ct: v
THE . WEST SHORE.
July, 1 88a
quantities of fish are annually taken by the
Indian and cured for food.
- Fish constitutes one of the most important
article of diet for all the coait tribet, and they take
much interest in fishing) but ai a general thing
they prefer their ancient implement! to more
modem itylea of civiliied nation.
From Fort Wrangle we piutccd to tea in a
westerly course, and having passsed around Cape
' Ommam, at the southern end of Baranoff Island,
' we sight Mount Edgecombe on Kruzof Island,
' and changing our course to the east we enter the
harbor of Sitka or New Archangel as it was
formerly called.
While the Russians held possession of Sitka it
was a place of considerable importance; but latterly
' since the Americans have occupied it and
since the soldiers have been removed, it has
fallen into decay. The only thing which keeps it
up is that it it the port of entty, with a custom
house. There' is also a Creek church with a fine
chime of bells and some fine pictures, and other
decorations in the interior, which were given by
the Empress Catherine, of Russia, years ago.
The other principal buildings in the town are the
former residence of the Russian governor, the
custom house and the military barracks, all of
which' are built of muilv timl. .a i...
- - KIIU TT lit
for years. But the new towns of Harrisburg and
-Takou,' where the gold mines are situated, have
' taken the trad and population from Sitka, and it
li only the monthly visit of the mail steamer
which gives it a sort of temporary life. It is,
however, a good place to study Indian customs,
although there are not as many carved columns
and outside decorations to the buildings at are to
be seen on Queen Charlotte's Islands. The
ortuary customs of the Indians are very similar
II along the northwest coast We give an
illustration of Chief Shakes lying in state at Fort
Wrangle, of the grave of Chief Bella Bella Jack
edof ababy's grave. The latter ii of Interest from
Ussiwplicily. The litllechild'scanoeand other toys
t delayed, and the whole showing the affection
of the Bother who placed the relics about the
frave. In the view representing Shakes may be
mn the shawl of heraldic design behind his head
and another one placed over his per. On his
'7' "lme from the back of which
depends a cloak mi. a .
.Li I. . .. " - aeer-skms
thickly corned with white ermine skins. The
MlAWd nta.l. f .1. . .. . . .
. wuu o, me mountain
-7 unw, iue bears
bad. hU nght and left indie, hi, f.milv
The whole of the surrounding, areev"
wealth and importance in hi. tribe.
Jlh practice amon. iK- , " '
. , - , "VHiucto Indians
' "P'M the manners of the
WU JopU and bury thedead. Still, the cu.,1
Wd are buried. The carvJdum
rrrponjandwg, A chief, lifter
.Mag ooeamd, will collect hi. friend.
(Kucucr ruv, given on such or-..;.
itcn .at filfta hundred dollars wunh nuT
Ou, illuuratio. shows mTJ " t
wmov. at Um comet of building h a
raviMi nn the ton. underneath which is a series of
discs which represent the hat worn by a person of
rank, and called by the Haidas, Tadinskillik,
under this are the bear, beaver, frog and crow.
The next column represents the killer or grampus
" Orca ater" with its tail erect in the air; the bird
on the summit represents the Thunder bird, or
Eagle, and underneath it is a human figure. The
carving on the light hand is one of the big
columns face down. These columns or pillars are
hollowed out in the back to make them lighter to
handle and are almost universally alike. From
Sitka to Takou the tourist has to pass through
Poghibshi or Peril strait into Chatham strait and
thence through Prince Frederick's Sound. Harris
burg or Takou city is as yet in its incipiency and
simply represents a mining town, but its prospects
bright and its friends predict for it a brilliant
future.
The whole voyage from Portland to the new
mining towns is one of intense interest, and as the
county becomes better known it will be attractive
to hundreds of people who now visit the European
cities for summer recreation.
NATURAL ADVANTAGES,
As the wholesale destruction of timber in Ore
gon and Washington must eventually exhaust the
supply, the wise foresight in the purchase of Alas.
ka, will be generally appreciated by the citizens of
tne united States. To Alaska we must eventu
ally look for our ship-building timber. On the
mountains of Baranoff Island, on which Sitka is
situated, and on the adjacent islands, we find fine
timber, consisting of birch, spruce and yellow pine,
the latter a splendid ship-building material.
The island, are very rocky, but wherever a
piece of soil can be found on a slope toward the
south it will serve as a garden to raise potatoes
nd turnips, and sometimes even cabbage.
The climate is moderate, on account of a warm
current in the neighborhood, but it rains almost
continually, the amount of moisture falling ther.
being greater than at any other place in the Uni
ted States. This description wiU serve for all the
u and, Wr"6cll, opposite the mouth of the
Stickeen to Fairwea.her Bay. Of the main land
ymg east of the islands, very little i, known, as
irFtnh? ,re very -
thTml. T hC KMai Peni" northward
the mainland is accessible, as far a, any opposition
"v""""4 clirn.te'Su
""eh colder. Vegetable, cannot be grown except
K'onightSfan
jwh. At the trading post at the mouth of Kenai
river .few poUto prden$
rfiJii on,y found n the
- '"dies, variety of which ripen du mg hS
winner months; and wild curr.ni. ,
heltered valleys. Rr h wme
tered ,he mineral 0T7e
dime. lnnu region, of more genial
caught in gill nets or with baskets pushed out h,to
the stream with long poles.
From the head of Cook's Inlet, northward, fte
interior is almost unknown except the course of
the Yukon, a magnificent stream which take, it,
rise in the British possessions, and has been n,,.
"gated for i.Soo wiles. '.
The Aleutian Islands produce berries and grass,
but no timber is to be found on any of them, the
Aleuts depending on driftwood for fuel, but of thU
a great quantity is cast upon the beach by a friend,
ly southerly current. Sulphur can be obtained on
some of these islands, which are all of volcanic
origin. The climate here is comparatively mild
and Siberian cattle can be easily wintered. On
the island of Kodiak which has a length of ninety
miles by forty to fifty miles in width, the Rm
sians first established themselves. The climate
is mild and allows the cultivation of potatoes,
turnips and hay. -'
Immediately north of Kodiak is the! island of
Afognak, which contains in its southern tnd a
colony of Russians established there at the liegfo.
ning of this century, the people of which till tie
soil, raise cattle, and, besides, are experts as !at
builders. . . ,: y
The most important commercial enterprise of ,
southeastern Alaska, is the Northwest Trading
Co., of which Mr. Paul Schulze Is President, and
C. Spuhn, General Manager." The head ofRc'e it
located in Portland. The company began opera
tionsin 1880, and besides extensive oil works at
Kilisnoo, has trading posts established and in
successful operation at Sitka, at Hoonyah, on Cross .
Sound, at Chilcoot at the head of Lynn Cannlj at
Kilisnoo on Chatham Straits, at Juneau City or
Takou mines on Gastineaux Channel, and at Kai
gan on Cardova Bay on the southern extremity of
Prince of Wales Island. ' ,
A glance at the map will convince even the met
casual observer, that judicious business juilg-nent
has been used in the selectiop of these tridrng
posts, and whilst the company is already doing
the largest business in the southeastern Alaska,
their operations are spreading over the main land
so rapidly, that it is only a question of time when
iue ouiK ot the Alaska trade will be transacted by
them. Two of their steamers find constant em
ployment, one in connection with the fishing en
terprises and in carrying freight between thedif
ferent posts, and the other in Whaling. Engaged
in the fisheries, the oil works, and the different
posts, the company employ about sixty men,
nearly one-half of which are Indians, who are
used almost exclusively in fishing. '..';.: .
Aside from the manufacture of oil, curing fish,
etc., etc., the company Is largely engaged in trad
mg in furs with the Indians, and whilst of course
studying their own interest, they by no means
" ight Of the Welfare nf h. TnHi.n. win
been almost solely instrumental in preventing the
-...vuuuion ana manufacture of intoxicating
hquors; and in no wav can th TnHi.n. ht intpr-
est be better protected than by shutting down on
Tourists eiDrem ih.ir .j.L J
Uawdson iews of scenery and public buildings
of the Pacific Northwest. ft.it. .,thwMt
corner of First and Yamhill streets, Portland, Or.
. For the verv h u. .-j
tiiM it f""""i;piii 01 mu iivic "