we got u|> a p-n rl hreakf.v-.t, nnd invited the three *h»i had reci'.ivcd uf '".\c r<'[)ast consisted of flapjnrk.s, • » •■■■\, tea with su^ar, m-i •. ■ - ceat As 'several of lh< m had .,?'= :>mv. ''-ars wiihout t.. ■ 'read, it m.vv be ima-fi:-.'"! this ■ »'/i... treat to them, i . 'u. .or men and d";^'^ it this place »;uiir, i. c. drv moose nr'-.j. . 'ernathiij, with (Uy deer merit, ^ .4..»'.iy varied by tVesh "lea >if 'i\t same kindv ind tlie sligiil •( A ^.atnc anr! fish »v'hich s n>w and then obl.im.ibK?. The -"<__ ; ,'*int take two years •r rv-iTiAr^ation from Yor> Kfutf-y or, Hudson Hay. <.ine '■ mrr fifty nulo: i.i^ to be made, between I'ort Mc- h tVel River. La I'ierre's House on the I'jjptr i'or- ■^T^ fi«re the gcv '.re carried on sleds '\^^ winter, arrow^ ^i^p '■Ki: ■""-^ ■'■..,. ■■■> #> 4-;-^ -;,','">Sifv c Ai '«& #' ** ' :^*J ,.>»•*''■' ^^^ ' "v-* »«a t.:"^^ V' ^M'i^_ •«N„ r."**^ jA^li'it. THE YUKON TERRITORY, 103 'Wi*: ^■' f '.1- . ^.. ■*■■' /; ^d^'' • ._^ JjjBy ■f'W *'' - ■ "^ ,1 , ^ ■■r<^^ ''^ .■1; J The present buildings consist of a large house, containing six rooms, for the commander ; a block of three houses, of one room each, for the workmen ; a large storehouse ; a kitchen ; and four block-houses, or bastions pierced for musketry, at the corners of the proposed stockade. Outside of the fort is a small house of two rooms, belonging to Antoine Houle the interpreter. All the houses were strongly built, roofed with sheets of spruce bark pinned and fastened down by long poles. The sides were plastered with a white mortar made from shell-marl, obtainable in the vicinity. Most of the windows were of parchment, but those of the commander's house were of glass. The latter was provided with good plank floors, and the doors and sashes were painted red with ochre. The yard was free from dirt, and the houses, with their white walls and red trimmings, made a very favorable comparison with any of those in the Russian posts. The fort is situated about two hundred miles from La Pierre's House, hy the Porcupine River, the journey there and back being performed in about twenty days. Further particulars in regard to its geographical position will be found elsewhere. The inhab- itants are all employes of the Hudson Bay Company. Most of them are from the Orkney Islands and the north of Scotland, while a few are French Canadians, with a mixture of Indian blood. At this time the garrison consisted of Mr. J. McDougal the com- mander, and six men, of whom four were Scotchmen. The Rev. Mr. McDonald, a missionary of the Established Church, was also expected with the boats. The next day we got up a good breakfast, and invited the three men who had received us. The repast consisted of flapjacks, bacon, tea with sugar, and moose meat. As several of them had been some years without tasting bread, it may be imagined this was a rare treat to them. The fare for men and dogs A this place is the same, i, e. dry moose meat alternating with dry deer meat, occasionally varied by fresh meat of the same kind, and the slight supply of game and fish which is now and then obtainable. The trading-goods which are designed for this point take two years in transportation from York Factory on Hudson Bay. One portage of over fifty miles has to be made, between Fort Mc- Pherson, on Peel River, to La Pierre's House on the Upper Por- cupine. Here the goods are carried on sleds in winter, across I04 THE YUKON TERRITORY. the high, rough, and broken table-land between the two rivers. On account of these difficulties in transportation, few provisions are ever sent to this isolated post. These few find their way to the table of the commander, or to the Indian tyones who bring large quantities of furs to the annual trade. The men should re- ceive three pounds of tea and six of sugar, annually, to flavor their diet of dry meat ; but I was informed that this supply was exceedingly irregular, and often failed entirely. The Indian chiefs often obtain a small present of tea, sugar, or flour, but the latter is quite inaccessible to the men, except through the favor of the commander. These men are allowed two suits of clothes annually, if the supply holds out ; but for anything else they must wait until the furs are all purchased, and then, if any- thing remain after the Indians are satisfied, the mei»are allowed to purchase. Even if by their own skill they trap furs enough to buy articles of clothing, the Indians still take the precedence. They are allowed to purchase what they can from the Indians, but must turn it all in to the Company, and, if they need it, must buy it at Company's prices. The standard of value is the beaver- skin. One " made beaver," as they express it, is worth two shil- lings, or two marten skins. A man buys a dressed mooseskin, to make moccasins of, at its regular value of two " made beaver," or four shillings. He cannot set his wife at work making mocca- sins, but must sell it to the Company for what he paid the In- dians, and buy it back for tivcniy shillings, which is the Company's selling-price. If he does not do this he is liable to lose all his Dast earnings which happen to be in the Company's hands, and ■ iice a flogging beside from the commander. Every effort is made, to make these men marry Indian wives ; thus forcing them to remain in the country by burdening them with females whom they are ashamed to take back to civilization, and cannot desert. They perform a larger amount of manual labor for smaller pay than any other civilized people on the globe. The hardships and exposures to which they are subjected are beyond belief. In fact, the whole system is one of the nicst exact- ing tyranny ; and only in the north of Scotland could men of intelligence be found who would submit to it. The systematic way in which the white " servant of the Company " is ground down below the level of the Indians about him, is a degrada- \ V THE YUKON TERRITORY. 105 tion few could bear. They are not even furnished with good tools. The Hudson Bay axe is a narrow wedge, which an American lumberman would reject with contempt. The Hud- son Bay knives — at least such as I saw at Fort Yukon — are so worthless that even the Indians prefer to buy files, and Knife of Kutcliin manufacture. manufacture their own knives from them. The guns are all flint-locks of the most miserable description ; and this rubbish must be bought at treb ^ its value by the Hudson Bay voy- ageur, in a country where the axe and gun are a man's right and left hands ! There is some comfort in reflecting that a few years will put an end to this. Free traders already pass through the greater part of the Hudson Bay territory without restraint, and they will not be long in reaching a district so rich in valuable furs as that of Fort Yukon. The sun was so intensely hot that in the middle of the day we could do nothing, but during the cooler hours much of interest was added to my collection and my companion's portfolio. At noon, out of the direct rays of the sun, one of Greene's standard thermometers stood at 112" Fahrenheit. The men informed me that on several occasions spirit thermometers had burst with the heat. In the depth of winter the spirit falls sometimes as low as sixty-eight and sixty-nine below zero, making a range for the year of one hundred and eighty degrees Fahrenheit ! Neverthe- less, potatoes, turnips, lettuce, and other hardy garden vegetables mature during the short hot summer, and barley was said to have succeeded once, but only reached a few inches in height. We were very well pleased to hear from an Indian runner that the boats were not far off. On the 26th of June, Messrs. McDougal, McDonald, and Sibbeston arrived with the bateaux. The latter were about forty feet long, nine feet beam, and drew two and a half feet of water. They are well adapted to the navigation of the Porcupine, which is full of shoals and sand- bars, and they brought a load of nine thousand pounds each from La Pierre's House. io6 THE YUKON TERRITORY. We invited the commander and Mr. IvTcDonald to be our guests for the day, and did our best to provide a good dinner. We found them to be typical Scots, — quiet, reserved, cautious, but hospitably inclined. Antoine Iloule the interpreter, who arrived with them, was of mixed French and Indian blood, and was a thor- ough voyageur. More independent than most of the Company's servants, he had his house to himself outside of the fort ; and like many of his Indian cousins, deaf to the remonstrances of the missionaries, had provided himself with one more wife than is usual in civilized countries. This was the more excusable, as the poor fellow suffered from ossification of the knee-joint, and could do but little to help himself His house was always open to every one, and was a noted resort of the Indians, with whom he was a great favorite. With them he could talk in their own dialects, while the usual mode of communication between the whites and Indians in this locality is a jargon somewhat like Chinook, known by the name of " Broken Slave." The basis of this jargon, which includes many modified French and English words, is the dialect of Liard River. The nati' name of the tribe called Slav6 is AMto-tinnch, or " People living out of the wind." The next business for Mr. McDougal, after storing his goods, was the annual trade. Every spring the Yukon, and other In- dians who do not trade with the Russians, assemble at Fort Yukon, there await the arrival of he boats with the new supply of tobacco and goods, and then do their trading. After this is over, the furs are put into a large press, which is a conspicuous object in the yard, and pressed into bundles weighing about ninety pounds each. These bundles are covered with beaver-skins of the poorest class, and are pressed so solid by means of wedges that, even if dropped into the river, the water will not penetrate them. Each bundle contains a certain number of marten or fox skins packed in beaver ; they are bound with rawhide cut in strips known as " babiche," and each bundle is called a " piece." After the trade is over and the furs are packed, they are taken in the boats to La Pierre's House, and the boats return empty. Any remaining goods are laid aside, and sent down the river in the following spring to Nuklukahy^t. During the remainder of the year but little trading is done, and months pass without an THE YUKON TERRITORY. 107 Indian visiting the fort. A certain amount of tobacco is distrib- uted among the men, and a certain amount is cached, in order that they may not be entirely without the article in the spring. The flint-lock guns sold by the Hudson Bay Company are pre- ferred by the Indians to percussion guns, as caps are not always obtainable, while a flint may be picked up on any beach. These guns are valued at forty marten skins. They cost five dollars apiece, and the skins will average one hundred and fifty dollars in total value. On the afternoon of the 27th a shout was raised that the Tanandh Indians were coming. On going to the beach, some Sakhniti. twenty-five single canoes were seen approaching. The occupants kept perfect time with their paddles, advancing in three platoons, and passed over the water as swiftly and beautifully as a flock of ducks. Sakhnfti, the chief of the Kutcha Kutchin, or Fort Yukon In- dians, stood on the bank dressed in his gayest costume, with a richly embroidered blue blanket wrapped about him. He hailed the foremost canoes as soon as they were out of the current. After a harangue of a few minutes a fusillade was commenced by ■T PI y 1 ' ' 1 08 THE YUKON TERRITORY. the Indians on shore, and returned by those in the canoes, after which they landed. The Tenan Kutchin (people of the moun- tains), or Indians of the Tananah, are known to the Hudson Bay men as Gens des Buttes. They are without doubt the tribe of all others which has had the least to do with the whites. No white man has yet explored the river on which they live. We only know that its head-waters are not very far from Fort Yukon, and that its general course is parallel with the Yukon. It is represented as running between mountains, and obstructed with rapids and cascades. The Tenan Kutchin are regarded with fear by the adjacent tribes, and are doubtless a wild and untamable people. Their numbers are supposed not to exceed one hundred and fifty families. Of their mode of life nothing is known, except that they obtain their subsistence principally by hunting the deer. No women accompanied this party. They were all dressed in the pointed parki'es, which were once the universal male dress of the family of Tinneh, and from which they have been called Chippe- wayans, meaning " pointed coats." These coats were ornamented in the same manner with beads or quills as the dress of the male Koyiikuns, already described. Their parkies and breeches were smeared with red ochre. All wore the dentalium nose-ornament previously noted. The most striking peculiarity about them was their jnethod of dressing their hair. Allowed to grow to its full length, and parted in the middle, each lock was smeared with a mixture of grease and red ochre. These then presented the ap- pearance of compressed cylinders of red mud about the size of the finger. This enormous load, weighing in some of the adults at least fifteen pounds, is gathered in behind the head by a fillet of dentalium shells. A much smaller bunch hangs on each side of the face. The whole is then powdered with swan's-down, cut up finely, so that it arlheres to the hair, presenting a most remarkable and singular appearance. The dressing of grease and ochre re- mains through life, more being added as the hair grows. The fat is soon rancid, and a position to leeward of one of these gentry is highly undesirable. This method of dressing the hair is peculiar to the men. Among civilized nations such practices are confined to the fairer sex. The gulf between pomatum with gold powder and tallow with red ochre is not as wide as it seems at first sight ; and the addition of swan's- THE YUKON TERRITORY. 109 J canoes, after of the moun- Hiidson Bay the tribe of all es. No white We only know ikon, and that is represented ith rapids and b fear by the amable people, idred and fifty xcept that they the deer. No dressed in the lie dress of the called Chippe- sre ornamented ;ss of the male breeches were nose-ornament out them was row to its full meared with a isented the ap- the size of the the adults at |d by a fillet of 1 each side of -down, cut up lost remarkable and ochre re- grows, [ard of one of Id of dressing nations such [gulf between mre is not as m of swan's- down is a suggestion which is worthy of consideration by the ladies. The tribes now represented at the fort, beside the Kutchd and Tendn Kutchin, were the following : the Naklu' Kiitc/iin, or Gens de Large, from north of the Porcupine River ; the Vinitd Kutchin, or Rat Indians, from farther up the Porcupine ; the Han Kntchin (wood people), or Gens de Bois, from the Yukon, above Fort Yukon ; and finally, the Tutcluhic Kutchin (crow people), or Gens de Foux, from still farther up the Yukon. The tribes resembled each other in appearance and dress. They all belong to the fcimily of Tinneh, which is their name for "people." Their habits of life differ somewhat according to locality, but none have settled villages, — carrying their deerskin lodges wherever food is most abundant. Those who live in mountainous districts, hunting the active deer from summit to summit, are notably the most savage and unruly. Those ■ no live by hunting the more phlegmatic moose, which inhabits the lowlands, are much more docile. Their lan- guages are similar in construction and roots, though not in the forms of many words. The dialect of the Upper Tananah assimilates closely to the Kutchin languages, while that spoken near Nuklukahyt^t resembles more nearly the Ingalik. The Tananah Indians brought the news of the body of a white man having been found in the river below. A sad event had happened at Fort Yukon in the early spring. A young man named Cowley had been acting as clerk at the fort, and at the time of the freshet was .shooting geese on an island across the river. He had crossed in a large canoe with one of the men employed at the fort. He was a new arrival, and not accustomed to the mode of life, and was therefore subjected to many practical jokes from the old voyageurs. Wishing to return, he could not find the canoe, and supposing that some trick had been played upon him, the two embarked in a very small single canoe and attempted to cross. The river was full of ice, and nothing more was ever seen of them. The wrecked canoe which we had passed in the Ramparts was doubtless the one in question. The Rev. Mr. McDonald, being informed of the Indian rumor, immediately started down the river with a companion, to investigate the matter, and if necessary to perform the last rites over the remains. no THE YUKON TERRITORY. Among the chiefs at the fort was a man 6f remarkable intelli- gf.ice, vvho had been of great service to the whites on various occasions. He went by the name of Red Leggins, and possessed great influ-^nce among the Indians. I applied to him for assist- ance in obtaining ethnological specimens and vocabularies, and improved the opportunity by taking his portrait. On the 29tb of June we were called out by the Indians, wl:? said that Ketch urn was coming. Two canoes were seen in the distance, and before long we had the gratification of shaking the hands of our fellow-explorers, and offering them our hearty con- gratulations on the complete success of their arduous explora- tions. They had arrived safely at the site of Fort Selkirk, and brought back as a trophy a piece of one of the blackened timbers which remained. They reported the river to be open to navigation up to that point : but just beyond it was a rapid, where a portage would be necessary. The country was a fine one, well timbered, abundantly supplied with moose and game, and inhabited by friendly Indians. An enumeration of the ob- stacles which they had encountered would be out of place here, but it may fairly be said that only extreme patience, endurance, indefatigable energy and courage, could have surmounted them. They were principally, however, not such as would impede a well-provided party of regular explorers. We " laid ourselves out," in California parlance, to get up a good dinner for our friends ; what with this and the interchange of news and informa- tion, it was well into the next day before we sought our pillows. Mr. McDona'd returned, having determined the body to be that of Ward, Cowle/s companion. He had buried it near the point where it was foand. After the trade, which occupied several days, we obtained the necessary goods to pay our Indians for the trip. To those who had come up with us from Nulato we gave each a gun ; the Nuklukahy6t man received a good capote ; and we gave a knife, shiri, and powder-horn to Bidarshik. Our diet while at the fort consisted chiefly of boiled dried meat, which when cooked resembles in flaVor and stringiness a boiled skein of yarn. Mr. McDonald during our stay performed several services among the Indians. He was an earnest and well-disposed man. ble intelH- )n various possessed for assist- larics, and dians, wh? rcn in the liaking the icarty con- s explora- -t Selkirk, blackened be open to Ls a rapid, was a fine and game, of the ob- olace here, endurance, tited them, impede a ourselves er for our d informa- pillows. ody to be near the obtained To those 1 gun ; the e a knife, )iled dried inginess a 1 services losed man. mi¥' ? " J" k r I m:f^- M %l.V KI-. *. ••. I NS. ^ 1 lO THE YUKON TERRITORY. Ainon^ the chiefs at the for»^ was a man 6f ipmatkaMc uitelli- gence, whc^ had been uf grea!, tjcrvicc to the whiles on various occ.i!;io!i 1. Ho went by the lUfiu- o( Rr.l Le^gins, and possessed great inHueiicc among ihc liid:,to.;. I applied to hiiii for a>sist- ancc r obtaining ctlniologicajl spectti)--;is and vucalmlaries. :ind imi)r. -.d th'* opporiLinity by taking hi.'; portrait. <.)>: ^ae _'<)th of }u,)c we were ca^l*;*! out by ihi- Indians, wI;-> said .'at K<- lehutn w.i.s^ coining. Tsvi.) canoes were S'.'cn in tlie dl'!.r;-^e. .'ind betore long we had the gratilicati'm of .'ihaking the han.:.'r-i oi V -0 Jvllow-explorer.s, and offering tlieni our iiearty con- gi t' ilatii;;,' >.>n the complete ."ucccss ot their anhious explora l^' ,^ f'l^y l'"T^i arrived saiely .at the site of I'ort Sclkirlv, arid broi:ghi. baek as a trophy a piece o\' one of the blackened tindu rs wiii. h lenuiined. They reported llie lieer l.) be open to navigatior \vp to that point; but just beyond it waj^ a lapid, when: a portage would be necessary. 'J'he country was a fni- one, ui.ll lini.berid, abundantly sujifdied with moose and gmn an(i inhal^itcd by fntndty Indians. An enumeration of th<- oli siacles which they hai ei^eountcred woul i be out of plac^ heic, but it m:;y fairly be ^aiJ ihat oi)ly - xtf( rnc patience, endur.inc-. indtfaiiuaMe rr.ersfv and couragt, cuutd have surmounted then, Tht V v,;r«: jKineipally, htn\ever, not ^tu.h as would inn.^ede a Vtell-i^-.M' \;ed parry of regular explorer'^ We " laid ourscdv; out.' in California parlance, to get up a good dinner tor ov friend's ; what with ihi'; and tlie interchange of news and iulorm.. tion, i', was well into the next day before we Bought our [)illo\v:;. M-r. McDonald returned, having determined the boiiy to ' that 'rf Wat :1, Co V lev's companion He had b'uicd it ne;n- li i'oint wh('rc it Wa> ''■)und. After ihe trade, whicl^ occupied several days, wc nlitain- i '.lu liece-'.saiy goods to i)ay our Indian-^ lor liie trip. To tliv . \ve'^ ha! come ':p vilh us from Nulato wc gave each a gnu; t-o S;ik ' '- di.et i<):.v. neeivt/d a good caputt ; and wc gave a kn:te, iih;" ,!• 1 >iowi!erh. :a to lUddrshik. (.; • • ; '' vhile at ■•-■ iurt con^ir^ted chi. iiy of boiled dried meat, \. ■ . - •'»ben. cooK.. i lesianbles in ILi^^-ir and .dringinc ^s a boiled "^L ,r , >: .;:rn. Mr. Mci' ' )..i !utiu'; oui stav p''il\>i;ned several .'^:ervices among liie lau:.i'is 'b was an earnest lU'i well-disposed man, kahlc mtelli- s on various nd possespotl m for a.-sist- Lnilaiies, :uk1 Indians, wl;-' S'-enin the ' shaking the r hcartv con- lous iWjjlora- [•'ort Selkirk, Ik: blackoiu'd I,.) be open to was a lapii!, y was a fiu' sc and game )n of the I'll if pkice^ here, e, cn(hiranee |Ouiitcd then, impede a lid o'.iiseh-. Uf.r UT III and inrornr. ir pillowr.. hody to ' il. ni'ar w we obtain- I 'l"o thu^e '.•■ 1 j^im ; the •V,; a kn!!e, luiilod dried -trinj-jine^s a RK 1) I, KC. C. 1 NS. : ;d scniees I -posed man, |:'^ THE YUKON TERRITORY. ■til a fair type of most missionaries to the Indians. His discourses were rendered into broken Slave by Antoinc Houle. In the evening the Indians, old and young, gathered in the fort-yard and sang several hymns with excellent efifect. Altogether, it was a scene which would have delighted the hearts of many very good people who i< now nothing of Indian character ; and as such will doubtless f gure in some missionary report. To any one who at all under itood the situation, however, the absurdity of the pro- ceeding H'as so palpable that it appeared almost like blasphemy. Old Sakhni'ti, who has at least eighteen wives, whose hands are bloody with repeated and most atrocious murders, who knows nothing of what we understand by right and wrong, by a future state of reward and punishment, or by a Supreme Being, — this old heathen was singing as sweetly as his voice would allow, and with quite as much comprehension of the hymn as one of the dogs in the yard. Indians are fond of singing : they are also fond of tobacco ; and for a pipeful apiece you may baptize a whole tribe. Why will intelligent men still go on, talking three or four times a year to Indians, on doctrinal subjects, by means of a jargon which can- not express an abstract idea, and the use of which only throws ridicule on sacred things, — and still call such work spreading the truths of Christianity? When the missionary will leave the trading-posts, strike out into the wilderness, live with the Indians, teach them cleanliness first, morality next, and by slow and simple teaching lead their thoughts above the hunt or the camp, — then, and not until then, will they V . competent to comprehend the simplest principles of right and wrong. The Indian does not think in the method that civilized men adopt ; he looks at everything as " through a glass, darkly." His whole tra n of thought and habit of mind must be educated to a higher and different standard before Christianity can reach him. The Indian, unchanged by contact with the whites, is in mind a child without the trusting affection of childhood, and with the will and passions of a man. Read by this standard, he may be fairly judged. One fact may be unhesitatingly avowed : if he can obtain intoxicating liquors he is lost. Neither missionaries nor teachers can save him while it is within his reach. A general 112 THE YUKON TERRITORY. S H Hi i glance at the condition of the American Indians at this time con- veys only one idea, which is, that the trader outstrips all re- straints and that the whole race is irrevocably doomed. In dealings with them they appreciate justice, but do not prac- tise it, and they respect the strong arm alone. It has often been asked why the Hudson Bay Company has succeeded in its in- tercourse with the aborigines without the misery and bloodshed which has stained our western frontier. The inference has been as often drawn that it was owing to the justice which was charac- teristic of the Company's dealings with the Indians. That there is no foundation for this opinion I propose to show. In the first place, while the Hudson Bay traders have had few contests with the Indians, still, in proportion to the number of whites, full as many Indian outrages have taken place as in the Western United States. The following from the pen of Bernard R. Ross, Esq., of the Hudson Bay Company, is pertinent to the question.* Speaking of the Eastern Tinneh, he says : — " As a whole, the race under consideration is unwarlike. I have never known, in my long residence among this people, of arms having been resorted to in conflict. In most cases their mode of personal combat is a species of wrestling, and consists in the opponents grasp- ing each other's long hair. This is usually a very harmless way of set- tling disputes, as whoever is thrown loses ; yet instances have occurred of necks having been dislocated in the tussle. Knives are almost in- variably laid aside previous to the contest. Some of them box tolera- bly well ; but this method of fighting does not seem to be generally ap- proved of, nor is it much practised. On examination of the subject closely, I am disposed to consider that this peaceful disposition pro- ceeds more from timidity than from any actual disinclination to shed blood. These Indians, whether in want or not, will take the life of any animal, however useless to them, if they be able to do so, and that they can on occasion be sufficiently treacherous and cruel is evinced by the massacre at St. John's, on Peace River, and at Fort Nelson, on the Liard River. It may not be out of place here to give a brief account of the latter catastrophe. "In 1841 the post of Fort Nelson, on the Liard River, was in charge of a Mr. Henry, a well-educated and clever man, but of a hasty tem- per and morose disposition. While equipping the Indians in the au- tumn he had a violent dispute with one of the principal chiefs of the * From the annual Report of the Smithsonian IiiStitution. THE YUKON TERRITORY. 113 Bastard Beaver Indians resorting to the establishment, who departed srreatly enraged, and muttering suppressed threats, which were little thought of at the time. In the winter a 'courier' arrived at the fort to inform the whites that there were the carcasses of several moose deer lying at the camp ready to be hauled, and requested dog-sleds to be sent for that purpose. Mr. Henry, never in the least suspecting any treachery, immediately despatched all the men and dogs that he could muster. On their way out they met an Indian, who told them that they had better turn back, as the wolverines had eaten all the meat. This information, as it turned out, was given from a friendly motive ; but fear of ulterior consequences to himself prevented the man from speak- ing more plainly. The fort interpreter, who was of the party, took the precaution to carry his gun with him, and when they drew near to the path which led from the bed of the river to the top of the bank, where the Indians were encamped, he lingered a little behind. On the others mounting the ascent, they were simultaneously shot down, at one dis- charge, by the natives, who were in ambush awaiting them. When the interpreter heard the shots he was convinced of foul play ; he therefore turned and made for the fort as quickly as he could, pursued by the whole party of savages, whose aim was to prevent him from alarming the establishment. The man was a famous runner, and despite the disadvantage of small snow-shoes, which permitted him to sink more deeply than the Indians, who, on their large hunting snow-shoes, al- most skimmed over the surface of the snow, he would have reached the houses before them, had not the line that confined the snow-shoe on his foot broken. His enemies were too close upon him to allow time for its repair ■ so, wishit g to sell his life as dearly as possible, he levelled his gun at the nearest Indian, who evaded the shot by falling upon his face, whereupon the whole party despatched him. After perpetrating this additional murder the band proceeded to the fort, which they reached at early dawn. A poor old Canadian was, without suspicion of evil, cutting fire-wood at the back gate. His brains were dashed out with their axes, and they entered the establishment, whose inhabi- tants, consisting, with one exception, of women and children, were buried in profound repose. They first opened Mr. Henry's room, where he was asleep. The chief pushed him with the end of his gun to awaken him. He awoke, and seeing numerous fiendish and stern faces around him, made a spring to reach a pair of pistols that were hanging over his head ; but before he could grasp them, he fell a bleed- ing corpse on the bosom of his wife, who, in turn, became a helpless victim of the sanguinary and lustful revenge of the infuriated savages. 8 'i'i 114 THE YUKON TERRITORY. Maddened by the blood, they next proceeded to wreak their vengeance on the innocent women and children, who expired in agonies and under treatment too horrible to relate. The pillage of the stores was the next step, after which they departed, leaving the bodies of the dead un- buried. No measures further than the abandonment of the fort for several years were taken by the Northwest Company, to whom the establishment belonged, to punish the perpetrators of the atrocious deed ; yet it is a curious fact that when I visited Fort Liards in 1849, but one of the actors survived, all the others having met with violent deaths, either by accident or at the hands of other Indians. This man, who was at the time only a lad, confessed to have dashed the brains out of an infant, taking it by the heels and swinging it against the walls of the house." This, and the long list of forts pillaged by the Indians or aban- doned on account of their hostility * by the Hudson Bay Com- pany, is sufficient to show that their occupation has not been wholly peaceful. But little has been said of these outrages, as it was evidently for the interest of the Company that they should not be talked about. It must also be noticed that the policy of the Company has always been to put as few men as possible in these trading-posts. A very few white men can go in safety where a large body would instantly excite hostilities. After the fort has been in operation for years, and a demand created for tobacco and other articles, the Indians feel that it is to their advantage to have them there, and the whites in small numbers no longer excite their jealousy. Then, whenever a new post was established, the influential chiefs were handsomely provided with presents, the whites in the fort were kept in subjection to the extent already described, going about in rags, while the Indians obtained broadcloth and clothing of every description for their furs. This obvious superiority pleased the vanity of the savage. Little or no retribution fol- lowed the outrages previously mentioned. In some cases pres- ents were plentifully distributed to appease their anger, and any offence toward an Indian was severely punished. The self-re- spect of the white man was sacrificed to the desire of obtaining furs. Lastly, the most warlike and bloody tribes had been reduced to comparative quietness in the early colonial wars. * This includes Forts Selkirk, Pelly Banks, Dease, Frances, Babine, Peace Rivet, and others, — all burnt or pillaged and abandoned. THE YUKON TERRITORY. 115 ine. Peace River, On the other hand, the Indians of the western plains were races more vigorous and active than their northern congeners. They were met by large bodies of pioneers, bent on settling and occupying the territory. Indian outrages, provoked or unpro- voked, met with speedy return from the colonists, and matters were still further complicated by the recognition of the hypo- thetical authority of the chiefs by the government. Promises were made by th . former, of which they had not power to en- force the fulfilment by the Indians, who were erroneously sup- posed to obey them. The pernicious system of making presents to the chiefs, the. introduction by traders of Intoxicating liquors, and, above all, the failure of the government in any instance to enforce respect by its strong arm, have created an animosity which will die out only with the Indians themselves. It would seem brutal to advise force as a civilizer, but the Aleuts, who were thoroughly crushed and subjugated by the early Russian traders, and subsequently by the Russian American Company, are to-day the only large body of aborigines in America who give any promise of ultimate civilization. After the trade was over, we had an opportunity of looking at the results. It was a sight seldom witnessed by others than traders. The large loft over the store-house was literally over- flowing with valuable furs. Among other trophies of the chase were forty-five silver foxes. The commander confessed to five thousand sables purchased the previous year. The men in the fort said that the amount was nearer eight thousand, with half as many beaver, and five hundred foxes of all kinds. Few otter, and very few mink are obtained iiere, but black bearskins, dressed mooseskins, and black and silver foxes are especially abundant. The value of the furs annually obtained at this post cannot be es- timated as less than fifty thousand dollars. We decided to start down the river on the 8th of July. The women in the fort were very busy filling orders for mocca- sins, and other specimens of their work, which vve designed for friends below. I was indebted to one of the men for a fine pair of otter-skin mittens, which have since done me good ser- vice. Ketchum decided to take a small boy, Jean Baptist: by name, who was well qualified to act as interpreter with several tribes of Indians. He spoke comparatively little English, but H I 1 ; r i i i j lll'l •i* ii6 THE YUKON TERRITORY. utiderstood Canadian French, having a little Canadian blood in his veins. The commander coolly proposed to Ketchum that he should kidnap, iron, and send back to Fort Yukon the unfortunate run- away McLeod ! However, we let it pass without remark, for we were under great obligations to Mr. McDougal for hospitality shown us, and assistance rendered in paying our men. Ketchum arranged it so that, in going back, VVhympcr and Mike should take the bidarra, while he and I had each a large birch canoe, with Indians fore and aft to paddle it. Having got everything on board, we shook hands and bade our kind entertainers good by. About two o'clock in the mornmg of the 8th we left Fort Yukon behind us. A tremendous firing from the assembled In- dians announced our departure, and we returned the compliment to the best of our ability. Travelling down stream is always easy. Our journey seemed easier still us, in the broad channel, out of reach of the mosquitoes, we drifted on without impediment at the rate of four or five miles an hour. Points appeared, were passed, and faded out of view, almost without our perceiving it ; while between them, going up, we had passed many hours of hard paddling in the hot sun. No sand-bars or shoal water obstructed our progress anywhere, ex- cept where the swift current brought us close to the bank. We tied our canoes together, and floated down, ■ ometimes sleeping, and often in a revery which recalled the lotus-caters of the Nile. We did not camp anywhere. We boiled the chynik and cooked our meals ashore, and, pushing out into the broad stream, ate them while calmly drifting with the current. Sometimes the mosquitoes would try to follow us, and we could see them vainly endeavoring to make headway against the fresh breeze usually to be found in midstream. They were always unsuccessful, and we discarded our nets and laughed at the discomfited insects. About three o'clock in the afternoon of the 9th we re-entered the Ram- parts, and here, in the swifter current, our progress was more rapid. Large fires were burning in the forests, and on the sides of the hills. They had been kindled by some neglected camp-fire, and spread rapidly over the mossy sod and leaves dried by the mid- summer sun. The smoke hung o rer all the country, obscuring everything with a lurid haze. 5 ^ « THE YUKON TERRITORY. 117 ian blood in \t he should rtunate run- imark, for we )r hospitality 1. Ketchum Mike should birch canoe, )t everything rtainers good we left Fort issembled In- : compliment irney seemed le mosquitoes, r or five miles I out of view, em, going up, hot sun. No nywherc, ex- le bank. We nes sleeping, of the Nile. and cooked .1 stream, ate imetimcs the them vainly ;e usually to ssful, and we cts. About d the Ram- Is more rapid, sides of the mp-fire, and by the mid- y, obscuring About six o'clock on the afternoon of the loth we passed the Rapids. The water had fallen, and wc should not have known the place but for the Indiaiij. One of the party refused to believe it. A long island of rock, smoothed by the water, divided the river, which flowed smoothly but with great swiftness on either side. The riffle which had attracted most of our attention had been caused by an insignificant ledge of rock, now bare. The difference between the level of the ice in winter and extreme high- water mark, as indicated on the rocks, cannot be much less than thirty feet. Some distance below wc found the Nuklukahyet chief and his people fishing for salmon with large hand-nets. The little canoes sailed down stream with the current, the Indians keeping in line like soldiers, and joining in a monotonous but not discordant chorus. At a given signal, all plunged their nets be- low the surface, and on raising them a great salmon frequently was seen struggling in the meshes. In this case all joined in a derisive shout and song. The dried meat which the chief had promised was not forthcoming. A "cash" business is the only safe one with Indians. They never pay old debts, giving as a reason that the articles purchased are already worn out. We had a good deal of amusement chasing the young geese. Their wing feathers not being grown, they could not fly ; but they wore very expert divers, and were beneath the water almost as soon as the cap flashed. We obtained quite a number, and found them very delicate eating. We passed numerous fishing-camps, where the banks were red with the salmon, split and hung up to dry. About eight o'clock oi\ the evening of the 12th we arrived at the bluffs above Nuhito. Here old Yagorsha, the Yakut, was fish- ing, and hailed us from the bank. He told us that the whole of Russian America had bet n bought by an American company, and that an American ship an.' steamer were already at the Redoubt ! The pleasure which we felt at this intelligence was marred by doubts of its truth ; but, passing on, about ten o'clock we arrived at Nukito. Here the air resounded with the discharges of cannon, which welcomed our return. Indians and Russians vied in the expenditure of gunpowder, and the enthusiastic Kuri'lla used up all his ammunition in returning the salute. Our delight was soon damped, however, by an incompre- hensible order which awaited us. This instructed us to trans- III! 1,1 ( is8 THE YUKON TERRITORY. mit, without delay, all movable property belonging to the Tele- graph Company to the Redoubt. Various rumors about the sale of the country were current among the Russians. Nothing was certain, and one of them remarked to me with a sneer, " Perhaps, Gospodin Doctor, it is the Americans, and not the Russians, who are about to march ! " The Koyukuiis occupied the beach, fishing, and with character- istic insolence took fish out of the Russian nets before their eyes. The latter were too few in number to resent the insult, the bidarshik and two men being absent at the Redoubt. We proceeded to carry out our instructions, purchasing the large Russian bidarra, putting all the collections and other valuable property aboard, and hiring six men to accompany us to the sea-coast. Near midnight, July 15th, we started down the river, full of anxiety, not knowing what changes were at hand. The river was lined with Indian fishing-camps laying in the winter supplies of ukali. Had we possessed the necessary trad- ing-goods and transportation, we might have bought thousands of salmon. On the night of the 17th we saw the first star visible since the end of April. On the 19th of July, about eleven o'clock at night, we felt a shock as if we had struck a snag. Next morning we arrived at the Russian mission of the Greek Catholic Church. There we learned that there had been an earthquake shock in the night, of sufficient severity to throw down books and other articles from the shelves on which they were placed. The priest, or " Pope " as the Russians call him, with most of the Russians who belonged here, was absent at the Redoubt. In this part of the river the channel is deep enough for vessels of any size. It is extremely broad, the low left bank being sometimes barely visible. Sloughs and innumerable islands characterize this por- tion of the Yukon. The weather was much of it hot, cloudy, and disagreeable, with occasional rain, forming a marked contrast to that which we had experienced farther inland. The white-winged gull {Lartts laicopterus) replaces the familiar silver gull (Z,. argentatus) of the Upper Yukon. On the morning of the 22d we saw numer- ous leopard seal {nerj>a) sporting in the river. Seal have been THE YUKON TKRRITORY. 119 occasionally seen at Nuldto, and on one occasion a white whale or Beluga was killed only a few miles below Nuldto, at least four hundred miles from salt water. About five o'clock the same day we reached the post of Andreaffsky, occupied by two men only, one of them a native. The other received us as hospitably as his means would allow, and spread us a repast of salted salmon and bread. We made his heart glad by a present of some tea, as his own supply was exhausted, and borrowed his assistant to guide us to the Uphoon, or northernmost mouth of the Yukon, by which the sea-coast is reached. A strong breeze arose, and we scudded before it, reaching the Uphoon and dismissing our guide about three o'clock the ne.xt morning. About noon we reached a Russian house at Kiitlik, whose in- mates were absent at the Redoubt. Five channels leading in different directions misled us, and we pulled nearly ten miles up a small river, until the tide turned and we saw our mistake. The next trial was more successful, and we soon reached Pastolik, an Eskimo village opposite the Uphoon-mouth, where we camped ashore for the first time since leaving Nulato. The next morning we divided our load, hiring another bidarrd and some Unali'gmut Eskimo to assist us in our voyage along the sea-coast to St. Michael's. At noon we reached Point Romdnoff, the Cape Shallow Water of Cook. This is the only hill or land- mark north of Cape Romdnzoff on the coast. Here is a small village of a few huts, where we purchased some fish and game. About two o'clock in the morning of the 25th we reached the southeastern entrance of the Canal between St. Michael's Island and the mainland. Here we stopped and arrayed our- selves in apparel more suitable for civilized society. We tracked through the Canal, hoisted our flags, and bore away for the Redoubt with a light wind. Here we arrived about noon of July 25th, finding all the members of the exploring and con- structing parties gathered to receive us. The news was soon cold. The Atlantic cable was a triumphant success. The United States were in negotiation for the purchase of Russian America. Our costly and doubtful enterprise was abandoned, and the bark Clara Bell was soon expected, to take all hands to San Francisco. The ill-fed and hard-worked constructors hailed their 'in! ■■ 1 20 THE YUKON TERRITORY. deliverance with joy; but the weather-beaten explorers, with their carefully matur:d plans for more thorough and extended explo- rations during 'he coming year, felt a regret and disappointment which could hardly be over-estimated, as with a few words these prospects were destroyed. There was, of course, nothing to be done but to pitch our tents on the beach, and there await the re- turn of the vessel, now absent in search of the parties which had been left at Grantley Harbor, Bering Strait. • I I CHAPTER IV. Arrival of the vessel. — Arrange to remuin in the country. — Departure of the Clara bell. — Mushrooms. — Plans for the season. — Start for Unalaklik. — The Major's Cove. — Voyage to Kcgiktowruk. — Description of the casine. — Knd of the old bidarra. — Leave Kegiktowruk. — Crossing the bar of the Unalaklik River. — .Send back for the goods. — Trip to Uliikuk. — Death of .Stareek. — Hears and bear-hunt- ing. — Geological reconnoissance, and discovery of fossils. — Kcturn to Unalaklik. — Purchasing winter supplies. — Innuit of Norton Sound. — Tribes, physique, games, kyaks. — Disposition, mo.i ity, marriages, and infanticide. — Treatment of the women, and work allotted to the sexes. — Dress, labrcts of the ditlerent tribes. — Property, method of computation, and map-drawing. — Fire-drills. — Weapcuis of bone, flint, and ivory. — Guns and trading. — Intercourse with Indians, and boan- dary lines of their territory. — Shamanism. — Patron sjjirits. — Interment of the dead. — Ifabits, and r.icans of gaining subsistence throughout the year. — Dances and festivals. — Arrival of my new bidarra. — Sudden illness, and departure for the Redoubt. — Storm and detention at Kegiktowruk. — Proceed to the Redoubt on foot. — Return to Unalaklik. — Kill a deer. — Cowardly abuse of the natives by the Russians. — Kamokiii an'' his barbarity to the sick. — Deaths in the village. — Making dog-harness. ALONG month passed by and brought no signs of the ship. A party of seven bidarras, manned with Okeeogenuits and other Bering Strait Innuit, arrived at St. Michael's. They brought the news that the Grantley Harbor parties had safely embarked, and departed. We began to fear that some accident had happened to the vessel. Our daily walk was invariably to the northeast bluff, whence we could look seaward. A pound of tobacco was promised to the first person who should see the ship. About three o'clock in the afternoon of the 1 8th of August an old woman came breathless from the bluff, saying the .ship was coming. All started to confirm the report, which proved true, and the venerable Martha was made the recipient of more tobacco than she had ever before possessed. It was the Clara Bell, and about eight o'clock she anchored in the bay. I had by this time become pretty well versed in colonial Russian, as spoken in the territory. I had also some knowledge of the Innuit and Indian dialects, and understood the mode of life liS: BMBMB 1 ■ ir ( ■ ' . ' '-i ' ' ; 1 ''^' Snmwl '> M '^ 1 Wt}^ ^ <■ [ ai£' 1 ; ,, , Vi SfwH \ '■!' . 1 ,■ .11 '■ 1 I ail THE YUKON TERRITORY. necessary in the Yukon Territory. I had formed my plans, and immediately took the opportunity of explaining them to Major George M. Wright, adjutant of the Expedition, and now in charge of all the men and materials which were to be shipped on board the Clara Hell. A pretty thorough reconnoissance had been made of the geology and natural history of the Yukon above and at Nulato, and v.-.. th-* shores of Norton Sound. The Lower Yukon and the delta had yet to be examined. I felt unwilling that the plans of Mr. Kennicott, so far carried on successfully, should be left uncom- pleted. I therefore proposed to carry them out alone, and at my own expense, and relied on Major Wright for the co-operation ne- cessary to accomplish this arrangement. With his characteristic politeness he agreed to do what lay in his power. He could leave me no provisions, as they were already short of them. He could sell me, at the Company's prices, a small amount of trading-goods, and he would pay a certain proportion of the salary due me from the Cotiipany into the hands of Stepanoff (the chief factor of the Russian American Company at St. Michael's), who could furnish me wit'.' some trading-goods and a limited supply of provisions ; while for the rest I must depend upon the natural resources of the country. Explaining to Stepanoff that I had no desire to interfere with the fur-trade, he expressed himself willing to co-operate with me, and the proposed arrangement was carried into effect. To my companions of the previous year, and to the officers of the vessel, I was greatly indebted for many articles useful in the country, and otherwise unattainable. The boy who had been brought from Fort Yukon was left in my care to be sent home. My mail was made up for transmission by the vessel to San Fran- cisco • the Reports on the Medical Department and the Scien- tific Corps were placed in the adjutant's hands. The collections of the previous year were also sent aboard. I depended, for the means of reaching civilization again, on some passing trader or the annual store-ship of the Russians. On the 23d of August everything was concluded, and I went on board and bade all hands good by. I returned, with the boy Johnny and Stepanoff, in the Russian boat. About four o'clock in the afternoon the Clara Bell stood out to sea. THE YUKON TERRITORY. 123 ly plans, and mi to Major low in charge )ed on board f the geology ilato, and v.'.i and the delta plans of Mr. ^ left uncom- e, and at my operation ne- characteristic e could leave n. He could rading-goods, due me from factor of the could furnish )f provisions ; sources of the interfere with rate with me, le officers of useful in the 10 had been le sent home, to San Fran- the Scien- collections nded, for the ng trader or d of August de all hands anoff, in the n the Clara As I saw her white sails disappear in the distance I realized more thoroughly the loneliness of my position, and that I was the only person in the whole of that portion of the territory who spoke English. If I needed companions, I must seek them among alien convicts or Indians, in a foreign tongue. Returning to my room in the fort, I soon stifled any feeling of regret by busying myself in putting on paper a brief sketch of my plan of exploration for the coming year. Stepanoff called me, saying that there was no meat or other fresh provisions in the fort, and we must go out and get some- thing for dinner. At first I took down my gun, but he informed me that it was unnecessary, and after walking a short distance he pointed out various fungi, which he assured me were eatable. Tlicy were of two or three species, all poisonous in our climate ; but in this extreme northern region they proved to be innocuous and eatable, though quite tasteless. During our walk we came to a definite conclusion on the sub- ject of fur-trading. Stepanoff said that he did not believe in the rumor which prevailed as to the sale of the country ; that his duty to the Russian American Company would compel him to prevent any one from trading except the authorized employes of the Company ; that when the official information should arrive I might trade as much as I chose, but until then I must refrain. I assured him that trading was not my object in remaining in the country, and that I would not do anything of the kind until he had received definite information. The latter might be expected, if at all, by a midwinter courier from Nushergak to the Kulma- koff Redoubt on the Kuskoqui'm. Such couriers had been sent on rare and important occasions, and a mail was always sent to Nushergak from St. Michael's every December. Stepanoff begged me to consider myself his guest while at the Redoubt, and offered to have any orders sent to Nulato in regard to the building in which we had spent the previous winter, if I desired to use it during the coming season. My plans were as follows : First, to examine the rocks along the shores of Norton Sound and across the portage as thoroughly as possible. Next, to take my trading-goods and such provisions as I could obtain to Nulato ; spend the winter in making explora- tions in that vicinity, and. if possible, make a winter visit to Kot- f liii i':\ ml 111 124 THE YUKON TERRITORY. zebue Sound ; to take a boat across the portage and descend the Yukon in the spring, examining the rocks carefully, and making as thorough collections as possible of specimens of natural his- tory ; to spend some time at the Yukon-mouth ; and finally return by ^ea to the Redoubt, and there await some opportunity of getting a passage to Sitka or San Francisco with the collec- tions. I therefore requested Stepanoff to order Ivan Pavloff to have the house put in thorough repair, the seams calked, floor put in order, and the peechka replastered. The building at Fort Kcn- nicott was too large and too cold to be readily made habitable. The orders were sent by Kun'lla, whom I engaged as my per- manent assistant. He, with Antoshka and Tekunka, started for Nulato via Unalakl k, in the three-holed bidarka in which Dyer had descended the Yukon. Kun'lla was to get our dogs and sleds together, hire Indians, buy likali for dog-feed, and meet me at Unalakli'k as soon as ihe Yukon was ice-bound. Then we would proceed together to Nulato. I furnished him with the necessary Irading-goods for purchasing dog-feed and hiring Indians, and he departed in high spirits at the responsibility intrusted to him. One day when Stepanotf was away shooting, on the marshes about the Canal, one of the Russians came to me with a sable, for which he wanted alcohol. I refused him, and added that I had promised Stepanoff not to purchase furs, and should keep my word. The meaning of truth and honesty is incomprehensible to these degraded wretches, and he still urged me, saying Stepanoff would never hear of it. As he did not take any notice of re- peated refusal, I became at last so angry that I pitched him heels over head out of the door and down the steps, into the muddy courtyard, greatly to the amusement of old Martha, who had just previously brought in some work, and was waiting for her pay. Life among the natives is far preferable to being surrounded by white men of such a despicable class. It is not to be won- dered at that the knout and the brand were formerly in use in Russia. Nothing else would seem capable of inspiring a respect for the law in such minds. My time was passed in running lead into balls, adding to the collection, and making general preparations for starting for Una- lal the THE YUKON TERRITORY. 125 descend the and making natural his- and finally : opportunity ;h the collec- ivloff to have floor put in at Fort Ken- de habitable. > as my per- i, started for which Dyer )gs and sleds meet me at en we would he necessary iians, and he 1 to him. the marshes h a sable, for I that I had lid keep my ahensible to g Stepanoff otice of rc- d him heels the muddy a, who had ting for her surrounded to be won- rly in use in ig a respect ding to the ng for Una- re i I lakli'k as soon as any natives should arrive from Pastolik, where they were hunting the beluga. I accompanied Stepanoff on several of his shooting expeditions in the Canal, and secured a large number of geese, ducks, and swans. These are salted, and form an acceptable addition to the winter fare. On September 22d I purchased my supplies, including six hundred pounds of flour, twenty-five of tea, fifty of sugar, and a variety of trading-goods. I alj^ laid in a supply of crockery — a mug, plate, and bowl apiece — for myself, Johnny, and Kun'lla. China ware is more precious in this part of the world than silver plate in more civilized localities. I also purchased fifty pounds of sukaree, and some large likali for use on the road. Several Mahlemuts having arrived, I engaged them to accompany me to Uiialakli'k. I proposed to take the old bidarra in which we had descended the Yukon from Nulato. I had engaged to have a small bidarra made at Pastolik and forwarded to me for use the coming spring ; but it had not yet arrived. The old one was very large, and the lashings and covering very rotten. I hardly dared risk my invaluable trading-goods ; but, taking counsel with some of the Innuit, we concluded that we could probably reach Unalakli'k in safety with it. My crew was composed of Johnny, a Mahiemut called Myunuk, an old man whom I called New- Years, and a young Kaviagenuit. The latter had an extremely stupid appearance, but was an excel- lent hunter. On the 23d of September I put my goods on board, took a mail for the Russians at Unalakli'k, and put to sea. The wind was hardly fair, and rather light, and I was obliged to beat across the southeast arm of the Sound, and put into the Major's Cove. I had hoped to reach Kegiktowruk, but the wind was adverse, and so high I could not risk it. Having pitched our tent under the shelter of the hill, I sent Johnny off to shoot ptarmigan, and rigged some fishing-poles, in hopes to catch some small fish, ol a species known here as ivauch-nc, a kind of torn-cod. Our success was not very great, but we got a mess for supper, and Johnny returned with an arctic hare which had already donned its winter coat of white. The next day the wind was still high, and it was impossible to 126 THE YUKON TERRITORY. I if i& m.i\ 11 PI' il get away. The anchor dragged so much that I was obliged to haul the bidarra up on the beach. Our sail had proved too small, and we occupied ourselves in sewing on a strip of drill on each side. Having experienced the difficulty of transporting heavy goods by sleds to Uliikuk, I hopfed to get them to that point by water ; but the ice was already forming in the ponds on the tun- dra, and I began to fear that the Unalakli'k River would be frozen over before my arrival. The next day the weather was equally bad, and we were compelled to remain. Game and fish were both very scarce, and we lived principally on sukaree and tea, as I had no bacon. On the 26th the wind was very variable and the waves very high. Toward noon it came from the westward, and against the wishes of the men I decided to start. Just as we left the cove some tremendous rollers came in, but we rode over them safely, and New-Years remarked, " The far-off wind has died away." Looking out to sea, I saw that the rollers mentioned above were the last, and the sea was quite smooth. The wind grew fresher and fresher, be'ng nearly a-beam. The coast between the cove and Kegiktowruk is rocky, with no land- ing-places. The wind increased and rain came in squalls. The darkness rapidly closed over us and the clouds were so heavy that the land was indistinguishable. For three hours I held the tiller, almost blinded by the rain, fearing every moment that the wind would haul ahead and drive us on the lee shore ; my only guide in steering was the white line of breakers on the rock-bound coast. We passed a rocky point, known as Pallonoi or Burning Point, in safety, and about half past eight the moon suddenly broke throu<;h the clouds, revealing the three rounded hills which lie back of Kegiktowruk. W^e pulled into the cove, and I sent up to the village to obtain help in hauling up the heavy boat, but the inhabitants had gone to sleep or refused to come. We did our best to put her in safety, and went up to the casine, where we boiled the chynik and turned in. The Kegiktowruk casine is the largest in the country. The an- nexed section gives an idea of its construction. Its area is about twenty-five feet by thirty, and its height fifteen feet from floor to smoke-hole. The entrance is similar to that of the ordinary houses, but at a is a second opening, by which the cavity beneath THE YUKON TERRITORY. 127 the floor may be reached. In the middle of the floor is a hole (b) where, during their dances, the performers come up from below, not entering by the ordinary door at i. A portion of the floor about twelve feet square (ff) is composed of planks, which may be removed when it is desired to build a fire on the earth beneath. Broad planks about three feet and a half above the floor form seats (s) where the spectators may place them- selves. The opening (l) in the roof is for the admission of light and egress of smoke. There are no other windows. The en- trance (i) is usually closed by a hanging bearskin. The sides are of logs split in two and placed on end in the earth with the flat side inward. The roof is supported by large logs laid across so as to support each other. These are covered by a layer of small timbers, split, or hewn flat on one side ; and the latter are Di.igram of Innuit casine. kept in place by large timbers laid over them outside and at- tached by a saddle-joint at the four corners of the roof. The latter is covered with straw, and the straw with earth, pounded down hard, so as to be waterproof There is not a nail or a pin in the whole structure, which is of the most solid description. Some of the logs are two feet in diameter, and the broad seats on each side, previously referred to, are each composed of a single plank forty-four inches wide, thirty feet long, and four inches thick. These enormous planks are from dri*t-logs, and were hewn with the stone a.xes of the natives. I was informed that, the old casine being decayed, all the Innuit of Norton Sound had joined in building the present one. Many logs were towed from distant parts of the coast. The whole work had occupied six seasons in construction, and had been standing about seven years. I 128 THE YUKON TERRITORY. ! M ! :,j!i ;Hi I The annexed sketch of the village was taken on the spot. On the right is the casine. There are several ordinary winter houses, which are on the brow of a high bank. Caches are scattered about, and stages, on which the kyaks are elevated out of reach of the dogs. In the engraving, the kyaks are represented too much curved upwards, fore and aft. They are nearly straight, except at the bow. At the left of the houses is a mass of perpendicular timbers, projecting from the ground. This was the dwelling of an old couple, who died in the summer while the other inhabitants were away. Returning from the chase, rather than touch the bodies, they broke down the house over them, and filled it in with earth ; a few projecting uprights are their only monument. There is no beach, the cove is shallow and full of rocks, and the skin-boats must be hauled up on ways built for the purpose, of logs. The village is a very dirty one. Travellers are usually detained there by adverse winds. The inhabitants have no reputation for honesty, and it is in every respeci the meanest place on the Sound. The principal support of the inhabitants is the seal-fishery, but in the fall reindeer abound in the vicinity. Our young Kaviak started in search of deer, as the weather would not permit of our continuing the voyage. We started with a fair breeze about noon, but just as we had got well out of the cove the wind shifted dead ahead, and we had to put back. The boat made so much water that I suspected a hole, and un- loaded her. The Kaviak and New-Years were away, and My- unuk was sick ; so I had an hour's hard work unloading her alone. I called some of the natives who were looking on to help turn her over. As soon as we raised one side the whole frame gave way, and the sides of the boat shut together like the leaves of a book! The sealskin lashings were quite rotted away, and only the weight of the goods had kept her in shape. Here was a quandary ! There was only one bidarra in the village, and she was very small and narrow. She belonged to an old man, who saw his advantage and used it. After long persuasion I induced him to lend her to me to take my goods to Unalaklik. He required for her hire an enormous price, more than the boat had cost him originally. He demanded his pay in advance, and his :he spot. On vinter houses, are scattered out of reach presented too :arly straight, cular timbers, ing of an old labitants were ch the bodies, in with earth ; of rocks, and r the purpose, rs are usually ants have no : the meanest le inhabitants 30\md in the f deer, as the voyage. We 5 we had got and we had hole, and un- way, and My- ing her alone. to help turn ic frame gave he leaves of a Ivay, and only Here was a |lage, and she lid man, who lion I induced alaklik. He Ithe boat had lance, and his ■■ -,11:; if ,:^- 5 I f ' p.W IS LM ill! ifi k '\ !'!. I! 128 THE YUKON TERRITORY. The annexed sketch .>< ihe vilku^e was takcti on the spot.. On the r'v^Yit is the casino. There are several onlinary winter huiises. whi'-S arc vn the hi.w of a high hank. Caches are scattered a':«;»u, an 1 stages, on which the ky.iks are elevated out of reach of the dogs. In the <-nj;ravinj;, i\\f kyaks are represented toe rMxch cur\ed 'ujiwarcLs, lore and aft The) are nearly straight, exccjit at the how. At the l-l"; of the houses is a nia.ss of perpendicular timbers projeoting !>.,!;( )h.- ground. This \v.t« the dwelling of an old coujile. wiio du(! in the summer while the other inhabitants were away. Rciv.rr.ihg from thi.* chase, rather than touch the bodice they broke down ihe house ovrr them, and filled it iii with earth a few projecting upright.? are their only nUinument. liierc* is no beach, the cove is shallow and fiill of rocks, an the skin-boats mast be hauled up on ways built for the purpose . oflo<;s. J'he village is a very dirty one. Travellers arc u.suall. detained there by adv.jrsc winds. The iiihaLitaiils have n. reputalioa !ur lionesiv, .md it is in every respect the meaner-, place on the Sound, i !.- priuci])al support of the inhabitant !■. the seal-fis!it:ry, but !a tUt Tali reindeer abound in tl- vicinity ( hr young Kavuk started in search of deer, as th uoailn:r .•..»: Li not permit of our continuing iIk: voyage. \\ :'ar'ei.i \v.?: t lair breeze about nuoii. but ju'^t .is we" had g^- . Wv 11 uiu. • ' ilij.ccve ill-: wind >.!ufted dead ahead, and we h;id ' -> T>ut back i'h ' o.it niaile so much water that T su.spccted a liole, and v.n- li'iided '.'r. i'lie K.iviak and New- Years were away, and M' unuk w.i^ suk , so I had an hour's hard work unloatling her alotv,. i ^ ilied .' mc of the natives who were looking on to help tuj ; -• ! ^i•r. A *=onn as we raised one side the whole frame gu ■!!l<-s of the boat shut together like tlie leaves of . '.u-i:di 'ashitigs were quite rotted away, and onh '1 'v.'Ofls iiad. kept her in shape. Mere was here " ■- <;nly one bidarra in the village, and si .md o.it i.\v. Slie belonged to an old man, viif- •. .-'nil > "d it. After long per.-iuasion I indu^. ^ m-.: .'■ t.ike my goods to Unalaklik. )' • ti enormous price, more than the boat ' .; i th, 1 he I !v ■ • pi,... was V-: -,aw hi Iiiru u requirj'd f ufi^'inaliv demanded his pay in advance, anu h : he spot.. On nntcr houses. Avt: scattered out of reach ircscnted toe :>rly straight. niirtr timber? 11^^ ot an o]{\ abitants were :h the bodice n \vith earth of rocks, an the purpoH •s arc usual'. inis_ have r- the mearie ■ e inhabitant •ound in tt' i doer, as tl- voyaj.;c. \\ we had j; and we h -.'i io!o, nnil ^n a\, and ]\1' her aloti to help tu' '■■anie g;- .;;aves o; a\ , and oi , III no was age, and si id man, w'l- m I indu>. dakh'k. ^ ' ■ boat '. .i :e, anu n., II THE YUKON TERRITORY. 129 wife stood by him while I measured out the (hill, powder, ball, and tobaeco, and, as I gave him the required quantity of each, would exclaim, "It is too little, we must have more!" I was very much provoked, but there was no way in wl ich I could help myself, and I was obliged to satisfy hci avarice, and make her a present besides, while wishing her at the bottom of the sea. I then loaded the boat, but she was so dry that the water came in at all the seams, and I was obliged to unload her again. It was evident that I must leave a large part of my load at the village, and send back for it. I was very loath to do this, as the Kegik- towruk men arc notorious thieves ; but there was no help for it. Having picked out the most valuable part of the cargo, including the flour, sugar, tea, lead, and powder, I placed the rest in charge of the old man to whom the boat belonged. I then loaded up for the third time, after greasing the scams with tallow. This day's experience will give a faint idea of the annoyances sometimes endured, and the patience required, in travelling among these natives. That afternoon an old acquaintance arrived, — a IMahlemut called Ark-hannok, and his family. His bidarra was so full that he could not take any goods for me, but he promised to send back his men and boat from Unalakli'k, to fetch the goods I left behind. In the evening the absent Kaviak returned with two haunches of venison on his back, having killed a deer. We had a good supper off them, and retired early. The next morning I rose at four o'clock and found the wind fair. We boiled the chynik and took a hasty breakfast, getting off about six. Our boat was very low, her gunwale amidships being only four inches above the water. She was so narrow and crank that we were obliged to lash a kyak alongside with two oars, as an outrigger. lu'cn then the Innuit were unwilling to sail from point to point, but insisted on hugging the shore. The wind was light, and we only reached Golsova River by noon. We rounded Tolstoi Point with a fair breeze. At To- panika we landed, and found a Mahlcmut chief, called Ark-na-py- ak, camped with his family. Here we drank tea, and took on board a lad about twelve years old, whom we had named Tommy the previous year. He wished to go to Unalakli'k, and to oblige the natives I offered him a passage. We started about three 9 .!i': I i •ill §'^' M fill :i 130 THE YUKON TERRITORY. o'clock, with a strong breeze from the southwest, wind coming in pufis with intervals. The water was perfectly smooth, and wo sailed finely for some time. The wind grew stronger rapidly, and soon raised a sea which made me anxious. The tide was hiuh, and the perpendicular sandstone bluffs rose direct from the water, the narrow beach being covered. There was no oppor- tunity for landing until the bluffs were passed. The waves began to don their white caps, and occasionally tossed a handful of .spray in our faces, as a foretaste of what was coming. I resigned the steering-paddle into the more experienced hands of old New- Years, and stood by him with another, in case that should break. I distributed tin cups to all hands, as I knew we should have to use them very soon in bailing. The end of the bluffs was passed, but to my dismay I saw the long low beach piled with driftwood, forming an impenetrable clicvanx-dc-frisc at high-water mark. Against it the waves were dashing. There was no choice but to go on. It was rapidly growing dark, but the mouth of the river was discernible. We managed, by constant bailing, to keep her free, though every tenth wave would throw in a dozen bucketfuls. The worst was yet to come. I knew that the sea would be breaking on the bar at the mouth of the Unalakli'k River, where there is seldom over five feet of water. The only question was, could we pass through that line of breakers in safety .' I hardly dared to hope we could, We already heard them roaring on the bar, and could see their white caps dimly. We were all so thoroughly drenched that we could be no wetter. The old Mahlemut never flinched. With his eye on the breakers, as we drew nearer and nearer, he sat silent and rigid as a carved image. The younger men crouched in the bottom of the boat. The little F.skimo lad looked fright- ened, but did not stop bailing for a moment. I threw off my hunting-shirt, and made ready for swimming. As we were just upon the breakers I glanced at the steersman. He moved not a muscle of his weather-beaten face. The next moment a crash announced that our outriggers were broken. I threw myself upon the kyak and, with the young Kaviak, held it for a moment in place. The crest of the advancing roller struck us on the stern, deluging us with water, and before I had time to realize it another followed it, almost burying us ; and for a second I thought cominp; in ith, ami we rapidly, and Ic was high, t from the 5 no oppor- vavcs began Ifiil of spray resigned the Df old Ncw- lould break, ould have to \y I saw the mpenetrable waves were was rapidly rnible. We 1 every tenth t was yet to le bar at the )m over five hrough that c we could. Id see their bed that we bed. With larer, he sat n crouched ked fright- rew off my c were just noved not a nt a crash |rew myself |r a moment us on the to realize it I thought I ' I *r . V|(« ■ t m ^-^i^ljii*' I y.) riir: YLKON- 'ri.KKlTORV. : ': oV-iock, \«. "til ,1 -Iron.:, hie. -;c iVcini ihv sr u'..!:' C">(. wind ciM-niin.'- 'w i>-n~ ■ :'i in;'.!"'..,! -. ''' ■■• •-'.,;'.■ >v,-; _ ... r:.:^tl ,• srnoolh, and wr s.rit' ' iin:.^( v r.'ii.idh,- aiui '«i'"ii ' I'.^i- .1 >i a ■• '• I;!!'.'.; !!!■-; ■; ..'li- j'lv.: ! id'- was iiiL;h. ■ fi;d 'i'.' |T!;.,t.; ,;i . ■..iiM,,l..'ic 1. ■iM;-. rt,.,L' i\H:A ii'^m die V. ■!'■', '.' liaii.iA ! I! 1m II- ■( ., . ! l"!',(.'rr was no o;')'')i t.i'' i: 'iiriL; w u 'iio li!"!is \\':v>: ; ; • < i. T!ir v\a\"cs lu'^'a;' •■!.!■■•,',;• ru.d in i.a>:.tird!) '.'-^t (! a liaiulUd fjf <})!a\ '" ' ■' I .! !■■ • 'a:',<: 'il '.'dial u.-. ri k.'u^ ! :■. ■^i^-i :il lih :' ' d^'. .r. '\\ ivi'i. 1 :., .'d ■. I l!:- ol r.jd Xi.'V. ^ .' ' • i i'v ii'in .\idi :i'^M'iH,!-, ;,, . ; .: hat sl!':'uld i>i. ak ' d: ,, '. f'. . i;i^-. !ii ai' i .i.nds, a'; I k i . v\ \vc si- .Mid u.lVc '.' i)> :i ,:; , ..i'v . " Ml 'n !> lil:''^. I 1'- end id 111.. bln'N V. ls |;a-.s<;d, hi't I'l i^iv diMiiav ' ;; i\'. t' irui'4 ii.'.v bi.:.:h i"id-«i vvh!) dial.wi-od. fuiriiM;.;' : i iiripc:,'.;;;;ii.' {i/i'r,n7.' -./(// iu' .'.[ !)ii,li '.valv':' nii'i k. .\'..'i!asl id ;!■<' w;i\.s ,\a',i da;. l.ai': iiui'' w \ n^, ■ h '■re Inl ;.■ ::<■ ra I; um> rajs. a t\i'^^\ I".'" ■ 1 ;; k , Mi' "I" : iruiii . I ■ 1 '■ ?i'l. •■v,. ; (i:si~5'-ivulo. , I , \\ an,. 'i| I d ai J .' ■-!■ 111. • ail. da .11, 'i' ' y.' J .'.'l 1' i ''. !m\ \ \sa-. •'. ; ' ! 'f .-V a W'lur I , •■ ' .^ '■ .'. i-'- la; *!..■ liar .it '. ■. d.il'dds kisi-.. \*'ii(: I I i; .1 idali.in ' \ i r a I . 1 1,1 111'', ,|;''- a iMii \' a , i .1. ' ' '.\i j'vss ti''- au h ! '• 1 ill -lU'y- 1 La;-,!!-,' .' .•.' to !a j.* w. .,-i..l '! ar.| I,,,. a; ■. 'anii.', r; Mn.' 1. ,r, .t'ai .-..aid .a. il' di!)!'., . W'.. \\.i ■ .id -.. ill. : ■: i.^-.id' (! I ai lual di:ii. . ) war. a. ; l;c 1 Id ■d.da.aaiii a.- .a l!aa Ik d. V. ', iiiirdsi,-, .:■• y' \ ii:'i w iica:vr ii;i: ic, ai'-:, la. ;|a a.aiA.ai iiua.ia 'a- v '■la^ii.'f n ai 'i-Ua. , 1. au. ! .. Iim! li'i ..' ! •k.ijno la^; 1 I d^ci n ,1'f ■-'■)\> aaiiini; ,.a' a i.ajiaiau. I lii'',.">/ .al; ' aa.I.' r.' i.!y ; ., ■ u iiii.a ■<;■. A.- \\ .. \\.'W ;:\.\>\' . il \' 'a- -a- ;■ mi [ | v; aii .w a 1 .■ '. -j^ II laf, I'!)';' '■,! \t .amni'Mt .i . • ; ;., 'i : \' 1 '• 'il :. '. ■ 1 1 1.! i\v a ■• ! I.' aa,- . ,va\ i,. • "n !a i' I r a lU' ' . 1 ■■ ' ■ ■ 'v ; •. m ' a, I ■,; • ,1 k :' . i a . ■',, . .• .uidi I .. II.' I ■ 1 tiiiiv.' ^ i'.; ,i!i. 3 M- ,'ai: ii >!.,. .ai Bill,:;' '!l (Il\' :m(t ,Mi .11 1) l!..\A. iw t' :K.!r;u. ■.Vf fill. \\ I -i: i.a nir:,i: riiy" »mmi «i!;;,,.J; " " L'l »l';'i,; i .: It'll ,.:■ Ill, '. I'- I I fl hi ill r H ■r !W" III THE YUKON TERRITORY. IP we were going clown. .She rose again, however, more than half filled ; and shaking the water out of his scanty hair, the old man said calmly, " Here is the river, there is the fort." We were in , smooth water. The Ir.st breaker had carried us over the bar. All hands bailed for dear life, and as soon as we had freed the boat from a dangerous amount of water we pulled for the shore. Here we foinid ice, and were obliged to pull half a mile to find a landing-place. The Innuit shouted at the top of their lungs, and we were soon answered. Eskimo of all ages and both sexes came out from their dens, helped to haul up the boat, and unloaded her above high-water mark. I expected to find the flour and sugar, which were in bags, entirely spoiled. Popoff, the Unalakli'k bidarshik, finally awoke, and opened the gates. With the help of the natives, I carried the goods into the storehouse, dismissed the men, who took refuge with their friends in the village, and, quite exhausted, followed Popoff into the casarmer. Here I stripped off my clothes. I had literally not a dry stitch on me, and there v ibout a gallon of salt water in each boot. Popoff kindly suppl.' i ! le with dry clothing, and we s'lt down around the hospitable samovar. I dare not say how manj' cups of fragrant tea I disposctl of. I know the last was well among the " teens." The bed was only a plank and a blanket, but, with a tobacco-box under my head, I lost .iiyself in a well-earned slumber. The next day, thanks to the tea, ! arose as fresh as ever, tliough not until nearly noon. My first act wi s to overhaul the goods. The tea I had taken the precaution to solder up in an empty lin before leaving the Redoubt. The powder was in tight cans. The lead of course was not injured by wetting. The flour, to my surprise, was but slightly wet. Water dors not easily penetrate flour in the bags. Our clothes, except what were in tight seal- skin bags, and our blankets, were soaked, The sug;u- had suffered most. About half of it was well salted. This was a serious loss, Init might be partly made gowl. Altogether we got off much better than I had dared to anticipate Popoff, another Russian named Ostiofskci, two native work- men, and a Creole woman comprised the entire garrison at the tort. Popoff was a mu'h pleasanter fellow than most of the Russians, and I got along with him very well. The village con- tained very few natives, most of them being still absent hunting •I M I: I 132 THK YUKON TERRITORY. deer. The next day I secured Ark-hannok"s bidarra, and de- spatched it with a crew of five to fetch the remaining goods from Kegiktovvruk. On the night of October ist they reuirned, to my surprise, with their load. The rascals at Kcgiktowruk had stolen some thirty pounds of backfat and a hatchet. The re- mainder of the goods were safe. The weather continued warm and rainy. A few days cleared the ice completely out of the river. I therefore made immediate arrangements for taking the heavy goods by water to Ulukuk, thus saving time, and transportation over a very bad portage in winter. On the 3d of October I took three men and the Kegiktovvruk bidarra, and started up the Unalaklik River. We found the cur- rent very strong and the water low. We drew, loaded, a foot and a half, finding occasional difficulty in crossing the sandbars. 41 Ingalik gra -e. Ulukuk, in a straight line, is only thirty-three miles from Unala- klik. By the river, which is more winding than the ancient Meander, it is at least double the distance, and probably more. On the morning of the 4th we reached Iktigalik. Mere we found mnny of the Ingaliks. They wanted to go up in my boat to Ulukuk, and attempted to detain me by all sorts of contradic- tory stories about the river. I had had some experience in estimat- ing 'h': value of such talk, and pushed on. Every night new ice formed in the river, and I used all my energy in travelling, in order that we might not be caught and frozen in. On the morn- ing of the 6th we arrived at Ulukuk. As we drew near we heard a low wailing chant, and Mikala, one of my men, informed me that it was women lamenting for the dead. On landing I saw several Indians hewing out the bo.x in which the dead are placed. ^ THE YUKON TERRITORY. '33 i, and de- oods from Uirned, to jwruk had The rc- lys cleared immediate lukuk, thus i in winter, egiktowruk nd the cur- , a foot and - sandbars. On inquiry I found that our old acquaintance of the previous year, " Kaltag Stareek," had gone to his long home. He had been for many /ears the "oldest inhabitant," and was much respected by the Russian.s. The body lay on its side in a deerskin. The heels were lashed to the small of the back, and the head bent for- ward on the chest, so that his coffin needed to be onlv about four feet long. We lost no time in putting the goods into an empty cache, covering them with walrus hide, and nailing up the door. During a long experience I have never known of goods being meddled with or broken open if properly secured, no matter how lonely the situation of the cache, or how long it remained unvisited. "A cache is sacred" is one of the axioms of the wilderness. This goes far to prove that the average of honesty among these In- dians is higher than that which obtains among white men. The Innuit, as at Kegiktovvruk, are occasionally less trustworthy. The Ingaliks had just returned from a bear hunt. Bears are not uncommon in this part of the territory. There are three species: The large brown bear of the mountains, known as the "grizzly" among the Hudson Bay voyageurs ; ihe barren-ground bear {Ursiis Richardsonii oi Mayne Reid), which is confined in Rus- sian America to the extreme northeast ; and the black bear, which frequents the vicinity of the Vukon, in the wooded district only. The polar or white bear is found only in the vicinity of Bering Strait, on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, and on St. Matthew's Island in Bering Sea. It has probably reached the latter locality on floating ice ; we only know of its existence there from whalers, who apply the name of Bear Island to the locality, from the abun- dance of these animals. We know that it is not found on the mainland south of latitude 65°. The cubs of the black bear are of the same color as the parent, and the adult is very much .-innaller than its brown cousin, which sometimes reaches a length ot nine feet, with a girth nearly as great. The brown bear, or grizzly, is the only one which manifests any ferocity, and it always avoids any contest unless brought to bay. The manner of hunting it is as follows. After discrirvering its lair the natives carefidly measure the opening. Timbers of the requisite length, and from four to six inches in diameter, are care- fully cut, and carried to the vicinity. During the day, when the \ i! 134 THE YUKON TERRITORY. bear is known ta have returned to the cave, the Indians collect in large numbers, and approach with the utmost quietness, cacli carrying a timber or a large stone. The timbers are then fitted into the mouth of the den, forming a barricade, and stones in large numbers are piled up against them, only leaving an open- ing about a foot square. Burning brands are then thrown in to arouse the animal, who puts his head out of the opening, which is too small for egress. A volley of balls soon puts an end to his existence. After satisfying themselves of his death, the hunters remove the barricade, and divide the body amciig themselves. The skin is valuable only as a rug or bed, or to hang in the doorway of a lodge to exclude the cold. The Indians were anxious that I should pass the night at Ulukuk ; but, fearful of being frozen in, I decided to return with- out delay. Coming up, while examining the rocks I discovered a fossil elephant tusk about eight feet long on one of the bars in the river. I put it up on end in order to sec it and take it with me on my return. A snow-storm came on, which obscured everything, so that we passed down without seeing it, and arrived at Ikti'galik about seven in the evening. The next morn- ing we left Ikti'galik about nine o'clock, and half-way down came upon the three-holed bidarka which Kurilla and his companions had left on the shore when they struck across the summer port- p.j^c. I thought it might prove useful, and took it aboard. About two o'clock we arrived at Unalaklik, just in time to enjoy a steam bath. While I had been r.bsent sonic Eskimo from Kot- zebue Sound had arrived, bringing alcohol, purchased from the traders. The whole village was in a turmoil, and the Russians at the fort in no little alarm, anticipating a-i attack. Some natives having reported a remarkable and unknown object as cast upon the beach, Popoffand my.self walked four or five miles to examine it. It proved to be the carcass of a walrus deprived of its hivad. These animals, as well as whales, are unknown in Norton Sound, and this carcass had probably been driven by the wind and sea from the north. On Jie 9th of October I had the bidarka repaired and well oiled. The next day, with Tommy, Johnny and a Kaviak, 1 started for Topanika, to examine the geological characte-' uf the THE YUKON TERRITORY. 135 ians at the shore. At night we arrived at a creek where an old Mahlemut chief, Allu-iokan, and his people were camped. Here I purchased some deer meat and a large number of tongues. The next morning the Innuit left us for Unalakli'k. Johnny and Tommy started into the interior in search of deer. Taking my haversack, I proceeded to Tolstoi Point, examining the rocks, and taking notes of the character, thickness, and dip of the strata. I found no fossils except indistinct vegetable remains. Climbing the bluff, I followed the edge of a deep ravine inland for half a mile. Feeling thirsty, I managed to swing myself down the precipitous sides, by the birches which grew sparingly in rifts of the rock. Here I found a stream of pure cold water, and, bending down to drink, some fine fossils attracted my attention. Securing a bundle of about fifty pounds' weight, I had a piece of hard work packing them on my back out of the ravine. I was obliged to walk in the bed of the stream, as the sides were too abrupt to ascend with my load. I finally arrived at camp, after dark, and pretty tired. No one was there, and I built a large fire, fearing that Johnny might be unable to return in the obscurity over the rough and broken hills. The boys arrived at last, having killed two deer, bringing, however, only the tongues and kidneys. I rated them well for the folly of de- stroying game which they could not use or bring home. Econ- omy in such matters is incomprehensible to the native mind. They are always ready to destroy life even if they can lot avail themselves of the remains. The next day, having completed my observations, I availed myself of an invitation to take passage for Unalakli'k in a passing Mahlcn-ut bidarra. I occupied myself for several days in purchasing articles which I had found from experience were necessary or useful in the interior. These were principally Eskimo winter boots, of deerskin with sealskin soles ; deerskin mittens, parkies, and breeches, some destined for the ethnological collection, and others for use ; boot-soles, to replace old ones when worn out ; deer sinew, for sewing skin clothing ; fine seal- skin line, for lashing sleds, bidarni-frames, dog-harness, and boot- strings ; mahout, cr walrus hide cut in long strips, for tracking- line ; prepared sealskin, for mending boats ; oil, foi lamps in winter ; ukali, by the thousand, for dog and man feed ; the whiii 'id r 136 THE YUKON TERRITORY. |ii ^iri'ii '; I vm iX'W M-l bellies of the deer, with dried fish skins and wolverine skins, for trimming skin clothes ; and the backfat of the reindeer, to supply the total absence of pork, bacon, and butter. The reindeer, in summer, is furnished with a broad layer of fat, between the muscle and the skin, along the back from the shoulder to the haunch. This layer comes off in a single piece fifteen inches broad and from half an inch to four inches thick. This is called the " backfat." Other fat in smaller quantity is procured from the vicinity of the kidney.s, the omentum, and the intestines. A little is also procured with the marrow, by pound- ing and boiling the bones. All this in its dried state is liable to spoil. Anticipating this, I had all my fat cut, pounded up, and tried out. When thoroughly extracted, I poured the pure fat into empty tin cans, thus preserving it from injury and rendering it compact for transportation. The Hudson Bay pemmican is made by pounding dry meat between stones, until all the meat is re- duced to powder. The sinews and gristle are picked out, and the rest is mi.xed with boiling fat and poured into a rawhide bag, where it becomes perfectly solid. Pemmican is unknown to the Russians, whose chief dependence is fish. Indeed, I do not know of any part of Russian America where meat and fat abound in sufficient quantities to be much used in this way. Pemmican is tasteless, unappetizing food, but contains much nourishment in a very compact form. I have hitherto deferred any minute account of the Innuit of Norton Sound, preferring to give my own impression of them unaffected by that of other observers. During the time spent at Unalakh'k I became moderately proficient in their language, and studied their mode of life with great care. The Innuit, as they call themselves, belong to the same family as the Northern and Western Eskimo. I have frequently used the term Eskimo in referring to them, but they are in many respects very different people from the typical tribes called by that name in the works of Parry, Ross, Simpson, Kane, and other arctic explorers. Comparative vocabularies and an analy- sis of the different branches of the family will be found elsewhere in this volume. The present remarks refer more particularly to their mode of life. It should be thoroughly and definitely understood, in the first THE YUKON TERRITORY. ^Z7 place, that they are not Indians ; nor have they any known rela- tion, pliysically, philologically, or otherwise, to the Indian tribes of North America. Their grammar, appearance, habits, and even their anatomy, especially in the form of the skull, separate them widely from the Indian race. On the other hand, it is almost equally questionable whether they are even distinctly related to the Chukchees and other probably Mongolian races, of the east- ern part of Siberia. This is discussed elsewhere. The Innuit of Norton Sound and the vicinity are of three tribes, each of which, while migrating at certain seasons, has its own peculiar territory. The peninsula between Kotzebue and Norton Sounds is inhabited by the Kdviaks or Kavidganut Innuit. The neck of this peninsula is occupied by the Mdhleniut Innuit. The shore of Norton Sound south of Cape Denbigh to Pastolik is the country of the Unalcds or Unaligiiuit Jnnuit. The habits of these tribes are essentially similar. They are in every respect superior to any tribe of Indians with which I am acquainted. Their complexion I have described as brunette. The effect of the sun and wind, especially in summer, is to darken their hue, and from observing those who lived in the fort, I am inclined to think that a regular course of bathing would do much toward whitening them. They are sometimes very tall ; I have often seen both men and women nearly si.v feet in height, and have known several instances where men were taller. Their aver- age height equals that of most civilized races. Their strength is often very great. I have seen a Mahlemut take a hundred- pound sack of flour under each arm, and another in his teeth, and walk with them from the storehouse to the boat, a distance of some twenty rods, without inconvenience. They are fond of exercise, and practise many athletic games, such as football or a similar game, tossing in a blanket or rather walrus hide, run- ning races, hurling stones or lances, lifting weights, and wrestling. Their boats — the kyak or bidarka, and oomiak or bidarra — have been already described. It may be mentioned in this connection that the oomiak is not considered among the Norton Sound Innuit as a " women's boat," nor is there ever any hesitation about men's using them. In this they differ from the Eskimo as described by arctic explorers. It is noticeable that the more northern the canoe, the smaller it is made. The kvak of Nunivak Island is double the 11; . 138 THE YUKON TERRITORY. I t I I I' size of those used in Hcring Strait. The kyaks arc often orna- mented with heUiga teeth, or carved pieces of walrus ivory, imitations of birds, walrus, or seal. The prow is also fashioned into the semblance of a bird's or fish's head. Securely seated in his kyak, with a gut shirt strongly tied around the edge of the hole, the Innuit is at home. He will even turn over his kyak and come up on the other side, by skilful use of his paddle. Aziak or Sledge Island is an abrupt rock rising out of the water, with a landing only at low tide in good weather. I was informed by the captain of a trader, a trustworthy person, that he once approached the island to trade, in rough weather, but could not send a boat ashore, as it was impossible to land. He lay as close as he dared under the lee of the island. Here they saw the Innuit tying several men securely into their kyaks, on the top of the rock, some fifteen or twenty feet above the water. "When all was done each man grasped his double-ended paddle, and two others took the kyak by bow and stern and tossed it, with its occupant, into the water. For a moment they disappeared under the waves, but instantly rose and righted themselves ; in a few minutes they were alongside, and being taken on board, pro- duced furs and ivory from their kyaks, with which they proceeded to trade for tobacco and other articles. When the tide and wind fell they returned to the island. This is an excellent illustration of the wonderful skill with which they learn to manage these little canoes. In his kyak the Innuit docs not hesitate to attack the seal, walrus, or whale. Those of Norton Sound have only the seal and beluga, but those of Bering Strait have abundant oppor- tunities for hunting the bowhead and walrus. They are good-humored and careless, slow to anger, and usually ready to forgive and forget. They are sometimes revengeful ; and murders, generally the result of jealousy, are not very rare. The women are modest, but a want of chastity in an unmarried female is hardly looked upon as a fault. Taking this fact into consider- ation, they are rather free from immorality. Among the Mahle- muts, cousins, however remote, do not marry, and one wife is the rule. Among the Kaviaks, incest is not uncommon, and two or three wives, often sisters, arc taken by those who can afford to support them. These people have become demoralized by trad- ing liquor for their furs, and wide-spread immorality is the result. THE YUKON TERRITORY. 139 The same is also true of the Kotzebue Sound Mahlemuts. What we should call immodesty is often undeserving of such a term. Where a practice is universal there is nothing immodest in it, and it may be quite consistent with morality. For instance, the Aleu- tians, men and women, for ages have been accustomed to bathe together in the sea. They do not think of there being any im- modesty in it, yet any immorality is exceedingly rare among them. Hence we should not judge these people too iiarshly. There is no ceremony connected with marriage among the Innuit, though presents are often made to the bride's parents. Intermarriage between natives o." different tribes is frequent. If ill-behaved or barren, the wife is frequently sent away, and another takes her place. Children are greatly prized, if boys. Girls are at a discount. Infanticide is common among them, both before and after birth. As an excuse, they say that they do not want and cannot support so many daughters. Other women do not like the trouble and care of children, and destroy them for that reason. The usual method is to take the child out, stuff its mouth with grass, and desert it. I have seen several children who had been picked ujo in this condition, and brought up by others than their parents. The women alone destroy children, but the men seldom punish them for it, and doubtless acquiesce in advance in most cases. Sometimes we find females who refuse to accept husbands, preferring to adopt masculine manners, following the deer on the mountains, trapping and fishing for themselves. The men treat their wives and children well. The latter are never punished, and seldom need correction, being obedient and good-humored. The men have their own work. Hunting the deer and seal, building and repairing the winter houses, making frames for boats, sleds, and smw-shoes, preparing sealskins for use on boats or for boot-soles, trapping, and bringing home the results of the chase, — in fact, all severe labor, — is performed by the men. Snaring partridges, drying and preparing fish, cutting up the meat when brought into camp, picking berries, dressing deer- skins and making clothing, cooking, and taking care of the chil- dren, — these are solely feminine pursuits. Both se.xes join in pad- dling the oomiaks, celebrating their annual dances, bringing and cutting wood, and other work of a like nature. The women are seldom beaten, except for ill-temper or incontinency. They keep IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) . ^0 ■{<■ ^^ 1.0 I.I 1.25 lii yi 12.5 •^ 1^ 12.2 14 iJA oS^ ^'^ % Photographic Sciences Corporation i3 ' .rt MAIN STRUT WUSVCR.N.Y. USSO (716)t73-4S03 \ ^ ^ I II . 140 THE YUKON TERRITORY. their persons moderately clean, braiding the hair on each side, and twisting beads or strips of wolfskin in with the braids for ornament. They arc often of pleasing appearance, sometimes qiutc pretty. They preserve their beauty much longer than In- dian women. Their clear complexion and high color, with their good-humor, make them agreeable companions, and they are often very intelligent. A noticeable feature is their teeth. These are always sound and white, but are almost cylindrical, and in old people arc worn down even with the gums, producing a singu- lar appearance. The eyes are not oblique, as in the Mongolian races, but are small, black, and almost even with the face. The nose is flat and disproportionally small. Many of the Innuit have heavy beards and mustaches, while some pull out the former. The men all wear the labrcts, but do not tattoo. The women generally have a few lines tattooed on the chin, from the lower lip downward. The inhabitants of the Diomedc Islands tattoo extensively ; they also wear large labrcts made of hypochlorite and finely polished. The tattooing is in spiral lines and waving scrolls, seldom or never rep- resenting objects. The Norton Sound Innuit women never wear labrcts,* but occasionally pierce the nose and ears. I have never seen any ornament worn in the nose, but ear-rings are not uncommon. The fol- lowing sketch represents the usual form. They are carved from beluga teeth. Among the Mdganitts, a tribe to the south of the Yukon-mouth, the women wear a peculiar labret. It is flat and curved, like a bent nail, with a broad head, which goes inside the mouth, and prevents the labret from slipping through. They are slightly carved, and orna- mented with dots and lines. The Iioles are pierced through the front of the lower lip and close together, not under the corners of the mouth, as among t'.ie men. The curved ends stick out like little horns. In Norton Sound the holes for the labrcts are not always pierced * The figure represents : A, the M.iRcmiit fcnuilc labret ; 11, c, the Okeeogcmut ; the rest arc Norton Sound labrets of different patterns. Labrcis. Ear-rings. THE YUKON TERRITORY. T41 each side, braids for sometimes r than In- with their y are often These are md in old g a singu- Mongohan face. The the Innuit 11 out the abrets, but jrally have , from the ants of the ' ; they also hlorite and s in spiral [ never rep- und Innuit ccasionally ornament The fol- ire carved )e to the en wear a ike a bent inside the 11 slipi)ing and orna- lioles are er lip and among t'.ic lys pierced cogcmut ; the in youth. Whenever the act is performed a feast is given, and the holes arc made by means of an awl, with great solemnity. This would indicate that originally the pri :tice had some greater significance than mere ornament. It is now impossible to dis- cover what that significance might have been. At first a mere ivory peg is inserted (k, c;) with a hole in which a small wooden peg is put to keep it in place. After the opening has healed, others a little larger are inserted, and so on, until the hole will admit a peg of the full size, and shaped more like a but- ton or stud (i\ !•:). (Ornaments carved fum beluga teeth are commonly worn. They represent fig- ures of men, animals, or fish. These are some of them, representing a flat- fish, goose, and seal. Walrus teeth, ob- tained by barter, are also used in carv- uig. Amulets. The dress of the men has already been described. It reaches to the mid- dle of the thigh, and is cut around nearly or quite straight. The female dress, on the other hand, is continued in two rounded flaps below the knees, before and behind. They arc trimmed with strips of white deerskin with the hair cut short, separated by narrow strips of dried fishskin and edged with strips of wolverine or wolf skin, so cut that the long hair makes a fringe. The hood is trimmed with a broad piece of wolfskin, with frequently a strip of the white skin of the arctic hare inside for warmth. Tlie whole effect is very pretty, especially when the parka is made of the tame Siberian reindeer skin, which is mottled with white and delicate shades of brown. The fishskin referred to, when prepared for use, looks like brown marbled paper. It has '.10 scales, and I have not seen the fish from which it is taken. The women wear breeches and boots made in one piece, while the men use deerskin socks, and boots which are not sewed on to the breeches. All use a belt of some kiul. The favorite belt among the women is made of the portion of the lower jaw iif the reindeer which contains the front teeth. This piece of bone is very small, — I have counted the teeth of one hundred and fifty deer in one belt, — and these belts are not uncommon. They Il 142 THE YUKON TERRITORY. 1 are sewed on a broad strip of leather, fastened with a large button or bead in front. From the belt hangs the needle-case, usually made of the humerus of a swan, plugged at one end and Done needle-case. having a removable stopper at the other. It is usually orna- mented with black lines, as in the above example. A man's wealth is frequently estimated by parkies. They will buy, with their surplus property, large numbers of parkies. Ten deerskin, or two mink parkies, or one sable parka, are equivalent to a gun. Sealskins, sables, guns, and ammunition arc also units of value. They can count up to a hundred, and some of the more intelligent to five hundred. They frequently keep accounts by tying knots in a string or notching a stick. They divide the year by the seasons, and time by lunar months, and days. They can also estimate with much accuracy how much of the day has passed, by the position of the sun or stars. They are very quick at understanding, and can draw very reliable maps, the only diflficulty being that far-off distances are exaggerated when compared with those laid down as nearer their homes. They are all provided with flint and steel for lighting fires, but formerly used a different apparatus on the principle of a fiddle-bow drill. This consisted of a mouthpiece of bone or ivory with a small hol- low in it, a flat piece of very dry soft wood, a pencil-shaped piece of dry hard wood, and a bow with a slackened string. One end of the pencil fitted into the hollow in the mouthpiece. The latter is held between the teeth. A turn of the bow- string was taken around the pencil ; the tablet of .soft wood was held in the left hand. The pencil was held firmly against the tablet and the bow rapidly moved back and forth by the right hand. The pencil of course revolved rapidly, the fric- tion created a small pile of dust on the tablet, which was quickly ignited by the heat. A piece of tinder preserved the light, and the fire was obtained. } Innuit fire-drill. THE YUKON TERRITORY. '43 nth a large needle-case, one end and isually orna- I. They will arkics. Ten re equivalent ire also units some of the ccp accounts ey divide the days. They the day has •e very quick IS, the only jrated when )mcs. They but formerly lie-bow drill, a small hol- encil-shaped One the hollow tter is held of the bow- pencil ; the in the left mly against idly moved hand. The lly, the fric- lust on the ce of tinder >tring PiKulka. Formerly bows, arrows, and lances were their weapons. !n Norton Sound they are now supplanted by guns obtained from the traders. Iron was unknown among these natives two genera- tions ago. All their weapons were of ivory, bone, and slate, except a few native copper implements which came from the Indians of the interior. In early times, the old men say, a knife or a string of beads was worth fifty marten skins. A peculiar kind of knife, shaped like a chopping-knife and called a pignlka, is used in cutting skins. It is made of sheet-iron and has a bone handle. It is preferable to scissors in cutting furs, a3 it only cuts the skin and not the hair. To this day the Innuit have no knowledge of working iron by means of heat, although with the aid of a file they will make quite u.seful knives, saws, and other C articles, out of scraps of old sheet or hoop iron. / While the ancient Indians made their cutting instruments and tools of stone or native copper, the ancient Innuit substituted, in many cases, bone and ivory. Stone arrowheads, formerly the universal weapons among the Tinneh, are now rarely to be found. On the other hand, the ivory weapons of the Innuit are still in use. The Indian discarded the stone arrowhead entirely, for one of iron; the Innuit retains the ivory head, merely adding to it a tip of iron. The Indian leaves the bow to the children; the more a(|uatic Innuit finds a gun out of place in his kyak, and still uses the weapon of his ancestors to hunt the seal. Ashore, his weaporj is usually a gun. The guns most common among them are very li,L;ht double-barrelled Belgian fowling-pieces, with an average bore of twenty-eight or thirty. These are obtained from the Kotzobue Sound and Grantley Harbor traders. South of Nofton Sou. id the Innuit are provided with very few guns, and these are mostly long Hudson Bay flintlocks, obtained by trading with ^he Tinneh tribes of the interior. Trading is carried on to a large extent between the Indians aiul Innuit. The former sell their wooden dishes and other household articles, furs, wolf and wolverine skins, to the latter for oil, sealskins, seal and walrus line, and articles obtained by the Innuit from the traders. The Innuit again trade beaver skins, Wooden dishes, and other articles of wood to the Tuski and other 144 THE YUKON TERRITORY. tribes of Bering Strait, in exchange for walrus ivory and skins of the tame Siberian reindeer, which the latter obtain from the Chukchees. In this way a commerce is constantly carried on between the interior tribes of America and Siberia, by means of the Innuit, who act as middle-men. The bitter enmity and con- stant hostility which are found between the northern and western Eskimo and the Indians do not exist between the latter and the Innuit of the western and southwestern coast. It is true that both exhibit great jealousy in regard to their boundary lines. These lines are generally formed by the summit of the watershed between the small rivers which empty into the sea and those which fall into the Yukon. They coincide nearly with the lino of the wooded district to which the Indians arc confined. Any man of either race found on the wrong side of the line is lial)le to be .shot at sight, and deaths occur every season from this cause. Nevertheless, a tacit arrangement exists between adjoining tribes of the two races, so that an Innuit who kills a deer on Indian ter- ritory may retain the meat, provided he leaves the skin at the nearest Indian village. The Indians cross the Uli'ikuk portage every winter, and trade at Unalakli'k with the Innuit. The latter cross the Anvik portage at the same season, and trade with the Yukon Ingaliks. Great caution is used by both while in foreign territory, and nearly every year a panic occurs on the coast or in the interior, from some rumor that the hostile race ire preparing for invasion and war. The Indians call the Innuit and Eskimo I'ska'mi, or sorcerers. Kagitskci'mi is the Innuit name for the casines in which their shamans perform their superstitious rites. From this root comes the word Eskimo. The belief in shamani.sm is much the same among the Innuit as that which is entertained among the In- dians, but the rites of the Innuit shamans differ in the manner of performance from those of the other race, and very much from those of the Chukchees and olher inland races of Siberia. A Mahlcmut shaman covers his head and the upper part of his body with a kamlayka. He holds a wand, often of ivory, in each hand, and beats on the floor of the casine, keeping time with a monotonous chorus. When the frenzy seizes him he rolls on the floor in violent convulsions. His body and face are concealed beneath the kamlayka, which rustles violently with his motions, THE YUKON TERRITORY. M5 and skins of in from the y carried on by means of nity and con- and western atter and the is true that undary hnes. he watershed :a and those ivith the line nfined. Any ne is hable to m this cause, joining tribes m Indian ter- e skin at the ukuk portage t. The latter radc with the lile in foreign \c coast or in irc preparing or sorcerers. which their s root comes ch the same ong the In- the manner y much from |)eria. r part of his vory, in each time with a rolls on the ire concealed his motions, while all watch anxiously for any words which may escape him during the fit. Such are regarded as omens of deep significance, and the hearers are impliciily guided by ihem. The totemic system is not found among the Innuit. ICach boy, when arrived at the age of puberty, .selects an animal, fish, or bird, which he adopts as a patron. The spirit which looks after the animals of that species is supposed to act henceforth as his guar- dian. Sometimes the animal is selected in early childhood by the parents. If he has long-continued want of success in his pursuits, he will sometimes change his patron. They do not ab- stain from eating or using the flesh and skin of the animal which they have chosen, as do some tribes of Indians. They always wear a piece of the skin or a bone of that animal, which they regard as an amulet, and use every precaution against its loss, which would be regarded as a grave calamity. Whet desiring ansistance or advice they do not themselves seek it, but employ a shaman to address their patron spirit. These customs do not extend to females. The spirits of the ileer, seal, salmon, and be- luga, are regarded by all with special veneration ; as to these animals they owe their supj)ort. Each has its season, and while hunting, it is almost impossible to induce them to attempt any other work, as they seem to think each spirit demands exclusive attention while he extends his favors. The homes of these spirits are supposed to be in the north. The auroras are the reflections from the lights used during supposed dances of the spirits. Siij- gularly enough, they call the constellation of Ursa Major by the name of Okil-6kpuk\ signifying Great Bear, and consider him to be ever on the watch while the other spirits carry on their festiv- ities. None of the spirits are regarded as supreme, nor have the Innuit any idea of a deity, a state of future reward and pun- ishment, or any system of morality. Many of them have been christened by the Russian missionaries, but none have any idea of Christianity. The dead are enclosed above ground in a box, in the manner previously described. The annexed sketch shows the form of the sarcophagus, which in this case is ornamented with snow-shoes, a reel for seal linos, a fishing-rod, and a wooden dish or kantag. The latter is found with every grave, and usually one is placed in the boy with the body. Sometimes a part of the property of the 10 146 THE YUKON TERRITORY. I dead person is placed in the coffin or about it. Occasionally the whole is thus disjioscd of. Generally the furs, provisions, and clothing (except such as has been worn) are divided among the nearer relations of the dead, or remain in possession of his family if he has one. Such cloth- ing, household utensils, and weap- ons as the deceased had in daily use are almost invariably enclosed in his coffin. If there are many deaths about the same time, or an epidemic occurs, everything belong- ing to the dead is destroyed. The / house in which a death occurs is ■ ^mw^mMW^/ always deserted, and usually de- stroyed. In order to avoid this, it Inniiit gr.ive. , « » • 1 IS not uncommon to take the sick person out of the house and put him in a tent to die. A woman's coffin may be known by the kettles and other fem- inine utensils about it. There is no distinction between the sexes in method of burial. On the outside of the coffin figures are usu- ally drawn in red ochre. Figures of fur animals indicate that the dead person was a good trapper ; of seal or deer, show his profi- ciency as a hunter ; representations of parkies, that he was wealthy: the manner of his death is also occasionally indicated. For four days after a death the women in the village do no sew- ing, for five days the men do not cut wood with an axe. The relatives of the dead must not seek birds' eggs on the overhanging cliffs for a year, or their feet will slip from under them, and they will be dashed to pieces. No mourning is worn or indicated, ex- cept by cutting the hair. Women sit and watch the body, chant- ing a mournful refrain, until it is interred. They seldom suspect that others have brought the death about by shamanism, as the Indians almost invariably do. At the end of a year from the death a festival is given, presents are made to those who assisted in making the coffin, and the period of mourning is over. Their grief seldom seems deep, but they indulge for a long time in wail- ing for the dead at intervals. I have seen several women who refused to take a second husband, and had remained single, in spite of repeated offers, for many years. ! THE YUKON TERRITORY. 147 onally the sions, and imong the ion of his nich cloth- antl wcap- l in daily ly enclosed are many time, or an ins bclong- >ycd. The 1 occurs is .isually de- void this, it ike the sick 1 other fem- ;n the sexes res are usu- \tc that the w his profi- lat he was indicated, do no sew- axe. The vcrhanginj; 1, and they licatcd, ex- ody, chant- Dm suspect ism, as the r from the ho assisted •cr. Their Ime in wail- omen who single, in I Their habits are very regular. ICvery season the same round is gone through as in the previous one, only varied by the differ- ences in temperature and in the prevalence of tish and game. In February they leave the .illages and repair to the moun- tains, with all their families. They pursue the deer until the snow begins to melt. I am informed that among the Miihlemuts, near their more inland villages, they will not permit any water to he boiled inside of the houses while the deer hunt continues. This is only one of many similar superstitions. The deer are stalked ; noosed in mahout snares, set where they are accustomed to run ; or driven into pounds built for the purpose, where they are killed by hundreds. Since the introiluction of fire-arms, about fifteen years ago, the number of deer has been very greatly (Iimini.shed. At the same time the bow and arrow have fallen into disuse, and it would be impossible at present for them to obtain sufficient food without guns and annnunition. The K;iv- iak peninsula formerly abounded with deer ; at present none are found there. When the snow melts and the ice comes out of the small rivers, the Innuit return to their homes. Myriads of water-fowl ar- rive, and breed on the steep cliffs of Ik'sboro' Island, and similar promontories of the coast. About this time the young men seek for eggs and kill the parent binls, wliile the older and more wealthy start for Grantley Harbor and Kotzcbue Sound, where the traders meet them as soon as open water affords oppo' tunity. As June arrives, eggs are more abundant, and form for a while the chief article of diet. (juIIs' eggs are rejected by the women and children, who believe that they will grow old and decrepit if liiey eat them. Seal may also be obtained in small numbers, and immense schools of herring visit the shores, remaining about ten days and then disappearing for the season. As July advances the salmon arrive, and every one is found upon the shore. Gill nets are stretched out from the brach, and the sands are red with the fish, split and hung up to dry ; dogs and men have as much as they can eat, and large supi)lies of I'lkali are laid in for winter use. While the fishery lasts no wood must be cut with an axe, or the salmon will disappear. Near the end of July a small fleet of bidarnis arrive with those who have been away trading, and a deputation of Tuski or Okee- 148 THE YUKON TERRITORY. f'-' }■ (Sgcmuts with walrus ivory, whalebone, and tame reindeer skins for barter. In August many of the women repair to the hills, where they hunt the young reindeer fawns. The latter arc caught by run- ning after them, or in snares. Their skins are valued for cloth- ing, and make a very pretty light parka. They are of a uniform brownish red, lighter on the belly, and not spotted like the young of the red deer. The skins are nearly valueless until about a month old, and it is hardly necessary to contradict Zagoskin's fables about the unborn young. The latter, I believe, are not eaten by the Innuit ; at least, I have frequently seen them thrown to the dogs. The stomach of the adult deer, filled with half- digested willow-tips, is regarded as a delicacy, and eaten as we do salad. The supply of backfat is also laid in at this season ; later it disappears. In September many repair to Pastol Hay and Norton I^ay, where they kill the beluga, left in shallows by the tide. The seal fishery is at this time in full blast, and the natives will not work on the frames of boats or kyaks. As the cold weather comes on, the rutting season of the deer comes with it, and most of the Innuit repair to the mountains after them. At this season the supplies of deerskins, sinews, and meat are laid in for the winter. About the middle of October the shores of the Sound are girded with ice. The seal disappear, but myriads of a small fish, like tom-cod, are found all along the shores, and are fished for through holes in the ice. The hook is pe- culiar. It is made of a small oval piece of bone with a sharp pin inserted into it diagonally. It is not baited, \^ as the fish bite at the ivory, which is tied on a whale- \ bone thread, whose elasticity gives the hook a tremu- J lous motion in the water. The sinker is also an oval J? piece of bone or ivory. These little fish are excellent #* eating, and are caught by thousands at Unalaklik. ^i^ Hy this time the majority have returned to the villages, fish"iiook ^ntl trapping commences. The women are at work on andsinker. the wiutcr clothiug, and the season of festivity sets in. The greater part of November and half of December is occu- pied by dances and festivals. About January the trade with the Indians commences, and in February they again repair to the THL YUKON TERRITORY. 149 idccr skins mountains as before. This gives a sketch of their mode of life (hiring the year. The dances and winter festivities deserve more minute description. All the Innuit are fond of dancing and singing together. The princij)al jwint, in both Innuit and Indian dances, is, to make as many different kinds of motion with the body and arms as pos- sible, always keeping the most exact time with the chorus and with each other. The dances take place in the casine of tlie vil- lage, and time is kept by a number of old men, who Icail the chorus and beat time with an elastic wand on a sort of large tambourine. Their festivals may be divided into two classes, — one where they meet simply to dance and sing, and the other when there are also other ends in view. In the former the singers con- fine themselves strictly to the chorus " L'ng hi yah," &c., which has previously been described. These dances are held whenever a sufficient number happen to meet in the casine a. id desire it, but always in the evening. The other festivals also take place in the evening, and are of diiVerent kinds. First, there is the opening festival of the winter, which differs from all the others. Then there are festivals at which the givers desire to Indicate their friendship for each other by making presents in a manner which will be afterwards described. A third kind of festival is given a year after the death of a relation. A fourth, when a wealthy man wishes to make himself the reputation of a public benefactor. A fifth, when a man wishes to redress an injury which he has done to another, and a sixth, when the village unites in inviting the inhabitants of another village to partake of their hospitality. The opening festival of the season is usually held early in November. No women participate, except as spectators. The in- variable chorus is begun, and kept up until all the young male in- habitants arc collected in the casine. As soon as all are present, dishes of charcoal ground up with oil are brought in ; all the young men strip themselves and proceed to paint their faces and bodies. No particular pattern is followed, but each one suits his own fancy. When all are duly adorned they leave the casine in single file, end- ing with the boys. Attired in Adam's original costume, they visit every house in the village, chanting as they go. I'^ach family has prepared dishes of eatables according to their means. These are given to the performers; and when all the houses have been visited, '50 THE YUKON TERRITORY. — the atmosphere meanwhile perhaps many degrees below zero, — they return laden to tiie easine. Passing under the floor, eaeh one stands a moment in the central opening, ehants for a few seconds while the old men beat the drums, and then springs out and de- posits on the floor the dish he carries. When all have come in they form in a hollow square, each one holding a dish in both hands, A peculiar chant is begiui by one of the old men, and the others join in with him; they then turn towards the north corner of the building, chanting, and at a given signal all raise the dishes of food which they carry, above their heads in a northerly direc- tion, at the same time looking down and uttering a hissing sound. This is repealed several times ; the chant then continues for a few minutes, when they turn to the east and repeat the perform- ance ; and again to the south and west. This is to exorcise evil spirits. This being done, all set to and dispose of the eatables. When the feast is over they proceed to wash ofl" the paint, at which stage of the performance most civilized spectators are obliged by the odor to retire. After the washing is concluded all join in the ordinary chorus and disperse to their homes. The third kind of festival );i given by *.he relatives of the dead, both male and female. They appear by the underground passage, carrying food and presents. Placing them on the floor, they join in the usual chorus. The motions of the 'females are graceful and easy. The men strive to outdo each other in jumping and ex- treme exertions of every muscle of the body, always keeping perfect time. Ik'tween the meaningless syllables of the chorus, words are interpolated, eulogizing the virtues of the deceased and relating his exploits in hunting and fishing. The men imitate in their actions the motions of approacliing the deer, of .shooting, pursuing, and of taking off the skin. The .same dumb show is car- ried out until the relation of the history of the dead man is com- pleted. The women then distribute the eatables to the friends of the family. The men distribute the presents. Some trifle, such as a leaf of tobacco or a pair of sealskin boot-soles, is given to every spectator. A handsome gift falls to him who made the coffin, and smaller presents to others who assisted at the inter- ment. After this is over a more lively chant begins, indicating that the season of mourning is over, and that the relatives have performed their duty. With this the exhibition closes. THK YUKON TERRITORY. 15' ow zero, — r, each one L'W seconds lit and dc- c conic in ih in both LMi, and the irtli corner the dishes lerly diiec- sing sound, in lies for a c pcrform- ;orcisc evil e eatables, e paint, at :tators are concluded homes. r the dead, 1(1 passage, , they join racel'iil and g and ex- s keeping the chorus, ceased and imitate in shooting, low is car- an is corn- friends of trifle, such s given to made the the inter- indicating itives have The fourth festival is not a very common one, and is more prac- tised among the tribes of the Viikon-moiith and to the southward. The man who proposes to give it often saves up his property for years, and retains nothing, being reduced to poverty by the festi- val. He accumulates deerskins, beaver, sealskins and furs, beails, and other articles of value. He exerts himself to the utmost in preparing food for his guests. When the preparations are com- plete he sends to all the natives of the vicinity, who crowd to the feast. It begins with dancing and singing, each guest doing his utmost to excel in each and do honor to the occasion. The festi- val lasts as many days as the provisions will huKl out. On the last day the host, dressed in a new suit, welcomes his friends in the casine. To each he gives presents of whatever he may like best ; when all the store of gifts is exhausted the host strips him- self replacing the new clothing by the poorest rags, and gi^-' < ih<' former to whoever has not previously receiveil a gift. ' s wife does the same. Thf guests put on their new clothing on the sjwt in silence. 'Ihe host then aildresses ihcm, saying tha' he has nothing .eft, and deiJieciating his own generosity as much as possible. He then dismisses the assembly, who go back to their homes. No return is asked or expected, and the host is often reduced to extreme destitution, which he regards as a slight matter compared with the reputation which the festival has given him. At some of these feasts ten guns, two hundred beaver, a hundred sealskins, fifty deerskins, five hundred sable, two hundred fathoms of strung beads, ten wolf or wolverine skins, and as many suits of clothing and blankets, have been given away by one man. Stepanoff told me of a man who saved for fifteen years, until he accumulated such a store of valuables, and then made a ftast and gave everything away. The fifth kind of festival is also of rather rare occurrence. I witnessed but one. The man who had originated the (piarrel sent a messenger some seventy miles to the man who had been injured or offended. The messenger was dressed in a new suit, with a red shirt, and carried a wand ornamented with feathers in his hand. Intimation of the intention had of course reached the recipient in advance. The messenger found l.-m at his work. Chanting as he approached, he made known his errand, striking the receiver with his wand ; and suddenly seizing a kiii:"j, he 1^2 THK YUKON TICRRITORY. 1 i 1 'lit li I I i, i I I i j;iaspcil him by the iicck and brandished it above his heail. The otiicr. undcrstamiin}.; the intention, made no resistance ; and con- cUuHnj; his chant, the niessenj^er intjiiireil what restitution was desired. The other told what he wisheil tor, and the niessenf ilu' \iikon. of it than a description. There are no nails or pins, the whole being lashed together by means of rawhide thongs. The load- is usually covered with cotton cloth, and firmly kislied to the sides and rail of the sled. The dogs are harnessed two and two, with a leader, to a single line in front of the sled. The traces are tied together, antl attached by a short cord to the sled-line. The har- ness was described in the last chapter. We had had many discussions during the past season, in regard to the respective merits of the different kinds of sleds, and I was very glad of the opportunity of thus putting them to a practical test. The Hudson Ikiy sled is the only one used by their voy- ageurs ; while the Russians use a sled similar to the Indian one, but broader and more strongly made. We started for Ulukuk about noon of the 15th. Our loads were unusually heavy and the teams small. On each of the Mud- son Bay sleds I placed about four hundred pounds, and gave them three good dogs apiece. The Indian sled took about the .same load with four dogs, and the Innuit one had about seven hundred with five dogs. The latter, being shod with bone, will carry a i)llar. like a horse- " the clog, and the n, and three good eaeh side of the oad and no power poles to the load work controlling ine alone. ;r. It is made of h the inequalities •ive a better idea r pins, the whole gs. The load is sli.ed to the sides wo and two, with le traces are tied l-line. The har- I season, in regard sleds, and I was :m to a practical ;cd by their voy- the Iiulian one, ;th. Onr loads [ach of the Hud- [, and gave them jabout the same It seven hundred [ne, will carry a ^ THE YUKON TLHRITORY. 167 \-cry heavy load ovc- smooth ice with ease. I took one of the Hudson Bay sleds, as I always made it a rule to take as heavy a sled as any man in the brigade. With this arrangeniv'nt no man I Id )h )f th. dit of his load, and .\cessive \ _ V Jett without an excuse. A light sled should alwa; ; lead, and break the road. This was KuriUa's post ; I brought up the r-^ar, to jnevent the natives from neeiUessly lagging behind. When sure of my men and with a good road, I always took the lead. It is a good plan for the leader to carry the blankets, chynik, and axes ; for if a storm shouKl come up, anil the otners should drop behind, they cannot camp until the day's work is finished, and they have caught up their lost ground. We found the going moderately good, and camped a short dis- tance below Ikti'galik about six o'clock. The days were begin- ning to be short. The sun rose about ten o'clock, and by three ill the afternoon had again reached the horizon. His highest elevation was far below the zenith. We reached Ikti'galik early the next day. Here we camped, bought dog-feed, and rearranged the loads, substituting an In- dian sled for the Iniuiit one, which was of no further use, as we were about to make portaijes. Matfay had promisetl me a new sled and the use of his dogs, for which I had paid him in atlvance. N\)\v, the old rutlian refuseil to let liis dogs go at all, and gave us a weak and almost worthless old sled. Ami'lka and others had built some new winter houses near Nuk'koh, and had deserted riukuk entirely, only one h..)use there being still inhabited. All the Ingaliks were gt)ing to the Kaivuh River a little later in the season. Here Tekunka had announced that he woukl hokl a fes- tival. He was now on his way to Unalaklik to purchase oil. We were delayed the next day, having to patch up the old sled, but t off about ten o'clock. We had not proceedetl far before three tlic knees on one ude bn^ke After making the best repairs in our power we pushed on, and about noon reacheil the new village. I fere we found a large number of Indians. There was a new sled there, and the owner asked for it a can (i lb.) of powder, ten balls, and ten percussion-caps. The usual cost of a sled is twenty balls ; yet I would have purchased it, even at the outrageous price he named ; but after paying him he stooped down and be- (I 1 68 THE YUKON TERRITORY. m. < ll gan to strip off the lashings, saying that the remni belonged to anoti.er man. At this my temper, which had been at the boihng- point ever since I left Matfay, gave way, and I expressed my de- cided opinion of him as thoroughly as my vocabulary permitted me. Leaving the sled and reclaiming the price, I pushed on, de- termined not to submit to such an imposition. About a mile beyond the village the old sled ga\ ^ out entirely. This was the last drop. I said nothing, but took out my pipe and sat down to calm my nerves. The others did the same, and finally Kun'lla spoke up and said that we must go back and buy the sled pre- viously spoken of. He suggested that he had a small tin which held only half a pound of powder, and if that were presented to the man he might not detect the difference : in this way we might get even with him. We had plenty of mahout to lash the sled again. I told him he might try, and he went off and soon returned with the sled. We had meanwhile boiled the chynik. and now took our tea, after which we reloaded. One of our dogs had taken the opportunity to gnaw off his harness and dis- appear in the woods. Meanwhile it had become almost dark, and the men were grumbling, and wanted to go back and spend the night at the village. They invented stories about there be- ing no ice in the Ulukuk River, and went grudgingly to their work when I told them that stopping was out of the question, and we should sleep only on our arrival at Ulukuk. This day's adventures are fair specimens of the ai noyances sometimes ex- perienced in travelling, and which only patience and energy can overcome. The dogs are given to running away when most wanted, and light steel collars, and chains such as horses are hitched with, would be a very valuable addition to any traveller's equipment. We arrived in good order, but some time after dark, and camped in one of the winter houses. There we found a few Indians, and obtained abundance of trout, fresh from the river, with which we fed ourselves and the dogs, reserving the lighter likali for the road. A small Indian cur occasioned great con- fusion during the night, howling and fighting, and started at last for the woods, with several of our dogs in pursuit. I had reckoned that old Amdka would be willing to lend us his fine team, but he refused; — such is life among the Indians! THE YUKON TERRITORY. 169 ni belonged to at the boiling- )ressed my de- lary permitted pushed on, de- About a mile This was the id sat down to finally Kun'lla ^ the sled pre- mall tin which •e presented to 1 this way we lout to lash the It off and soon cd the chynik. . One of our arness and dis- 2 almost dark, :ick and spend bout there be- ingly to their the question, This day's sometimes ex- d energy can when most as horses are any traveller's er dark, and found a few om the river, ng the lighter ed great con- nd started at irsuit. I had d us his fine dians! The next day was occupied in repairing damages, reloading, and recovering our runaway dogs. The weather was disagree- ably windy, with snow. On the iglh we started very early. A few miles from Ulukuk v,e were astonished to see dogs coming, and in a few moments the previously mentioned cur appeared, with Amilka's three dogs in hot pursuit. These were immediately impounded and pressed into the service, forming an exceedingly acceptable addition to our insufiicient teams. Even the cur was made to contribute, by tying her to the foremost sled as leader. In crossing one of the gullies by which the tundra is inter- sected, the new sled was broken beyond repair. The Indians were in despair ; but, by cutting off about three feet of the other runner, I made a short sled, in which two dogs could haul our blankets and other light but bulky articles. The remainder of the load and team was distributed among the other sleds. Ow- ing to this delay we were obliged to camp near the Vesolia Sopka. These repeated stoppages were the more annoying as our dog-feed was short. The next day we made better time, and camped near Beaver Lake. Many deer tracks were visible, and there were evidently herds in the vicinity. The following morning we passed Beaver Lake and One-Tree Camp. The wind and snow were blowing just as they were the year before, when I was travelling with IMike. I little thought at that time that my next journey on that road would be taken alone. Facing the keen wind, I got my nose and cheeks some- what frostbitten, but soon restored them by rubbing with snow. It has been said that freezing is unaccompanied by pain, but my experience does not confirm it. The feeling is as if a thousand red-hot needles were being driven into the flesh. Of course, after it is frozen beneath the skin, there is no further pain. Im- mediate application of snow will relieve it, and the usual elTects are slight. The skin peels off and leaves a l)rown stain resem- bling sunburn, and quite as ephemeral. Fire and warmth should be avoided, as they produce an intense burning pain attended with inflammation. The best plan in cold weather is to face the wind boldly; after a while the skin will become inured to it. Arriving at Perivalli, we camped, making our supper of ukali and tea. WFW ; i 170 THE YUKON TERRITORY. ^i %\ I i f ! The next morning we started with the twilight. The valley through which we had been passing is of an hour-glass shape. The narrowest part is near a round, abrupt hill, called by the Russians the Ass's Head. It widens toward Ivan's barrabora and Kaltag. We camped not far from the latter place. For the last three days we had been on snowshoes, and the road was far from good. In the following morning early we reached the Yukon, and crossed to the village on the left bank. Here I boung him, with two Indians and the IMahlcmuts Tiic Russians got after my alcohol for collecting, and I was oblij^cd to poison it. I set to v.nrk making windows, nul laying my plans for putting down a tlsh-trap on my own account. The idea of being dependent on the Russians for fish was repugnant to me, and I knew very well that they were often witiiout fish for their own use. Several of the Indians at the fort had been attacked by a kind of fit, and one of these occurred in my presence. The Russians consulted me as to some means of cure. The p-atient fell in a sort of convulsion, struggling violently, appearing unconscious, ffn ¥' ';; if' iiii S ! 172 THE YUKON TERRITORY. tearing the clothing, and breaking everything within reach. There were no symptoms of any disease, and the fits were epi- demic, seizing one after another at short intervals. The cases resembled the descriptions of those people who were supposed in ancient times to be bewitched, and also some of those appear- ances which have accompanied cases of semi-religious mania in Europe in modern times. Suspecting the cause of the symptoms, I recommended the application of a birch twig, well laid on: the result exceeded my anticipations. The patients arose in a rage, and the epidemic was effectually checked. The reason for such behavior was inexplicable, and is one of the mysteries peculiar to the Indian mind. It is probable that in the course of time these fits, at first wilful, became in a measure involuntary. Having finished the windows, I began to put the house in order, and it soon assumed a habitable appearance. My fever, which I had hoped was thoroughly conquered, returin^J, and I felt anything but well. On the 4th of December, Pavloff and his companions returned from the Redoubt. They brought discouraging reports from Kurilla, whom they represented as without dog-feed. They strongly opposed my putting down an independent fish-trap, say- ing that it would cost me a great deal, that I should catch no fish, and that they could furnish me with all I required ; but I de- termined to persevere in my own plan. These fish-traps are the sole dependence of the Russians and Yukon Indians in winter, for a regular supply of food. They are made in the following man- ner. Green spruce trees, straight-grained and without knots, are selected. It is often a matter of great difiiculty to find them. When obtained they are repeatedly split by means of wedges, until the wood is reduced to strips a quarter of an inch in diam- eter and twelve feet long. The tough green wood does not break. These strips are for the basket and funnel. Thicker ones are used for making the fences or mats. The former are carefully trimmed until cylindrical. The latter arc tied together with osiers until a sheet of network is formed, with the strips crossing each other at right angles, and the meshes about two inches long and one high. These sheets are eight feet high and ten long. The basket is twelve feet long, cylindrical, tapering nearly to a point at one end, and open at the other. The aperture in the ^ 'S THE YUKON TERRITORY. ^3 within reach, e fits were epi- als. The cases ere supposed in f those appear- [rious mania in ■ the symptoms, 2ll laid on : the arose in a rage, reason for such ries peculiar to sc of time these y- it the house in II cc. My fever, returiiv^J, and 1 inions returned 5 reports from 3g-fced. They t fish-trap, say- hould catch no lired ; but I dc- h-traps are the ans in winter, bllowing man- lout knots, arc to find them. ans of wedges, inch in diani- oes not break. icker ones arc are carefully together with strips crossing )ut two inches high and ten apering nearly aperture in the point is about eight inches in diameter, and is closed by a small cover. The cylinder is about two feet in diameter. A large funnel of similar network is made. The mouth of it is eight feet square, and it tapers to a very small aperture, just large enough to admit a fish. The point is inserted into the open end of the cylinder, and the whole is tied together. The network of both is fastened with strong twine of hemp, or the inner bark of the wil- low. Holes are cut into the ice, uprights driven into the mud at the bottom of the river, and the mats are tied strongly to them. In this way a T-shaped fence is made, extending at right angles to the current out into the stream, to a point where it is about eight feet deep. The funnels, with baskets attached, are fastened to the cars of the cross-stroke of the T, one basket pointing up stream and the other down. They are so arranged that they can be lifted to the surface and out of the water. The ice above them is broken away by means of four-sided chisels made for the pur- pose. As they are raised every other day it does not form to any great thickness. The baskets are kept in place by sharp poles attached to the point and to the sides of the funnel, and pushed down into the mud. Fish going up or down stream follow the shore until they come to the fence, which guides them to the mouth of the funnel, when they enter the basket, from which they cannot escape. The water passes freely through the network, and keeps them alive for any length of time. As the water falls, the fence is extended, and baskets moved out or new ones put down. It is a work of no little labor to cut through the ice and put down the trap, or sa/><^r, as the Russians call it. This trap was original with the Yukon Indians, but is found only below Koyukuk. The upper Indians and the Hudson Bay people know nothing of it. Yagorsha informed me that the Yakuts had a similar custom. Without it, in winter, starvation would reign on the Lower Yukon. Similar traps are used in summer and raised by means of boats. The slender network, exceedingly frail when dry, is very tough when wet. The fish are shaken out by opening the cover at the point of the basket. I had great difficulty in getting suitable wood, and had to send six or eight miles from Nulatofor it. I cut the willows on the island myself, to be ready for work when Ku- ri'Ua returned. Mctrikoff, the bidarshik of Nulato before Pavloff, died suddenly. rm '74 THE YUKOxN TERRITORY. m )^ -.v.- I i; I I leavinf; two bright, intelligent children. The Russians had re- tained thcni on sufferance until the Governor could be heard from in regard to them. Maksutoff's reply was, that the Company would do nothing for them, and they had better be given to the Indians! Their mother was dead, and the recommendation of the hard-hearted Russian was carried into effect. Ingechuk, who was a relation of the mother, came and took them to Uliikuk. It was hard to see two such boys deprived of all prospect of educa tion and condemned to a worthless life with the Indians, but ii was a fair specimen of the character of the Rus;-ians in Northwest America. The weather had set in very cold, and averaged thirty below zero at noon. The wood for the trap, which had been obtained with so much trouble, proved unsatisfactory, and there was no prospect of obtaining more until Kurilla returned. Meanwhile, though sick and miserable, I had not neglected the collections, and had already several hundred birdskins of the species which are winter residents. Late in the afternoon of December 15th, Kun'lla made hh ap- pearance with the brigade. They had done everything I desired, had brought all the goods except a bag of oil and some ukali, and the train contained four Rlahlemut dogs, beside thirteen of mine. The Innuit had come forward and offered dugs as soon as they heard I was in need of them. I could not have trusted any Russian in the territory to do the work as well and faithfully as Kun'lla had done it. The Russians were out of fish. I had ukali, but none to spare. It was evident that nineteen dogs could not be fed at Nulato for any length of time, and I determined to go to the Kaiyuh River, where Tekunka was giving a festival, and distribute all but one team among the Indians, to be fed and used until I needed them again. Notwithstanding they had nothing to eat, — as the day was a Prasnik, or holiday, when they were not obliged to work, — the Russians preferred sitting in the house and grumbling, to the trouble of going to the fish-trap. On the 17th of December the Nowikakat tyone and seven men arrived with a small hand-sled loaded with furs, which they sold to Pavloff. When they were at a little distance, though their num- Ii li'H! THE YUKON TERRITORY. 175 ssians had re- bc heard from the Company le given to the imcndation of [ngechuk, who Ulukuk. It pect of educa Indians, but ii 1 in Northwest .1 thirty below been obtained there was no . Meanwhile, he collections, species which made hij ap- ling I desired, d some likali, le thirteen of gs as soon as c trusted any faithfully as lone to spare, at Nulato for iiyuh River, all but one needed them le day was a work, — the ibling, to the id seven men they sold to their num- ber could be counted, the Russians were seized with one of their cowardly fits, barred the gates, loaded the howitzer, and prepared for an attack from eight men and a boy ! On their stating their errand, the commotion subsided and the gates were opened. I made the tyone a present of some tobacco and ammuni- tion, in consideration of his services during the previous spring. With Indian assurance, he immediately (lemaiuled a seine, gun, blanket, and a large supply of ammunition, which of course were produced forthwith. The next day I harnessed all the dogs into one sled and started for Wolasatu.x', riding several miles for the first time during my stay in Russian America. We found all sick on our arrival, and very short of provisions. The following morning we jiroceeded up a small river and across the country, until we arrived at Te- kunka's barrabora on the Kaiyuh River. Here we found the festival in full blast and the place crowded with Indians, dancing and singing all night, so that we got very little rest. The country is rolling, sparsely wooded, and full of small lakes and rivers, which contain many fish, especially in summer. The next morning, as the Indians were still engaged in their festivities and would not attend to anything else, I put on my snowshoes and travelled about fifteen miles eastward, to the ridge of the Kaiyuh Mountains. These are low hills, trending in a northeast and southwest direction, and at that season covered with snow. Beyond them the country was rolling, with oc- casional hills, and sparingly wooded. The rivers, if any, were hidden by the snow. I returned, and reached the house in time to make a good camp outside, as I felt very tired and unwilling to be deprived of sleep for another night. I made my supper on raw, frozen whitefish, scraped up like frozen pudding. This dish is not unpalatable, as the freezing has all the effect of cooking. Several of the Indians made me presents of mink and marten skins. The next day was devoted to trading. I secured a full sled- load of frozen fish and ukali, keeping six dogs, and hiring In- dians to take and feed the rest. I also purchased a quantity of frozen berries, and some mats to cover the floor of the house at Nulato. Tekunka promised faithfully to make one of my party down II 176 THE YUKON TERRITORY. ^1 \ . . • ! ' i : '. : i 1 .) 1 ■ 1 n-" the river in the sprnig, and I gave him a gun as part payment to clinch the bargain. The next day all the Indians dispersed to their homes. We left Tekunka, passing up the river to a place known as Jearny's barrabora. Jearny (meaning fat) was the name of a very stout, greasy Ingalik, who had a house and fish-trap, where I hoped to obtain some more fish. The afternoon was moonlight, the sun Jearny's barrabora. setting very early, and after stopping to buy fish vvc thought best to push on. The fence of the fish-trap at this place extended clear across the river, and was made of bundles of willow brush tied together and placed side by side. There was only one Indian house and two caches. The building over the entrance to the house was large, square, strongly built of heavy logs, and pierced for musketry. We camped five miles beyond. I had determined to return by another route, which would bring us on the Yukon nearly op- posite Nulato. Here I met with a serious misfortune, losing a fine meerschaum, which had been my constant companion and solace. I was now reduced to a single brierwood, in very poor condition. The next morning, starting with the first light, we followed a very poor, roundabout trail toward the Yukon. I THE YUKON TERRITORY. 177 s part payment ir homes. We 3wn as Jcarny's )f a very stout, lere I hoped to mliffht, the sun >ft- |e thought best place extended |f willow brush was only one the entrance cavy logs, and Id to return by Ion nearly op- Itune, losing a |m pan ion and in very poor irst light, we ie Yukon. I I went on ahead of the dogs, and soon outstripped them. About dark I reached Nuh'ito, pretty thoroughly tired out, having made nearly forty miles on snowshoes. The train arrived about two hours after. On leaving Nukito I had placed all our slender store of crock- ery on a high shelf, that it might be out of any ordinary danger. What was my regret, on going into the house, to find that the shelf had given way, and the whole was in fragments on the floor ! No more could be obtained for love or money, and we were re- duced to eating off of tin. Luckily, I had purchased of Ketchum a Hudson Hay cup, saucer, and plate, made of iron lined with por- celain. These were uninjured, and afterward did good service. Another plate was repaired by boring small holes with an awl, and sewing the pieces together with strong wa.ved thread. My efforts were soon directed to the work of supplying our household with various necessary utensils. Lamps, small cups, and other articles were manufactured out of old tin cans. Mos- quito-netting furnished the material for a sieve, and with I'aspil- koff's assistance I made a candle-mould. Seal-oil lamps arc very unsatisfactory, requiring constant picking, and making a great deal of smoke. Cotton twine furnished wicks, and I was soon able to make very passable candles from my extra supplies of reindeer fat. The flour which I obtained from the Russians was a mixture of rye and wheat meal, usually denominated groats. The husks were so coarse and abundant that sifting became necessary. The Rus- sians raised their bread by means of leaven, but as this made sour bread I adopted another plan, which is here described for the benefit of future travellers. A gallon of warm water was niixeil with a handful of coarse salt, flour enough to make a batter, and was placed in a wooden vessel on the warm peeehka over night. Larly in the morning flour enough was stirred in to make it of the proper consistency. At breakfast-time the fire was made, and alter breakfast, when the coals were removed from the oven, the bread was kneaded, made into loaves, and put in. An hour usu- ally served to bake it, making a batch of perfectly light, sweet bread, without yeast or leaven. White flour may be treated in the same way, but takes longer to rise. I usually made up about forty pounds of flour at a time, and the bread would last us about 12 .78 THE YUKON TERRITORY. 1 1 i. a week. I soon found, by calculation, that wc must be very carefi:! with our flour, and was obliged to weigh out the daily allowance, — a pound each, not a very large piece of .such damp brown bread. I allowed each three pounds of sugar per month, and a jiound of tea for all hands. In this way I managed to make our supjily last, although wc were often on short commons. I-'ish, rabbits, and grouse were unusually scarce, and often entirely deficient. No deer visit Nuhito during the winter. I had saved a small piece of frozen deer meat for Christmas, which found us without other supplies in the storehouse. Christ- mas morning I bought two white grouse, and sent Johnny out to shoot another, which he fortunately succeeded in doing. With these, some berry pies, and some sweetened short-cake, I made Yukon grouse-snare. out a pretty fair dinner, and invited Fivloff pnd Yagor to eat it with me, each bringing his own cup. pl;ite, and spoon, as my stock did not set the table. It was a kv.iely Christmas compared with the last, or with any I had ever '-pent before. It was impos- sible to help thinking of the dear ones at home, of the Christmas- trees and festivities they were enjoying, and equally impossible to doubt that they were thinking of us as we were of them, though many thousand miles away, New-Year's day brought cold weather, forty-eight below zero. My hunters were unsuccessful, and our dinner was reduced to fish soup, cranberry pie, bread, and tea. My family consisted of Johnny, two Indian boys, and Kuri'lla. I sent the boys out set- ting snares for grouse and rabbits. These were occasionally successful, and eked out our slender bill of fare. The snares are THE YUKON TERRITORY. J 79 very carefi:) llowaiicc, — rowii hnrul. a JKHllul of our supply ish, rabl)its, ly deficient. • Christmas, sc. Clirist- niny out to )ing. With ike, I made I or to eat it )on, as my s compared was impos- Christmas- ipossible to cm, though )clow zero, ccd to fish nsisted of ys out sct- iccasionally snares are [| made of twisted deer sinew in a running loop. This is attached to a pole, balanced, as in the preceding sketch, between two branches, and caught over a h'y plan of piittinj^ down an independent trap, 1 should have been left witliout fresh provisions and lost my doj;s by starvation. The first fish which are caught in early winter on the Yukon, are the " A'.v// " (/.i'/,i ni(Uiiln!(i) of the Hudson l?ay men. These are known in Lake luie as the " eel pout," and grow in the north- ern rivers to a very large size. ! have seen them four feet long ami weighing sixty pouiul.s. The liver is very large and full of a rich sweet oil, which we found viMy useful in cooking. The livers themselvi's are good eating, but very rich. The llesh is hard and tasteless, and is usually given to the dogs. They present an ana- tomical i>eculiarity in having from one to four distinct gall blad- ders. The spawn, which occupies a large part of the abdominal cavity, makes an excellent soup. The next most common kiiul of fish is a red sucker, which grows also to a larg\; size. The lu\ids make a good soup, but the rt-st of the body is so full of bones as to be umiitable. The pike (/■.".v.'.r I'stoi) is very common in the lakes and sm dl rivers, but rare in the Yukon. A salmon-trout is rarely caught, and a belated salmon occasionally finds its way into the traj) as late as Januarx . There are six kinds of whitefish, some large and others small. The sea whitefish, or Moiskoi siux^i of the Rus- sians, is considered tlie best. TiuMe is also found in spring a fish reseml)ling the whitefisli, but dark-colored, and with a very long dorsal fin, fiom whiih it gels the Indian name of " blanket-fish." In July the salmon begin to asci-nd the river. There are five kinds. Thri't' of them are good eating, but the others are only fit for dogs. After August tlu'y art- bruised and in bad condition, being cast in layers a foot deep on llu' banks of (he small rivers. I have seen hundreds of thousands of deail sidmon cast up in this way by the stream. Of eourst>, in this condition they are only fit for dog-feed, though the Indians will eat them if other Ibod be sca'"ce. Most of these fish, except the salmon, are common to the rivers of tlu> 1 ludson Hay territory. On the ,^c)tii of Jair.iary, I'avlolf returned. He had not gone far, for want of dog-feed. His trade consisted of a biaek bearskin and one lynx ; the previous year he had brought l)ack .sonn: seven hundred sables. rUH YUKON TKRRITORY. iSl arlly on fresh uply, unci if I 1 indcpciulcnt s and lost my n the Ynkon, men. These V in the north- four feet lonj; and full of a -;. The livers sh is hard and resent an ana- inet j;all blad- Ihc abdominal nnnon kind of L'. The heads of hones as to in in llie lakes -trout is rarely lyinto the trap sh, some large i^'-j of the Rus- \ sprinj; a fish |h a very lonj;- .nd hasteni'd to clean out the yard, removing the accumulated dirt of monllis, and sweeping the path clean from the gateway (K)wn to the ice. It was not Step.inolf, however, but a Russian and two Creoles, with two of Step.inorr's line teams from the Redoubt. On ar- riving, they proved to be KiimarolV, Lukeen, and Al<')shka ; they brought a bag of oil lor I'/ivloff, a two-gallon keg of molasses, and a larger keg of salted geese, — a present from Stepanoff tor me. 1 knew at once tliat ll'.ey had not come so fir nu-rely to bring lln'se things. I asked if any news had arrived from Sitka, and reci-iveil only an v'vasivi- ' pW. Afte-r a liltU- I ealleil Lukeen, who was a jolly little ' 'reole. into my house, and stinni- lated him until he told nn-, witii many inj unci ions of seenn-y, that the oiriciai news had arrived, \i,i Nuslu'rg.ik and the Kiisko- (|uini, of the sale of the; territory to the I'nited States, that the Kussian Ame-riean Company was wound uj , anil all the Russians would return to Sitka or the /\moor River by the vessels in the spiing. This ...■•. good news, and 1 lost no time in hoisting the stars and stripes on our llagstal'l' in front of the foi!. The news was soon made public, and all rt'ceived it with joy. Old men wlio had been many years in the country, detained by trilling debts to the Com|)any, which llu-y had no m ;ans of paying, were e.vtrav- agant in the expression of their delight in the hope, so long the Redoubt, the rest to take rs on the 13th, the ne.xt day. I took a Hud- ;ight dogs. On ) walk, and was ide a very short -feed from the here they rum- ng at Uliikuk. :y for work and akness. I felt ike. This was narolT. " Yes, of superiority, answer, but did irrabora. The s of fine dogs. reed myself to dogs as much to the Vesolia igli there were our tired dog: 1 the ; poortii z nity to sketch the scene, of which the frontispiece gives a good idea. The crust was covered with about three inches of soit dry snow, and the Hudson Bay sled pulled very hard. Constant exer- cise of the lungs and whip were necessary to keep the dogs up to their work. On we trudged, following the track, lifting the sleds up and down gullies, pushing through occasional drifts, and shout- ing encouragement and admonition to the dogs, calling each by his name. , We did not turn off from the tundra at Uliikuk, but kept on, until I noticed that there were no new tracks, and called to Ku- n'lla, inquiring where the Russians were. Me replied that he did I " know ; perhaps they had camped at Ulukuk ; but as that road s\:\:: uch a bad one he had kept on the Indian trail across the tUiidra direct to Ikti'galik. I approved of his determination, but saw that we must reach the latter place before we could camp, as the trees along the edge of the tundra were small and sparse, the wind was rising, snow beginning to fall, and poorga impended. At last we reached the river, and collected all our energies, as the blast, carrying snow and almost blinding us, was increasing in severity. In half an hour we passed a fish-trap, and soon after, the welcome sight of the tall caches against the sky met our eyes. We carried the sleds up the bank with a will and a shout, which brought the Ir.dians like marmots from their burrows. An In- dian who \m'\ been with us during the early part of the day came out and irjuir; 1 where the Russians were. Kuri'ila replied that wc did 10 i.i'.ow, probably at Ulukuk. The air rang with their shouts oi d i'- L-n, at the idea that a sick man, with heavy loads and feeble tea. s 'lould have outstripped the fine dogs and empty trains of the L.ussians. The poor dogs were unharnessed, and immediately crrlcd themselves up to sleep, refusing to eat, from latigue. It \> as with a pardonable feeling of pride that I took my place in the house by the fire, and discussed the day's work over a cheerful cup of tea. By the winding road which we were obliged 10 take, we had made not less than fifty miles, unquestion- ably :;'■' iongest day's travel with loaded sleds which had been made 111 .■ ;: pari of the territory within the memory of the old- est inhab'tunt. The next morning, after a long night's rest, we arose and fed the dogs. The teams were loaded and harnessed up, and I spent ii!' 184 THE YUKON TERRITORY. P a half-hour purchasing deer meat and likali for my dogs on my return. We then started down the river, and after a mile or two stopped to obtain some water. Just as we were about to push on, the Russians, who had been travelling since daybreak, came over the bank. Kamaroff advanced, cap in hand, and inquired where I spent the night. I informed him, and he remarked that we had made an excellent day's work yesterday. It was now my turn, and I replied, " Yes, Kamaroff, that is the way the Americans travel ! " About three o'dxk in the afternoon we reached Unalakli'k. Here we found Osi ^ alone, Popofif having been recalled to the Redoubt. After .. , trouble, I hired a Mahlemut sled to take our goods on to St. Michael's. All the Innuit were away hunting deer, only two or three old people remaining in the vil- lage. After a cold, rough journey, we reached the Redoubt about noon of the 23d. The wind was very strong, the ice broken and piled up in barricades twenty feet high. The temperature aver- aged twenty-eight below zero. We were just in time for a hot bath, and Stcpanoff received me with great hospitality. A pri- vate letter from the Russian ex-governor had informed him of the circumstances of the sale and transfer of the country, and the arrival of General Rousseau at Sitka. The winter expeditions from the Redoubt had been very successful, and more furs had been obtained than for many previous years. I obtained two bags of flour, some powder, and tea, from Ste- panoflT. At home it would sound queerly to talk of going three hundred and fifty miles for a bag of flour, but here it was well worth the trouble. Though still very weak, I felt perfectly well, and could ascribe my recovery only to the exercise of will required by the journey. On the 27th of February I started with I'avloff for Nukito. We were able to pass around Tolstoi Point on the ice, an unussual occurrence, which facilitated our journey. We arrived at Unala- kli'k on the 29th. I found that Ostrofskoi had made away with a good many of the ukali which I had relied on to feed my dogs on the return. It was impossible to obtain restitution, as ukali were not to be had for the asking. These fellows are inveterate thieves. On the 2d of March I reached Iktigalik. I had hired several ii THE YUKON TERRITORY. 185 dogs on my mile or two to push on, , came over uircd where that we had 3w my turn, Americans 1 Unalakh'k. recalled to mut sled to were away g in the vil- Lloubt about broken and rature aver- le for a hot ity. A pri- 1 him of the try, and the expeditions re furs had X, from Ste- oing three it was well )uld ascribe je journey, for Nuhito. Ian unusual |l at Unala- way with a ny dogs on lukali were ite thieves, [ed several extra dogs from the Russians, and found two of my own here, which Andrea had stolen. The place was crowded with the Kiiiyuh Ingaliks, and I gave him a rating for his dishonesty, in their presence, which made him sneak away like a whipped cur. We determined to strike on to the tundra directly beyond Ikti'galik, and I would recommend this plan to all future travel- lers. It is far preferable to the old route by way of Ulukuk. Ry keeping along the bases of the Ulukuk hills, a nearly even road may be obtained as far as the Vesolia Sopka. At the first bank beyond Ikti'galik the runner of the new sled carrying the bidarra broke short off. My mortification was great, and the Russians passed on, thinking us disabled for several days at least. To make a birch runner, the wood must be bent while green, and then well seasoned. To do that here was out of the question, and wc lighted our pipes and sat down to consider what could be done. After consultation, Kun'lla started off with the axe over his shoulder, and I made a good fire, and put on the chynik, determined to be comfortable, whatever might turn up. Kun'lla returned with a slender spruce tree, which he rapidly hewed into the shape of a runner. I sent an Indian back to the village to borrow an awl and buy some small sealskin line. As soon as the runner was hewn out, we bent it in the fire, and in two hours we had the sled completely repaired. The new runner was thick, heavy, and clumsy, but answered the purpose very well. Deerskins, to prevent the sealskin from chafing, were laid on the sled, which had no rail. The boat was then replaced, and strongly lashed. We took our tea, and proceeded on our way. In the afternoon we passed the Russians, who had camped near a small stream. They were much surprised and disgusted at .seeing us so soon. We camped just beyond the Ves(')lia S<')pka. 1 had the heaviest load on one of the Ihulson Hay sleds, Kun'lla had the bidarra, and an Indian called Blackbird had the other sled. My team comprised three dogs. The leader was a fine black dog named Ikkee, who had a magnificent bushy tail, which was always erect and curly. The next one was black and white, and called Sawashka, a hard worker and of amiable disposition. Next the sled was old Kamiik, my favorite, and the ugliest dog in the brigade. His tail, poorly furnished with hair, was usually M llil K'l . i; I' m \ i s t» ! Iii.l |;::f :lil |.:i i86 THE YUKON TERRITORY. between his legs ; his ears were short, and scored with the marks of many battles. His face was stolid, and exhibited emotion only when feeding-time came, or when some other dog ventured too near or lagged behind. His body was large, and his legs were like pillars ; his color was white, with dirty spots. Alto- gether he looked a good deal like a lean pig. But how he would pull ! A description can give but a faint idea of dog-driving. It is an art in itself. The nature of dogs is cross-grained, and they frequently do the wrong thing with apparently the best inten- tions. Each has a peculiar look and character. Some are irre- claimably lazy, others enjoy hard work unless pushed too far ; some arc greedy and snappish, others good-humored and decor- ous. All arc very joractical, showing affection only for the man who feeds them, and for him only as long as he feeds them. Hence the voyageur should always feed his own team himself They dislike the whip, not only when in use, but in the abstract. They will always destroy one if they can get at it. The whip is made with a short handle, a very long lash, braided of leather or sealskin, and usually loaded with sheet lead or bullets in the core. As we walk behind the sled, which ordinarily travels about four miles an hour, wc hnve an excellent opportunity of studying dogs. One habit appears to be ingrained in their nature. It ex- hibits itself at street-corners in cities, and at every bush, stump, or lump of ice which they pass on the road. When travelling rapidly, some dog will stop twenty times an hour to examine any bush or twig which attracts his attention. If a leader, it checks the whole team ; if not, he usually entangles himself in the harness, and jumps frantically to release himself as he hears the well-known crack of the whip about his ears. If a log comes in the way, and the driver is not ready with his help in urging the sled over it, down they all drop on their haunches, wagging their tails and looking about with a pleased expression, or uttering a sentimental howl. With a crack of the whip, and a shout to Kamuk to stir himself, their reveries are broken, and we go on. Going down hill, the whip and lungs are again called into requi- sition, to keep the dogs out of the way of the descending sled. It has been said that no man can drive dogs without swear- ,1 THE YUKON TERRITORY. 187 ing I think it is in a measure true. At all events, he must have a ready store of energetic expletives to keep them on the qui vive. In Russian America we always used the indigenous epithets, which, as we did not understand them, were hardly sinful. If there is a tree near the trail, the dogs invariably try to pass it on different sides, until checked by their harness ; they constantly exhibit such idiosyncrasies, and it was lucky for Job that he was not set to dog- driving : if he had been, I fear his posthumous reputation would have suffered. At noon 've stop for a cup of tea. Here the true voyageur ex- hibits himscif in building the fire. A greenhorn or an Indian will make a conical fire, at the side of which you must place your chy- nik, and wait until it chooses to boil. A white man's fire is built in layers. The sticks in each layer are parallel with each other, and at right angles with those in the layer beneath. A few chips are placed upon this pile, which presents a broad, flat top, on which you set your chynik. A few shavings are whittled from a dry stick, and you light your fire on the top of the pile. The free circulation soon puts it all in a blaze, your kettle boils in ten minutes, you drop in your tea and let it boil up once, and you are ready for "chy peet." If the fire be lighted at the bottom, it takes twice as long to kindle, and if you boil your tea more than an instant, it is ruined. Many travellers drink a caustic decoction of tannin, which they call tea; such unfortunates are to be pitied. Tea over, you empty out your chynik, and set it in the snow a moment to cool, that you may not burn your sled cover. Having replaced it, and seen that the dogs are untangled, you shout to Kamiik, " Be off, you old sinner ! " Down goes his tail, and away you go. A greenhorn will have burnt his skin boots meanwhile, trying to warm his shins, and have put the axe where it will knock a hole in the chynik or drop out through the slatting of the sled- bottom, if you have n't looked out for him. The wind blows the snow in his eyes ; his toes bump against the bar of his snowshoes ; now and then he trips himself up with them : truly, the poor fel- low has a hard time. If he has the right grit in him, he will soon learn, and laugh at these things as you and I do. Up hill and clown dale, until it begins to be dusky in the south. Greenhorn thinks it is the west, because the sun sets there. In June we will show it to him setting due north, and rising there within half an w hi ' i 1 88 THE YUKON TERRITORY. hour after it went down. The chief of the brigade has been on the lookout for a place where there is plenty of dry wood, and having selected his ground, gives the signal for halting. Kurflla, who delights in showing his proficiency in the use of the American axe, makes a straight wake for yonder dead spruce. Greenhorn takes an a.xe, and chooses a small tree to begin with. Somehow or other, the chips don't fly as they do over yonder ; but, by dint of chopping all round like a beaver, it finally falls, burying him under the branches in the deep snow, where he must stick until somebody picks him up. Meanwhile the direction of the wind is noted, and the camp placed accordingly; — not so that it will blow on the backs of those who sit in front of the fire, — because this always makes an eddy where the smoke will remain, choking everybody, — but so that the wind will blow on their sides, lengthways of the camp, and carry the smoke away. In March we must excavate the snow to a depth of eight or ten feet before we can find solid ground to build ' 'r fire on. If built above the ground it will gradually sink beneath the snow, leaving us in the cold. One Indian goes in search of water, another cuts spruce boughs, and you instruct greenhorn in the art of placing the twigs, stem down and tips up, so as to make a soft and springy bed. A green log is placed at the foot of the bed, to keep the blankets out of the fire. Some one is cutting poles for a tempo- rary stagi.. On this the sleds are placed, with their loads intact, to keep them out of the way of the omnivorous dogs. The har- nesses are also hung out of reach for the same reason. Then each dog receives his supper of one dried salmon, and you carry your blankets to the camp. Kun'lla comes staggering under the weight of a huge back-log, and follows it up with half a dozen more, and also a supply for morning use. The camp being made, and everything else done, we finally light the fire. Greenhorn asks why you don't do that first, and you explain that the effect would be to keep everybody in the vicinity warming themselves, while the camp was unfinished, and hence the other necessary work would be slighted. The ever grateful cup of tea being ready, and such other pro- visions cooked as you may have, you enjoy the evening meal and discuss the events of the day. Supper being over, you light your THE YUKON TERRITORY. 189 pipe. What demon would have the heart to deprive the weary voyageiir of his tobacco, — or what money would buy the pleasure which he derives from it ? Oceans of whiskey would poorly re- place his cup of tea, and untold gold would fail to purchase his pipe. That delicious fifteen minutes being over, one last glance must be taken at the sleds and dogs. As you return, the inmates of the camp are invisible, beneath the surface. The fire and smoke and glow, which issue fron. the excavation in the snow and illu- minate the dark evergreens behind the camp, remind one of the mouth of Inferno. The deerskins are spread ; if you are luxu- rious you have a small pillow, if not, you take the biscuit-bag as a substitute. Water being scarce, a large cake of snow is impaled on a stake before the fire. Beneath it is the chynik, which soon fills with water as the cake melts. Your nips and the straw from your boots are hung in the smoke, to be thoroughly dried for to- morrow's use. Unless this precaution is adopted, you will have cold feet the next day. You cover yourself with a blanket on which skins of the arctic hare or rabbit have been sewn. This forms a light but very warm protection. I have slept comfortably with nothing else and with the air at sixty below zero. You pull your head entirely under the blanket, leaving a very small hole for air, and if the dogs, who like r warm corner, do not come and lie down on top, you may enjoy undisturbed the sleep of the just. Leaving our camp in the morning, we pushed on among the trees toward Beaver Lake. Every step was taken on snowshoes. The snow was blown in our teeth, and the wind howled in such a way that we knew poorga was raging on the tundra. Near the edge of the timber at Beaver Lake we found an old camp. This we cleaned out and enlarged, making a first-rate camp of it. It was useless to go farther, as there were no trees and it was impos- sible to travel over the open country. The great spruce trees rocked and moaned with the fury of the blast, and the snow flew in sheets far above our heads. The next morning it was even worse. As we were well supplied with provisions and dog-feed, I concluded to remain where we were. In the afternoon the Rus- sians came up. I invited them to occupy part of our camp, and told them they could not go over a mile farther, and then would not be half as comfortable. But no ; their energy was not so easily daunted, and on they went. IQO THE YUKON TERRITORY. i. Y I i I have spoken of travelling on snowshoes. To travel without them in winter is impossible, but sometimes on an old, well-beaten road, or with a hard crust on the snow, and while travelling over ice, they are not needed. The different kinds of snowshoes are, in a measure, characteristic of the locality where they arc used. Different kinds of snowshoes. The Innuit snowshoe (a) is small and nearly flat. It is seldom over thirty inches long. The netting is open and strong, being made of fine remni. That which supports the foot is made of strong mahout, which passes through holes in the frame. It is strong, simple, and well adapted for walking on the hard snow of the coast. Both shoes are alike. The Ingalik snowshoe (c) is much larger. Mine were five feet eight inches long, and strongly curved up in front. They are always rights and lefts, a slight difference being made in the curves of the frame of the two shoes. They are much wider in front, and the netting, which is pf deer sinew twisted into twine, is much closer than in the Innuit shoes. The netting under the foot is the same. In all the snowshoes the strings are alike. Two short loops over the toe, and a long one around the foot above the heel, fasten it to the foot. In walking, the toe sinks into an opening in the netting provided for the purpose. Begin- ners generally strike their toes against the bar, but after some experience they learn how to adjust the loops and prevent this. / THE YUKON TERRITORY. 191 Fo travel without m old, well-beaten le travelling over of snowshoes are, ;re they are used. ■^.'- i ; J flat. It is seldom and strong, being foot is made of [ in the frame. It |. on the hard snow [ i [ine were five feet \ front. They are 1 ;ing made in the I ire much wider in f wisted into twine, ^ netting under the | strings are alike e around the foot fl ing, the toe smks | purpose. Begin- ir, but after some id prevent this. The Kutchin snowshoe (n) is made a little smaller than the Ingalik pattern, but much in the same style. The netting is much closer and finer, and is made of fine line, cut from prepared deerskins, called babfche. The whole .shoe is prettier and more artistic. It is frequently painted and ornamented with beads. The Hudson Bay snowshoe (b) is very small, thirty inches being the regulation size. This is in order that it may sink deeper in the snow and beat a better road for the sleds. It is sharply curved upwards in front, and is furnished with a knob to break the crust of the snow. The frame is flat, not rounded as in the other kinds. The foot netting is put on around the frame, and not through holes in it. All the net- ting is very fine and close, and made of babi'che. They are gen- erally painted in gay colors, and ornamented with tufts of colored worsted. The latter in moist snow must be a great nuisance, as the snow must stick to them and greatly increase the weight. In hunting, the Hudson Bay men use the larger Kutchin shoe. The latter is probably the best of all for general use. The next morning the wind had gone down, and we started very early. We passed the Russian camp, about a mile beyond ours, and soon overhauled them on a side hill, where they were stuck in a large drift. I proposed to go ahead and break the road for them, at the same time taking some of their load, though my sleds were already the heaviest. My offer was ac- cepted, and we led the way for the remainder of the trip. We camped near the Ass's Head that night, and about ten miles above Kaltag on the Yukon the following day. The road on the river was exceedingly bad. The long March day and the warm sun made the snow moist and sticky. Each snowshoe would raise ten pounds adhering to it, and it was ex- tremely hard travelling. We took tea three times during the day. Tired out with running before the dogs, Pavloff s Indian lay down on the snow and refused to run any further. None of the Rus- sians were in a condition to take his place. We were only some three miles from Nulato, and I gave my sled to the runner, and took his place. It was really a relief to e.xercise another set of muscles, after walking behind the sled and pushing all day. We found all in bed at Nulato, as we were not expected for several days, and the Russians were especially surprised to see me, sup- i V 192 THE YUKON TERRITORY. posing mc to have been too sick to return immediately. PavlolTg wife had the samovar ready, and we all took a cup of tea to- gcibcr, which did much to relieve the fatigue of the day. The Russian fish-trap was catching nothing. Mine had been very fortunate. There was a pile of several hundred frozen fish in the storehouse, Cj lite sufficient to feed my dogs. The next day Blackbird was handsomely rewarded for his work, and sent back with the e.xtra dogs to Unalakli'k. Repairs being needed on the ri."h-trap, I discovered that the Russians had appropriated all my ^jxtra wood during my absence. After some trouble I obtained restitution. Having a small piece of glass, I inserted it in the window. After getting the light all winter only through parchment, it was a great relief to be able to peep out occasionally, and to admit a few rays of pure sunlight. The plans which had beeii settled upon by the Russians were about as follows : A raft was to be built in the spring, and on his return from the annual trip to Nuklukahyet, Pavloff was to em- bark with all the Russian employes and goods belonging to the Russian American Company, and make the best of his way to the mouth of the river, where boats from the Redoubt would meet him and convey them to St. Michael's. In the latter part of the month of March I made several expe- ditions, without dogs, to the h'lly region back of Nukito. In this manner much geographical and geological information was ob- tainet'. About the ist of April, Bidarshik, one of the Koyiikuns who had accompanied us to Fort Yukon, arrived from the mountains, where he had been deer-hunting. He brought a sled-load of meat, of which I secured the greater part, — a most acceptable addition to our monotonous fare of fish-soup. He brought the information that Larriovvn was endeavoring to excite the Koyukuns to active ho-stilities against the Nulato post. Larriown was one of a family of five brothers, all Influpntial men among the Koyukuns. One, whose name 1 could not obtain, had recently died. He had been concerned in the first Nulato massacre, and was accused of having killed Barnard. Since that time he had committed many outrages. A Yukon Indian, named Nikolai, who had been extremely useful to Major Kennicott's party in their explorations about Koyukuk, had THE YUKON TERRITORY. '93 y. PavlofTs p of tea to- ic clay. \c had been 1 frozen fish ^he next clay id sent back red that the my absence. the window, inient, it was d to admit a Lissians were r, and on his T was to em- inging to the is way to the would meet icveral expe- ito. In this ion was ob- is who had itains, where of meat, of addition to information Ins to active of a family :uns. One, lie had been led of having [ly outrages, lely useful to )yukuk, had an exceedingly pretty wife, and, with his brother, was possessed of much property. In the fall of 1866, Larriinvn's brother iutluced Nikolai and his brother to accompany him to the mountains after ilcer. 'I'herc the former killed both of them, and hid the bodies, securing their guns and ammunition. All the autumn and far into winter, the other Indians sought tiie brothers in vain. At last the murderer, tired of hearing about them, led the searchers to the place where they lay, and boldly avowed his crime. He then went to the house where they had lived, and plundered it. Niko- lai's mother reproached him with the unprovoked murder, and he threw her into the fire, forced Nikolai's wife to accomi)any him, and fled to the mountains. Of the whole family, oidy the little son of Nikolai and his sister, who were away, escaped. There was no one to revenge them, and the murderer escaped impunished. In the fall of 1S67 he died of pleurisy. Much sick- ness of the kind prevailed during the winter, and Larriown, whose dictum as a great shaman was not to be denied, accused the Rus- sians of having caused the sickness and death by their sorceries. his may seem incredible, but such reasoning is characteristic die Indian mind. The remaining brothers sent beads to the various Indians as an inducement to attack the Russians ; but so far they had hesitated, from the scarcity of provisions. Bidarshik, under promise of secrecy, divulged the plot to me, and begged nie to leave Nulato. I took him into the magazine, showed him my stores of ammunition and my arms, and told him that I was prepared for anything ; that the Russians had given me the use of a house in the fort, and if they were attacked I should assist them against their enemies, — giving him permission to inform the Koyukuns of the determination. Rumors were rife, during the entire spring, of a proposed attack, but none was at- tempted. De'ails have already been given of the practice of shanuinism among the Indians, and the various tribes have been described. A few more particulars in regard to them and their mode of life may not be uninteresting. The Indian character, with some modifications, is the same almost everywhere. The Ingaliks are peacefully inclined, and as industrious as any Indians. They are more honest than the major- ity of uneducated whites, and much more so than those tribes who 13 194 THE YUKON TERRITORY. Iir'i ' ^«i ? i I )»( have been degraded by the use of liquor, They are courageous, but not bloodthirsty, and are easily controlled by a firm hand. Avarice appears strongly in their characters ; the affections are but slightly developed, and are exhibited only toward their chil- dren. The latter are obedient and respectful to their parents, but exhibit no love for them. The old people live on odds and ends of food which the young ones do not eat ; this seems rather to be a custom than any deliberate neglect. The opinions of the old men are always consulted, and usually followed. Foster- children are not uncommon. The fruit of their labor belongs to the person who reared them, and they are in a manner slaves, but still possess property of their own, and marry when they like. The authority of the foster-parent is retained as long as he lives. Children are anxiously desired, even when women have no hus- bands. The Ingalik women are less inclined to sensuality than many others, but are by no means strict in their morals. Incon- tinence on the part of a wife is seldom punished with anything more than a beating. Excessive laziness or ill-temper sometimes induces the men to discard them entirely. Tlie women are rarely chastised, and usually well treated. Both sexei' are dirty about their persons, and handsome women are exceedingly rnre. The old ones are often hideous. The Inga'iks are tall, but more slen- der than the Innuit, and their legs are often ill-. shaped. Thi.s comes from constant sitting in a small caiioc in summer, and walking on snowshoes in winter. They are seldom very muscu- lar ; those who live on fish arc invariably the most dirty, weak, cowardly, degraded, and least intelligent. Their number appears to be decreasing. Few women have more than two children ; twins are almost unheard of Many women are barren. The number of deaths annually increases, from their habit of inhaling the smoke of the Circassian tobacco into the lungs, which greatly adtis to the prevalence of lung diseases. While the Indians are exposed to privations of every kind from childhood, they are, if anything, less hardy than the whites. A white man of ordinary strength and endurance can invariably tire oi't any Indian, as soon as he has become accustomed to the mode of life, I believe that the white can surpass the Indian in everything, with but little difficulty, even in those things to which the latter has devoted his attention from infancy. All my own II 1 1 THE YUKON TERRITORY. '95 experience tends to confirm this opinion, and it is certain that Indian sagacity has been greatly overrated, especially in the fables of such romancers as Cooper. Diseases are quite as })revalcnt among them as among civilized people. As yet, among the Ingaliks, zymotic diseases aio un- known. Pleurisy, pneumonia, bronchitis, dyspepsia (not rare), asthma, rheumatism, colic, hydrocephalus, calculus, uretliritis, and hemorrhoids were noticed, and various mild diseases of the skin, boils, and small tumors are not uncommon. Oplithalmia is pro- duced by the reHection of sunlight from the mist arising Irom the melting snow in the .spring. To obviate this, they, as well as the Innuit, make use of goggles after the annexed pattern. These Snow-goggles of the Yukon Indians are made of soft wood, cut to fit the face, and tied by a string behind the head. They are pierced with one or two slits which admit of vision. The inside is blackened with charcoal, and some have a small ledge over the slit, as a shade, also bhickcnetl. I found these goggles superior to those of green glass with which n-e were provided. Curiously enough, a taenia, developed from hydroids foi :.d in the reindeer, is occasionally found among these Indians. iiave seen humpbacks, club-feet, and other malformations among Ko- yiikuns, and once a deaf-and-duml) man. Slrabisnais is common, and I have seen several cases of cataract. Their remedies, besides the rites practised by the shamans, are few and simple. Bleeding, scarification, actual cautery, ligatures, stoum baths, and fasting, are practised, but they have no knowl- edge of the virtues of any roots or herbh. The women seem e.\- 196 THE YUKON TERRITORY. U J ii erupted from the curse of Eve. Delivery takes place in a few minutes, the mother kneeling ; no pain is experienced, and she is about again and at her work in half an hour. The infant is rubbed with grease, washed and put to the breast. They arc rarely weaned under three years. The Indians are devoid of fortitude, crying at a scratch or cu'. which we should consider trifling : this may be partly ascribed to ignorance. They are short-lived, few men reaching forty-five. The women live longer, many reaching sixty. Their exact ages can seldom be determined, as they keep no record and soon for- get. They can count one hundred, but no further. The work is divided among the sexes much as among the In- nuit. There is no such enslavement of the women as exists among the Kutchin and other eastern and southern tribes. The men do nearly all the hard work. They have no pride of family such as is so prominent among the Koloshes, and few know who were their grandfathers. A very few of the Ingaliks have more than one wife ; none, as far as I know, have more than two. The Koyukuns are more lax in this respect. Cousins do not marry among the Ingaliks, but there are no rules observed by the Ko- yukuns in regard to marriage. There is a superstition among the Koyukuns that a youth must not marry until he has killed a deer, otherwise he will have no children. They believe in love- philters, made of an owl's liver, which, to be successful, must be administered without exciting suspicion. The totcmic system, properly so called, is unknown among them, but the) nave the practice, as described among the Innuit, of selecting a patron spirit. Some substitute for an amulet the small brass crosses distributed by the Russian missionaries ; sometimes both hang around the neck on the same string. The Kutchin have always possessed the system of totems, and I quote the following remarks from an account of them by William L. Hardisty, Esq., of the Hudson Bay Company. All the Kutchin are divided into three castes or totems, called re- spectively Tchit-cJic-ah, Tcug-ratscy, and Nat-sah-i, according to Strachan Jones, Esq., late commander at Fort Yukon. Mr. Har- disty says : — "With reference to the origin of caste it is difficult to arrive at a cor- rect solution. I believe that they do not know, themselves, for they give THE YUKON TERRITORY. 197 nr exact ages and soon for- various accounts of the origin of the three great divisions of mankind. Some say it was so from the beginning ; others, that it originated when all fowls, animals, and fish were people, — the fish were the C/iiisah, the birds Tain-gecs ah-tsa/i, and the animals iVa/s/ng/i ; some, that it refers to the country occupied by the three great nations who are supposed to have composed the whole family of man ; wliile others, that it refers to color, for the words are api)licable. Chitsah refers to anything of a pale color, — fair people ; A'at-siiig/i, from a/i-ziiii:;/i, black, dark, that is, dark people; Taitigccs-ah-tsah, neither fair nor dark, — between the two, — from tain-gecs, the half, middle, and ah-tsah, brightish, from tsu, the sun, bright, glittering, shining, &c. The country of the Na-tsik-kut-chin is called Nah-t'singh to this day, and it is the country which the Nat-singh were supposed to have occupied. The Na-tsik-kut-chin inhabit the high ridge of land between the Yukon and the Arctic Sea. They live en- tirely on the flesh of the reindeer, and are very dark-skinned compared with the Chit-sangh, who live a good deal on fish. Some of the Chit- sangh are very fair, — indeed, in some instances approaching to white. The Tain-gees-ah-tsa, taken as a whole, are neither so fair as the Chit- sangh nor so dark as the Nah-t'singh. A Chit-sangh cannot, by their rules, marry a Chit-sangh, although the rule is set at naught occasion- ally ; but when it does take place the persons are ridiculed and laughed at. The man is said to have married his sister, even though she may be from another tribe, and there be not the slightest connection by blood between them. It is the same with the other two divisions. Fhc ( hil- dren receive caste from their mother : if a male Chit-sangli marry a Nah-t'singh woman the children are Nah-t'singh, and if a male Xah- t'singh marry a Chit-sangh woman the children are Chit-sangh ; so that the divisions are always changing. As the fathers die out the country inhabitetl by the Chit-sangh becomes occupied by the Nah-t'singh, and vice versa. They are thus continually chan.uing countries. Latterly, however, these rules are not so strictly obf.erved or enforced as formerly, and no doubc will soon disappear altogether. One good thing proceeded from the above arrangement, — it prevented war between two tribes who were naturally hostile. 'I'he ties or obligations of color or caste were stronger than those of blood or nationality. In war it was not tribe against tribe, but division against tlivision ; and as the children were ne.er of the same caste as the father, the children would, of course, be against the father, and the father against tlie children, — part of one tribe against part of another, and part against itself ; so that, as may be sup- posed, there would have been general confusion. This, however, was not likely to occur very often, as the worst of parents would have natu- rally preferred peace to war with his own children." 198 THE YUKON TERRITORY. jlj! 1: i - t It is not improbable that the custom or system of totems origi- nated in a desire to prevent war, and to knit the tribes more closely togf^ther. It is a well-known fact that most of the inter- tribal Indian wars have occurred between those who did, and those who did not, adopt the system. In all other known tribes the names of the totems are those of animals, and I doubt whether the similarity of the Kutchin names to words indicating color, re- ferred to by Mr. Hardisty, is anything more than an accidental coincidence, or perhaps an error. The system is found in perfec- tion among the Thlinkets or Koloshes. The method of disposing of the dead has been described. The dances or festivals of the Indians are less varied and interesting than those of the Innuit. They are held at their yearly meetings at Nuklukahy^t, or other neutral trading-grounds. Others are given by men who desire a reputaticn for liberality; others by the relatives of a dead person a year after the death ; still others by the inhabitants of a village who desire to extend their hospi- tality to neighboring villages. These dances have been previously alluded to. Their choruses are less euphonious and less varied than those of the Innuit. Their dances have less of a symbolic character. Feasting and giving presents form the chief attrac- tions at their festivals. The universal chorus is " He ! he ! ho ! ho ! " indefinitely prolonged. When the feast for the dead is given the presents are hung on a pole. Around this the dancing is done. The Indians wrap themselves in blankets, and the mo- tions are simple jumping up and down, gradually moving side- ways, as in the old game of " threading the needle." There are no graceful motions or postiv ings of the arms and body, as in the Innuit dances. The Indians, particularly the women, are fond of singing, apart from their festivals. Their ears are very quick, and they soon catch up an air fnm hearing it sung once or twice. Our parties contained several good singers, who enlivened the evenings with patriotic and comic songs. The Indians soon caught up the airs; and "Tramp, tramp, the boys are marching," " Sixteen cents a dozen," and " Marching through Georgia" may now be heard from the mouth of almost any Yukon Indian. The women are fond of making up songs of their own, which they hum over their work. Some of these are full of sentiment and not unworthy of THE YUKON TERRITORY. 199 preservation. The chorus always forms a prominent part. The following is a free translation, preserving the original rhythm, of one which I heard a Koyiikun woman singing as she sewed. It is a fair specimen of many which were translated to me, some of which I preserved. It is the song of a mother hushing her child to sleep, and the air was slow and soft. M cribed. The * Tiie wind l)lows over the Yukon. My husband hunts the deer on the Koyukun mountains. Ahmi, Ahmi, sleep, little one. '• There is no wood for the fire. Tiie stone axe is broken, my husband carries the other. Where is tlie sun- warmth ? * Hid in the dam of the beaver, waiting the spring-time ? Ahmi, Ahmi, sleep, little one, wake not ! " Look not for ukali, old woman. Long since the cache was emptied, and the crow does not light on tiie ridge-pole ! Long since my husband departed. Why does he wait in the moun- tains ? Ahmi, Ahmi, sleep, little one, softly. '• Wliore is my own ? Dacs lie lie starving on the hillside ? Why does he linger? Comes he not soon, I will seek him among the mountains. Alimi, Ahmi, sleep, little one, sleep. " The crow has come, laugiiing. His jjeak is red, his eyes glisten, the false one ! ' Tlianks for a good meal to Kuskokala tlie shaman. On the sharp mountain quietly lies your husband.' Aiimi, Ahmi, sleep, little one, wake not ! "'Twenty deer's tongues tied to the pack on his shoulders ; Not a tongue in his mouth to call to his wife with. Wolves, fo.xes, and ravens are tearing and fighting for morsels. Tough and hard are the sinews ; not so the child in your bosom.' Aiinii, Ahmi, sleep, little one, wake not ! '• Over tlie mountain slowly staggers the hunter. Two bucks' thighs on his shoulders, with bladders of fat between them. Twonty deers' tongues in his belt. Go, gatlier wood, old woman ! OlTllew the crow, — liar, cheat, and deceiver ! Wake, little sleeper, wake, and call to your father ! * I. c. the warm principle of the sunlight, which they regard as a personal spirit. ■f !r ' If fi r I I 'i n.l 200 THE YUKON TERRITORY. " He brings you backfat, marrow, and venison fresli from the mountain. Tired and worn, lie 1ms carved a toy of the deer's horn, While he was sitting and waiting long for the deer on the hillside. Wake, and see the crow, hiding himself from the arrow ! Wake, little one, wake, for here is your father! " These songs are heard in every lodge. Some attain wide popu- larity, others are unknown except to the singer, who measures the stroke of her paddle or the motion of her needle by the simple rhythm of the air. The bow has long since given place to the gun among the Koyiikuns, Kutchin, and northern Ingaliks. Long, single-bar- relled flint-locks have been obtained from the Hudson Hay Com- pany at Fort Yukon since 1847, and at about the same time traders from the Sandwich Islands began to visit Grantley Har- bor and Kotzebue Sound. The latter trade a small Iklgian fowling-piece, double-barrelled and of small bore. These guns, with some ammunition, bring twenty marten-skins, and the Hud- son 13ay guns are sold for forty. Their habits, though not as regular as those of the Innuit, still pursue a nearly uniform course, each successive year being much like the previous one, and only modified by the greater or less abundance of game and fish. Life among the Indians is a constant struggle with nature, wrestling with hunger, cold, and fatigue ; the victory is ever un- certain, and always hard-earned. The opening and closing of navigation are the two great events of the year. The months of April, May, and June are the hardest of the season. The snow- is melting, ophthalmia attacks the deer-hunters, and the winter's store of food is nearly or quite gone. In May the geese and ducks arrive. The fish-traps are carried away by the rising water in the rivers, and few have sufficient ammunition to supply them- selves with wild fowl for many weeks. The inen take their canoes and ascend the small rivers, as soon as the ice breaks up and the freshets drive the beaver out of their winter houses. For a week or two they support themselves in this way, and then those who have been successful in trapping start for Nuklukahyet to trade. There they find the moose and deer driven by the mosquitoes into the river, where they may b^^ killed, iicars leave their winter quarters, and their meat occasionally adds to the spring supply ^1 ^:l THE YUKON TERRITORY. 20 1 ; mountain, hillside. n wide popu- vho measures by the simple m among the ig, single-bar- son Bay Com- lie same time Grantley Har- small Belgian These guns, and the Hud- :he Innuit, still ;ar being much greater or less 2 with nature, Dry is ever un- md closing of The months of on. The snow nd the winters the geese and he rising water o supply them- ke their canoes laks up and the For a week [hen those who ahyet to trade. he mosquitoes |ve their winter spring supply of food. The women, and such of the men as remain at home, are busy making nets and seines from the inner bark of the wil- low and alder. The wood for the summer fish-traps is also pre- pared, and the baskets and other parts of the trap are tied to- gether, ready for use. On the Lower Yukon the eggs of wild fowl are obtained in sufficient numbers to furnish a partial means of subsistence. This is also the season for making birch canoes. Early in June the king salmon {Kahthl of the Ingaliks, or cho- wichee of the Russians) begin to ascend the river. After the middle of July only stragglers of this species are caught. The chowi'chee are followed by two or three other kinds, and the salmon fishery is well over about the end of August. During this period most of the Indians are on the river, fishing, splitting, and drying the fish for winter use. Some are smoked, but the greater part are simply dried in the sun. They have no salt, and never use it, even when it might be procured from the Russians. In consequence many of the likali have a tainted flavor. White- fish are caught and dried at the same time as the salmon, but are smaller, and not so extensively fished for. They are most plenty and in their best condition in September. In the latter part of October the ice puts a stop to fishing, until it is strong enough to set the winter traps. In August many Indians repair to the hills, where the reindeer are in prime condition, fat, and less timid than at other seasons. The fawns are also large enough to m, iv-u come to our country and abuse us without reason, take away our daughters, and pay us with a leaf of tobacco for furs which you cannot trap yourselves! Why should I not avenge this unprovoked insult? Why do I not order my men to exterminate you like vermin ? Because I had rather stand here and tell you in your own casarmer that I hate, despise, and defy you !" Pavloff now entered, and was called upon to redress the injury, which he did sullenly and reluctantly. Shabounin was rebuked before the Indians for his conduct, and a present of tobacco and ammunition was made to Tekunka, who received it with uncon- cealed disdain. The Indians .slowly left the room, and I followed them. They took their baggage and sleds, and left the fort. It is very seldom that such an exhibition of spirit is seen among these Indians, but Tekunka was unusually intelligent, and had worked in the fort among the Russians when young. It must also be said that such an outrage on the part of any Russian had never before occurred at Nulato, and probably very seldom anywhere. On the iith of Ajiril the first swallows appeared, and on the 27th Kun'lla earned the pound of tobacco by killing the first goose of the season. The Russian raft was well under way, and was a clumsy concern, shaped like a flat-iron, and provided with high bul- n th di ni i nil THE YUKON TERRITORY. 205 from Ulukuk. s insulted and in Russia, wlio h the Russians tiling to I'avloff, I rushed into n one side, his lan at his assail- r, unarmed, and and on his gun, though himscll told them that d he, " and my us 'dogs of In- hieves, and oiit- y^u come to our our daughters, you cannot trap irovoked insult ? Du like vermin ? ur own casarmcr Iress the injury, in was rebuked of tobacco and it with uncon- and I followed eft the fort. It is seen amonj; igent, and had )ung. It must |of any Russian ly very seldom |red, and on the cilling the first iwas a clumsy Ivith high bul- warks, a mast, rudder, or rather sweep, and a sail. They informed me that it was after the pattern of the rafts on which timber is floated down the rivers of Russia which flow into the Northern Sea. Meanwhile the skin had been taken ofT our little bidarra, well oiled, repaired, and replaced. The must, oars, and sail were manu- factured, as well as an enormous j)addle, which Kun'lla, in his capacity as coxswain, proposed to use himself The Russian bidarra was made ready for their trading-voyage to Nuklukahyet. Johnny would accompany them, and go on to Fort Yukon with the Indians. lie was a useful little fellow, but gratitude or af- fection formed no part of his nature, and I did not e.xpect to miss him much. On the 24th of May the Nukito River broke up, and the water and ice came down with a rush. About four o'clock in the after- noon the ice on the Yukon moved a little, and then stuck fast. An ice-barrier fifteen feet high formed near the bluff north of NuLito. This remained several days without change. On the 28th I went up to the Klat-kakhatnc River, and crossed in an old birch canoe which I found there, after hewing out a rough paddle, and leaving my axe in a dry log, four feet above the water. On the other side the beach between the ice and the high perpen- dicular bluff was only about six feet wide. I collected here a number of interesting fossils which had been uncovered by the melting snow. Suddenly I heard a crash, and the water began to rise very rapidly. The barrier had broken, and I had to run to escape being crushed between the bluff and the enormous blocks of ice which the rising river ground against it. I was just able to keep pace with the water, and found my canoe on the little point quite submerged. On the other side the log, with the a.xe in it, was floating away with the ice. I emptied the canoe, and pa(klled after the v.^e, and got safely ashore on the Nukito side. Here I stopped awhile and enjoyed the sight. Blocks of ice six feet thick were driven against the bank, cutting off large trees, and carrying ice and turf many yards inland. In some places the ice was piled thirty feet high. I only regretted that niy artist companion of the previous year, Mr. Whymper, was not there to preserve the scene with his ready pencil. The break-up of 1867 was nothing to it. At the fort the ice came 206 THE YUKON TERRITORY. I :i close to the bank. A little more, and the buildiiij^s would have been in danger. Pavloff said that he had seen a similar freshet only once before in fifteen years. The barrier being removed, the water soon began to fall, and left the great blocks and piles of ice stranded all along the beacli. There was hardly room to land a boat anywhere near the fort. We now set about packing up in earnest. The store was half full of goods, which I could not carry away. The bo.xes of collec- tions, with our baggage, filled the bidarr.i. She was a little beauty, well shaped, light, and elegant. The season was very late. On the 1st of June, Pavloff and his men left for Nuklukahyct. The river was full of ice, and Tekunka and his men had not appeared ; so I was still delayed. Johnny departed with the Russians, not even bidding me good by, al- though he was loaded with articles which I had given him. He had letters for Mr. McDougal, the Fort Yukon commander, which I took pleasure in addressing to " Fort Yukon, Alaska Territory, United States of Amcriea" as the Scotchmen had insisted against all reason that the post was situated on the British side of the line. As my Indians did not make their appearance, I secured Kuri'lla's brother, — "Monday" by name, as he was engaged on that day, — and determined that, if Tekunka failed to keep his promise, I would start the next day, and trust to luck to obtain another man somewhere on the river below. nj)on had a men. but tl the pi niothe to go not su On The si and th : nailed post as goods \ The : would have lilar ficslict to fall, and '<■ the beach. the fort, jre was half jccs of collec- was a little ivloff and his md Tekunka 'cd. Johnny good by, al- en him. He lander, which ka Territory, sistcd against h side of the ice, I secured ^ engaged on to keep his ick to obtain CHAPTER VI. ncpaitiirc from Nulato. — Lateness of the season. — Veto. — Kwikhtana l>arrabora. — Lofka's. — Habits of tlic beaver. — Swan-shooting. — Indian carvings. — First Iiuiians. - Klantilinten. — A letter. — Meeting with the Maiilemuts. — Anvik. — 'I'lic StarccK. — Pottery. — Sand-hill cranes. — Canoes. — Leather village on the Sliageluk. — (Ircat abundance of (ood. — Demand for liquor by the .Nhdilenuits, — Dances. — Attack and narrow escape. — Leave the village. — NLanki. — Lkogmuts. — I.oon-cap village. — Carvings, old houses and graves. — Oreat breailth of the Lower \'uUon. — Arrive at tlv Mission. — I'ass the (Ireat Hend. I'ishing-village. — Mvriails of wild fowl. — Lnergctic collection of specimens. — Kasbinik village. , — Starry Kwilhpak village. — Obtain a guide. — Andreafl'sUy. — Tragedy in 1855. — Mistake of guide. — Arrive at the Uphoon. — Kutlik. — Emperor geese. — Ar- rival of Tcleezhik. — Go on to I'astolik. — liehiga-hunting. — Innuit carvings. — Drawings on one. — Rise of the water. — Llcphant bones. — Start for the Reiloubt. — News 'f the ships. — Arrival at the Redoubt, and meeting with old friends. — —Traders. — Embarkation for California. — Abuses prevalent in the new territory. — Value of a territorial government. — Necessary legislation. — Disparagement of the territory. — Arrival in San Francisco. EVERYTHING was ready for our departure. The bidarrd was almost transparent from the oil which was smeared upon the outside, and inside it was as dry as a bone. TOkunka iiatl apparently deceived me. There were no signs of him or his men. Long e.xperience had inured me to such disappointments, but there were few Indians at Nulato, and it was difficult to fill llie place of those whom I had expected. By giving to Monday's mother all the likali and oil which were left over, I induced him to go with me, as the old woman, with these provisions, would not suffer from hunger before his return. On the morning of the 2d of June everything was put aboard. The supplies which I left behind were put into the storehouse, and the door fastened with a padlock and chain and then securely nailed up. The Koyiikuns were already threatening to burn the post as soon as the Russians left it, but, in case they did not, the goods I left behind might prove of some use to somebody. The beach in front of the fort was covered with larg-e blocks of Mi j ■ ;( ; 'I ; 'I s ..I : I'M 3 II ,; ' t! l| I t I' i rl '^ ' I I i j i 208 THE YUKON TERRITORY. ice, and the quantity of ice in trie river was much greater than usual for the time of year. We pushed off with some difficulty, on account of the low water, and finally reaching the channel, took a last look at the old fort of Nulato. The day was cloudy and cold, with a head-wind. Not a mosquito had yet shown himself, a fact which proved, more than anything else, the un- common lateness of the season. Our little company consisted of myself, Kun'lla, Monday, and a little foxy Koyukun dog called Bushy, which was my especial pet. The stars and stripes and the scallop of the Scientific Corps floated from the mast, which was also decorated with a broad-tailed arrow ornamented with a blue muslin fly. I took the stroke oar and Monday the bow, as Kun'Ua's skill was needed to avoid the numerous floating cakes of ice in the rapid current. I found that my sickness hud unfitted me for severe labor, and after a few hours I changed places with Kun'lla. The river presented a very different appearance from that of the previous year, when we started up the Yukon. Now large blocks of ice were piled up on the shores, where they had been driven by the first high water; no weather had yet occurred warm enough to melt them. VVe took our daily tea near the Shaman Bluff, close by the coal seam, and, while enjoying our meal, Kun'lla was quick enough with his gun to bring down a mallard which flew overhead. As we pulled down the river I was so fortunate as to secure a pair of the beautiful Harlequin duck (//. torqiiatus) which flew from the mouth of a small stream. This elegant duck is very shy and solitary v\ its habits, preferring the small streams which wind among the trees, away from the main river. We saw no T'.idians on the banks, as the fishing-season had not com- menced. Late in the evening we arrived at Kalt.ig, and camped on the left bank. The ground was still muddy from being over- flowed, and the willow leaves were still folded. At the Kaltag village we found Matfay and his family from Uliikuk. They pro- posed to mul.e a trading-voyage down the river a little later in the season. Big Sidorka was also there. He had promised to accompany the Russians to Nuklukahyet, but the threats of the Koyiikuns and the ice in the river had caused him to change his mind. He was now very anxious to go down the Yukon with me, as he had never been below L6fka's barrabora. We boiled our s THE YUKON TERRITORY. 209 :h greater than some difficulty, ig the channel, day was cloudy had yet shown ig else, the un- my consisted of ikun dog called and stripes and the mast, which lamented with a (day the how, as ioating cakes of ess hud unfitted ged places with ce from that of on. Now large I they had been t occurred warm ;ar the Shaman >ur meal, Kuri'lla I mallard which ,vas so fortunate {//. torqiiatiis) is elegant duck e small streams river. We saw had not coni- ig, and camped om being over- t the Kaltiig ik. They pro- little later in d promised to threats of the to change his [ukon with me, |We boiled our ^ ducks, and found them all very lean and tough from the scarcity of food. The horsetails {Eqinsche), on which they feed, had hard- ly begun to show themselves above the mud. Wi'dncsday, June id. — As there was little prospect of obtain- insr a more suitable man farther down the river, I decided to let Sidorka go with us. His Indian name was Yeto, and by that we called him. The brown sandstones on the right bank cease at Kaltag, and below is a long stretch of gravel banks, and then gray sandstones and shales with very poor vegetable remains. At the village near the bluffs below Kaltag there were a few Indians. Here I bought half a dozen martens for a few loads of powder and ball. The wind kept obstinately ahead, and impeded our progress a good deal. We took tea near the mouth of the Kaiyuh River. The left bank of the Yukon appears to be gener- ally low, with hills in the distance. The right bank is always the higher, and the river seems to run on the right side of a broad valley, of which the bluffs on the right bank and the distant hills on the left form the boundaries. The vegetation resembles that farther up the river, but here the willows and poplars attain a larger growth. We pitched the tent on the banks of a small creek, where the level dry ground formed an excellent camp- ing-place. There were the remains of many old Indian camps here, and we saw a large number of sand-hill cranes, besides adding to our collection a specimen of the beautiful purple sand- piper. Thursday, Atth. — I rose very early, and taking my gun, went to a pool near by, where I got a shot at a swan, but failed to bring it down. By patient waiting I finally succeeded in getting a brace of green-winged leal, which are the best eating of any of the v.ater-fowl found on the Yukon. The mosquitoes were abundant hero, as the location was warm and sunny, and I .soon awoke the Indians by raising a corner of their tent and giving the preda- ccous insects access to the interior. The sun shone brightly, and the day was most beautiful. We soon pushed off and continued on our way. We passed through a number of sloughs, and stopped at several of the islands to shoot. On many of them small lagoons exist, and on these the water-fowl congregate early in the morning to feed. We obtained quite a number of brant and several ducks. A downy owl {Bmcliyoins Cassini) flew out 14 n^^ 2IO THE YUKON TERRITORY. y from a thicket and, prol^ably impelled by curiosity, followed the boat at a short distance for nearly a mile. The superstitions of the Indians were exci»^ed, and they finally shot the bird, which fell in the water and continued to follow us, carried by the current, even in death. The alder buds were just opening, and the tender leaves began to appear. About ten o'clock, passing through a small pratoka. we saw on a gently rising mound a white Greek cross. This spot, according to Kuri'lla, was the place where the boat for Nulato with goods from the Redoubt was onr-^ caught by the ice and frozen in. The crew built a house and wintered here. They called it Kwikhtana barrabora or Cold Hou-se, from the extreme cold which they suftered. One of them, who died, was buried on WSSSs Silt" i>r KwiklUaiin b.irrabom. I , this mound, where the cross marks his resting-place. Game was scarce, and we were obliged to be economical with our stores. For dinner we boiled three geese and a duck in the big kettle. I usually made away with the duck and a pltitc of soup, beside tea and sukaree, while the Indians never failed to clean out the kettle, leaving only the bones, which were the dog's perquisite. In the afternoon we crossed the river to a slough which Kuri'lla said was a short cut ; but after going a little way the wind was so a followed the perstitions of irtl, which fell I the current, leaves began mall pratoka. cross. This the boat for ht by the ice I here. They II the extreme a'as buried on Game was [h our stores. Ibig kettle. I lip, beside tea llean out the I's perquisite, /hich Kurilla wind was so THE YUKON TERRITORY. 21 I strong and dead ahead that I determined to turn b:ck and go by the main river, where we were sheltered by the high bank. We saw many fresh tracks of the black bear along the muddy shore. Crossing again, we continued along the righ.t bank, which in some places is composed of trachytic rocks of different colors. These do not rise to any great height, and are soft and crund)Iing. Yellow, red, green, blue, and all transitions from black, through gray, to white were observed. Toward evening we approached the Yakutz !: latenik River, at the mouth of which is an Indian house in a very dilapidated condition. This is known as Lofka's barrabora. It had a melancholy appearance in the twilight. Lolk.i's b.ur.ibiir.i being deserted and falling into ruins. We decided to camp here. As we pulled toward the beach, a large otter started from among the willows and ran along the shore. We b ul brought along a small canoe made of three boards, and Kuri'lla hastily jumped into this and made for the beach. He landed, but the otter was too quick for him ; it plunged into the water near the river and dis- appeared. We put up the tent, boiled the chynik, and retired to rest. The rain, which soon came on, did not disturb us, as every- jM 15 ' ^:' 212 THE YUKON TERRITORY. thing had been put ashore and covered with the bidarra before we had turned in. Friday, ^th. — The rain had ceased about four o'clock in the morning, and it had cleared off finely. A stroll along the banks of the small river revealed many fresh beaver-tracks. The beaver, when forced to leave his house by the spring freshets, which fill it with water, seeks his living along the banks of the small rivers, until the waters subside. He is a gregarious and playful animal, fond of gymnastics for their own sake. When he finds a steep, smooth mud-bank, he usually amuses himself by crawling up and then sliding off into the water, repeating the process many times, apparently enjoying the fun as much as boys do coasting. He is nocturnal in his habits, and very timid. Taking the small canoe, Kun'lla paddled patiently up and down, making as little noise as possible, and scanning the water near the banks for the beaver's nose. This is the only part visible, the rest being below the surface. A crack, followed by a shout, told that my old Scotch rifle had done its wcrk, aud Kun'lla soon appeared in triumph, bearing a small beaver. The flesh of this animal is to most persons disagreeable. A slight odor and flavor which accompany it frequently produce nausea with those un- accustomed to it. I never ate the meat, but the paws and tail I found very good. The former are covered with a black skin, with only a little hair near the junction with the arm or leg; when thoroughly boiled they resemble pigs' feet. The tail is composed of muscular fibre containing a large amount of a peculiarly sweet fat in the interstices. The skin which covers the tail has the ap- pearance of scales, but there are no real scales. The skin readily peels off if scorched in the fire, and the tail, when well boiled, is a delicious morsel. The muscles and inner skin are reduced by boiling to a kind of jelly, and the whole is so rich that one cannot eat much of it. The castoreum, which is used in medicine, is contained in two glands which open near the tail. Their use is not clearly understood, but is probably similar to that of the musk glands in the muskrat and muskdeer. A favorite amuse- ment among the Kutchin Indians consists in taking the humerus in the hands and endeavoring to break it ; as it is very short and strong, this requires considerable strength. After skinning the beaver, and stretching the skin on a hoop of green willow, we Mi THE YUKON TERRITORY. 213 darra before clock in the ng the banks racks. The ring freshets, banks of the egarious and e. When he IS himself by repeating the as much as d very timid, up and down, lie water near J part visible, ;d by a shout, Kuri'Ua soon ; flesh of this dor and flavor dth those un- iws and tail I lack skin, with or leg; when 1 is composed culiarly sweet il has the ap- e skin readily lell boiled, is a e reduced by at one cannot medicine, is Their use is lo that of the :vorite amuse- the humerus ery short and skinning the len willow, we pushed off. The wind was, as usual, dead ahead and very strong. Although aided by the current, wc had hard work to make head- way against it. Blowing against the stream, it raised quite a sea on the broad river, and as our gunwale was only four inches above the water, we found it necessary to keep close in shore. We stopped to rest several times, and arriving near a broad, shal- low lagoon, we went ashore, and creeping behind the willows, tried to get a shot at some of the water-fowl which were feeding there. My favorite, of seven guns, was a Scotch rifle, which had been bored out so that it carried shot as well as ball. It was re- markably long in range, and very true. The ball which I used with it was a long conical one, weighing an ounce and a quarter. One of these was quite enough to bring down anything which it hit. Loading with buckshot, I waited for Kurilla, who had gone to the other end of the lagoon, where several swans were gracefully seated in the water. The report of his fowling-piece, which brought down a couple of brant, roused the swans from their reveries ; and striking the \. .ter with their broad wings, they rose slowly and sailed through the air in single file toward my hiding- place. They arc not rapid flyers, and I could count every sweep of their strong white wings. As they followed one another, ut- tering their harsh cry at intervals, their heads and necks in a straight line, they looked anything but graceful, and would hardly be recognized as the same birds so lately seated on the water. Just before getting in range, they most provokingly changed their course and struck out across the Yukon ; so I had my trouble for my pains. Before returning to the boat I secured a mallard and a white- fronted goose, to which the Indians added several pintails, and seven brant, so that our larder was well supplied. Toward even- ing we began to look for a camping-place, but everywhere the shore was covered with great blocks of ice, some distance above the water, and we were finally obliged to haul the boat up on a large ice-sheet which was grounded on a sand-bar. Mere we cam[)ed, and a most uncomfortable camp it was. We had to travel a long distance to obtain driftwood sufficient to make a fire. Sand makes the hardest bed known ; fine gravel is much more comfortable. The mosquitoes too, though not abundant, were by no means idle. Everything along the river showed that )i I ^; 1^ ^ Mb\ 214 THE YUKON TERRITORY. it was an unusually late season. Few small birds were seen, and no butterflies as yet. The birch, poplar, and willow had only be- gun to unfold their leaves, while on the north slope of the hills snow still rested. Saturday, 6th. — We started early, and pulled against the same strong wind. We landed at a village which was quite deserted, the inhabitants being away after beaver. The facility in carving, shown by the Ingaliks of the Lower Yukon, was well displayed here. Paddles, dishes, and other articles lay scattered about where the owners had left them. The winter houses were half full of water, and the Indians had evidently been living for some time in three large summer houses. Among other things lying about, I noticed a large scoop or shovel shaped like a table-spoon, but seven feet long. It was carved out of one piece of wood, and ornamented with designs in red chalk and charcoal. It was of very graceful shape, and had evidently been used for throwing cut the ice from the aperture through which the fish-traps are raised in winter. I noticed a small bowl prettily carved, with two ears or handles. A long stick, to which a block of wood is attached at one end, is used, with tne bowl referred to, for grind- ing up tobacco into snufif. My InJians were anxious to appro- priate some of these articles, but I would not allow them to do so in the absence of the owners. The paddles, many of which were seen, were curiously painted v\ith green, red, and black, and were smaller and more pointed than those in use farther up the river. The paddles decrease in size as we go down the river; those at the Yukon-mouth are very small and narrow indeed. We passed a very small waterfall during the day, the first I had seen on the river. On a small island we saw the first Indians. 1 here were only three or four, and they were much alarmed when they first saw us. We landed, and found that they were making fish-traps. They had nothing to sell except some eggs, and a few vikali, which I bought for the dog. After making them a present of a few leaves of tobacco, we pushed off and continued down the river. The boat was ill stowed, and a good deal of mud had gathered in her bottom from our feet, so I determined to camp early, turn her over, and wash her thoroughly, after taking out the goods. ds were seen, and illovv had only be- slope of the hills against the same IS quite deserted, icility in carving, ■s well displayed scattered about houses were half 1 living for some her things lying ic a table-spoon, piece of wood, harcoal. It was ed for throwinfr e fish-traps are :arved, with two nek of wood is ;d to, for grind- xious to appro- ow thcni to do nany of which and black, and farther up the own the river; 1 arrow indeed, the first I had I lere were only they first saw ing fish-traps. i a few likali, a present of a led down the had gathered np early, turn 4t the goods. hlliiltlll 11 1 I ! i I; i \ . il:! ! 11! Miii THK YUKON TERRITORY. »f^ If? Ill I: II Mw hv- river '\othing rots a l))darra like iimd or dirt inside of it. Wo cam{y?d : :\ small brook, and Kiirdla .started oft after game, while we Tided to the boat. Wc finished cleaning her and gave her a h\ oiling before getting snpper reiuly. The three Indian?; pol- •d the beaver's bones, while 1 regaled myself on a ful teal •^ted on a stick liefore the ftre. Sunday, ph. — The day opened fair, hul with the same wind, .h was soon attended by smart s.hiweis of rain. \\ -v- pnlled .g shore, and abont ten o'elock came to the jjoint where the sians hud loeatcd a sort of rapid. It proved (o be nothing e" than a piece of swifr M-.»ter, roiining along Uie baye of a .'.e of low conglomerate bh.iffs, h>r ?«■■» or three miles, The ■.^r here was quite tr.oad ; to thv: iigr.r ><«■'-«,; succjssive hiils, ing one afier anotli-T, and •a'.iing into pM;('!c- .'.. ■ *< ' • ^rink was, as usual, low, and a large islnisd uiviiird jh<, ■ iii :. beyond. Kurilla .saui th:it thv. irtiuii !>•!,- i.s KlantUHn-toiy meaning " n^ck.i and strong WviU ' *• k'ih>ians had reported a coal ^eani here, hut the rocks are i:.rHte, preceded by trachyte of various colors, and ful- "V i)-.-ds of cln\, quartzite, and yellow gravel. '.1.-^1 !!.robably di..; for want of a mother. -M at a .^mail ri\iilet about noon, and conchali.d to ■ :e until the wind till someulu'. We scoured the small . ^^R liver for g.'niie, at;'.! came back to camp we:!! loaded. he wind became '-.-i-^ vi<>i'-nt, arni wc j'ushed a little troam, camping A: lUt nine o'clock. — As we slowlv •.Icscended the river, we saw a few • '>J3* bank. They aj>pt.-.ncd to bt; shy. and indispored v. >'^i finally one of t)v,ni i>ut ot'l in his canoe, and e.\- ^iA f>aper in the end cf a long cleft stick. I took it, paddled av. ly as fast as he could. It was a . piiier, carefuUv fc/lded. I opened it, and after ^ H,;»npings 1 came to a bit of while paper, ap- ill I • * Ml ill) '• I ,;. it 1' i f- «;f, 'f. . .ii:* *\ ^i ■i "■': V .... "*■ 11 THE YUKON TERRITORY. 215 ■ 1-4^ * ■. ' ''%^ ■'*'■,■ Nothing rots a bidarra like mud or dirt inside of it. We camped near a small brook, and Kun'lla started off after game, while we attended to the boat. We finished cleaning her and gave her a good oiling before getting supper read\". The three Indians pol- ished the beaver's bones, w , le I regaled myself on a fat teal roasted on a stick before the tire. Sunday, yh. — The day opened fair, but with the same wind, which was soon attended by smart showers of rain. We pulled along shore, and about ten oclock came to the point where the Russians had located a sort of rapid. It proved to be nothing more than a piece of swift water, running along the base of a range of low conglomerate bluff's, for two or three miles. The river here was quite broad ; to the right were successive hills, rising one after another, and fading into purple distance. The left bank was, as usual, low, and a large island divided the river a few miles beyond. Kurilla said that the Indian name of the |)lace was Klan-ii-ltu-icii, meaning " rocks and strong water." The Russians had reported a coal seam here, but the rocks are conglomerate, preceded by trachyte of various colors, and fol- lowed by beds of clay, quartzite, and yellow gravel. I landed to take the annexed sketch, and to examine the rocks. While so doing, an arctic hare scampered by on the edge of the bluff. Kun'lla was too quick for her, however, and a shot from my rifle brought her down. I was sorry afterward, when we skinned the animal, to see that the teats were full of milk ; for it showed that she had, somewhere, a family of little bunnies, who would suffer and probably die for want of a mother. We took tea at a small rivulet about noon, and concluded to remain there until the wind fell somewhat. We scoured the small lakes near the river for game, and came back to camp well loaded. .-\boat sunset the wind became less violent, and we pushed a little farther down stream, camping about nine o'clock. Monday, 8t/i. — As we slowly descended the river, we saw a few Indians on the bank. They appeared to be shy, and indisposed to meet us, but finally one of them put off in his canoe, and ex- tended a bit of paper in the end of a long cleft stick. I took it, and he immediately paddled away as fast as he could. It was a bit of yellow tissue paper, carefully folded. I opened it, and after removing several wrappings I came to a bit of white paper, ap- 2l6 THE YUKON TERRITORY. parently the blank edge of a newspaper. On this was a rude drawing of a boat, by its side a bottle, and under the drawing, in a straggling hand, was written, " Isaac Koliak," The meaning was evident. My intelligent Mahlemut friend had crossed the portage from the seaboard to Anvi'k, not far be- low on the Yukon, and was going down the Yukon on a trading- voyage. He knew I was coming down the river, and sent this note by one of the river Indians to inform me of his proximity. We passed the northern entrance of the great Shageluk slough, and continued down the main stream toward Anvi'k. There were numerous large, well-wooded islands, and the mouth of the slough might easily be overlooked. A little later we saw a camp on the right bank, and, pulling toward it, soon recognized Isaac and his party. They received us with the most lively demonstr.-itions of welcome, and declared their intention of going down the river with us. The party comprised about thirty Mahlemuts, male and female, and their children and dogs. Isaac told mc that he had crossed from Kegiktowruk late in the spring, with three large bidarnis on sleds drawn by dogs, and had descended the Anvik River after the ice had broken up. His intention was to descend the Yukon, trading as he went, and to meet the American traders who were expected at St. Michael's in the early summer. The articles which they had brought for trade were principally skin clothing of their own manufacture, needles, tobacco, guns, andani- munition. They proposed to buy furs, and woodci. dishes or kaii- tdgs, of Indian manufacture. The Innuit are accustomed to make these voyages for the purpose of getting rid of their old guns and Kantags and wooden ladle. surplus ammunition, at prices much higher than they pay for new ones to the traders at Grantley Harbor and Kotzebue Sound. The wooden ware is an article of trade with the Innuit of Bering Strait, where wood suitable for the purpose does not grow. I IS was a rude- he drawing, in hlemut friend I 'I'k, not far bo- on a tradinir-l and sent thi.> his iiroximitv. I igeliik slough, . There were i of the slough I I camj) on tin Isaac and his anstrp.tions of )wn the river uts, male and c that he had 1 three large ed the Anvik as to descend ;rican traders immer. 'Jhe ncipally skin :uns, andani- ishes or kan- med to make old guns and pay for new hue Sound. it of Bering Dt grow, I hi! i I'! ! \ ■ ANVIK STAREEK. "One more leaf of lobacco." ■Jf -? it ■ THL vrK.ON rf.RKiTORV. i i >k f ^>! tlicir ;i' • icily to ("lU.nv ts to ;\iivik. '\" 'v-aciicd iiie moinh "t" ihc Anvik K'.vv ahou); noon, and 'rii ij) the ';tr(\'im fin :•. slu^rt distance, tij tin j>oint wlierc the ;;•;••■ i-? situated. Ilcre [lOth si:W'', * ir'> lM'Us, \v;iieh is the In si ob- - '.•'.)i\ ti:-; r'V'jr froii) llie si a. ■ , V. •.■;-. t'nv. a Maliwi.. y,':['A ■ m ti:> ".Kivi;:;ation as wc '.rs eh iiii^r .i-mc^vliai ' ■: tout cIi;M:n<'l dui ;o:. (. \'. sl.a; .\iivi'k l.■^ a l:u ;ii ■ I lie Wii r HI n':i...rs, • lie ti''.i!)' n if. ,taiil 1 ■■''..: i.a' ;m aj'- ,K^ ''I Mv, fi. ist, thi V .i.r , -!n/!ia/<* ->;> ■;. ,o j ' ■*■ in.r 1 iiiuii'. wor is. . vi. .. jit ,1 -li "ii the\ uhtai;; ir'.'iT t' . mi I .l!'- ll'L t'.i u nil" !■ d lan name;- \ i ii I il'lifli < 1 111 , Ui [li li .;.ruages is used iii tr idiuv,. ,1. I.I, .ll.M'I.K- !■';•■■ with die Riisdai: V ^vl.o cud., i .umd :-o'-^!'-;hm'': n; I ;.!'i I. :is. Thih fael i- a uiii'itm 1 n: \ iid lu th".'; diifercnt 'HaK C.U':ie • '1 nil Of 'Ilipl r . d .'ii' iKi be ' .;r'! ■ in i,d:il:S. A .sirail XV iar'M>ii IS '•■,1 use "■■ M . t \ r\ 1] »vi!u d'' coast tribe V -h ik I ;, I ' ' ) 1 1 s (_i ! ■'Ilk, 'VIM! ml. rest, "tin mr-ii ' h' .enU'nUl .1' ' iii.i .f ( .., 'L'v al, by Isa.ic to d eieend l^ 'J. , uil mis'i. hi", It !i\mc'. ; iv't 'ii; V w M .itipe,';''.-d vi !i ■lire i";it'/ii Iiiv '■<' . ■.•■'! ' \i> n-Ji, 'x^lncb hi. r tobaci I) '11 \\< pait if the ' .:. ■ that ii \v;v' V C I I -'I' av^v'i: \" i.f V. 1 : Vvail'CO !U. 1- ; •ica:^"!) .ll";d li.li I li > [I ;. I ,< ■ :i! I !> ) Ion;; \--\ aoh ■u-ii IK •■: hi , ! i' V 1 11. ■■ 111' Ih' !.H :K; ,'i '•( 'I lfl\ .'• , ■!• lUii n '" ' A iiialiM ) ^ ■ ■(. ilT'Od v-.c. ■■' I i/'i !',.'t ;' 1'. >! I * ''i\' Mi M '1 4 I -i:i ■i '■ 1 ^ 1 :' 'ji :i!;:i- i ! 1 1 .H^M:-' .,'::'j-sHfi, fi L f „,.'': -^ -*m *^^-:^.- - '^i'. \^ V K s r A (■ f K I , ■r,rr\: \;x(.'' , „ tol b(i pu| vil hi;. witl >trJ I ^"' " the cai: IllL,^ Inn cusl \ uou THK YUKON TERRITORY. 217 took Isaac on board as a passenger, while his party got their boats ready to follovv us to Anvi'k, We reached the mouth of the Anvi'k River about noon, and pulled up the stream for a short distance, to the point where the village is situated. Here both sides of the Yukon are rather high. Not far below they become low and flat. The Yukon widens, and here a series of sand-bars exists, which is the first ob- htruction to navigation as we ascend the river from the .sea. These bars change somewhat every year, but a native pilot can find a five-foot channel duruig the lowest stage of the water in the fall. Anvi'k is a large village, of some ten or twelve houses, each of which may contain twenty inhabitants. The natives are Ingaliks, but from constant intercourse and close proximity to the Innuit triber, of the coast, they have adopted many of the Innuit customs. Among these, that of wearing labrets is most conspic- uous. The language spoken is the true Ingalik, with no inter- mixture of Innuit words, except such as ivc used to designate objecl.-j which they obtain from the latter in trade, and for which there aic no Indian names. A jargon containing a large numb«.f of words of both languages is used in Iro ling. This is also used in intercourse with the Russians, who uiulci^Land something of the Innuit dialec . This fact is a sufficient cause of miscompre- hension in regard to the different dialects, and should be borne in mind by p'.ilologists. A similar jargon is in use wherever the Indians tride with the coast tribes. We boii'xl the chynik, while I examined the village and took notes of points of interest. The chief man of the village had been hired by Isaac to descend the ShJgeli.k and meet him at the southern entrance ; but an old fellow who appeared to have a good deal of influeu'e came forward w ith two fi.:h, which he pro- posed to sell for tobacco. The price of ;i salmon is a leaf of to1)acco, on this part of the Yukon. lie wanted two leaves a[)iece, c(>m))laining that it was early in the season an manu- facture here. They vvc:re mostly large, holding three or four gal- lons, but some were smaller, and one was evidently modelled after Indian ))(>1It'i'v. a Russian mug. The common Tnnuit lamp is also made of clay, and all their pottery is rudely ornamented with lines, dots, and cros.ses. They are about three (|uaiters of an inch thick, of a dark bluish clay, and were perfectly l)Iack from smoke and grease. 1 would have purchased some of them, but they were .so large and so exceedingly dirty that I did not care to put them in the boat. This kind of pottery was formerly universal, but has been super seded by the kettles of the traders. The pots are made by hand, and driei The Xi'iii \\ The conn cross from arc hut Whi iheoi 1.11(1 /) and ' look were arc V pciK 1 !)( drav : scvc 1 ! ji TIIK YUKON TLRRITORY. 2 19 i excitement, "e by taking tluj villaj^e. in front of liunj,^ lip to i there were material for ihscnt, after ked so I)i};h (old man) Liht, but the n-med, liold, ;ra(lcd, fish- iiad, at the id of beinn; ed in witii :kiy. Tiicy fler the III live mana- ir four <;al- dellcxl after de of clay, , (h/iS, and , of a dark grease. I kirge and the boat, en supcr- j hy hand, and therefore not perfectly round or symmetrical. They are (hied in the sun, then baked, and will stand the fire very well. The Innuit name for the ])ots x'a A/kiisik, for the saucers or lamps NiUiiik, and for the euj^s Im-oivuii. We lef* Aiivi'k soon after drinking our tea, with Isaac on board. The wind was so high that wr could not cross the river, and rain coming on, we soon ( aniped on a sm;>ll island. The other boats crossed to the other si(K;, and we lost sight of them. Starting from camp, I saw and killed a large sand-hill crane. These birds are plenty on the Lower Yukon. I have seen thousands of them, hut never c;f any color except brown, gra)-, and fawn color. While ones are unknown, and I doubt the correctness of the theory which considers the white crane of tl;e Mississij)pi valley and the saml-hill ciane to be one species. '/'iics(i(t}\ ijik. — The rain ceasing, we [)assed down the river 1 and entered a long slough or cut-off Near noon we stopped and I took tea. Soon after, we came to an Ingalik camp where they I were making birch canoes. The birches of the Lower Ingaliks arc very ilifi'erent from those of the Upi)er Yukon Indians. The In;;alik biitli c.xnoti. rough waters of the broad river need a stronger canoe than those used hy the Kutchin tribes. ICverything is cari;fiilly carved and sinoolhed. The frame is stout and strong, and ornamented with red paint. The bark is sha[)ed over a mound of the exact size of llie jjfoposed canoe, and sewed with spruce roots. The cut rep- resents the canoe before the gum is placed over the sewing. The paddles are laiice-shai>ed, small and sK-nder, and ornamented with the most fantastic figures, in red. hiaek, and green. I ex- pressed a desire to see the green pigment, and one of the Indians [iroduccd some. It was a sort of fungus (/\-rjirjii) or mould, which pi nrt rates decayed birch wood and -olors it a deep blue-green. 1 bought a small model of a canoe, §n»m which the above figure is drawn. There were seven large canoes nearly finished, and several in process of manufacture. The Ingaliks take fleets of ri i r :j,,; 1 ■ ; ' (i'l • hi 1 i jfi' ! 1 :1 i 2 20 THE YUKON TERRITORY. these new canoes clown to the delta in the fall, and trade them to the river Innuit for oil, ivory, boot-soles, and other articles. Isaac expressed a great desire to take one of the little model canoes to his baby, and I bought one for him, to his great delight. We also purchased some fish and berries, and went on our way. We passed a large winter village between two hills, known to the Russians as the Murderer's Village. Crossing the Yukon about three o'clock, wc came to the southern entrance of the Shageluk slough. Ascending a little way, we reached the Leather Village of the Russians. This is a large Ingalik summer village, the inhabitants in winter living at the last-mentioned settlement. Here we saw the cotton tents of the Mahlcmut camp near the Indian houses. Isaac's wife stood on the bank, holding the baby, which crowed and exhibited all its infantile joy at seeing its father, who still further delighted this promising member of the family by producing the toy canoe. We left the boat in the water, and took only our tent, cooking u^^ensils, and blankets ashore, as the number of natives was so great that I thought it the safest way, especially as these Indians have a reputation for stealing. Leaving one man on the watch, I strolled into the village. The amount of food collected here was almost inconceivable. Large stages were groaning beneath the weight offish, caught and dried the previous .sjason. Long lines were strung with fresh white-fish, drying in the sun. Rows of caches full of dry fish, meat, fat, and skins of oil, showed that hunger need not exist in this favored locality. The fresh meat of three or four moose, jr.st killed, was lying in one pile; another contained the har.nchcs and shoulders of ten deer. Every few minutes a canoe half full of fresh whitc-fi.sli would arrive from the fish-traps, and in no part of the Indian country have I ever seen food so plentiful and so easily obtained. I was informed that the natives had quite a trade wit'.i those from other places, who came to buy ukali in the winter and sprin:.,. The summer houses were large and well built. The walls ever, of the caches were thick, and in many cases pierced with loop- holes for guns. There were but few dogs about, and I noticed a large white-breasted thrush tied by the leg, and apparently quite tame. I tried to buy the bird, which I had not seen elsewhere, but the owner could not be found. The Indians told me that THE YUKON TERRITORY. 221 trade them ler articles, little model eat delight. )n our way. lown to the ukon about e Shageluk ther Village village, the settlement. p near the g the baby, seeing its iber of the nt, cooking ves was so zse Indians he watch, I d here was eneath the Long lines Rows of owed that IS lying ill crs of ten white-fish he Indian ■ obtained, hose from id spriiiu- walls ever, with loop- noticed a ntly quite elsewhere, 1 me that i Teleczhik, the old Russian interpreter, had been there the previous day, and was now trading for furs farther up the Shageluk. I re- turned to my tent, and bought a lot of fresh meat and some fat. Isaac came up and said that his brother had come with him, and had a little liquor which he had bought of tlie traders, but not enough to make a " good drunk." " Now," said he, "we want you to sell us your whiskey, and we will pay you well for it, with furs or anything you want." During my abso^ice the rascals had dis- covered a can of alcoholic specimens in the boat, and supposed it was whiskey. I told him that I wanted it myself, that it was not good to drink, &c., but he went away very sulky. The Mahle- niuts, male and female, now dressed themselves in the new fur clothing which they had brought to sell. Old Abraham, Isaac's father, commenced drumming, and the rest soon began one of their characteristic dances. Those who did not dance raised the old "Ung-hi-yah" chorus and kept time, clapping their hands. It was a sight to remember. Ten or fifteen clean, handsome, stal- wart Innuit, going through the graceful gesticulations of their national dance, dressed in new and handsomely trimmed parkics of every variety of skin, — with the tall poplars and spruce for a background, a fire on one side, and above the genial twilight of the arctic night. Their wild chorus added to the charm of the scLMie. Around them in a wide oval were huddled the well-fed but filthy Indians. Their skin clothing was hairless from long use, and while almost dropping off them from decay, glisi.ened with vermin. Degradation, filth, stupdity, fear, and wonder marked their features. The meanest of the Innuit far surpassed the best of them in strength and manliness. Their miserable condition was due in great measure to their sedentary habits, vnnstant fish diet, and natural indolence. Very few had guns at all, and those which they did have were old, worn out, and nearly worthless. The Ingaliks who live farther up the Sh.igeluk are SvVivl to be more intelligent and active, probably because they sub- sist on the deer and moose which they are obliged to hunt. Af- ter the Mahlemuts had concluded their dance they distributed tobacco in small pieces to the bystanders. I repaired to my tent, ne: the alcohol-can, for i " ' ippc! P ^y- nsr lay down to rest. I had not got asleep, -vhen I heard somethi crash against the tent-pins, breaking down two of them. At the :.i; ii: 222 THK YUKON TERRITORY. ¥' !j i I t i .■'t same time, Kurflla slioutcd to me from outside that the M;ililc- muts were after tlie alcoliol. I shouted hack to ]()<)]< sharp, as they would not jj;et it while I had a loatled f;im. I pulled on my hoots, seized my revolver, which lay by my head, and thn^vv back the flap of the tent. There stood a Mahlemut with his hand on the trigger, and the muzzle of his gun about two feet from my breast. At the same moment, Kun'Ua's long arm jerked the gun from his hands, and flung it far away among the bushes. I stepped out of the tent, and the Mahlemnts slunk away with- out a word. They were intoxicated, having drunk the liquor of which Isaac had spoken. The Indians had hidden themselves, while my men, guns in hand, stood near the tent. If the Mahle- muts had been sober, they would not have behaved so. It was a narrow escape, which I hardly realized at the time. The in- truders retired to their tents, seeing us armed and ready for any- thing. The Indians now mustered courage enough to come out, anil the chief came to me and begged me, with many bows and deprecatory gestures, to remove my camp, as he was afraid there would be trouble yet. " You know these Innuit are so very bad, so horribly bad, such beasts, worse than dogs," said he, al- most with tears in his eyes. No doubt he was thinking of the miserable gun which they had just given him for twenty fine marten skins, which he dared not refuse them. I consulted with KuriUa, and then told the chief that we would move our camp to the island in the middle of the river, and if any one wished to trade meat or fur they would find us there. The tent and other traps were thrown into the boat, and we pulled across a very swift current to the island. Just as we hauled up the boat, Kuri'lla shot a swan who was sailing slowly overhead, and taking the little canoe, he started down stream after it. Some Indians came over with beaver skins and tails, which I purchased ; and I hired one of them to act as sentinel during the night, with a good fire to keep off the mosquitoes. When Kurilla returned we gave our watch- man the swan to pick, to keep him a.vake, and turning in, were soon lost in slumber. WcJiicsdoy, \o//i. — We pushed out into the rapid current very early in the day, while we saw nothing more of our Innuit friends, who were probably sleeping off their headaches. We pulled hard, hoping to reach the Mission before night. We passed a village of niol HtoJ an(l of I to Mai thai /:7vi THK YUKON TKRRITOKY. 223 the Miihl )k sharp, as ullcd on my thrt'vv back his hand 011 ot from my ^ 7* WRtt MAIN STMIT WKiiSTIR.N.Y. 14980 (716) •73-4903 ^>^ ^ 4^ ¥ ; 226 THE YUKON TERRITORY. I, ,:, m I! Thursday, wth. — After collecting a few plants, among which were the blossoms of black and red currants, we pushed off on our way to the Mission. The trees had already become less abundant, especially on the right bank. The latter was pretty high in many places, and trachytic rocks were observed. In some places the river is exceedingly wide, and once or twice, when we were in the current close to the right bank, the left bank was quite invisible. A broad, smooth sheet of water stretched to the west, undisturbed by any ripples, and not broken by islands or dry sand-bars. The scene strongly impressed upon the observer the majesty of the great river upon which we were travelling. About ten o'clock the basaltic rocks indicated the proximity of the Mission, and hoisting the American flag and that of the Scientific Corps, we rounded a point, and the build- ings came into view. The water near the shore was shallow, and we had some difficulty in hauling in our heavily loaded boat. We fired a gun, and were saluted in return by the Rus- sians. We found that the missionary of the Greek Church in the District of St. Michael's (commonly known to the Russians as the Pope) was on the point of starting for the Redoubt. He had dismantled the church of everything valuable, and had nailed up the door. At his request I look an inventory of the houses and articles of furniture he left behind, as he hoped to sell them to the Americans when they arrived. He then applied for med- ical advice, and gave a lengthy description of his personal mis- eries, which were all clearly referrible to an undue indulgence in alcoholic stimulants. This, I believe, in the Greek Church is not considered to detract from the holiness of its ecclesiastics. All of those I have met with in Alaska and Kamchatka were inveterate topers. He told me that he had been seven years a missionary on the Yukon, and that he thanked God that he now had an opportunity of returning to Russia, where a glass of rum might be had for twenty-five kopeks (five cents). I cautioncfl him against ddirhnn tremens, and bade him good by. His Creole servant, who accompanied him to St. Michael's, had a very pretty wife, and I doubted if something more than a fatherly benediction did not lurk in the kiss Father Larriown gave her just before he embarked. I THE YUKON TERRITORY. 227 nong which jhed off on tccome less was pretty served. In e or twice, nk, the left t of water not broken ■essed upon ch we were dicated the m flag and 1 the build- ras shallow, ivily loaded »y the Rus- iirch in the Russians as Joubt. He I had nailed the houses sell them ed for med- rsonal mis- Julgence in Church is cclesiastics. hatka were 'en years a lat he now ass of rum 1 cautioned Mis Creole lad a very a fatherly 1 gave her (i The other Russians at the Mission were Milavdiioff the bidar- shik, and Goldsen, who had been acting as secretary. Mila- vanoff was a good trader, but an invalid from liver complaint, which is common among the Russians in this country. He gave mc a good supply of bread, as my own was nearly exhausted, and I made him a present of my Derringer, to which he had taken a fancy. I was sorry to find that I could not get an interpreter here, as the Innuit dialect of the delta was incomprehensible to all of our party. The buildings at the Mission, except a new house of Milavanoff s and one belonging to the Pope, are very rotten and miserable. The pla^e is a very unhealthy one. It is situated between two hills which shelter it completely from the wind. Several pools of .stagnant water are close by. The In- dian village is very filthy, and their refuse from fish and other matters is everywhere scattered about. I counted six dead dogs among the bushes, and close to the houses there is a large number of graves, both R'/iSsian and native. Some of the latter were curious, and were fur- nished with the baluster-Uke sup- ports before mentioned. We emptied our boat, turned her over, gave her a good oiling, and left her to dry. This is imperatively necessary when travel- ling in skin boats, and should be done at least once in ten days, if possible. We all took a good steam bath, which was a great luxury. Once, farther up the Yukon, I had tried the experiment of bathing in the river, but the water was so cold that only a single plunge was endurable. In this part of the river the water is so muddy that it adds nothing to one's cleanliness to bathe in it. Friday, 12///. — After securing a number of specimens, grind- ing our a.xes, and performing a variety of similar small jobs, we again proceeded on our way. Just below the Mission we saw a native attacking a beaver with one of their bone tridents. Ku- rilla started to his assistance, in the canoe, with his gun ; after a little while they returned, and I bought the animal, as it lay. for tlircc bunches of Circassian tobacco. We kept on all night, as Ekogmut grave. r^T 228 THE YUKON TERRITORY. the air is cooler than in the clay, and there is no darkness, though the sun goes a little below the horizon. No stars were visible all night. Saturday, 13///. — About midnight we rounded the Great Ik-nd. Here we met the head-wind blowing in our teeth with redoubled force. For all the use they had been, so far, we might as well have left the mast and sail at Nuhito. At the Iknd we found a camp of natives who were waiting for the wind to subside. They had nothing for sale except a few mink and some eggs. I bought some swan's eggs for scientific purposes, and also a bow of the kind in use in the Yukon delta. These bows are made of .spruce, which has little elasticity when dry, and is very liable to break. To remedy this defect the bow is bound with cords twisted from deer sinew, as shown in the annexed figure. This gives it great jg ' )'" ■ MWT" T ^Mtt E 'I 1 1* \nf Ekogmiit bow. Strength, and overcomes the brittleness of the wood. We took tea in a slough, and about noon stopped at a village where the inhab- itants were engaged in fishing. It is only by personal inspection of such a village that any one can obtain an adequate idea of the immense quantity of fish which is annually caught and dried on the Lower Yukon. Several acres of ground in front of the sum- mer hou.ses were literally covered with standards and stages bear- ing line after line of fish, split and hung up to dry. The odor is borne to a great distance by the wind. The tlogs, children, ami other inhabitants of the village, during the fishing-season, recall the old lines, — " Jesluinm he waxt-d fat. And down his cheeks they hung ! " while the long rows of caches are crammed with provisions for the winter. This condition of things holds good as far as Anvlk. Hcyond that point the fish are scarcer, and, as previously related, Nulato is far from furnishing food of any kind in plenty. In the foreground the ditferent parts of fish-traps were lying, in readi- ness, though ic visible all Great Bend, h redoubled light as well we found a bside. They s. I bought I ■:^;; tHk^ I bow of the le of s|)ruce, H JJIt )le to break. ™ ^ '' twisted from ivcs it great We took tea the inhab- inspection idea of the ;uul dried on of the sum- stages bear- 'he odor is lildren, and •ason, recall ions for the as Anv(k. Lisly related, ty. In the g, in readi- % p ii 11 h !■!! 228 th«- tr is thr '.Uif , 1. , 1 ■. TFIK '. ( tvON ri.Ri.TloKV. i 1 ihan, N<. .tars \vt;ic vLsihle al' -• \"iii i.ii P'ulnight \vc riiinJcd thu (i!\,Mt Heiul ■ » ■ lua'i wiini lilnwing in our teeth with f^edoiible' il ih(. um; they hail brcn, so far; wt: nuj^hl as we!' h ■' I. !(*•' ;if ir.a>; and sail at Xulat". At the IJcud \vr found a . :iitn|vi.' lu ivi-. wli.t v-n." vvaitiiif; lor the wind to subside. The had ' uiiij. k>r salt" c vr pt .; few mink and .some cj;i!-;. 1 bough son- rtaus i:';*;*^ fot -.•Rntific purjio'^cs. rin.l alsi ;i l.'ow of th k':, i in u^«: in the \ 'ikon delta. These- b<)Wa urc niaiii.- orsprucff u!iicl) iia-> iutf: elanti- itv wh. ii drv, anti \> vry lial)lt'. to lireak \\> •iMih'd\ this dif'''l t!u' bow is bound \Mtli cord^ twi^Jcd frot dcfi :5iiiLVv. as shown in [hr anuoxcd fi^jurc J'his ^he-.^ ii grtfli Iski'ii'ii'ii Ijo' :db=^-^-««^- «.i'! . i>rit'.: r.c.ss of tb(.: w.iod. W r i ook If^ ■ -, ;.i'f '. » «n >;-'p| d at a '.'illa^c where tlv: inhaf- U'^\i\: I iii I'- ill i '. i.s only bv i^fJr.'>op.al nispcctici. • TcnL-ii^. in u • i" '. I tun- . V , • li" ,' ;\ a \i!l:i:.:.- tli.it .u.', th' ca;! o1)ta'n an a'^'qiiat'- Ki>.a of th i.n: ;' n ■• .piaiit '\. <'\ (Ish vvhiih i aniuial'y L.iti^ht and tlricdo' Ci I «iv,c'- ^ ui. .111. Si-v. ral -i^rcs ."f j.o.,u..J in fro;:l "f the sutn ii r h"ii'-; -; v\ ri' litcia!!} cov< rod with .'-tandaids ai'd staj;'c.s bear- !• 1.'' a!ii r liiii- "1 fish, spli' .md linnj; Uf' lu dry. The i>dor 1 • '" 'm n ;..i-;' imriin li' w.i\i'"ti t\\f. •\i il 'J.iwii liis tl' eki they ''p .: "' ' u 'ui' t'l. V. ^ : { Laches are craiume I '^ith pnviMoni for lh( win'- ! '] >d'.iiivt of thint^s holds ;•. .>d a far as Anvfk Hcyond iliru j -uMiNh are scart.- r, and. •t's previously rdateti. Nnl.'iio •• ihr lo ^i^hl!l>; food ol an, kind in plenty. In &■ forr-piound tliL ti-^' nt parts of tii^h tr.ip->. wcif l\inc;, 'm rc:ul\ i±^ •s';, thoug!. • vibiblfj a! iixat Ikml redouble' ihl as we'' K'' iViuntl t .ilk'. The- 1 l)OUg}' l,H)U o( th • or^prucv i' tn break \vi:,i''d froi t'.n; inhal. |l iiispcctioi. of th d 0' I, I'.. I Hi tine •1 tlu- sutr beai- :U,v.S Irhvj i>doi I I'lren. im.' n, re:ar i for ihf Anvik rclatcil. In tV. II ronii i tiiij THE YUKON TERRITORY. 229 ness to repair any damage, or put clown a new trap, if the water fell so as to render it necessary. Here some men were emptying the fish out of a basket, and there others were returning with a canoe-load of salmon from some distant zap6r. We bought a few whitefish, and some mink. I saw two red fox cubs with collars, tied to stakes in some of the houses. These wore apparently intended to amuse the children. We then departed, and finally camped on a sand-bar which was literally alive with wild fowl. We were now getting into the region where they abound, during the spring and summer, in myriads. The report of a gun will often raise such immense flocks of geese as literally to darken »he air; sometimes a flock will be four or five miles long, and two or three rods wide, flying as close together as they can with safety. Swans whitened the surface of several lagoons, and from them down to the tiniest snipe, not weighing more than an ounce, every kind of wild fowl abounded in pro- fusion. Their eggs were scattered over the sand-bars, and a hatful could be obtained on any beach. On attempting to empty the swan's-eggs which I had purchased the day before, by means of a blow-pipe, they resisted all my efibrts. On breaking them, what was my surprise at finding that they had been hard boiled by the natives, to keep them from spoiling ! The real work of the season had been well commenced at Nulato, but partially suspended since we left, as we had procured but few birds new to the collection, since leaving that point. Now I had my hands full, and leaving the task of navigating to Kuri'Ua, I was constantly occupied skinning the birds which we obtained at every turn. I passed many a night without getting an hour's sleep, in order that rare birds might be preserved ; and the work of preparing birdskins is anything but a pleasant one. The results to be obtained for natural history were so great, that it was impossible to grudge a moment of time so spent, or to neglect any opportunity of adding to the note-book or the collection. Sunday, \^th. — Passed the Rasbi'nik village, where I bought a marten-skin and a haunch of reindeer meat. The natives here always cut a small piece off" every skin after selling it, for luck as they say. Toward night we reached the village of Starry (old) Kwikhpdk. Here I found a man named Yaska, who had been interpreter at Andr^affsky. I explained to him that I wished to ii 1. 111! 230 THE YUKON TKRRITO.IY. visit tlic Kiisilvak Slouj^li, and obtain eggs and skins of the beautiful emperor goose {Chlocphaga cana^ica), which breeds in abundance there, and there only. He could not go himself, but obtained a boy who knew the way, and explained to him what I wanted. Tiie village was full of fresh skins of the reindeer fawn. I counted a thousand and seventy-two bunches hanging up to dry. Each bunch contained four skins, or enough to make a parka. This would give a total of nearly four thousand three hundred of these little creatures, which had been killed during the past two months. The village contained a great deal of dry meat and fish, but the inhabitants were squalid and dirty. I saw Andre.iffsky. a tame owl sitting on one of the rafters, and a few marten-skins were hanging on a cache. I bought an otter-skin of the finest quality, for four bunches of Circassian tobacco. Not wishing to camp in such a dirty place, we proceeded a little way down the river with our guide, and camped. Monday, \^th. — While collecting in the morning, I found cow- slips in blossom on I he marshes, and obtained the eggs of the beautiful white-winged gull. The long-continued and never-tir- ing head-wind was stronger than usual this morning. To avoid it. we entered a long slough, where we took tea, and I collected many yellow butterflies {Picris venosa Scud.), the only species THE YUKON TKRKITURY. 23! which I noticed on the Yukon near the sea. About one o'clock wo emerged from the slough, ami at this point killed several geese. The waves were very high, and after an hour's hard pull- ing we passed the mouth of the Milavanoff River, and finally reached Aiidreaffsky Fort. It was quite deserted. The .solitary fort, with the windows all nailed up, the bare hills, and cloudy sky, made the place seem more lonely and dreary than ever. We hauled up the boat, and boiled the chynik, and rested until the wind should abate a little. Andreaffsky was built in the form of a square, the buildings making two of the sides, and a stockade the other two. It con- tained barracks, a store, magazine, cook-house and bath-house. It was erected about the year 1853. In 1855 it was the scene of a mournful tragedy. There was formerly an I*:k(')gmut village near the fort. Several of the natives were workmen at the fort. No trouble had ever occurred. Several of the garrison had gone up to Nulato with the annual provision-boat, and only the bidar- shik and one Russian, besides the native workmen, were left ii\,the fort. One Friday in August, the natives at'acked the Russians as they came naked out of the bath, and killed them with clubs and knives. A Creole boy escaped to the hills, ami finally crossed the portage to the vicinity of St. Michael's. When he reached that point the Uprovalisha was away, and his secretary, Ivan Kogen- ikoff, was acting in his stead. The Russians had long murmured at the conduct of the Com- pany, in leaving unavenged the Nulato massacre. The oppor- tunity of settling accounts with the natives was too tempting to resist. Kogenikoff and Gregory Ivanhofif, with two Creoles, immediately started for the fort. On reaching it th. found everything in confusion. The dead bodies lay at the door of the bath-house. The natives, not knowing how to u.sc flour, had merely carried off the sacks. They had also ripped ojien the beds, and carried away the ticking, while the mass of flour and feathers was left on the floor. After satisfying them- selves that there was no living thing in the fort, the Ri .sians started for the village, which was about a mile off. As they ap- proached, Kogenikoff saw a man standing in the door of one of the houses and pointing a gun at the approaching party. It after- ward turned out that the gun had no lock ; but not knowing this, 232 THE YUKON TERRITORY. lijllljl the Russians fired, ami killed the man. The natives, who wcro few in number, came rushing out, and were shot down wiihout mercy. The Creoles, who, when aroused, have all the ferocity of the aboriginal savage, attacked the shaman and beat out his brains with clubs. None were spared. 'Jhc blood shed at the fort was not yet dry, and the infuriated Russians resolved that the authors of that cowardly outrage should be e.xtcrminateil without mercy. When they stayed their hamls the work was done. I'\ithers, mothers, and children had passed their " evil quarter of an hour." The result was wonderful. l'*rom that day to this not a native on the Lower Yukon has lifted his hand against the whites. The bloody lesson was not thrown away. The strong hand, which alone commands the respect of savages, was worth a thousand missionaries. To this day the natives trav- elling on the river near the fort pass by on the other side. Large quantities of tobacco and other property, stolen from the fort, were found in the village. Around the necks of most of the dead, crosses were found hanging, indicating that the thieves and mur- derers were baptized converts of the Yukon Mission. The only articles remaining in the fort at the time of our visit were three six-jKninuer.^, and some old iron. Toward evening, though the river vv'as still very rough, we embarked, and by keep- ing close to the bank managed to travel several miles farther. The white dome of the Kusilvak mountain loomed up grandly to the .southwest. Just south of it is a shallow slough which leads into the south slough of the delta. This is navigable only for j bidarkas. The trees were now reduced to low willows, and the level character of the country to the north and west showed that we had passed all the mountains. A few low hills still fringed the right bank, but the general level of the country was only a few feet above the sea. We finally camped on the bank of a| small stream, which our guide said was called I-lgg River. The evening was cold and raw, the sky cloudy and sombre, and j the vegetation far less advanced than that a hundred mile- inland. Fragments of ice, the remains of huge blocks left by tlicl freshet, still lay on the shore. Tuesday, \6t/i. — The whole morning we pulled against : strong steady head-wind. We passed into a narrow slough, and I by a turn to the northward were able for the first time to use our TIIL YUKON TERRITORY. 233 i sail. Convinced that wo were passiiij; the mouih of the Kiisilvak, we crossed to the other side of the river. 'I'wo hours were eon- Mimed in doinj^ this, altlioii^h we made at least three knots ami a lialf an hour. The aspect of llic country, Hat, marshy, and iiuidily, was truly desolate. We saw immense numbers of wild fowl in the distance, but no other animals. We camped on the left bank, and I noticed that the mice in winter, crawling alon;; the surface of the snow, hatl j^nawed the bark from the willows full six feet above the -ground. This would indicate that the snow falls at least to that depth. ;\ few warblers wi-re buililing their nests in the thickets, and 1 noticed the tracks of mink along the mudily beach. 1 1 'aims liny, xjt/i. — Our guide to my astonishment insisted on criissinj; the river a;;ain. As none of us understood ;'ie I're- UKMska dialect, we were unable to find out what his in:i: .tions were. About noon wc stopped at a small island and oilected about fifty c«;j;s of the water-hen {^Ma^iis siiTutot) The) were laid under loj^s, without any lining to the nest, and covered caie- fully with dr) ii. .es and down. The jiarent birds flew sv.icam- ing, round the island, out of gunshot. About half a'l hour after, our guide brought us to the mouth of the Uphoon! I rcco-nized the place immediately, and by referring to my vocabularies managed to make out that he had supposed this was our desti- nation, and that he knew nothing about the Kusilvak. This was a great disappointment to mc, as I had hoped to obtain large numbers of the eggs and skins of the ICmperor goose. liowcvei, there was nothing to be done but to make the best of it. I paid him, and he started homeward, while we kept on our way through tlie Uphoon. The small beaches were plentifully strewn with eggs. The most common were those of Ihitchin's goose, the white-winged gull, and the pin-tail duck. I had instructed Ku- rilla in the manufacture of omelets, and tlu'v now formed part of every meal. The egg-shells were carel'ully emptied with a bK)\vpipe anil devoted to science, while the contents went into the frying-pan. We camped on a high bank, which bore the re- mains of many native camp-fire.s, and just before turning in I was fortunate enough to shoot a fine specimen of the beautiful red- necked loon. The Uphoon is an excellent collecting ground, but the emperor goose is seldom seen there. I' ' n 234 THE YUKON TKRRITORY. Thursday, \?>t/i. — We started late, after unlimited omelet, and rowed wiowly through the various windings of the slough. Now and then we stopped to eollect eggs or speeimens, and the boat was fairly covered with our feathered prizes. We passed one deserted native house, and about dark arrived safely at Kul- lik. This settlement consists of one house, built by a Russian called \n;inyan, containing a living-room, kitchen, and bath-room, under one roof; a single Innuit barrabora stands near it, and a great cache, the largest in the country, has been erected behind the house. The house was entirely empty, and had such a smoky smell that I decided to sleep in the tent, and only to do my bird- I i ■;; t J ■ ' l: ; , : ; ■ ' !' . : Kiitlik skinning inside, where there was room to spread out the skins to dry. I proposed to spend several days here, and to send the Indians out shooting, while I kept at work preparing the speci- mens. Ananyan, wiih his family, was away in the Kusilvak, where he was salting chowichec {Sahiio oriaitalis Pall.) for Step.inoff The ne.\t day I busied myself repacking the specimens which had been collected on the road. I sent out all the Indians with liberal supplies of powder and shot, and promised ten balls as a present to whoever should bring in one of the much-desired geese. I blew about five dozen eggs during ihe day which is an under- taking to be appreciated only by those who have tried it. To- I THE YUKON TERRITORY. 235 ctl omelet, and f the slough, iniuns, and the s. Wo passed safely at Kut- by a Russian and bath-room, > near it, and a erected behind d such a smoky to do my bird- V\ out the skins , and to send aring the spcci- vusilvak, where or Stcpanoff. K-cimens whii li e Indians with ten balls as a i-dcsired geese, 1 is an under- tried it. To- ward evening it rained, and I moved everything from the tent into the house, except my blankets. The men came back loaded with game, and the indefatigable Kun'lla, with an unwonted sniile on his sober face, untolded a piece of cotton and i)roiight out a magnificent old gander of the right sort. The goklen tips to the snowy feathers of the head, the beautitul "ashes-of-roses" color of the body, marked with half-moons of black, gave it the undis- puted right to its proud title of the l^mperor, or, in Russian, Cicsdr-kii. The Emperor unose. Tiie following day and the one after that were spent much in the same way. I was busy preserving and packing the skins, while the Indians were constantly out gunning. Sichirka added another goose to my collection, and 1 obtained near the house several pairs, and also the eggs of a curlew {Liiiiosii timpyj^i- (i/is) not previously found on the American continent. On Mon- day, Kun'lla heated the bath-room, and we all took a steam balh. In the evening about half past eleven that old veti.ran Telee/.hik arrived from the Shiigeluk with a boat-load of fiu-s. lie would only stop to drink tea, however, and with his two companions pushed on to Pastolik. He had obtained about a thousand martens. V !in 2.;6 THE YUKON TERRITORY. "i II Tuesday, 2id. — After packing up all the collections, I con- cluded to follow Teleezhik to Pastolik. We arrived there safely, and had hardly landed our cargo before a strong head-wind sprang up, so that we had been just in time. Pastolik is a Una- leet village of some thirty huts, mostly built of turf and driftwood. Just now it was without inhabitants. It is situated on the shore of a wide inlet, into which the Pastolik River empties. The mouth of this inlet is nearly closed by a bar which is almost dry at low tide. Inside of the bar there are deep places, and here a beluga fishery is carried on in the month of August. The beluga is a small white whale, allied to the sperm whale and porpoise. They come into the shallow water to breed, and are prevented from getting out of the inlet by the bar. When the tide falls, the natives in their kyaks attack them with lances, and large num- bers are killed. The flesh is eaten, and the blubber and oil pre- served for trade and winter use. The length of these animals seldom exceeds fifteen feet, and a large one will weigh about two thousand pounds. I counted eighty skulls lying about the huts, the remains of the fishery of the previous year. The teeth of the beluga are of the consistency of ivory, and are extensively used by the Innuit in making small carvings. Birds, seal, deer, and other animals are imitated with some skill by the natives, and many articles of use and ornament are made by them from ivory. The previous year, on our arrival from Nulato, I purchased a large number of these articles. An awl or bodkin is here reprc- Ivory bodkin. sented. The larger articles of ivory are made from walrus tusks, which are obtained by trade with the natives of the northern coast. In July and September a seal fishery, similar to that at Kegiktowruk, is carried on here, and many are secured in nets. These nets are exceedingly strong, and are made from rcmni, Seine needle. with a peculiar needle, which is here represented. The Innuit THE YUKON TERRITORY. 237 women are extremely expert at this kind of work. I am informed that with similar nets, during the moulting season, they secure large numbers of wild fowl and also many arctic hares in the fall. During the moulting season they obtain many skins of the differ- ent species of divers, by driving them into shallow water where they cannot dive, and spearing them with bone tridents. Of these skins they make parkies and other articles of clothing, some of which are very tasteful. The Innuit have also a custom of making, on flat pieces of bone, rude drawings of animals, hunting parties, and similar things. t i I INNUIT DRAWINGS ON BONE. The Innuit Spearing geese. Wolves after deer. Innuit dance. Ueerhunting. These drawings are analogous to those discovered in France in the caves of Dordogne, and the preceding sketch of the drawings on cither side of two bone knives illustrates their general character. I have seen an ivory bow, used in connection with a drill, and made of an entire walrus tusk, which had depicted on each of the four sides every pursuit followed by the Innuit from birth to interment. These facts have a peculiar interest as showing some similarity between the customs of the picsent Orarian tribes 238 THE YUKON TERRITORY. and those of the ancient European cave-dwellers. Similar draw- ings are common everywhere among the Innuit, while I have never seen among the Tinneh tribes of the northwest any similar specimens of art. Some of the Innuit tribes to the southward exhibit much more ingenuity in such matters than those of Nor- ton Sound and the vicinity. Back of Pastolik are extensive marshes bounded by the low- range of the Pastolik Hills, while at their foot the Pastoliak River flows, emptying into Pastol Bay. These marshes are the favorite haunts of myriads of wild fowl. IVaiticsdciy, 24///. — This morning an unexpected misfortune occurred. The strong west wind raised the water so high that it not only invaded our tent near the shore, but surrounded the boxes of birdskins before we becan^.c. aware of it, and I was obliged to empty them, unpack every individual specimen, and dry it in the sun. This was fortunately accomplished and the speci- n^ns repacked, when clouds came up and it began to rain. From the marshes my Indians obtained many fine birds and eggs, including several specimens of the exquisite Sabine's gull {Xniia Sabinii), and a pair of Emperor geese. This is nearly the most northern point reached by the latter species. A solitary native arrived in a kyak at night, and reported others on the way. I picked up near the village a large portion of the skull of the extinct elephant {li/tp/uu firiviigaiiiis). These bones are not so common as the teeth and tusks, being f )und on the surface only, and usually much decayed ; whde the bones of the musk-ox and fossil buffalo found in the same situations are much better preserved, and sometimes retain some of the ani- mal matter in the bone. The natives have no tradition of any other large animal than the reindeer and moose, and regard the elephant and musk-ox bones as the remains of dead " devils." The tusks are not so well preserved as those found in Siberia, which are usually buried in the earth. The former are black- ened, split, and weathered, and contain little ivory in a state fit for use, though the Innuit of the Arctic coast occasionally find them in such preservation that they make kantags or dishes of the ivory, according to Simpson. On Friday, Goldsen arrived in a three-holed bidarka with his son and an Innuit lad. He reported that Milavdnotif was at Kiitlik. ii THE YUKON TERRITORY. 239 Saturday, zjth. — The wind being nearly fair, all hands loaded up, and we started for the Redoubt. I had hoped to get a larger boat at Pastulik, fearing to trust my little bidarra to the waves of the open sea, but there were neither boats nor natives at hand. We sailed well, and soon outstripped Teleezhik, though the nim- ble bidarka led the fleet. We drank tea on the shore, about ten miles from I'astolik, and then pushed on toward Point Roma- noff. Goldsen arrived at this point some time ahead of us, as it had become quite calm. On reaching the village, near the solitary hill which marks the point (which is the Cape Shallow Water of Cook), I was about to land, when Goldsen cried out to me, "Hurry up I Mr. Doctor, don't stop for a moment, there are two American ves- sels at the Redoubt I " My joy and excitement can hardly be described. Our ignorance of any details only added to it. The news was obtained through a native who had been to the Canal, and had only seen the vessels. I immediately proposed to Gold- sen to put his native into the bidarra, while one of my Indians would take the other [laddle, and I would accompany him in the swifter bidarka to the Redoubt. This arrangement was soon completed, and I left Kun'lla to bring the bidarrd to St. Michael's. We touched at Pikmikt;ilik, and entering the Canal took tea on the bank. While the chynik was boiling I took a bath in one of the lagoons, and otherwise prepared myself to meet civilized beings once more. After tea we pulled vigorously all night. Sunday, 2St/t. — About three o'clock in the morning we reached the northern mouth of the Canal, and saw a small schooner lying in the bay. To the eastward a bidarra was pulling for the Canal, but seemed rather to avoid us. Taking Goldsen's glass, I made out one white man in it, and the round sides of two barrels rose conspicuously above the gunwale. I felt sick as I sat down, knowin , hat the cargo must consist of rum, and seeing already the beginning of evils whose future growth none could estimate. We pulled up to the landing near the boat-house. I'^vcrything seemed much as usual, and everybody was evidently asleep. My eye soon fell on a pile of boxes, which were not of Russian make, and just beyond was a lot of American tin cups. I hastened to the house on the point, which was evidently occupied. Entering, I nearly stumbled over a sleeper on the floor. He rose and came 240 THE YUKON TERRITORY. 11 : out into the light, and I was soon shaking hands and cxchangins? hurried interrogatories with Mike Lebarge. The unmixed dchght with which I welcomed his familiar face can hardly be appre- ciated. I found, to my own astonishment, that speaking Eftglish, after a year of nothing but Russian and Indian dialects, was any- thing but easy, and for several days I was obliged to resort to Russian when fluency was required. The news, much of it eigh- teen months old, was all news to me, and it was weeks before I gained anything like a comprehension of the events which had occurred in the civilized world since I last heard from it. My only disappointment was that they brought me not a single home letter. All of these had been sent to Sitka or elsewhere, in ig- norance of my whereabouts. I had not heard from home for nearly two years. Captain Smith had left with his vessel for Grantley Harbor. He would return to St. Michael's, and I made the necessary prepara- tions for accompanying him to California. I must pass over the events of the next month at the Redoubt. Several trading com- panies, beside that which Mike represented, intended to send par- ties into the country. The vessel in the bay was principally loaded with liquor, which had in some mysterious way eluded the vigi- lance of the United States officials at Sitka ; she belonged to one of these companies. Some time after, the vessel arrived which had been sent to take back those Russians who desired to return to Russia. Very few went in her, as most of them were hired by the new trading companies. To Mr. George R. Adams, and Cap- tain Riedell, of the brig Constantine, I was under many obligations. On the 2 1st of July the schooner Frances L. Steele arrived from Bering Strait with Captain Smith on board. On the 9th of Au- gust, having shipped the collections, I embarked for San Fran- cisco via the Aleutian Islands. We touched at St. George's Island and some of the Aleutians on our way to California. The incidents of the voyage need not be recounted here. It is sufficient to say that I obtained abundance of evidence that during 1868 great abuses were prevalent in the new territory. One trading company in particular, hoping, by its large capital and connection with the officers of the defunct Russian Company, to crush all smaller concerns, had not hesitated at force, fraud and corruption, to attain these ends. It would be impossible to % THE YUKON TERRITORY. 241 believe in the probity of some of the officials (since removed) at Sitka, as it was impossible to avoid seeing the outrages which liad been committed. One instance of the temper of these traders will suffice. A party, consisting of several German Jews, one Russian, and some other foreigners, had staked out the places where the fur seal come up on the island of St. George, and declared their intention of holding these tracts of beach under the houKstead laws (!) by force, if necessary. Two unarmed Americans, who had served in the army and navy during the late war, and who had a permit to seal from the Sitka authorities, having trespassed on the land staked out, were set upon by a party of armed natives, led by a member of the company referred to, were tied hand and foot, and left all night in a mud hovel used for storing salt. The next day they were released on condition that the trespass should not be repeated. In their present condition the Creoles are unfit to e.xercise the franchise, as American citizens. If a territorial government should be granted to the handful of Americans now resident in the territory, it would simply give the stronger companies the power to crush and ruin the weaker ones, and a full opportunity of smuggling and selling liquor would be afforded to the former. The present system of a military government, with honest officers, is unquestionably the best, until the proper reservations are made and regulations in regard to trading are enacted. The territory is not likely to be populous fo'' many years, and should rather be regarded as a great storehouse of fish, timber, and fur ; from which American citizens alone should be allowed to draw sup- plies, under proper restrictions and on payment of reasonable taxes. The country, under a monopoly, afforded one hundred thousand silver rubles a year, taxes, to the Russian crown, and, with the development of other resources than the traffic in furs, can certainly afford as much to the United States. I speak from no uncertainty, but from positive knowledge ; I believe that a proper and not onerous system of taxation would afford two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in gold per annum. It is but reasonable to suppose that a territory separated by sea and foreign territory from the United States — being in point of fact a colony — should need, and be the subject of, special legisla- tion, differing in many particulars from that applied to territories 16 242 THE YUKON TERRITORY. 1.1 li.'il which are merely continuations of densely populated districts under State jurisdiction. I have seen with surprise and regret that men whose fore- fathers wielded the axe in the forests of Maine, or gathered scanty crops on the granite hillsides of Massachusetts, have seen fit to throw contempt and derision on the acquisition of a great territory naturally far richer than that in which they themselves originated, principally on the ground that it is a "cold" country. This complaint is but half true to begin with, since on half of the coast of the new territory the thermometer has never been known to fall below zero. Icebergs are unknown in Alaska from Dixon's Entrance to Bering Strait, and no polar bear ever came within a thousand miles of Sitka. On the other hand, has the race of hardy pioneers died out among us ? Do we, as a nation, sigh only for indolent siestas in the canebrakes of Cuba .■' In a country where all that we honor and respect has grown from the efforts of those whose energy, fostered by conflict with the elements, has made a garden of the rock, turned the forest into fruitful fields, and drawn the precious minerals from the flinty bosom of the earth, there can be but one answer to such a question. We have bought for a nominal price the key to the North Pacific. It can no longer be said that three ironclads can block ade our entire western coast. Two hundred and fifty years hence there may be a new New England where there is now a track- less forest. The time may come when we shall call on our Pacific fishermen to man our fleets, on the lumbermen of Alaska and our hardy northern trappers to don the blue, and strike another blow for unity and freedom. The oak must weather the storms of many winters before it gains maturity. Alaska is not a Cali- fornia, where cities arise in a night, and may pass away in a day. Meanwhile we mus*^ be patient. We entered the Golden Gate on the 29th of September. I cannot close this partial record of my experience in the north, without a word of acknowledgment to those Californian friends who made my welcome back so warm. The friendship of Cali- fornians, easily acquired, is as precious as their own gold, and as enduring as their Sierras. When I stepped on board the steamer, eastward bound, I felt almost as if I were leaving rather than approaching home. ted districts PART II. GEOGRAPHY HISTORY, INHABITANTS, AND RESOURCES OF ALASKA. I !fi Ge ill! 1 on we ex; cla Pri lati (m( the tine me mo tior finn the « ing t< whc (I dire the pro\ oce; sion CHAPTER I. General geographical and topographical description of Alaska. — Adjacent seas. — (Jrmips of islands. — Coasts and hirbors. — Kivcr system. — Ocean currents. — Mountain chains and peaks. — Area — Earlier maps. — Review of some recent maps. — The authorities for the present map. — I'icid for future explorations. THK United States territory known by the name of Alaska is bounded, in general terms, by the Frozen or Arctic Ocean on the north, the Pacific Ocean, Herintj Sea and Strait on the west and south, and the Hudson Hay territory on the east. The exact boundaries as laid down in the treaty of cession, and pro- claimed June 20, 1S67, are as follows: — " Commencing from the southernmost point of the island known as Prince of Wales' Island, which point lies in the parallel of 54° 40' north latitude, and between the 131st and the 1331I degree of west longitude (meridian of (Ireenwich), the said line shall ascend to the north along the channel called Portland Channel, as far as the point of the con- tinent where it strikes the 56th degree of north latitude ; from this last- mentioned point the line of demarcation shall follow the summit of the mountains situated parallel to the coast as far as the point of intersec- tion of the 141st degree of west longitude (of the same meridian) ; and finally, from the said point of intersection, the said meridian line of the 141st degree, in its prolongation as far as the Frozen Ocean. " With reference to the line of demarcation laid down in tlie preced- ing article, it is understood, — " 1st. That the island called Prince of Wales' Island, sliall belong wiiolly .... to the United States. " 2d. That whenever the summit of the mountains, which extend in a direction parallel to the coast, from the 56th degree of north latitude to the point of intersection of the 141st degree of west longitude, shall prove to be at the distance of more than ten marine leagues from the ocean, the limit between the British possessions .... and the posses- sions ceded by this convention shall be formed by a line parallel to the 1 1 vr^ 246 C.EOGRAFHY OK ALASKA. winding of the coast, and which shall never exceed the distance of ten marine leagues* therefrom. "The western limit, within which the territories and dominion con- veyed are contained, passes through a point in Uchring's Straits on tht- parallel of 65° 30' north latitude, at its intersection Ity the meridian which passes midway between the island of Krusenstcrn, or Ignalook, and the island of Ratmanoff, or Nunarbook, and proceeds due north without limitation, into the same Frozen Ocean. "The same western limit, beginning at the same initial point, proceeds thence in a course nearly southwest, through Uchring's Straits and Heh- ring's Sea, so as to pass midway between the northwest point of the island of St. Lawrence, and the southeast point of Cape Choukotski, to the meridian of 172° west longitude, thence, from the intersection of that meridian, in a southwesterly direction, so as to pass midway between the island of Attou, and the Copper Island of the Komandorski couplet or group in the North Pacific Ocean, to the meriilian of 193° west longi- tude, so as to include in the territory conveyed the whole of the Aleutian Islands east of that meridian." Adjacent Seas. — The most extensive of the adjacent as is the North Pacific Ocean. The dividing-line between it ;, 1 Bering Sea may be said to be the chain of the Catherina Archipelago, from the most western point of Aliaska Peninsula to Cape Kam- chatka. That great extent of water lying north of lat. 56, between the Kadiak group and the Alexander Archipelago, has been named by the Superintendent of the Coast Survey the Gulf of Alaska. Bcrimr Sea extends between Kamchatka and Eastern Siberia on the west, and America on the east ; from the Aleutian Islands to Bering Strait. It has two principal eastward prolongations, — Bristol Bay and Norton Sound; and two to the west, — Ana- dyr Gulf and the Gulf of Kamchatka. Passing through Bering Strait, which separates Asia and America, we come into the Frozen Sea or Arctic Ocean. Here the coasts are even and uni- form, and the only arm of this sea which is of any size is Kotze- bue Sound, northeast of Bering Strait. The northern portion of this ocean is as yet unexplored. Groups of Islands. — The North Pacific rivals its southern por- tion in the size of its archipelagoes. The magnificent group of eleven hundred islands, which guards the American coast from • That is to say, 30 geographical miles, or about 34|Vir English statute miles. ! ;1: l!'li!'! GEOGKAI'IIY OF ALASKA. 247 itancc of toi) n' as is the tatute miles. Dixon Kntrancc in 54° 40' to Cross Sound in lat. sS"" 25' N., has received the name of the Alexander Anliipela^j^o from the L'liited States Coast Survey, in honor of the l-Juperor of Russia. The islands southeast of the peninsula of Ali.iska, between Ion. 151 and 158 W., are known as the Kadidk Archipilai:;o, from the name of tlie principal island. The j;reat chain of islands from Ion. 158 to 195' W. was appropriately named by Forsler in 1786 the Catlurina Air/ii- ft/d^ifo, in honor of the enliy;htencd and liberal ICmpress Cathe- rine II. of Russia. Tiie most westerly of the j;roups included in this archipelago is tliat known as the Komaiuiorski or Coiniiiandir s Islands, from Commander Hering, who died upon one of them. Their situation is about lat. 55° N. and Ion. 193 ' \V. They are two in number. The largest is known as Inriiii^ Island, and the smaller and more cistern as Copper {Mcdni) Island. The chain between Ion. 163' and 188' W. bears the general name of the Alcntian Islands, from the term Aleuts, ajiplied by the Russians to their original inhabitants. They are divided into several grou, s. Those west of Ion. 185° W. are called the Nearer (AY/;/////) Islan Is. They comprise ..•]////, which is the largest, Agattii, or the Crooked {Kn{i^li) Island, and three small islets known as the Snnic/ii, from Snnil:, the feast on the seventh Thursday after l-laster, on which day they wen- discovered. The group ne.\t east of the Nearer Islands, between Ion. 185 and 180° W., is known as the Rat {Kin'si) Islands. They are about fifteen in number, large and small. The most important arc IlotildiT, Big and Little Gut {Kccska) Islands, Little Net {Sntkin) Island, Rat {Kra'sa) Island, Anichitka Island, and the Island of Seven Peaks {Si'misopochnoi). The next group, from Ion. 180° to 172° W., bears the name of the Andndnofski Islands, after Andreanoff, their discoverer. There are about thirty of them. The largest is Atka, and, in the ortlcr of their size, Addkli, Tdnaj^a, Kdnaga, Anilia, S^i^naw, Sit- kiii, or Great Net Island, Burnt {Gonloi) Island, Tdnara, Tagaldxa, Vitliik, Undlga, Amdtignak, and Kavdlay. The last four, with a number of small islets, are sometimes called the Dt'laroff Islands, from their discoverer. With Burnt Island they are separated from w m: 248 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. >hI1u lillH'i the rest of the group by the Tdna^a Pass. Between Amlia and Seguam is situated the rocky and dangerous Si'gunfn Pass. Between Amukhta Pass (Ion. 172° VV) and False or Isanotski Pass (Ion. 163° 20' W.) lie the Fox {Lccsi) Islands. This is the largest of the four Aleutian groups. It contains thirty-one islands, more or less, including the largest in the Catherinu Archi- pelago. The principal are, in order of size, Unimah, Unaldshka, Uniiiak, Akiiidii, Ak/iiin, Yittuiska, Amukhta, Chiigiitgan, Kiigdl- ga, TigdUa, Avatdiiak, Ukamak* Ulidlga, Spa'rkiii, and the cele- brated volcano islands of St. John the Theologian {Joanna Bogos- lova) and the Four Craters. Between Unimak and Akhun is the Unimak Pass, the best passage for vessels bound for Bering Sea. East of Unimak, the southern coast of Aliaska is liberally fringed with islands. A group comprising i'uga, A^agdi, lYiii- niak, Tidkinak, and a number of others unnamed on the Russian chart, is called the Shuniagin Islands, from the name of a sailor of Bering's expedition, who died and was buried there. The Kadidk ArcJiipclago ( onshta of Kadidk, Afogndk, Tugidak, Sitkinak, Marmot {h'rdskic) Island, Spruce ( Yehkiiv) Island, Woody (Li'snoi) Island, Cliirikoff \ox Ukaviok) Island, named after its discoverer, and many smaller islands. A small group north- west of Chi'rikoff Island is known as the Sc'niidi Islands ; another in the mouth of Cook's Inlet, as the Barren {Bezplodnoi) Islands; northeast of these, a group of three is called the Cliugatz Islands.\ The Alexander Archipelago will be described in connection with that part of the coast. In Bering Sea (lat. 57^ N., Ion. 169^ 30' W.) we find the Priby- loff Islands, so named after their discoverer. They comprise four small islands : St. Paul, St. George, Walrus {I\Ior::lu)zui), and Beaver {Bobrtnvi) Island. These are the fur-seal islands. North of the Prfbylotif Islands (lat. 60° 30' N. and Ion. 173° W.) is situ- ated the St. Mattheiu group, containing St. ]\Iattlu\v, Pinnacle, and Hall islands. These are uninhabited, rocky, and precipitous. It is said that a few Russians, left here by the Company to collect sealskins during the winter of 1816, all died of starvation. On * In the mouth of IJnimak P.iss. Usually but incorrectly placed on the charts as Ouganiok. Ckiitnol: is one name for Chirikoff Island of the Kadiak Archipelago. t Not to be confounded with the islands which thiong Chugdch Gull, or Prince William Sound. GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 249 ;n Anilia and / Pass. c or hatwtski This is the lis thirty-one therinu Archi- (', L'liahis/ika, iiigaii, Kiigdl- , and the ccle- Joanna Bogos- Akhiin is the • Bcrinj; Sea. ;a is liberally , Nagdi, Nii'i- n the Russian inie of a sailor ;rc. 'Hiik, Tiigidak, I'hki'v) Island, d, named after group north- iiids ; another iiioi) Islands; igat.': Islauih.] in connection nd the Pribj'- comprise four orzIurMi), and ands. North 3° W.) is situ- hcii\ Pinnacle, d precipitous, any to collect xrvation. On :1 on tlic charts as Arcliipclapo. ;h Gulf, or Triucc the other hand, the whalers ussert that St. Matthew is full of white bears, and call it, for that reason, Bear Island. St. Mat- thew is on the line which marks the southern limit of floating ice in large fields. Small (piantities may be found south of it, but not so as to endanger navigation, even in mid-winter. This ice line extends from Cape St. Thaddeus, on the coast of Kam- chatka, to the St. Matthew group, and in a southeast direction, finally touching the northern shores of 15ristol Hay. A little to the south of east of the last group, .-.cparated from the continent by I'.tolin Strait, is the large and unexplored island of Nunivak. In Ion. 170° W. and lat. 6^° 30' N. is situated the large island of .SV. Laivraicc. The latitude which Bering gives for the island which he so named (64'' 30') has raised a doubt as '.o its identity with the one which we call St. Lawrence. It is ihe Anderson Island of Cook, and as it is mostly low, with a number of prominent hills, it was suj)])oscd by the early discoverers, who saw it in thick weather, to be a group of several islands. There is a small cluster of rocks close in, south of the east cape (which has been called Cape Anderson), known as the Pinik Islands. St. Lawrence is known to the Tuski as Iivorien. Then, is a large island in the head of the Gulf of Kamchatka, which the Russians call Karaginski Island, from its discoverer, Karagin. There are also a lew small islands to the northeast of it. In Bering Strait ('.at. 63° 58' 30" N., Ion. 167° 58' W.) is a small inhabited island, c;;llcd Ckivok by the native*, generally charted as King hiai: i. It rises about six hundred feet above the sea. The Dioniedes arc two small islands in the middle of Bering Strait. Between them passes the boundary line between Russian and American territory. The Russian island is called Ratnidnojf or Imiklit, and the American goes by the name of Kn'isenstern or lugdliuk. A few miles southward lies the Fairxvay Rock, in lat. 65° 38' 42" N. and Ion. 168' ^3' 42" W. All these islets are inhabited, and the natives are known as Okee-(')gmuts. In the Arctic Ocean, recent discoveries by American whalers show the existence of an island or large extent of land, of which the west cape (lat. 70" 46' N. and Ion. 178° 30' \V.) has received the name of Cape TJtomas, and the southeast point (lat. 70^ 40' and Ion. 178^ 51' W.) that of Cape Ifazuaii, from the discov- 32 "v:\ 250 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. crer, Captain Long of the bark Nile. Captain Raynor found the southeast extremity to be in Ion. 176' 40' W., and Captain Bliven of the Nautilus traced the land as far north as lat. 72^ N. without observing its northward termination. This discovery is elsewhere spoken of at length, and has appropriately received the name of Wraugcll Land. To the eastward, Captain Kel- lett, R. N., discovered an island in lat. 71' 20' N. and Ion. 175" 16' W., which he landed upon and called Herald Island. Another island was reported to have been seen by him August 17, 1849, and was called Plover Island. The latter has not since been con- firmed. Captain Raynor reports another island in lat. 70^ N., to the eastward of Herald Island, and bearing W.N.W. from Point Barrow. A fertile field for discovery is here laid open for Amer- ican explorers. Coasts and Haibors. — It would be out of place, and will not here be attempted, to give a minute description of the labyrinth of bays, channels, sounds, and straits which are found in the Alexander Archipelago. The briefest enumeration possible of the principal points of interest is all that belongs here. For more minute inquiry the investigator is referred to the charts of Tebenkoff and Vancouver, to the works of the latter, and those of Cook and Mcares. All that most readers will care to know will be found in the "Coast Pilot of Alaska," recently published by the Coast Survey, and with it much other detailed information derived from the works of the older navigators. The Great Archipelago of I\I 'ares extends from the head of Puget Sound to the head of Lynn Channel and Cross Sound. That part of it which has received the name of the Alexander Archipelago lies north of Dixon Entrance (lat. 54" 40' N.), which separates the British and American islands. But a few of the eleven hundred islands will .^e mentioned here. Among those distinguished for their size are those of Bardnoff, Prince of Wales, Rcxnlla Gigc'do, Admiralty, CJiichagoff, Kupridnoff, Koii or Kou-i-u, Etolin, and Zan'mba. The principal channels by which they are divided are Cliatluwu Peril, Icy, and Clarence straits ; Cross, Christian, and Frederick sounds ; Lynn Channel, and Stephen's Pass. The smaller arms which diverge in every direction from these are innumerable, and afford access to every portion of the archipelago without setting GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 25' foot on land. These are far from being explored as yet, and Mr. Davidson says, " There is not even a small map of any part of the coast, or of any harbor, which can be counted as worth more than a reconnoissance or preliminary survey." The first anchorage in the southeast part of Alaska is Tay- akhoiisiti Harbor. This is situated in lat. 54° 46' N. and Ion. 130° 35' W., and contains a village of the Tongas Indians. Here, in 1867, the United States military post of Fort Tongas was established. It is about ten miles northwest of Fort Simpson. In clearing the timber for this post, it is reported that yellow cedar trees eight feet in diameter were cut down. The flanks of all the islands of this archipelago bear a magnificent growth of the finest timber, from the water's edge to fifteen hundred feet above the sea. The two most prominent capes which put out into Dixon Entrance from the American islands are Cape Muzon, or more properly Kygdni, and Cape Chacon. The first anchorage in Clarence Sound is Port Gardner, in lat. 54' 49' N. and Ion. 131° 45' VV. An anchorage near the entrance of Kazdrn Bay (lat. 55° 27' and Ion. 132° 01') is reported good and easy of access. A Russian established a salmon fishery here in 1868. The timber is said to be very abundant and of good quality. On the northwest part of Wrangell Island in lat. 56° 31' 30" and Ion. 132° 23' 30" is situated Etolin Harbor. Here the Rus- sians formerly had a stockaded trading-post, called St. Dionysiiis. Here the United States poet Fort Wrangell is situated. The harbor is good ; coal and abundance of timber is reported. To the east of Dixon Entrance, with a general northerly direction, lies the Portland Canal, chiefly interesting as being throughout its extent the dividing line between British and American territory. Near its southern termination is the mouth of Obscjvatory Canal. Here, on a point of land west of the mouth of the Nasse River, the Hudson Bay Company established a factory in 1835. This vicinity is renowned for the incredible amount of fish which visit it at certain seasons. By striking a lath, armed with three pointed nails, upon the surface of the water as if raking, an Indian will fill his canoe with herring in twenty minutes, during their season. At ihc junction of the eastern part of Dixon Sound with the northern part of Chatham Sound lies Port Simpson. Here, on GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. i|fii iii , 'II' II ■ I : Plll"^ i,l ii "i ^':'i!i Chim-shydn Island, is a large village of Indians of the same name, and the stockaded Hudson Bay post of Fort Simpson. This, ac- cording to Mr. Davidson, is the most important British post in this section of the English possessions. It consists of a stockade two hundred by one hundred and sixty feet, with bastions at two of the angles. Inside are dwellings for the traders and their families, storehouses, a kitchen, and a magazine for the furs. The housp'? 3I1OW many marks of rifle-balls directed by hostile Indians at the fort, and at each other. The country around the fort is not high. It has been cleared of timber for half a mile around, and there are vegetable gardens in the rear of the stockade, where root crops mature well. The latitude is estimated at 54° 33' 35" N. and the longitude at 130' 22' 4c,." W. The southern mouth of the Stikfne River opens into Stikine Strait about lat. 56° 41' N. and Ion. 132^ 22' W. A smaller mouth enters Frederick Strait or Sound about lat. 56' 48' N. This river closes in December, and opens early in May. In lat. 56° 46' N. and Ion. 132" 45' 30" W. is situated Kygdni Harbor, opening upon Cordova Bay. In lat. 57° 06' N., Ion. 132° 54' W., is situated the first large gla- cier seen in the Alexander Archipelago as we approach from the south. In the winter of 1853 - 54 one of the California ice-ships loaded with ice from this glacier. The extreme southwest point of Alaska Territory is Cape Kygdni, situated about lat. 54^42' N. and Ion. 132° 43' 48" W. The northwest point of Queen Charlotte's Island bears south 39° W. about twenty-eight miles. On the western shore of Chatham Strait, in lat. 57° 51', Ion. 134° 57' W., lies Pdvloff Harbor. The shores are reported to be covered with a very dense growth of timber. Icy Strait connects Chatham Strait with the ocean, and was .so named by Vancouver on account of the masses of floating ice from the glaciers which are encountered there. Vxo\\\ abreast of a point known as Seduction Tongue, a magnificent glacier, which has been named the Davidson C lacier, enters Chatliam Strait in lat. 59° 07' N. The mouth of the Chilkaht River enters Lynn Channel in lat. 59° 13'. In Frederick Strait, lat. 56° 55' 30", is, Saginaw Bay, ^o GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 253 named from the United States vessel which entered it in 186S. The longitude of the Indian village here is about 134° W. I'ish are said to abound here. Northeast of Point Coniwallis is Kakc Strait, so named from the Indians which inhal it it. Its north- cast entrance is in lat. 57° N., Ion. 133° 56' VV. In Hamilton Har- bor on ihe east shore (lat. 56° 52' N., Ion. 133° 34' W.), Vancouver found the remains of eight Indian villages. Coal has been re- ported here. Vancouver says the land between Kake Strait and the main "produces a noble forest of large and stately pine-trees," and the shores are in general low and apparently fit for cultivation if cleared of wood. Ci lacier Ann opens from Stephens Strait about lat. 58" 12' and Ion. 134° 13' W. It is really the outlet of a small river called the Taku, which has been confounded with the Tahco River of the interior. The shores are high, and the ravines full of glaciers. In 1840 the Hudson liay Company established a stockaded post at the mouth of the river, with bastions, and gar- risoned with twenty-two men. Deer are very abundant here ; in 1842 twelve hundred skins were obtained. The mountain sheep and goat also abound. The trading-post is situated in a snug, well-protected harbor, opening by a narrow entrance into Ste- phen's Passage. Iktween Point Woodhonsc and Cape Edgccuvibe lies the en- trance to Sitka Sonnd. Sitka Harbor is very contracted, and contains two anchorages, the eastern and western. Numerous buoys have been laid down by the Russian American Company, to which vessels usually moor. The eastern is recommended as the best by the officers of the Coast Survey. The geographical position of the Coast Survey Station between the United States barracks and i e church is in lat. 57"^ 02' 52" N. and Ion. 135° 17' 45" VV. The variation of the compass was 28" 49' E. in August, iZG"]. The mean rise and fall of the tide is stated to be 7.8 feet, and spring tides 11.9. The highest range was 13 and the least 2.1 feet. About nine miles south of Sitka are the Rapids, which connect the waters of Deep {Glubokoi) Lake with Lake {Oserski) Bay. At these rapids, according to Galovi'n, are the salmon fisheries of the f 'in h.:l 254 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. Russian American Company. There is a fall of nine feet, where weirs are constructed, and great quantities are caught. These fish were given away to all ' ho needed food, and the surplus over this consumption amounted to five or six hundred barrels. In January, 1867, the town and post of New Archangel (now usually called Sitka, from the Indian name of the bay on which it is situated) contained nine hundred and sixty-eight inhabitants, of whom three hundred and forty-nine were Russians, and the remainder Aleuts or Creoles. Few of the Russians now remain ; the closing up of the affairs of the Russian American Company having deprived them of the means of obtaining a livelihood, nearly all have returned to Siberia or Russia. Cape Edgecumbe, at the entrance of the Sound, is well marked by the extinct volcano of Mount Edgecumbe. This was discovered and named Mount San Jacinto by Bodega in 1775. The top, which is the rim of a great crater, is nearly level, and, according to Coast Survey measurements, attains a hei"^t of 2,855 feet above the sea. It has a most remarkable appearance from the Sound. The lower flanks are covered with a dense forest, but the upper portion is quite bare, and in winter snow-covered and dis- tinguished by deep ravines, which radiate regularly from the sum- mit. No other mountain on the coast has such an appearance. It is situated upon Knhoff Island. Back of the town of Sitka, which is on ^aranoff Island, are two mountains. The nearer one is rounded and covered with trees, and the sharp snowy peak of Vostovia immediately behind it gives the appearance of a single mountain. Vostovia was ascended by a party of the Western Union Telegraph Expedition, in August, 1865, and found to be 3,216 feet high by mercurial barometer. The rocks of the summit were syenitic. Its latitude is 57^03' 23'', and longitude 135° 12' 57". The old Russian observatory was situated opposite the town, on Japan {Japonski) Island. Sitka was the capital of the Russian Colonies in America. The Governor or chief Director of the Company had his resi- dence here. The Governor's house is situated on the upper por- tion of the rocky peninsula on which the town was first built. A cupola is placed on top of it, one hundred and ten feet above the sea. From this cupola a light was shown when two guns were fired in the harbor below. d GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. !55 c feet, where ught. These ; surpUis over irrcls. changel (now ly on which it t inhabitants, ;ians, and the now remain ; can Company a livelihood, s well marked vas discovered 75. The top, md, according of 2,855 feet ance from the forest, but the /ered and dis- from the sum- in appearance. sland, are two red with trees, iehind it gives ascended by Dii, in August, al barometer. is 57° 03' 23". )scrvatory was and. in America. had his resi- :he upper por- first built. A feet above the wo guns were According to Mr. Davidson the shortest distance from San I'rancisco Harbor to Sitka is twelve hundred and ninety-si.\ miles. l'"rom a point ten miles west of the south Farralon, olf the Gold- en Gate, a direct course for the entrance to Sitka Bay can be laid. It is north, 23° VV., twelve hundred and fifty-five miles. ]\y the inner passage between the archipelago and the coast of British Columbia and Alaska, the distance is si.xteen hun- dred and forty-seven miles. Large sailing vessels must go out- side. The town of Sitka, at the time of our visit in 1865, contained about one hundred and twenty buildings. As we saw the town from our moorings in the western h;"-bor, the Governor's hou.se and flagstaff, standing high above all the rest, were the most prominent objects. Beyond were the steeple and dome of the Greek church, and nearer the water the large storehouses, the counting-house, and various hulks, drawn up and used as store- ships. The houses were all of logs, but painted a dull yellow ; the metal roofs were red, and with the emerald green spire of the church, projected against the dark evergreens of the adjacent hills, presented an extremely pictures([ue appearance. It was quite unlike anything else in America, and seemed to belong to a world of its own. Much of it was more primitive than many western towns where the shingles are yet bright from the saw- mill; yet the place was eighty years old. Our reception from the officers of the Russian American Com- pany was most cordial. All, including the ladies, vied with each other in trying to render our stay in Sitka agreeable. I need hardly add that they were quite successful. The moisture of the climate renders Sitka disagreeable, and the continued cloudy weather makes it gloomy; but the one or two days during our stay, when the sun came out and the sky was clear, were exceedingly pleasant. The islets, with which the bay is crowded, are covered with wood to the water's edge, and many of the views in the harbor are exceedingly attractive. The principal buildings are the Governor's house, the counting- lioiise, the barracks, church, and hospitals. The lions of the town consisted of the Governor's garden and a steam sawmill, to both <'t which we were introduced. The Indian village outside the stockade consisted of large log-houses, with a round hole in front 256 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. i 1 ,j li I i ill!: ' iji ili which served as a door. There were many curiously carved and painted sarcophagi of wood, in which the ashes of dead Indians were preserved, liaranoff Island, on which Sitka is situated, is unexplored. The dense forest and moist soil, as well as the mountainous character of the island, renders exploration difficult and often dangerous. Manufactures of various articles used in their trade were established by the Russian American Company at Sitka. The population in 1867 was about one thousand, of which one third were Russians. The archipelago ends at C(7j>c Sjkitccr. The occcui coast north of Cross Sound, according to Vancouver, is steep, woody, and much indented with coves and small rocky bays. Cape Spencer is the northwest point of Cross Sound. Fifteen miles northwest is Icy Cape of the Russians, on the mainland. Thirty- two miles northwest is the remarkable bay described by La Perouse, and called by the natives Lituya Bay. It is sometimes known as Port Fmn^ais. It presents the appearance of a great fissure or rent in the high plateau which forms this part of the coast. It divides in the interior into two arms. It is said by La Perouse to be destitute of fish, except halibut, which were caught weighing over one hundred pounds. Salmon and trout abounded in the streams which fell into it. The mountains are precipitou.s, rising to the height of five or six thousand feet, and densely clothed with forests. The woods were full of berries ; bears, martens, and squirrels were plenty. Four great glaciers enter the bay, and the magnificent scenery was declared by that navigator to surpass in grandeur the profound valleys of the Alps and Pyrenees. The Russians had entered this bay long before La Perouse, and at one time contemplated establishing a post here. There are several Indian villages of the Thlinket family, in or near the bay, and a large fishery at the mouth of a stream on the coast a few miles north of the entrance. The next most important prom- ontoiy, northwest (twenty-two miles) from Lituya Bay is Cope Fau\ucathcr. It is said to be in lat. 58° 50' 12" N. and Ion. 137° 48' W. The coast northwest of this point to Bering or Ydkntai Bay is narrow, low, covered with wood and backed by high moun- tains. Between Cape Phipps, or Ocean Cape of the Russians, and GEOGRAPHY OP^ ALASKA. 257 Cape Manby, is the entrance to Ikring Bay. It was so called by Cook and Vancouver, as being the bay in which liering probably ancliorcd in 1/41. It was called xldmimlty Bay by Dixon, rniic dc Monti' by La I'erouse, and Yakutat by the natives. Here a Russian post was established. The coast from Cape Manby to Cape Suckling is forbidding in the extreme. La Perouse said that masses of snow covered a barren soil without trees. The mountains appeared to be a very little distance from the sea. A low table-land at their bases was covered with trees. This part of the coast is indented by a small bay, called ley Bay on account of the glaciers which surround it. Olf this stretch of coast for about one hundred miles are moderate soundings, known to the whalers as the Fainveatlier Ground. Between Kayc or Kayak Island, in Ion. 144° 53' W., and the main is a shallow bay known as Comptroller s Bay. Between the 145th and 146th meridians, along the coast, lie the shoals and flats off the mouths of the Copper or Atna River. West of Ion. 146^, extending to 149°, lies the great Chugdch 6"//^ sometimes called Prinec William Sound. It is crowded with islands, and extends its arms like tentaculx in every direction, covering an extent of over twenty-five hundred square miles. The entrance is about fifty-five miles wide, and blocked with iskuuls. The most important of these are Montagu, Ilinchiubrook, Knight, and Hawkin islands. Port Etehcs is on the southwest part of Hinchinbrook Isl- and, in lat. 60° 16' and Ion. 146' 56'. Constantine Harbor opens into it. On this lagoon was situated the Redoubt Constantino and Elena, a post of the Russian American Company. It is described as being a well-built, stockaded fort, with two bas- tions. Chugdch Gulf, and the various islands in it, contain many ex- cellent harbors. The Russians in old times built many vessels here. In Chalmers Bay a remarkable point was noticed by Van- couver, which bore stumps of trees cut with the axe, but far below IiHv-water mark at the time of his visit. It has been appropriately nametl Sinking Point. The climate of the Gulf is more severe than that of the coast to the southward, but in June, according to Portlock, most of the snow was melted. Fish, excellent timber, and berries, beside in- 17 25S GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. m H') I' ll (ligenous grain {FJyinns) and wild peas, are reported to abound exceedingly. From the head of the Gulf a portage can be made to the head of Cook's Inlet. The natives are of the Innuit family, and are called Clingdchcs or Chiigdchigmut. Between the Gulf and Cook's Inlet is the great peninsula of Kcndi. The ocean coast of this peninsula extends from Cape Piigct, in lat. 5(/ 55' and Ion. 148'' 33' W., to Cape Elhabctli^ in lat. 59° 09' and Ion. 151'^ 51' \V. This coast is indented by many inlets and bays, of which Days Harbor and Rcsitrrcction J>ny afibrd good anchorages. The latter was long the shipyard of the Russian American Company, and a post was situated there. The whole coast is abundantly supplied with wood, and glaciers occupy many of the gorges. Several groups of islets, called the CJiisivcUs and Pyc Islands, lie off the iJiores. Near Cape Elizabeth are situated the Chugatz Islands (not to be confounded with the islands in the Gulf of Chugach), and a cluster called the Barren Islands. These are one thousand six hundred and seventy miles north, 42° VV., from the Farralones off San Francisco Harbor. The entrance to Cook's Inlet is between Capes Douglas and Elizabeth, with a passage on either side of the Barren Islands. Within the capes the inlet is sixty-five miles wide ; fifty miles farther up it contracts to twenty-five miles, whence it gradually diminishes to twelve or fifteen. At its most northern latitude the river Suchi'tna enters the inlet in 61° 16'. Here the inlet turns to the eastward and southward, and is known as the Titrnagain Arm. It is shallow, with a narrow channel, and receives the Fire {Kncck) River about Ion. 150" VV. On the eastern shores of the inlet are Port C/iat/iam, where the settlement of Alcxdndrovsk is situated, English Harbor, Chu- gdchik Bay, and St. Chrysostom Harbor. The small river Kakiui also enters from the east. The eastern .shores are low and cov- ered with herbage and clumps of timber. Farther back the mountains rise to a considerable height, and contain large gla- ciers. The tides in the eastern portion are said to rise and fall thirty feet, so that the arm must be nearly dry at low tide. There are two islands, Angiisiin and Kalgin, in the inlet, and the water between Cape Douglas and the coast north of Augustin Island is known as Kdmchak or Kdmishak bay. On the cast coast ot GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 259 ed to abound ; can be made of the Innuit t peninsula of ids from Cape ' Elizabeth, in ;nted by many surrcctiou J'oy le shipyard of situated there. 1, and glaciers ilcts, called the Islands (not to hugach), and a e thousand six the Farraloncs IS Douglas and Barren Islands. ide ; fifty miles ,ce it gradually |ern latitude the the inlet turns the Tiiniagain iceives the Fiic "Jtatham, where \lt Harbor, Clin- \\\ river Kakiui re low and cov- Irther back the jitain large gla- to rise and tall )W tide. There [, and the water Igustin Island is cast coast ot Cook's Inlet, at the mouth of the Kaknu River, is situated Redoubt St. Xie/tolas. Some miles farther south is the settlement of .S7. George. These were both posts of the Russian American Com- pany. Leaving the Inlet, the southeast coast of the peninsula of Ali- aska is abrupt, rugged, destitute of trees for the must part, in- dented with countless bays and coves of small size, and full of rocks. The first inlet of importance is the bay of Katmdi in lat. 58°. Mere Jurassic fossils were found by Wosnesscnsky. On a lake in the vicinity petroleum is found floating. This part of the peninsula is separated from the Kadiak /Xrchipelago by Shelikojf Strait, so named in honor of one of the most energetic pioneers who explored and developed this territory. Kadid/c and the adjoining islands, though separated by a broad expanse of water, appear to be a prolongation of the range which forms the peninsula of Kenai. The rocks are similar and the general trend is the same. The more protected portions of these islands are well wooded with fine timber, and they also contain, with the shores of Cook's Inlet, much of the best farming and grazing land. They are well populated and are really the centre of trade of the territory. St. Paul, the principal settlement, by its position and importance, deserves, fixr more than Sitka, the honor of being the capital of the territory of Alaska. It has been several times the principal depot of the Company, but political reasons determined them to keep the capital as far south as pos- sible. Beside the settlement at St. Paul, there arc three villages on T/irec Saiuts Bay, Afogndk, Spruce, and Woody islands, and a number of native settlements. The depot of the Ice Company is on Woody Island. A frequent and noticeable feature of tliis part of the coast is the pinnacles, or needle rocks, which may lie found off almost every bluff or point. Westward from Kadiak we pass the Scmidi Islands and Chir- d^ off [ox Ukamok) Island, on which the Company had a factory, llie marmot {^Sp. Parryi) was introduced here and multiplied to such an extent as to give employment to a number of persons who were sent here from Sitka (as a punishment for .slight of- ences) to prepare the skins. On Popoffznd Unga, islands of the Shumagin group, are settlements. Unga contains two excellent harbors. Coal Harbor on the north abounds with cod, and is a 26o Gi:o(;RArnY of Alaska. .li' ilil:lh I.I frequent rendezvous for llic fishermen. Dilaroff Pay, at the southeast end of the island, has a settlement upon it. Nearly due west from L^nj^a, on the peninsula of Aliaska, is the Bclkojfski or Squirrel settlement. It would he out of plaee to describe here the myriads of rocks, shoals, and islets which cluster about the .shores of the i)eninsula. It terminates at /'rt/jf /Vwj, otherwise known as Isanotski Strait ; long marked as navigable from French sur- veys in the last century, but really an impassable lagoon. Upon it is situated the Morse settlement of Aleutians. West of it ex- tends the island of L'nimak, separated from Akhiin and Tigalda by the l'nimak Pass. In the Aleutian chain, which has already been described, the principal settlements are upon the islands of Unahishka, Akhun, Tigalda, I'mnak, Amlia, Atka, Adakh, and Attu. The principal harbors or anchorages are, in Unahishka, Ilii'iliuk or Captaiiis Har- bor, Jnavcr, and Mdkiisliin bays ; in y^mlia, Svi'c/mikoff Bay and Korovinski Bay ; in 'Yiwwx^^'a., Slavardssi Bay ; in Amchi'tka, A7/- lojf Bay ; finally, in Attn, Cliichagojf Harbor. Captain's Harbor, Unalashka, next to Kadiak and Sitka, is the most important place in the territory. A considerable trade has sprung up here since the purchase of the territory, and it is a favorite point for vessels to touch and obtain water, wood, or fresh vegetables. Chi'chagoff Harbor in Attu, if we may beli'jve report.-,. Is al- ready the seat Oi -^"frgling operations more or less extensive, by which Siberian sablco u.... ''-="esc opium are made to do duty as the productions of Alaska. Returning to Aliaska, and going eastward after leaving False Pass, the first point is Granite Cape* in Ion. 163' 15' W. and lat. 55° 12' N. (approximate). East of this cape the coast is deep- ly indented with bays and coi i;s, all very shallow; the shoals extend off the coast for se\ cr-.i miles. The general trend is to the northeast. Amak hiaaa, a sharp volcanic peak about two thousand feet high, lies in Ion. 163° VV., and lat. 56° 32' 30" N., with unexplored shoals W.N.W. and S.S.E. of it. Passing Cape Lconovich in Ion. 162° 15' W., we arrive at Cape Rodgnoff in 161° 08' 15". East of Cape Rodgnofif is a shallow bay, and a long island known as Walrus Island. The eastern end of the lagoon is called * These positions arc from the sketch charts of the Russian American Conip.iny. GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 261 1. can Company. J'ort Molhr, and it is said to carry six fathoms well in. The coast hi-'yond trends N.IC. by I'"., and is strai,L;ht and even, with shallow water off of it. About Ion. 159" 20', stretchin;^' north- eastward to Caf'c Slivi^oitoff is a shoal with sonic small islands called the .W'rpic/ioi or Scai Islatn/s. The coast trends in a more and more nurtherly tlirection, with fron) five to ten fathoms ten miles off shore. Passing the shallow mouths of the Sulima, rga;;uk, and Naknek Rivers, the long and shallow northeastern end of Bristol Hay makes up to the mouth of the Kwi'ehak River, in hit. 59° \., Ion. 156' 57' W. To the west, broad shoals extend far off shore to the mouth of Nits/ur^tik Jniy. This ba)' is about fifteen miles long and ten wiile, very shallow, and obstructed by sand-bars and shoals. Upon its northeast extremity, at the mouth of the Nushergak River, is situated the Redoubt Alcxaudni in lat. 58° 57' 06", Ion. 158' 18' 24" (Wrangell). The west shore of the bay is formed by a broad, low point, rising to the northward into hills, and said to 'y. separated from the mainland by a slough, which passes from Nushergak Bay to the shallow lagoon of Ki'ili- kak, opening on Kulnkak Bay. The southernmost extremity of this point is called Cape Coiistaiitiiic, (lat. 58^ 25' 05" and Ion. 158° 51' 30") and is said to have a long, narrow shoal extending S. E. by S. ten miles from shore. West of Cape Constantine the shore trends northwesterly upon Kulnkak Bay, which contains several islands. The most western and largest is I [di^cinncistcr Island, named after c of the governors of the territory. It is sei)arated by a narrow and shallow pasagc from the mainland ; the waters northeast of it are called (ii'igiak Bay, from a river of the same name which empties there, in lat. 59^ N., Ion. 160'^ 23' \V. Westward of the island the shore is high, rapidly rising inland into mountains. The southern point of this promontory, in Ion. 161° 48' 30", is nearly due west from the southern point of Ha- gcnmcister Island, distance about twenty-four miles, and is situ- ated in lat. sS'' 35' (approximate). This important promontory being unnamed in the Russian charts, I propose to name it after the distinguished head of the Coast Survey, Cape Pciirc. A small island is reported to the east of it at a distance of less than a mile. Just west and north of it is a small protected cove, from which, due west, extends the long, narrow promontory of Capf Nezvcnham. From the north side of the neck of this -fn •Mi m 262 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. Ai i:n! promontory the coast extends nearly due northward, intersected by C/itik-i<.'ivi and (/oot/z/ru's bays. I'"rom the north point of the latter well into the mouth of the Kuskoquim extend wide shoals along shore. The same is true in a still greater degree of the opposite shore. This bay is called Ktiskoqiihn Bay from the great river which empties into it. Under a lii\e drawn from the north point of Cjoodii'jws \?ay to Cape Avlnoff, the greatest depth between the shoals is eight fathoms. In kit. 59' 48' is the bar with only two fathoms, and a little lower down the channel is divided by a sand-bar which has six fathoms in the narrow channel to the east, and only two in the broader western one. West of the mouth of the Kuskoquim the shore is moderately low, with very broad shoals exlentling from ten to twenty-five miles off shore. ICntering Etoliii Strait, sometimes marked as Cook's Strait, we have to the west of us Ni'mivak "Island, and to the east the coast of the continent, fringed with broad shoals, and indented with large, shallow bays. 1 he southeast point of the island, which has rocks off of it for several miles, is calleil Cafe li toll II, after tiie explorer of the strait. The average depth is five to eight fathoms, deeper toward the island. Nunivak is lightly woodeil in sheltered parts, anil contains many high hill.s. It is inhabited by Innuit, very degrailed and filthy, but noted for the beauty of their ivory weapons and kyaks. Tobacco traiU.'s well here. There are no harbors in Nunivak. The island is of a triangular shape, lowest toward the north. The east head of the northern entrance to the ^itrait is Cafe Vaiiroiiiur, m hit. 60° 36' N., Ion. \6$'' 15' W. The west head is Ca/'t- KInaiiicliciiko in lat. 60° 42' N. and Ion. 165° 50' W. The former is elevated and hilly. North of Cape Vancouver is EtoIiii Ihiv, a wide and shallow indentation of the coast into which the Kwinchagak River falls a mile or two south of lat. 61" N. The north shore of the hay trends nearly cast and west; about Ion. [65" 15' it bends more toward the north, and in Ion. 166° 10' VV. and hit. Ci° 14' N. is the first of a series of capes which make out from the coast, enclosing a series of bays more or less shallow. The maiidand i.'^ rolling with low hills. These ca]K's, with one exce|)tion, beini; unnamed, it has been proposed to dedicate them to the later explorers on the Yukon. The first has been named Cape l\'/ty»i- GEOGRAl'IIY OF ALASKA. 263 ard, intersected h point of the nd wide shoals r degree of the from the great from the north greatest depth ' 48' is the bar the channel is in the narrow r western one. i is moderately to twenty-five nes marked as 'Island, and to I broad shoals, iheast i)oint of iiilcs, is called average depth 1. , and contains degraded and ;)ns and kyaks. s in Nunivak. he norlli. ;itrait is Cixpc ['he west h<;ad 1^)5° 50' W. e and shallow c River falls a e of the bay t bentis more t. 61" 14' N. im the coast, c mainland is :e[)tion, being to the lattT Cape Why III- per. The next to the northward in lat. 61" 22' and Ion. 166" 24' has received the name of Cape Dall. The next, a high pro- nioatory, from which a long arm exteiuls some eight miles in a norlherly direction, is Cape Romdiizoff, named after the Russian nobleman and statesman who fitted out Kotzebue's expedition. The southern and boldest portion of the cape is situated in Ion. 166" \f and lat. 01° 29' ami the western face trends, witli some indentations, in a nearly north and south direction. On the Rus- sian charts shoal water is laid down extending several miles out from the cape, with six fathoms six miles from shore. North of Cape Romanzofr is a shallow bay with three fathoms off the entrance. The next, t'<{/'r Smith (named for Captain E. v.. Smith, to whom we owe the first chart of the Yukon delta), is a long, low point extending in a northeast direction, the extreme end being in lat. 61° 47' and Ion. 166' 23' 30." In the narrow bay north of this cai)e, which has not been sounded, two small streams empty. The north shore of this is formed by Cape Dyer (named for Lieutenant J. T. Dyer, who assisted in the recounois- sance of the Yukon- mouth), a moderately high, rouniled cape, the extremity of which is in Ion. i''>6' oS' and lat. 61° 49'.* Its trend is nearly parallel with Cape Smith. North of Cape Dvor, the shore treiuls in a southerly and easterly direction, ten or twelve miles, to the mouth of the Kun or Maria Louisa River, so named by Captain Smith, b'rom tliis i).;int the coast takes a northerly direction to the mouth of the Muganolwik River, in lat. Gf N. Seven miles off the coast are two long islands, t)r dry sand-bars, known as the Sandy Islands. The southwest point of the southern island is .dx miles distant from the iH)rth shore of Cape Dyer. I.etween them we have three and a half, four, and eight fathoms going from l'>i' cape to th(; island. ICastward from the same point on tlv; cape wo fiiul three and a half, three, one and a half, two, one and a half, and o\w fathom to the shore, nine inilus north of the river mcuth. North of this point, between the islaiuls and the coast, and beyomi, to the mouth of the Kipniuk or Black River, in lat. 62" 12' and Ion. 165, the shore in strong north winds is dry for a tlistauce of six or seven miles iVom the US' A\ oast line. * TIr' l.ttitvule aiul longiludc ot" those c.ipcs is ai)i)ii)\iin.iic, tlctcnniiitil In hearings fioiu (.'.MH' IvomanzolT. r • .''!8ii Ol'l i )lii.:i tl-:: ! "i''iihi "Mil .k^' 264 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. The bay north and east of Cape Dyer and southeast of the southern sand island, it is proposed to call Scammon Bay, in honor of Captain C. M. Scammon, U. S. R. S., Chief of Marine of the Western Union Telegraph Expedition. It affords good anchorage for small vessels except in a northwest wind. The country in from this part of the coast is low, marshy, and full of small sloughs, lakes, and rivers. From the mouth of the Kipni'uk River to Pdstol Bay the coast is occupied with the Yukon delta. It is everywhere low and nearly level ; from Cape D)er to Cape SJialloiv Water of Cook {Point Romanoff and Point Azido^akak of the Russian charts) there are no landmarks whatever. The water off this part of the coast is very shallow, and close to shore is often nearly dry in strong northers, with the exception of the Kiisilvak and Kutlik channels. The Kipni'uk or BlacI: River is a narrow and rather shallow streaui, and eniplic lu three or four sloughs, the most northerly of which has been ci' d the Devils Slong/t, because it is so extremely tortuous. Here immense quantities of wild fowl breed ; eggs and birds in their season are found in incalculable numbers. At the mouth of al- most every slough or river, Innuit villages may be found. North- east three or four miles from the mouth of the Devil's Slough is a small river, at the mouth of which is situated the Ti'e-atee-cgc- nint villaere. About five miles farther in the same direction is the mouth of the SontJi Slough of the Yukon. This is one of the longest and most .shallow of the Yukon-mouths. It is fre- quently too dry for the passage of bidarkas. North of this mouth off shore are five dry sand-bars or islands. Northeast three miles is the mouth of the Kiisilvak Slough. This is the true Yukon-mouth, being the only one which carries a deep channel out to sea. The mouth of the Kiisilvak is in (approx- imate) Ion. 164° W. and lat. 62° 26' N. There is a village on the south point called Kioei'-ahogevint, and one on the north point known as Oniisr-antio-ejnnt. lietwcen them we have nine fathoms, and the depth decreases as we ascend the slough about a fathom a mile, until we have four or five fathoms, which may be carried up the Yukon without interruption, three hundred miles, to the mouth of the Anvik River. Passing to the westward from between the villages, the channel GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 265 ithcast of the Tinon Bay, in lief of Marine affords good it wind. The irshy, and full Bay the coast here low and VatcT of Cook ussian charts) low, and close I the exception ni'uk or Black id eniplic- 1m las been ci'. ..tl irtuous. Here birds in their e mouth of al- ound. Nortli- il's Slough is a e Ti'c-atcc-cgc- je direction is his is one of ths. It is fre- North of this Is. Northeast This is the arries a deep is in (approx- village on the le north point nine fathoms, bout a fathom nay be carried miles, to the s, the channel goes between the two largest sand-bars, carrying nine, eight, sev- en, and just between the eastern points of the bars five, three, and at last two and a half fathoms, about eight miles from the mouth of the Kiisilvak. This is the shallowest place. Thence the channel trends southwesterly, with three and three and a half fathoms, then passing on either side of a long bar, on the north side we get four fathoms steadily for as many miles, when it de- creases off the point of the long bar to three, then three and a half, four, and five, gradually trending in a more southerly direc- tion as far as sounded, which was about eight miles west of the mouth of the Kipni'uk River. This channel, is indicated in the map which accompanies Baer and Helmersen's Beitrage (St. Pe- tersburg, 1839), though without any soundings. That map was probably drawn from information derived from the explorations of Glasunoff, in 1835-38, through Admiral Wrangell. The length of the Kiisilvak is about forty-five miles, and its course from the mouth is nearly southeast. It is three or four miles in width. The point north of the mouth separates it from a wide but shallow slough, named the American mouth by Captain Smith. This trends in a northeast direction, and opens into the Kwilxlipak mouth of the Yukon. This is wide, but also shallow, and ofiers no navigable channel by which to enter the Yukon. It debouches on the coast about lat. 62° 41'. For a description of the many and intricate sloughs which intersect the delta, the reader is referred to the map. The Kwikhpak is about fifty miles long. 71ie most northern slough or mouth of the Yukon opens into Pas- tel Br^y, and has a depth of three fathoms. It is called the Uplioon by ",:ie Russians. Through this slough the goods for the trading- ' ts 01 the Yukon and Kuskoqufm were always carried. Their •oi,v> . \ '!s about as follows. Taking advantage of a high tide, the I' .c frcm Redoubt St. Michael's entered the northern end of the cho \ ji or Canal which separates the island of St. Michael's from th ; mainland. On the bar at this entrance five feet of water may be obtained in the channel during spring tides. Once over this bar, which is about two miles broad, two fathoms or more wat' r is found in the Canal. Passing through the Canal and by the mouth of the Pikmiktalik River, the next difficulty is experi- nccd off Point Romanoff. Here the water is very shallow for a ' " ( distance offshore ; three miles out, at a proper season of the ^^ "a 266 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. i 'I!: ■ 'I If tide, four or five feet may be obtained. With a north wind all this is nearly dry. A pilot is needed to carry the vessel through the shallows of Pastol Bay ; but once over them and into the Uphoon, no further trouble is experienced. Vessels diawing not over four feet can in this way safely enter the Yukon. The tides at the Yukon-mouth average three feet, spring tides five feet, but the rise is greater just inside the mouths on account of the slack water. There is but little saltness to the water off the delta, and it is discolored for miles out of sight of land. There is little doubt that the shallow plateau of Bering Sea is due to the detritus brought down by the Yukon, Kuskoqi'iim, and other rivers. Near the mouth of the Uphoon there is a Russian house and barrabora called Kutlik. Not far beyond is the village of Pas to I ik, at the mouth ' ^'v' Pastolik River, and the shore of Pastol Bay curves gently to. :he east and north to Point Romiinoff. A small stream, the i ...itoliak, comes in from the lakes and marshes back of Pastolik. Point Romanoff is a solitary rounded hill of metamorphic sili- cious rock, in lat. 63° 06' and Ion. 162° 48' W. (approximate). It forms the north extremity of Pastol Bay. Beyond it the coast is low, strewn with volcanic rocks, and trending eastward and north- eastward to tb'^ mouth of the Pikmiktalik River. Northeast eidit miles in Ion. 162° W. is the southwestern entrance of the Canal, Due north is the channel between Stuart and St. Mkliacl isl- ands. In the north entrance to this channel three fathoms may be obtained, with shelter from most winds, and great abundance of dry driftwood, much of it large enough for masts or .spars, West and southwest of the north point of Stuart Island, the line of three fathoms may be drawn, extending southward along the coast to the Kiisilvak Channel, thirty miles off shore. The water shoals very gradually, and the bottom is soft and makes good hold- ing ground. The shores of the islands are rocky, and offer few good points for landing. Good water cannot be obtained upon them. In Tdbaikoff Cove, on the eastern point of St. Michael Island, is situated Redoubt St. Jl/ie/iae/, in lat. 65° 28' and Ion. 161° 51' 54" (Kellett). Northeast ten miles from the eastern point of St. Michael's Island is E^^ Islaud, about which anchorage in three and a half fathoms, mud and shell, may be obtained. Two ii )• s GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 167 north wind all vessel through I and into the Is diavving not on. The tides :s five feet, but it of the slack the delta, and e is little doubt to the detritus ;r rivers. Near and barrabora Pastolik, at the 5tol Bay curves in off- A small \ marshes back itamorphic sili- proximate). It d it the coast is i^ard and north- S^ortheast eight e of the Canal, St. Michael isl- ;e fathoms may eat abundance nasts or spars, sland, the line vard along the c. The water akes good hold- , and offer few obtained upon ^Tichacl Island, and Ion. 161 eastern point anchorage in btained. Two and a half fathoms may be carried well up into the Cove, until opposite the boat-house. This is the best place for small vessels. The rise and fall of tides in the Cove will not average over four feet. The second tide is very uncertain, and sometimes hardly perceptible. They all depend much upon the wind. A strong north wind will sometimes diminish the depth of water by six feet in twenty-four hours, and a strong south wind may raise the water three or four feet in the same time. Vessels coming in to the Cove should keei? well off shore until past Egg Island. The small cove where boats land is full of rocks, and care should be taken to avoid one which lies directly in the middle of the en- trance. Fresh fish, game, or deer meat can usually be obtained here by vessels. Good water can be obtained directly on the shoro of the mainland, in a small rocky cove opposite the Re- doubt. The shores of Norton Sound, trending eastwardly and northeast- wardly to Tolstoi Point, arc rocky, and present no boat harbors or good landing-places. A few — the Majors Cove, Kegiktoivriik Coir, and a cove near the mouth of the Golsova River — afford some protection for skin boats. Beyond, and close under Tolstoi Point, small vessels will find protection from south and southeast winds, in four fathoms, sandy bottom. Beyond we have a narrow sandy beach, covered to the base of the perpendicular bluffs at high water. Off the mouth of the Unalakli'k River extensive shoals prevail, but three miles off shore five fathoms may be obtained. The fort at the mouth of the river, according to Kashcvarofif, is in lat. 6^" 52' 36" and Ion. 161° 51' 54". North-northwest from the fort lies Besboroitgh Island, in lat. 64° 06' 30" and Ion. 161° 07'. This is probably too far east, and neither of the above positions can be relied upon. Inside of Besborough Island, anchorage may be obtained in four fathoms in northerly and easterly weather. The water near the shores and in the greater part of Norton Bay is very shal- low ; hardly deep enough for boats in the head of the bay. Cape Iknbigh on the east and Cape Darby on the west form the heads. Numerous shallow rivers empty into the bay. The coun- try east of Norton Sound and Bay rises into rolling hills from five to fifteen hundred feet in height. West of Cape Darby IS Golofiilna Bay, named by Etolin from the vessel in which he Ms ^' 268 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. explored it in 1820. The shores are high and rocky, and good protection from all winds is reported at the head of the bay, in j four fathoms, sand. Here a shallow lagoon, known as Golovin\ Sound, empties. From the similarity of the names some con- fusion has resulted. This lagoon is said to be connected, by the! Fish River and a series of lakes, with Grantlcy Harbor, so that, in summer, skin boats may pass from the one to the other without a portage. The northern shores of Norton Sound are high and rolling. Point Nome, the most southern land west of Golofni'na Bay, is situated in Ion. 165°. Beyond it, the coast trends in a northwesterly direction to Point Rodney and Bering Strait. The former is situated in lat. 64° 39' and Ion. 166° 18', according to Beechey. Aziak or Sledge Island of Cook, on the same authority, is in lat. 64° 29' 30" and Ion. 166° 01' 30," about eleven miles off shore, tlkivok or King Island is situated in lat. 64° 58' 30" and [ Ion. 167° 58'. Port Clarence is protected on the south and west by a long I low point of land, and affords a secure anchorage. On a small sand-spit is the Innuit village of Nodkmut. Grantlcy Harbor is situated at the head of the bay, and affords excellent anchorage in [ four fathoms. This harbor is perfectly protected, and vessels of various exploring expeditions have frequently wintered there. A I large lagoon or lake opens into it from the east, near Tdksnmut | village. The nort'^ern shore of Port Clarence is high, and trends north- ward and westward to Cape Prince of Wales. This, the most| western land of the American continent, is situated in lat. 65° 33' 30" and Ion. 167° 59' 12". The native name is King-dgan. North of it the shore is low and gradually trends more and more | to the eastward, the only indentation being the shallow Shishma- re ff Inlet. About Ion. 163° 34', Cape Spanbcrg forms the most I northern point of the peninsula, and the western head of Kotzcbiu\ Sound. The great peninsula enclosed by the waters of Norton Bay and I Sound, Bering Strait, the Arctic Ocean, and Kotzebue Sound, it is proposed to call the Kdviak Pcninsida, from the native name | of Kavi-fak and the Kaviak Innuit who inhabit it. Kotzebue Sound is comparatively shallow, fourteen fathoms | being the greatest depth reported. To the eastward it is pro- ! M' GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 269 nd trends north- longed into several shallow inlets. Escholtz Inlet or Bay, known as Kihiguk to the natives, receives the waters of the Kiinguk River. Hot/iam Inlet receives the Inland and Kowak rivers, and through Selawik Lake the waters of the Selawik River. From Cape Kritsenstern, the nor^h head of the Sound, the coast trends to the northwest, with many shallow lagoons along shore. The country inland is generally low, with a few hills. In lat. 68° 21' Point Hope projects into the sea. It is a long, low, sandy point, and reaches Ion. 166° 48', with a shoal extending several miles west of it. North of it the coast is high, to Cape Lisbnrne, in lat. G$^ 56' and Ion. 166° 08'. Here the shore trends suddenly eastward to Cape Beaufort, in lat. 69° 13' and Ion. 163° 34' Northeasterly the coast is again low, and we reach Icy Cape of Look, in lat. 70° 20' and Ion. 161° 40'. The next cape. Point Bamiv, is the most northern land of Alaska territory, and is situ- ated ill lat. 71° 27'. The coast now turns to the eastward and southward, and about twenty-two miles from Point Barrow is Dense Inlet, a shallow and deep indentation of the coast. In Ion. 150° 42' the Colvile River empties into the Arctic Ocean. Pro- ceeding eastward, we finally arrive at Demarcation Point, in lat. 69^ 40' and Ion. 141° of 30" W., which brings us nearly to the boundary line. The whole northern coast is low, without good harbors, and fringed with numerous shoals. Inland it rises into hills and low mountains, which have been plentifully bespattered with names by the English explorers. The most important, as regards height, is the Romanzoff range. There are a few villages of the western Eskimo along the coast, and between Point Bar- row and Cape Lisburne. It may not be out of place here to mention that East Cape, the most eastern land of Asia, is situated in lat. 66° 03' 06", and Ion. 169° 43' 48", according to Beechey. From Cape Prince of Wales to East Cape is fifty-four miles, from the former lu Fairway Rock i!i nineteen miles, thence to Ratmanoff Island thirteen miles, and thence to East Cape twenty-two miles. Nine miles northwest ot Cape Chukotski, the most southern land of the Chiikchee penin- sula, is the entrance to Plover Bay, in lat. 64° 23' 30" and Ion. 173° 26'. This fine bay is the general rendezvous of the whalers and trading vessels in the fall. It contains several very good anchorages, the most protected of which is Snug Harbor, at the m illi ;j 'I •:: mil, ■■ \ 270 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. north end of the hay, behind IV/ialc hhiud. Here, and in livnna Harbor, another arm of the bay, any vessel might safely winter. The bay is surrounded on all sides by high, rocky hills, the prin- cipal of which, Mount Kennicott, I found to be 2,343 ^^^'t h'o'i. The rounded hill which fronts the sea to the cast of the entrance is known as J3ald Head. The barren hills give this bay a cheer- less aspect to the landsman ; but sailors will find comfort in the bountiful supply of good water, the secure anchorage, and tlie tame reindeer meat and fish which may be obtained from the na- tives. Scurvy grass is abundant on the sandspit in the bay, but no wood, except a little driftwood, can be found. The principal ports to the southward are Nizni (or lower) Kamchatka, at the mouth of the Kamchatka River, and Petro- pavlovsk. The latter is situated on Niakina Cove, Avdtclia Bay, and was founded in 1739 by Ivan Jelagin, Ikring's pilot, and named after the two vessels of the expedition. It is at present without a garrison, and probably does not contain over fifteen hundred inhabitants. It is the residence of the Governor of Kamchatka, and the principal port of the peninsula. An excel- lent view of it, by Frec'^rick Whympcr, may be found in the Lon- don edition of Hartwig's " Polar World." River System. — The Pacific watershed of Alaska is much smaller than that of Bering Sea. In most places the mountains approach closely to the seashore, and the water discharged by the rivers is collected far inland, and forces its way to the sea through some narrow pass or perpendicular canon. Much of the rainfall is congealed on these lofty summits, and finally reaches the sea by slow degrees as a glacier-torrent. Just east of the boundary line, the Nasse River o^ F.fitish Co- lumbia debouches into Observatory Inlet. It is one of the most prolific in fish of the rivers that flow into the Pacific. Its course, as determined by the Western Union Telegraph explorers, is very difierent from that laid down for it on most maps. Rising in a small lake, near the head-waters of the Skoot River, it flows south- ward about fifty miles, then southeast and southwest in a broad curve, until it falls into the Inlet. Part of its course is narrow and rapid, over falls and through caiions, near which are Indian fishing villages. It is not navigable for more than a quarter of its length. At its mouth is an English trading-post. 'i GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 271 re, and m/ti/nna ht safely winter, y^ hills, the prin- 2,343 <"^t;t hi-;h. of the entrance :his bay a cheer- d comfort in the borate, and the ned from the na- t in the bay, but STizni (or lower) liver, and Petro- z'c; Avdicha Bay, ring's pilot, and It is at present tain over fifteen he Governor of snla. An excel- )und in the Lon- \laska is much ;s the mountains ischargcd by the the sea through of the rainfall reaches the sea "r of Efitish Co- one of the most ific. Its course, xplorers, is very 3S. Rising in a ■, it flows south- west in a broad ourse is narrow k'hich are Indian m a quarter ot 3St. The next river of large size is the Stikiiic. This has become well known on account of the gold-diggings on its banks. These arc all situated in British territory. The course of the Stikine has been determined by the explorers of the Western Union Tele- graph lv\pedition. One of their stations was situated near the mouth of the north fork in lat. 57^ 28' N. and Ion. 129° 56' \V. The head-waters of the South Fork and I'ittfiekl branch extend as far cast as Ion. 127°. The entire length is over two hundred and fifty miles, and it is navigable only for boats.* The North Fork is about forty miles long, and rises on the east side of the Bald Mountains, near the head-waters of the Yukon. The Russians, under Commander Bassarguinc, explored the river for about sixty-five miles in 1863. A small stream, called the Taku (not Tahco), flows into Glacier Arm of Stephen's Strait. About 1840 it was ascended for thirty-five miles, by Mr. Douglas of the Hudson Bay Company. It is less than sixty miles in length, and on old maps was usually prolonged far into the interior, and confounded with the Tahco River, one of the streams which form the Yukon. This error was corrected by the Telegraph explorers. The current is very rapid ; the stream is narrow, flowing between stupendous mountains, and navigable only for canoes, with frequent portages. The Chilkdht River, a much larger stream, enters the northern extremity of Tynn Chann d. The general direction of this river is from the north. It is said to flow between bare and precipitous cliffs, destitute of timber. The Indians ascend it, against a very rapid current, in twenty days, when they make a portage by sev- eral lakes to the Lewis River, a tributary of the Yukon. This portage is laid down on the map which accompanies this volume, from an Indian sketch map. The river is probably a hundred miles long, with numerous branches. Iron ore is reported by Mr. Davidson to exist in the vicinity of the mouth. Northwest of Cape Fairweather the river Alsckli flows by five mouths into the sea. The ground through which these pass is so low, that at very high water it is covered by the sea, forming a lagoon fifteen miles long and twelve wide, which has received the name of Dry Bay. It was named by La Pcrouse Bering s River, and is supposed to be a .short stream. *'' It is said, during tiie s])ring fresineis, which greatly swell the river, to be navigable for small steamers, with difficulty, for a hundred miles or more. 4 i(- 272 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. '! M In lat. 60° 17' and Ion. 145° 20' lies the mouth of the Atm or Copper River. The delta is thirty miles long by four or five wide, and is overgrown with willow. The principal mouth is at the northwest end of the delta. Here is an Innuit vilh.^e (Alaganik). The lower part of the river flows through low ground, with many lakes. Our knowledge of the course of this river is due to the researches of a Russian, named Scre- brdnikoft^, and is rather dubious. He was killed by the native- for his bad conduct, but his papers were delivered up. Thcit are said to be rapids seventeen miles above the delta, and from them the river pursues a northerly course. About one hun- dred miles above the rapids a branch called the Chccliiiiw falls into the Copper River. At this point a single Russian re- mained for a few years and traded with the natives. A river enters from the west, which heads in a lake from which a port- age can be made to the Fire {Knik) River, which falls into Cook's Inlet. Little is really known about the Atna River, but the banks are said to be mountainous, well wooded, and with r casional glaciers. The precise locality of the copper from which it takes its name is unknown. It is found in rolled masses of native metal, similar to that found in the Lake Superior district, and the locality is supposed to be within a hundred miles of the mouth. It has long been an article of trade with the Indians; one of the articles which Bering's expedition found on the coast where they landed in 1741, was a whetstone on which copper knives had been sharpened. The natives knew nothing of iron before the traders came, but it was an easy matter to beat a rude knife out of native copper. No streams of any size fall into Chugach Gulf Two, however, empty into Cook's Inlet. The Knik * or Fire River falls into Turnagain Arm from the northeast. It was examined by Cook and Vancouver. It is only navigable for twelve miles, when it becomes wide and shallow. The Russians are said to have ascended it in skin boats to a lake called Plavdjiio, whence by portage and river travel the Copper River may be reached. Our knowledge of it is slight, and it is supposed to be less than one hundred miles long. A few miles northwest of the Fire River mouth lies the mouth * Erroneously written Kuyck, Kweek, Knuyk, Kook, &c. GEOGRAI'HY OF ALASKA. ^73 Two, however, of the Suchitna River, with a broad shoal across it. M;ilakoff is said to have explored it in 1834. Its course is mapped from Russian sources, and it is supposed to be several hundred miles long, but we know nothing of it with certainty. On the east shore of the Inlet are the small StaricJikoff and Kdkna rivers. They are insignificant streams fed by glaciers. In the sands of the latter, Doroshin was said to have found gold. West of Augustin Island is a small stream, by which, through the mountain gorges, a portage is made to Lake Ilidmua. From the northwest slope of the peninsula of Aliaska several small rivers flow into Bristol Bay. The country between and at the bases of the high mountains, which form the prolongation of the Alaskan Range in the peninsula, is very low and marshy. In many places large lakes are found, some of which are so near the level of the sea that the water is brackish. These empty into the sea by rivers on either side, and it is said, that in some places a portage, or rather passage, can be made in canoes from one shore of the peninsula to the other, hardly lifting the canoe out of water during the journey. The larger of the rivers which flow into Bristol Bay as we go eastward are the Siilima, the Ugagtik, the Ndknek, and the Kzuieliak. All derive their water from lakes of lesser or greater size, and the last from the great Lake Iliamna. This lake, though known for a generation, is yet unexplored. It is supposed to be rather shallow, and is known to be over eighty miles long, and about twenty-four broad, — fully half as large as Lake Ontario. It has been mapped as SluHikoff Lake, but the native name is quite as appropriate and more euphonious. North of Bristol Bay is situated Fort Alexandra, one of the Russian trading-posts, at the mouth of the Ntishcrgdk River. This is a large stream, but shallow, and the harbor is a poor one. This river is very tortuous, flowing between hills, and deriving it-^ supply from large mountain lakes. In lat. 61° 20' N. the head-waters of a branch of the Kusko- quim interlock with those of the Nushergak. On the right bank a large stream, called the Aleknagdk, falls into the Nushergak near its mouth, heading in a large lake of the same name. About seventy-five miles above the Russian 18 2 74 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. illlll post, another river is said to come in from the westward. The head-waters of the Nushergak arc in a very mountainous country, said to be volcanic. The whole length of the river is said to be about one hundred and fifty miles, but no satisfactory explorations have yet been made. To the westward a chain of rivers and lakes is said, on the authority of the natives, to connect with the head-waters ol the A/i/ii-'i' RiviT, which falls into the Kuskoqiiim. The winter mail to aiid from the K61mako(T Redoubt on the Kuskoqiiim is carried by natives, who go up the Nushergdk, crossing to the Hulitnak River, passing down that to the Kuskoqiiim, and then down the Kuskoqiiim fiftv miles to the Redoubt. No white man has ever penetrated into this wilderness, and the reports of the natives greatly magnify the rugged character and grand scenery of the portage. One part of it is said to be made through a chasm ony a few yards wide between two volcanic mountains. Zeolites, sulphur, and blue carbonate of copper have been received as from this region, and the goshawk is said to abound there. In lat. 60° N. Ion. 162° W., at the head of Kuskoqiiim Bay, the Kuskoquim River enters the sea. This is the second larofesi river in Alaska, and the largest whose watershed is confir the terriiory. In latitude it extends from 60° to nearly t and in longitude from 153° to 162° W. Its total length is esti- mated at between five and six hundred miles. Its principal tributary is the HuHtnak, before mentioned. The head-waters, though annually visited by traders, have never been satisfactorily explored or mapped. In 1832, Ivan Simdnsen Lukeen, a Creole,* was sent, with a party of natives, up the Nushergdk River to explore the portage to the Hulitnak River and the Kuskoquim beyond. In 1818 the mouth had been visited by Korsakoff, and in 1820, K61- makoff, bidarshik of Nushergdk Fort, explored the river for a considerable distance. Trading parties annually visited it, but no post was established until Luke^n's expedition, though K61- makoif made a second visit there in 1830. About fifty miles * Ivan Lukeen, was born of Russian and Spanish-American Creole parsnts, iii the Ri)SS colony in California, about 1820, according to his own st.itcmcnt to mc. lie was well educated in the Sitka school, and proved active, energetic, and intelligent. At the time of his expedition he was acting as clerk for Kolmakoflf. He was extremely short, muscular, of a swarthy complexion, and pleasant good-humored expression. GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 275 below the mouth of the HuHtnak on the Kuskoquim, Lukccn built a quadrangular stockade, enclosing several buildings, which was called Lukeen's Fort. He was installed as commander, and reigned there, so to speak, for seven years. An excellent inter- preter, speaking the Innuit languages of the Lower Ki.skoquim with fluency, he adopted a mode of life not dissimiar in some respects to that of the natives, among whom he att^'ined great iuthience. In 1835, Glasunoff explored the mouth of the Kusko- quim, and from that time forth the post was elevated to the dignity of a Redoubt, for which the supplies were carried in boats up the river. In 1841 some parts of the post were de- stroyed with fire by the Indians. Kolmakoff, then Uprovali'sha of Fort Alexandra at Nushergak, was sent to the Kuskoquim and rebuilt the Redoubt, which then took his name. In 1SC6 the garrison, in charge of Uprovalfsha Dementoft", was withdrawn, and the post dismantled. After the establishment of posts on the Lower Yukon, the goods for Kolmakoff Redoubt were carried up the Yukon and across a portage, in lat. 61° 40' 30", to the Kus- koquim. This was done on account of the diffi' ulty of taking goods up stream against the rapid current of the Kuskoquim. About latitude Ci'' N. a small river, known as the K^ciiic/iagdk, debouches into the shallow waters of Etolin Bay northeast of Cape Vancouver. It has not been explored, but is known to be shallow, and is supposed to be about fifty miles long. North of Cape Dyer, a small river, called by Captain Smith the Maria Louisa River {Kitn of the Innuit), empties into Scam- nion Bay. Ten miles from the mouth is a native settlement, known as Kuttenmut. Several other shallow streams come to the coast between Scammon Bay and the Yukon delta. These are, as we go northward, the Muganoloxvik, the Popes River, the Black or Kipniuk River, and the Tec'-at-iokiink River. All of these were formerly supposed to be sloughs of the Yukon, and arc mapped as such on most maps. The Black River is the largest, and is supposed to be about fifty miles long. The Yukon delta occupies the coast between lat. 62° 21' and 62° 50' and extends inland nearly sixty miles. The deepest mouth and true channel is the Kusilvak, but the widest is the Kxvikhpak. The Russians entering the delta by the UpJioou or northern mouth, which opens into the Kwi'khpak, and KMrning m:I||| IP' Ml! i'l 1 if: f I ' 276 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. that name from the Innuit tribes at the mouth, have erroneously applied it to the whole river, much as a person first entering the Ganges might apply the name Hooghly to the whole river, from the circumstance that he entered it by that mouth. The delta has already been described in the account of the coast. The head-waters of the Yukon were known to the traders and trappers of the Hudson Bay territory early in this century, hi 1837, Glasunoff explored the delta of the Yukon, and ascended [ the river as far as the mouth of the Anvik River. The follow- ing year, Malakoff explored as far as Nulato, where a post wa'> established under the command of Notarmi. The garrison returned to St. Michael's in the winter, and the natives burnt the fort during their absence. In 1841 a permanent post was established by Derabin. In 1S42, Lieutenant Zagoskin reached Nulato, and in the spring ascended the Yukon as far as Nowi- kakat. Here he turned back and reported that it was impossible for skin boats to ascend any farther. In 1847, McMurray de- scended the Porcupine River and founded the tniding-post of Fort Yukon. Soon after, Mr. Robert Campbell descended the Upper Yukon from Fort Selkirk, at the mouth of the Lewis River, to Fort Yukon. In the autumn of i860, Rcbert Kennicott arrived at Fort Yukon, and in the spring of 186 1 descended as far as the Small Houses. About this time the Russians began to visit Nuklukahy^t to trade in the spring. Strachan Jones, Esq., commander at Fort Yukon, had sent several parties of Indians to trade at the same point, and in 18G2 descended the Yukon in boats, as lar as Nowi- kakat, thus really completing the chain of exploration begun by Zagoskin. Still, as there was no communication between the English and Russians, the identity of the Yukon with the Kwi'khpak of the Russians remained unknown. The Russinn chief trader at St. Michael heard of the visit of the English, and determined to find out something about the English fort, of wliicli vague rumors had reached him through the Indians. Ivaii Simonsen lAikeen, before mentioned, was selected for this duty; he accompanied the trading party to Nuklukahyct, and left tliem there, reaching Fort Yukon, with the assistance of the Indians, in the summer of 1863. He remained long enough to fulfil his instructions, pretending to be a runaway from the Russian ser- i ii- ,. .ii GEOGRAPHY OK ALASKA. 277 vice; then stole away by night and reached Nuh'ito in his canoe in safety. Lukeen, therefore, was the first man to ascend the Yukon from the sea, and to determine its identity with the Kwikhpak. The Russian Company took no action in the matter, and the information thus obtained was not made public. In the spring of 1866, Frank E. Ketchum, of St. John, New Bruiiswick, with Michael Lebarge, of Montreal, Canada, explorers for the Western Union Telegraph Expedition, in pursuance of orders received previous to the death of their commander, Robert Kennicott, ascended the Yukon to P'ort Yukon in a bidiirka with Lukeen, who now a second time visited the English post. They returned to Nulato, and crossed the portage to St. Michael's. In the month of March, 1867, the same undaunted explorers, without Lukeen, undertook their perilous journey with dogs and sleds, and arrived safely. May 9th, at Fort Yukon. Here they remained until the ice was well out of the river. May 2Sth of the same year, Frederick Whymper, of London, and the writer started for Fort Yukon in a bidarni, arriving there June 23d. Meanwhile Ketchum and Lebarge had pushed their investigations in canoes as far as Fort Selkirk. They returned to Fort Yukon, and in company we descended to the Yukon -mouth, and proceeded by sea to St. Michael's. During the summer, Peter McLeod, an employd of the Hudson I3ay Company, ran away, and descended the river to Nulato, afterward crossing by the portage to the Redoubt. We are the only party who (up to 1868) have de- scended from the Upper Yukon to the sea by the river. In August, 1867, Michael Byrnes, of British Columbia, explored the head-waters of the Yukon from Lakes Kennicott and Ket- chum to Tahco Lake. At this point he was recalled, as the sus- pension of operations by the Telegraph Company rendered his services no longer necessary. The short distance between Lake Lebarge and Tahco Lake is all that remains untn oden by the white man. This portion of the river is well know Trom Indian reports, so that ther^ is no question as to the identity of the Tiihco and the Lewis rivers. In 1867, Captain Elijah Everett Smith, of Edgartown, assisted by Lieutenant Joseph T. Dyer, of Washington, I). C, explored the delta of the Yukon, and to Captain Smith we owe the first chart of it which approximates in any degree to accuracy. 1 ,i: if i It 278 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. In the spring of 1868 the writer descended the Yukon from Nulato to the sea, and then proceeded to the Redoubt. This completes the history of the explorations of the Yukon. Zagoskin, Surgeon Adams and Lieutenant Barnard, of H. M. Enterprise in 185 1, the servants of the Hudson Bay ZiA Rus- sian American Companies, one or two missionaries, Robert Ken- nicott and the explorers of the Western Union Telegriph Expe- dition, are the only white men who had visited the Yukon previous to July, 1868, as far as is known to me.* The following arrangement will show the length of the Yukon, its various tributaries, posts, villages, and obstructions to naviga- tion, more clearly than a mere description could do. The astro- nomical positions are mostly approximate. liil! i Head-waters Tdhco River. Lake Kennicott, in lat. 57° 45', Ion. 130° 45', true source of the Yukon, and head of the West Fork of the Tdhco. Lake Ketchum, in lat. 58° 30', Ion. 131° 10', head of the East Fork. These two lakes are sepa- rated only by a narrow portage from nonhern affluents of the Stiki'ne River. The two forks are on either side of the Bald Mountains. The West Fork is about 126 (English) miles long, from Lake Kennicott to its junction with the East Fork, in lat. 59° 20', Ion. 132° 45'. Both receive various small streams on their way. From the junction the Tdhco flows through a valley, 38 miles, into Vdtchee Lake (iq miles long), thence, 32 miles, through another small lake, into a canon, and over Head-waters Pelly River. Frances Lake, in lat. 61° 08', Ion. 128°, on which was once situ- ated Frances Fort, H. B. Co. From the .V. E. end of Frances Lake the Frances River flows, 49 miles, into Lake Finlayson, 23 miles long. From Lake Finlayson, 27 miles, to the Pelly River, flowing from the Pelly lakes. At this junction Fort Pelly Banks was once situated. From Pelly Pinks, 95 miles, to a sharp curve of 15 miles, at the end of whicli are rapids with a bad portage. On its way the Pelly re- ceives four small streams from the north and one from the south. From the rapids, 35 miles, to the mouth of Macmillan's River (215 miles long), and thence to the lower rapids, 8 miles. From Macmillan's River, which * I have been unable to obtain any account of Kirkby's travels in the Hudson Bay territory. He is indirectly mentioned by Dr. Petermann as having visited Fori Yukon. GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 279 a rapid or cascade. Beyond, 12 miles, is another cascade, and the river passes into Tdhco Lake, nar- row, but 45 miles in length. From Tahco Lake, through a small lake, to Lebarge Lake, 58 miles. (Here the Portage River [30 miles long] flows into the Tahco, heading in a lake from which the Indians make a portage to the Chilkaht River, by means of a series of lakes and small rivers.) Through Lake Le- barge, 20 miles long, to the mouth of the Pelly, about 90 miles. Total length of the Tahco, including lakes, from Lake Kennicott to Fort Selkirk, 437 miles. drains the southern base of the great bend of the Rocky Moun- tains, 48 miles, to the mouth of the Tdhco or Lewis River, where Fort Selkirk (burned in 1851) was situ- ated. Total length of the Frances and Pelly, including lakes, from Frances Lake (long erroneously mapped as feeding the Liard River) to Fort Selkirk, 300 miles. At Fort Selkirk, Pinus contorta grows six to ten feet high. This is the most northern limit of true pines on the Yukon, YUKON RIVER. Left Bank. From Fort Selkirk to the mouth of the White River (124 miles long, heading in a large lake, and desig- nated from the discoloration of the water by a white clay or mud), 94 miles. Right Bank. From the mouth of the White River to the mouth of the Stewart River (132 miles long, north of the Rocky Mountain range, and re- ceiving many n duents and lakes, on one of whicli II. B. Co.'s Reid House was once es miles. 24 This part of the Yukon cuts through the great bend of the Rocky Mountain chain, and flows through a kind of canon. Cap- tain Ketchum reports the scenery as extremely grand ; the Yukon is narrow, deep, and very swift, but with no other obstruction to navigation. The rocks were metamorphic quartzites and black slates, according to his report and specimens brought down. the Hudson Bay i^ing visited Fori Left Bank. Mouth of the Deer River to the month of an unnamed rii'er (50 miles long), 38 miles. Ten miles Right Bank. From the mouth of the Stewart River to the mouth of the Forcier River (35 miles long), 38 miles. \ :[l ii I ■ : - I'lniiiii I'iiiiiii 280 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. farther another small stream flows into the Yukon from the west. Hence to the Deer River (40 miles long), 37 miles. Mouth of the nameless river to that of the Sheep River, 31 miles. In this vicinity the Yukon emerges from the mountains, be- comes wider and full of islands. The banks are hilly, with abun- dance of timber, game, moose and deer. The water of the Yukon, above the mouth of the White River, is clear and dark. This clear water and the white water from the tributary flow for many miles side by side without mixing, but afterward the rapid current forces them together, and the Yukon water is discolored to the sea. Left Bank. Mouth of Antoine River to mouth of the Kdtlo River (30 riiles long, many bones of Pliocene ani- mals reported by Rev. Mr. Mc- Donald), 25 miles. At the mouth is a rounded hill, called also Mount Kdtlo, toward which, if arrows are shot, say the Indians, they never fall to the ground. Some distance above Fort Yukon a large slough cuts off the angle of the bend, and enters ine Yukon some distance below the mouth of the Porcupine River. From this slough it is not many days' journey to the head-waters of the Tananah, according to the Indians. From Fort Yukon, in hit. 67° 12', Ion. 142° 35', to the Birch River, 40 miles. (Recent astro- nomical observations by Captain Raymond, U. S. T. E., place it in lat. 66° 34' N. and Ion. 144° 21' W., approximate.) Right Bank. Mouth of the Sheep River to the mouth of the Antoine River (25 miles long, named after Antoine Houle), 45 miles. Month of the Kdtlo River to Fort Yukon, 60 miles. Haifa mile below, the Porcupine River enters the Yukon from the east. (By it the boats carry the goods from and the furs to Lapierre's house, to which it is navigable, a distance of 150 miles, and thence across the portage to P'ort McPherson [on Peel's River flowing into the Mac- kenzie], 64 miles. The course of the Porcupine River, usually called Rat River by the Hudson Bay men, is through low country well sup- plied with lakes and streams.) From the Birch River to the Small Houses, 80 miles. From these to the mouth of the Dall River (.'' 45 miles long ; named by Captain Ketchum on his sketch map ; Indian name Ndtokakat), 40 miles. GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. %H From Fort Yukon to the mouth of the Dall River and the entrance of the Ramparts the Yukon is very wide, tortuous, full of sloughs, islands, and cut-offs, which change somewhat every year, with fresh deposition and denudation of material. The country on each side is low and flat ; many small rivers may empty into the Yukon, concealed by the numerous islands. Low hills are seen in the distance, drawing together as we approach the Ramparts. From near Fort Yukon five snow-covered sum- mits of the Romanzoff range are visible. When we enter the Ramparts the change is very great. Hills from 500 to 2,000 feet come close to the river, which is narrow, deep, and rapid, but without obstructions to navigation. The so-called Rapids are described in another part of this volume. J?ig/if Bank. Mouth of the Dall River to the mouth of the Tsee'toht River in the Ramparts, 33 miles. Left Bank. Mouth of the Tsedtoht River to the mouth of tlie Whymper River (named by Captain Ketchum in his sketch map ; Indian name Yukuts- charkut), around a large bend, 28 miles. ^f outh of the Whymper River to the Rapids, 50 miles. Rapids to the mouth of the Ta- nanah at Nuklukahyet, 30 miles, leaving the Ramparts a few miles above Nuklukahytit. The Tananah River enters the Yukon in lat. 64° of N., and Ion. 150° 08' W., and is entirely unexplored. No white man has dipped his paddle into its waters, and we only know of its length and character from Indian reports. They inform us that it flows from the eastward, that some of its head-waters are not far from Fort Yukon, and others not distant from the upper Ramparts of the Yukon above the fort. The largest trees brought down in the spring freshets come from this river ; its banks are said to be high and mountainous, and its course marked by rapids and cascades. The length is estimated at two hundred and fifty miles. The name Tanandh means River of Mountains, and it has long been distributed in various parts of Russian America r>' \'b 'M-- ' 'Mi 282 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. I I 1 1; I if ^ill I Ml Hill I !!:iill| ■' 'i'llil 'I if on the old maps, under the name of the River of the Moun- tain Men. The Hudson Bay men called it the Gens des Buttes River. Ze/if Bank. From the mouth of the Sitzi- kiinten to Nowikakat Harbor, 65 miles. (The Nowikakat River [ c 1 2 miles long] rises in the Kaiyuh Mountains, near the sources of Right Bank. From Nuklukahydt to the mouth of the Tozikakat River, 13 miles. From thf^ Tozikakat to the mouth of the Sitzikunten River, 18 milco. From Nowikdkat Harbor to the the Innoko or Shageluk, and the mouth of the Ukawutni River, \i Soonkakat Rivers. It flows north- east along the base of the Nowika- kat Mountains, and into a small cove or harbor, which opens by a narrow passage into the Yukon, miles. From the latter to the mouth of the Meldzikakat (Clear River), 35 miles. The Meldzikakat is about 75 miles long, and enters the Yukon and on which Nowikakat village from the north, with a wide bar at is situated.) From the mouth of the Kdna- ton to the mouth of the Soonka- kat, 8 miles. The Koyiikuk River enters stream, formed by the fusion rivers from the w^est, and the length, including tributaries, is Other rivers, rising near it, sounds. Left Bank. From Nulato in lat. 64° 42', Ion. 157° 54' W., toWolasatux, 14 miles. From Wolasatux to the mouth of the Kafyuh River, 32 mile.-. Ldf ka's to the head of the great Shageluk Slough, 30 miles. its mouth. From Meldzikakat to the Kdna- ton River, 33 miles. From the mouth of the Soon- kakat to the mouth of the Le- 1 barge River (a name which I pro- pose to substitute for the Indian I name Miskiintrkdkat), 8 miles. From the Lebarge River to the I mouth of the Koyiikuk River at the Sopka, 40 miles, from the north, and is a large of the Kuthlatno and Kutclno Kotelkakat from the east. Its estimated at one hundred miles, fall into Kotzebue ana Norton! Right Bank. From Koyiikuk to the Nulato I River near the Nulato trading-post, [ 22 miles. Mouth of the Kaiyuh River tol Ldfka's, 50 miles. Head of the Shageluk to Anvil I GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 283 Anvfk to the winter Leather Vil- lage, at the end of the Shageluk, 27 miles. (The Anvfk River is about 50 miles long, and from Keg- iktowruk a winter portage is made in two days to the Anvi'k River.) Mouth of the Challik River to the Mission at Ekdgmut, 43 miles. (Near the Mission is a small river by which the portage to the Kusko- quim is made. Head of the South Slough from MilavanofF River, 8 miles.) 22 miles. (Head of the Shageluk to the mouth of the Shageluk or In- noko River, 18 miles. From that point to the end of the slough, at the summer Leather Village, 40 miles.) End of the Shageluk to the mouth of the Challik River, 26 miles. From the Mission to the most southern part of the second Great Bend in the Yukon, 36 miles (lat. 61° 35'). From this point to the mouth of the Milavanoff River, 26 miles. From the mouth of the Milava- nofF River to Andrdafsky Fort, 13 miles. Andreafsky to the head of the delta, 10 miles. The length of the South Slough is about 64 miles, that of the Kusilvak, or true Yukon-mouth, 50 miles ; the Kwikhpak, 52 miles, and that of the Uphoon, 54 miles. The distance from Fort Selkirk to Fort Yukon is thus about 392 miles. Thence to Nulato, 549 miles,* and thence to the mouth of the Kusilvak, 357 miles. From the Kusilvak-mouth to the lower rapids on the Pelly (1,352 miles), or to the Lower Tahco rapids (1,513 miles), the river is navigable throughout for vessels drawing not more than four feet, and for a great part of its length for those drawing much more. The first shoals are at Anvi'k, the next near Nowikakat and near Fort Yukon ; at some seasons more than four feet may be difficult to obtain. Elsewhere the depth may be estimated at from two to ten fathoms. * The manner of our return voyage to Nulato, steadily floating down stream night and d.iy, formed an excellent check on the somewhat exaggerated estimates of distance made in going up. Our rate of progress, reunning, could hardly have averaged less than one hundred miles a day, the rate 0" t^e current varying from seven to three knots an hour, while we kept carefully '• the most rapid portion. Below Nulato the current is less rapid, and the stance seems much greater on that account. Our estimate in going up was 630 miles, which was very close to Captain Ketchun's estimate of the previous year. Corrections reduced it to 550 miles. Captain Raymond's recent surveys confirm the near appioximation to correct- ness of our mapping from dist.inces and bearings, i \ , 'I i:;lTOl I !i;^l|;piiiliiiij i II i ■ If., if ^5 284 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. The total length of the Yukon from the Kiisilvak-mouth to Lake Kennicott is about 1,800 miles. This may be too low an estimate if we take in all the curves of the channel, which I have not done ; so we may safely estimate the total length of the Yu- kon with all its windings, at about 2,000 miles, of which three fourths are navigable for river steamers. In some places on the Lower Yukon one bank is invisible from the other. Above the Ramparts, including islands, the river is sometimes twenty miles wide. By its size and the important changes which it is always bringing about in Bering Sea, it is fairly entitled to rank as one of the largest rivers in the world. It is larger than the Ganges or the Orinoco, about the size of the Danube or the La Plata, and belongs to that great family of northern rivers, of which the Obi, Lena, Saskatchewan, and Mackenzie are the most prominent members. At Kutlik several small rivers, draining the adjacent marshes, fall into the Uphoon. Not far beyond, the Pastolik River, fol- lowed by the Pastolidk, falls into the sea southwest of Point Roman- off. North of the point the Pikmiktdlik River drains a large extent of tundra, and has a village situated near the mouth. East of the Canal the Golsova River, a small, shallow stream, empties into Norton Sound, and farther north the Unalaklik River, drain- ing the Shaktolik Hills, the Uliikuk Mountains, and the valley of the Yukon Portap - There is a large bar off the mouth, and in high water not more than four feet can be obtained as far as Ulii- kuk. During the period of low water in the fall, only skin boats can ascend it. Norton Bay receives the waters of a number of small rivers, which head among the hills between Nulato and the coast. Tlie principal of these are the Inglutdlik, on which large numbers of fossil bones are reported, and the KSyiik River. Golofni'na Bay is connected with a large lagoon which opens into Grantley Harbor by the extremely winding channel of the Fish River, which has one principal tributary, the Kdvi-dva-zak River. The Kung-uk River (Buckland River of English charts) falls into Escholtz Bay, Kotzebue Sound. At or near its source, among the Nulato hills, is situated the village of Attenmut, near the head of the Seldwik River, which falls into Selawik Lake, emptying into Hotham Inlet. The Kcwak and Inland rivers, GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. 285 Ivak-mouth to be too low an which I have ;th of the Yu- f which three places on the r. Above the 5 twenty miles h it is always to rank as one an the Ganges La Plata, and which the Obi, ost prominent acent marshes, olik River, fol- f Point Roman- drains a large i mouth. East tream, empties k River, drain- the valley of mouth, and in as far as Ulu- jnly skin boats small rivers, le coast. The re numbers of which opens ;hannel of the Kdvi-dva-zak nglish charts) ear its source, Utenmut, near Selawik Lake, Inland rivers. small unexplored streams, fall into the same inlet. They are prolonged far into the interior, to fill up the unexplored space on most maps. A small river is said to enter VVainwright Inlet on the northern coast, but the only one of any size falling into the Arctic Ocean is the Colvile in Ion. 150° 35'. It is unexplored, but on many old maps the Yukon was represented as the upper portion of it, and in others, more recent, it is gratuitously represented as extending several degrees to the southward. This completes the list of the known rivers of importance in Alaska. On the opposite coast the principal rivers are the Anadyr, falling into Anadyr Gulf ; the Kamchatka, emptying into a lagoon at Nfzni Kamchatka; and the Avdtcha, which enters the head of Avdtcha Bay, Ocean Currents. — The great currents which exist in the North Pacific anxl Bering Sea should not be left unmentioned. To these is due the mild climate of the southern portion of Alaska, and in fact that of the whole northwest coast of America, as compared with the northeast coast. The great warm current, the Gulf Stream of the Pacific, is known to the Japanese as the Knro Sizvo or Black Stream, from its color as compared with the other water of the Pacific. It is called by geographers the Japan curnent. It splits on the west- ern end of the Aleutian chain ; one portion of it sweeps eastward, south of the Aleutians, and, striking the shores of the continent, is deflected southward. It brings a warm, moist atmosphere, which is condensed on the snowy peaks of the coast ranges, and causes the remarkable rainfall which characterizes the coast as far south as Oregon. The other and smaller portion passes between the Command- er's Islands and the end of the Aleutians, and northward through Berng Strait. Hence no ice floats southward through the strait from the Frozen Ocean, and I learn that the whalers in the spring have seen large masses of ice steadily sailing northward through the strait a knot and a half an hour, against a very stiff breeze from the north. In summer a small cold crrrent passies southward along the coast of Kamchatka, but in May it would seem as if this was wanting. At that time the whalers follow the coast northward, as the .ce melts close to it, before that to the east is affected. The vessel which, in this way, is the first to i 1; mil ijiii iliiKl hl»i ffif 1 M-tl !'«?* ' i I'HK !l I 286 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. pass Iiast Cape is sure of plenty of whales, beside the spring trade. The water on the west side of Bering Sea is deeper than that to the cast. It would seem as if an ocean valley existed here, heading in Plover Bay ; as in the latter place one hundred and one fathoms without bottom arc reported between the heads, and fifty farther in. In the vicinity of the Shiimagin Islands there was in August, 1865, a strong current to the north and east, with a surface temperature of 56° Fahr. The currents through Unimak Pass are largely dependent on the tide, but run more strongly and for a larger part of the day into Bering Sea, than the reverse, Through some of the narrow passages in the Aleutian chain severe tide-rips often occur, and vessels should be cautious in entering them. Mountain Ranges, Peaks, and Volcanoes. — The high mountains of Alaslsldva Volcano, ..... Vst'vidoff Peak, Umnak Island, .... River Volcano, " " ... Kordvin Volcano, Atka Island, .... Si'tkin Volcano, Si'tkin Island, Tanaga Peak, Tdnaga Island, .... Peak of the Seven Craters, Semisopdchnoi Island, Khustoff Peak, Amchftka Island, Goreloi Peak, Gore'loi or Burned Island, . Kiisilvak Mountain, Yukon Valley, Uliikuk Mountains, Vesolia Sopka, ... ... Koyiikuk Sopka, Peaks of the Romanzoff Mountains, . Mount Hohonfla, Mount Bendeleben, Kaviak Peninsula, Mount Kennicott, Plover Bay, East Siberia, . Volcano, Wrangell's Land, .... 9,000 feet. *2,Ss5 " 13,500 " 14,000 " ? 16,000 " ? 5,000 " 11,270 " 12,066 " ? ? ? ? ? *5,525 feet. . *8,955 " 5.525 " • 3.332 " ♦5,691 » 1,000 " ? 3,000 " . ? 2,500 " 4,852 " • 5.033 " ? 3,500 " 3,000 " • 1,873 " . ? 8,000 " ? 2,500 « 1,500 " 800 " 1,000 " ? 5,000 to 8,000 " 1,000 " . ? 1,000 " *2,343 " . 2,480 " * All altitudes without an asterisk are only approximate. 19 'ill'l'l'fl :j I .") 1 m ! i ''1 1 hi .11 1 1 1 ; •iiiiiii'*'! ,.i'iiii*r !90 GEOGRAPHY OF ALASKA. An-a. — From calculations made by l"^-. Ilaiiemaiin of Gotha, and reduced to };co};Taplucal sc|uarc miles (in the ratio of i to 21. i6), the following estimate of the superficial area of Alaska has been computed. Islands of lierin^ .Sea, Alt'iilian Isiaiuis. Kaiiiak and Sluiinaj.i;in Islands, . C'liiigach and other islands, Alexander Archipelago, Total area of islands, . Area of the mainland, 'I'olal area of Alaska, . n (1 . 5,676.3816 1,031.7616 . i4,i4_'.y.'oS 3 I, .'05. 7 100 548,901.6148 580,107.3248 Maps of Alitska. — Tt is hardly necessary to state that the older maps of the territory are full of error.s, es|)ecially in the interior. There is probably no part of America, of equal extent, of which less information is obtainable. A habit has obtained among ma[)-makers of filling in unexplored territory with a net- work of lakes and rivers which are solely due to their ardent imaginations. This is especially notable in Arrowsmith's earlier maps of Northwest America, in the Russian maps which accom- pany Tikhmt'iuef's History of the Kussian American Company, and ill a more recent map of Alaska, published in San JMan- cisco. The older maps, exce])t in most of the coast-line, are so uni- formly erroneous that they neiul not be mentioned. The only recent maps worthy of notice are the map jiubiished by the Coast Survey in \'A<\(\ and a second edition of the same published in May, 1X67; Arrowsmith's map accompany- ing Whymper's "Travels in Alaska"; a map entitled " I\l:ip of Russian America, or Alaska Territory, compiled from Russian Charts and Surveys of the Western Union TiU'graph Company, San Francisco, 1867, publislu^d by Hritton and Ivi'y"; and one from information principally furnished by the writer, essentially agreeing with that which accomiianies this volume, published by Dr. A. IV'terni.inn in the (uvi^nif^/iisi/uT Mift/uHiiiiLirit for Octo- ber, 1869. The first was a compilation from the best obtainable inforniM- tion, with corrections of many old errors, aiul was still further GEOGRArilY OK ALASKA. 291 c, arc so iiiu- improvcd in the second edition ; but, at the time of its publica- tion, data in relation to tiic interior was inaccessible, and conse- (liKMitly that part of the map is unreliable. The second map, by Arrovvsmilh, contains several inexcusable errors, such as the i)osition of liesborough Island, the Mission, and Andri'afsky b'ort. He has also been guilty of the stupitlity of restoring on the general map, which accomp.mies his \'ukon map, the old error in regard to the delta, which Captain Smith ilispritved. Correct data, in regard to the coast- line and the posiiions of the forts on the Lowi-r Yukon, has long been obtain- able; the carelessness shown in the construction of tlie map is a warning to future explorers to be careful into whose hands they put their information.* The nomenclature of the map is also much confused, Indiana I and Innuit being conlountled. 'file Sail l""rancisco map is here noticed oidy because it pre- tends to be the result of the Western Union Telegraph explora- lioiis, The only points in which it ditlers iVom maps publisln.-d long before the Telegraph enterprise was organized, are : tlu: ad- dition of a small accessory chart of Coal l!arl)or, I'nga (from a survey by Captain C. IM. .Scammon, Lieutenant J. Davison, the writer, and other members of the expedilicju) ; the gratuitous in- troduction of a large numbe,- of lakes, generally situated where iiioiuitains should be ; the remarkably erroneous eourse laid down lor the \'uk()n ; and the general contradiction in all important piiinis of the Western Union Telegraph surveys. Tlu" ma|) which aecom|)anies this volume was derived from the tolliiwing sources : — The coast-line, and many particulars in regard to the southern piiiliuii of the territory, from the I'nilid .Siativs Coast .Survi-y. The l>ead-waters of the \'ukon, Stikine, ami l.iaid rivers, froni a a a * ll will Ipc olisfivi'il lliat \Vhviii|i(r says (p. 201), "Willi 111. my wiiiiliiins tlic ^I'lui.il iliu'clioii 111 l''i)rt \'iik(in (lioni SaLC.il.iii'int.m) is noillii-.isl iii.i(;m In ." Now, if this itiiiisi' \)v j.tid (liiwn willi iIr' luics.s.iiy iDiu-ilinu Un' \ ,11 i.ilinn, uiiicli r.ipitlly in- 'II IMS as \\r f;ii I'aslwaid, it will liiinn l''iiil N'liknii lai In llu' iinilli anil casl ni tin; I'Miitwlicii' it is l.iiil (liiwii on ll\f addinpatn iiit; map. 'I'lu- tdini lions Inr vaiialioii li.i"c iiiii liitii made Dii Aiiowsmilli's map, vvliii li aicimipaiiiis Wlismpii'^i IkidK ; in- 'liiii, llu- rouise ol the liver, as tlicie (JKirteii, is aluiiil cast, 15" iioiili /i/),\ Iidiii ^lu il.il.int.m, instead .'r discovered the island of .St. (ieorge. lie named them the Suboff Islands, but they are more gen- erally known as the I'n'byloff Islands. .Samoyloff took charg<' of the factory at Three .Saint.s' I5ay, Kadiak ; and .Shelikoff sailed for Ochotsk. In the spring of 1787, I'ortlock and Dixon visited Cook's Inlet and Chug;ich again. They found Meares at the latter place in very bad condition, with more than half his men dead of scurvy. Di.xon then proceeded to Nootka, exploring as he went. I'ortlock passed the trading season between Chugach and Mount St. IClias, and rejoined Dixon in C^anton. Secret orders were sent from St. Petersburg by Lieuten- ant-General John Jacobi to Captain Delareff, Samoyloff, and others, in relation to taking possession of any new discov- eries in the name of Russia. In tliis year. Captain Berkeley, of the ship Imperial Eagle, discovered the Straits of Fuca. Shelikoff, luiving arrived at Irkutsk, found tliat one of the Gulikolf brothers had been defrauding the association. HISTORY. 309 lid the npiiny, as one "aptain l;, from Mucao. .1 Chu- icn l)y Lit was issocia- ■gc and jn, who 's Inlet covered ;he siic- fk:orgc. ^rcn- c cluir<;c ,helikoir 1 ( "ooU's V. lallcr lis n)i;ii xploriiii; )ctwei;n ixon in ^ii'iilcn- ;lvo vessels were sent in this year, under Ismyloff and l-echaref*", as far south as Mount St. I<21ias, and a Russian redoubt and trading-post was established at the mouth of the Copper River. Delareff determined astronomieally the situation of Three Saints' Bay, Kadiak. Three thousand sea-otter skins were obtained by him in Cook's Inlet. An earthquake caused a tidal wave, which passed from Aliaska to Sanak Island, and created a great inundation in the island of Unga, during which many natives lost their lives. On the j- October, 1788, Shelikofif received from the Rus- sian government the monopol)' of the fur trade in the Catherina Archipelago. 1789. The reports of the outrages committed by Glottoff and Soloviofif having reached St. Petersburg, an expedition for inquiry and exploration was organized in 1785. This was put in charge of a timid and incompetent I-lnglishman, Joseph liillings, who had acted as assistant to Bayly, the astronomer of Cook's expedition. Dr. ("ail Merck, "a man combining an almost puerile timidity with extraordinary intelligence," accompanied him as naturalist. They arrive' 1 at Pctroiiavlovsk from Ochotsk in 1788. On the 9th ut May, 1789, they sailed from that port to Unalashka, and afterward as far as Kadiak, where they wintered. Martin Saur, a German who acted as secretary of the expedition, collected much information in regard tO the country and the natives. Early in the year the Spaniards, determined to put an end to the encroachments of the English and other traders, cc|uipped Martinez and Haro, who entered Nootka .Sound May 6, 1789. Here they found the Columbia and the Iphigenia. Martinez immediately informed them of his in- y * ; 'A, lis 'S ' 1 !l, HISTORY. 311 1789. tcntion to take possession of the Sound in the name of .Spain, and, landiiij^ materials and artillery, built a fort on a small island near Friendly Cove, to enforce his instruc- tions. Trouble arose between Martinez and Colnctt and Hudson, two captains who had been sent from Macao by Meares under the ICnglish flag * Finally, their vessels, the Princess Royal, the Argonaut, and the Northwest-America, were seized by Martinc.?- He sailed, with the vessels, car- goes, and some of the prisoners, for San Bias in November. Some of the prisoners were put on board the Columbia, to be taken by that vessel to China. The American vessels had not been disturbed by the Spaniards. The Washington explored in June the whole east coast of Queen Charlotte's Island, which had not been visited by white men before, though Captain James Duncan had sailed through the strait which separated it from the mainland, in 1788. In a subsequent excursion from Nootka, the Washington explored the Straits of Fuca for fifty miles. Gray then returned, and met the Columbia bound for China, and made an arrangement by which Kendrick took charge of the sloop and remained on the coast, while Gray sailed for Macao and Canton f with the Columbia. Kendrick im- mediately returned with the sloop, and more thoroughly ex- plored the Straits of Fuca, and made the first passage through them. In November, 1789, the .schooner Fair American, Captain Metcalf, reached Nootka, and was seized by Martinez, but aflerwa: 1 released. In this year Mackenzie descended the river which bears his name. 1790. Slulikoff organized a company, under the title of the Shelikotl Com[)any, at Irkutsk, for the management of the fur trade and monopoly. By a uka.se, Catherine II. orderctl the Aleuts to send a certain number of bidarnis every year, to hunt, and to sell all furs to Slielikoff's company, in consideration of which * For particulars see Greenhow's History of Oregon and Cr.litbrnia, Chaii. \'III. I Gray reached Canton December titli, and took un hoard a cargo of tea, witli which lie arrived in Boston .\ugust lo, 1790, having carried the l.'nited Slates Hag round the world for the lirst time. **! ^ .: ,j^«;lri|| 312 HISTORY. 1790. the yassak, or tribute, was renounced by the Russian gov- ernment. 1'^ Delareff", a Greek, who had been long at Ka- diak, was made Chief Director of affairs in the colony ; and Alexander Baranoff, a sailor who had shown great energy in the service, was put in charge of the Kadiak and Cook's Inlet trading-posts. Haranoff had accompanied Shelikoff in 1783, and was a man of indomitable energy, destitute of scruples of any kind. lie received secretly, August ~l, in- structions as to the treatment of the natives and the occu- pation of new territory. He was appointed one of the board of directors for the colonies. Billings left Kadiak* July 31, 1790, and sailed southeast as far as Chugach Gulf, where he was threatened by the natives. He then returned to Kamchatka, where he arrived October 14th. The Spaniards sent an expedition under Lieutenant Sal- vator Fidalgo to establish a permanent post at Nootka and explore the coasts to the northward. He reached Chugacli, and spent several months exploring there and in Cook's Inlet, returning to San Bias November 14, 1790. Lieuten- ant Quimper, in the sloop Princess Royal, explored the Straits of Fuca for the Spanish government. He returned to San Bias in August. On the return of the Columbia the merchants of Boston fitted her out .'or a new voyage to the northwest coast, under Captain Gray. The brig Hope was also despatched in charge of Joseph Ingrahani, former mate of the Columbia. These vessels were followed by the Hancock, Captain Crow- ell, the Jefferson, Captain Roberts, and the Margaret from New York under Captain Magee. 1791. On the 29th of June, Ingraham anchored in a harbor in the southeast part of Queen Charlotte's Island. He spent the summer in trading and exploring, and sailed in the fall for China. In the summer of 1791, Kendrick, in the Wash- ington, purchased from the natives larf^c tracts of land near Nootka Sound, and sailed for Macao. The Columbia' ar- * I have followed S.niychcfrs version. As the expedition w.is a secret one, the accounts differ, some saying th.at the c.xpediliou first sailed iu 1790, but SarychctT'.s narrative is probably the correct one. 179I. !IL. I ■!' mM HISTORY. 313 an gov- at Ka- iiy ; and cncrf^y ; Cook's likoff in itutc of St zi, in- [ic occu- of the outheast I by the i arrived ant Sal- 3tka and "hugach, 1 Cook's l.ieuton- prcd the returned Boston ;, under ched in olumbia. n Crow- et from harbor c spent the fall c Wash- md near nbia' ar- ;t one, the 3arychctT'.s 1791. rived in the Straits of Fuca in June, 1791. Gray explored much of the coast, includinj^ the I'ortland Canal, and re- turned to Clyoquot, near the Straits of Fucn. Here the crew built a small vessel, called the Adventure, and a post, which they named Fort Defiance. On the 2d of June, 1791, Captain Alexandro Malespina, an Italian in the service of Spain, arrived on the coast near Mount Edgecumbe with two vessels. They explored the coast between Chugach and Mount I'^airweather, and estab- lished a few points on the coast to the southward, returning to Nootka August 13, 1791. The French ship Solide, Captain I'^tienne Marchand, visited Norfolk Sound and other parts of the coast in this year, and left the Straits of Fuca for Canton in the fall. Shelikoff's first vessel, the Ivan Predecha, was wrecked on St. Paul Island during the summer. He visited the isl- and of Kadiak, and reported a population of 50,000, to enhance the supposed value of his discoveries. Explora- tions were made by Chaedikoff in the Aleutian Islands. JJecheretf explored more thoroughly the Peninsula of Aliaska. Baranoff built a vessel called the I'enie, in Chugach Gulf, but she was not launched for three years. April 16, 1791, Billings and Sarycheff sailed from Petro- pavlovsk, visiting Unahishka, St. Paul, St. Lawrence, Aziak, and the Diomedes. They touched on the American coast near Cape Prince of Wales, and then anchored in St. Law- rence Bay on the Asiatic side. Saur gives an amusing ac- count of the harsh treatment he received from the natives on account of his diminutive size. Billings and Saur left the vessel in charge of a Captain Hall, and pursued their journey overland to the Kolyma, August 4, 1791. A boat expedition was sent round to the Kolyma by sea to examine the shore, but we have no record of their success. Sarycheff and Hall sailed for Unahishka August 1,3th, and wintered there, returning to Kamchatka in the following spring. \'()2. The viceroy of Mexico equipped three vessels, in the spring of 1792, to continue the explorations. These were the corvette Aransasu, Lieutenant Jacinto Caamano; the schooner Sutil, under Lieutenant Dionisio Alcala Galiano ; I J' 1 ' i /j i 1 '. i-k«t ■ il;tl i I' 1 1 Ml T^ 314 HISTORY. pi«ttr;'|i|||j IP*' I! II Ij i liw«j||;iiii 1792. and another named the Mcxicana, in cliarp;c of Lieutenant Cayetano Valdcs. These vessels arriv(Ml from San HIas at Nootka in May, and departed ; the corvette to look for the mouth of the supposeil Rio del Reyes, and the others to explore the Straits of [•"uca. Captain Modega y (Juadra also went to Nootka to treat willi Vancouver,* who had been sent out from England to settle the difficulties al Nootka. Vancouver, in the ship Discovery, with Lieutenant Rol)cit B'-ouj;hton, in the brij; Chatham, sailed from ICnj^land in January, 1791. He w^as instructed to explore the Straits of b'uca, survey the northwest coast from the 35th to tlu' Coth i)arallel, and determine, with the Spanish Commissioner, what indemnity should be made to l'ji<;lish subjects on account of the Nootka difficulty. He reached the west coast April 17, 1792. .Sailed northward, and jiassed Cape Flattery without discovering the mouth of the Columbia. On the 29th of April he met Captain Gray in the ship Columbia, and after an interview he proceeded to survey the Straits of I'uca. At the same time, Gray sailed to ex- amine the Columbia River, the mouth of which he had pre- viously noticed. On the nth of May he entered the mouth of the great river which he named after his ship. He sailed up stream about fifteen miles, and left the river on the 20tli, after filling his casks. He then proceeded to Nootka, where the Hope had also arrived, and after communicating his dis- covery to Captain Quadra the two vessels sailed for Canton. Vancouver meanwhile surveyed the archipelago to lat. 52° 18', meeting the two Spanish schooners in Admiralty Inlet after his return to the Straits of Fuca. Together they continued their ex[)lorations, antl Vancouver passed into the ocean through Dixon's Entrance and returned to Nootka. Men he found the store-ship Dxdalus, which brought his in- structions from I'jigland, in charge of Lieutenant New. After some fruitless negotiations with the Spaniards (for which see Greenhow, Chap. XI.), he i)roceeded to the month of the Columbia, which was entered by the Chatham, whieh * Captain George Vancouver, born aliout 175S, served on Cook's Expedition, sui- vcycd the western American coast as related, and died, worn out with his labors, i" May, 1798, before his report was quite finished. M HISTORY. Lieutenant ■ian Bias ai look for tlic e others to L y Oiiadra * who had ffieulties al lant R()l)t:it ICiighuKl ill the Straits 35th to tho iiiiniissioncr, subjects on ;cl the west massed Cape J Cohunhia. in the ship lI to survey ;ailecl to c.\- he had prc- :1 the mouth He sailed on the 20tli, lotka, where tinj^ his (lis- for Canton. )lat. 52°i8' y Inlet after ly continued the ocean otka. Here ^ht his in- cnant New. •aniards (lor o the mouth tham, which KxiKxlition, siii- h his labors, in 315 179J. found there the hrig Jenny of Bristol, which had left Nootka a few days hefoie, Vancouver sailed to San Francisco Bay, where the Chatham afterward joined him. In Octoher, 1792, Mackenzie started on his journey across the continent. l-'uslratus Ivanovich Delareff, Chief Director of the colo- nies, resifrned his position to Baninoff, wlio had shown him- self well fitted for the j)ost. A settlement was made on St. Taul's Bay, Kadiiik. A company of Russians, untler Stepan Zaikoff ami Lebedeff Last(')chk'n, established themselves in Cook's Inlet and Bristol Bay, claiming; that this territory was not embraced in the j;rant of the Shelikoff Comi)any. i;93. Vanc.'Uver reached Nootka May 20th from the Sandwich Islands and the southern coast. He s[)eiit the summer in careful explorations from the 51st to the ^C>ih parallel. He saileil for .San Francisco on the icjlh of October. Mackenzie descended the l*"razer River, reached the head of the (iulf of Georgia July 20, 1793, and wrote in vermilion on the cliff, " Alexander Mackenzie, from Canada by land, the 22d of July, 1793." He returned by the route over which he came. Myu> '793> ^ »l 4S^. > 6^ 3i6 HISTORY. 1794. the California coast on his way home. The explorations which he carried out have not been excelled by any other navigator, and were faithfully and thoroughly pcrfornicil. The contending parties at Nootka abandoned the contrc- versy, and in 1795 withdrew their forces, leaving the Souml to the natives and traders. Archimandrite Joasaph, Kldcr of the Augustin friars, was invited to settle in the colony by Ivan and Michael Golikotf and Gregory Shelikoft", who had returned to Siberia. May "j, Shelikoff was ordered to settle twenty convicts and their families near Cape St. IClias. In conseciucncc, August ^, two vessels sailed for Kadiak from Ochcitsk. The first had one hundred and ninety emigrants, two overseers. and eleven monks on board. The other carried sixty hunt- ers, two overseers, and a valuable cargo. There was j^rcat mortality among the colonists after their arrival. Shelikotf engaged seventy more men in Siberia, who were sent to the colony. Baranoff sent an expedition to examine Bering Bay, which returned with 2,000 sea-otter skins. The newly arrived monks and missionaries were obliged to work for their living, the Company refusing to support then* in idleness. This state of things is said to have con- tinued for nearly twenty years. On ^'^^^^,y, an arrangement was made to open a trade with China. In this year the first complaint regularly entered by a native in his own name was made against the impositions and cruelties of the Company. The cries of the unfortunate Aleuts reached even to St. Petersburg, and on the death of Catherine II. the Emperor Paul seriously contemplated the withdrawal of the franchise from the Shelikoff Company. The expedition of Billings, in every other respect a failure from the inrompetency of the commander, produced one good efi'ect, which was the ventilation of the abuses prac- tised by the traders. 1795. The Company extended its operations. Shelikoff forwaroal thirty colonists. The settlement of New Russia was estab- lished on Bering or Yakutat Bay. Two small vessels, the Dolphin and the Olga, were built in Resurrection Bay. Rev. e explorations by any other ly perlbrmcd. d the contrc- ng the Sound 3tin friars, was chad Golikotf ibcria. k^enty convicts consequence, Dchotsk. The two overseers, ied sixty hunt- ere was great /al. Shelikotf ere sent to tlie ng Bay, which 1 were obliged ing to support d to have con- n arrangement entered by a he impositions he unfortunate 1 the death of itemplatcd the voft" Company, spect a failure produced one e abuses prac- ikoffforwarucd 3sia was estab- lall vessels, the ion Bay. Rev HISTORY. 3'7 1795. Father Joasaph complained oflficially of BaranofT's conduct to the missionaries. He furthermore reported the conver- sion of 12,000 natives, which remarkable statement was natu- rally received with doubt at St. Petersburg The Company received a great blow in the death of its founder, Gregory Shelikoflf, at Irkutsk, in the fall of 1795. His heirs carried on the operations without cessation, and his wife, Nathdlia Shelikoflf, acted several years as President of the Company. As she could neither read nor write, she signed by her son, Ivan Shelikoflf, as proxy. In the winter, the first census of Kadiak showed about i.^JO adult native males, and the same number of females. 1796. The government having authorized a fort to be built on Yakutat Bay, a post and fortifications were erected, and a number of convicts, assigned by the Czar, were .settled there. Shuitz explored Lituya Bay and the head of Lynn Canal for the Company. An expedition under Sam6yloflf to the Copper River was cut oflf by the hostile natives. Kadiak was designated as the principal depot of the Company. Mount Edgccumbe is said to have emitted fire and smoke for the last time. July i2, 1796, Father Joasaph was made a bishop by ukase. Father Juvenati attempted to put down polygamy among the inhabitants of Kenai. He was afterwards killed while preaching to the natives near Iliamna Lake. The first Rus- so-Greek church was erected in Kadiak. A vessel called the Three Saints, commanded by MedvcdnikotT, was wrecked in Bering Bay. Solomin, a native, complained to the Archi- mandrite of the breaches of faith and extortions of the Company. 1797. A company in opposition to that of Shelikoflf was organ- ized by Mylnikoflf ^£~, 1797 ; by consent of Mrs. Shelikoflf the two were consolidated. Archimandrite Joasaph had re- turned to Irkutsk to receive his consecration as bishop. 1798. The Shelikoflf United Trading Company organized at Irkutsk, adopted, January -J, a scries of regulations, and dis- tributed them to interested parties. A new company, called the Atka Company, was formed by Ladygin and others, in opposition to the United Company. Khwostoflf explored ''f j 318 HISTORY. 1798. Admiralty Bay. Last6chkin visited the Copper River wiili great caution. A factory was erected at Niichck Harbor. A Siberian trading vessel, in charge of Kfssileflf, saw an island between lat. 43° and 44°, and Ion. 160° and 165°. Various parties of traders interfered with the operations of the Shc- likoff United Company. 1799, The ICmperor Paul, at first strongly opposed to it, was in- duced to take the trading company under his protection A charter for a new company was drawn up at St. Peters- burg for the term of twenty years. This charter was issued on the 8th of June, 1799. It gave to the members of tk old Company, under the name of the Kussiati Avnrican Company, the control of all the coasts of America on tlu Pacific north of lat. 55° N. They were required to organizi settlements, promote agriculture, commerce, discovery, and the propagation of the Greek Catholic faith, to extend the Russian territory and influence on the Pacific as far as they could without trespassing on the territory of any foreign power. The capital of the Company was fixed at 98,000 silver rubles. The Aleuts were regarded as the servants or slaves of the Company. They were obliged to hunt and work at the command of it** officers, and each adult \va< obliged to spend at least three years in the actual service of the Company. They were also forced to sell all their furs to the Company, at whatever price the latter chose to pay for them. The natives of Kenai and Chugach were obliged to pay an annual tribute of furs, though not to enter the Company's service, lianinoff was placed in charge of the operations of the Company in the colonies. The govern- ment of the territories was confided to the Chief Director in th^ colonies. No appeal could be made from him except to the Directory at Irkutsk. All regulations and appointments were made by the latter, and all questions decided by it, with the approval of the Imperial Department of Ccmmerce. Ah persons and things in the territory were under the control of the Chief Director, who resided in Kadiak ; other distriet< were ruled by inferior agents, chosen from among the Pro- mislleniks, and accountable only to the Chief Director. The general regulations were just and humane, but the enforce- HISTORY. 319 1799. ment of them was intrusted to men with whom justice and humanity were always subservient to interest and expedi- ency. HaranofT maintained lor twenty years an ab.solute and despotic sway over the colonies. The orders of the Direc- tory were often unheeded by him, and it was almost as easy for complaints to reach the Directory from another planet as from Russian America. He was a man of iron energy and nerve, coarse, unfeeling, shrewd, and enterprising. Among his inferior agents were men far more intelligent and hu- mane than himself, but they were obliged to submit to his authority ; any proposed improvements were in vain, if in his judgment they conflicted with the interests of the Com- pany. The morale of the Company's servants may be judged from Krusenstern's account, which says, " None but vaga- bonds and adventurers ever entered the Company's service as Promishlcniks," "it was their invariable destiny to pass a life of wretchedness in America," and " few had the good fortune ever to touch Russian soil again." His remarks coincide in every particular with my own observations, though among the Creoles, naval officers, and general officers of the Company at Sitka it was my good fortune to meet many gentlemen of refinement, intelligence, and a high sense of honor and justice. The Company's vessel Fenie (Phocni.x), with the newly consecrated bishop Joasaph, eighty-eight passengers, and 1 valuable cargo, in charge of Captain Shultz, was lost with all on board. Most of the ecclesiastics were on this vessel, and it is said that from this time to i8io only one monk was left in the colonies. The Company's vessel St. Demetrius was built in Res- urrection Bay. Khwostoff explored the Alexander Archi- pelago, and obtained a large number of sca-ottcr skins. The same good fortune attended an Aleutian party who visited George's Strait. . In consequence of their reports, Baranoff visited Sitka Hay in the Olga, with a large fleet of Aleutians in their kyaks, from Kadidk. Here one hundred and fifty of them died from eating poisonous mussels. Baranoff made one of the natives of the bay a chief, under the name of MedvOd- 320 HISTORY. B 1799. nikofl", and set about the construction of a fortified factory, which he called Fort Archangel Gabriel. 1800. This was completed in the following spring, when l^ara- nofT took formal possession of the territory in the name of Russia. This proceeding was approved of by the Uirccl tory. He then returned to Kadiak. luiglish and Amcri| can vessels visited the colony with assorted cargoes, whit!; the Russians were obliged to purchase altogether, good audi bad as well, in order to prevent independent trade. On the i2, October, 1800, the Emperor Alexander ordered I the general Directory to be tran.sferred from Irkutsk to .St Petersburg ; only a secondary bureau was left at Irkutsk. 1 801. An issue was authorized of 7,350 shares of stock, each valued at 500 silver rubles. A scarcity of provisions compelled the Chief Director to I purchase supplies from English and American vessels. An American trader arrived at Kadiak in May. The vessels! Petropdvlovsk and Alexander Nevski were built in the col- ony. Troubles arose from among the natives. The Thlin- kets met on one of the islands of the archipolago, under | their chief Kaniagin, to devise means of driving out the Russians. Baranoff was received with hostility by the ii.i- tives of Kenai. 1802. The Emperor, Empress, and (irand Duke Constantiiiel became shareholders in the Company "^J;"^.^"', 1802, to the extent of twenty shares each. The incon.o of this stock was devoted to charity. In August, the Loan Bank of St Petersburg was directed by a ukase to advance 250,0001 silver rubles to the Company, at legal interest, for eight | years. The vessel Zacharias and Elisabeth was built in the col- ony. An expedition under Khw6stoff and Davidoff began scion tific researches among the Aleutian Islands. The monopoly of the Russian and Siberian fur trade was secured by the Russian American Company. Active hostilities were com- menced by the natives. In May the assembled Thlinkcts of Sitka, under the chiefs who had been appointed by the Russians, attacked the Fort Archangel Gabriel and drove HISTORY. 32! rtificd factorv c Constantinc lilt in the col- 1802. out the inmates. All the officers and thirty men were killcHl. Two (lays after the ICnglish captain Harbour arrived, and saved eighteen women, two Russians, and two Aleutians, who were hunted by the savages in the woods. He also appropriated the furs which remained unharmed in the storehouse, and demanded an e.xorbitant ransom from the Russians for the men. A few days after the American cap- tain Ebbets arrived, and assisted the colonists against the natives. May 22d, Kiiskoffs party of four hundred and fifty Aleuts, in their kyaks, was attacked in Yakutat Hay by the Thlinkets, who were repulsed. One Russian was killed and five wounded. June 20th a fleet of ninety kyaks, under Urbanoff, were attacked by the Thlinkets in Kake Strait. Only UrbdnofT and twenty-two Aleutians escaped. The American ship Atahualpa, of Hoston, discovered the mouth of the Stiki'ne River. 1803. An expedition under Kriisenstern and Lisiansky was organized in St. Petersburg, and sailed in the ships Xa- dcshda and Neva in August. In March, the Imperial Fi- nancial Hureau was ordered to supply the Directory of the Company with 100,000 silver rubles, on demand, in such sums as might be required. In the colony, Hazanoff explored the Copper River for a short distance. An expedition under Petroff made further explorations near Yakutat Bay. An American named Owen, of the bark Eclipse, suggested to Haninofi' the extension of the fur trade to California. Owen secured the right to pur- chase all the furs. In pursuance of this project an ex- pedition under .Swctzoff and Terak.inoff was sent to the coast of Oregon, and returned with a valuable cargo. The Slavanissi Colony, on Yakutat Hay, was destroyed by the natives. 1804. On the loth of June, 1804, Captain Kriisenstern, in the Nadeslula, left the Neva under Lisiiinsky, at the Washing- ton Islands, and sailed with Resanolt", the Imperial Com- missioner, to Kamchatka, where he arrived in July. They attempted to open an intercourse with the Japanese, but failed, and returned to Kamchatka. The Neva arrived in Kadiak July 13, 1804 Lisiansky 322 HISTORY. 1804. found that Raranoflf had sailed for Sitka in the spring with four small vessels, one hundred and twenty Russians, and about eight hundred Aleutians in their kyaks. He there- fore determined to sail to his assistance, and while detained by contrary winds at Kadiak made various surveys in the vicinity. He left St. Paul August 15th, and arrived in Nor- folk Sound on the 20th. BaninofT arrived on the 19th, from a hunting expedition to Yakutat Hay, in the Yermak. It was determined to attack the Thlinkets, who had fortified themselves on a rock near the old settlement, and now- defied the Russians. On the 1st of October the Neva fired upon the fort, and, no reply being received, Haranoff and a party of Russians and Aleutians attempted to storm it. They were repulsed with some loss by the natives, who .sallied and drove them to their boats. Haranoff was wounded in the arm. The ne.xt day the Neva opened fire on tlic fort with heavy guns, and on the 3d of October the natives hoisted a white flag. The fort was not surrendered, how- ever, but was evacuated by the natives on the night of the 6th. They are said by Lisiansky to have killed a num- ber of infants and dogs, lest, by making a noise, they .should give the alarm. The garrison was estimated to have been about eight hundred ; the walls of the fort were so thick that the shot from the Neva had not penetrated them. It was defended by two cannon, and evidently evacuated be- cause the occupants were out of ammunition. On the 8th of October it was burned by order of liaranoft". The Rus- sians had ten or twelve killed, and several wounded. On the loth of November, Lisiansky sailed for Kadidk, leaving Baninoff at .Sitka. The Neva ancnored, November 1 6th, in St. Paul Harbor, where she wintered. This vessel brought the first supply of medicine which reached the colony. ResanoflT, the Imperial Commissioner for the redress of grievances and the better regulation of the colonies, arrived from Kamchatka and wintered in Kadiak. The St. Deme- trius was wrecked near Umnak. Three vessels — the Maria, the St. Mary Magdalene, and the cutter Constantine — were built in the colony. On the 8th of October, Baranofif laiil HISTORY. 323 Asians, and 1804. the foundations of the new fort at Sitka. He calls it the Fort Archangel Michael, and the settlement received the name of New Archangel. It was placed on the rocky point which had been so well defeniled by the natives. 1805. Lewis and Clarke descended the Coiiimbiu River, and wintered near the mouth of it. On the 14th of June, Lisiansky sailed frotn Kadiak for Sitka, where he arrived on the 22d, and whence, afli-r mak- ing various e.xploration.s, he .sailed, September ist, for Canton. A hunter named Hukadoroff, employed by the Company among the inlands, was attacked by the natives. The ex- periment of planting treei on the Aleutian Islands was tried this year. An expedition under Demiankoff was obliged to leave Yiikutat Hay by the hostile natives ; in the storm which followed, thirty Aleutians were lost in their bidarkas. The natives attacked a settlement on the bay, and massa- cred the inhabitants ; out of forty persons only thirteen escaped. At this time four hundred and seventy Russians were employed in different capacities by the Company. The Imperial Chamberlain and Comniission<;r, Count Ni- kolai I'etrovich Resanoff, maugurated many useful reforms in the colony. Notwithstanding the unjust slurs of the usually accurate Greenhow, Resanoff was a man of unusual capacity, intelligence, and humanity. He organized a school at Ka- diak under the name of the "House of Henevolence of the lunpress Maria." His reforms and instructions much im- proved the prospects of the colony. He suggested a court in the territory for the trial of minor otfences, and ordered that the Aleutians shoulil receive their pay in money, and not in merchandise, as formerly. I'riiitetl parchment, with the Company's seal upon it, was used as a medium of ex- change in the colony instead of coin. In the autumn, Resanoff, urged by the .scarcity of provis- ions, purchased the American ship Juno, of Rhode Island, and her cargo. This alone prevented a famine in the Rus- sian settlements. He embarked in the Juno and sailed to San Francisco, where he hoped to make arrangements with the Spanish authorities for an annual supply of provisions. He examined the coast for a suitable locality for settlement, on his wav. i 324 HISTORY. 1805. lie was at first received with coolness by the Spanish Governor, Don Luis dc Arj;uello. The latter had a dau<;hter named Donna Conception, who was remarkably beautiful. The polished manners, manly beauty, accomplishments, and intellif;ence of Resanoff did not fail to make an impression on her. Resanoff was ecpially struck by the beauty, inno- cence, and simple grace of the Spanish maiilen. lie did not conceal his love, and they were betrothed. After this, it may be imagined that the old (iovernor listened to Resa- noffs plans with more complacency, and an arrangement was entered into as he had proposed. 1806. lie sailed for Sitka in June, 180C, leaving his betrothed with the assurance of his return as soon as he could obtain the imperial consent to the marriage. He arrived at Sitka safely and concluded his business. Too impatient to wait for the provision ships, and undertake another voyage around the world, he sailed for Kamchatka, intending to make the journey overland, through Siberia, to St. I'eters- burg. Baranoff, who had looked with contempt on the reforms which Resanoff had instituted, lost no time in restoring, as far as he could, the old condition of things ; and the same exactions and injustice continued to mark his whole admin- istration. He concluded an agreement with Charles Camp- bell to share in a hunting expedition to California, which proved very successful. Several similar cxj)edilions were fitted out, and among them one in the American vessel Windship. The first vessels were built at Sitka during this year. The volcano of Joduita I'^ogosiova (St. John the Theo- logian) rose from the sea on the ist of May. In St. Petersburg the Government Financial Bureau was ordered to credit the Company to the extent of 200,000 silver rubles, A special Hag (the Russian mercantile flag, with the addition of a double-headed black eagle) was granted to the Company, and naval officers were permitted to enroll themselves in the Company's service. Simon I-'ra/.er, of the Northwest Company's service, estab- lished a trading-post on Frazer Lake, in lat. 54''. 1807. Resanoff, overcome by the exposure and fatigue of a Si- HISTOKV. 325 1807. bcrian winter journey, died March isf, at Krasnoyarsk in Siberia, on his way to St. IV-tcrsburg. So ended the hfe of the most inteUigent and skilful reformer wlu) had yet visited Russian America. It is related that his betrothed, who did not know of his death, at least for many years continued constant and expectant, refusinj; many offers of marria>;e. Many years after, when Americans first settled in Califor- nia, and she had become an oUI woman, she was still fiithful to her love, and daily scanned the CioUlen Gate for his ap- proaching vessel. The sloop of war Diana, in charge of ("iol()fnin and Ricord, left Cronstadt on a voyage to Kamchatka and Japan. The brig Sitka was built in Norfolk Souml by an .American named Lincoln. The American vessel Derby, Captain Swift, arrived at Kadiak from Canton. Seventy kyaks, in charge of ICremin, sent to Chatham Strait, were driven away by the Thiinkels. The Company's ship Neva, Captain Ilagenmeister, arrived at Kadiak from OchcUsk with provisions. 1808. Timothcus Tarakanoff and Hiilegin visited the northwest coast in the Company's sloop St. Nikolai. The frecjuent complaints which were made against Hani- noff induced the Directory to send out Koch to succeed him as Chief Director in the colonies ; but Koch died in Kamchatka in 1808, while on his way. The Company's tender, Avos, was lost near l^ialashka. Kuskoff was sent, with two vessels loaded with rum, to trac'" at the mouth of the Columbia. In returning, the Kadiak arrived safely at Sitka, but the St. Nikolai was lost. Captain Krse, of the Mercury, made a contract witii Haninoff to carry a hunting and trading cxjiedition to the same place, and returned with a valuable cargo. In March an expedi- tion of one hundred bidarkas, escorted by two armed vessels, endeavored unsuccessfully to induce the Thlinkets to trade with the Russians. A conspiracy, headed by Naplakotr and Popoff, was di- vulged by Lcshi'nski. The plan was to kill Haranoff, take one of the vessels and provision her, and sail with a number of women to some of the South Sea islands. The conspir- 326 HISTORY. ilKl iiiiii 1808. ators were arrested, and two years afterwards Raranoff re- ceived instructions to judj^e them in the colony, without any public demonstration. It may well be doubted if his justice was tenjpered with mercy. A proposition was made to Spain, by the Directory, to purchase a small piece of land in California, suitable for an agricultural colony. It was, however, rejected. 1809. A new conspiracy among the natives to destroy the Rus- sians was revealed by a native woman. An application was made to the Directory by thirty-seven Russians, who desired to settle permanently in the colony. VVasilieff described the west coast of Baranoll Island, and several of the adjacent islands. Peter Shydekin, a native, renewed the protest against the exactions of the Company. The Thlinkets attacked a hunting party among the islands. The Discovery, 306 tons, and the Chi'rikoff, 120 tons, were built by Lincoln at Sitka. 1810. John Jacob Astor forme/i an association in New York under the name of th'j Pacific Fur Company, and fitted out the ship Tonquin, Captain Thorne, for the mouth of the Columbia River. He had the previous year despatched the .ship Enterprise, Captain Ebbets, whicli arrived in Sitka in July, 1810. Captain W'asili M. Golofnin reached Sitka in the sloop of war Diana, June 10th. He brought a priest, the first who had arrived in the colony since the wreck of the Phtcnix. A ship and brig were built at Sitka, making seventeen vessels constructed in the colony since 1799- In May an expedition, under Kiiskotlf, among the islands, was obliged to return, from the hostility of the natives, who were assisted by Captain Gale, of an American trading vessel. Eight of the Aleutians were killed. The govern- ment vessel was allowed to take the furs to Ochotsk from the colony. A party of Russians on St. Matthew Island were nearly all starved to death during the winter, by the disappear- ance of the sea animals, on which they relied for subsistence. Ricord and Khlebnikoff explored and named the She- likoff Strait, between Alidska and Kadiak. HISTORY. 327 i.Sii. In Janunry, Mr. A.stor despatched the second detachmeiU of traders, under Wilson 1'. Hunt, to descend the Cohnubia River. On the 24lh of March tlie Toiuiuin arrived at the mouth of the Cohuubia, and the settlement of Astoria was built. In October the ship Mcaver, Captain .Sowles, left New York with another party of traders for Astoria. An a;;ent was also sent to .St. Petersburg to negotiate with the Direc- tory of the Russian American Company. In January, Kuskoff, on the second expedition to Cali- fornia, was refused water by the Spanish authorities at San I'rancisco. He therefore removed his vessel to the north- ward, and bought a small tract of land from the natives on Hodega Hay. A river f.dling into the bay was named the Slavianka, October ~, a convention between John Jacob Astor and the Russian American Company was a|)pro\ d by the ICmperor Alexander I. Astor agreed to furnish ,yro- visions and supplies li fixed prices, and to take pay in furs from the Company. They were to mutually assist each other against smu„„iers, and respect each other's hunting-grounds. Astor was to take the Company's furs to Canton at a fixtxl price for freight, and sell them on commission. Hoth agreed not to sell intoxicating liquors to the natives. This arrange- ment was broken up by the subsequent war between ICng- lanil and the United .States. The shipTonquin was attacked by the natives near the .Straits of Fuca, and blown up by those on board. David Thompson, of the Northwest Company, descended the north branch of the Colund)ia to Astoria. 1812. David Stuart, of the Pacific Fur Company, accompanied Thompson on his return, and establishetl a trading-jiost on a branch of the Upper Columbia. The Heaver arrived at Astoria on the 5th of May. Hunt and his party, after great suflerings, nached Astoria early in the year ; many of them had perished frt)m desti- tution and privation. Hunt sailed for .Sitka in the Heaver, and concluded negotiations with l^aninoff. which were some- what interfered with by the potations of the la; jr. Hunt then sailed for the Sandwich Islands, and the Heaver pro- ceeded to Canton. 1 'm •HI If III •\ n m m ^^^ ' i Hll M 728 HISTORY. 18 1 2. TIic first Russian settlement in California was made on Bodega Bay by Kiiskoft! This was done with the concur- rence of the Spanish Government, though against the wishes of the Roman Catholic missionaries. On the 30th of August, Kiiskoft" removed the settlement to a hill one hundred and ten feet high, near the Slavianka River. This was named the Russian (Koss) Settlement, and the inhabitants were principally devoted to agriculture and drying the meat of the wilil cattle. Wheat was raised here and sent to Sitka, and a small trade was carried on with the natives. The Spaniards regarded it with a great deal of hostility, and inter- fered with the operations of the Russians as much as possible. i8!3. Robert Stuart, who had left Astoria when Hunt sailed for Sitka, reached New York in the spring, after a severe journey across the continent. In June the ship Albatross, of Boston, arrived at the Sandwich Islands, bringing the news cf the war with Great Britain, and also that the Beaver was blockaded in Canton by a British vessel. Hunt sailed in the former for Astoria, and then proceeded again to the Sandwich Islands after a vessel to convey the Pacific Com- pany's property to a place of safety. Meanwhile a British squadron had been sent to destroy the settlement at the mouth of the Columbia River, ami Mactavish, of the Northwest Company, arrived at Astoria to meet it. A sale was effected by the agent of the Pacific Company, by which the property was transferred to the Northwest Company for $58,000, on the i6lh of October, 1813. A short time after, the British sloop of war Raccoon arrived to destroy the American post, and, finding it was sold, formally hoisted the British flag and changed the name to I'ort George. The ship Lark had been despatched to Astoria in March, but was wrecked on the Sandwich Islands. Baranoff's star still continued in the ascendant. The ship Neva, Captain Podushkin, from Ochotsk, was wrecked near Sitka on the -^, of January. But twenty-five of the crew were saved, while Barono-wolokoti, who had been sent to supersede Baninoff, was lost with thirty-seven men. The Company's vessel, Alexander Nevski, was wrecked on the Kurile Islands, but no lives were lost. The Thlinkets, while . ^ ■ 1 HISTORY. 329 I was made on ith the concur- linst the wishes 30th of August, hundred and his was named (habitants were ig the meat of [ sent to Sitka, : natives. The tility, and inter- luch as possible. ;n Hunt sailed after a severe ship Albatross, s, bringing the that the Heaver 1. Hunt sailed h1 again to the le Pacific Coni- sent to destroy bia River, ami 'ed at Astoria of the Pacific isferred to the ith of October, war Raccoon finding it was ngcd the name desi^atchcd to ndwich Islands. cendant. The V, was wrecked nty-five of the had been sent ^cn men. 1 he recked on the lilinkets, while 4 i ■ \\ 1S13. endeavoring to excite other natives against the colony, were attacked and defeated. The Company's vessel Suwar- row arrived with the annual supply of provisions from St. Petersburg, in charge of Michael Petrovich Lasareft". 1814. In February, Hunt, in the brig Pedler, arrived at Astoria from the Sandwich Islands. After closing the concerns of the Pacific Company he embarked for Canton. On the 24th of December the treaty of peace between the United States and Great Britain was signed at Ghent. A special commission for the examination of the affairs of the Russian American Company was ordered at St. Petersburg. Paninofr, preserving in his old age the audacity of his joiith, was, however, already less fortunate in his under- takings. He pmchased three American vessels, — the He- ring, the Trevor, and the Ilmen. The Trevor proved unsea- worthy. An.xious to establish a trade with the Sandwich Islands, and well aware of their growing importance, Hara- noff sent the Bering to negotiate with the native monarch, at his invitation. The vessel was lost on Atuia Island of the Sandwich group. 1815. On the i8th of July, 1815, Mr. Monroe, Secretary of State, announced to the British representative at Washing- ton that the United States intended to reoccupy imme- diately the post of Astoria, in virtue of the first article of the treaty of Ghent. The brig Rurik was fitted out by the liberality of Count Romanzoff, Counsellor of State. She sailed from St. Peters- burg early in the year, in charge of Lieutenant Otto von Kotzebue,* accompanied by Choris, Ivscholtz, Chamisso, and other savcxiis. An expedition in the Discovery induced the Thlinkets to trade for the first time since the massacres. The price paid for furs was raised in Kivor of the hunters, tlie old rate being very low. Intercourse with the Sandwich Islands was again attempted. Dr. l-llliott, an American, sent on the Ilmen to the Ross .Settlement, was seized and held pris- oner as a Russian spy, by the Spanish authorities. • Son of .August l''ric(lii(.h Fcrdinaiul von Kot/cl)Uc, tlic cclebr.itcd .luthor. lie wa>Uin at Ucvcl, Dcceiuber 19, 1787, and died there February 13, 1S46. 330 HISTORY. Ki^r I'i .' it 'f! tli:l ;; III '"! iiili 1816. Kotzcbue left Pelropavlovsk, in the Rurik, July i8tli, landed on St. Lawrence Island July 27th, passed through Bering Strait on the 31st, and on the 3d of August entered and proceeded to explore the Sound which bears his name. He left it on the 14th, passed a little way to the north- ward, and then sailed for Unalashka. The hunting during this year was unfortunate and un- profitable. Explorations north of Cook's Inlet were ordered by the Company. The vessel Mary Magdalene was wrecked near Ochotsk, but the cargo of furs was saved. Uaranoft sent the vessel Isabella on a voyage to the Philippine Isl- ands. Father Solokoft' arrived at Sitka from Moscow, and took charge of the colonial churches. The keels of ei<;b'i vessels were laid during the year. Hagenmeister sailed from Cronstadt with two vessels, September 3d, for the colonics. 18 1 7. Captain Biddle, in the sloop-of-war Ontario, was sent to the mouth of the Columbia. Kotzcbue visited the Aleutian Islands. The schooners Platoff and Baranoff were built in the colony. i On ''""'"■' -, the fourth expedition from St. Petersbur with provisions arrived at Sitka in the Kutusoflf and Suwar- [ row. Baninoft", feeling that the chills of age were cooling the current of his blood, worn out with twenty-seven years service to the Company, voluntarily offered his resignation in December. Golofnin's second expedition with Liitke, Wrangell, and l*tolin, was organized in St. Petersburg. Camille de Rocquefeuil entered on his journey round thi world, in which he visited many parts of the northwest coast f. October 6th, Astoria was delivered to J. B. Prevost, agent for the United States, by the captain of the British frigate t Blossom. Alexander A. Baranoff sailed for Batavia fron;!; Sitka in the .ship Kiitusoff. 1818. January -, Captain Leontius Andrianovich Hagenmeister assumed the duties of Chief Director of the colonics. Febru- ary 20th he ordered that the hunters should receive an an- nual salary instead of being paid in merchandise as formerly. He was obliged to use severe measures to restrain the dc|> HISTORY. 331 Lurik, July i8th, B81 , passed through f August entered bears his name, ay to the north- nrtunate and un- nlct were ordered ] lenc was wrecked : saved, liaranoli ? ic Philippine Isl- i rom Moscow, and j he keels of eight ^ gennieister sailed : mber 3d, for the tario, was sent to sited the Aleutian iranoff were built \ m St. Petersburg f §8 1 tusoff and Suwar- r age were cooling i vcnty-seven years ■ ed his resignation ic, Wrangell, ami ourney round thi. e northwest coast B. Prevost, agent le British frigate for Batavia froir, ich Hagenmeistcr colonies. Fcbru- aid receive an anp mdise as formerly restrain the dcp- f 8. redations of the natives. An American vessel was bought and named the Golofnin. June £, Vasili Michaelovich Go- lofnin, Imperial Commissioner for the redresi^ of abuses, ar- rived in Kadiak. On the 3d of December, Hagenmeistcr resigned in favor of Lieutenant Janoffsky, and returned to Russia. Golofnin was instructed to report on the state of tiic Russian territories in America. I'stingoff, Kcirsakofil", and Kolmakoff were sent to examine the shores of Bristol Bay. Korsakoff crossed Aliaska from Cook's Inlet on foot, examined the coast northeast of it, left a party at Nushergak and travelled along the coast until he met Ustingoffs vessel, which took him round Cape Ncwenham, and into Kuskoqiiim Bay. Winter coming on, he returned to Nushergak, where Kolmakoff had built a furl, which has been kept up ever since. Here he wintered. In this year the spirit of enterprise, dormant in England since the day of Cook and Vancouver, appeared to awake. The Arctic expeditions of Ross, Franklin, Parry, Richard- son, and Back are too well known to need explanation. None, however, visited the North Pacific. 9. The exploring vessels Discovery, Good Intent, Western, and Peace, fitted out at St. Petersburg for a voyage of dis- covery, under Wasfiieff, Shi'shmareff, Bellingshausen, and Lazereff. Klimofisky attempted to explore the Copper River. I'^s- tingoff described Goodnews Bay. Janoffsky made official visits to Kadiak, UnaUishka, and the Pri'byloff Islands. A brig called the Biildakoff was built in the Californian set- tlement. The Spanish scnooner Fortuna, discovered ashore, with seven natives of the Sandwich Islands on board, was taken as a prize by the Company's vessels. On the f^ A[)ril, Captain Alexander Andreavich Baninoff died at Ba- tavia on his way home to Russia. He was about eighty years old, and is said by Denys to have died without leav- ing any property, in spite of his long and active career. Golofnin's report having reached St. Petersburg, the Em- peror determined to put an end to the mismanagement of the colonies, and curb the exactions of the traders. On the 8th of July, regulations were put in force by which the ill! Mil, 1 m: ■'}^ 332 HISTORY. 1 8 19. Chief Director became directly responsible to the crown t • any misdemeanor, and the condition of the colonies \v„ greatly improved. The death of Har;inoff rendered the intn- duction of these reforms less difficult, and the subseqiicr direction of the colonies has been generally committed t honorable and enlightened officers, under whose guidaiu the abuses, formerly prevailing to so great an extent, hav:;* been removed or much abated. In 1819 the Company had settlements on five of ti,: Aleutian Islands, four on Cook's Inlet, two on Chugach (in;;. and one on Haranoff Island, Sitka Hay. 1820. Captain Muravietil' succeeded Janoffsky as Chief Directc of the colonies. The liorodino arrived at Sitka under Captai:, I'onafidin with merchandise from Russia. Schmidt was ap- pointed Director of the Ross Colony. The bay of Bode-: had received the name of Roman/off, from the Russian> The Ross settlement, according to Helchcr, presented a quae rilateral of twenty-five metres in length. It contained housci for the Director and officers, an arsenal, a barrack for [h men, storehouses, and .1 Creek chapel surmounted with . , cross, and provided with a chime of bells. The stockati; was four metres in height, pierced with embrasures furnished with carronades. At opposite corners were two bastion- two stories high, and furnished with six pieces of artillcn The gardens were very extensive, and large quantities c: wheat were raised, and sent to the northern establishments. Kolmakoff explored the Kuskoquim River. The e.xpd; tion under Wasi'lieflf arrived in the North Pacific. The Ui- covery went to Petropavlov.sk ; the Good Intent visited tl Aleutian Islands, afterwards passing through Bering Stra; as far as Icy Cape, and, returning, described the island c: Nunivak. Dokhteroff sailed for the colonics from Cronstai!; The first regularly resident physician was settled in tl;. colony. In this year, Wrangell and his party commence: their explorations in northeastern Siberia. 182 1. ;'^<"'™i"-' the charter of the Russian American Comijanv was renewed for twenty years by the order of the Empcro: The Senate, by ukase, reorganized the Company. The Km- peror also issued a ukase, in which the whole west coast of ; HISTORY. 333 on five of thj [821. North America, nortli of the 51st parallel, and the east coast of Asia north of 45° 50', was declared Russian territory, and foreigners were prohibited from approaching within one huiulred miles of the coast, except when in distress. The British government protested against this decree as soon as it was issued, and the United States did the same as soon as official information of it was received from the Russian government. The Russian authorities sent cruisers to en- force the ukase, and the brig Pearl, of Boston for Sitka, was seized. The result was the convention between the United States and Russia in 1824. The vessels sent to the west coast by Russia were the sloop of war Apollo, under Tulii- bieff, captain of the first rank ; and the brig Ajax, under Phi- latoff, captain of the second rank. The Ajax was wrecked on her way out, and, Tulubieff dying, the command of the Apollo fell upon Lieutenant Krushchoff (or Krutzoff). The brigs Rurik and l*}lisabeth, under KlochkofT and Kislakoffsky, arrived in the colony, with merchandise from Russia, on the 5th of September. They brought three eccle- siastics. |S:2. The exploring expedition under Kramchenko, Pttolin, and Wasilieff sailed in the ships Golofnin and Baninolf. They examined the coasts of Norton Sound, Bristol Bay, and the island of Nunivak, describing Golofnina Bay and Golovi'n Sound. The expedition continued during two years. Sha- bclsky visited the colonies. Captain-Lieutenant Andreas IVtrovich Lazerefif and M. P. Lazereff, captain of the second rank, sailed for the colonies and the Californian coast in the frigate Cruiser and the .sloop Ladoga. They returned to St. Petersburg in 1824. I823. Lieutenant ^''^•^o Von Kotzebue sailed on his second journey round the world in the sloop Enterprise. The Nearer Islands, which, under the name of the .'^tka District, had been included in the government of Ochotsk, were surrendered to the Colonial Direction. Father Frument Mordoffski was sent as missionary to Kadiak. The Ladoga visited Sitka in November. Hogs wore placed on a barren island near the Ch(5rnobour Reef. Kramchenko visited Yakutat Bay. 334 HISTORY. III! illHll iiiii'l I it! i S-'l 1823. The calling of a convention, to settle the boundary cjucv tion between Russian and American territory on the wi. coast, was made the occasion, by the President of the Unite States, for a declaration of the Monroe doctrine, which dt laycd a settlement. 1824. The convention between the United States and Riis;. was signed at St. Petersburg, April ^, 1824. It provid.; that the North Pacific should be open to citizens of be nations for fishing, trading, and navigation, except that t: trading-posts of either of the contracting parties should 1. be visited by subjects of the other party without the consc: of the officer in command. The Russians were not to niali any settlements south of latitude 54° 40', nor the America: any north of that parallel. It was provided, that, at the cr of ten years, the liberty to navigate the Russian waters ar: ] trade with the natives might be abrogated by Russia, and ; no case were arms, ammunition, or liquor to be sold to !' natives. The brig Pearl was released, and the owners i:; demnified. Lieutenants Chi'stakoff and Murdvieff sailed the Company's ship Helen from Cronstadt for the colonit Kotzebue reached Sitka August i?, in the Enterprise. Mk and Blanchard, American traders, arrived at Sitka fro: Boston. Kriishchoff explored in the Alexander Archipcla: Father Innoccntius Veniamfnoff, the noble and devoted ni:- sionary, was sent to Unalashka, and began his labors amor the Aleuts. 1825. February 1^, a convention between Great Britain and R: sia was concluded. It recognized the southern boundary i the Russian possessions as the parallel of 54° 40 . Othcrwilji it resembled the previous agreement with the United State Franklin undertook his second journey westward from t; Mackenzie River. May 19, 1825, Captain F. W. Beechey, in H. M. S. B!( som, sailed from England to co-operate from Bering Str: with Parry and other eastern expeditions. Lieutenant CIi;.- takoff succeeded Murdvieff in the direction of the colonic He transferred the principal depot of the Company froi Sitka to St. Paul, Kadiak. Father Jacob Netsvieloffw sent as missionary to the Aleuts of Atka. 182C 18:7. i8j8. V V t t( }' 5. ¥ n S HISTORY. 335 \\S26. Captain Fr, LutkcS in the corvette Senidvine, wltii the naturalists Kittlitz, Postels, and Mcrtens, sailed on a voyage of discovery from St. Petersburg. On the 27th of June, Ikechey reached Kamchatka, and, passing through Bering Strait, entered Kotzebue Sound in July. He pushed as far north as the ice would permit, and then sent out a boat ex- pedition under Mr. Elson, which reached and named Point Harrow. About the i8th of August, Franklin, coming from the east, reached Return Reef, his most western point. The Blossom then left Kotzebue Sound for San Francisco, whence she sailed for the Sandwich Islands and Macao, in this man- ner consuming the winter. Failure of crops in the Ross Colony, during this and sev- eral subsequent years, reduced the annual contribution of flour from that point to about 30,000 pounds. Captain Chi'stakoff removed a number of Aleuts from .\mlia to Atka Island, at their own request. 118:7. Ih^ Senidvine reached Sitka June 27, 1827. Here she remained until July 31st. After visiting Unaldshka, the Pribyloff Islands, and St. Matthew, she sailed to Petro- pdvlovsk, and then southward for the winter. The Blossom returned to Bering Strait from Macao, but accomplished little or nothing, sailing for England October 7, 1827. l'!tolin brought a cargo of salt inMn California to the colony. All the hogs on Chernobour Island perished from the tidal wave which accompanied an earthquake and eruption of the volcano on Unimak. On the 6th of August a convention was agreed upon be- tween the United States and Great Britain, leaving the terri- tory west of the Rocky Mountains open to all parties fcr ten years. [1828. Captain-Lieutenant Hdgenmeister sailed, in the transport Kiotky, on a scientific expedition to the colonies. Captain Stani'nkovich explored and determined many points on the north coast of Alidska. Kramchenko sailed from the colo- nies in the Helena. The ninth provision ship arrived from St. Petersburg. The Company sent fifty-eight tons of salt n IWIH )t)ll!j III r" p 336 HISTORY. 1828. to Kamcliatka for the government. Liitke returned to Kamchatka in May, and examined that coast as far north as Bering Strait, returning southward in .September. 1829. The Company determined to pay for foreign merchandis: in future with bills of exchange instead of furs. Vasflieff (not Wasi'lielT) explored the coast to the Kusko- quim. Father Veniamfnofit" visited Nushergak and baptizoi! thirteen natives. Ingenstrum visited the Andreanoflski hi- ands and Attii. 1830. Chernoff examined the harbor of Nuchek, Chtagalul; Island, and the mouth of the Kaknu River. Kolmakc: renewed his explorations toward the Ki'skoquim. I'ltolin Wasi'lieff, and others explored more thoroughly the coast; of Norton Sound and Golovi'n Sound. On the 2. November the Company took formal posses- sion of the Kurile Islands. 1 83 1. liaron F. P. Von Wrangell was appointed Director of the colonies. The crew and cargo of a small vessel called the Sea- Lion, vrccked on Atka Island, were saved by the presence of mind of Ingenstrom, the i)ilot. The Am(,Tican ship Caer- narvon arrived in Sitka with merchandise from Ent^land and Brazil. Vasilieff explored the south coast of Aliaska. Kramchenko sailed for the colonies in the government trans- port America. Tcbenkofif visited Norton Bay. 1832. Chief Director Wrangell made a tour of the colonics, especially inspecting Nushergak. The chief depot and capi- tal of the territory was decided finally to be located at Sitka. Luke^n was sent across the portage from Nushergak to the Kuskoquim, where he established a trading-post. Father Veniaminoff baptized seventy natives at Nush- ergak. 1833. A ukase was promulgated April f, by the ministers of the crown, allowing all Russians, under certain restrictions, to become residents of the colony. By order of Baron Wrangell, Michael TebenkofT estab- lished Fort St. Michael's on Norton Sound. Assistant Director Muravieff introduced important reforms into the hitherto destructive pursuit of the sea animals. (See Chap- i'i HISTORY. rd i. (See Cliap- 1833. ter VI. Part II.) An observatory was established at Sitka. Ivxplorations in the Ale.xaiulcr Archipelago were carried on by I'ltolin and Zaremba. 1834. The Russian government, under the fourth article of the convention of 1824, withdrew the privilege of free naviga- tion of their waters from American traders. This course was prompted by the sale of fire-arms and spirits to the natives by unscrupulous traders. The American Minister protested against the action of Russia, but without effect. The convention with Great Hritain would terminate the following year. The insatiable Hudson l^ay Company, ever ready to extend their traffic by force, or fraud if necessary, conceived the audacious idea of establishing a fort on the Russian territory before the term expired. They fitted out the vessel Uryad with colonists, cattle, and arms, and de- spatched her to the mouth of the Stikfne River. liaron Wrangcll was informed of the project, and de- spatched Lieutenant Dionysius Zaremba, in the arnTcd brig Chi'chagoff with the schooner Chilkaht, who built I'ort Diony- sius on a small harbor near the mouth of the .Stikine, and thus checked the encroachments of the I'nglish, who were not suffered to land. The latter were very indignant, and declared that ;^ 20,000 had been spent in fitting out and loading the vessel, which was, no doubt, a gross exaggeration. Remonstrances were useless, and they were obliged to return to Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River, \vhcrc they had been fitted out. This matter was immediately brought before the English government, who demanded satisfaction, through their agents, for an alleged infraction of the treaty of 1825. The Suchi'tna River was explored by IMiilakoff. The incompetency of an overseer in the Pn'byloff Islands par- tially frustrated the measures adopted by Muravieff for the preservation of the seal. I"\ither Wniami'noff was pro- moted to a bishopric, and transferred to .Sitka. John McLeod, a trader from Liards River, discovered the head- waters of the Stikinc. 1835. An imperial ukase removed the restrictions, and allowed all Russian subjects to settle in the colonies. 338 HISTORY. ii iiiii'iii ? , :. i 1835. In this and followinf; years, GlasunoflT explored the deltas of the Yukon and Kuskoquim rivers, ascending the former to Anvi'k. Captain Tebenkotf sailed for the colonies from Russia, in the Company's vessel Helena. The crops failed in the Ross Colony, and this caused a scarcity of provisions in the settlements. 1836. liaron Wranj-jell was succeeded by Captain Kuprianoffj in the General Direction of the colonies. The tenth pro- vision ship Helena arrived, April ^, at Sitka, in charge of{ Tebenkoff. Redoubt St. Michael, attacked by the natives, was success- fully defended by Kurupanoft'. The crops failed again in the California settlement. In July the Hudson Hay Com- l)any organized the expedition of Dease and Simpson. Small-po.x appeared at Sitka. Kulmakofif ascended the| Kuskoquim with bidarras. VVoronkoffsky explored the south coast of Aliiiska. Dupetit Thouars sailed on his voyage round the world, in which he visited the northwest coast. Captain Sir Edward Belcher, sailed on his voyage round I the world. 1837. The dispute between the Hudson Bay Company and the Russian American Company was compromised. The strip of mainland from the southern boundary to Cape Spencer was leased for ten years to the Hudson Bay Company, who were to pay an annual rental of furs, and furnish a certain amount of provisions annually at fixed rates. This arrange- ment was concluded in Hamburg, and Fort St. Dionysius] passed into the hands of the ICnglish. July 9th, Peter Warren Dease and Thomas Simpson left I the mouth of the Mackenzie River in two open boats, to explore the Arctic coast to the westward. On the 24th they| arrived at Return Reef, Franklin's farthest point in 1826. August 1st, Simpson left the boats in the ice, and reached Point Barrow on foot August 4th. On the 17th of August they reached the mouth of the Mackenzie on their return. Sir I'Ahvard Belcher visited the coast in the Sulphur. He touched at various points on the coasts and islands be- 1 tween Sitka and Kadiak. Captain Berens, with the Com- HISTORY. 339 orcd the tlclta-i linj; the fornur a colonics from i this caused a ain Kuprianoff The tenth pro- a, in charge of ^es, was success- failed a<;ain in idson Kay Com- 1 Simpson, ff ascended the :plored the south nd the world, in is voyage round inipany and the ised. The strip ) Cape Spencer r Company, who irnish a certain] This arrange- t St. Dionysius] as Simpson left open boats, to| n the 24th they point in 1 820.1 ce, and reached 17th of August I their return. Bi the Sulphur, and islands be- with the Com- 1837. pany's vessel Nikolai I., arrived, August 17th, at Sitka. Schooner Chilkaht, with Woronkcjlfsky on board, was wrecked near Aliaska. Provisions, whiskey, rum, and a steam-engiue arrived at Sitka from Hostun. During this and several fol- lowing years ihe sma!l-po.\ raged among the natives of the coast, slaying thousamls. The shamans discouraged vacci- nation, and it spread everywhere. The Company provided for three native schools. The Thlinkct chief Kuat-he voluntarily freed his slaves. Rev- erend h'ather Germain, the oldest missionary in the colonies, died on Spruce Island near Kadiak, soon after he hail fmislied a mausoleum in memory of Archl)ishop Jtkisaph. icSjS. • Kushevarotf e.\[)lored the northern coasts as far as Point Harrow in the brig Potifar. Lind(;nherg continued the re- searches among the islands near .Sitka. Me particularly examined Lynn Canal and the Chilkaht River. A colony of Aleuts were placed on Amlia Island, in consequence of the great increase of the blue foxes which had been intro- duced there by the Company. Father Golovfn bai)tized one hundred and five natives of Nushergak. Malakoff ascended the Yukon to Nuhito. He left a force under Notarmi to build a trading-post. These men returned for want of provisions to the Redoubt in the fall. During the winter the Indians plundered and burned the buildings which had been erected. The United States P'xploring Expedition, under Lieu- tenant Charles Wilkes, was organized. The sloops of war Vincennes and Peacock, store-ship Relief, brig Porpoise, schooners Sea-GuU and I'lying-Fish sailcil from the Chesa- peake, August 19, 1838, and passed around Cape Horn. The unfortunate Sea-Gull was lost with all on 'joard. 1839. ^he Hudson Bay Company agreed to furnish the Russian American Company annually with 560.000 lbs. wheat, 19,920 lbs. flour, 16,160 lbs. pease, 16,160 lbs. barley, 36.880 lbs. bacon, 19,920 lbs. beef, and 3,680 lbs. ham, at fi.xed prices. The Company's vessel Nikolai I., Captain KadnikolT, sailed for the colonies, carrying the preparator of the Academy of Sciences, Elia VVossnessensky, to make collections, and obser- m 340 HISTORY. ,,|ll| liui , ' , ;;i: lilt 1839. vations on natural history on the northwest coast of Anu'rica. MiinishcfV examined Kupriilnolf Straits and tin; Kadiak Archipelago. I''athcr VeniaminofT presented a j)lan for the more cflicient organization of the colonial missions. Mount St. l''lias is recorded for the first time as having emitted smoke. The sloop Aleut, under Kashevaroff, was wrecked near Kadiak. Robert Campbell's l-'ort Drew, on the I.iard's River, was plundend by the natives. Tart of llit inhabitants cscapetl to I'ort Halkett. 1840. Kupriiinoff was succeeded by IClolin as Chief Director of the colonies. A new contract was entered Into with the Hudson Hav Company, leasing; the strip of coast already referred to. A Hudson IJay post was established at the head of Glacier Arm of Stephen's Strait. The Taku (not TiUico) River wa> ascended by Douglas for thirty-five miles. Captain Kadni- koff arrived with the twelfth provision ship, May 1st, from Russia. The hierarchy of the colonies was rcorganizc(' 1 conformity with VenianniK)fr's recommentlations and detac ! from the tliocese of Irkutsk. A trading-post was built at the mouth of the Unalakli'k River, Norton Sound. The snuill- pox disappeared from the colonies. 1841. The coast of Northwest America was visited by Wilkes's Exploring Expedition. On the 27th of April the Vincenncs visited the mouth of the Columbia and the Straits of I'uca, and sent several exploring parties into the interior. The Peacock was lost at the mouth of the Columbia, July iSlh, In the autumn the expedition sailed southward. The thirteenth provision ship, under Lieutenant D. E. Za- remba, reached Sitka April 3d, with Lieutenant Zagoskin, L R. N., on board. The government transport Abo, Captain Junker, visited Ochotskand the colonics. Sir George .Simpson visited many points on the coast. De Mofras visited California and Green- ough the Columbia River. Captain Kashevaroff explored the coast of Bering Sea, north of Bristol liay. Lukeen's Fort on the Kuskoqiiim was partly destroyed by the Indians. l'!tolin established a periodical fair for the natives around iiii M* IlISTOKY. 341 more (.'fllciiiit icf Director of rcorganize( 1841. Sitka. The post at NuI.itD on the Vukon \va rnment of Great Britain determined to send out three expeditions in search of the missing vessels. This inaugurated the most flourishing era of arctic exploration. Only such as visited the Pacific will be noticed here, but many expeditions, pub- lic and private, were fitted out by England, P'rance, and the United States for the same purpose. Although unsuccessful in finding any survivors, these f.xpeditions have added very greatly to our knowledge of the northern regions ; the cour- age, energy, and endurance shown by those engaged in them can never be too highly praised. The Plover, Commander Thomas E. L. Moore, sailed from Sheerness January i, 1848, to join the Herald, Captain Menry Kellett, C. B., at Panama, whence they were to proceed to Petropavlovsk and Bering Strait, and co-operate with expeditions from the Atlantic and the Mackenzie River. The Plover was a slow sailer, and (her plan being changed) she did not reach the Sandwich Islands until August 22(1, too late for investigations in the region of Bering Strait. She proceeded to Plover Bay, and, deciding to winter there, was laid up in an arm of the bay, called Emma Harbor by Captain xMoore. In the summer of 1848 the first whaler ventured through Bering Strait. This was the American ship Superior, Cap- tain Roys. He was rewarded for his enterprise with a full ship in a very short time ; the report of his success spread- ing, he was imitated, the following season, by one hundred i III iji'iii ^l liil W\ il'l I ■ I 344 HISTORY. 1848. and fifty-four American whalers, and the whale fishery was thus permanently established north of the Strait. 1849. In February of this year, gold was discovered on Captain Sutter's farm in California. Special explorations were made in the vicinity of Resurrection Bay, by the orders of the Company. In June the Plover left her winter quarters and sailed for Kotzebue Sound, arriving near Chamisso Island on the 14th of July. The next day she was joined by the Herald and the yacht Nancy Dawson, owned by Robert Sheddcn, Esq., who had volunteered to assist in the search. July i8th, the vessels left the Sound. Two whale-boats, under Lieutenant PuUen, were despatched to examine the coast to the north- ward. On the 17th of August, land was seen, and the same day Captain Kelletc landed on an island, which he named Herald Island, after his ship. At the same time high peaks were seen, probably those of Wrangcll Land. The boat ex- pedition reached Point Barrow in company with the yacht. which returned from that point. The boats kept on, reach- ing the Mackenzie River on the 25th of August, and For: Macpherson on the 5th of September ; from which poiii:; they made their way home by way of Norway House, Yori^l Factory, and Hudson Bay. The Plover wintered in Kotzt bue Sound, while the Herald returned through Bering Stra;*! and sailed for Mazatlan. The Company's vessel Atka crri' ed in the colonies, undi: Riedell, for the second time. A vessel loaded with old ar worthless goods was sent to California, and realized lar, profits. Subsequent attempts of the same kind were not - successful. 1850. On the 9th of September, ( alifornia was admitted to li Union as a State. On the 20th of January, Captain Richard Collinson ar Commander Robert S. LeM. M'Clure, in the Enterpr; and Investigator, sailed from Plymouth. They were to i deavor to reach the Plover in Kotzebue vSound in July. Cc linson sailed eastward from Bering Strait, after leavini Lieutenant Barnard and Surgeon Adams with one man St. Michael's Redoubt, Norton Sound, to prosecute their n HISTORY. 345 ^1 admitted to tlij prosecute their rj 1850. searches in the Yukon Valley. He could not pass Point Barrow on account of ice, and returned to winter in Hong Kong. M'Clurc, who arrived earlier in the season, passed Point Barrow, examined the coast of America to Cape Parry, dis- covered Prince of Wales Strait, Prince Albert and Baring Islands, and M'Clure Strait. He wintered in Prince of Wales Strait. The Plover reached Cape Lisburne, meeting the Investigator there August ist, and wintered at Grantley Harbor. Captain Mitkoff disposed of colonial timber at Guaymas very profitably. From this date, cattle were successfully bred at Kadiak and Cook's Inlet. A whaling company was organized by the Russian goveriiment, and the first vessels employed in the fishery sailed December ]^ During the winter Captain Bedford Pirn made explora- tions between Norton and Kotzebue Sounds and Grantley Harbor. Barnard went with Dcrdbin to Nulato in the winter, leaving Mr. Adams at the Redoubt. 185 1. Collinson returned to Bering Strait in the spring, passed Point Barrow, reached Melville Sound, and, returning, win- tered in Walker Bay. M'Clure, finding the southern extremity of Prince of Wales Strait closed by ice, passed along the west and north coast of Baring Island, and anchored in Mercy Bay in sight of P.Ielville Island. Here he wintered. Meanwhile the Koyukuns had attacked Nulato in Febru- ary, 185 1, as elsewhere described. Barnard was killed, and Adarns, after burying him near the fort, returned to St. Michael's. Captain Pim sailed for England in the Plover. Fort Selkirk, established by Robert Campbell on the Upper Yukon, was plundered by the Indians and burned, but the inmates were not injured. During this and the two following years the Company's vessels supplied the government posts in Kamchatka with provisions. 1852. M'Clurc was held by the ice all summer in Mercy Bay. Collinson surveyed Minto Inlet and Prince Albert Sound ; passed through Dolphin, Union, and Dease Straits ; and win- tered in Cambridge Bay, Victoria Land. Tn— ni i : lairi I'll iitlf) iiii f 346 HISTORY. 1852. Captain Tebcnkoff prepared a hydrographic atlas of the colonies. The scarcity of ice, which had previously been sent at great expense from Boston around the Horn to San Fran- cisco, induced some San Francisco merchants to send to Sitka to obtain a supply. The vessel arrived in February, 1852, and took on board 250 tons, for which the Company received about $18,000, at $75 per ton. In October an agent was sent from Sitka to California, where a temporary arrangement was made by the Company to furnish 1,000 tons annually at $ 35 a ton. The Company which agreed to take the ice was called the American Russian Trade Company, and the contract was binding for three years only. The S'tka-kwan (or Sitka Thlinkets) murdered forty Stiki'ne-kwan (Stiki'ne Thlinkets) who came to hold a coun- cil with the Russians at Sitka. The hospital at the Sulphur Springs near Sitka was destroyed by the natives. The Amphitrite, Captain Charles Frederick, and the Plover, Commander Rochefort Maguire, sailed from England for Bering Strait, wintering at Point Barrow. The Resolute, Captain Henry KcUett, sailed from England from the Atlan- tic to Melville Island, and wintered near Dealy Island. 1853. M'Clure, being fast in the ice, made arrangements for sending the weaker part of his crew to the Hudson Bay Company's posts on the Mackenzie, and for proceeding over the ice with the more able men to Lancaster Sound. To their great joy and surprise, Captain Bedford Pim, whom they had left near Bering Strait, appeared with a sledge party from the Resolute. Pirn had found a note left by M'Clure at Winter Harbor, Melville Island, and reached the Investiga- tor in the spring. The crew of the latter were transferred to the Resolute, on board of which they wintered. By walking over the solid ice from Mercy Bay to Dealy Island, tliey made the northwest passage. , Captain Colllnson returned through the straits by which he had come, and, doubling Cape Bathurst, wintered in Cam- den I^ay. Maguire, in the Plover, wintered at Point Barrow. Commander Trollope, in the Rattlesnake, wintered in Port Clarence, Bering Strait. Commodore Perry, who had started HISTORY. 347 ic atlas of the 1853. in November of the preceding year on the United States Japan Expedition, reached Yeddo Bay in June, 1853, where he wintered. The North Pacific I^xploring Expedition, in charge of Cadwalader Ringgold and Captain John Rodgers, reached China. Captain Ringgold, being out of healt'.i, was obliged to refirn, and Captain Rodgers took charge of the expedition. The Russian American Company took possession of Saka- lin Island, north of Yesso, in the Japanese Archipelago. 1854. The crews of the Investigator and the Resolute were transferred from the latter vessel to the North Star, Captain Pullcn, at Beechey Island, and returned on board of her to England in the month of October. Collinson left Camden Bay July 20th, passing Point Barrow and Bering Strait, and reaching I'^ngland with the Plover in the spring of 1855. Commodore Perry concluded the treaty with Japan in March, 1854. Commodore Rodgers, having divided his forces, carried on explorations among the Aleutian Islands, on the coast of Kam- chatka, in Bering Strait, and in the Arctic Ocean north of the Strait. The P^rench and English forces attacked the town of Petropavlovsk, but were routed by the Russians and Kam- shadales with a loss of one hundred and seven men. The English Admiral Price committed suicide in the shame which he felt at the result ; he was buried on the shore, and the next day, August 29th, the fleet left the Bay of Avatcha. The Company's vessels were gratuitously placed at the dis- posal of the Imperial government during this and the next year. The settlements were supplied with provisions chiefly by American vessels. The President ot the American ."lus- sian Trade Company, armed with letters from United States officials and the Russian Minister at W^^shington, went to St. Petersburg and obtain-^d ^n audience from the lunperor, opening negotiations in iciation to the ice contract. '855. He succeeded in obtaining an Imperial order dated Octo- ber, 1855, on the Russian American Company, requiring them to sell ice at the original cost in the colony, and to fur- nish it in sufficient quantities to supply California, Mexico, I i 348 HISTORY. ""1 iiii'ii ' I ll •■ 1855. and the Sandwich Islands. They were also to supply coal, timber, and fish for twenty years, and in return to receive half of the net profits. The exploring expedition under Commodore Rodgers reached San Francisco on its return. In May the allied forces returned to Petropavlovsk, whicli had been evacuated by the Russians. They captured an old Russian whaler, burned the government buildings, broke all the windows in the town, robbed and injured the Greek Catholic Church, and razed the old abandoned earthworks. After this child's play they left Avatcha. The Company's brig Ochotsk, chased by the allied cruisers, was wrecked near the Amoor River. The Thlinkets again revolted at Sitka. They took possession of the Indian chapel, killing two Russians and wounding nineteen. Woiwodsky subdued them, killing sixty of the ringleaders. The Kwikhpagmuts attacked Fort Andr6afsky, killing two I Russians, the only occupants. 1857. The fall of Sebastopol and the ensuing peace relieved the Company from the alarms and contingencies of war. 1858. The Thlinkets voluntarily proposed to open trade with the Russians, and tendered, as a neutral ground for trading, a point near the Stiki'ne River. 1859. T^^ President of the Ice Company in San Francisco 1 proved to be a man of no capital. He could not build the ! necessary houses to receive the ice in San Francisco, and the fish and ice arriving from Sitka were spoiled for want of storage. Misunderstandings arose. The bank failed in which I the Ice Company kept their funds, and the President ab- sconded with the money. At last Captain Furuhelm was sent from Russia to California to annul the contract and make a new one. He succeeded in doing this without resort to legal process, but the proceedings were not consummated | for several years. The Hudson Bay Company's lease was renewed for the I second time, for four years. The annual rental was two thousand sea-otter skins. The contract was originally made June I, 1840, renewed in 1849, again in this year, and vvas| to expire June i, 1862. HISTORY. 349 odore Rodgers fsky, k'Uing two 1859. A new fort was built at Nuldto on the old site. Volcanic action was felt in the colonies. i860. Woiwodsky was succeeded by Fiiruheltn as Chief Director of the colonies. The Kadiak was wrecked near Spruce Isl- and. Robert Kennicott passed the winter at Fort Yukon, where Mr. Lockhart was in command. The Imperial Chamberlain, Paulus Nikolai-evich Golov/n, was ordered to the colonies to investigate and report on their condition, pending the petition for an extension of the charter of the Russian American Company. 1861. Kennicott descended the Yukon to the Small Houses. The pilot, Michael Kadin, lost the steamer Nikolai I. in Kake .Strait. The natives saved the crew and entertained llicm hospitably until a vessel arrived in search of them. Colovi'n arrived in Sitka. His report, which was received in St. Petersburg in the same year, and published the follow- ing year (in Russian), contains many important statistics, the most interesting of which are given below, with a few from Grewingk. The original capital of the Company was 98,000 R. s.* After 1818 the stock was watered by making the shares 500 R. instead of 150 R. s. In 1844 the reserve capital, exclu- sive of property and the original capital, was about 450,000 • R. s. In 1862 it stood as follows: Original capital, 660,511 R. s. Reserves, 737,745 R. s. Insurance, 174,372 R. s. Total, 1,572,628 R. s. The original investment paid from six to ten per cent, clear of all expenses, annually, beside the pickings and stealings of the employes and officers, which were a by no means insignificant item. Dividends, on each share of about )52i, were from 1841 to 1851 about $3.00; from 1851 to 1858, $3.60; from 1858 to i860, $4.00. From 1841 to 1851 the Company paid two million rubles taxes to the Imperial government. The gross income of the Company from 1841 to 1862 was 20,305,681 R. s. January, i860, the balance of capital on hand, including property, was 5,907,859 R. s. The total amount of dividends from 1842 to 1859 was 2,103,004 R. s. The average annual dividends amounted to 142,000 R. s. • R.s. = silver rubles, each worth about seventy-five cents. R. = paper rubles, now worth about twenty cents. Ilri in 1 m III III) ii: II •< vl I 350 HISTORY. i86r. About 40,000 R. s. were issued in the form of marki, or] parchment bills, stamped with the Company's seal, for cir- culation in the colonies. The government was exclusively in the hands of the Chief Director, who was bound by oath to support the interests of the Company. He was elected by the Directory at St. Pe- tersburg. This system was prolific in abuses. There was I no law in the colonies, except the by-laws and regulations of the Company. On this ground the colonial officials were obliged to discharge from custody a foreigner who wa^ caught smuggling, as there was no law by which he could be punished, as he was not a servant of the Company. The territory was divided into six districts. Kadidk had a special bureau to itself, but the others were governed by officers called Uprovalisha. The districts were : I. Sitka, from Mount St. Elias south ; II. Kadiak, from St. Elias to Bristol Bay, and west to the Shiimagin Islands ; III. St. Mi- chael's, including Norton Sound, the Yukon, and the Kits- koqiiim ; IV. Unalashka, from the Shiimagins to the Priby- lofF, and including the Fox Islands ; V. Atka, comprising the remainder of the Aleutian chain and the Commander's I.slands ; VI. Kurile, 'ncluding the Kurile Islands. In the early days of the Company the Aleuts were sub- jected to the most horrible outrages. The names of Glot- toff and Sol6viefif make them shudder to this day. Thou- sands perished under sword and fire. Long after these enormities were checked, the Russians considered the Aleuts as beasts rather than men. No one thought of ameliorating their condition ; on the contrary, dissension and quarrels were intentionally stirred up in their principal villages for their destruction. It is well known that Bara- noff regarded the life of an Aleutian as of no value ; hun- dreds of these poor creatures perished in forced voyages between Sitka and Kadiak in their frail kyaks. Their numbers were diminished from 10,000 in 1799 to 5,238 in 1808 (ResanofT's census), and to about 1,500 at the present day. The Aleuts were the slaves of the Company. They were obliged to attend all hunting expeditions, and sell all furs to 1861 HISTORY. 351 n of marki, or s seal, for cir- Is of the Chief he interests of :ory at St. Pc- :s. There was regulations of officials were ;ner who wn- :h he could be •any. Kadiak had a : governed by ere : I. Sitka, n St. Elias to 3 ; III. St. Mi. and the Kiis- 3 to the Pri'by- ;a, comprising Commander's ids. uts were sub- ames of Glot- day. Thou- g after these )nsidercd the thought of ry, dissension heir principal /n that Bara- 3 value ; hiin- irced voyages yaks. Their ) to 5,238 in t the present They wore ell all furs to 1 86 1, the Company for whatever the Company chose to give, in goods. On the latter the Company charged 42 per cent freight in trading and 33 per cent on all sold to em- ployes. The price for groats was $ 1. 00 per pood of 36 lbs. ; for white flour, $ 2.00 per pood. The yearly imports were 400 tons. At Sitka, all servants of the Company whose pay was less than $ 200 a year drew from the public kettle and bake-house at $ i.oo a pood for bread. The fare consisted principally of fish ; bacon and wild goats' flesh were rarely obtained. They were also allowed eight cups of rum per annum. Married men who did not wish to eat at the public table could draw the value of the food in cash, and purchase their own provisions. The hierarchy of the colonies had its head-quarters at Sitka. There were seven missionary districts ; namely, Sitka, Kadiak, Unalashka, Atka, Kenai, Nushergak, and Kwikhpak. The churches were supported by voluntary offerings. Their accumulated capital amounted in i860 to 50,000 R. s., bringing five per cent interest. The Com- pany contributed, toward the support of four churches, the sum of $6,600 per annum. The Holy Synod paid 3,085 R. s. toward the Kenai mission. The income from can- dles in the churches amounted to 5 1,100. There were 11 priests and 16 deacons in the colonies. A church was established for the natives at Sitka, but they were seldom seen there. When they did enter they looked bewildered, squatted down and smoked, and went out apparently much relieved. In 1846 there were 531 Christian Thlinkets. In 1854 the number was diminished to 38, and in 1859 there were only 42. The Aleuts appear zealous Christians, but if the Government ordered them to become Mohammedans they would as readily comply. They were utterly crushed by the early traders. The first school was established by Shclikoff in Kadiak to teach the natives to read ; the traders were the teachers. The second school was also in Kadiak, and the pupils re- ceived instruction in the Russian language, arithmetic, and religion. A few years after, a similar one was opened at Sitka, but until 1820 it was very poor. In that year a naval II l''"^l HISTORY. 1861. officer took charge of it until 1833, when it fell into the hands of I'!tolin, who made it quite efficient. In 1841 an ecclesiastical school was opened in Sitka, and in 1845 it wa> raised to the rank of a seminary. This, as well as the other | schools, was in a very bad condition. In the latter, pupil: received instruction in the Russian language, religion, arith| metic, geometry, navigation, trigonometry, geography, his- tory, bookkeeping, and the English language. In the ukase of November ';, 1859, ^ pkin for a general I colonial school was approved. It was opened in i860 with twelve pupils; eight of these were educated for the Coni-| pany's service, and four were the sons of priests. A few day- scholars were admitted free. After five years' study the Com- pany's students were obliged to serve the C( nipany for fifteen I years, at a salary of $ 20 to $ 70 per annum. (It is to be hoped that the announcement of these facts vill enlighten those philanthropists who have declared, since the purchase, tliat| the United States were depriving the natives of the advan- tages which the Company had afforded them of a free! education. The only free schools in the territory were thosel of the missionaries, and in them were taught little beside the! religious observances of the Greek Church, and the art ot reading the Sclavonic or ecclesiastical characters.) The an-| nual cost of this school was $5,800; in 1862 it contained 2]\ pupils, of whom only one was a native. Only nine studieiij navigation. In 1839 a girls' school was established for chi] dren of servants of the Company, and orphans. In 1842 itl had 42 pupils ; in 1862, 22 pupils. The instruction was prin-j cipally in sewing, washing, and other housework. In 182 Father Veniamfnoff established a school in Unalashka fori natives and Creoles. In i860 it contained 50 boys and 4:| girls. A school on Amlia Island in i860 had 30 pupilij The priest at Nushergak in 1843 had 12 pupils. A school-j house was built on the Lower Yukon, but there were nc| pupils. The expenses for medical treatment were $9,000. Therel was a hospital at Sitka of 40 beds, and one at Kadiak of icj beds. In i860 there were entered at Sitka 14,000 patientsl of whom 22 died. At Kadiak there were 550 entrijes and i-j HISTORY. ;5 JDJ it fell into the it. In 1841 an :1 in 1845 it \va> veil as the other the latter, pupils I, religion, arith- geography, his- ;e. in for a genera! led in i860 with ;d for the Com- csts. A few day- ;' study the Com- mpany for fifteen (It is to be hoped enlighten those lie purchase, that ves of the advan- them of a free rritory were those tit little beside the h, and the art ot •actcrs.) The an i2 it contained :; ')nly nine studie lablished for ch'. bans. In 1842 i: truction was prin- sework. In i>'^-: in Unalashka lo: d 50 boys and 4; ,0 bad 30 pupil; )upils. A school ut there were iv re $9,000. Therel at Kadiak of Kj 10. 14,000 patient.-! 550 entjixis and ij was only pending the geneia. ..' -''ng up of the concern. The schools were all stopped, expenses curtailed, many posts abandoned, and the General Direction of the colonics was put in charge of an officer appointed by the Imperial government. This officer did nca p.rrivj immediately, and the post was filled during the inter; cgnum by subordinate officers of the Company. Golovi'n, having returned to Russia, died in St. Petersburg on the 17th of March, aged thirty-nine years. Michael Kut- kan, again elected tyone by the Sitka Thlinkets, was au- thorized by an Imperial ukase to settle the difficulties be- tween the natives and the Russians, December 2d. A serious disagreement with the Hudson Bay Company arose, caused by the continued sale of liquor by that Company to the natives. •- 1863. 1 ti K P tl P: til Pi 1864. te b) th St of idt Ui Th an ex] lat^ pli: I86v the ley Sitl the offi, Cai Rol HISTORY. 355 1863. Strachan Jones, Hsq., descended the Yukon to Nowikdkat. Ivan Simonscn Lukeen ascended the Yukon to I'^orl Yukon, and returned to St. Michael's, Norton Sound. The new ice contract was finally arranged by Captain l''uruhelni. The Russian authorities were to furnish 3,000 tons of ice annually at $ 7 per ton, delivered at Sitka or Kadiak ; but not to any other than the San Trancisco Com- pany, on the coast of Oregon, California, or Mexico, at less than 5 25 per ton. Sitka having too mild a climate to form good ice, or in sufficient quantities, the depot of the Ice Com- pany was fi.xed on Woody Island near Kadiak. An expedition under Commander Hassarguine ascended the Stikine River in boats. They were accompanied by Professor William P. lilake. 1864. rWruhelm was succeeded by Maksiitoff, the first Imperial (iovernor of the colonies. The plan for building a line of telegraph from San Francisco to Bering Strait, and crossing by a cable, to meet the Russian government telegraph at the mouth of the Amoor River by a line built from Bering Strait overland, was organized by the enterprising Directors of the Western Union Telegraph Company. The original idea was mainly due to Perry M'D. Collins, Esq., formerly United States Consular Agent it the mouth of the Amoor. The co-operation of the Russi.- government was insured, and the command of the expedition to make the necessary explorations was intrusted to Captain Charles S. Bulkley, late of the United Slates Army Telegraph Corps, an accom- plished electrician. 1865. The principal event of the year was the inauguration of the Western Union Telegraph ICxpedition. Captain Bulk- ley, in the United States revenue cutter Shubrick, visited Sitka early in the spring. On his return to San Francisco the expedition was organized on a military basis. The chief officers were Captain Charles S. Bulkley, Kngineer-in-Chief ; Captain Charles M. Scammon, U. S. R. S., Chief of Marine; Robert Kennicott, Chief of Scientific Corps; Scott R. Chap- pel, Quartermaster; George M. Wright, Adjutant; and Frank L. Pope, Assistant Engineer. Commissions were given to the various officers ; flags and badges served to dis- m ii K '- I ' '■' 'i !■: I m iiii'i I ill II J56 HISTORY. 1865. tinguish the tlifforent branches of the service. A steamer, three barks, and a schooner were purchased for the use of the expedition, and, by permission of the Secretary of the United States Treasury, two revenue officers. Lieutenant John Davison and Lieutenant Russell Glover, accompanied Captain Scammon on the flag-ship, which was permitted to fly the revenue flag. On the 17th of May, ]\Lnjor Frank Pope, Dr. J. T. Roth- rock and party, with Edward Scoville, Esq., as astronomer, left San Francisco for British Columbia with the intention of penetrating from the head-waters of the Frazer to those of the Yukon. On the 3d of July, Major S. Abasa (Gentleman of the Red- chamber to the Emperor of Russia), with George Kennan, James A. Mahood, and Richard J. Rush, sailed for the mouth of the Amoor in the brig Olga, Captain Sandtmann. Their efibrts were to be directed to exploration of a line on which the telegraph might be built, from the mouth of the Amoor to the Anadyr River, around the Ochotsk Sea, On the 12th of July the steamer George S. Wright ami the bark Golden Gate, flag-ship of the expedition, sailed from San Francisco, with most of the officers and men. The Wright, Captain Marston, touched at Victoria and New Westminster. Here Frederick Whympcr, Esq., \va5 added to the expedition as artist. The steamer then pro- ceeded to Sitka, where she met the Golden Gate. From tlii> point the schooner Milton Badger, Captain ILarding, sailed for the Anadyr River, with a party under Lieutenant McRae, who were to co-operate with Major Abasa's party. Tlw bark Clara Bell, Captain Sands, was at Sitka with telegraphic material, having made a remarkably quick passage Iroiii New York. iM-om this point she repaired to New Westmin- ster. The Wright, Captain Marston, and the Golden Gate Captain Scammon, after a .short stay in Sitka, sailed in com- pany for Unga Island. There they spent a day in the north harbor, and then sailed for St. Michael's Redoubt, Norton Sound. Here Major Robert Kennicott and party were leti to conduct the Yukon explorations. A toy steamer, whici! afterward proved worthless, was left to assist in ascendin;.; ih' m HISTORY. 357 ice. A steamer, 1 for the use of Secretary of the ;er~., Lieiilciiant 'cr, accompanied was permitted Dr. J. T. Roth- ,, as astronomer, I the intention ol azer to those ot eman of the Bed George Kcnnan, ed for the mouth iidtmann. Their f a Une on which ath of the Amoo: ea. e S. Wright am; 'xpedition, sailoi cers and men. at Victoria am! mpcr, Esq., wa- earner then pio- ate. From tbi^ Harding, sailed eutenant McRac, sa's party. Tlic with telegraphic passage froiv, New VVestniin- he Golden Gate a, sailed in corn- day in the north Redouht, Norton I 1 party were let!| y steamer, whicli in ascend in IT the icS65. Yukon. The Golden Gate and the steamer next touched at Plover Bay, where the bark' Balmetto, Captain Ander- son, had arrived with coal. The latter sailed for San Fran- cisco, and the steamer went to the mouth of the Anadyr, and then to Petropavlovsk, where the Golden Gate rejoined her. After a long stay in this the principal port of Kam- chatka, both vessels sailed for San Francisco, arriving there November 30th. Pope's party wintered at Tatla Lake, British Columbia. Abasa's party explored a route for the line from the Anadyr to the Amoor. Kennicott's party crossed the portage to NuUito. Baron Otto de Bendeleben ami W. 11. ICnnis explored the line be- tween Norton Bay and Port Clarence. J. T. Dyer and Richard D. Cotter made a very hazardous and successful ex- ploration of the country between Norton Bay and the mouth of the Koyi'ikuk River on the Yukon. In this season, M. Gustave Lambert, a French hydrogra- pher, passed through Bering Strait on a whaler. 1866 On the 13th of May, INLajor Robert Kennicott, a well- known and indefatigable Arctic explorer and naturalist, died at Nuhito of heart disease brought on by excessive privation, hardship, and anxiety. His body was taken to the Redoubt by a party under Charles Pease. I'rank K. Ketchum, Mi- chael Lebarge, and Ivan Simonsen Lukethi carried out Ma- jor Kennicott's plans, explored the Yukon from Nulato to I'^ort Yukon, and returu'-.l, crossing the portage from \'akutz- kakitenik to Unalaklik and thence 1)V sea to the Redoubt. Explorations by Major Pope and party were extended to the Stiki'ne River.* The bark Rutgers sailed from Puget Sound to Plover Bay. The bark Onward sailed to Petrop.lvlovsk and the njuist op Ochotsk Sea. The bark Clara Bell sailed for IV Culf The bark Golden Gate sailed for Plover Bay. The Wright wen'. ' Petropavlovsk, where the Russian corvette anas: wen was awa cisco iting orders. The flag-ship Nightingale left San Francisco July nth, for Plover Bay, The United States steamer Saginaw sailed for Petropavlovsk. The bark l-'velyn l'iii<' anuitcly I am without ilata to siiCLif) the c. act LXteut of these explorations. t 'I ill iiiiiiHi 'i I!';; 111.::: 358 HISTORY. 1866. Wood f niled with material from Victoria to Plover Bay. The Nightingale, Captain Scammon, with two small stcrn-wheel steamers on deck, arrived at Plover Bay August 14th, finding the Rutgers there. The Wright left Petropavlovsk, touched at the Anadyr, and reached Plover Bay August 18th. The Golden Gate arrived on the 27th. A party under Mr. Bush, who had come on the steamer to Plover Bay, left for Anadyr on the Golden Gate. A party under Mr. Kelsey was left at Plover Bay. Another, under Mr. Libby, sailed for Grantley Harbor on the Rutgers. The Wright and Nightingale left for St. Michael's, where the latter arrived on the 24th of September. The subsequent explorations in that vicinity are narrated at length elsewhere. The vessels returned to San Francisco, with the exception of the Golden Gate, which was nipped by the pack in Anadyr Bay and lost. The nego- tiations for the sale of Russian America began in this year.* 1867. The Western Union Telegraph Company, finding that the Atlantic Cable had proved a success, at an expenditure which made competition impossible, decided to abandon an enterprise which had already cost in the neighborhood of three millions of dollars. Michael Byrnes (who was explor- ing the Tahco) and other explorers were recalled, the Night- ingale and the Clara Bell were sent to bring back the more remote parties at the Anadyr, Grantley Harbor, and St. Michael's. The route was ill chosen for the proposed line. Had it been over the well-trodden paths from St. Paul, Minnesota, through the Hudson Bay Territory to Fort Yukon, and then down the Yukon, there is reason to believe that the line might have been built at a less cost than the amount wasted on the west coast, in the mountainous region and dense forests of British Columbia. The Hudson Bay route was recommended by Mr. Kennicott, but other counsels prevailed. Of other causes which tended to obstruct and defeat the intentions ot the Company it is not in my province to speak. The line which was put up in British Columbia, with the exception * There is a story, witli I know not how much foundation, that a company of citi- zens applied to Mr. Scwanl to assist them in purchasing the country to carry ' 360 HISTORY. And the said plenipotentiaries, having exchanged their full powers, which were found to be in due form, have agreed upon and signed the following articles; Article I. His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias agrees to cede to the United States, by this convention, immediately upon the exchange of the ratifications thereof, all the territory and dominion now possessed by his said Majesty on the continent of America and in the adjacent is! ands, the same being contained within the geographical limits herein set forth, to wit : The eastern limit is the line of demarcation between the Russian and the Br.'b'i possessions in North America, as established by the convention bet' f ;ssia and Great Britain, of February 28-16, 1825, and described in les III and IV of said convention, in the following terms : — " Commencing from the southernmost point of the island called Prince of Wales Island, which point lies in the parallel of 54 degrees 40 minutes north latitude, and between the 131st and the 133d degree of west lon- gitude (meridian of Greenwich), the said line shall ascend to the north along the channel called Portland Channel, as far as the point of the continent where it strikes the 56th degree of north latitude; from this last-mentioned point, the line of demarcation shall follow the summit of the mountains situated parallel to the coast as far as the point of inter- section of the 141st degree of west longitude (of the same meridian); and finally, from the said point of intersection, the said meridian line of the 141st degree, in its prolongation as far as the Frozen Ocean. " IV. With reference to the line of demarcation laid down in the preceding article, it is understood — " ist. That the island called Prince of Wales Island shall belong wholly to Russia (now, by this cession, to the United States). " 2(1. That whenever the summit of the mountains which extend in a direction parallel to the coast from the 56th degree of north latitude to the point of intersection of the 141st degree of west longitude shall prove to be at the distance of more than ten marine leagues from the ocean. the limit between the British possessions and the line of coast which is to belong to Russia as above mentioned (that is to say, the limit to the possessions ceded by this convention) shall be formed by a line parallel to the winding of the coast, and which shall never exceed the distance of ten marine leagues therefrom." The western limit, within which the territories and dominion con veyed are contained, passes through a point in Piering's Straits on the parallel of sixty-five degrees thirty minutes north latitude, at its inter- full powers, R 1 signed the ■[ ) cede to the I exchange of H possessed by f i adjacent isl i lits herein set K HISTORY. 361 section by the meridian which passes midway between the island of Kriiscnstern for Ignalook, and the island of Ratmanoft" or Noonarbook, and proceeds due north, without limitation, into the same Frozen Ocean. The same western limit, beginning at the same initial point, proceeds thence in a course nearly southwest, through Bering's Straits and Bering's Sea, so as to pass midway between the northwest point of the island of St. Lawrence and the southeast point of Cape Chukotski, to the merid- ian of one hundred and seventy-two west longitude ; thence, from the intersection of that meridian, in a southwesterly direction, so as to pass midway between the island of Attu and the Copper island of the Koman- dorski couplet or group in the North Pacific ocean, to the meridian of one hLindied and ninety-three degrees west longitude, so as to include in the territory conveyed the whole of the Aleutian islands east of that meridian. Article II. In the cession of territory and dominion made by the preceding article is included the right of property in all public lots and squares, vacant lands, and all public buildings, fortifications, barracks, and other edifices which are not private individual property. It is, however, understood and agreed, that the churches which have been built in the ceded territory by the Russian government shall remain the property of such members of the Greek Oriental Church resident in the territory as may clioose to worship therein. Any government archives, papers, and documents relative to the territory and dominion aforesaid, which may be now existing there, will be left in the possession of the agent of the United States ; bul rai authenticated copy of such of them as may be required will be, at all times, given by the United States to the Russian government, or to such Russian officers or subjects as they may apply for. Article III. The inhabitants of the ceded territory, according to their choice, reserving their natural allegiance, may return to Russia within three years ; but if they should prefer to remain in the ceded territory, they, with the exception of uncivilized native tribes, shall be admitted to the enjoyment of all the rights, advantages, and immunities of citizens of the United States, and shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoy- ment of their liberty, property, and religion. The uncivilized tribes will lie subject to such laws and regulations as the United States may, from lime to time, adopt in regard to aboriginal tribes of that country. Article IV. His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias shall appoint, with con- 362 HISTORY. vcnient despatch, an agent or agents for the purpose of formally deliv- ering to a similar agent or agents appointed on behalf of the United States, the territory, dominion, property, dependencies, and appurte- nances wiiicli are ceded as above, and for doing any otlier act which may be necessary in regard thereto. But the cession, with the right of imme- diate possession, is nevertheless to be deemed complete and absolute on the exchange of ratifications, without waiting for such formal delivery. Article V. Immediately after the exchange of the ratifications of this conven- tion, any fortifications or military posts which may be in the ceded territory shall be delivered to the agent of the United States, and any Russian troops who may be in the territory shall be withdrawn as soon as may be reasonably and conveniently practicable. Article VI. In consideration of the cession aforesaid, the United States agree to pay at the treasury in Washington, within ten months after the exchange of the raiifications of this convention, to the diplomatic representativi or other agent of his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, duly authorized to receive the same, seven million two hundred thousand dollars in gold. The cession of territory and dominion herein made is| hereby declared to be free and unincumbered by any reservations, privileges, franchises, grqnts, or possessions, by any associated com- panies, whether corporate or incorporate, Russian, or any other, or by I any parties, cxcej:)! merely private individual property holders ; and the cession hereby made conveys all the rights, franchises, and privileges, now belonging to Russia in the said territory or dominion, and ap purtenances thereto. Article VII. When this convention shall have been duly ratified by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate on the one part, and on the other by his Majesty the Emperor of all the Ru sias, the ratifications shall be exchanged at Washington within three months from the date hereof, or sooner, if possible. In faith whereof, the respective plenipotentiaries have signed thi; convention, and thereto affixed the seals of their arms. Done at Washington, the thirtieth day of March, in the year of oiii Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven. [l. s.] WILLIAM H. SEWARD. [l. s.] EDOUARD DE STOECKL. _tkm HISTORY. 3<53 formally deliv- of the United and appurtc- act which may right of imme- tnd absolute on mal delivery. of this conven- e in the ceded States, and any iidrawn as soon 1 States agree to ter the exchangi: ic representalivi he Russias, duly 1 undred thousand 1 herein made is any reservations, associated com- any other, or by I lolders ; and the | s, and privileges, )minion, and apl ythe President of : of the Senate on ;ror of all the RusI ton within tlireel have signed thi> n the year of oui| SEWARD. )E STOECKL. And whereas the said treaty has been duly ratified on both parts, and the respective ratifications of the same were exchanged at Washing- ton on this twentieth day of June, l)y William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States, and the I'rivy Counsellor Edward de Stocckl, the envoy extraordinary of his Majesty tiie lunperor of all the Russias, on the part of their respective governments, Now, therefore, be it known that 1, Andrkw Johnson, President of the United States of America, have caused the said treaty to be made public, to the end that the same and every clause and article thereof may be observeil and fulfilled witli good faith by the United States ami the citizens there f. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the sea! of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington this twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, and of the independence of the United States the ninety-first. [l. s.] ■ ANDREW JOHNSON. By the Presiilent : William H. Seward, Secretary of State. m Mr: Seivard to Mr. de Stoeckl. Department of State, Washington, March 23, 1867. Sir : — With reference to the proposed convention between our re- Ispective governments for a cession by Russia of her American territory to the United States, I have the honor to acquaint you that I must insist [upon that clause in the sixth article of the dr.aught whicli decla'es ihe Iccssion to be free and unincumbered by any reservations, privileges, [franchises, grants, or possessions by any associated companies, whether icorporate or incorporate, Russian or any other, iS:c., and must regard it las an ultimatum ; with the President's approval, however, I will add two pundrcd thousand dollars to the consideration money on that account. I avail myself of this occasion to offer to you a renewed assurance of my most distinguished consideration. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State. Mr. EmvARD de Stoeckl, &c,, &c., &c. !'!l ♦ 11:11 W 1,1111 I'd :l'' ) n. » 364 HISTORY. [C] Mr, de Stoeckl to Mr. Seward. [Translation.] Imperial Legation of Russia to the United Statfs, Washington, Marcli 25, 1867. Mr. Secretary of State: — I have had the honor to receive the note which you were pleased to address to me on the 3d March, 1867, to inform me that the Federal government insists that the clause inserted in article si.\th of the project of convention must be strictly maintained, and that the territory to be ceded to the United States must be free from any arrangement and privileges conceded either by government or by companies. In answer, I believe myself authorized, Mr. Secretary of State, to accede literally to this request on the conditions indicated in your note. Please accept, Mr. Secretary of S te, the assurances of my very high consideration. STOECKL. Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States. [D.] Mr. de Stoeckl to Mr. Seward. [Translation.] Washington, March 17-29, 1867. Mr. Secretary of State : — I have the honor to inform you that by a telegram dated 16-28 of this month from St. Petersburg, Prince Gortchakoi'f informs me that his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias gives his consent to the cession of the Russian possessions on the American continent to the United States for the stipulated sum of seven million two hundred thousand dollars in gold, and that his Majesty the Emperor invests me with full powers to negotiate and sign the treaty. Please accept, Mr. Secretary of State, the assurance of my very high consideration. STOECKL. Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States. ': ' ' HISTORY. 365 es of my very STOECKL. STOECKL. [E.] Mr. Seward to Mr. de Stoeckl. DEPARTMr.NT OF STATE, Washington, May 13, 1867. Sir : — I have the honor to inform you that Brigadier General Lovell H. Rousseau has been appointed by the President the commissioner on the part of the United States >o receive, from the commissioner ap- pointed on behalf of his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, the territory ceded to the United States by the treaty of the 30th of March last. A copy of the instructions which have been given to General Rousseau for his guidance in executing that trust is herewith communi- cated for your information and that of your government. I avail myself of this occasion, sir, to offer to you a renewed assur- ance of my most distinguished consideration. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State. Mr. Edward de Stoeckl, &c., &c., &c. [F.] Mr. de Stoeckl to Mr. Savard. [Translation.] Washington, August 13, 1867. Mr. Secretary of State : — I have the honor to remit to you herewith copy of the instructions given to Captain Pestchouroff, com- missioner of the Imperial government for the transfer of the territory wiiich formed the Russian colonics of the northwest of the American continent. Please accept, Mr. Secretary of State, the assurance of my very high consideration. STOECKL. Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States. Translation of Instructions given to Captain Pestchouroff, Commissioner on the part of the Imperial Russian Government, for the delivery of the Russian American Colonies to the Government of the United States. I. Captain Pestchouroff has been directed to proceed to Washington and enter, through the medium of the Secretary of State and the Russian minister, into communication with the commissioner appointed by the ■'i I 366 HISTORY. United States government to receive the said colonies, for the purpose of establishing an understanding as to the said transaction. 2. On the arrival of the two commissioners at New Archangel, Sitka, Captain Pestchouroff is directed to proceed, in the fust place, to thj formal transfer of the territory under mutual national salutes. 3. All the forts and military posts will be delivered at once to the American military forces that may follow the United States commis- sioner. Captain Pestchouroff will take the necessary steps to send home the Russian troops as early as convenient and deliver the bar- racks to the use of the American soldiers. 4. The public buildings, such as the governor's house, the buildings used for government purposes, dock yard, barracks, hosjjitals, schools, public grounds, and all free lots at Sitka and Kadiak, will be delivered by Captain Pestchouroff to the American commissioner as soon as prac- ticable. 5. All the houses and stores forming private property will remain to be disposed of by their proprietors. To this same category belong smiths',joiners', coopers', tanners', and other similar shops, as well as ice- houses, saw and flour mills, and any small barracks that may exist on the islands. 6. The two commissioners, after making the division between the property to be transferred to the American government and tliat left to jjrivate proprietors, will draw up a protocol, and the American com- missioner, on the documents furnished by the local Russian authorities, will deliver legalized certificates to the owners of said property in order to enable them to possess that property or otherwise to dispose of it. 7. The churches and chapels remain, according to the stipulations of the treaty, the property of the members of the Greco- Russian com- munity. The houses and lots of ground which were granted to these churches remain their property. 8. As the Russian American Company possess in the colonies large stores of furs, provisions, and other goods, at present distributed in Sitka, Kadiak, and other stations on the continent and islands, they wi'l require a certain lapse of time to collect, sell, or export their properly. For that purpose the company will leave an agent or agents charged with the duty of settling finally their affairs. It is hoped that the Federal government will allow the Russian American Company to settle finally their business, without subjecting their property or their agents to any taxes for a period of eighteen months, or at least one year, considering that the same property has never been taxed heretofore, and that the company, under the present circumstances, will have to dispose of their property at a loss. HISTORY. 367 9. In the settlement of all the affairs in connection with the trans- fer of the territory, Captain Pestciiouroff is directed to proceed in tlie most amicable way, and the Imperial Russian government hopes that the authorities of the United States will be guided by the same liberal views, in order to avoid any difficulties and to complete this transaction in the spirit of the friendly relations existing between the two govern- ments. [G.] Department of the Interior, Washington, 1). C , October 26, 1867. Sir : — In reply to your communication of the 24th instant in relation to attempts of American citizens to acquire pre-emption rights to lands at Sitka, in the newly acquired Territory of Alaska, I have the honor to enclose for your information a copy of a report this day made to me by the Coir-^issioner of the General Land Office upon the subject of your inquiries. Such claims and settlements are not only without the sanc- tion of law, but are in direct violation of the provisions of the laws of Congress applicable to public domain secured to the United States by any treaty made with a foreign nation ; and, if deemed necessary and advisable, military force may be used to remove the intruders. This department has no officers at Sitka, nor in any other part of the " Russian purchase," and must rely upon the State Department to cause the necessary orders in the premises to be communicated to our authorities there. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, O. H. BROWNING, Secretary. Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State. [H.l Department of the Interior, General Land Office, October 26, 1867. Sir: — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the depart- ment letter of yesterday, enclosing a communication of the 24th from the honorable Secretary of State, by which the department is advised that citizens of the United States are attempting to make claims and settlements at Sitka within the " Russian purchase " under the town site and pre-emption laws, and I have the honor to state that such set- tlements are illegal and contrary to law. See act of March 3, 1807, Vol. II., p. 445, United States Statutes. In the absence of specific legislation by Congress providing for the Il 368 HISTORY. organization of land districts witliin the " Russian purchase," and the extension of our system of surveys over the same, settlements and claims under the town site and pre-emption laws are unlawful, and cannot ue recognized under existing laws. I am, sir, very resp'^ctfuUy, your obedient servant, JOSEPH S. WILSON, Commissioner. Hon. O. H. Rrownino, Secretary of the Interior. m [I] Mr. Seivard to General Grant. DlU'ARTMF.NT OF STATE, Washington, October 28, 1867. Gi'NERAL : — In the absence cf specific legislation by Congress for the organization of land districts in Alaska, claims of pre-emption and set tlements are MOt only without the sanction of law, but are in direct vin lation of laws applicable to the public domain. Military force may Ix- used to remove intruders if necessary. Will you have the goodness tn instruct Major Cieneral Halleck to this effect by telegraph, and request him to communicate the instruction to Major Cieneral Rousseau v. Sitka? I have the honor to be. General, your obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Gensrai, U. S. Grant, Secretary of War ad inkrim. I J] Mr. Seward to Mr. de Stoeckl. Department of State, Wa.shiiigton, October 29, 1S67. Sir : — I have the honor to enclose for your information a copy of.i letter of yesterday to General Grant, the Secretary of War ad iiitoim. embodying an instrujiion which the President has directed to be sent by telegraph to Major General Halleck, by him to be promptly com municated to Major General Rousseau, at Sitka, with a view to prevent ing premature and illegal attempts to occuj^y land in Alaska. Accept, sir, a renewed assurance of my very high consideration, WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Edward de Stoeckl, &c., &c., &c. HISTORY. 369 (Kl DKI'ARTMF.NT ov Stait., Washington, September 6, 1867. Generai- : — In relation to the despatch of Major (Jcncral HalUvk, of tlic 2(1 of September, inslant, in wliicii he re(iue>ts that the President will by proclamation declare the newly acciuired Russian territory an Indian territory in order to prevent the introduction of ardent spirits among the Indians there, I am instructed to say that the President will retain the same for further consideration. At the same time he desires thu Major (leneral Halleckwill confer with Cleneral Rousseau upon that suhjei t, to the end that the matured views of those oiticcis n>ay be sub- niitled to the President as early as practicable. I'or the information of the War Department, I communicate a copy of an opinion of E. Peshine Smitii, Esq., K.\aminer of Claims in this (l.inrtment, wiiich sets forth a view of the laws of the L'nitetl States ijcariug upon that question, whicli view is adopted by this department. I have the honor to be, General, your obedient servant, WILLIAM II. SEWARD. ' KRAL U. S. Grant, Secretary of War ad interim. Official : R. WILLIAMS, Assistant Ai/Jntant- General. w Bureau oi.- Claims, Scpicmbcr 5, 1867. Proclamation that the territory ceded by Russia is Indian territory : Su -h a proclamation is recommended by General Halleck in order to prevent the introduction of whiskey among the Indians. Tiie act of 1834(4 Stat. 729), "to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes," provides that " all that part of the United dilates west of the Mississippi, and not within the States of Missouri and Louisiana or the Territory of Arkansas, * * * * for the purposes of this act be deemed and taken to be the Indian country." The (lueslion is, whether the provisions of that act in respect to trade and intercourse with Indians are to be restricted to their operation in the Indian country which was within the United States at the time of the passage of t/ie act, ox whQih&r they take effect and apply to new ter- ritory acquired by conquest or treaty, without any further legislation giving them such extension. I think this question has been settled by the Supreme Court of the 24 W li !jt!l 1^ :;j'^.: V B m 370 HISTORY. United States in the case of Cross vs. Harrison (16 Howard's R., 164. 199). The question there was, vvhether upon Mie ratification of the treaty for the cession of California the existing several laws came into operation so as to regulate the rate of duties on imported goods without any act of Congress declaring their will in thai respect, and creating col- lection districts. The court held that the ratification of the treaty mmle California a part of the United States, and that so soon as it became so the territory instantly became subject to the acts which were in force to regulate foreign commerce with the Ignited States. The argument was urged in that case that the revenue laws applied only to the territory under our jurisdiction when they were passed, until Congress, by creating collection distric'^ in the new Territory, or some other act of the same nature, had manifested its will that the laws should be thus applied. That argument was overruled by the court, and it would, therefore, be overruled in respect to Alaska and commerce with the Indian tribes. I think, therefore, that the new territory became a part of the In- dian country on the 20th June last. A proclamation by ihe IVesidcnf is only necessary for the information of persons going into the territory of the restrictions to which they are subject in their intercourse win Indians. I think, however, the treaty itself may work some change .n the existing law. For instance, one of the provisions is that no license to trade with the Indians shall be granted to any persons except citizens of the United States. The third article of the treaty provides that the inhabitants of the ceded territory, reserving their natural allegiance, may return to Russia within three years, but if they prefer to remain in the territory they (with the exception of native uncivilized tribes) shall be admitted to the enjoyment of all the rights, a(l\antages, and immunities of citizens of the United States. While it may be that they cannot acquire the full rights of American citizenship until their election lias been evidenced by remaining three years, it seems to me it would be a liarsh constiuction, and one to be avoided, if possilde, which should postpone for that period their right to receive a license to trade with the Indians. It can hardly be the intention of the treaty that they should lose any privileges by the incorporation of their territory with the United States. The provision should be deemed an enabling and not a restrictive one. If doubt remains on this point, as it may, it should, I think, be removed by Congress. K. PKSHINE SMITH, Exivnimr. Official : R. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant- General. HISTORY. [M.] 371 DErARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 30, 1S69. Sir: — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Icttei of the 27th instant, enclosing extracts from a communication from Mr. M. !■'. Smith, Jr., concerning the alleged habitual encroachment of the agents of the Hudson's Bay Company upon the trade and territory of .\hiska, with a request for my views upon the subject. IJy the si.\th article of our treaty with Russia of March 30, 1867, the cession of territory and dominion therein made is " declared to be free ;uid unincumbered by any reservations, privileges, franchises, grants, or possessions by any associated companies, whether corporate or incorpor- ate, Russian or any other, or by any parties except merely private individual proi^erty holders. Article 5 of the treaty between Great Britain and Russia of February j8, 1825 {3 Hertslet's Treaties, 364), which was revived and continuetl by the 19th article of the treaty between the same powers of January 12, 1859(10 Hertslet, 1063), provides that "no establishment shall be formed by either of the two parties within the limits assigned by the two preceding articles to the possession of the other ; consequently British subjects shall not form any estal)lislunent, either upon the coast or upon the border of the continent comprised within the limits of the Russian possessions." The articles referred to established the boundary linos between the British and Russian possessions on the northwest coast of America, the same adopted in our treaty of cession with Russia. Tlie provisions above cited are conclusive against the right of the Hudson's Bay Company to establish or maintain such an establishment as I'ort Yukon is described to be in the communication from Mr. M. 1*\ Smith, Jr. I understand the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Harrison 7'^-. Cro.ss (16 Howard, 164-202), to tleclare its opinion that upon the addition to the L'nited States of new territory, by conquest and cession, the acts regulating foreign conmien:i attach to and take eflect within .such territory ipso /(Uii) and without .t^y I'rcsh act of legislation expressly giving such extension to the pre-e.vist- ing laws. I can see no reason for a discrimination in this res|)ect between acts regulating foreign commerce ami the laws regulating in- tercourse with the Indian tribes ; there is, indeed, a strong analogy between the two subjects. The Indians, if not foreigners, are not citizens, and their tribes have the character of depe,-:»lent nations under the protection of their government, as Chief Justice Marshall remarks, delivering the opinion of the Supreme Couri in Worcester rvf. The State i 'I M iili Bs ■ ,fi 1 9 -6 iiii mm^ 372 HISTORY. of Georgia (6 Peters, 557), " The treaties and laws, of the United States contemplate the Indian territorj' as completely sepi.rated from that of the States, and provide that all intercourse with th<^m shall be carried on exclusively by the government of the Union." The same clause of the Constitution invests Congress with power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, * * * * and with the Indian tribes." The act of June 30, 1834 (4 Stat, 729), defines the Indian country as, in part, " all that part of the United States west of the Mississippi and not within the States of Missouri and Louisiana, or the Territory of Arkansas." This, by a happy elasticity of expression, widening as our dominion widens, includes the territory ceded by Russia. That act provides that no person shall trade with any of the Indians (in the Indian country) without a license ; that any person, other than an Indian, who shall attempt to reside in the Indian country as a trader, or to introduce goods, or to trade therein, without such license, shall forfeit all merchandise offered for sale to the Indians or found in his possession ; and shall, moreover, forfeit the sum of five hundred dollars ; that no license to trade with the Indians shall be granted to any per- sons except citizens of the United States ; that a foreigner going into the Indian country, without a passport from tiie War Department, the Superintendent or agent of Indian affiiirs, or the officer commanding the nearest military post on the frontiers, shall be liable to a fine of one thousand dollars ; finally, that the Superintendent of Indian affairs, and Indian agents, and sub-agents, shall have the authority to remove from the Indian country all persons found therein contrary to law, and the President is authorized to direct the military force to be employed in such removal. These provisions seem to be all that can be necessary to prevent the encroachments of the Hudson Bay Company, alleged by Mr. M. K Smith, Jr. Of the practical difiiculties in the execution of these provisions yuii have better means of judging than has this department. I have the honor to be, sir, Your obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Hon. John M. Schofield, Secretary of War, Washington, D. C. United States from that of lall be carried me clause of ite commerce ndian country le Mississippi e Territory of iening as our )f the Indians )n, other than ry as a trader, license, shall - found in his ndred dollars ; :ed to any per- ler going into epartment, the mmanding the a fine of one an affairs, and 5 remove from ) law, and the ; employed in to prevent the jy xMr. U. 1'. provisions } SEWARD. ;uu CHAPTER III. Aboriginal Inhabitants of Alaska. THE aborigines of North America are naturally divided into two great groups. One of these comprises the natives universally known under the name of Indians. For the other (to supply a term long needed in generalization, to distinguish thj tribes of Innuit, Aleutians, and Asiatic Eskimo from the natives comprised under the first head), in a paper read before the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in Sep- tember, 1869, I proposed the term Ordrian* in allusion to their universal coastwise distribution. The pertinence of this appella- tion will be better appreciated if the reader will take the trouble fo lay down on the map the boundaries of the territory actually occupied by the members of this group. He will see that it forms a belt or girdle along the north and west coasts of America, ani^ the extreme east coast of Asia, rarely interrupted, as on the nort, Acst shore of Kenai ; sometimes produced inland near a great water- course, such as the mouth of the Yukon or Mackenzie ; but no- where attaining any great breadth, and everywhere interposed be- tween the Indians, who occupy the interior, and the sea. Our knowledge is yet insufficient, and the scope of this chapter is too limited, to admit of the discussion of the question of the original identity of the Indian and Orarian stocks. It is an easy matter, however, to show the most salient points of present diftcr- encc. Another and more interesting question, that of the origi- nal derivation of the natives of America, is also too wide for dis- cussion here, while the facts on which to ground any hypothesis are very limited in number. To the overshadowing influence of Indo-Iuiropcan study in * Kroin ora, a coast. I shoukl liave preferred a term of native derivation (c. g. Iminit) iiad there been any of sutticicnt scope ; failing in that, a classical term was adopted. \t lllllf ; ill*, lift 'Mi ■? ' 374 ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. philological science, and partly to the Semitic traditions which have become so thoroughly ingrained in Christian theology, may be principally attributed the unphilosophical manner in which many ethnologists have taken the theory of the population of America from Asia or Polynesia for granted. While I do not intend to discuss the question, or express a decided opinion on it, here, yet it is certain that the most eminent students of Ameri- can ethnology are becoming more and more unwilling to accept this theory until more facts, upon which to base it, are brought forward. I propose to attempt to show that .some of the facts which have been used in support of this hypothesis are suscepti- ble of quite another interpretation. I refer to the existence of tribes of Orarian stock on the coast of the Chiikchee Peninsula. There are abundant data on record in regard to our North Ameri- can Indians, which show how little physiological characteristics can be relied upon, as proofs of affinity or identity of origin, among the aborigines. The accompanying vocabularies (see Appendix F) will assist the student in determining the affinities of some tribes previously but little known. Omrian Group. — This great stock is confined to the northern and western shores of America, the islands of the vicinity, and the adjacent shores of that part of Eastern Siberia known as the Chukchce Peninsula. They may be divided into three lesser groups, of which the most important is that of the laintii. The others are the Aleutian branch, and that which, for want of a better name, I shall designate as the Tuski branch. The Inniiit. — These comprice the Grcenlanders, the northern Eskimo of the arctic voyagers, the Western I'^skimo of Seemann and others, the Innuit of the islands in the vicinity of Bering Strait, and those of the west coast of America, south to Mount St. Elias. TJie Aleutians. — These comprise the inhabitants of Aliaska, west of the i6oth degree of longitude, and the Aleutian Islands. The Tuski. — This branch is composed of the Orarian tribe or tribes which occupy the coast of the Chukchee Peninsula from Ko- liuchin Bay on the north to Anadyr Gulf on the south. We do not know satisfactorily the name by which they call themselves, but as Hooper says positively that they call themselves Tuski, I have provisionally adopted his name. Some fragments of historical ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. 375 records, ana the traditions of which I received some account, while pursuing my inquiries among them in 1865 and i866, tlirow new light on their origin. While we leave untouched the question of original Orarian emigration from Asia, we are able to determine pretty certainly that the Orarians now on the Asi- atic coast were originally from America, and that their emigra- tion has taken place within three hundred years. At Plover Bay I was informed by Nokiivi, a very intelligent Tiiski, who spoke English, that the inhabitants of the country were of two kinds, — "deer men" (i.e. true Chiikchees) and "bow- head men " (Tuski or Orarians). The " deer men " were the original inhabitants, and the " bowhead men," to which class he belonged, had come, long ago, from the islands (the Diomedes) to the northeast. lie said that the reason they came was because there was war between them and the people who wore labrets. The latter proved the stronger, and the former were obliged to come to the country of the "deer men." * The latter allowed the "bowhead men" to settle on the barren rocky coast, and formed an offensive and defensive alliance with them against the invaders from the eastward. On interrogating one of the "deer men" who frequently visit the village, he confirmed the above, as iden- tical with the Chukchee traditions. Noticing in many places the remain > of stone houses, similar to the Innuit topeks of Norton ."^ouiid, I asked Nokum who made them. He replied that that was the kind of house which his people lived in very long ago, so long that his grandfather only knew of it by tradition ; but that, wood being" scarce, they had adopted a mode of building their habitations which was like that practised by the "deer men," and which was much better adapted to the country. So much for tradition. In 1648, when Simeon Deshneff sailed through Bering Strait, he found natives upon the Diomedes, wearing labrets, who were at war with the Tiiski. This report was confirmed by Shcstakoff in 1730, and more fully by Peter Popoff, who had been sent to col- lect tribute from the Chukchees. At the time of the visit of the latter, in 171 1, the Tiiski were living in "immovable huts which * So called because they subsist principally on the flesh of their tame reindeer, ttliilc the Tiiski, or " bowhead men," gA\n their living by pursuing the seal, walrus, and bowhead whale. There are also some impoverished tnic Chukchees who have btiii reduced to the Ti'iski mode of life in order to obtain a subsistence. 1 ill 376 ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. they dig in the ground." He also found among the Tiiski ten of the islanders wearing labrets, who had been taken prisoners of war. Saur, in his journey from St. Lawrence Bay to the Kolyma River, saw Ti'iski still living in the ancient underground houses, which were built of driftwood. According to later travellers, these huts on the northern coasts are now entirely abandoned, and have formed subjects for speculation in more than one worli on the Polar regions. It may be mentioned in this connection that there is no doubt that the Aleutians originally emigrated to the islands from the American continent, driven by hostile tribes. Their original name signified " jfic/i of the cast" and every known fact in regard to them adds confirmation. It has been frequently remarked that the Tiiski and Innuit tribes have a Mongolian cast of countenance. This, upon an actual comparison, will be found to be much less than is usually supposed. The real points of resemblance are principally in the complexion, which is somewhat similar, and in the eyes. But the eyes of the Innuit are not oblique, as in the Chinese. They have an apparent obliquity, which is due to the peculiar form of the zygomatic arch, but the eyes themselves are perfectly horizontal. The prominent characteristics of the Orarian skull are the strong- ly developed coronary ridge, the obliquity of the zygoma, and its greater capacity compared with the Indian cranium. The former is essentially pyramidal, while the latter more nearly approaches a cubic shape. The mean capacity (in cubic centimetres) of three Tiiski skulls from Plover Bay, according to Dr. Wyman, was 1,505 ; that of twenty crania of northern Eskimo, according to Dr. Davis, was 1,475, ^"^l '^'"'^'^ of fo'-"' Inii"it crania of Norton Sound was 1,320; thus showing a wide variation. The mean capacity of twenty West-American Indian crania was only 1,284.06. The mean height of all the Orarian skulls above referred to was 13C.55 mill., against a breadth of 134.47 mill., while the height of the Indian skulls was 120.14 mill., against .'v breadth of 100.025 mill. The zygomatic diameter of the Orarian crania was 134.92 mill., while that of twelve Indian skulls was 134.C5 mill. The Orarian skulls were most dolichocephalic, :tnd the indian most brachy- cophalic. The latter averaged 378.71 cubic cent. less capacity ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. Zll le Tuski ten en prisoners the Kolyma ound houses, :r travellers, r abandoned, lan one work is connection emigrated to lostile tribes, every known and Inniiit liis, upon an an is usually ;ipally in the es. But the They have form of the y horizontal. 2 the strong- oma, and its The former approaches Tuski skulls 05 ; that of Davis, was was 1,320; J of twenty The mean was 136.55 ight of the 00.025 mill. 34.92 mill, "he Orarian ost brachy- 2SS capacity than the former. The average height of the Orarians, except among the stunted tribes of the extreme north, will average as great as that of their Indian neighbors. The strength and activity of the former far exceed that of any northern Indians with wl jm I am acquainted. They are much more intelligent, and superior in every essential respect to the Indians. The lan- guage of the western Innuit differs totally in the vocabulary from that of any Indian tribes, while there are many word'^ common to the Greenlanders and the Bering Strait Eskimo. On the other hand, the words of the language of the Aleutians are in very large part quite dissimilar to those of the most adjacent Innuit. There is more difference in this respect between them and the Innuit of Kadiak than exists between the Grcenlandic and Bering Strait dialect. Nevertheless, the Aleutian language is clearly of the In- nuit type, and is only entitled to rank as a branch of the Orarian stock. The Orarian dialects differ from the Indian languages of Alaska v.\ the following particulars, according to Veniami'noff : — The Orarians have three kinds of numbers : nouns or abstract numbers, adjective or qualifying numbers, and a plural form of each number. In some dialects, as in the Aleutian, there is a dual number. These dialects hav'e indefinite and possessive ca.ses, all form.cd by changes in the termination of the words, so that there are some fifty cases for the same word ; the conjugation of . ibs in number and person is effected in the same way ; the adverbs have numbers, and the idea of negation is expressed by a change in the termination of the noun, and not by the use of the word "no," except when the latter is used in answer to a question without other words. The Orarian dialects are deficient in some sounds which are common in the Indian languages, and the former, as a rule, are much more harmonious and less guttural than the latter. Phrases are exprr-,scd by a grammatical ar- rangement of words, while generally the Indians use a single word to express the same ideas. The Intlian languages of Alaska have only two kinds of num- hcrs, singular and plural. There are only three cases tc the nouns; the conjugation of verbs is expressed by changes in the beginning or middle of the ^"ord, and not in the termination ; the adverbs are invariable ; the words are, as a rule, harsh and gut- 378 ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. "} t tural ; the number of words is less than in the Orarian dialects, and their general structure is more arbitrary and less gram- matical. Both stocks have only one gender, or rather no change to express gender in the words. The Indians can rarely count more than two hundred, while some Orarian dialects have a regular succession of numbers up to ten thousand.* T/w Tuski Tdt£S^ — These tribes are estimated by different authors at from one to five thousand souls. Their origin has been described. They have occupied the coast from Koliiichin Bay in the north to the Gulf of Anadyr on the south, but during the winter, at least, are at present confined to a narrower extent of country. Like all Orarians, they do not penetrate the interior to any great distance. They are on good terms with the Chuk- chees, and there are several villages of the latter composed of individuals who have lost their deer, become impoverished, or from some other reason have adopted a sedentary life. There is reason to believe that there was originally a jargon, containing words of both languages, in use in communication between tlic men of the two races, as is at present the case near Norton Sound, between the Innuit and Indians. Communication is constantly kept up between the Chukchees and Tiiski, and our knowledge of the language of the latter is still too meagre to enable us to say whether among themselves they yet speak a pure Orarian dialect, but it is probable that i is become, from constant inter- course, permanently mixed with Chiikchee words. Coming, from a country where driftwood was abundant, to a district where it is very scarce, modifications have been necessary in the mode of life of the Tiiski, of which we have, as already shown, some historical record. At present the method of con- structing their houses, sledges, and many other articles, is very similar to, though not quite identical with, the mode of the Chuk- chees. They have no reindeer, however, and use dogs to draw their sledges. The summer houses of the Tiiski are made of wal- rus-skins, spread over a light frame. These are divided by hang- ing hides into various compartments where the inmates sleep and work during the day. They fill sealskin bags with moss and lay * This subject will be i lore fully trcr-lcd in a work in preparation for the Smith- sonian Institution by Dr. George Clibbs and the writer. This work will also contain a large number of hitherto unpublished vocabularies. in dialects, less gram- no change arcly count :ts have a ly different origin has Koliiichin but during ivver extent he interior the Chuk- mposed of erished, or There is containing ^tvveen tlic ton Sound, constantly knowledge- able us to ■e Orarian itant inter- idant, to a I necessary as already od of con- es, is very the Chuk- js to draw ide of wal- 1 by hang- 1 sleep and )ss and lay ar the Sniitli- 1 also contain I >;- if!'' li. ADOKI'-.INAI. INHABITANTS. J7^> vjvcr thi-rn lor hcls. Tlicii t^iUs at Plover Pay wen he pebbles near ll.o beach. They bum ino^s souk. < I 1 IS placed in an earlliea fit.'^h wiih u 'tcl^c on cn'.h a rull jf niu.-.s seives l<.r a wie'-: Thi^ with . larger 'Uv^ over, is uiiend d.ut'j ot waliu;i n '", i"oiv halt is as 'd' in llie ■ .- bill very dimir.iitive {]o.\^, vv!.' ' e^ . ;■ liikJ »a .,!,'- !t( a •.iti ' •»• /J - • . ., i 1 l-:>k:iiu>, but diiVer from tli..^ Kanu^hidal' lU-^.i. . .;h an- ficiiv eiteii, as I saw mystlC on s'-vra! iK- 1 \. - and bears ire rarely ((btcuned aid u.,ed .is luoii. b .: i.-. comprised of .'ioal and deci >kins, the laller nb- i. : '-r troll, ii\L Clu'ikVhces. .They wv:av nn i t "T shiit ot km. .\ "'h bieecbes and .socks of the same ; "ut idv.- la'tiu'st,-. erv loo.se, W'ith wide slt;<'Nt:s. u tlaj' uii-i'T the chin ><-d, wiihoul l.li!^^,!ni';.,^ hul cap: i;.I>.' (jf V,ein;4 thMwa .Is. .-nuuth of a bag, aroun.i ih : faci: \)\ a sti-in;; m.serted >: t . , rh'Mc T, no uv;;f-k!n Iri'nm'.ai;, .is iii tiie pArk^.s !'. . s are mhu'- of 5;':ai.-ki'- wiih the l.air ■I out 1 hi.ir booi- if lonr ai' <-'f.id.: of 'he .same material ■ d at ;'u: knee, * r, if ;d)oi 1 ;' i'.' ndsle, Th. y are o'nU' p'O'Jt. rh<- si'.ort ones au' -.':■. ■jimus .-a'ep,, liiniuii • . : u- d-.-ri-,kin. oi; embroi.K'ieu wan sniew euluf-d r< d \> • bp-l:. 'IT..-, parka, or outer e.ic: in* ludinp; thi how; M?r;ef> is made in ,)\^c piee--. Ti.. \' s^^et n,to u at th' .nlr.-, whie.il is l.iced or !i<'l up idt-a-vartls. 1 h-: v,- v , • e, C IV- ' 1 i 1 i ";n , ''■C .^''' ■■f?;i !-# ■■,^!«^.. 1 1 i j i 1 • AllORIGINAL INHAIHTANTS. 379 soft skins over thcni for bids. Their tt-nts at Plover Ray were plnctHl on tlu- pebbles near the beach. They burn moss st)ake(l in uil, which is placed in an earthen dish with a ledj^e on lach side, where a roll of moss serves for a wick. This, with a larj;er one for cookinj; over, is used to lij^ht and warm thv, tents in winter. To warm themselves they squat directly over the lamp, ami cover themselves and it with a mantle of skin. Their fooil is principally the llesh and blubber of tlic walrus, seal, ;.!id whale. Tlicv eat much of ii raw, but usually stew the leaner parts. They chop up the round-leafed sorrel and scurvy grass or water- cresses, and make a kind of salad, which is allowed to ferment before it is eaten. They also eat the berries of the heath (/:'w- pciniiii nioriiiii), and obtain salmon trout from a lake near the villa-c. Th latter, as well as the leopard seal, is caught in a rawhide net. They use slings with great dexterity, and also thrce-siilcd arrows and darts of walrus ivory. A harpoon of slate with an ivory haft is used in the whale fisliery. They have numerous but very diminutive dogs, which resemble those of the American T-lskimo, but differ from the Kamshadale dogs. These animals are freely eaten, as I saw myself, on several oc- casions. Foxes and bears are rarely obtained and used as food. Their drss is composed of seal and deer skins, the latter ob- tained in trade from the Chukchces. They wear an inner shirt of reindeer skin, with breeches and socks of the same ; outside of these, a pcirka, made very loose, with wide sleeves, a flap under the chin ami a square hood, without trimming, but capable of being drawn up, like the mouth of a bag, around ih^; firee by a string inserted in the edge. There is no wolf-skhi trimming, as in the pArkies of the Innuit of Norton Sound. The skirt is sometimes trimmed with beaver. These pdrkies, being made of the tame reindeer skins, are often mottled with white and various delicate shades of brown. Their outer breeches are made of sealskin with the hair turned out. Their boots, if long, are made of the same material and tied at the knee, or, if short, at the ankle. They are quite water-proof. The short ones are sometimes prettily trimmed with white deerskin, or embroidered with sinew colored red with willow bark. The ])arka, or outer dress, including the boots, of the women is made in one piece. They get into it at the back by a hole, which is laced or tied up afterwards. The very loose, ■- il i ■■ ■? 38o ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. ^\ baggy manner in whicli these pdrkies are made gives them a very hidicrous appearance, especially when made with the hair turned in. They also make fine strong kamlaykas of walrus guts. These are worn in their kyaks or during bad weather. The deerskii.s are obtained by barter from the Chukchees, They are paid for with oil, walrus-skins, ivory, whalebone, and ready-made boats. They are tanned with the inner bark of the willow and alder, are as soft as a glove, and of a beautiful red- brown. They bear wetting much better than the skins which are prepared by the Innuit to the eastv.'ard. Their winter houses are built on the most exposed spots, so that the wind may drive away the snow. Whale ribs are erected in a circle, while turf is piled up around them for two or three feet, and the whole is covered with walrus- hide. The latter is oiled until translucent, and no windows arc required. These huts are divided by hanging skins, as before described. Their kyaks are very small and light, and quite de- void of ornament. Their oomiaks are of the ordinary descriiv tion, but are provided with flaps, which are usually rolled up out- side of the gunwale. In stormy weather these are crossed over the boat and strongly laced, so that the cargo is kept dry. Two or three sealskins are inflated, and attached to the gunwale as floats, so that it is almost impossible for the boat to be swamped. With these boats they make long voyages, frequently visiting St, Lawrence Island. Here the frames of the boats are made from wood which grows much larger on the island than any on the Tuski coast. They told me that the frames were made according to an invariable rule, and that the price of a frame was seven deerskins. They are tied up with whalebone, are sometimes cov- ered v»ith skin at the island and sometimes at Plover Bay. Tliey arc very well proportioned, strong, and light. Their sewing is done with whale and walrus sinew. Their whale line is made of double-twisted walrus-hide. There does not appear to be any notion that the oomiak is a " woman's boat' any more than a man's boat, ac ])oth se.xes use oomiaks and kyaks without distinc- iioPi. Their paddles are roughly made, and often very poor, as wood is so scarce. The Tiiski do not wear labrets. This distinguishing character- istic was noticed by Deshneff and all subsequent voyagers. Both m ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. 381 ^ives them a with the hair cas of walrus weather. e Chiikchees. lalebone, and r bark of the beautiful red- ins which arc spots, so that led up around I with walrus- ) windows are ins, as before and quite de- inary descri[> rolled up out- ; crossed over ;pt dry. Two le gunwale as ) be swamped, tly visiting St re made from ,n any on the ade according nie was seven Dmetimes cov- r Bay. They leir sewing is me is made of ;ar to be any • more than a ithout distinc- i very poor, as line: character- yagers. Both sexes tattoo very extensively, not only on the face, but all over the body. The blue color is derived from berries. The women always have perpendicular lines on the chin, but this is omitted by the men. The former braid their hair on each side, while the men practise the tonsure, though not universally. They are hospitable, good-humored, but not always trustworthy. They will steal, and have sometimes attacked small vessels in the Strait. On one occasion they attempted to take a small schooner, commanded by a captain of my acquaintance. A bloody fight ensued, in which the sailors were finally successful. An extreme degree of endurance, ferocity, and contempt of pain was shown by the Tuski, One of them was pinned to the mast with a har- poon during the fight, but uttered no cry, and employed his last breath in spitting in the face of his assailant. After this conflict the Tuski came to the conclusion that the whites were hard to kill, and no further attempts of the kind have been made of late years. Their complexion is light, like that of all Orarians. The Chiikchee are rather darker. They are of moderate height, but look short, from their baggy parkies. They have no chiefs, but their most wealthy men have the greatest influence. They some- times have as many as five wives, but one or two is the usual number. They are not prolific. If a man's wife bears only i;irls, he takes another until he obtains a boy, but no more. Hoys stay at home and work, while the girls are married very early and go away. There is no marriage ceremony, but the parents exchange presents, and a feast is usually given by the bride's father. During childbirth, delivery is expedited by press- ure on the fundus. The woman is delivered on her hands and knees. The custom of assisting in the delivery may be the cause of the curiously misshapen heads which are common among them. They are almost universally diseased from constant inter- course with the whalers. I noticed several Kanaka words which they u.sed while talking wih the whites, which were probably from the same source. They have no laws, but the .sentiment of the community is opposed to serious crimes. Nokum, from whom I derived most of my inform:,tion in regard to their customs, told me that a man, who committed murder while drunk, was hunted by the whole : i t\^\ 382 ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. tribe ; when found, he was taken to the house of the murdered man, and the flesh was cut off from his cheeks, breast, arms, and thighs, and he was left to die in misery. No murder had since occurred. Drunkards have been taken in canoes, while drunk, and set ashore a long way from home, to find their way back as best they might. Incorrigible thieves were sometimes banished from the village. Drunkenness is a common vice among them. They have an uncontrollable passion for alcohol, which is plentifully supplied lO them by whalers and traders, in exchange for oil, bone, ivory, and suph furs as they may have obtained. There is also a large trade in guns, ammunition, hardware, &c. They hate the Rus- sians, and will not trade with them. Their customs in regard to the treatment of the old and infirm are, from a civilized point of view, exceedingly cruel and inhuman. I should not venture to record the facts, had I not obtained them directly from the natives, with partial confirmation from my own observations and those of the traders. Those who die a natural death are carried out through a hole cut in the back of the hut ox yardiig. This is immediately closed up, that the spirit of the dead man may not find his way back. 1 he bodies of good men are burned, or rather broiled, with oil, moss, and driftwood. Women are not usually burned, on account of the scarcity of wood. Bad men are simply exposed to rot. An oval, about four feet long and two in diameter, is made of large stones. The interior is filled with moss. Here the body is laid and tied to poles which are passed under the stones. The innumerable dogs of the village often consume the greater part of the remains. They are aided by the crows, foxes, and bears. The place where the bodies were exposed at the Plover liay village was a level spot on the side of the rocky hill, above the sandspit. This was abundantly strewn with bones. I counted several dozen of the stone ovals referred to. On the top of the hill, large fragments of rock were erected on end in circles. I asked Nokum about them, and he said each stone represented a dead man. lie said they did not bury the dead, because the bears would certainly dig them up again. When troubled with rheumatism, they sacrifice a dog to ap- pease the evil spirits. Their religion, if it can be so called, re- ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. 383 : murdered , arms, and ■ had since hile drunk, •ay back as ;s banished sy have an ly suppHed jone, ivory, ilso a large e the Rus- and infirm ;] inhuman. )t obtained ation from )ugh a hole itely closed ; way back. d, with oil, on account sed to rot. s made of the body is 3nes. The Iter part of and bears. ^lover Bay above the I counted top of the circles. I resented a jcause the ;log to ap- called, re- sembles that of the other Orarian tribes elsewhere referred to. They believe in a future state, but not in a system of reward and punishment. They also believe in many evil and some good but feeble spirits. Good men are supposed to go up into the air, and bad ones down into the earth. The custom of exposing the dead is common to many Orarian tribes. They have shamans who celebrate rites in honor of the dead. One of these was there during our visit. The natives took a deer and went up to the place of the dead. The shaman had longhair, but dressed like U 3 other natives. He kindled a fire, and took the fat from near the deer's heart, and put a small piece on each of the upright stones before referred to. This ceremony was accom- panied by a great deal of gesticulation, flourishing of knives, oroaning, and mumbling by the shaman. He danced until he fell from exhaustion, and then remained perfectly quiet for some time. Meanwhile the others scorched the flesh of the deer and ate it. He then rose and made a harangue to the spectators, and the ceremony was over. According to Nokum's account, old, sick, and useless persons are put to death. He said that vvhen an old per- son was sick for more than seven days, the others nut a rope around his neck, and dragged him by it, around the house over, the stones, for half an hour or so. If this did not kill or cure, the sick person was taken io the place of the dead before described. Here the individual was stored or speared, and the body left for the dogs to devour, the latter being themselves eaten by the natives. .Sometimes a sledge, household utensil, or weapon is broken and left by the side of the body. Occasionally a more decorous method is adopted. Old and useless people frequently ask to be put to death, and the ceremony is as follows. The victim is taken to the place of the dead, and the oval of stones is built as described. The cavity, which is only a few inches deep, is filled with moss. A large headstone is placed at one end, and another large stone at the foot ; under these two poles are laid, with thongs attached. A deer is killed, and the hlood allowed to flow on the headstone. The victim is then placed on his back. The legs and arms, of course, extend over the stone oval and are tied to the poles, so that motion is impos- sible. He is then asked if he is ready for death. If the answer is affirmative, his nostrils are stopped up with u substance (of )*l 11, -1 I- Bf ' ill i .11 • 384 ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. which more hereafter) which stupefies him. The carotid is then cut, the heart is pierced, or the large vein of the arm is opened, and the victim allowed to bleed to death. Good men are killed by their friends, and bad ones by women. If a good man, .small sticks, moss, and grease are placed over, around, and under him, and the body is thus burned, but is very rarely consumed. It is to be feared that a negative answer to the question is not always heeded, but if it shou'd be, the deer meat, which is otherwise eaten, is burned as a kind of atoning sacrifice. All the bones of the deer are carefully crushed. On the 3d of September, 1866, we were informed by Nokum that a ceremony of this kind was in progress, and we made all possible speed to the spot to witness it, as j^reviously we had hardly believed in the truth of the story. When we arrived everything was ready. The women and children were cutting up the deer meat, and the blood was on the headstone. The victim, a blind but not decrepit old man, was sitting in apparent uncon- cern by the headstone, and the others were squatting in a circle around him. He was the father of a wealthy native, but had been blind for five years. Th;.., with the death of his wife and younger son, had made him rather childish. Nokum said that he was con- stantly weeping for his child, and finally requested to be killed. The natives were much disturbed at our approach, and, fearing interference, refused to go on until our vessels had left. So we were not able to witness the ceremony, which, indeed, we did not regret. The truth of the statements made by Nokum hardly need further confirmation. I saw on the hill the festering re- mains of a lame native, for whom our carpenter had made a crutch on our visit in 1865. It was said that he had been disposed of in the same way. I saw the fragment of a lance still remaining in the thorax. Vet some of the natives, who might have been afraid of retribution from us, declared that he had been frozen to death during the winter. The lance-head told another story. The stupefying agent may perhaps be prepared from the wild fiftx vo7iiica which grows to the westward. Nokum said that it was obtained from the "deer men"; that it was soft and black. If applied to a weak man's nostrils it would throw him into a swoon instantly. Strong men were obliged to swallow a little, which was followed by the same effects. A small portion was rotid is then m is opened, en arc killed d man, small :i under him, umcd. It is is not always is otherwise the bones of d by Nokum we made all ously we had 1 we arrived :re cutting up The victim, )arcnt uncoil- ing in a circle but had been ; and younger it he was con- to be killed. \, and, fearing left. So we , we did not okum hardly estering re- adc a crutch isposed of in ■emaining in e been afraid ozen to death ry. from the wild said that it ft and black. V him into a How a little, portion was ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. 385 often placed in a fresh deer liver, which was then left exposed to the air for two months. It then became a very strong poison to any animal or man when eaten. Bears were sometimes killed with it, but their flesh was uneatable. The Tiiski look upon this custom of killing infirm people, rather as a species of philanthropy. " It saves them from pain and us from the trouble of taking care of them," was the reason assigned by Nokum, in rather more broken English. These natives have also been called Sedaitary Clinkclurs, Na- viollos, &c. Their tribal names are unknown, but a body of them living on Chukluk Island, Seniavine Strait, called themselves Chuklukmnt, according to one of the traders. Tlic Aleutian Tribes. — The etymology of the word Aleut will be found in the Glossary. The original name of these people, ac- cording to Humboldt, was Kagatdya Kouiigiis or " People of the East." They are evidently of American continental origin, and at the time of their earliest discovery were engaged in active hostilities with the Kaniagmuts of the continent. Since the time of their f it intercourse with the Russians, their character, habits, mode of life, and even their very name, has been totally changed. Originally they were active, sprightly, and fond of dances and festivals. They were of a less determined character than their neighbors, the Kaniagmuts, but were by no means devoid of courage. Their mode of worship partook more of the character of a religion than that of any of the tribes which have still remained unchanged. Ground into the very dust by the oppression of ruthless invaders, their religious rites, gay festivals, and determined character have all passed away. A shade of melancholy is now one of their national character- istics. Whatever of good is ingrained in their characters may be in great part traced to the persevering efforts of one man. This person was the Rev. Father Innocentius Venianii'noff of the Irkutsk Seminary, since Bishop of Kamchatka. He alone of the Greek missionaries to Alaska has left behind him an un- dying record of devotion, self-sacrifice, and love, both to God and man, combined with the true missionary fire. To him also we owe the first detailed account of the modern Aleutian character and mode of life. The number of Aleutians was originally estimated at ten thousand, but at present there are not more 25 < ' is h 386 ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. than fifteen hundred. Many writers have confounded the Ka- niagmuts with them, but they are quite distinct. The Aleutians, properly so called, are divided into two tribes, the Atkans and Unakishkans. The former belong in the wt stern part of the archipelago, and the latter were originally coniined to the eastern portion. Arbitrary transportation of whole villages from one point to another, of late has greatly tended, with the constant admixture of Russian blood, to destroy or obliterate these distinctions. The chief difference between the two dialects consists in the method of forming the plural of nouns. The Atkans form it by adding s or s/i, and the Unalashkans by adding 7i^. The diminutive words of the former end in kiitshak, those of the latter in dak. Many of the words are more or less different in the two dialects. The construction of the Aleutian dialects is nearly the same as that of the Kani.-igmuts, but the Aleutians count by the decimal system up to ten thousand, while the latter can only compute two hundred, using the number five as a basis. The words, almost without exception, are quite different in the two groups. The Aleuts are light and nearly .he same color as the Inniiit of the northwest. Their features, pi^rhaps from the great admix- ture of Russian blood, are more irtelligent and jileasing. The hair is usually coarse and black. The mustache and beard are always very sparse and of the same color as the hair. Their stature is about the same as that of most civilized races ; if any- thing, above the middle height. The habit of constantly sitting in their bidarkas, which are very contracted, has given most of them a stoop, and their legs are usually ill formed. The women are shorter but better proportioned, and many of them are pleas- ing in appearance. The national dress of the Aleutians, when first observed, was a long shirt or parka without a hood, but having a straight collar. This dress had tight sleeves, but the body was long and loose. They wore no breeches, and their boots came up to the knee. The parka was made of the skins of fur animals, or of birds, siieh as the puffin and the diver. Over this, when in his boat or in bad weather, the Aleut wore a kamlayka with a hood which covered the head. These kamldykas, or water-proof shirt.s, are most beautifully embroidered, fringed with feathers, among which ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. 387 ided the Ka- ma)' be noted especially those white feathers which appear on the cormorant durinjj; the breeding season. The shirt is made of tlie entrails of the sea- lion, as elsewhere me.ntioned. On his head the Aleut wore a peculiar hat made of a very thin piece of wood, bent and painted as in the following sketch. This hat was either painted, or ornamented with thin sheets or strips of bone curiously carved. A small bird, or other carving, usually adorned the apex. At the back a fringe stood out, composed of the stiff bristles or whiskers of the sea-lion {Eunictopias). In front the brim was pro- longed, so as to shield the eyes from the glare of the water and the sun. The clothing of birdskins was peculiar to the men, that of furs, to the women. Their houses were dug in the earth, lined with upright poles of driftwood, and roofed with planks covered with turf. They entered through holes in the top by means of ladders. The smaller dwellings had two or three, and the larger from five to six, entrances of the kind. Several hundred persons would occupy one of these houses. They were divided by partitions of stakes, each space being appropriated by a family. No fires Aleutian hat. were made in these yoiirts, and they were lighted by oil lamps made of hollowed stones. They were generally so warm that the inhabitants sat nearly naked in them. They slept under grass mats, and their {larkas. " When they wished to warm themselves in cold weather," say the old voyagers, " they made a fire of dry i,Tass and stood over it" ! The men practised the tonsure, while ihe women cut their front hair off in a line parallel with the eye- brows, and tied the rest in a knot on the top of the head. Tat- tooing was practised ; the men made three holes in the under lip and one in the cartilage of the nose. Both sexes wore a short bone cylinder in the nose, placed so as to distend the nostrils. In the middle incision below the mouth they wore a rounded or flat t 1 i .4'\ 388 ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. UijH^l piece of bone or stone. In those at the corners of the mouth they wore a peculiar labret. These labrcts were exactly the shape of the article which a sailor calls a "cleat," somewhat like a letter T very much depressed and elongated at the sides. Some of the men wore their beards, others pulled them out bv the roots. They also pierced the ears and wore bone ornaments in them. The most respected and influential were those who were most successful in the chase. The great ambition of the Aleut was tn be a great hunter. Those who were unsuccessful were looked upon with more or less contempt. The number of wives was not limited, except that the best hunters had the greatest number.! This seldom exceeded four. These women were at the clis- 1 posal of visitors or travellers, guests of the husband, and were sometimes bartered away for anything which was greatly desired There was no marriage ceremony. The women made their needles of the bones of birds' wings. The weapons of the men I were bows and arrows, lances and darts, which they threw skil- fully to a great distance, by means of a hand-board. Both dart- and arrows were feathered ; the shafts were often of several picct- of wood, neatly joined. They were tipped with slate or flint, some- times with bone, and afterward with iron, which they obtained from the Russians. No metal except native copper was foiiiKl I among them. They also usjd stone hatchets and chisels, and made a kind of shield of wood and sea-weed, which they used in war. They caught cod and halibut with bone hooks and scalskir. or sea-weed lines. They were improvident, and often suffered severely from hunger. Their food consisted of the flesh of the sea-otter and fur seal, the blubber of the whale and sea-lioa fish, wild parsnips, frittilaria, berries, snake-root, shellfish, and some kinds of fucus or sea-weed. These were generally eaten | raw, or sometimes were cooked over a fire, between two hollowed stones cemented with clay. They were not uncleanly in their habits, though their idea^j of modesty were very different from ours. Both sexes bathtdf together frequently in the sea. Young children were usually ted with raw meat. If an infant cried, even in winter, it was carrieJl to the seashore and held naked in the water until it bccaniej quiet. This made them hardy and insensible to cold, and theyl ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. 389 of tiic mouth :tly the shapf it like a Ictli : , them out 1)} inc ornaments ho were most ; Aleut was to 1 were looked wives was no! latest number, e at the di- and, and were jreatly desired ;n made tlieii ns of the me: hey threw skil d. Both dari- f several pieces or flint, some- they obtained iper was found id chisels, and ;h they used in ks and scalski:. often suffered he flesh of tk and sea-lion, shellfish, and generally eaten n two hollowed vh their idea^ sexes bathed ere usually fe^'J it was carried intil it bccaniel cold, and they went barefoot throughout the winter without inconvenience. Tiicy were fond of dances and festivals, which were kept up through the month of December. Whole villages were cnter- taiiHxl by other villages. Successive dances of children, naked men beating drums, and women who were curiously attired, were usually followed by the incantations of the shamans. This was foHowed by feasting, and then the ceremony was over. If a whale was cast on shore, the natives assembled with joyous and remarkable ceremonies. They advanced and beat drums of different sizes. The carcass was then cut up, and a feast was held on the spot. The dances had a mystic significance. Some of the men were dressed in their most showy attire, and others danced naked in large wooden masks which came down to their shoulders, and represented various sea animals. They had religious dances and festivals in December. During these, images or idols were carried from island to island, and strange ceremonies, of which we have only dim traditions, were performed in the night. Some of these apparently resembled the Eleusinian mysteries. Hundreds of women, wearing masks, are said to have danced naked in the moonlight, men being rigidly exchidod and punished, even with death, on intrusion. The men had similar dances. An idea prevailed, that, while these mystic rites were going on, a Spirit or Power descended into the wooden idol. To look at him was death or misfortune ; hence they wore large masks carved from drift- wood, with holes so cut that they could not see anything before or above them, but only on the ground near their feet. After the dances were over, idols and masks alike were broken up and cast away. A further illus- tration of the same idea was shown in the cus- tom of placing a similar mask over the face of a dead man. These masks were held by a erossbar between the teeth and a loop passing round the head. The above sketch is taken trom one which was found in a cave on Una- liishka. It is, without doubt, eighty years old, for since the ad- vent of the Russian priests these relics have been destroyed by them wherever found. They also destroyed all records of the ancient rites as far as possible. Aleutian mask. * ■ ! 390 ABORIGINAL INHAIilTAxVTS. The method of burial among the Aleuts was as follows Poor persons were wrapped in their clothes or in mats, and laid in clefts of the rock, with a mask over the face. The bodies of the wealthy were placed, with their clothing and arms, in a sort of boat or cradle made of driftwood. The cradle, or coffin, was sluny to a horizontal pole, which was supported by two uprights, and it was left hanging in the open air. Much grief and long- continued lamentations occurred after a death. It is even re- ! ted that mothers sometimes placed the bodies of their dead infants in a carefully carved box. This was sometimes kept near them in the yourt, and the mother would watch it with the greatest tenderness, wiping away the mould and adorning it with such ornaments as she could procure. Fire was obtained by striking together two flints, which had been rubbed with sulphur, over lint strewn with the same sub- stance in powder. It was obtained from the various volcanic peaks. They were very fond of amber, which is found in the lignite beds, and used colored earth for pigments. These customs are now almost entirely passed away. The Aleut usually dresses in clothing obtained from the Russians, and they no longer use their underground houses. In sonic places they have cultivated potatoes since the beginning of the century, but their food continues to be in great part composed of the flesh of sea animals. All speak some Russian, and many of them can converse fluently in that language. They are all nominally Greek Catholics, but there is very little knowledge of the true principles of Christianity among them. Veniami'nofi" established schools among them, but his successors have not been so faithful, and of late years the schools have been much if not entirely neglected. Hence, while most of the adults can read the ecclesiastical characters used in the books of the church, the children are ignorant of them. While farther advanced than any other native American tribes, they are far from civilized, except in dress, and require careful guardianship and improved methods of education to preserve them from the rapacity of the traders. They are greatly addicted to the use of snuff and of liquor, when ihey can obtain it. For the latter, they would sell themselves as slaves, or dispose of all their property. While somewhat dull or stupid, they are excessively obstinate, and exhibit little emotion i_-._ AliORlGINAL INHABITANTS. 391 /as as follow? mats, and laid z. The bodies arms, in a sort , or coffin, was y two uprights, grief and long- It is even re- i of their dead imes kept near :h it with the doming it with nts, which had the same sub- arious volcanic ; found in the s. d away. The the Russians, ses. In sorr^e gmning of the t composed ol , and many of They are all : knowledge ol Vcniaminoft' have not been n much if not ts can read the le church, the need than any ized, excejit in ed methods ot traders. They lor, when ihcy themselves as iiewhat dull or little emotion of any kind. They are very obedient and sensitive, and would r.ather commit suicide than receive a blow. Crime is almost un- known among them, but there is a strong sensual element in ^ their characters. Their ijrineipal occupation, beside obtaining / food, is hunting the sea-otter and k lling the fur-seal. The former is found at some dist ncc from land, and is hunted by large parties in their bidarkas. They follow the animal with these boats, striking it with lances until, wearied out, it becomes an easy prey. The following account of the character of the modern Aleutians is condensed from Veniaminoffs description. It is marked by a partiality which he openly confesses, and which is mainly due to his own goodness of heart and love for the peo- ple whom he had labored so long to instruct and elevate above their previous melancholy state of degradation and ignorance. The reality of their devotion to a religion which they do not comprehend may, however, well be doubted, and is distinctly de- nied by Golovin and other Russian authorities. Much must be allowed for the religious enthusiasm of the writer. "The Aleutians arc remarkably uniform in character ; those who ex- hihit any striking differences, on inspection, invariably prove to i)e of mixed blood. If we consider that all the Aleutians togetlier do not number over fifteen hundred souls, and that they are widely scattered on distant islands, often not seeing their neighbors in a lifetime, this uniformity is the more remarkable. "It is to be noticed among even these half-breeds, that the character of the mother is ever the stronger, almost always effacing the traces of the foreign father's blood among the Creoles. Their most conspicuous point is their piety and their attachment to their religion. Their original Pantheism has entirely disappeared even ; their songs and dances are now quite dit'ferent from those described by the early \oyagers. The idolatrous custom of dancing with masks on, in their secret rites, has passed away. "The Aleutians fulfil all (church) duties imposed on them with pleas- ure, punctuality, devout humility, and the fear of (Jod. During my ten years' stay among them I never met one who was an exception. I do not mention fiisting, for they are accustomed to fasting from childhood, and their attention during service is untiinching, though tliey not iiiufer- staiid a 7C'ori/ o{ the whole rite. But nothing has touched me more than their zeal, I might say their hunger, to hear the word of God. " It may be said that the Aleutians became Christians through timid- ity and credulity, and because converts were exempted from three years' Iff i '■'■>t: .192 AIJOKIGINAL INHAHITANTS. tribute ; ihniigh this might have prevailed on them to become converts, it would not have made them sucii faithful and zealous followers of all the precepts of the church. It must also be said that tlie new relij^ion must have seemed rij^id and harsh, limiting them in their dissipations, and prohibiting polygamy. Ik-sides, their neighbors, the Kaniagmuts, had also a religious belief, and still retain it, giving it up only with reluctance. ''It is the custom of the Aleutians for the successful hunter or lishcr, particularly in times of scarcity, to share his prize with all, not only taking no larger share, but often less than the others ; and if he has for- gotten any one at the distribution, or any one arrives too late, he shares the remainder with him. All those in need of assistance hasten to meet the returning hunter at the landing, and sit down silently by the shore. This is a sign that they ask for aid ; only the infnm or orphans send jiersons to represent them, and the hunter divides his prize without e\ pecting thanks or restitution. He rarely receives other thanks th.an the expressive 'ach' of the recipient. Ifanyoftho.se on shore obtain berries or roots (which are never divided), such persons do not go to the land ing. that they may not be counted among the needy. 'I'his generosity evidently comes from the heart. " During my ten years' stay in Unalashka not a single case of murder has bajjpened among the Aleutians. Not an attempt to kill, no fight, nor even a considerable dispute, although I often saw them drunk. " It is a remarkable thing, almost unparalleled, that among fifteen hun- dred people (the minimum) in forty years (equal to si.Kty thousand in one j'ear) there has not occurred a single capital crime ! This is the case with the Aleutians since the introduction of Christianity. " If any one is injured or offended he never uses force to defend him- self, and rarely complains, but leaves the offender in silence. His only revenge is to fi.x on his persecutor some apt nickname, but he never will reproach him. I-'ven when the children get into dispute among them- selves (a rare occurrence) they do not fight or scold each other, but re- j)roach each other with the shortcomings of their parents. "One reason may be, that they have no oaths or seriously opprobrious epithets in the language. Nothing oftends an Aleut so much as an un- deserved epithet, especially when in Russian. It is regarded as an extreme disgrace. The .\leuts show no tendency to theft. This is proved by the total absence of locks of all kinds ; everything with them stands open. It must not be saiil that they never steal, almost everyone confesses to it, but their stealing is so trivial that it hardly deserves the name. An Aleut might take a few leaves of tobacco, he would prob- ably also take brandy if he could get it, rarest of all he takes food, but never any other object, be it ever so tempting. AHORir.INAL INHAniTANTS. 393 " I l)jlieve the honesty of the Aleut is owinp; to the fact that he is '\ ahvays contented, no mutter what his position may jje. -^ "The most ohvions trait in tiie Aleut is his patience, — a patience bor- (k'linf; on insensibility. Hardly any oppression or hardship will move liiin to complain. In Aimine it is nothing to him to be without food for three or four days. Kven then he manifests neither by word nor sign that he suffers. When interrogated, no word crosses his lips, at the utmost he smiles! If the famine continue, he thinks more of his small { children than himself; everytiiing he can find is for them. Kven the I children show at such times a most modest patience. One would think that an Aleut, after several days' fasting, would fall upon food witli the greatest greediness. On the contrary, after having finished what he has to do, he puts the first morsel into his mouth, as one who, after a comfortable breakfast, sits