1 I 1 ' 1 CCC ccc C 4 ^ c < CC c ^ c iC « <; c CC, • C« >^ . «c< ir' S^^<: C CC ^ S cc c d c <■ c CC C <-C c ^ (_ c c < cc ^ 4 " re c r CC < ii 4C C c r ^ CC - c CC < 4 ?c C K. c < cC !c. c; < c C c c CC < or «c < cc Cccc CCCC CCC C Ccc CCC c CC c c , CC < Ccc c c •' c cc Cc c Ccccjccco c^. C C cc - C C cc ^ C C cC _r c c cc CCC CC recce '(C(C Tec cc CC OL c< ^ ^ "c c ^ CC ' tc< rcc re c ^ c ;c> 'a < f< c«c c *sC c c c ~Z <*T C C < c, t^ t, ^ ^ » Commander, Commanding, Senior Officer Present. M. D. Ball, Esq., Collector. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 19 Custom-House, Sitka, Alaska, Collectors Office, June 23, 1879—0.30 p. in. Sill: The inspection of the cargo of the California has just been concluded, and lias resulted in the finding of six cases of whisky, improperly or insufficiently marked and without claimant, and which Was doubtlessly intended for landing here. It will be forfeited under the law. Very truly, yours, M. D. BALL, Collector. Capt. L. A. Beardslee. I had, as indicated by the correspondence, detailed an officer and four men, who were sworn in as deputies by the collector. This correspond- ence was submitted to the department with my dispatch dated June 23, 1879. Daring the month of July I requested the collector, unofficially, not to again call upon me, for the following reasons, which were given in my dispatch of July 15, 1879 : By the request of the collector, and in pursuance of an arrangement of his with my predecessor, Captain Brown, I, last 'month, detailed an officer and men to assist the collector in the prevention of smuggling of* liquor by the mail steamer. I have since then had time to weigh the subject, and this time decline to so act. Aside from my apprehension that in so doing I was not acting lawfully, I feel that it is simply ridiculous to take strong measures to stop a little whisky and protect, at the same time, tons of molasses, a gallon of which will do as much harm as a barrel of the former. My resolve to refrain from interfering in this matter became known, and removed a great check from the traffic, which, as the white popula- tion increased by the influx of niiners, tradesmen, and others, grew to be, a serious evil, and I submitted to the department the following dispatch, in hopes of receiving some instruction for my guidance : United States Ship Jamestowk, Sitka, April 5, 1880. Sir : It is very probable that a question will arise here before a great while, in which I shall be called upon to act, and in regard to which I do not feel assured as to the exact nature of my duty. This question will be in regard to the suppression of, importation of, and traffic in distilled spirits in Sitka and vicinity, including the mining settlement at Silver Bay, and the caunery at Hunter's Bay. This importation by the steamer California has increased to such an extent that about one-half of the white population of Sitka are more or less engaged in it. I have studied the problem, and, to facilitate the deliberation of the department, submit herewith a brief history of the question. In September, 1837, General Hal- leek, with the desire to prevent the sale of whisky to the Indians, requested of the Sec- retary of War that the President, by proclamation, would declare the newly-acquired Territory of Alaska as Indian territory, and the request being referred to the Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, was by him submitted to Mr. E. Peshine Smith, examiner to Court of Claims, who gave his opinion that on the 20th day of June, 1867 (the date of the signing the treaty by President Johnson), "the new terri- tory became a part of the Indian country." Mr. Seward, inclosing this opinion, states that the President would retain the request of General Halleck for further consider- ation. February 4, 1870, President Grant, in pursuance of the authority vested in him by the provisions of the second section of the act approved July 27, 1858 (sec. 1955 U. S. Rev. Stat.), issued a proclamation prohibiting the importation of distilled spirits iuto the district of Alaska, and the Secretary of the Treasury, Hon. George S. Boutwell, issued a circular order instructing collectors of customs as to their duty in carrying out the terms of this proclamation. In March, 1873, the act of 1868 was ameuded by adding to it two sections, viz, sec- tions 20 and 21 of act of 1834, which forbid the sale of liquor to Indians, and prohibit the setting up of distilleries. Ill 1878 the collector of Sitka applied to the honorable Secretary of the Treasury for instructions in regard to the importation of molasses : and in reply received a letter in which is incorporated the opinion of Attorney-General Devens (a copy of '20 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. which is inclosed, marked FA to the effect that, except in the matter referred to in these two Ejections, Alaska cannot be considered as an Indian country. M\ connection with the question is as follows: Upon the arrival of the ship in June, 1879, Iwas requested by the collector todetail a loree to search the mail steamer California upon arrival, to seize any liquor, &c., which request I complied with. Results are shown by the inclosed correspondence, marked A. 1>. C, D. , . , j ±- ± -i xi i Before the arm al of the next steamer, m July, I having bad time to study the suh- i 1 1 concluded it W as not consistent with my duty to order those under my command to act as revenue officers, and I declined to repeat the act, and for other reasons given in my letter of July the 15th, which letter met with the approval of the department ; and since that time I have in no way interfered in the matter, audthe traffic is grow- iug to a magnitude which causes me uneasiness, should it be considered my duty to take steps toasuppress it. M\ views as to the situation are these : The county is not Indian country, therefore I am not called upon to carry out the provisions of the act of 1834. The collector's duty is indicated by his instructions and by the section 1950 of the Statutes; it is to prevent by all lawful means the importation of liquors, and to seize the California, and place her under bonds if necessary. He has no right to call upon the naval force to preform these duties, but if in so acting be meets with forcible opposition, it is my duty, upon being duly requested, to support him with force sufficient to enable him to do SO. In regard to his authority to act as internal -revenue collector and policeman, by seizing liquor in the possession of citizens on shore, and to call upon me to furnish force to subdue opposition I am not so clear as to his or my duty, and therefore most respect- fully request specific instructions from the department. In this connection it may be well to describe the condition of affairs past and pres- ent, and possibly the future. When in 1868 the country was considered as Indian country, there were but few whites, except the Eussian Creoles, be so counted, and they from habits and education were not such people as would be entitled to be con- sidered as ordinary United States citizens. At the date of the proclamation of General Grant it was wise and timely ; the In- dians had not then learned the secret of hoot-che-noo making, and thus its provisions eovered the case, and prevented them from getting liquor. Jnow the Indians do not want whisky; it is too high priced, and not strong enough; molasses, of which they can have all they want, they prefer. During the occupation of the post by the Army, the provisions of the statute were so far modified that authority was given to the Secretary of War to regulate the in- troduction of liquor here at Sitka, and he was authorized to delegate that authority to the officer commanding the post, the result of which was that the regulation of the matter was in the hands of said officer. I would respectfully suggest that if the de- partment could procure that the Secretary of War should delegate this authority to the naval officer commanding this station, the matter would be greatly simplified ; and should the department procure and entrust to me this authority, I could, with my knowledge of the character of the people here, and of the needs of the steadily in- creasing population of white United States citizens, so manage matters by selecting trustworthy persons, and calling upon them to pay a high license fee, that in a very short time nine-tenths of the present traffic in liquor could be stopped, and the re- mainder be caused to provide a revenue. Any course which a naval commander can adopt under the present complicated po- sition of affairs is as liable to be considered wrong as right. The arrival of this ship, and the influx of miners, prospectors, tradesmen, and men who prey on them, has increased many hundredfold the demand for liquor, and the collector is powerless to prevent the introduction. I have known of whiskv being brought in boxes of eggs, in passengers' valises, in casks nominally of beer," and in countless other forms. If I am to be left in charge here until a civil government is established, my prospects of continuing to maintain the good opinion of the depart- ment will be greatly increased if it will, as requested, obtain for me a little more legal power in this respect. Hon. R. W. Thompson, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. In a subsequent dispatch, dated April 10, I, having more maturely considered the subject, withdrew the foregoing request for additional authority, and requested that the collector of customs should receive the same instead of the naval commanding officer. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 21 The following opinion of Attorney- General Devens was inclosed : Department of Justice, Washington, September 24, 1878. Sir: Your letter of the 20th instant informed me that, upon representation received by you from the collector of customs at Sitka, Alaska, it would appear to be for the interest of the white residents of the Territory and the- government to prohibit the in- troduction into that Territory of molasses, which is used for manufacturing distilled spirits for use among the natives, and inquires of me whether under section 15132 of the Revised Statutes, which authorizes the President, " whenever in his opinion the public interest may require, to prohibit the introduction of goods, or any particular article, into the country belonging to any Indian tribe," he will be justified in forbid- ding the introduction of molasses into said Territory. The Territory of Alaska was acquired by Congress by virtue of its treaty with Rus- sia of March 30, 1867, by which the inhabitants of that Territory were, with the ex- ception of the uncivilized native tribes, to be admitted to the enjoyment of all the rights, advantages, and immunities of citizens of the United States, and to be main- tained and protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property, and religion. The uncivilized tribes were to be subject to such laws and regulations as the United States might from time to time adopt in reference to them. An act was passed on July 27, 1868, to extend the laws of the United States relating to customs, commerce, and navigation over theHerritory ceded to the United States by Russia, to establish a collection district therein, and for other purposes. This law was amended on the 3d of March, 1873, by extending over this territory two sections of the act of June 30, 1834, which was an act to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes and to preserve peace on the frontiers. These two sections are the twentieth and twenty-first, one of which, not necessary to be fully stated, forbids selliug or disposing of any spirituous liquors, &c, to any Indian in the Indian country, and the other of which forbids any person within the limits of the Indian country from setting up or continuing any distillery for manufacturing ardeut spirits. Iu the opinion of my predecessor, Attorney-General Williams, of November 13, 1873, in answer to the inquiry whether the Territory of Alaska was embraced within the term "Indian country," he holds that as to these provisions Alaska is to be regarded as "Indian country"; but it will be observed that he limits his opinion to these two sections, and does not hold that, in the general use of the term, Alaska is to be regarded as "Indian country," and be subjected to all the laws which have been made in rela- tion to such country. The section 2132 of the Revised Statutes, by which the President is authorized to forbid the introduction of goods or any particular article into a country belonging to an Indian tribe, is part of the third section of the act of June 30, 1834. Its provisions therefore are not in terms extended over the Territory of Alaska. When two sections of the same statute are expressly made applicable to a certain people by extension, it must be inferred that there are no intentions on the part of Congress to extend more than those two sections. Alaska cannot be considered merely as an Indian country. It is inhabited, to a limited extent, by'white persons, whose rights, property, and religion, which were guaranteed by the treaty between the United States and Russia, should be protected by the United States, and the whole Territory cannot be subjected to the rules applied to Indian country, unless, at least, Congress shall ex- pressly render it subject to them. In direct answer to your inquiry, I therefore reply that, in the matter referred to, the Territory of Alaska cannot be considered as a country belonging to an Indian tribe, and that authority is not given to the President, by virtue of the section referred to, to prohibit the introduction of goods or of any particular article into the same when in his opinion the public interest seems to require that he should do so. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, CHAS. DEVENS, Attorney-General. Hon. John Sherman, Secretary of the Treasury. ORIGIN OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OF SITKA. In yielding to the solicitations which called upon me to arbitrate in disputed points, I soon found that the interests and views of the white citizens were so varied, and frequently so conflicting, that the govern- ing duty would become more onerous than honorable, and I determined to make an effort to arouse the citizens of Sitka from their apathetic 22 AFFAIRS IX ALASKA. state and to induce them to combine together and make such mutual concessions of individual rights as would inure to the public benefit. It was evidently necessary that the conflicting interests of the whites themselves should be harmonized before I would be able to make much headway, in my plans to carry into effect my instructions to " establish harmonious relations between the whites and Indians" upon such a basis that these relations would have a chance of becoming permanent. 1 had hopes that if the citizens coul I be induced to form a compact among themselves to assist each other, and to refrain from the impor- tation of the ingredients of hoo-che-noo, and to delegate to certain of their number power to maintain order, we would have a republic on a small scale which would benefit everybody concerned. My efforts were, to a certain extent, successful, and in the following extracts from several of my dispatches the rise, career, and demise of this attempt is recorded. [Dispatch dated July 15, 1879.] On the 9th instant I called a meeting of the citizens, and, ably assisted by the deputy collector, Dr. Dulaney, and by Mr. John Brady, have, I hope, started a public opinion which will result in the formation of a local government, with police regulations suffi- cient to restrain disorder and regulate, if not check, the traffic in liquor. [Dispatch of August 12, 1879.] After a number of apparent failures, during which, however, public feeling was being aroused, I have at last succeeded in getting the people of Sitka to form a compact v/huh will insure some order and law. An election was held on Saturday, August 1, and the following officers elected, viz: Chief magistrate, M. D. Ball, collector; coun- cilmen, Rev. N. G. Metropolsky, priest; Patrick Corcoran, merchant; Thos. Haltern, merchant ; Thomas McCauley, salmon canner. The miners at Silver Bay, distant some 12 miles, refused, in an offensive letter (copy of which is inclosed), to co-operate. I am informed by the priest that the Russians whose names are signed were led to sign by representations on the part of Mr. Pilz, the superintendent, that the whole thing was a trick upon my part; that should a government be formed the Jamestown would leave at once. It is my conviction that Mr. Pilz did not himself believe this, but was actuated by other motives. I inclose a copy of the preamble drawn up by the collector. The code of laws which are to be adopted are simple, and will effect the purpose of enabling these people to preserve order among themselves, until such time as the gov- ernment will help them. The letter from the miners was as follows : To the Chairman and Members of the so-called Provisional Government of Sitka : We, the undersigned citizens of Silver Bay district, propose and intend to hold our- selves aloof from all intercourse with the so-called provisional government of Sitka. We deem it an unwise move, and we are all of the uuanimous opinion that xhe men of the Jamestown should preserve the peace. Should this government be estab- lished, we look to the early departure of the Jamestown, and then we will be in a far worse condition than ever before. Geo. E. Pilz. E. H. Murphy. Frank L. Burton. James Holyrood. *Johx Prior. F.Alisky. * Wm. Stewart. Peter Startzoff. * Walter Daily. Philip Kashexzroff. * A. Kashexzroff. Johx Gorman. N. Haley. Wm. Doxxelly. * T.S.Smith. John Lemax. And thirteen unreadable Russian names in the same handwriting. Names marked (*) in Burton's writing. This letter is introduced as evidence that, although the miuers. as a body, refused to recognize the authority of the provisional govern- ment or to join in any attempt for public welfare, vet that thev relied upon the Jamestown to take care of them. AFFArRS IN ALASKA. 23 From the testimony of nearly all who signed this paper, I learned sub- sequently that the opposition was entirely due to Mr. Piiz having taken oftense at a supposed affront, in not having received an earlier notifica- tion than he did of tbe called meeting, the delay being through accident, and so explained to him at the meeting. As superintendent he caused men to sign who were in favor of the government. Mr. Pilz explained to me that fear of taxation influenced him. [Dispatch of September 6.1 The government established is in successful operation. Its existence relieves me of a source of embarrassment; before its formation every citizen applied to me for any action he might think desirable; now ail applications are made through the chief magistrate, and we are thus enabled to do as much as possible to assist the civil authori- ties, instead of exercising arbitrary power. All offenses committed by Iudians outside of the white settlement I take charge of, and apply military government to them alone. [Dispatch of October 5.] [After having described the condition of affairs in connection with the Indians, I wrote:] While thus the Indian branch is under comparatively good government and discipline, the white settlement, of far inferior numbers, has presented a contrast. During the month it has been reported that one "discharged soldier," a druggist, who among his drugs keeps barrels of molasses, had shot at bis wife with a revolver; that another "discharged soldier," a -saloon keeper, had, at midnight, beaten shame- fully a woman who occupied temporarily the position of wife to him, and had turned her into the street ; that still another, a member of the council, had endangered life by reckless revolver-shooting at dogs on a neighbor's stoop; and many minor offenses. As theie was a civil government established to meet such emergencies, all of whieh were caused by drunkenness, I took no steps further than to send, in one case, a small guard ion. The collector now, in virtue of his office as such, represents the civil, and this ship the military, elements of the government. The cause which operated to extinguish this attempt at government was one which taxed it beyond its abilities, and in the end proved to be beyond the power of the entire governing power which could be applied to a serious case in Alaska, viz, the civil and military as above indi- cated, and in addition, that of tbe United States district court at Port- land, Oreg , to which it was referred. This was a case of shooting which, at the time, was presumed would be followed by the death of the shot man. This shooting occurred on the morning of October 9, the notice on the custom-house appearing later in the day, and being sup- plemented by a letter from the collector, as follows : Custom-House, Sitka, Alaska, October 9, 1679 — 11 a. m. Captaix : You have before this hour learned the fact that a miner was dangerously, probably fatally, shot in the city last night, the offending party having, as I under- stand, surrendered himself to you. The provisional government having failed in sustaining itself, audits officers having called a meeting to resign their trust, there is just at this time no form of civil au- thority here strictly empowered to take charge of the case, unless I assume it as col- lector. I, therefore, request that you, representing the other branch of the government, co- operate with me in the steps necessary to preserve the matter in proper form for justice to be administered, when we shall be instructed from Washington as to the manner in which it is to be accomplished. I have called a commission of three citizens to meet this afternoon at two o'clock, and take the wounded man's testimouy, and such other evidence as ma v be obtainable, and would be pleased if you would send a jury of your officers to assist them, and pro- duce the offender for identification. ' M. D. BALL, Collector. To which I replied as follows : October 9. 1879. n S vf R o lu com P liance witn J 0111 " request of this date a board of officers, of width Lieut- I. M. Symonds is senior member, has been directed to co-operate with the iurv called together by yourself. ' The prisoner is, and will remain, under military control, and will be sent, suitablv guarded, to be identified by the wounded man. I must urge upon you the necessity of exerting your influence at once to allav the excitement among the miners, to such extent that no person or persons will make anv attempt at lawless proceedings. Such a course would deal Alaskan interests a severe blow; the contrary will inure to its benefit. L. A. BEARBSLEE. Commander, U. S. X. The following instructions were referred to Lieutenant Symonds : U. S. Ship Jamestown, Sitka, October 9, 1879. nWT^lI^WK^^ f^Ttf 1 f en i°/ member of aboard of officers, who, in com- bo, U Vt w?n e8t ° f Col f lectoi ; M - P- Ball, the only representative of civil air ttontj m Sitka, will co-operate with a jury of citizens called together bv Colonel AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 25 Ball, in investigating the circumstances connected with the affray which last night took place between "two miners named (as reported) John Williams and Edward Roy. Passed Asst. Surg. N. M. Ferebee, and Master G. C. Hanus, U. S. N., will be asso- ciated with you in this duty. The investigation will take place as early as possible on account of the dangerous condition of one of the parties. Respectfully, L. A. BEARDSLEE, Commander, Commanding, The commission met at an appointed hour, and the man Williams, who had, immediately after the affray, run to our guard-house and sur- rendered himself to the sergeant in charge, and who, soon after, was brought on board of the ship as a prisoner, was sent ashore for identifi- cation by the wounded, and supposed to be dying, man Roy. Lieutenant Symonds, with a strong armed body of marines, was de- tailed to escort the prisoner through the streets of Sitka, with instruc- tions to proceed, if necessary, to any extreme in preventing the execu- tion of an expressed purpose, by numbers of the miners, to hang the supposed murderer. He was in no way interfered with in the performance of this duty, the niiners yielding readily to our authority. There can, however, be no doubt that the presence of the Jamestown prevented a resort to Lynch law, as the whole community was intensely excited. The commission appointed to investigate this case, found as follows: The undersigned, a mixed commission of officers of the United States ship James- town and citizens of Sitka, convened by order of Commander L. A. Beardslee, and re- quest of M. D. Ball, to inquire into the circumstances of the shooting of Edwin Roy on the night of October 8, 1879, having taken all of the evidence available in the case, do certify, that from the same we are of the opiniou that John Williams should be held to await the issue of the wounds of said Roy, and for trial for the said shooting, subject to such orders as may be received from the authorities at Washington. F. M. SYMONDS, Lieutenant, U. S. N. N. M. FEREBEE, Passed Assistant Surgeon, U. S. N. G. C. HANUS. Master, U. S. N. M. P. BERRY. G. E. PILZ. JOHN G. BRADY. This finding, &c, was transmitted to me by the collector, accompanied by the following letter: Custom-House, Sitka, October 9, 1879 — 5 p. m. Captain: As notified by you in your letter of this date, the board of officers ap- pointed to co-operate with one of the citizens in investigating the caseof the shooting of Edwin R. Roy, reported and entered upon the examination which is just closed. I inclose you herewith a copy of their finding, also of the deposition of Roy taken by me, aud in full consciousness of his situation and under oath; also copy of other evi- dence. I shall report the case to my department also. I gather from your letter that you will keep charge of the prisoner until the result of the wounds of Roy is known, and instructions received from Washington. I hope such is your intention. M. D. BALL, Collector. The inclosed deposition, which was the only evidence taken under oath by the commission, was as follows: Deposition of Edward Robert Roy. My name is Edward Robert Roy ; was born in Manchester, England ; am thirty- seven years old; married ; my wife resides in Newry, Ireland. Scotty and I were at Mooney's saloon singing and enjoying ourselves last night. My g(j AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. Bong wm well liked, but Scotty'a disapproved, so he commenced calling me names, anch as '• sons of b s." Afterwards I went home, and to bed, and hail been there about three-quarters of an hour when he came to my cabin and demanded admittance oalling me " sons of b " again, .which I refused. He Mien kicked the door panel in, and I went to replace and secure it, and he jumped on me, and grab be I my throat and threw me down, and commenced emptying Ins revolver into my body.' I think he rired rive shots. (John Williams, or "Scotty," was here brought in, and fully identiaed by Roy as the man who shot him.) Boy continued: 1 never carried a weapon in my life. Had a small pocket-knife in my pocket to cut tobacco with. Did not use it in the scuffle, or cut "Scotty P with it. The statement of the accused, John Williams, was not taken under oath, ami di tiered from that of Boy, in that he asserted that Boy began the tight by attacking him with a knife, and that after being cut he tired at Roy in self-defense. (There were several, not serious, cuts in various portions of his body.) The testimony of the two witnesses summoned by the commission had no bearing upon the actual light, and no oath was administered to either. And had such form been complied with, one of the two, viz, John Pla- toff, a creole member of the Greek Church, would not have considered it binding upon him unless administered by the Greek priest. Upon subsequent investigation I found reason to believe that the commission had not examined into the case very thoroughly, and that the cabin where the affray took place was equally the home of Boy and Williams, and that the row probably started through the act of Boy in locking Williams out of his own quarters. There was nothing in the character of either of the men, who were "chums," to cause a doubt in my mind as to the true nature of the affair; it was simply a fight be- tween two drunken men, who when sober were friends: and in it both men got hurt. Had Boy's kuife gone in an inch deeper into Williams, or the bullets from Williams' revolver done less damage, the relative position of the parties would have been reversed, and Boy would have been tried for the assault on Williams ;. for, as far as can be judged by the evidence, the two men were equally to blame. The wounded man Boy was taken charge of by Dr. Frerrebee, of the Jamestown, who in course of time succeeded in restoring him to a sani- tary condition, which was hardly to have been hoped for in a man whose body had been made a receptacle for five bullets, caliber .34. The prisoner Williams was held as such on board of the Jamestown until November 10, when he was delivered to a deputy United States marshal, upon warrant of the United States marshal at Portland, Oreg. and carried by him to Portland for trial. By the steamer arriving at Sitka December 25, the collector received a subpoena which called him to Portland to give testimony in the case, in regard to which he had no knowledge beyond that obtained from taking the supposed-to-be-dying man's deposition, and hearsav. The man Williams was tried before the United States court of the district, and discharged by Justice Drady, who held that as the assault was made with a deadly weapon, there was no law by which it could be punished. This action of the court caused me embarrassment, as. with my slight knowledge of law, it seemed to conflict with previous actions by the same court in regard to Alaska affairs. The Indian murderer, Kot-ko-wot, was hung at Portland for a murder committed in Alaska, and Major Campbell, United States Army, when in command at Sitka, having, in pursuance of what he considered his duty, committed an act AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 27 of punishment of & blackleg, which by the Oregon court was held to be illegal, was by it tried and sentenced to pay a heavy fine. Very uncertain as to my own position in case this court might differ with hie as to right, and as to my duty in the event of my being at any time subpcened to Portland, which would necessitate, if obeyed, several weeks of absence from my command, I requested from the department instructions as to my duty, under similar circumstances. The history of this case has been thus given in detail, not because it was in itself of much importance, but because it illustrates very completely the situation of affairs at Sitka, and the great necessity which exists that the community should receive some recognition from the law-making lowers. In reporting the case to the department, I commented thus : October 9. The whole lawful power of the United States Government, with full co-operation of all respectable citizens, has heen brought to bear upon a serious offense against public safety and human life (the wounded man will probably die), and the utmost we can do is to hold the offender a prisoner, to be tried by somebody at some indefinite time, and this only because I, having the power, am willing to assume the responsibility, believing that in so doing I am acting in the interests of right. The accused man probably committed a crime, and had the James- town not been present he would have been lynched. With the ship to furnish force, the man was saved from this fate to eventually escape from the clutches of the law. ENDING OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT. On the 25th of October the meeting called by the officials of the late provisional government Avas held, and on the following day I received from the collector the following : Custom-House, Sitka, Alaska, October 'lb, 1879. Captalst: It becomes my duty to inform yon that at the meeting hekl this evening in the custom-house, called to consider the subject of the formation of some civil gov- ernment for this section, the only action taken was the appointment of a committee to prepare and forward a petition to Congress. The failure of the lately attempted "provisional government" to sustain itself was announced, and the meeting (which was very small) decided that it was unadvisable to repeat the experiment. I had, on the i5th of September last, presented my own resignation as chief magis- trate to the "council," having found the position incompatible with my official duties as collector. I was induced to withhold it until the people had an opportunity to decide on some other arrangement to take the place of that they had unsuccessfully tried, by the as- surance that my resignation would be followed by that of all the other members. As I cannot, consistently with known and defined duties, continue the effort to dis- charge those which are both uncertain and uncongenial, I shall make no further at- tempt to assert any authority with which the late action of the people may be sup- posed to have clothed me. The people having had full opportunity to frame another organization, and having failed to do so, I must consider myself released from further action in behalf of the movement. In making this announcement, I will add my conviction thatoulyja condition of ex- treme personal danger from lawless whites or threatening Indians (either of which the presence of your ship prevents) can arouse the community to such action as would impart the necessary vitality to any form of government, self-organized, and lacking the authority of that organic law to which this people have long, rightfully but vainly, looked for some organization charged with the protection of their persons, aud the administration of their property. M. D. BALL, Collector. The foregoing letter was inclosed to the department with my dispatch dated November 19, and in regard to its contents, I wrote: In my last I reported the demise of the provisional government. I find that I was premature in so reporting. It was still in existence at that date (October 9), as I sub- AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. sequently learned by a letter from Colonel Ball, the chief magistrate. I may he par- doned for tuj error, inasmuch as the character of the government was not one the existence or non-existence of which would attract attention. At the meeting re- ferred to, the miners attende \ prepared to co-operate with the merchants, hut the latter having for various reasons (among which was the necessity of taxation, the possible interference with the traffic in molasses, of drunken or disorderly persons be- in-; arrested and confined, and probably some others best known to themselves), con- cluded that they did not wish any government, did not attend, so no new one was formed, and the experiment has proved a dead failure, principally for lack of suitable material. In addition to the reasons assigned by Colonel Ball as operating against the successful formation of any kind of a home government in either, 1 would give, as bearing upon it: First. A general impression that any effort made by themselves would, if successful, lessen their chances of recognition by the United States. Second. A general disinclination to take any steps which might in- volve an expenditure of any money, and consequent taxation. Third. A general timidity which caused most of the citizens to fear to come in contact with the disorderly portion of the community. Fourth. A general unwillingness among the shopkeepers to give up traffic in molasses. Fifth. A general condition of apathy and lethargy peculiar to Sitka, enlivened only by a selfishness which caused nearly every man's inter- ests to be in opposition to those of others. The letter from Collector Ball dated October 25, gave me reason, which was confirmed by subsequent conversation with him, to believe that, in considering that the provisional government had at last come to an end, he and I were in full accord. Heuceforth the governing of the people was left, as much as was practicable, in their own hands, arrangements being made between the collector and myself that he should notify me of the occurrence of any irregularities on shore which might make the intervention of the forces under my command desirable, I undertaking to respond to such notifi- cation by giving all aid required, reserving to myself, however, the final judgment in any case involving arrest, 'the necessity for which was not of immediate urgency, and the confinement in the guard-house, either for restraint or punishment. Early in December the collector notified me by letter that he had arrested a Eussian for stealing sashes from the hospital building, and requested that I should grant him — The privilege of the services of the guard in keeping him in duress for some time ; which authority I will assume under my present official and late provisional position. This action upon his part was considered by me as a wide and unjus- tifiable departure from the line of action we had agreed upon. The Russian arrested was a harmless, half-witted Creole man, whom extreme poverty had driven to the larceny. Many others, both Indians and Creoles, had been from time to time reported to me for similar offenses, and upon investigation I had found them to be objects more worthy of charity than punishment ; and, had I deemed it advisable, he could have been arrested at any time and no harm be done by the delay. And it was not in accordance with my ideas to recognize this assumption of authority through power derived from the late attempt at government which, during its existence, had proved a clog to the advancement of the interests of the people. I therefore so expressed myself by letter to the collector. But as he AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 29 bad in this case requested one of the lieutenants of the Jamestown to give orders to the guard to imprison the man, I did not think it advisa- ble to undo what had been done, and gave orders for the retention of the prisoner. Correspondence upon this and subsequent events showed that I was mistaken in my idea that the collector agreed with me as to the status of the late government, and on December 19 he addressed to me an offi- cial letter, in which he presented an argument by which he maintained a claim to act as a provisional official, and to hold authority to prevent or puuish any offenses. This letter was signed, "M. D. Ball, Collector and C. J., Sitka Prov. Govt." Failing to be convinced by the argument s presented that the collector or any other person possessed a right to caii upon me as senior naval officer present, for any official action, through any title or office derived from the late provisional government, I so informed the collector; aud this failure upon my part to concur with his views in an official matter led to a breach in the plans of co-operation which we had established, which was however temporarily checked by the departure of the col- lector in the steamer leaving Sitka December 21. Which departure left the entire management of affairs, afloat and ashore, in my hands until May 15, 1880, when Collector Ball returned from Washington, he having previously returned from Portland by the steamer of 25th of January, and again left by the steamer of 27th January. During these four months 1 received however much valuable aid and counsel from the deputy collector, Dr. Dulaney. Before the departure of Collector Ball in December a question arose, in regard to which it was necessary that we should hold consultation, as to our respective duties. Our views differed, and the question was by me referred to the Navy Department for instructions, and I presume by the collector to his department also, I having informed him as to my proposed action. The question was as to the rights of United States citizens to attempt to obtain an ownership to any of the public land in Alaska, by pre- emption, and as to our relative duties in connection with such attempts. For a full understanding of the merits of this question, it will be necessary for me to relate the history of the same up to this date. HOMESTEAD AND PRE-EMPTION EIGHTS. One of the first services asked of me by the citizens of Sitka was that I should represent to the department the great necessity which existed of some method being provided by which settlers could acquire homes, and a legal title to them; and in August, 1879, I wrote as follows: I would request instructions in regard to a method by which homes can be procured here. There are a number of miners, mining engineers, and others who are desirous of settling in Sitka and bringing their families. If they could pre-empt land or pur- chase land or houses from the government, the place would take a step forward; this they cannot do. By the decision of Hon. O. H. Browning, Secretary of the Interior, dated October 26, 1867, and directed to the Hon. Wm. H. Seward, Secretary of State, "sueh claims and settlements are not only without the sanction 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 a treaty made with a foreign nation." The government owns within the precincts of this town 3,000 acres of land, which could be made valuable, and the island of Biorca would furnish grazing ground for 500 cattle. A short distance to the northward are the Katliansky plains, where are about 250 acres of good grazing ground. 30 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA, In dispatch dated October 11, 1879, I said: I number o( miners arrived by the steamer yesterday, men who had been at work at the Capiat- mines, am! most oi whom had been unsuccessful. These men find themselves npon arrival houseless. I have sanctioned their taking vo^ossion of. putting in order, and dwelling in the Army hospital building, which is commodious and empty. I think I can safely count upon their services should I need any extra foroe. In my dispatch dated January 22, 1880, I wrote, in connection with suggestions as to £overntnent necessary: The land here should be surveyed and existing titles perfected and protected, and it made possible to transfer real estate. The government owns much land and a num- ber of buildings (the latter going to ruin), which could be sold at good prices. . Dilapi- dated as thev are, ninny of the buildings are now rented by the collector, and they are eagerly sought. The development of Alaska would be greatly advanced if the publieiand could be thrown open to pre-emption, and section 4258 of the Eevised Statutes not be considered as bearing upon it. In such an event the rights of the na- tive Indians should be considered as are those referred to in section 2310. The circumstances which made it necessary for me to ask instructions from the department are detailed in the following dispatch, to which the notice referred to is appended : U. S. S. Jamestown, Third Rate. Off Sitka, December 19, 1879. Sir : I feel it my duty, acting as the senior representative of the government here, to call your attention to certain illegal acts which are being committed, but which do not property come within the province of naval forces to prevent, unless duly called upon by competent authority. In apparent ignorance of all laws upon the subject, as given in the Revised Statutes of the United States, sec. 2258, many parties here are going through a series of forms, by which they imagine that they obtain pre-emption rights over such plots of public land in this vicinity as they may fancy. The forms are sim- ple, the plots selected are staked, and in some cases fenced, notices are put up, and copies of said notices, together with a "claim," recorded by the collector in a blank- book kept for the purpose, and for recording mining claims. So lojig as these processes were confined to the wild land I could see no harm in it, and did not feel called upon to interfere; but lately two parties have, so far as these processes go, taken possession of part of the ground reserved by the government as a parade ground and for officers' quarters. In this emergency it seemed proper that someone here representing the government should protest. Alter consultation with Colonel Ball, and receiving from him the as- surance that he did not consider it to be his duty so to act, I prepared a notice, copy of which is inclosed, and posted it on the door of the custom-house, and in person notified the two claimants of the illegality of their acts. Both yielded, aud expressed willingness to remove all obstructions. As I had no desire to commit the department to the assumption of a responsibility which does not probably belong to it, and which it might be unwilling to assume, I simply directed that no obstruction should he caused by fences, and that all "notices" of " claiming" should be removed, and that all building, &c, should be postponed until I should receive from the department instructions as to its views, which I now respectfully request. I make this report with reluctance, for my sympathies are with those who are thus trying to obtain homes in Sitka, and I feel that after doing what it has for Sitka, the department may be unwilling to take any step which may not be its duty, which would tend to retard the advancement of the place. I also regret being compelled to perform a duty the non-performance of which mav reflect upon the collector, for whom I, with every one else here, have the greatest esteem. By force of character he has acquired a leadership here, and has settled wiselv many embarrassing questions, and my duties have been made comparatively easy by his course. In justice to him I should say that he informs me that upon each occasion lie has informed claimants that his recording had no legal status, and simply amounted to a written history of the affair. And he had, previous to mv knowing of the last case of " pre-emption," himself posted a notice warning against "further encroachments." We differ only in that I think the first encroachment should be in- cluded in the warning. His notice was takeu down when mine was posted. I am very averse to using a particle of authority here which is unnecessary, or to entangling the forces under my command in any domestic complication : bur 'havim- been honored by the department with discretionary orders, I cannot see that I can AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 31 Ho less than fully apprise it of the state of affairs, and ask for its instructions, so that I may make no mistake. Very respectfully, * * L. A. BEARDSLEE, Commander, U. S. N. Hon. R. W. Thompson, Secretary of the Navy. NOTICE. In pursuance with the duties with which I am intrusted hy the government, I would call the attention ^f the public to the following extract from the Revised Statutes of the United States, section 2258, page 417 : " The following classes of land, unless otherwise especially provided for hy law, shall not be subject to the rights of pre eruption : "First. Lands included in any reservation, hy any treaty, law, or proclamation of the President, for any purpose. "Second, Lands included within the limits of any incorporated town or city." And to the following extract from letter of Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, to General U. S. Grant, Acting Secretary of War: " Claims of pre-emption and settlement of tbe land districts of Alaska are in direct violation of laws applicable to the public domain, and military force may he used, if necessary, to remove intruders." All are therefore notified that the parade ground, and other pieces of land reserved hy the government, as per map in the custom-house, are, by the above-quoted sec- tions, exempt from pre-emption. L. A. BEARDSLEE, Commander, V. S. N,, Senior Government Officer Present. To this request for instructions the department answered as follows: Navy Department, Washington, January 17, 1880. Sir: Your letter of the 19th ultimo, in regard to the rights of pre-emption of public lands at Sitka, Alaska, has been received. Your course in reference to the pre-emption of lands or lots occupied by the public authorities is approved. You are not expected to resort to force in such cases as those referred to, but will, as you have done, notify settlers that such lauds are occupied exclusively for the use of the United States. As regards other lands, the department is of opinion that they cannot be embraced within the pre-emption laws of the United States ; but upon this subject you will leave the collector to act upon his own responsibility, as decisions in regurd to questions of this kind do not properly pertain to the jurisdiction of the commanding officer of the Jamestown. Whether parties whose claims are recorded by the collector get their titles hereafter must, depend upon what Congress may do in regard to this matter. R. W. THOMPSON, Secretary of the Navy. Upon receipt of the above letter, its contents were made known to the parties who had made the claims which were the origin of the ques- tion, and they at once complied with its requirements. And so far as the Navy Department had power the question was settled ; and to this day no man can obtain a legal right to any property, except mineral land, in Alaska. Although not in my power to assist any person in this connection, I was called upon often for such assistance. I will give one typical case, which will illustrate the needs of the peo- ple and the position I occupied in the matter. A druggist in the town (one of the number who signed the petition to the President in April, 1879) saw fit to begin the erection of a building across one of the streets of the town. The people who occupied prop- erty which would be injured by such a building very naturally objected to his carrying out his plans, but their objections were not heeded; sev- eral hard -up miners, who were known to be men who would right if nee- ;V2 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. ir\ -. were employed to dig foundations, &0., and no one in Sitka had il'iiuht to stop' the building, or coinage enough to take any steps. [u this emergency a public meeting was called, at which the following letter was prepared and forwarded to rae: Sitka, Alaska, June 18, 1880. Sik: We, citizens and property-owners of Sitka, respectfully request you to prevent James Schmeig from erecting a building on the street in front of George Cozian's, as he is about to do. This Btreel lias been open for one hundred years, and has always been a street ot this town, and by patting up the building proposed the rights of many property- owners will be damaged. Respectfully, yours, George Kastromitenoff. N. A. Fuller. L. Petalin. A. J. Linden. D. Martin. N. Chichineff. Nat. Hilton. A.Cohen. P. Murphey. A. Gh Coman. H. E. Cutter. Pat Corcoran. s. Milletich. And others with unreadable signatures. Capt. L. A. Beardslee. reply. George Kastromitenoff and others : Gentlemen : In reply to your communication of yesterday, in which you, as citizens and property-owners of Sitka, request that I should prevent Mr. James .Schmeig from erecting a building upon a certain location designated, I would state that I cannot comply with your request. It is not the province of the United States Government, certainly not 'that of the naval branch of the same, to interfere with the private affairs of the citizens of Sitka: nor to undertake, without law to back it, the settlement of disputes which do not in- volve a disturbance of the public peace. The pre-emption or taking possession of any land whatever (except mineral) in Alaska, is an act which violates the laws of the United States. It is not for me to say that one man may and another may not violate this law. I have already referred the question involved to the Navy Department, and have received instructions that "decisions in regard to questions of this nature do not prop- erly pertain to the jurisdiction of the commanding officer of the Jamestown.'' The history of the foregoing case has been thus given in detail, not because of any inherent importance, but because it adds to the evi- dence heretofore given as to the helpless condition of the citizens of the United States who have sought Alaska for homes, and shows plainly the inefficiency of military or naval laws to furnish the required help. The only step that I could be justified in taking was to suppress riot; and in so doing I gave protection to a man engaged in violating the rights of the entire community. I fully sympathized with these people. Mr. Schmeig was attempting to commit an act which in any other civ- ilized place in the world could be prevented by lawful proceedings ; but there was not a power in Sitka to prevent him. Public feeling was much excited, and threats of forcible measures were made. The people were warned by me that in such an event, as a street tight would probably endanger the lives of persons not engaged, troops would be landed immediately upon the start of a riot, and all persons engaged in such riot arrested. That night the building, as far as it had progressed, was pulled down by "unknown parties," and Mr. Schmeig yielded to the advice given to him by the collector, myself, and others, and to his fear of consequences, and gave up the attempt. EXPEDITION FOR RELIEF OF MAIL STEAMER CALIFORNIA. The monthly mail steamer due at Sitka June 7, 1879. failing to arrive, and grave apprehensions being entertained that she had inetwith some accident in the inland waters— in which case, judging bv the fate of the AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 33 passengers who were lost on the steamer George Wright a year before, those on board of the California would also be exposed to great perils — I resolved to take all steps in my power to give them assistance. A small steamer, the Rose, belonging to a merchant in Sitka, was chartered, outfitted, and armed with howitzer and Gatling gun, and under the command of Ensign N. R. Usher, who volunteered for the duty, dispatched to Wrangell on the 18th of June to search en route. The steamer was chartered because I had no confidence in the ability of either of our steam launches to perform with safety the journey of 160 miles, until we should have been able to effect considerable altera- tions in both. The Rose was represented by every one as seaworthy and well adapted for the voyage. The trip should have been performed in a week or ten days, allowing ample time for the search of various places on the route, which Mr. Usher was directed to make. The mail steamer arrived on the 23d June, having been detained at Portland, She had met the Rose just outside of Wrangell Harbor on the 22d ; had made endeavor to tow her back to Sitka, but found that such effort would probably result in the swamping of the Rose, which, it was reported, would go into Wrangell for fuel, and start back imme- diately. She should have reached Sitka by the 26th or 27th. Failing to do so, anxiety in regard to her sprung up, which was increased by many tales, now brought forward for the first time, as to the unseaworthi- ness of the Rose. On the 2d of July I thought it advisable to make some effort to hunt her up, and, fitting out the largest steam launch, went myself in search, finding her at anchor, broken down, in a harbor in the eastern part of Revil Straits, on the evening of the 3d July j and after effecting repairs, both boats returned to Sitka on the 5th. From the report of Mr. Ushur, I became convinced that the condition of the boiler, <&c, of the Rose was such that I would not be justified in ever again using her for any purpose, she having narrowly escaped loss on this trip; and my own experience in our best launch showed me that I coulcl not depend upon these boats for any distant service. We were thus reduced to oars and sails as our only propelling power to reach any part of Alaska, beyond a few miles from Sitka Harbor, and under date of July 15 I reported : Our steam launches are good boat*, but with both of them we have had more or less trouble with the engine and boilers, and when we get them both into trustworthy con- dition they would still be unequal to the work of making surveys far from the ship. They cannot carry coal, water, provisions, arms, instruments, &c, sufficient to do the work. For winter work here a small steamer, such as those known as the " ninety- day gunboats," is required. She could run with ease to any point wjiere American interests were threatened ; while, should I hear of troubles at Wrangell, or the Stil- kiene River, the most probable places, I should be helpless; for, although I should wish to, I could not go to the rescue. Such a position would be a most painful one,, and I would earnestly request either that in the fall this ship may be relieved by a steamer, or, if it be considered necessary that she should stay here,, a suitable steamer may be sent to co-operate. I cannot again send the Rose; she is hopelessly used up During the uext summer, as will be described in due sequence, a few weeks, work in a small chartered steamer, the Favorite, resulted in the accomplishment of much valuable work. SCHOOLS. There were in Sitka about sixty or seventy children,, of wlaom the larger number were those of the Creoles, Many of them were bright and intelligent, but all were growing up in ignorance and vice. I felt that in carrying out my instructions, to. advance the interests S. Ex. 71 3 9 | AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. of the United States in Alaska, the establishment of a school at which these children could be fitted to occupy their future position as United States citizens would be justified. By my request a gentleman well qualified for the duties, Mr. Alonzo E. Austin, of iNew York, then re- siding temporarily at Sitka, undertook the superintendence of a school, and by personal canvass a subscription of sufficient amount to recom- pense him was raised, and a room in the barracks building, which had already been partially fitted by agents of the Presbyterian Board of Some Missions, Mr. John G. Brady and Miss Kellogg, and in which a school had been kept for a short time by them two years before, was assigned again to the purpose; and during the remainder of my stay in Sitka, and until this date, this school has been in successful operation, supported partially by subscription and partially by your office, which allows to it the services of one of the interpreters who are necessarily employed by the commanding officer at Sitka. 1 have, since beginning this report, received from Sitka the programme of an exhibition and examination of this school, and by it I see tha children who could not speak a word of English, or read and write in their own native Eussian, are now capable of doing all these things in good English, in which they recite and write compositions. The training these children received in the school exerted a strong influence over their parents and other adults, and thus it became a great help to me in preserving order in the town. The school was from time to time visited by arriving passengers, among whom were several capitalists from San Francisco, and clergy- men. All expressed approbation, and all promised assistance. Bishop Xestor, of the Greek Church, alone kept this promise. During the autumn and winter of 1879 the white population of Sitka was greatly increased, and, as many of the new arriyals were of a far higher class than the average of the residents at the date of our arrival, the tone of the community was greatly improved. Missionaries had been sent by the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, and their work soon began to be apparent upon the Indians. Business men, and miners who had been deterred from bringing their families to Sitka on account of the absence of all law, became satisfied that it was safe to send for them, and a church for whites, another for Indians, and Sunday-schools sprang into existence. In April, 1880, I caused 'a census to be taken, with the following re- sult, in which I have not thought necessary to include the names of the Creole population : Census of Sitka, Alaska Territory. [Taken April 25, 1880, by Commander L. A. Beardslee, U. S. X.] UNITED STATES CITIZENS BY BIRTH. Men. Women. 1 Name. Occupation. M.D.Bali 4 Deputy collector Miss M. Ball MissS. Ball* s W. D. Dnlaney 1 Edward Francis 1 A. E. Austin Mrs. Austin Miss 0. Austin f ... Miss H. Austin " 1 Mrs.G. E. Pilz.. 1 * Postmaster, f Missionary. } Teacher. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. Census of Sitka, Alaska Territory — Continue! . 35 Men. 1 p Children under 15 years. Name. Oocupation. eg o H A. T. Whitford .. do ... 1 } N. A. Fuller .. do ... Wm. H. Bennett H. Wildes Edward De Kroff Walter B. Styles do Clerk do I F.Wilson J. Riley Clerk 1 1 R. H. Bishop Cook X. H. Hilton F, Staar J.Allen 1 . ..do W. M. Stewart . . . do do R. Willoughby do M. P. Barry J.Allard do T. H. Bennett do do do P. Howe do do J. T. Smith do Ed. Bean do H.N. Steele do do T.C.Doran do do do do J. D. Miller do M. A. Hays do T. Corwin do William Eeed do do F.Gideon do do do G. AY. Barnes do do C.H. Mitchell do D. Ackerman do do . W. Northrup do W. Hicks do .. do do J. Godholt Joseph Twan Thomas King S. Matthews do B. Seacord Total United States citizens by birth 92 36 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. XATl-KAUZED UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND OTHERS. Names. Nativity. A.Cohen Germany J.Cohen ....do ... T. tfooney Ireland .. W. rhompeon Scotland . A. Milletich Austria. . England Ireland . G eorge Berry . 1'. T. Corcoran Thomas Haltern Germany . Samuel Goldstein do Patrick Corcoran Ireland . - - L. Cardan Turkey - - - H. Them ] Germany . A. Martin P. Krrassard France Joseph Haves ! Ireland . . . R. J. Duggau ...do W. Zable I Norway. . . Ed. Dovle ! Ireland ... 1). A . Peterson Norway . . . Henry Bartle Germany . Cohauning Finland .. S. Wetherniier Germany . T. Mahoney Ireland... C. Wells do S. Milletich Austria . . . J.Smeig Germany George Cozian Austria . . . "William Richter j Germany A. Maris Austria... R. Waussen I Germany Fred. Kein | . . . do G. Heman do F. McGuire Ireland ... ...do .... ...do Finland.. Germany Ireland . . England . — do Ireland . . ....do .... Scotland . Sweden . . Yes. Yes. Yes. Occupation. J. Hollywood Ed. Ryan John Hal stead George E. Pilz N.Haley J. Prior Ed. Prior R. Champion M. Cleander John McKenna.. . . A. Graber M. H. Gibbons Ireland M. Dunn do H. Campbell Newfoundland . R. Albertson England J.Tallon Irsland J. Jareau Canada L. Czarovitch Austria Fran k Berry ' do D. Kennedy Ireland P. McGlenchky do Yes Yes. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes j Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.! Yes. Yes . i Yes. Yes. Yes.j Yes. Yes- Yes. I Yes. Yes., YesJ Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes Yes. Yes Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. } Yes. Yes. Brewer Saloon-keeper. ...do ...do Saloon-keeper billiards. ...do ...do Women. Mrs. Cohen' and Storekeeper do Mrs. Guestint .~- Mrs. Haltern Mrs Goldstein 2 Mrs. Corcoran t I 1 Mrs. Caplan 2 Mrs. Thein 1 ...do ...do ...do do Butcher Shoemaker i Carpenter Boatman | ■ Gardener ■ Carpenter I Mrs. Peterson t do ---do. — j Clerk ■ . do Blacksmith None do Scandinavia. Germany . . . Scotland John McKenna A. Nelson J. Leidig Robert Noods James Martin England Thomas Fielding do John Gorman do Thomas Mahoney Ireland . F. Alistry do ... Thomas Lyons England J. Lemon Ireland . G.M.Donnelly do ... Lattimer E. Q-regor Canada . Dennis Barrett Ireland . J. Rose wall England Robert McGraw ! Canada . Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes Yes. Yes. Yes Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Druggist Pilot Baker Lumberman Laborer Cook Tinsmith Baker Mariner Blacksmith Engineer Mining engineer Miner ....do None ....do ...do Miner ... do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ... do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ...do ....do Mrs. Smeigt Mrs. Richter t. Mrs. Hollywood t Mrs. Halstead 2 Mrs.Haley 3 Mrs. Prior 2 Yes. .do .do do do .do .do .do do .do .do ' Restaurant. t Members of Greek Church and natives of Sitka. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. NATURALIZED UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND OTHERS-Continued. 37 Names. Nativity. S si 1 1 Occupation. Women. Children under thirteen years. Total. do Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. James McC hesky Ireland England ....do do .. ... do ....do do ....do England ....do ... do ....do ....do ...do .., ....do Germany Scotch-Irish ....do do Yes. Yes. ....do do 'alizati 1?3 Citizens by birth, men 74, Citizens by naturalization, men 85, Citizens by treaty, men 122, 281, REC APITULATION. women 11. children 7 92 women 14. children 24 123 women and children 107 229 women and children 163 444 Of the above " citizens by treaty," 6 Creole women, married to natur- alized citizens, and their 11 children, have been enumerated as " natural- ized." Counting them as citizens by treaty, these will sum up 245. The following comparison with census taken in May, 1879, shows a gain of 119 persons : Comparison of census 1879 and 1880. 1879. 1880. Citizeiis by birth 34, 92, Citizens by naturalization.. . 44, 123, Citizens by treaty 247, 229, 325, 444, Gain 58 Gain 79 137 Loss 18 Gain of 119 r 36 per cent. Citizens of Sitka, April, 1880, classified by occupations. Miners 82 Saloon-keepers 16 Traders 11 Carpenters 7 Clerks 6 Government officials 3 Blacksmiths 3 Lumbermen 3 Teachers 3 Engineers 3 Mariners 3 Butchers 2 Barbers 2 Brewers 2 Gardeners 2 Laborers 2 Baker 1 Druggist 1 Unemployed 45 In the above classification, only those not Creoles are counted. Among them there were various trades represented, such as fishermen, fur- cleaners, tanners, tinsmiths, carpenters, tailors, mariners, and hoo-che- noo makers ; and there was also one Eussian, the priest. 38 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. Shortly after the taking of the census, most of the miners left Sitka for the purpose of prospecting the country in various directions, but nearly all remained in Alaska. During the summer and fall of 1880, the population increased grad- ually, most of the persons arriving coming to stay. Among the arriv- als were the Rev. G. W. Lyon and wife; the former a missionary sent by the Presbyterian board of home missions. Upon the arrival of Mr. Lyon it was necessary to provide him with a home and a suitable room for a church and school; this was done by setting aside for his use rooms in government buddings, viz, the bar- racks and hospital. But for the assistance thus given by the government, the object of the mission board could not have been attained. Coincident with the increase of population business revived. Sev- eral new houses and places of business were erected, and a number of small vessels were constructed in an extemporized ship-yard, fronting the government parade ground. As this business tended to advance the interests of the country, I made no opposition to the use of the gov- ernment reserve, it being understood that such use was but temporary and subject to discontinuation if necessary. Some little commerce sprung up, and during the summer several ves- sels arrived with freight, principally lumber; for although the surround- ing country was rich in valuable timber, there was no mill by which it could be utilized. One belonging to a company in San Francisco being so dilapidated that it could not be used economically, and the company neglecting to operate it held it at so high a price that parties desiring to purchase and put it in running order were unable to do so. A small steamer, the Favorite, belonging to the Northwest Trading Company, began making monthly trips to various places in the Archi- pelago, where the company had established trading posts ; and Sitka having been selected as her port of departure, the family of Captain Tanderbilt, who commanded her, became residents, and were also fur- nished with quarters in government buildings, the collector having au- thority to rent such buildings, of which there are eight or ten of con- siderable value, besides others of comparatively little. The valuable ones are custom-house, barracks, castle, hospital, two warehouses, club- house, boat-house, and two dwellings, occupied by the collector and deputy collector. All of these buildings are becoming dilapidated ; they not being founded on stone, the foundation timbers have become very rotten, and the roofs have become water-soaked and leaky. A survey of these buildings, and an estimate as to the amount of re- pairs absolutely necessary to preserve them from destruction, was made during the summer of 1880 by officials of the Treasury Department, assisted by the carpenter of the Jamestown, Mr. Martin, which, I pre- sume, has been submitted to the Treasury Department. I was not fur- nished with a copy, WHARF. Among other property of the government was a large wharf, which had been built by the Army. Upon our arrival we found this wharf so nearly destroyed that it was determined to place it in order as far as practicable. A board of officers, of which Lieutenant-Commander Eockwell was senior member, was detailed to devise a plan for its restoration, which plan was approved by the collector and myself, and operations were at once begun by a working force from the Jamestown ; and at the expense AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 39 of the Navy Department the wharf was put into comparatively good and safe condition. As a part of the plan it was arranged that a pile of stones should be so placed that they would give support to short preventer-piles, the bases of which should be above the water-mark, and thus safe from the action of teredos. This pile was to be placed at the expense of the town, or rather such persons as should use the wharf for landing freight, upon which wharfage should be charged. Collector Ball undertook this part of the work. Owing to reasons with which I was not made acquainted, the col- lector was not able to carry out his arrangement, and up to the date of my detachment, in September, 1880, the stone pile had not been built. The wharf stood the heavy gales of the winter of 1879-'80, but owing to a radical defect in its original construction, was considerably weak- ened by them. This defect was in the foundation, which consisted of crib work of timber filled with heavy stones, and built on a steep incline. The teredos honey-combed the woodwork, and the stones rolled down the hill. In the spring of 1880, it became evident that the wharf must be re- built, and I addressed to the collector the following letter : U. S. S. Jamestown, July 29, 1880. Sir : I would respectfully notify you that unless steps are soon taken tending to the preservation of the government wharf, the deterioration which is now taking place will have increased to such an extent as to render it impracticable to attempt to save it : and that in my judgment it will not stand through another winter. Whenever you will cause to be completed the portion of the work undertaken by you, viz, the construction of a stone pile, of dimensions sufficient to insure a firm foundation, I will carry out the arrangements made last year, and cause piles to be erected which will greatly increase the security of those already placed by my orders. M. D. Ball, Esq., Collector. To which letter the collector replied in a letter which contained, be- side personal matters not necessary to quote here, a history of the various effort which had been made by him for the preservation of the wharf, and a statement that lack of the necessary funds alone prevented him from completing the work. This work never was completed, and, as I had predicted, the wharf was utterly destroyed by a severe gale of wind last October. Up to this point this report has been confined to such subjects as served best to illustrate the position and condition of the citizens of the United States dwelling at Sitka, the relationship existing between them and the Indian natives, and the position assumed by the govern- ment through its representatives, Collector Ball and myself, in connec- tion with their affairs. The duties involved were irksome and uninteresting, and the respon- sibility great, inasmuch as it was frequently necessary, as has been shown, that acts should be performed by us which could not be justi- fied by any law except the natural law by which might becomes right. Our duties were rendered more complicated by uncertainty as to the jurisdiction of the United States district court of Oregon, and the strong- possibility that its views might differ so seriously from ours that we would become personally responsible to the law for the performance of what seemed plainly to be duty. , In regard to the frequent violation of the two sections of the act of July 27, 1868, as amended in March, 1873, it would seem that we were possessed of full power to lawfully secure the punishment of offenders, but there were practical obstacles not contemplated by the law. 40 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. • A trial at Portland involved a great expense to the government, which there was no chance of reducing by the proceeds of the fines, as not one hoo -che-noo maker in Sitka was able to pay the tenth of the amount. Our relations with the Indian tribes were very interesting, and through the operations of the Jamestown, in connection with them, much im- provement has been made in their condition and in their relationship with the whites, These operations will be now described. JP^.RT II OPERATIONS OF THE JAMESTOWN IN CONNECTION WITH THE INDIAN TRIBES OF SOUTHEAST" ALASKA. 41 PART II THE INDIAN TRIBES OF ALASKA, AND THE OPERATIONS OF THE JAMESTOWN IN CONNECTION THEREWITH. It had been made my duty to restore harmonious relations between the whites and Indians of Southeast Alaska, and the steps taken to this end, in the preliminary effort to establish harmony among the whites themselves, have been detailed. My position in regard to the Indians would have been very compli- cated had I made effort to control them in accordance with the provisions of the Revised Statutes bearing upon Indian affairs, for nearly all of the sections presuppose a very different condition of affairs than pre- vailed in Alaska. The question whether the country was or was not Indian territory was an open one, on which learned authorities differed, and if it was so considered, I could not find authority for me to assume the functions which would have pertained to an Indian agent had there been one ; and there had never been made with these Indians any treaty, the ful- fillment of the provisions of which I could demand. As far as I could understand the situation, I was left untrammeled to devise such scheme as should prove best adapted to restore the harmo- nious relations on a permanent basis. The only sections of the Revised Statutes which were of service to me were section 2145 : Except as to crimes, the punishment of which is expressly provided for in this title , the general laws of the United States as to the punishment of crimes committed in any place within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, exceptingthe District of Columbia, shall extend to the Indian country. Also section 2146 : The preceding section shall not be considered to extend to (crimes committed by one Indian against the person or property of another Indian, nor to) any Indian commit- ting an offense in the Indian country who has been punished by the local law of the tribe, or to any case where, by« treaty stipulation, theex elusive jurisdiction over such offenses is or may be secured to the tribes respectively. From these I deduced — First. The United States had exclusive jurisdiction over Alaska. Second. As the senior government official present, it was my duty to maintain this jurisdiction. Third. There were no complications due to treaties. Fourth. The laws of the United States recognized the local laws of tribes as competent to inflict punishment. Fifth. That as such jurisdiction had been turned over to sundry tribes by treaty stipulations, I would be justified in making use of the prece- dent when such action should seem to me advisable. It was important that I should familiarize myself with their local laws, and while so engaged, I found that a study of their customs, character, and especially their superstitions, was equally necessary. 43 44 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. Before attempting any control over them, I had resolved upon two vital principles to be guided by: First. To, under every circumstance, treat the Indians with perfect justice, to the best of my judgment; and, second, to avoid, unless forced to act otherwise, all attempts to govern by force, and to substitute, as tar as possible, leading for driving. INDIANS AT SITKA AND VICINITY. Upon our arrival we found at the Sitka ranch about 150, mostly women, children, and old people; but within two to three days' canoe distance 300 or 400 more of the Sitka Indians were scattered, sea-otter hunting and fishing. These could very soon concentrate in Sitka, and passing by the vil- lages of other tribes with whom they were more or less connected, twice as many more could be collected, all provided with great canoes in which war parties of from 20 to 50 are carried. It was therefore neces- sary that we should acquire control of these tribes also. If by a mistake we won the ill-will of the Indians, it would have been impossible for me, with the force at my disposal, to prevent outrages or punish the perpetrators. The channels of the archipelago are marked by rapids and other dangers, which would effectually prevent a sailing ship from threading them ; and our steam launches were not as suitable for the work as we had expected to find them. The engines, boilers, fuel, and water oc- cupied so much space that there was not enough left to carry to any great distance, with provisions and outfit, an armed party of sufficient size to prove formidable upon arrival. The launches were not provided with condensers, therefore could not use salt water, and were compelled to stop every four hours or oftener to obtain water at creeks and waterfalls, and while thus engaged at the mouth of a creek issuing from a dense forest the working party would be exposed to attack from concealed enemies. Fully conscious that, should our course in handling them be such as to excite the opposition of the Indians, our physical force would not prove equal to the task of subduing them, it was deemed advisable that our efforts should be directed to obtain control of them with their good will and consent, instead of trying to do so against it, and to avoid taking any steps which would redound to the injury of the whites at Sitka if left again without protection, or which would tend to increase the dangers to such men as sought the interior on prospecting trips. Further, any bombardment of an Indian village, especially the one at Sitka, would inflict injury upon friends and foes alike, for in nearly every tribe there are some families who are friendly, and these are generally the most powerful, they having amassed riches through trade with the whites. I first sought for the causes which had produced the hostilitv between the whites and the Indians. I found a wide-spread fear of the Indians existing among the whites ; this fear, however, was not as great as it had been, for the whites had begun again to furnish to the Indians the materials for making rum, a traffic which they had suspended during the worst of their scare. Furnished with liquor, the Indians became dangerous, and everv night wild orgies occurred in the ranch, accompanied by fights in which knives were freely used. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 45 INDIAN LAWS. According to Indian law the man who gets another drunk is respon- sible for the acts committed by him while in that state, and for his life if he dies or is killed. Thus at the very root of the difficulty I found the acts of bad white men. The Indians have a code of laws based upon their ideas of strict justice. If one Indian inflicts a blow or any other injury upon another the matter can be, and frequently is, adjusted at a consultation in which both families are represented either by the indicting of an equal injury or by the payment to the injured party of an equivalent. Even a life taken can be settled for in this way, payments being made, according to the amount assessed, in slaves, furs, or blankets. By the unwritten but thoroughly established provisions of this law a man who sells or gives to another liquor, from the effects of which death ensues, is re- sponsible for the death, and must pay the assessed value. If an Indian dies while in the house of another, or if killed in any way while in the employ of another, the house-owner or employer is responsible- The Indians seldom fail to yield to this, the very foundation of their laws, and a refusal to make equitable reparation is always a cause of war. ORIGIN OF TROUBLE WITH WHITES. They had this cause against the whites : Five of the Kaksatis had been drowned while serving on board the American schooner San Diego, which was lost in Bering Straits. Through their chief, Katlaan, they pressed the whites at Sitka for compensation for these men, at the rate of $200 each. After several conferences with the collector, who explained to them that by our laws this payment could not be made, the claim was reduced to one for the wages due the drowned men at the date of their death. I have been informed that these wages were collected at San Francisco, but swal- lowed up in fees and expenses. The Indians got nothing, and, natu- rally, could not comprehend the situation, and considered themselves as greatly wronged by the whites. As chief of the tribe, it was the duty of Katlaan to act for them in this matter, and he, being angered by what he and they considered in- justice, made threats against the whites "to get even." He left Sitka immediately after the affray in February, and, being absent, all responsibility for it was laid upon his shoulders, and his name became a terror to the whites, who anticipated all sorts of trouble " when Katlaan came back," and some of whom, probably the same parties in all cases, furnished to Captain A'Court, of the Osprey, to Captain Selden, of the revenue-cutter Wolcott, and to me, when I took charge, statements to the effect that Katlaan had led the attacking party, having originated the outbreak, and that he endeavored to in- duce the Indians to sack the town; that, failing in this, he had gone down the coast to incite the other tribes to attack Sitka. These statements were incorporated in their official reports. Statements made to me by other reliable parties led me to doubt the truth of all of these accusations, and, after careful investigation, I be- came convinced that the man was not guilty of a very large percentage of the offenses charged against him. I came to believe that on the night of the affray Katlaan was per- fectly sober, and used his utmost influence to assist Annahootz in quiet- ing the drunken Indians. Had he headed that party, every Kaksati in 46 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. the ranch would have been in it; and instead of a broil between half a dozen drunken Kaksatis on one side and a large force of Kok-wa-tons on the other, there would have been a fight of considerable magnitude. I learned, too, from Creole families that Katlaan had that night sent to their protection trusty members of his family, and that he himself went to the house of a white friend to defend him and his family if molested by any drunken Indians. In short, I became convinced that he was not in' any way responsible for the affray, further than the effect which may have been produced by the threats made by him when angered by his* failure to obtain compensation for the lost members of his family. Annahootz testified to this effect, as did several of the leading Kok- wa ton Indians; and the deputy collector, Dr. Dnlaney, informed me that this chief offered his services in having the murderers hung at once in Sitka. All agreed that Katlaan was brave, powerful, and intelligent, and I considered that it was well worth while to turn such a man from an enemy into a friend. I have gone thus into detail in regard to this man because I believe that his influence was the power which restrained the disorderly men of his family on the night of the affray ; also, because my subsequent treatment of him, based upon this belief, has been made the subject of considerable adverse criticism. STEPS TAKEN TO PRESERVE ORDER. Soon after our arrival, it became necessary that steps should be taken to preserve order on shore. Wild orgies took place nightly at the ranch, accompanied frequently by fighting and stabbing, and in the white settlement certain dissolute and desperate characters endangered the lives of all citizens by their frequent drunken assaults, generally upon women and children. The Army guard-house, which was well fitted for our purpose, with cells, &c, was put in order, and a guard of trustworthy marines there stationed. It did not, however, seem to me good policy to employ the marines in arresting Indians. The least evil from such a course would have been the engendering of ill-feeling; and there was the risk that, in case of resistance by drunken Indians, the small arresting party might be overpowered, or forced to extreme measures in making arrests, the former of which would seriously injure their prestige, and the latter produce a blood feud that some time or other would be settled. A cor- poral with a couple of men would be in bad company if a dozen or more crazy Indians attacked them, in their own ranch. I determined to teach the Indians to control themselves, and to obey primarily their own laws, and to this end appointed as policemen five of the most trustworthy and influential, to whom the duties of preserv- ing order in the ranch and of arresting all disorderly or drunken Indians who came into the white settlement, were assigned. They were in- structed to in no emergency attempt to arrest or molest any white man, and they were particularly cautioned that rewards offered for the appre- hension of deserters were not to be earned by them ; for such action upon their part would have drawn upon them' the hatred of the crew, and drunken liberty men would have instigated troubles. Annahootz was appointed chief, with four assistants, all of whom had helped subdue the riot in February. These appointments were made at a meeting of the leading Indians, AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 47 Tvliich I had called, to whom I explained my intentions and desire that they should learn to govern themselves. They all expressed approba- tion of the plan ; but the leaders of the Kaksatis were not satisfied that all of the appointments should be given to Kak-wa-tous, and asked one for their family ; this I declined to give, telling them that they had, by their conduct, forfeited any claims to such consideration, but that, if after six months' probation the conduct of the family had been such as to merit it, an appointment would be made from it. This satisfied them, and they promised to try to earn it. During our stay at Sitka these policemen did all duties required of them, and it was never necessary for us to use our own men in arresting Indians or preserving order among them. Although we several times have landed armed parties with orders to assist the Indian policemen, if requested to by them, in suppressing riots among the Indians, their services were never required, the policemen receiving all needed aid from other sober Indians, among whom were notably those employed on board of the Jamestown as landsmen, and never failed to quiet disturb- ances. They were so successful in the sundry raids made by them upon the illicit distilleries, which sprung up like mushrooms at the least ex- pected times and most unsuspected places in and near Sitka, that I de- termined to give them a thorough trial a little farther from home. RAID UPON INDIAN RANCHES AT HUNTER'S BAY. In August, 1879, Mr. Hunter, superintendent of the salmon canning establishment at Old Sitka (now called Hunter's Bay), wrote to the collector requesting him as chief magistrate to call upon me to send a force to destroy the distilleries surrounding the cannery, which gave him great annoyance, and through the drunkenness produced interfered seriously with his business. Hunter's Bay is 6 miles from Sitka, and not visible from the town or harbor. In the neighborhood of the cannery there are three ranches, occupied by about 80 em- ploye's and their families, all Indians. I did not consider it wise or my duty to com- ply with his request. A raid upon the villages by our men would probably be resented by the Indians, who would have undoubtedly done injury to the property, after we should have finished and returned to Sitka. Besides, I considered that in thus surrounding himself with Indians Mr. Hunter took a business risk; his increased profits through the employ- ment of cheap labor should recompense him for some annoyances and drawbacks. No outrages were charged, and therefore I could not interfere and place myself in the position of keeping his servants orderly by force. But the occasion suggested to me that this would furnish me with a valuable test of the correctness of my views as to the best metnod of managing Indians; also, of the estimation in which the ship was held and how strong our influence was. Accompanied by Colonel Ball, whom I invited, three Indian policemen, and an in- terpreter, I went in one of the steam launches to the cannery. On our approach there was great excitement in the ranches, and we could plainly see many stills and kegs being transported to the woods in the rear. I assembled the Indians and addressed them, explaining my views as to hoo-che-noo, and warning them of the probable troubles which its use would entail upon them. I told them that I had come without soldiers, because I believed I could get them to do right when they understood it. Calling for volunteers to smash up all the distilleries, over twenty Indians stepped forward, and as they insisted upon my going to see for myself, I did so, and in a few minutes I found myself the director of an excited crowd, who with axes, clubs, halibut killers, and stones, smashed up about forty stills, and destroyed great quantities of mash and liquor. We went through all three of the ranches, our party rapidly increasing in force, every Indian whose still was discovered and destroyed becoming at once active in hunting up those of his neighbors. During the whole affair I was treated with great respect, and apparently ran no risk, except perhaps from some enraged squaws, from whose impending clutches "Little Jack" rescued me. 48 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. After the raid a number of the Indians of the better sort thanked me for not bring- ing the soldiers, and begged me to stop the storekeepers from selling molasses. I found it 'very difficult to make them understand that, while the government condemned hoo-ehe-noo, it approved molasses. The foregoing description is quoted from my dispatch of September 6, 1879. Daring this raid an influential Indian, who is also a great rascal, "Sitka Jack," was very prominent, following my remarks by a fiery address to the multitude, and leading the destroying party to his own house where, first of all, his own still was smashed under his supervision. By a note received from Mr. Hunter the next day, I learned that after our departure the Indians completed the work by destroying two other stills belonging to " Sitka Jack," which were located a short way off, and to save which valuable ones he had zealously sacrificed one of little value. FIRST PUNISHMENT ADMINISTERED. I did not think it advisable to begin a system of punishment of In- dians for offenses, until I had taken every available method to cause them to understand our views of right and wrong, and for a considera- ble time after arrival contented myself with giving advice and admoni- tion; but I found that an impression was growing up among the In- dians that we were afraid of them; they had never been subjected to a government not mixed with force, ana could not comprehend it. It became necessary to disabuse them of this erroneous impression, and a suitable opportunity presenting itself it was taken advantage of. An outrageous assault upon a woman was committed by "Big Char- lie,' 7 a very powerful, and, when drunk, dangerous Indian, who had, upon occasion of being punished by order of General Davis when in command, attempted to kill a sentry for revenge. All of the leadiug Indians were summoned by me to a council. "Charlie" was given a fair trial and opportunity to question witnesses and make a defense, found guilty, and punished severely. The story of this trial, I afterward learned, spread throughout the archipelago; the fairness of it and the justice of the sentence were ad- mitted by all; and the subsequent relieving the man from all disgrace on account of his punishment, by taking him upon our rolls and giving him employment, had a good effect. The man himself admitted that he deserved what he had received, promised to leave off hoo-che-noo, and for a year was one of the best behaved Indians in Sitka. I attribute this reformation, and the influence I gradually acquired over most of the tribes in the archipelago, to their appreciation of strict justice, upon which their own laws are based. At the end of six months Katlaan returned, and reported on board of the ship. He said that he had learned from his people that the man- of-war treated all with justice— that it was a friend and not an enemv. and that he had resolved to stay away in exile no longer, but to deliver himself to me that justice might be done. I was favorablv impressed with his manners, and after a short conversation, remembering mv promise to the Kaksatis, I offered to him the position of policeman. This display of confidence won him, and from that day until I left, he was the most faithful and reliable of all, and upon one occasion risked his life in disarming two Indians, crazy with hoo-che-noo, who rushed toward our armed party, which was standing ready to back the police- man if necessary. In appointing Katlaan, I not only did justice to a falsely accused man. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. . 49 but secured the services and friendship of one of the most powerful and rising Indians in Alaska, whose power and influence it was decidedly worth while to secure to the whites, instead of leaving him in hostility. And this appointment relieved me from another trouble. The Kaksatis , while yielding to the authority of Annahootz and other Kok-wa-ton policemen, did so with reluctance, and there was arising a possibility of trouble between the two families. In dispatches dated January 20 and 22, 1880, 1 reported in regard to this appointment : The experiment of keeping the Indians under control through the aid of their leaders has proved a success, but not a perfect one ; they have done good service and I have never regretted the step, but there was a difficulty growing up which in time might prove of magnitude. In the original appointments (of policemen) I had been guided in selection by the records of the applicants, and not understanding the family ar- rangements and feelings, appointed Kok-wa-tons alone. The Kaksatis asked for one of the appointments, but were refused, with, however, the condition that if, for six months the conduct of the family was such as to merit it, I would select from it and appoint a man. The six months have passed; their conduct has been equally as good as that of the Kok-wa-tons; they have submitted to Annahootz. and some have assisted him; but there was a bitter feeling arising, and charges that Annahootz was not impartial (which I do not believe) were circulating. It was a bitter dose to a Kaksati to submit to arrest by a Kok-wa-ton. I found that to keep my promise, and to extinguish the spark, I needed a reliable and powerful Kaksati. Katlaan was beyond question the man, and he is now so serving, and has already proved very useful in bringing into the traces some young bucks who had re- sented Anuahootz's interference ; they won't dare to question an act of Katlaan, and he does just as I direct. I am fully satisfied that it is the best policy, looking to the future, to wiu him and his tribe to loyalty to the government and friendship to the whites. In this dispatch I reported also the results of a census of the Indians which I had procured on Christmas Day by the device of offering to dis- tribute on that day a ration of beef and bread to every Indian in Sitka, making this offer early enough to permit the gathering in of all who belonged to Sitka, and not early enough for it to spread to other tribes. By this census I found that, all told, there were not over five hundred Indians living at Sitka or in immediate vicinity, who were divided thus : Kok-wa-tons, 40 families, 80 men, 120 women and children, total, 200; Kaksatis, 30 families, 40 men, 85 women and children, total, 125 ; and about 175 more, belonging to several minor families. Of this total of 500 people not over 200 were men and grown boys ; but to this effective force in case of trouble may be added a large pro- portion of the women, who are more disorderly and dangerous than the men, and are experts in the use of stabbing-knives. The term " family" has been used several times in this report. It may be advisable to explain clearly its meaning. Nearly all of the tribes who dwell among the islands of the Alexander Archipelago are appar- ently of a common origin, having the same language, superstitions, and customs. Each tribe is independent of all of the others, but connected with most of the others by intermarriage, a relationship through the mothers being considered more intimate than through fathers. These tribes have no chief who has authority over all of its members, but they are subdivided into families, each consisting of all persons related, of whom as many as possible occupy the same house. In each of these families some man with superior brains, force, or wealth, and frequently from combination of all, becomes its leader. Singular as it may seem, "blood" goes a long way in the establishment of this posi- tion, from which an Indian having any trace of slave blood in his veins, no matter how slight, is vigorously tabooed. S. Ex. 71 4 BO AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. Those leaders are looked up to, and their advice generally accepted and their orders obeyed, but not always, for domestic revolts by aspir- ing young books are not uncommon. Generally these leaders own sev- eral' slaves, who add to their dignity and importance. These slaves, of whom there are quite a number at Sitka, are either persons who, when children, have been paid by one tribe to another in settling a war, or by one family to another in payment of some claim. Every person in every family is bound to assist any member of it who has received injury from any member of another family in obtaining com- pensation from the injurer, or, failing in that, from his family. [Extract from dispatch of January 22, 1880.J The most sacred duty is retaliation; the word in their language which expresses it is " to get even." Their code would necessarily involve them iu endless feuds, were it not that all injuries have their prices, and can bo paid for. After due consultation at a,pow-tvow between the leaders of the two families, a cer- tain price is fixed, which is paid either in slaves, furs, or blankets, according to its amount. I have been called upon several times to investigate and act as arbiter, and have permitted this atonement, which satisfied all parties, in preference to inflicting punishments, which would make all parties dissatisfied. The difficulties between the Indians and whites are greatly due to this custom, and I became fully satisfied very soon after my arrival at Sitka that the two principal causes of difficulty between the whites and the Indians originate with the former. The whites turn peaceable Indians into crazy devils by furnishing ram to them, and friendly Indians into enemies by assaults upon them, for which the Indians cannot obtain redress. Thus, even from the Indian stand-point, the one thing necessary to preserve peace in Southeastern Alaska is a government with strength enough to restrain and fully punish disorderly persons, either white or red, and thus furnish to each an equally needed protection. TROUBLES AT WRANGEL. The mail steamer arriving at Sitka January 25, 1880, brought news that a war was in progress at Wrangel between the Stahkine and Kootz- noo Indians. The former are natives of the town, and number about 120; the latter live on Admiralty Island, and are a much more powerful tribe. Just to the westward of the white settlement at Wrangel are a num- ber of houses which are appropriated to the use of visiting tribes who come to Wrangel to trade with the whites there located. The village of the Stahkines is to the eastward of the white settlement, which is thus exposed to danger by being between the contestants. I received a letter from a Mr. Woodcock, the chairman of a committee of safety— the resident males having formed themselves into such an organization. Collector Ball returned to Sitka by the steamer, and in auswer to my request, he gave me a written statement as to condition of affairs at Wrangel. I received also a letter from the pilot of the steamer. These letters are as follows : [Letter from Mr. Woodcock. 1 Fort Wraxgel. January 24. 1890. f-SLi A , 8 r ? ia + irma " °f the committee appointed by the residents of Wrangel. I have furnished Captain Ball with a statement of the situation of affairs here in pencil, and AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 51 would have communicated with you in person if I had time. The committee respect- fully ask for their protection, that we sbonld have 25 o. 30 soldiers sent here; and their services would not be required any longer than the next trip of the California. As we are very short of arms, I respectfully request that 75 stand of arms, with ammunition, and a gatling-gun be forwarded by the California. W. H. WOODCOCK. Capt. L. A. Beardslee, Commanding United States Steamer Jamestown. [Letter from Collector Ball.] Custom-House, Collector's Office, Sitka, Alaska, January 26, 1880. Captain : On my way back to Sitka, I have met, at Wrangel, a committee of safety, formed of the citizens there, whose chairman has addressed you a letter on the subject of the Indian trouble now existing there. There was no time during the short stay of the steamer there, for them to wr ; te you a full account, which I was requested to give, but must make it more brief than they desired. The trouble arose from a personal difficulty between an Indian of the Stickeen tribe, with some of the Hoo-che-noo tribe, which occupy respectively the shores east and west of the white settlement there. The Stickeen being beaten by some of the Hoo- che-noos, went with a party of his friends to their ranch and took retaliation in kind on the Hoo-che-noos, with interest. T i ere upon a party of Hoo-che-noos attached the Stickeens family, which made the assault on them in regular armed fashion, and a fight occurred, resulting in the death of two Hoo-che-noos and three Stickeens, and the wounding of a number, some mor- tally. After the fight the parties kept up a skirmish for several days, which, from the shape of the town, &c, was a very dangerous thing for the citizens, many houses beiug struck, and some persons narrowly missed by the bullets. They, at last, make threats to seize the powder in the stores. The trouble commenced on the 11th instant ; the fight occurred on the 14th, and on the 15th the citizens met and appointed a committee of safety, organized a guard, and have established military orders, forbidding the Indians to enter the town armed (they were running through wiih arms freely during the skirmishing), and keeping them out after ten entirely. The deputy collector at Wrangell concurs with the committee in the danger of the situation, and has been active in the organization of means of defense. I may add that the testimony of all the citizens there asserts the coolness and de- termination and good judgment of his course in dealing with the situation, to which is in my opinion to be attributed the comparative safety of the place now. While, as at present organized, the ^ hite population at Wrangell is perhaps secured from serious present trouble, yet I am confident they should be furnished, if possible, with better means of defense, and I hope you will respond to their request as far as in your power. M. D. BALL, Collector. [Letter from Captain George, coast pilot.] January 25, 1880. Sir : I beg to submit to you a general report of the state of affairs at Wrangell. On the arrival of the steamer California at Wrangell on the 24th instant, we found the whole population under arms to guard against encroachments of the Indians, who were at war. It appears from the reports that a number of Hoo-che noo Indians (about 50), vis- iting Wrangell on a trading expedition, had engaged in the manufacture of the liquor which bears their name. This traffic the Sticheen Indians tried to suppress by force, which finally resulted in a fight between them ; several were killed and wounded on both sides. The Hoo- che-noo Indians sent off a canoe to their village, 60 miLes distant, for re-enforcements, and further trouble was anticipated. The whites had stored their powder and ammu- nition in a storehouse, and established a system of guards for the town. So the matter rests since the steamer left, but it shows the necessity of some gov- ernment authority to take precedence. W. E. GEORGE. The foregoing letters were inclosed to the department with my monthly dispatch, dated January 25, 1880, in which I wrote in the con-, nection : I find that the outside number of Stahkines is 120, of the Kootznoos not over 50, but it is supposed that the latter have sent up the straits to their village (on Admiralty 52 AFFAIRS IN AZASKA. Island) for re-enforcements. Allowing such to be the case, and the forces made equal? ell-armed whites (the number enrolled for military service) ought to be able to take care of themselves, by maintaining an " armed neutrality," or by backing one Bide or the other, and thus making a thorough affair of it; they, however, lack arms, and 1 consider that I ought to furnish them. I shall therefore send them to-morrow a Gatling gun and 50 rifles, and shall send an officer and suitable gunner to take care of I shall instruct the officer to return by the next steamer, unless at that time the situation of affairs is such as to require his longer stay. Tins affair could be quickly settled if I had a steamer instead of this ship, which would lose herself before she"got half way there. And the gunner, Mr. Charles Stewart, was sent, with an assistant, taking- with him the arms indicated. Mr. Stewart returned by the steamer arriving March 26, the usual February trip of the steamer not having been made on account of her having struck on Columbia Eiver bar and being so injured that it was necessary lor her to go into dock at Victoria, where she arrived on her way north, after a voyage which had been a very perilous one. Mr. Stewart reported that shortly after his arrival at Wrangell he had a talk with the Kootznoo Indians, who soon returned to their vil- lage. From him and other reliable sources I learned for the first time the true history of the difficulty at Wrangell and its origin. The efforts of the missionaries at this place have been rewarded by considerable advancement of the Stahkiues Indians in civilization, and some are considered to have adopted Christianity. Among the reforms effected has been the lessening of the production of hoo-che-noo, and the missionaries had employed certain of the leading Indians as police- men, and these men have fulfilled, when required, the duty of break- ing up hoo-che-noo stills. A party of Kootznoo Indians had come to Wrangell on a trading- trip, and were occupying the guest houses, which are appropriated to such purposes. Not having been subjected to the influence of the mis- sionaries, which do not, under the present system, extend beyond the boundaries of Wrangell, these men set up a hoo-che-noo stiil in their camp, and some of them got drunk. Among the missionary force there is a Dr. Corlies, who, however, is not sent to Alaska by any organization, but has been led by zeal to undertake the duties of his own accord. Unfortunately, his zeal is not tempered with discretion and familiar- ity with Indian affairs, and he called upon one of the policemen of the mission to go and capture the still in the Kootznoo ranch. The policeman, who was a convert, tried to get clear of the task on account of its being Sunday— his real reason being, undoubtedly, that he was fully aware that a Stickiene (Stahkine) Indian, who should at- tempt to exercise authority over the Kootznoos would, beyoud doubt, get into trouble. Dr. Corlies, however, insisted upon the attempt being made. His demand was complied with, and the natural result followed ; and this imprudent act of this self-constituted missionary Avas the true cause of the trouble and the bloodshed. In support of this statement, I will quote from a letter written to the editor of the Alaska Appeal, and published in that paper February 15, the writer being Dr. Corlies himself. Fort Wrangell. Alaska. January 27. 186 Hoo-che-noo, the hane of Alaska Indians, has again heen the cause of the sheddino- or innocent blood. ° When* ill the United States government, with a strong hand put down this terrible rsCOUI'^c i AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 53 The missionaries at Fort Wrangell have used every means in their power to free the Indians from this their worst enemy. * # # # # » • On January 11, I was informed that there was a still in full operation, and im- mediately dispatched the police to capture it, which they did successfully, hut a Stah- kiue who accompanied them lost his temper, and blows were exchanged to the dam- age of said Stahkine's face and clothes. He thirsted for revenge, hut Mr. Young and myself positively forbade him to return with his friends. Two days later, without our knowledge, some thirty unarmed Stahkines went to the Kootznoo village, and demanded redress, which was given by a young man who came out and received a blow. All would now have ended happily had not some rash fellow struck him again, when immediately there was a general light, the Kootznoos bringing out their hatchets, &c, which were wrested from tlnir grasp and used against them, wounding seven per- sons badly. After this the Kootznoos threatened the lives of the Stahkines. I went to both parties, dressed their wounds, and succeeded in obtaining their promises to meet in council at, Mr. Young's house the next morning. Alas for promises! Early the next day the Kootznoos rushed well armed to the Stahkine village ; Mr. Youug made heroic efforts to prevent bloodshed, and would have succeeded if the Kootznoo's had not broken into one of the houses, which so en- raged the Stahkines that they rushed out; the Kootznoos fired, killing Toyatt, a chief, and two others. The Stahkines returned the fire, killing two men. The Kootznoos then retreated, and the day was spent in skirmishing. The Stahkines demand the death of a chief for Toyatt, which the Kootznoos refuse ; so the matter stands at this writing. W. H. R. CORLIES, Missionary to the Indians of Alaska. It is very evident to any reader of the foregoing letter, without bias for or against either of the two tribes, that throughout this difficulty the Kootznoos were not to blame. The Stahkines violated Indian law at the outset, and subsequently by one of their party striking a second blow after the affair had been " made even" by the first. And the ignorance of Indian laws and customs, or disregard for them, exhibited by Dr. Corlies, makes it very evident that in the attempt to help Alaska the mission board should intrust their affairs to a man who, with zealous Christianity, combines common sense, courage, and thorough knowledge of the character, cus- toms, laws, and needs of the Indians. Such a combination, I feel safe in saying, would be found in the Rev. S. Hall Young, to whose good conduct that day, both as a man and missionary, the people of Wrangell owe as much as to the deputy collector, whose conduct also was good. This difficulty at Wrangell came to the surface ou several occasions, which will be described. Omitting them for the moment, I will say that upon my arrival at Wrangell in September, 1880, on my way east, some new facts in the connection came to me for the first time, which are as follows : After the Kootznoos leffc Wrangell in January, the Stahkines destroyed all of the guest houses, and at the time of my visit the ground which they had occupied was in use as a garden bj x the deputy collector, Colonel Crittenden, he having fenced.it. in for that purpose. This action had become known by all of the Indians throughout the inland waters, aud was resented by them to such extent that they re- fused to visit Wrangell for trading purposes, which refusal had inflicted a severe blow to the welfare of the place. Had this fact been communi- cated to me during the time I was in command, I should, in connection Avith interviews with the Kootznoo Indians, have taken all means in my power to have the houses restored. It is very poor policy to quarrel with or tantalize Indians. They 54 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. should either be well whipped, or treated with perfect friendship, ac- cording to circumstances. During the winter there existed grave apprehension upon the minds o\' the missionaries that the Kootzuoos who had left home would return, as t hey threatened, with a large force; but up to the date of this present writing no such event has occurred. 1 think that I may fairly claim that the suspension of this war was due to the influence of the Jamestown. On the 3d of March, 1880, three large canoe loads of Kootznoo In- dians (about 40) arrived at Sitka, their object being to demand of Kat- laan compensation for the death of a Kootznoo woman, to whom he had sold or given hoo-che-noo some five months before. As Katlaan had been greatly blamed for the part he had taken in insisting upon com- pensation from the whites for the loss of the members of his family who were on the San Diego, I watched with interest his conduct in this mat- ter. He knew very well that no lighting would be permitted in the ranch, and his family was stronger than the visiting party; therefore, if he did not choose to comply with the demand he could refuse with im- punity. This, however, he did not do, but paid at once the value of the woman as assessed at a poiv-wow of the two families, viz, twenty blan- kets. This action convinced me that I was not mistaken in judging his previous acts, as claimant, to have been perfectly justifiable from the Indian point of view. I took advantage of the presence of these people, and of the good feel- ing which existed, to interview them in regard to the troubles at Wran- gell. They denied a report which had been brought to me a few days before, by a Stahkine chief, that they intended to go from Sitka to Wrangell to renew the war; and this Stahkine being still in town. I caused him and the leaders of the Kootzuoos to meet with me, and ob- tained from both parties promises to keep the peace. The Kootzuoos kept the promise to this extent, that they did not go to Wrangell, but staid a week in Sitka and returned home. VISIT OF THE KAKE INDIANS. During the same month (March) a large delegation of Kake Indians, from Kou Island, came to Sitka in four large war canoes, entering the harbor in line abreast, with flags flying and all singing a war song. These were caused to remain in their boats until they gave satisfactorv assurances of good conduct. This tribe has for many vears been justl'v considered troublesome and dangerous. In January, 1809, they murdered without provocation two white men named Ludwig Madger and William Walker, who were encamped for the night at a small cove near Fort Gardner, the southwest point of Admiralty Island, and, after murdering these men, mutilated the re- mains. For this offense they received prompt punishment, for on the l? th a ™ 15th of January, Lieutenant-Commander Meade, commanding Inited States steamer Saginaw, burned and destroyed one town and three villages (thirty-five homes in all), and a number of their canoes, at Saginaw ami Security Bays, Kou Island; also, two stockade forts which were "about 100 feet square and from 15 to 17 feet feet high, and 24 1869 )° g8 9 t0 15 inCheS tMck '" ( Meade ' s re l )ort of February They have not rebuilt these villages, but have since led wandering lives forcing themselves upon the hospitality of other tribes, who both dislike and fear them. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 55 Their object in the present visit was to settle a dispute between their tribe and that of Sitka Jack. At the potv-wow and ensuing dance, I took care to station the whole force of Indian policemen and assistants. The dispute was settled without disorder, and they begged permis- sion to remain a few days, giving strong promises at an interview I had with them. In spite of these pledges they soon required disciplining. A series of potalatches was begun in the Kaksati portion of the ranch, which became the source not only of annoyance to the families of whites in the vicinity, among whom was that of the collector, but of actual danger, inasmuch as, having no houses upon which reprisals might be made, the Kakes were liable, when drunk, to enter the white settlement and do mischief. The Indian policemen were called upon each night to suppress disorder, or, more properly, did so of their own accord; but the nuisance continued until it fiually culminated in a fight, in which considerable cutting and stabbing took place. At about 10 o'clock at night of the third day of their visit, an armed party was sent ashore to support, if necessary, the Indian policemen, who, however, arrested the disorderly persons, with no further assistance than was furnished by the Indian boat's crew of the Jamestown. The offending Iudians were subjected to punishment of imprisonment on bread and water diet, and compelled to compensate all persons they had injured, and the Kake party directed to leave Sitka and not to return, permis- sion however being given to them to encamp at a short distance away, to await the release of their incarcerated comrades. REGULATION OF HOO-CHE-NOO. This event was followed by one of our periodical raids upon the illicit distilleries, by which much contraband property was captured and de- stroyed. At the date of the arrivals of the Kakes an experiment was in progress, the results of which were undoubtedly modified by their visit. This experiment was the regulation of the use of lioo-che-noo, which had been substituted for attempts to suppress the evil entirely, simply because experipnce had taught me that such efforts would result in failure, if made without the co-operation of the white traders, to the ex- tent of ceasing altogether from selling the ingredients of hoo-che-noo. Two powerful reasons prevented my receiving this assistance: the first was the temptation to increase their profits, the risk being eliminated by the presence of the Jamestown ; the second, a feeling of hostility to myself, which sprung up while I was at high-tide in leading them, through the publication in the Alaska Appeal of garbled extracts from one of my official reports, in which I described these men in terms which were true, but not flattering. This feeling was forcibly exempli- fied by a remark of Mr. Caplin, one of the leading "merchants," in whose store barrels of molasses were always on tap, u De captain may go to hell wid his tarn gov'ment ; I'll bay no daxes." This feeling of hostility, however, did not remain throughout my stay, but I feel assured that but for it hoo-che-noo and its attendant evils could have been eradicated. As I could not control the situation, I determined to accept and mod- ify it as far as possible by establishing restrictions. In so determining, I was influenced partially by the extreme cheapness of the ingredients and apparatus necessary, and by my knowledge of the love of the In- ,56 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. (linns for the drink ; also by reasoning of some of the leading men among Thorn, who said to me : " Why do you permit the white men to sell liquor to each other, and to sell molasses to us, and then forbid us from using it in any way that we see fit? Why do you let them drink liquor and forbid us .' Your sailors get very drunk sometimes, why should not we ! They have plenty of food and clothes, and can pass their time in bad weather with books ; we are poor and have only our feasts to enjoy our- selves. When we have visitors we must treat them politely; if we do not give them anything to drink they will be offended, and they would be more offended if we did not drink with them." Some of these arguments were hard to controvert. I endeavored to explain to them that white men were permitted to sell knives and am- munition ; that there was not more harm in their selling molasses; but that while I would not take from them knives or ammunition they had purchased, if they did no harm with them, yet if they used them to hurt people I should. The same rule I concluded to make apply to molasses, and to take their hint about the conduct of white men and sailors, and so informed them that I would try the experiment of treating them all alike; that I would not prevent their obtaining molasses, of which they use considerable as food, but that any person who abused the privilege and got drunk and made trouble, which was the course adopted with the sailors, and I called upon them to bring to me all persons who of- fended. This plan for a time worked very well, but it gradually weak- ened, and the advent of the Kakes gave a finishing blow. I therefore substituted more stringent measures ; the policemen were directed to go through the ranch thoroughly and destroy every vestige of hoo-che-noo, &c.j and to, in future, prohibit the introduction into the ranch of more than one pint of molasses by any one person, and to cause such importer to obtain permission before bringing it ; and all lights were ordered out at 10 o'clock, after which no noise was permitted. I considered that these stringent measures would prove a good adjunct to the moral reforms which were being introduced by the missionaries, of whom two had been sent to Sitka to establish schools and church for the Indians. The influence brought to bear upon the Indians by them was of such great assistance to me, that I thought it but proper to ac- knowledge it, which I did in my dispatch of April 10, 1880, in these words : I have now some encouragement in making attempts to reform these people : previ- ous to this the only influence hrought to hear upon them was such as I could myself hring through force. Now my force is being well hacked by missionaries working un- der the auspices of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions of New York, who have sent out here as teacher Miss Linda Austin, a young lady who seems to be well adapted to her task. I have had fitted up for her a large room in the third story of the barracks building, where she has an Indian school at which there is an average'of eighty pupils. Mr. John P>rady, also, formerly a missionary, now a storekeeper, has resumed the work which he had nearly abandoned, and conducts an Indian church and Sundav-school in the same room, which are largely attended. There is every reason to believe that these Indians are verv anxious to become civil- ized, and that they are worth trying to save. But for liquor there would be no trouble with them, and that liquor they get from the whites as molasses. I arranged with a quite civilized Indian woman, who speaks English very well, and is a member of the Greek church, and married to an American named Holvrood, to assist Miss Austin m inaugurating the school. She agreed to come every afternoon, and I then offered to pay her for her services. Her reply was, " Captain, I do not wish pay. I shall be too glad to help civilize my poor people, and make them Christians.*' Several of the Indian men have voluntarily formed a Bible class, and come every even- ing to be taught to read, and make good progress. Our school for the Creole children and our Sunday school and church are doing finely. All are conducted by Mr. Alonzo Austin whose labors are recompensed by the very uncertain amount raised by volun- tary subscription. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 57 The services of the interpreter furnished by your office are very valuable, and many of the children are Learning to speak, read, and write English. Our, institutions are strictly non-sectarian ; among the Sunday-school scholars are children whose parents are members of the Greek, Catholic, and Protestant churches, and the priest of the Greek church attends ours occasionally and assists in the school, towards the support of which the Greek Bishop, Nestor, pays a monthly subscription. VISITS OF INDIAN DELEGATIONS. In addition to the parties of Kootznoos and Kakes, whose visits have been referred to, there arrived at Sitka during the month of February, 1880, several large delegations of other tribes, among which was one of Hoonah Indians from Cross Sound. The Hoonahs were on a trading voyage, and brought the skins of sea otters, hair seals, bears, and minks; also whale, and seal oil, the former of which is obtained from hump-backed whales which are very plentiful in this sound. The cows, generally accompanied by the bull, seeking the lagoons to give birth to calves, are there frequently caught by receding tide leaving a bar, and are shot by the Indians, who obtain for the rudely refined oil about twenty-five cents a gallon in trade at Sitka. They carry the oil in bladders of seals and walruses, the former holding one, the latter five gallons, and in oil-tight tubs which they carve out of solid blocks of wood. They brought also specimens of various ores, among which were those of silver, galena, copper, and iron. Some of these specimens were very rich in iron pyrites, which they judged to be pure gold, and valued so highly that I was unable to procure them at reasonable prices, which I was desirous of doing for the National Museum. I did procure some of the specimens, also stone tools, such as axes, leather dressers, tobacco grinders, &c, which were sent to the Museum. The Hoonahs were very orderly, and their presence in the ranch not objectionable. They proved to be very intelligent men and shrewd traders. They expressed a desire that white men should come to their country to teach their children and build them a saw-mill; both of which beuefits they assured me had been promised them by a teacher who had visited them, and whom I afterwards learned was Mr. Brady, whiten under the employment of the Board of Home Missions. The Hoonahs are skillful workers in wood, their houses being built of timbers which are from 10 to 15 inches square, and so smoothly dressed by axes that at a little distance they appear to be planed. They also understand making "shakes," and are the best canoe-makers on the coast ; and in their country there is plenty of excellent timber. They complained of inroads made by English Indians upon their sea- otter hunting grounds, and requested that we should prevent such in- roads in future, as they would lead to war. Not being able to see exactly how I could help them in this matter, not having any boat suitable to send an armed party so far, I could only promise to do what I could, and exacted from them a promise that they would avoid war with the English Indians, and report to me if they came again. CANOE EXPEDITION TO WRANGELL. On the 14th of March, the mail steamer California being then over- due forty -four days, it was considered likely that she might have met with some accident, and if such had occurred between Wrangell and Sitka her people might be in need of assistance, which we could give them ; and it was also possible that a renewal of the troubles between 58 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. the Kootznoos and Stahkines at Wrangell might have detained her there. 1 determined to send a search party. _,,,-, , fl ^ Baviue no boat suitable for the trip of two hundred miles, and the Rose being no longer available, I caused a large war canoe which we had hired for surveying purposes to be outfitted, and sent her with fourteen oi our sbipped Indians, to wboin instructions were given to make thor- ough search along the route, and inquiries of all Indians met; to report on arrival to the deputy collector, and if he needed their services, to assist him in every way. On the 25th of March the California arrived. She had met with an accident by striking on the Columbia Eiver bar, and was subsequently detained in Victoria for repairs. Her officers and passengers reported that our canoe arrived at Wrangell on the 21st, alter a very stormy voy- age, and that the conduct of her crew was excellent; that they had refrained ft om drunkenness, and that on landiug they had dressed in their sailor's uniforms, marched in a body to the collector's office, and reported as directed. Their conduct presents good evidence that these Indians can be improved by contact with civilization, and it made a good impression upon the Wrangell Indians, whom they entertained by ex- hibitions of small-arm and broadsword drill, substituting sticks for arms, they having become quite expert at these drills, through watching our sailors and marines. This, however, was not a desirable result, and was due to my having underestimated their intelligence, for they had never been permitted to join in the exercises on board or receive instructions in these points. The party returned to the ship on the 28th March; the canoe, which was a very'large one (about forty feet long), had been considerably in- jured by being driven ashore during a heavy gale in Chatham Straits. It was worth over $200, but a payment of $25 for her use and damages was satisfactory settlement. INDIAN AFFAIRS IN APRIL, 1880. WITCHCRAFT. Kothing of importance in connection with Indian affairs occurred dur- ing April, except a case of witchcraft. The stringent regulations and restrictions which had been placed upon hoo-che-noo, and its origin, molasses, had caused many of the Indians to start out on their spring fishing and seal hunting voyages at a much earlier period than usual, and the season for spring visiting was over. The Indians who remained at the ranch were very orderly and sober, and most of them were busy repairing damages to their houses, caused by the winter storms, and in preparing for canoe voyages. About this time there occurred, for the second time during our stay, an occasion when it became necessary for me to interfere to prevent the torture of a person accused of witchcraft. Stickeesh, a wealthy trader, and one of those sent to Chilkat the pre- ceding fall, returned broken down by inflammatory rheumatism. The shaman (Indian doctor), failing to relieve him, charged the sickness to the effect of witchcraft, as is usual in such cases, and pretended to earn the fee of ten blankets paid him by discovering the witch — who. as is usual, proved to be a simple young Indian, belonging to an unimpor- tant family. This man had been caught and bound for torture, when Annabootz heard of it, and the Indian policemen put a stop to further proceedings until they could report the case to me. They did not dare to AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 59 do more than simply interfere themselves, for they shared in the super- stitious fear of the shaman's power, common to all of the Indians. By my direction the shaman, witch, and sick man were brought to the guard-house, where, after (I have no doubt vain) efforts to teach them, I caused the shaman to be confined in a cell until he returned the blankets to Stickeesh sent the latter to the medical officer of the James- town for treatment, and placed the accused witch under the care of him- self and family, assuring tbem that whatever happened to him would also happen to Stickeesh. Many Indians being present, I availed my- self of the opportunity to weaken, if possible, their faith in witchcraft, and gave the shaman fall permission to exereise upon me all of the sor- ceries of his profession while occupying a cell to which he was assigned until he should restore to Stickeesh the blankets he had received from him; and to this end he was permitted to carry into his seclusion such implements of his art as he had with him. Whether he tried or not I do not know ; the sentry reported that he saw no such attempt ; but af- ter release, which took place when the blankets were restored, he told the other Indians that his spirits had no power over the Avhite man — which was a good point gained, as it lessened the possibilities of any white man being suspected of witchcraft. Upon release, the shaman was assured that upon repetition of the offense his head should be shaved and his person subjected to a Russian bath; which, as they never wash themselves, nor comb or cut their hair (by which process, it is believed, they would lose their supernatural power), so frightened him that he at once left Sitka, with the threat that he would never again return ; and neither he nor any of his professional brethren ever again attempted to practice in Sitka. The experiment involved a, serious risk, and such Indians as were friendly to me person- ally expressed great grief and apprehensions for my safety. And had any misfortune occurred to me the belief in witchcraft and the powers of the shaman would have been greatly strengthened. As nothing did happen to me, I have hopes that the result was a weakening of this superstition. OPENING OF THE CHILKHAT AND CHILKHOOT COUNTRY TO THE WHITES. In September, 1879, certain events took place among the Indians, which were duly reported in my October dispatch, but which have been omitted from their chronological position in this report, because, although apparently at the time of slight importance, they proved to be the start- ing point of the most valuable results which sprung from our intercourse with the Indians, namely, the removal by the chiefs of the Ohilkhat and Chilkhoot tribes of all prohibition to the white men from entering their territory, which prohibition had been always strictly maintained ; and the bringing of these tribes and the Hoonah ludians into a most friendly intercourse with the whites. These events were reported as follows, in my dispatch dated October 5, 1879 : The month of September has been marked by perfect freedom from drunkenness , fighting, or disorder of any kind in the Indian ranch. A great number of ludians have returned from hunting, &c, and the ranch is no longer deserted, but the returns have ceased to be celebrated by pot-a-latches ; the Indians throng the white settlement, but there are no disturbances. The residents state that there has never been so quiet a month. When we hrst arrived every night was made hideous by drunken orgies and mauy fights. I have not had cause to even censure an Indian since the raid made by themselves upon the cannery ranches. I at- 60 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. tribute the change to the influence of the Indians in our employ. * * * There has been an unusually exciting cause for sprees: About the 25th of September news was brought by Indian canoes that there had been a big fight up in the Chilkhat country, between two families of the Chilkhats, viz, the Klockwatories (warriors) and the Onochtades, and that the chief of the former, Klotz-kutch (who is head chief of the tribe), was seriously wounded, and that a number on both sides had been killed ; the inciting cause having been a barrel of molasses with which Klotz-Kutch had given a pot-a-latch. There are quite a number of Chilkhats living in Sitka, among whom is Dick, one of my policemen, who is a nephew of Klotz-kutch, and a very intelligent Indian, speaking considerable English and reading and writing a little. He. assisted by the other policemen and " Sitka Jack," restrained the usual drunk which takes place on such excitements, and except that for a couple of days the miners could obtain no packers (they having all come into town to a caucus), no untoward event occurred. They have organized an expedition to visit the scene of contemplated trouble, and on the 3d of October three canoe loads, about 30 Indians in all, started for the Chilk- hat country (up Chatham Straits). If this vessel were a steamer I should have gone too, for these Indian wars are almost interminable and will do much to hazard American interests here. I did the next best thing in my power; judging that the influenceof such men asSitka Jack, Dick, Stickeesh, and others, who knew us and could explaiu to those who did not the value of white friendship auddanger of the opposite, would be very powerful, I resolved to secure it for our side, so helped to fit out the expedition, furnishing them with flags, provisions, &c, , and receiving from them the promise that they would do their best to prevent trouble. The party, over whom I hoped through the leaders I had appointed to exercise some control, were directed to report to Klotz-kutch, and say that I had sent them to help him keep his people in order, and that in return I expected him to always use his influence to secure good treat- ment to any white men who should come to his country to trade, and that I would be pleased if he would let white miners go into the interior to prospect the countryfor precious metals, which, if found, would enrich the Iudians also. This privilege had never been accorded, the Indians (Chilkhats) fearing that the whites would interfere with the trade with the Stich Indians who live in the interior, and whose trade the coast Indians monopolize. The Chilkhats were estimated as from two to four thousand in number^ and considered the most warlike of all the tribes. The country was reported to be rich in minerals, and the miners were very desirous of penetrating it, and it seemed more than likely that, sooner or later, bodies of them would undertake to force their way in, in which case serious troubles would probably have occurred. On the 12th of February, 1880, Dick, Stickeesh, and most of the party returned, Sitka Jack, with the remainder, having stopped at Swanson's Harbor, in Cross Sound, where he has a village at which he dwells in summer. Stickeesh was much broken down by inflamma- tory rheumatism, contracted during the voyage down, which sickness gave rise to the case of witchcraft reported. They brought an invita- tion from Klotz-Ku'tch for the white miners to come, and promises of welcome, and thanks to me. This invitation I extended to the miners, ol whom there were a number in town deterred from work on Baranoff Island by the great amount of snow still remaining on the mountains, the fall during the previous winter being unprecedented in amount. These men were ready to undertake such an expedition, and were of such characters as were best adapted. The project was freely discussed, meetings held, and an expedition to the Chilkhat country organized ; and tor the ensuing two months Sitka was quite lively with the prepa- rations for the expedition. Several boats were built, some from timber which was growing in the forest when the idea was conceived, and in May the party of pioneers were ready to start. * AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 61 On the evening of the 11th May, a public meeting' was held, and a full understanding between the miners and myself arrived at, which is embodied in the following paper, drawn up by Mr. Bean : Sitka, Alaska Territory, May 11, 1880. We, the undersigned miners, do hereby pledge ourselves, to accept and be guided by Edmund Bean, as our captain or leader of the consolidated parties of prospectors now in Sitka, and proposing to search for gold in the interior of Alaska Territory, go- ing by water up Chatham Straits and lauding at the Indian village of Chilkat. We hereby pledge ourselves to behave orderly, accept and obey the lawful commands of our leader, and otherwise acquit ourselves as becomes orderly, sober, reasonable men. We also agree that no spirituous liquor shall be carried by any of us into the Indian country for the purpose of trade or barter with the natives. We furthermore do agree and pledge ourselves that if Captain Beardslee, commander of United States ship " Jamestown," will furnish us with such escort as in his judgement is proper to Chil- kat, that we will be guided by him or his officer or representative with us, and after- terward by our mining leader, Edmund Bean. Edmund Bean. William Zoble. J. Newton Massen. Robert A. Duggan. M. A. Hayes. Fred. Cushman. Geo. G. Langtry. Antone Marks. Preston Uoutemen. Thomas Lineham. Dennis Barrett. James McCluskey. Dankert A. Petersen. Thomas Keirnan. John Lemon. James Ta Hon. Geo. Hankrader. S.B.Mathews. Patrick McGlinchey. I agreed to furnish them with escort and letters of introduction. The second launch was fitted for the trip by removing her boiler, engine, &c, and Lieut. E. P. McOlellan assigned to the duty of escort. He was provided with the following letter to the Chilkhat chiefs, appar- ently an unnecessary move, as they neither read nor write, but really one of importance, as the Indians have a superstitious respect for written words, and there were with the expedition capable interpreters: TJ. S. S. Jamestown, Off Sitka, May 20, 1880. To the Chiefs of the Chilkhats, Klotz-Kutch and Elquesah. Chiefs: You have sent to me through Skeenga-Stocheen and Stickeesh, Indians in whom you and I place confidence, an invitation to the white men to come and pros- pect your country, and have promised to be their friends. The men who now come are those I have invited in your name. I feel sure from what I know of the bravery and honesty of the Chilkhars that you will keep those promises; therefore I send them, and the Great Father at Washington will be greatly pleased to hear that they have gone, and more pleased to hear next fall that you have all remained friends. The officer who delivers this acts as my representative. L. A. BEARDSLEE, Commander, TJ. S. N., and Senior Bepresentative of the Government. The following instructions were given to Lieutenant McClellan, and on the morning of the 20th of May the expedition, consistiug of five sail boats carrying nineteen miners and their help, and our launch, started under sail : U. S. S. Jamestown (3d rate), Off Sitka, May 20, 1880. Sir: You will proceed in command of the second launch of this ship, and in com- pany with a number of boats carrying miners and prospectors, a list of whom is here- with furnished to you, to the Chilkhat village, for purpose hereinafter specified. In starting from this place you will so arrange that you will be able to get through the rapids in Peril Straits before dark. On the eastern side of said rapids you will rind a good harbor. Mr. George L'ozian will accompany you as pilot. I have great confi- dence in his knowledge of the dangers of the inland waters. He will also act as Russian interpreter. Passed Assistant Surgeon N. M. Ferrabee, U. S. N., Ensign N. R. Usher, U. S. N., and Midshipman Woodworth are ordered to report to you for duty upon this expedition. Your crew will consist of 13 sailors of this ship, and Indians, Dick and Shukoff. Your boat will be armed with the Gatling gun, and small arms for each person. You will, under sail or oar, keep company with the boats of the miners, unless you find 62 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. their pragma so slow as to greatly retard yon, in which ease you will push ahead and make the best of your way under canvas or oar, as shall be most expedient. You will use vonr own judgment as to anchoring for the night, tide, or weather. The miners have, as per agreement — a copy of which is furnished you— promised obedience to your orders and instructions, and have elected Edmund Beau as their captain, with whom you will confer. On reaching the Chilkhat village, you will allow no one to laud until permitted by yourself; and will, through an officer and Indian Dick, ar- range with the Uhilkhat chiefs for an interview as soon as possible. If for any reason this interview is delayed, you will obtain permission for the landing of such persons as may so wish, cautioning all persons obtaining such permission to commit no acts which will tend to create difficulties. At this interview you and such officers as may accompany you will wear uniform and side arms. During this interview, and at all times, the boat must be left in charge of an officer and sufficient force to guard it. The nature of this interview will be as follows : Say to them that last fall, when Klotz-Kutch was wounded, I sent with a party of Indians who wished to come to help him, Dick, his nephew, in whom both he and I have confidence; I also instructed Sitlsa Jack and Stickeesh to talk with the Indians and advise them to stop drinking hoo-che-noo and fighting. That when these men came back, they informed me that the Chilkhat chiefs invited The white men to come among them and prospect their country, and promised them welcome and assistance. This invitation and promise I have given in their name to the miners, and they now come in consequence. Tell them that had they not sent this invitation, these people would not have come, therefore they must treat them as guests ; and that all the miners have promised me to live peaceably and friendly with the Indians. Act throughout on the assumption that you have no doubt as to their keeping their promise. If, however, it becomes manifest that they will not do so, inform them that you will return and report to the government their failure to keep their word, and that in future no Chilkhat Indian will be a lowed to land at Sitka for trade or other purposes; that I will not give those who are here employment. You will then notify the miners of the failure of the mission, and request them to return with you, informing them that any or all who fail so to do forfeit their claim to your protection, and act entirely upon their own responsibility. After the completion of the business with the chiefs, you will return to this ship, making, e>< route, such stops at any ranch of importance as your time will permit, ex- plaining at each to the people the object of your so doing, which will be to assure them of the friendliness of the whites to them, and to caution them against commit- ting at any time any aggressive act against white men, warning them of the probable consequences. Should your voyage to the Chilkhat village and return to the eastern mouth of the Peril Straits have been accomplished in fifteen days or less, say by June 1, you will visit the Kootznoo settlement on Admiralty Island, and there arrange for and hold interview with the chiefs, at which you will express to them strongly the disapprobation of the government in regard to the recent fight between themselves and the Stickiene (Stahkine) Indians at Wrangell. Make it plain to them that Wrangell is a town belonging to the United States, and that no fight between Indian tribes can be permitted in its vicinity. Tell them that it has been reported to me that thev intend to return to Wrangell to renew the trouble, and that if they so do They will be punished- That for what has already occurred no penalty will be exacted— assigning as your reason your knowledge that by Indian customs they had suffered a grievance, which neither you nor the government you represent approved. Obtain from them a promise to refrain from future hostilities, and return to the ship. These instructions are based upon the assumption that the results of your interview with the Chilkhat chiefs are satisfactory. Should, however, they refuse to grant the privilege requested, you will, after exhausting all amicable means, return as already directed. I leave to your own judgment the explanation to the various tribes of the advan- tages which will accrue to them by the presence of the whites. Make, however, no promises. Unless unavoidably delayed (in which case endeavor to communicate with me by canoe, promising payment by me from $10 to $30; according to the distance) return to this ship by the 1st day of June, at the farthest, aud as much earlier as pos- sible. Keep a full journal of the events of this expedition, obtaining all useful infor- mation possible. I have invited Mr. Marcus Baker, of the Coast Survev, to accompanv you. He will assist you in every branch of science. Wishing you'a pleasant and profitable trip, and that the results will be the opening of the interior of the countrv to the whites, I am, very respectfully, L. A. BEARDSLEE. r * a « t» ■** ^, , T ~, Commander Commanding. Lieut. E. P. McClellan, U. S. N. The launch returned to the ship on the 5th of June, and the report of Lieutenant McClellan indicated that the result was a success, and that the Chilkhat country was now fairly opened to the whites. This result AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 63 was particularly gratifying, inasmuch as on the 3d of June a small trading steamer, the Favorite, the captain of which was well liked by the Indians, returned to Sitka from a trading voyage up Chatham Straits, and Captain Vanderbilt reported having spoken our party about 40 miles from Chilkhat, en route to that place; and that he, while at Chilkhat, had endeavored to persuade the chiefs to remove the restric- tions and allow whites to enter the country, in which effort he had com- pletely failed, the chiefs refusing, and assigning as their reasons for so doing the risk of the whites interfering with their trade with the Sticks, and also that they did not wish the whites to come to them because they would bring liquor and debauch their women. The first of these objections we have met; the second is one which cannot be met, and no attempt was made — they take their chances. Through our efforts all prohibitions w-ere removed, and the miners were not unly permitted to go prospecting, but were furnished with slave packers at moderate wages, to be increased in case of success. The Chilkhat chief, Klotz-Kutch, had in this connection shown such evident good faith and character that I considered that I could, with propriety, break through a rule which had hitherto guided my actions, which was to in no case give any presents to the Indians when I wanted anything of them, considering that such action tended to increase their ideas of their own importance, and lead them to think that the whites alone were benefited by such changes as were made. I therefore sent him a present which, upon my subsequent meeting with him, 1 found was highly appreciated, and with it the following letter: United States War-ship Jamestown, Off Sitka, June 10, 1880. Chief: The Great Father in Washington, who is father of the Alaska Indians and the white men, will be greatly pleased when he receives the letter which I have sent, telling him of the good conduct of the chiefs of the Chilkhats, and that they have become so wise that they can see that it is best to be friends with the white men, through whom the Indians will be able to make money by selling all of their fnrs, oil, and other things, and who will bring them things which they need and cannot make themselves. I am glad that you kept your promises, and I felt sure that you would. Brave men of all colors are alike ; they will not lie. I send you a present of a valuable pipe and some American tobacco. Keep the pipe as long as you live, then give it to the next chief, to be used always as a pipe of peace, and smoked when you hold pow-wow with your white friends. Teach all of the Indi- ans that Mr. Vanderbilt is their friend, and that if they treat him well other steam- ers besides the Favorite will come to trade with them, and that if bad Indians should trouble him or his steamboat, the government will be angry. Your friend, L. A. BEAKDSLEE, Commander, U. S. JV. To Klotz-Kutch, Chief of Chilkhats. On the return, Lieutenant McClellan stopped, as instructed, at Kootz- noo, on Admiralty Island, and made it clear to the Indians that they would be punished if they resumed the war with the Stahkines at Wrangell. In promising to refrain, the Kootznoos requested permission to whip the Stahkines if they came to their neighborhood, which request was granted. The report of Lieutenant McClellan is herewith given ; also a card of thanks from the miners : U. S. S. Jamestown (3d rate), Sitka, Alaska, Jane 7, 1880. Sir: In obedience to your order of the 20th of May, I took command of the second launch of this vessel and proceeded to the Chilkhat village in company with four boats, containing miners and prospectors. Left here at 9 a. m. of May 20, and arrived at 04 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. Pyramid Island Harbor, 4 miles from the Chilkhat village, on the morning of 26th May; Benl an officer ashore to make arrangements for an interview with the head men. He returned, reporting that the chiefs were 15 miles inland, that a messenger had been sent for them, and that they would he present at noon the following day. On the 587th 1 borrowed one of the boats of the miners, the water for 1-J- miles below the village being so shoal that it would have been imprudent to take the launch in. 1 bad previously spent several hours in searching for a navigable channel without success, the flats being bare at low water. I invited such of the miners as wished to be present at the interview to accompany me to the village. Seven of them accepted the invitation, and I proceeded with Passed Assistant Surgeon N. M. Ferrebee, Ensign N. h\ I'sher. Mr. Marcus Baker, of the Coast Survey, Pilot George Cozian, aud the two Indian interpreters to the lauding. Found three chiefs, Klotz-Kutch, Elquesah, and Unaeoa, who had come down from the upper villages ; shook hands with them as I noted each one's name, aud told them I was a bearer of a message from the commander of the Jamestown, and then proceeded to read your letter to Klotz-Kntch and Elque- sah. and then such portions of your instructions as related to the Chilkhats, sentence by sentence, having Indian Dick translate it to them, aud having Indian Shukoff check it by translating it from Indian to Russian, and through Pilot Cozian from Russian to English. I explained the advantage it would be to them to have the white people come. Klotz-Kutch said he had lost father, grandfather, and brothers, and was an orphan, and therefore he gladly welcomed the white people, for they would be fathers and brothers to him. Two other Indians then came in, Rakee and. Tawawah, head men of the lower villages. I repeated to them the substance of the interview, and told them the miners bad come by invitation and that they must treat them as guests. They said they were glad the whites had come. A general talk then ensued, the miners offering fair wages, and an arrangement was made by which the Indians were to pack some of the goods across the land to the Chilkhat Inlet, instead of np the Chilkhat River and across the divide by that way. Having finished every- thing satisfactorily, and the best of feelings seeming between the miners and the In- dians, I returned to the launch. Having finished my business with the Chilkhats, I bid farewell to the miners, and wishing them luck in their search for gold, proceeded with the launch to the Indian village at Hootchenoo, on the west side of Admiralty Island. I arrived there on June 3. Found only one chief, Kichiral, or Hootchenoo Jack, in the village. I communicated to him your instructions, and warned him that the Indians would not be permitted to fight in the American town of Wrangell or its vicinity. I obtained from him a promise to abstain from auy further hostilities against the Stickiene Indians at Wrangell; he saying he had meetings with the other two chiefs of the village and would answer for them. At this village each house had a small garden plot about it, well fenced in and well cultivated. Potatoes principally raised ; they are small, but good. They keep the seed over wiuter. Fish seemed, plentiful. Two canoes came in with numbers of codfish and halibut. On the way down Chatham Straits spoke several canoes, and ran into a cove on Admiralty Island, opposite Cross Sound, where there was a ranch of Auk Indians. Expressed to them onr friendliness and cautioned them that if any white people were seen about during the summer to treat them well. I arrived at the ship at 7 p. m. of Juue 5, having been absent sixteen days and ten hours; all well and without any accident having occurred. The crew, in spite of head winds and hard labor at the oars, remained cheerful to the last. Mr. Cozian, the pilot, I found of great use. Mr. Baker had a fuud of information on every topic, and was a genial and instructive companion ; he was of great service to me in taking bearings, taking observations for position, and correcting our chart. At every opportunity I landed him, with artificial horizon, sextant, and dip-circle, to get the position and magnetic dip, the results of which ob- servations we ha* e not had, as yet, time to work up. We also made some collections in natural history, looking out for bird skins, collecting fish in alcohol, Sec. I inclose card from the miners, thanking you for sending the launch up to the Chil- khat country, and remain, Very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. P. McCLELLAX, ~ . _ . „ Lieutenant, U. S. X. Commander L. A. Beardslee, U. S. N. CARD OF THANKS. We, the undersigned miners of Alaska, tender our sincere thanks to Captain Beards- lee, ot L. B. 8. Jamestown, for the kind interest he has taken in our welfare iu living us protection and conveying us to our landing point, which gives us confidence in undertaking to prospect the country we are going to. Such action on the part of a government officer will have a beneficial effect on the Indians, and will induce other prospectors to come here and unlock the hidden treasures of Alaska, and develop its vast and unlimited resources. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 65 Having made the passage from Sitka to the head of Lynn Channel, also a satisfactory interview being conducted by the officer in charge of the Cutter, Lieutenant McClel- lan, we wish hereby to tender him our sincere thanks for his kindness and attention during visit, also the other officers and men with him. The pilot, Mr. Cozian, also we thank sincerelv. EDMUND BEAN. ROBT. A. DUGGAN. ]). A. PETERSEN. ANTONE MARKS. PAT McCLINCHEY, and fifteen others. May 29, 1880. OCCURRENCES DURING JULY, 1880. On the 4th day of July I received a letter from Mr. Edmund Bean, leader of the pioneer party. It was dated from the headwaters of Yukon, June 17th, and brought by an Indian doctor, who is a chief of the Ohilkhoots, and who had done the party good service. Mr. Bean stated that the party had "crossed the divide and are now camped on the banks of a lake, building boats preparatory to descending the Yukon"; that they had received good treatment and good service from the Indians, and that several other miners had joined them. On the 28th of June Aunahootz returned from a trip to Taku, to which place I had sent him a month before to check a war impending there, he having great influence with the Takus, with whom he is connected. He brought word that all was quiet. During July a trader named Errassan made a trading trip to Chilkhat, and on return reported good treatment. And during the same month a miner named Willoughby, who, having seen the ores brought by the Hoonahs in March, had accompanied them on their return home, arrived in Sitka, and stated that he had been well treated by the Indians during a two months' stay among them. He reported that frequently he heard them, while conversing, speak of the Jamestown; and Errassan reported the same ; and it was thus evident that the influence of the ship extended a long way beyond the range of her guns. During the three months of summer there were not over two hundred Indians in the ranch, and they were orderly and well-behaved, except upon one occasion. On the 5th of July they participated in the general hilarity, and old Aunahootz, having allowed his patriotism to overcome his sense of duty, gave a potalatch, and nearly all of the Kok-wa-tons got drunk, and several were badly cut in the ensuing fight. Upon this occasion Katlaan did most excellent service, and fully confirmed the good opinion I had formed of him. Unarmed himself r he disarmed a crazy drunken Indian who was slashing at random with a large knife, and who threat- ened our armed party which was landed to back the policemen. But for Katlaan's action the man would have been killed by our men, which was a result I did not wish, as when sober he was a good enough In- dian. On this occasion I punished several of the leaders quite severely, and had thoughts of discharging Aunahootz, but changed my mind, inas- much as his influence is very great throughout all the tribes and worth some sacrifice, to retain. The steamer arriving July 12, brought news of another trouble at Wrangell; this time between a visiting Chilkhat Indian, nephew of the chief Klatz-Kutch, and a white trader. The first named was drunk, and on being turned out of the store of the trader received a wound in the face, which by Indian logic is, until atoned for, a great disgrace. This S. Ex. 71 5 (U; AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. affair was settled by the white man paying a demanded sum ; but news of this settlement was not brought by this steamer. The affair came to the surface again subsequently. On the 30th of July, I received from the miner ^Villoughby, living with the lloonahs. a letter, of which the following is a copy: Northwest Glacier, Cross Sound. Hoonah, July 11, 1880. Dbar Sir: The head chief of the Hoonahs, and the majority of the leading men heir, desire me to inform you that there is a party of Indians from Fort Simpson, British Columbia, now killing and destroying their sea otters, young and old. They think it is not right for foreigners to come to their hunting grounds and do so— kill their valuable animals and take their skins to a foreign market. These Fort Simpson Indians made some kind of arrangement with some of the Hoonah Indians to go there and hunt. I believe, gave them some guns and coats and other articles for a hunting right, unbeknown to the chief and leaders of the Cross Sound Indians. They want to know if you will protect them in making them return to British Columbia where they belong. You will excuse me if my information is useless. I was bothered day after day to give you this information. I remain, yours, most respectfully, E. G. WILLOUGHBY. Captain Beardslee. Commander of the U. S. man-of-war, Sitka. Alaska Territory. This letter was brought by a Hootnah canoe. I questioned the bearers, who stated that the Sim-Sims were still on the otter grounds, and I became satisfied that but for the promises made to me on the occasion of the visit in March, already reported, the Hoonahs would have driven the Sim-Sims away by force, in which case a war would have been in- augurated net ween the two tribes, which, as both were more or less closely connected with the other coast tribes of Southeastern Alaska and British Columbia, would have drawn them in, and proved very difficult to check. Such a war would undoubtedly endanger the life ot every unprotected white man or woman in the Archipelago, inasmuch as the Alaska Indians believed, and I think the English Indians knew, that the marauding expedition had been sent out well outfitted by white men at Fort Simpson ; and I felt that the government, having through myself, its representative, been instrumental in sending away from the protection of its forces the men who were now living among the Chil- khats and Hoonahs, and from whose efforts, should they prove success- fid in finding valuable deposits of precious metals, the value of this portion of our country would be greatly increased, should do something toward suppressing this war. It was also good policy to show to the Indians that the conduct of the Hoonahs in maintaining peace under wrong, and appealing to the government instead of redressing their own grievances, was appreciated. I. therefore, in a dispatch dated July 31, 1880. requested permission to charter a small trading steamer, the Favorite, expected daily at Sitka, for the purpose of going in person with an armed force to' the Hoonah country, to settle the impending troubles and to prevent the illegal destruction of the sea-otters of Alaska by English Indians with fire-arms, the statutes of the United States reserving these animals to Alaska natives, and forbidding the use of fire-arms. The steamer Favorite arrived a few days after, bringing as a passen- ger from Chilkhat one of the miners whohad belonged to the pioneer party, who reported to me that the Chilkhat and Chilkhoot Indians were very much incensed by the action of two men who, not origin- ally members of the party, had joined it subsequently, and. not being a AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 67 bound by the pledge given by the others, had undertaken to trade with the Stick Indians. These men had been with the pioneers long enough to be identified with them by the Indians, who were impressed with the idea that the whites had been guilty of bad faith. This man brought me a message from Klotz-Kutch, begging that I would send or come and take these men away, for he was afraid they would be killed. The captain of the steamer, upon being consulted by me in regard to this affair, addressed to me the following letter : Office of the Northwest Trading Company, On board the steamer Favorite, Sitka, Alaska, August 4, 1880, Sir : By request of the Hoonah, Chilkhat, and Chilkhoot Indians, we beg to lay- before you the following facts as represented by them : Hoonah, Cross Sound. — On June 30, while anchored at Adolphus Bay, in the vicinity of which were camped some 300 Hoonah Indians, we were informed by them that three large canoes had just arrived, manned by 27 Indians from Fort Simpson, B. 0^ The nature of business of these British Columbia Indians we could not ascertain our- selves, as they left at night in a very suspicious way, seemingly to avoid us. Of course our steamer being unarmed and having but a small crew of white men aboard, and being among Indians whose characters were unknown to us, we did not feel safe in over- hauling them through the inspector of customs temporarily attached to the steamer* On our return to the same place on July 21, we found a still greater number of Hoonah Indians gathered there who seemed to be rather excited, reporting to us that the Fort Simpson Indians, mentioned above, were on their favorite sea-otter grounds r killing sea-otters with rifles, thns interfering with their own hunting. They openly stated that their intention was to take and kill the entire Fort Simpson expedition on their return from the sea-otter grounds. The Hoonah Indians requested us to advise you of the situation, hoping to hear from you before the Fort Simpson Indians could leave the country with their booty. Chilkhat and Chilkhoot. — On our arrival at Chilkhat, on July 24, we found the In- dians gathered at our anchoiage, very much worked up over the action of a miner named Steel, who, it seems, followed the large party of miners bound for the interior. The Indians report that Steel, while on his way up, w^as advising the interior Indians not to trade with the Chilkhats and Chilkhoots, as has been their custom for genera- tions, but to hold their furs for him, as he intended on his return to trade with them. This the Chilkhats and Chilkhoots cannot understand, as the body of miuers that left Sitka for Chilkhat carried a paper to them in which the miners bound themselves not to trade with the interior Indians or to interfere with any of the privileges enjoyed by the Chilkhat and Chilkhoot Indians heretofore. We were particularly requested to report this matter to you as soon as we reached Sitka, as the Indians wished to have an understanding in regard to this affair. We have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servants, CARL SPUHN, J. M. VANDERBILT, Managers Northwest Trading Company.. Commander L. A. Beardslee, U. S. Ship Jamestown, Sitka. The receipt of this information caused me to decide that it was my duty to go to this place at once, and not await the instructions of the department, which I could not receive in less than a month, even were I to telegraph full particulars. Our steam launches were not suitable, and I therefore made partial arrangements with Captain Vanderbilt to take myself and party to Hoonah, Chilkhat, and Kootznoo, hoping at the latter place to keep smothered the embers of war between the Stahkines and Kootznoos. The Favorite was not available until after the arrival of the mail steamer California, which came in on the 10th day of August. She brought as passengers Justice Deady, of the United States court at Oregon, and Maj. William Gouveneur Morris, special agent of the Treasury Department. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 1 submitted to the latter all of the information I had obtained as to the troubles already described; also as to certain illegal traffic in fire- man and liquor which had been reported to me as occurring at various places in the northern country ; in a letter of which the following is a °°P3 : u< s> s< Jamestown, Sitka, August 10, 1880. ^u<- [have received, from various sources, information npon which I rely, which indicates that unless some steps are taken by the government to prevent serious trouble between the Alaska Indians at Hoonah and the British Columbia Indians from Fort Simpson is liable to occur, a large number of the latter Indians being at the latest dates actively engaged in killing with rifles the sea otter and fur seal on the hunting mound of the Hoonahs. By letters received by me from miners, and the owners of the steamer Favorite, I am requested by the chiefs of the Hoonahs to have followed* in the wake of the pioneer party to whom I furnished escort, and are by the Indians confounded with said party, and, as such, are held to be guilty of violat- ing the pledge given by the mining party, to refrain from tradiug with the Indians of the interior* The Chilkhat chief Klotz-Kutch, or " Holc-in-the-Face," and others send to me for advice, and express anxiety lest the men may be killed. Under these circumstances. I should be very glad to co operate in any steps it might be in your jndgment advisable to take towards suppressing these growing troubles. I think it a wise policy to recognize and encourage these Indians in thus submitting their wiongs to the government, and that a ceremonial visit from ourselves in per- son, accompanied by an armed force, will produce excellent effects. If you feel justified in furnishing a steam vessel, I will undertake to man, arm. and provision her for such a trip. I inclose letters bearing upon the subject. Respectfully, Maj. Wm. Gocverneur Morris, Special Agent Treasury Department. . L. A. BEARDSLEE, Commander. My reasons for addressing the foregoing to Major Morris were that I deemed it but courtesy to the Treasury Department to offer to its repre- sentative all assistance in my power to enable him to fulfill his duties, in lieu of undertaking myself to perform them. I addressed the special agent instead of the collector, as the latter had notified me that he should not call upon the Jamestown for any assist- ance whatever, our official difficulties having degenerated into a cessa- tion of intercourse upon his part. Had Major Morris not have arrived as he did I should not have hesi- tated to undertake the duty upon my own responsibility in my capacity of senior representative of the government in Alaska. After thorough study of the situation, Major Morris wrote to me the following letter: Office of Special Agent, Treasury Department, Siika, Alaska, August 11, 1880. Captain: In reply to your communication of yesterday, informing me of the pres- ence of certain canoes manned by Indians from British Columbia in the waters adja- cent to this port, engaged in the unlawful killing of the sea-otter, in contravention with section 1956 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, I have the honor to say : Thanking you very much for the information conveyed, and more particularly for your kind offer of assistance in the premises, it will afford me pleasure to take such steps as may be available for the purpose of putting a stop to these illegal practices and expeditions. Accordingly I have made arrangements with the managers of the Northwest Trad- iug Company for the ute of their steamer, the Favorite, at a certain per diem compen- sation. It will certainly be necessary to have an armed force on the vessel, not only for my own protection, but for the purpose of intimidating these Indians from a re- currence of these practices. A visit also from yourself personallv would have a verv healthy effect in preserving order throughout this archipelago. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. „ 69 I have the honor, therefore, to request that you may be able to accompany me, with a portion of your command, at an early date, to Cross Sound and Chilkhat country. All details incident to the voyage, armament of the steamer, force, subsistence, &c, can be arranged between us personally. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. GOUVERNEUR MORRIS, Special J gent. Commander L. A. Beardslee, U. S. N., Commanding U. S. Shij) Jamestown, Harbor Sitka, Alaska. Iii pursuance of the arrangements made between Major Morris, as representative of the Treasury, and myself, as senior naval officer, the proposed trip was made, and its objects and results reported to the ^Tavy Department in the following dispatch: U. S. S. Jamestown, Sitka, September 1, 1880. Hon. R. W. Thompson, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C: Sir : In compliance with the request of special agent of Treasury Department, Wm. Gouverneur Morris, which request was based upon information given to him by me, as reported in my letter of August 11, as to many violations of the revenue laws, and in- trusion upon our waters of English Indians, hunting sea-otter, I have during the month of August accompanied him, with an escort of officers and men, upon a tour among the most prominent Indian tribes who inhabit the inland coasts of Alaska. Our trip was made in the steamer Favorite, belonging to the Northwest Trading Company, and beginning on the 14th day of August, extended over fourteen days, we arriving in Sitka on the 28th ultimo. The objects of the trip were, first, to visit the Hoonah villages in Cross Sound, and to there take steps to prevent a threatened war between the Hoonahsand the British Columbia Indians of Fort Simpson, the latter having trespassed upon the rights of the former by killing sea-otter upon the hunting grounds of the Hoonahs ; second, to visit the Kootzimo tribe on Admiralty Island, to prevent a renewal of troubles between them and the Stickienes at Wrangell, reports having been brought in that such troubles were about to occur ; third, to visit the Chilkhat country, for the purpose of strengthening and encouraging that tribe and the Chilkhoots in their advanced step of opening their country to miners and traders, which step was taken by my request, and is the legitimate growth from the successive steps of mine, in sending, in Septem- ber, 1879, several of our Indians to Chilkhat, upon the occasion of a big fight, which resulted in an invitation to the whites to come, in response to which, I, in May, fur- nished a party of pioneers with escort (see report of June 7, 1880) ; and in general terms, to have interviews with as many as possible of the leading tribes, among whom white men are now beginning to penetrate, and to establish with them a feeling which would cause them to receive the whites with favor, and treat them friendly. My reasons for going in person were, first, I am convinced that as " captain of the Jamestown" I have more influence with the Indians, from one end of Alaska to the other, than any other person ; I do not speak boastingly, but simply state afact, which is believed by all here, and confirmed by much evidence. From Hoonah, Chilkhat, and Kootznoo I had received requests from the chiefs for advice and assistance upon important matters, and I was assured by returning pioneers that I could, by a personal visit, mold the Indians as I wished. Second, as the period during which white men clung to the settlement of Sitka, and called for " protection " was so far terminated that they were now penetrating the country in all directions in safety, and starting various businesses, it was advisable that a civil officer of the gov- ernment, versed in trade and business matters, and familiar with the laws relating to such, should visit and teach them, and it was, I thought, proper that this representa- tive of advancing peace should be introduced by the retiring representative of war. In making up my party for this trip I selected Master G. C. Hanus, Dr. N. M. Fere- bee, aud ten of the best men of the ship. Mr. Hanus, because our voyage would carry us into unknown seas, where there existed many uncharted shoals and dangers, and where the safety of navigation required many corrections of all existing charts, and there is no young officer in the service better adapted for this duty than Mr. Hanus. He is observant, accurate, has a passion for surveying, and is indefatigable, and I feel confident that an examination of the sailing directions, surveys of harbors, locations of dangers, &c , which are incorporated in his report to me, and which I forward to the Bureau of Navigation, will fully justify my encomium. The vessel was armed with a howitzer and Gatling gun, and rifles for the crew. I, acting for the Navy Department, furnished fuel, at first relying upon the government 70 AJFFAIB3 IN ALASKA. coal-pile, but rinding it, eventually, to be necessary to purchase wooden route and to use the steamer's sunk of soft coal, our hard coalnot making sufficient steam. Our first visit was to Koteosok Harbor, on Admiralty Island, where we arrived on the L6th of August, having been detained at an anchorage in Peril Straits by a south- east gale for two days. About the center of Peril Straits there exists a dangerous, uncharted rock, upon which several vessels have struck. Mr. Hanus was sent to search for it. and although it was nearly high water, succeeded in rinding and locating it. It is directly on the track of the V. S. S. Ossipee, as given on chart 223 corrected by Meade. At this place, Koteosok Harbor, the Northwest Company have established a trading post, and the agent, Mr. Edward DeGroff, reports that during his two months' sojourn alone among the Indians he has been well treated by them. This is the home of the Kootznoo Indians. Our interview with the Indians was held on the 17th, it having been necessary to send for a leading chief to a salmon river, some 25 miles away. This chief, named Kitchnath (Jake)," was one of the Indians who were, in 18H9, carried away as hostages by Lieutenant-Commander Mitchell, in the Saginaw, and I found him a prisoner when 1 assumed command of that vessel ai Mare Island. My treatment of him and the other Indian prisoners on the Saginaw was fortunately such that as soon as Jake recog- nized me he was ready to comply with all that I should ask. The other chief, Gand- shana (Andrew), had a most excellent letter from Lieutenant-Commander (now Cap- tain) Meade, and from all I can learn of him he has continued to deserve it. In this and all subsequent interviews I took the lead, and endeavored to impress upon the Indians that the war-ship was sent because the government had reason to believe that the Indians were dangerous and unfriendly to the whites; that I had found considerable misunderstanding and bad feeling at hist, and that I had been compelled to punish a great many bad Indians: that at hist the better Indians looked on and neither helped nor hindered me, but that of late we had got to understand each other, and that bad Indians gave me very little trouble because other Indians restrained them. All of which and much more of importance here, but which would seem in description puerile, led up to my telling them that the Great Tyhee in Wash- ington was pleased and had now sent a peace tyhee, as I had told him the time had come for such officer to take hold. Throughout all the interviews it was considered inadvisable to make presents: such policy tends to lead the Indians to think that we are afraid of them and willing to buy their good-will. My plan is to impress them that they are the ones benefited, and that it is a great favor to them that the whites come. Major Morris then took charge and explained to them about business matters. The results of this interview with the Kootznoos were, promises of welcome and good treatment to the whites, not to renew the war at Wrangell, and to report to me, instead of redressing themselves, in case of any difficulty with whites. Leaving Koteosok at 4 a. m. August 17, we steered into Cross Sound, and at 3 p. m. anchored in Port Frederick Harbor (Komtockon), latitude 58 c 09 north, longitude 135° 30' west, abreast the largest village of the Hoonah tribe. But very few Indians were at this ranch, which is the winter home of about 500, who during the summer are scattered among the inlets and on the coast, fishing for halibut and salmon, and hunting sea-otters. The hunting ground of the latter is about 30 miles northwest of Cape Spencer, and it was upon these grounds that a company (thirty canoes carrying three men each) of Fort Simpson Indians had been depredating. As there were no chiefs at the main village, we left there on the morning of the 18th. and ran to a har- bor on an island, not named on charis, but called by the Indians Tesich. As we sur- veyed and made a chart of this harbor, we have called the island " Sbeiman Island," and the harbor "Willonghby Cove"— a man named Willoughby making his home here among the Indians. It was on information sent by Willoughby (confirmed by others) that Morris has acted. Willoughby arrived in Sitka the dav before we started and accompanied us, and was quite useful through his local knowledge. We left him at his cove. In passing Point Adolphus, latitude 58° 1> north, longitude 135° 41, and thence to Willoughby Harbor, we encountered manv icebergs. At this place (Willoughby Cove) we held interviews with the Hoonah chiefs, Kah- lodushak, Klaratoosah, and Kahemuk, who were the men who induced Willoughby to write me. The first named is a venerable and very eloquent man, and has great- authority with his tribe. We learned from them that the "King George" Indians had gone home a few days before; that he had sent to them a letter which I had sent him by Willoughby, and that when they read it (the Fort Simpson Indians are edu- cated and can read and write) they went away, but said they would return in Septem- ber, with sixty canoes, and would not care then for the Jamestown, that thev were " King George" Indians, and the "Bostons" could not touch th-m. After the usual interview, conducted by myself as war tyhee, Major Morris continued the talk, and arranged a great deal of business in his own department. The Hoonahs were very much pleased at the attention paid to their request, and have promised not to fight the "King George" Indians, but to report to me if thev come again, ■HP AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 71 Major Morris promising thorn to endeavor to get the English authorities at Victoriato stop the projected raicL I trust that he will be successful, for otherwise I shall have a very difficult task in endeavoring to Btop a war which will involve, the homo gov- ernments. A deep hay, named by me ''Glacier Bay," which is not on Ihe chart, pene- trates the northern coast of Cross Sound, between longitude 35° 38' west, and 135° 5G 7 west. This bay is 35 miles deep, and at its head are live immense glaciers, from which the icebergs we have encountered are derived. As this bay is entirely unknown, and as a branch of the lloonas were in the upper part of it, we, depending upon the local knowledge of Willoughby and an old Russian of our crew, who had been up it in command of a schooner, concluded to try to inter- view the Indians, and make a, running survey. We failed in the former, as, when we reached the inlet up which they lived, we found a bar which prevented our reaching them ; but we got a pretty fair chart of the bay, and returned that night to an anchor- age to the eastward of Point Adolphus. On the 22d we left this anchorage and at 2 p. m. anchored in Swanson's Harbor, lat- itude 58° 13' north, longitude 135° 13' west, just inside Cordova Point, to await low- water, to enable us to locate a dangerous shoal. There is here an Indian ranch, the head chief of which is Sitka Jack, who was ab- sent. We obtained wood, and a chief named Karshle was in charge, whom we inter- viewed. At b a. m., 23d, we started for the above named shoal, which is so conspicuous at low-water that I cannot conceive how it has escaped notice. We stopped and landed Mr. Hanus with instruments on it at 8 a. m. This shoal is in latitude 58° 09' north, longitude 135° Ob' west, just in the fairway of the junction of Cross Sound and Chatham Straits, and was from 3 to 7 feet out of water, and at low- water fully one- fourth of a mile square. At high- water it would cover from 11 to 15 feet, according to tides. As this rock is not on any chart, nor described in any sailing directions, its locating is of great importance, and I named it " Hanus Rocks." We then proceeded up Lynn Canal for Chilkat. The day was tine and warm, and the mountain scenery, which included hundreds of glaciers, maguiticent. Before passing iuto Chatham Straits we had a fine view of Mounts Fairweather, Cri lion, and Perouse. At 6 p. m. we auchored in William Henry Bay, on west side of Lynn Canal, latitude 58° 44' north, longitude 135° 19' west, to "procure wood, which the Indians cut and cord for the company for $2 per cord, and it is most excellent fuel (hemlock). We made survey of harbor, &c. On 23d, 6 'p. in., we arrived at the trading post be- tween the Chilkat aud Chilkoot villages. We here found that our visit was very op- portune, as it was at once reported to us that a war had started between the Chilkats and Chilkoots. The Chilkats and Chilkoots have for generations claimed the exclu- sive right to trade with the Stick Indians, who live iu the interior and are not allowed to come to the coast, and it was to prevent trespass upon the trade that they have hitherto objected to the whites coming among them ; and their consent to the going iuto the interior of the miners was based upon promises made by the latter to refrain from trading with the Sticks. Their suspicion that Mr. Steele (who was not bound by promise) was endeavoring to establish the forbidden trade, had led them to appeal to me tor assistance to prevent his so doing. The inclosed sketch * will, with brief description, enable you to understand the situa- tion. The northern extremity of Lynn Canal is bisected by a narrow tongue, which pro- duces two deep inlets, called, respectively, Chikat and Chilkoot Inlets. These are the most powerful and warlike tribes on the coast and their main villages are situated about 20 miles up rivers which empty into the inlets. The mouth of the Chilkat River is obstructed by flats which can be passed only by canoes. Just below these flats, on the western side of the peuiusnla, there is a village called the "Lower Chilkat Village," but as it is inhabited by about equal numbers of Chilkats and Chilkoots, aud governed by a chief of the latter tribe, it is more prop- erly a Chilkoot village, and at it the two tribes meet for trade, &c, a trail crossing the peninsula. At the eastern end of this trail there is a good harbor, Portage Bay, and the Northwest Trading Company have built a house and established a trading post at this point, arouud which a new village will soon grow. The trader, a Mr. George Dickenson, is married to a Tongas Indian woman, who speaks, reads, and writes English, and is a missionary. Through the Dickensons we learned as follows : A few days before a nephew of Klotz-Kutch, named Yakekoko, being drunk, desired to attack and kill a Frenchman named Pierre Erassard, who was at the Chilkat vil- lage, in a boat from Sitka on a trading voyage. Yakekoko has what is termed a " blood feud" with the whites, he having been stabbed last winter in Wraugell by a white man named John Currie, and in consequence has sworn to kill a white man to * Hydrographic Office Chart No. 883, which embraces this locality, is substituted fo r the sketch referred to. 72 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. ■ ■ >80. 53.— Anchorage. — With regard to the anchorage at Sitka, Commander Beardslee re- marks that ordinary gales blowing from SE. and SW. outside are deflected to NE. and south, respectively, before reaching the inner anchorage. Very heavy SE. gales, however, are not deflected, but blow home with a force greater then is felt from any other direction. Occasionally a heavy NE. gale sends through the valleys, which traverse the island from Silver Bay, heavy squalls from ENE. For these reasons it is necessary to moor very securely, if it is contemplated to re- main during the winter or for any considerable length of time. 54 — Moorings. — The Jamestown after several trials was eventually moored in the western harbor with her head about E. by S., abreast of the Indian village to the westward of Sitka town, with the eastern extremity of Harbor Island bearing SE. | S. and the east point of Japan Island SSW. f W: The ship was moored as follows : Starboard bower, with 75 fanthoms cable backed by 60 fathoms, the end of which was carried on shore and made fast to the big boulder on Harbor Island. (To the south- eastward.) Port bower, with 90 fathoms cable backed by 45 fathoms, the shore end of which was shackled into a Russian anchor fixed in the wharf. (To the eastward.) Starboard quarter — sheet anchor, wite 60 fathoms cable backed by 75 fathoms, one end of which was carried ashore and made fast to a big boulder on Japan Island. (To the westward.) Port quarters — sheet anchor, with 60 fathoms cable to the northwestward, from which direction tie mountains furnished a lee for the ship. 55. Commander Beardslee recommends the above anchorage to vessels visiting the harbor with the intention of remaining for some time, and suggests as a necessary pro- vision against accidents that vessels be supplied with extra bowers, steam anchors and cables, because if any of these are lost they cannot be replaced in Sitka. The hull of a vessel anchored in this position is well shelteted from the heavy scpialls which rush through the gulch to the northward; inasmuch as they generally pass over the ship and strike the water some distance outside of her, the spars only catching the force of the squall, and for this reason it is well to send down all the upper spare when moored for some time. (H. N. 5-'60.) (Courses and bearing magnetic. Variation 29° 00' earterly in 1680.) (Report of Commander Beaerdslee and Lieutenant Svmonds, U. S. >T.. U. S. 8. James- town, Sitka, December, 20 and December 1, respectively, 1879.) This notice affects the following charts, &. : British Admiralty, Nos. 2337, Sitka Soune, and 2346. Sitka or New Arkhanoel. U. S. Hydrographic Office, No. 705. U. S. Coast Survey, Harbors of Alaska, No. 705. "Alaska Coast Pilot," Part I (U. S. C. S., 1669). page 116 (36), page 11- {36a, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 4©, 50 and 52), page 119 (37, 38, 39, 40. 51, 53, 54 and 55), page 120 (49). By order of the Bureau of Navigation. S. R. FRANKLIN. Capuain U. S. A\, Hydrographer to the Bureau. U. S. Hydkographic Office, Wahsington, D. C. January 30, 18-0. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 89 (A copy of this notice will be sent, free of charge, to any ship-master on application to this office. The substance of this notice is to be inserted in red ink on the charts affected by it, and introduced into the margin, or otherwise in the page, of the Sail- ing Directions to^which it relates.) NOTICE TO MARINERS. [No. 81.] AMERICA, W. C— ALASKA— SITKA HARBOR. The following information, relating to the establishment of beacons on Vitskari and Mokhnatoi Islands, entrance to Sitka Harbor, constructed by the crew, of the U. S. 8. Jamestown, under the direction of Lieut. F. M. Symonds, U. 8. N.,has been received from Commander L. A. Beardslee, U. S. N., commanding U. S. 8. Jamestown. ](430.) Beacon on Vitskari Island. (N. M. 81-'7P.) The beacon on Vitskari Island is a conical stone beacon, standing on a level surface of rock near the center of the island, 25 feet above high- water mark. It is 10 feet high, with a diameter of 20 feet at the base and 4 feet at the top. A log or staff projects five feet above the beacon, the former being capped by a large stone, the upper extremity of which is about 16 feet above the rock, and 41 feet above high water. At this altitude the beacou ought to be visible from an ordinary vessel's deck, on a clear day, a distance of about 11 miles. (431.) Beacon on Mokhnatoi Island. (N. M. 81-79. ) This beacon is constructed of heavy logs, in the form of a triangular pyramid, and situated on the summit of Mokhnatoi Island, at an elevation of 50 feet above the high- water mark. It is 19£ feet high, 20 feet wide at the base, and 2 feet wide at the top. Above the top of the beacon a staff projects 3| feet, which, like the beacon on Vitskari, is capped by a large stone, the whole rising 22£ feet above the island, and about 72|- feet above high-water mark. At this altitude, on a clear day, the beacon will proba- bly be visible from an ordinary vessel's deck a distance of about 15^ miles. From the Mokhnatoi Beacon the following bearings were taken : Vitskari Beacon S. 35° 45' W. Mt. Edgecombe •. S. 64° 30' W. St. Lazaria Island (SE. point) 8. 42° 30' W. KutichRock S. 2° 00' W. Biorka Island (N\V. point) J South. Bouranoff (Bouronov) point S. 31° 15' E. Rocky Hill N. 58° 15' E. Directions. — Entering Sitka Harbor in a sailing vessel with the wind from the north- westward, it is advisable to give the Mt. Edgecombe shore a wide berth, asunder the influence of that high land the wind is apt to fail and fall calm when the vessel is in the vicinity of Vitskari. Biorka Island should be given a berth of at least 2^ miles. In order to clear the sunken rocks to the westward of Biorka Island, keep the bea- con on Vitskari Island bearing eastward of N. ■£ E. ; or, in other words, do not bring the beacon to bear to the northward of N. | E. In entering the harbor leave the beacon on Vitskari to port £ mile, then steer for Mokhnatoi Beacon, leaving it on the starboard hand in passing into the western chan- nel. (Bearings magnetic. Variation 28° 59' easterly in 1879.) Reports of Commander Beardslee and Lieut. Symonds, July 10, 1879. This notice affects the following charts, &c. : British Admiralty, Nos. 2683, 787, 2172, 2431, 2337, Sitka Sound, &c, and 2348 Sitka or New Arkhangel. U. S. Hydrographic Office, No. 527, North Pacific Ocean, Sheet II. Sailing directions: "Coast Pilot of Alaska " (U. S. C. S., 1869), page 118. By order of the Bureau of Navigation. S. R. FRANKLIN, Captain, U. S. N., Hydrographer to the Bureau. U. S. Hydrographic Office, Washington, D. C, August 14, 1879. 90 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. ^A copy of this notice will be sent, free of charge, to any ship-master on application to this office. The substance of this notice is to be inserted in red ink on the charts affected by it, and introduced iuto the margin, or otherwise in the page, of the Sail- I Erections to which it relates.) HYDROGRAPHIC NOTICE. [No. 97 of 1880.] The following information in regard to the inside passages north of Sitka is fur- nished by Commander L. A. Beardslee, U. S. Navy, commanding the U. S. S. James- town. The reconnaissance was made by Master G. C. Hanus, of that vessel, during the present year: NORTH AMERICA— NORTHWEST COAST— ALASKA— NEVSKI STRAIT. 919. — Whitestone Xarrows. — Directions. — If bound to the northward, when the rocky islet known as the Whitestone, which is uncovered at all stages of the tide, is in plain sight, stir for the passage to the right or eastward of it and head half-way between it and the shores of Barauoff (Baranov) Island. When near the rock, say at a distance of 100 yards, haul close in for the point on the eastern side of the passage and hug it until the cove just to the eastward is w T ell open. To the northwestward of Whitestone islet sunken rocks and kelp beds extend for a quarter of a mile. The kelp forms an excellent guide, but must be avoided throughout its entire extent, as there is a suuken rock with only two feet on it at low water, about 300 yards to the westward of the Whitestone. Next avoid the sand spit at the mouth of a stream a short distance to the northward and westward of the cove, and when op- posite the northern and western end of the large kelp patch haul over for the center of the channel, giving the western shore the preference during the remainder of the passage through Nevski Strait. The flood-tide at Whitestone ledge runs to the southward and eastward and the ebb to the northward and westward. (H. N. 97-'80.) KLOKATCHEFF GULF (KLOKACHEVA SOUND). 920. — Directions. — Wishing to enter the gulf from seaward, keep anywhere near the middle of the entrance, giving the preference to the north shore, and. steer in with- out fear until close up to the high bluffs on Baranoff Island, seeking anchorage in Whitestone narrows. All dangers on the northern shore of the gulf are exposed. This information was furnished by the Russian pilots. (H. N. 97-'80. ) POGIBSHI- CHANNEL, OR PERIL STRAIT. 921.— Wyanda Rock:— The islet shown on B. A. Chart No. 2337 to the northward of Poroga Island, near the entrance to Suloia Bay, has a shoal of sunken rocks ex- tending from it to the northward for several hundred yards, and about one-third of a mileN. by E. from the islet there is a detached sunken rock which never uncovers, and which is known as Wyanda Rock, the revenue cutter of that name havino- struck pon it. Directions.— Between Wyanda Rock and a rock always out of water (off Lesnoi Island) there is a clear passage several hundred yards wide. From this latter rock detached sunken rocks extend SSE. into the channel for nearly two hundred yards. The strong tidal currents here cause rapids, the whirlpools and eddies of which render it all times a difficult passage, and vessels always wait for a favorable stage of tide to go through. After passing Deep Bay the best channel will be found inside of small islands, which are noted on the chart off the prominent point to the northward of Deep Bav ^his group consists of three wooded islands and a bare rock. Leave them all to the east- ward and pass between them and Tchitchagoff (Chichagov) Island. (H. N 97-80 ) (Bearings magnetic. Variation 31 c easterly in 1880.) 922— Rock.— The rock laid down on the chart just to the southward of this oroup of islands is not believed to exist, but there is a dangerous rock, which is out of water at extreme low tide, to the eastward of the bight oh the largest island. ( H N 97-80 ) MS.— -favorite Anchorage.— A good anchorage can be found close in under the shore of Baranoff Island, near Nismenna (Low) Point, about half a mile to the southward of vfpli? ( } h ^f\}» ] ^™ *? m 7 t0 W fotaoms of wat °r- The holding ground is excellent, the bottom being blue mud or clay hi Jh^ >>n!T2w afford % exce l ] ent shelter from SE. around to NNW.. the hills being mgh. Horn SW. around to NNW. the wind draws down the strait and through the AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 91 inlets, making it a lee shore, but no heavy sea need he expected. To this harbor the name of Favorite Anchorage was given. There is also an anchorage, formerly much used by Russian vessels, in the bight shown on B. A. Chart No. 2337, to the northward and eastward of Nismenna, or Low Point. A vessel can anchor there in from 10 to 15 fathoms of water, bottom soft mud, and find good shelter in southerly gales. The holding ground, however, is not so good as at Favorite Anchorage. (H. N. 97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation 31° easterly in 1880.) 924. — Cozian Bock. — In getting under way from Favorite Anchorage bound to Chat- ham Strait a good channel, with 7 fathoms water, will be found between Otstoia Isl- and and Nismenua Point, keeping close to the island to avoid the sand spit which makes out from the point. A dangerous rock, which breaks in rough weather and which has not been heretofore located, was found, but having no tide-gauge it is im- possible to state the -exact depth of water on it. The probable depth is three feet at low water. Angles were taken to locate the exact position of this rock, but the points on the charts are so inaccurately laid down that it is difficult to plot it exactly, but it lies about N. by E. from the eastern end of Otstoia Island, distant from one-half to three- quarters of a mile. It is so near the middle of the channel heretofore given on the charts that several vessels have struck upon it. The Russian steamer Nicholas struck on it in 1854, and the schooner Nellie Eads and steamer Gussie Telfair both struck on it in 1875. By passing through the channel between Otstoia Island and Nismenna point all danger from this rock is avoided. This rock was called Cozian Rock, after the Russian pilot who reported it. (H. N. 97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation 31° easterly in 1880.) 925. — HcClellan Bock. — Off the eastern point of the anchorage known on the charts as Lindenberg Bay there is a rock, covered at high water, not hitherto laid down. It bears S. by E. from the point, distant about one-fifth of a mile. There is a channel with 7 fathoms of water inside the rock. This rock was reported by Lieutenant McClellan, who sounded the passage on a trip to Chilcat in May, 1880, and it has been called McClellan Rock. (H. N. 97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation 31° easterly in 1880.) CHATHAM STRAIT. 926. — Point Graven. — The point of Tchitchagoff Island, at the junction of the waters of Peril Strait with those of Chatham Strait, isknown on the charts as Point Graven. Off this point there is a very large reef, marked on B. A. Chart No. 2337. This reef does not exist, but there are two rocky islets off the point, with deep water a few hundred yards outside of them. (H. N. 97-80.) 927. — Morris Beef, so named by the Jamestown party, is a very dangerous reef, not on any chart. It makes out into Chatham Strait from one to one and a half miles in an E. by S. direction from the point on the northern side' of the entrance into a cove or inlet just to the northward of Point Graven. Off this point, to which the name of Point Hayes has been given, there is first a ledge of rocks, uncovered at low water, then a small wooded island, and then a reef of sunken rocks ; about a quarter of a mile from the island there is a rock always out of the water. The remainder of the reef consists of numerous detatched rocks with passages between them, many of the rocks showing at low water. About one mile northward of the point another reef of detached sunken rocks makes out from the shore and runs towards Morris reef. Russian pilots state that this point should not be approached closer than one and a half miles. (H. N. 97-80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 18#0.) 928. — Kootznahoo Boads and Koteosok Harbor. — Entering Koteosok Harbor from Kootz- nahoo Roads, from 4^ to 5 fathoms can be carried at low water. Two lines of sound- ings were run at this stage of the tide, and the greatest depth was shown to be 5 fathoms. The shoal oft' Shelter Point runs further into the channel, and that off Bluff Point, at the mouth of Koteosok Creek, is not so extensive as formerly shown. The shore line of Koteosok Harbor runs further back than heretofore delineated, and a rock which uncovers at low water has been located. From this rock Shelter Point bears W. by N., distant two-thirds of a mile. A new trading post has been lately established at Koteosok Harbor. (H. N. 97-80. ) (Bearings magnetic. Variation 31° easterly in 1880.) TENAKEE, OR SIWASH CANAL. 929. — Description. — The information iu regard to this passage (which is navigable by canoes only) was received from Major Berry, formerly collector at Sitka, and his statements were fully confirmed by the Hoonah Indians. AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. Four or live miles from Hoooah tbere is a portage of about one hundred and fifty .tops at high water and about thirty at low water.- The highest point of the portage bout fifteen feet above high-water mark. Tins passage is much used bv the Hoonah Indians. Halt-way up there are hot sul- phur sprrngs! and near these an Indian village. The arm of water opposite this Vol- taire extends in a southerly direction towards Hoonah Sound m Peril Straits, from which it is separated by high land, the distance from water to water being about nve IU 930 _ \iu-a nam's Harbor.— This harbor has apparently three entrances on the Cross Sound side but two of them are false, being obstructed by sunken rocks and sand bars. Outside of these there are sunken rocks extending off shore from a mile to a mile and a half; many of these rocks are uncovered at low water. «-..,-. The true entrance to this harbor is the one nearest to Point Couverdeu. Oft this point there is a small rocky islet, not hitherto charted, which bears about SE. by S. from Point Couverdeu. distant about one and a quarter miles. Directions.— To enter Swanson's Harbor by the eastern and only safe entrance, the course from the rocky islet, leaving it to northward, is about west. Oft the SE. point of Entrance Island* a reef and sunken rocks make off a quarter of a mile or more : after passing these, steer for the center of the inuer end of the harbor (about west), and Anchor 5 opposite the western entrance in from 8 to 10 fathoms water, soft, sticky bot- tom. (H. N. 97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation 31° easterly in 1880.) 931.— Point Couverdeu is on an island, and there is a passage between Swanson's Harbor and Lvnn Canal, but this was not examined owing to the short stay of the party. " Sitka Jack.' 7 an Indian chief, and several families of his tribe have a summer set- tlement here. (H. N. 97-'60.) CROSS SOUND, OR ICY STRAIT. g32—Spaskai Island.— This island, laid down on the charts SW. by W. of Point Cou- verden, distant 4£ miles, does not exist. It is probably intended to represent the small rocky islet near the eastern entrance to Swanson's Harbor, which is visible from the anchorage, bearing east, referred to in paragraph 930 as being SE. by S. from Point Couverdeu. (H. N. 97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation 31° easterly in 1880.) 933.— Sister Islands.— -The islands N. by E. £ E. from Point Sophia, distant from two and a half to three miles, are known as the Sister Islands. Off the southern end of the eastern island, at a distance of a quarter of a mile, there is a reef of rocks which uncovers at low water. (H. N. 97-80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation 31° easterly in 1880.) 934. — Northern shore. — The Northern shore of Cross Sound is reported by pilots to be foul for a distance of from one to one and a half miles from shore, all the way from Point Couverdeu, twenty-two miles to the westward, to a large hitherto uncharted bay, to which the name of Glacier Bay was given. The Indians, however, report that there are several safe anchorages along this shore. (H. X. 97-'80.) 935. — Beardslee Islets. — The point which appears on the charts in latitude 58° "24 N., longitude 135° 50' W., is undoubtedly intended to represent the southern point of a chain of islands which extends in a northwesterly direction up the center of Glacier Bay for about fifteen miles. As seen from Cross Sound they appear to divide the bay into two separate sheets of water. They are known as Beardslee Islets, and there aresaidto be hundreds of them, large and small, and, although they are called sand islands, many of them are high and covered with timber. It is reported that there are deep channels and safe anchorages among them. The southern point of these islands is not so far to the westward as represented on the charts. The group of islands southeast of Glacier Bay is known by the name of the P Islands. (H. N. 97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31- easterly in 1880.) 936. — Port Frederick Harbor — Directions. — In running in from Cross Sound, coming from the eastward, after having passed point Sophia, a vessel can safely hug the shore of Tchitchagoff Island. At a distance of from two to three hundred yards from the shore no bottom could be obtained in 16 fathoms. Near the entrance to the harbor, a low, grassy island makes out from the shore, with a sand spit making off from the about one hundred yards, after which the water deepens suddenly. The point at the entrance to the harbor is a high bluff, the rocky walls of which are of a brownish-red *Professor Muir, who has explored this region, confirms the stateniect of Mr. Berry thar the: portage, hut places it much further from Hoonah. t The island forming theSE. side of the harbor. ■i AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 93 color. After this is passed keep in the middle of the channel between Harbor Island and the shore of Tehitchagoff Island, and anchor in about 8 fathoms of water, soft, muddy bottom, off the Indian village. The holding-ground is excellent. (H. N. 97-80..) 937. — Halibut Rock. — A rock which uncovers at low water, and which is believed by the pilots to be much n arer the channel than it really is, was examined. This rock bears SSE. -J E. from the inner island on the western side of the entrance to Port Fred- erick Harbor, distant about two-thirds of a mile. This danger was given the name of Halibut Rock. (H. N. 97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880.) 938. — Point Adolphus — Anchorage. — After passing Point Adolphus bound to the west- ward an anchorage can be found in the second bight, in from 7 to 15 fathoms, soft mud. The first bight to the westward of Point Adolphus is but a curve in the shore. The anchorage in the second bight is said to be secure in all except northwesterly winds. (H. N. 97-'S0. > ) 939. — Rocks. — Opposite the inner part of the second bight there is a sunken rock about 150 yards from the shore, and off the point forming the western limit of this small bay and about two hundred yards from the shore there is a rock covered at high water. Pilots report that there is also a rock which uncovers at low water off the next point to the westward, and that its distance from shore is one-eighth of a mile. From this point the land makes away to the southward, forming a large bight, to which the name of Mud Bay was given. (H. N. 97-'80.) 940. — Mua Bat/.— The southern shore of this bay has the appearance of an immense sand spit, stretching in a curve from the eastern to the western shore of the bay. Entering from the northward and eastward the western shore will appear like a group of islands. The shore of the point, which will appear to be the outer island, is marked by large masses of white quartz, which resemble ice. A small island (Goose Island) lies just to the southward of this point, and at low water a reef between them un- covers nearly its whole extent. There is an immense mud flat, with sounding varying from 4 to 7 fathoms water, about three-quarters of a mile to the eastward of the west shore of the bay. Six fathoms water, mud bottom, was found about three-quarters of a mile from Goose Island. The budding ground in Mud Bay is excellent. On the 18th and again on the 19th August, 1880, a number of small icebergs in Cross Sound were in sight from the anchorage. (N. H. 97-'80.) 941. — Lemesurier Island — Willoughby Cove. — Lemesurier Island is the large island to- the westward of point Adolphus and to the northward and westward of Mud Bay. There are reefs off nearly all the points on the southeastern shore of this island. The deep bight on the southern shore is known as Willoughby Cove. A small sailing vessel or steamer can find an anchorage here in from 8 to 14 fathoms- water, muddy bottom. The holding-ground is excellent. The cove is open from SE. to NNE., and a very strong current sets by just outside, which creates strong eddies, bringing iceburgs in dangerous proximity to a vessel anchored too far out. These eddies set towards a large bite ju,st to the eastward of the cove, and on the 19th of August, 1880, much drift-ice had been washed on shore there, while a number of good-sized icebergs had grounded some distance from the shore. Mud Bay was free from ice. It is said that ice never enters Willoughby Cove. (H. N. 97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880.) 942. — Reef. — There is a dangerous reef off Iceberg Point, southern shore of Leme- surier Island, which uncovers for about a quarter of a mile from the shore at low water, and in rough weather it is said to break for at least another quarter of a mile further out. Lemesurier Island is moderatelv high and covered with timber. (H. N. 97-'80.) GLACIER BAY. 943. — Description and directions. — This large sheet of water, which has not heretofore been charted, lies northwest of Point Adolphus, and extends in a northwesterly direc- tion from the northern shore of Cross Sound. To enter this bay from Cross Sound bound to the westward, when about two miles from Lemesurier Island steer about WNW. until you enter the bay, and then steer about W. by N., or for Willoughby Island, a high island which lies near the southern shore of Glacier Bay and about twelve or thirteen miles from its entrance. In entering from seaward through the channel north of Lemesurier Island, when near the point where the waters of Cross Sound or Icy Strait unite with those of Glacier Bay, it will be necessary to give the northern shore of the former a wide berth, for at this point, which is low, a sand spit, not heretofore shown on the charts, makes out from the land about one and a half miles. Before entering Glacier Bay strong tidal currents or eddies will be encountered, 94 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. especially to the northward and eastward of Leniesurier Island, and this part of Cross Sound is* exceedingly dangerous for sailing vessels, since there is much thick weather and even in August,' I860, there was much ice, in the form of large floes or small ice- bergs, coining down from Glacier Bay. The tide here runs at least three knots an ar Willoughby Island there is an inlet on the southwestern shore of the bay. It has two entrances, but only the one farthest up the bay was examined. Between the inlet and the bay, at this point, there is a bar about 100 yards wide, on the Bhoalest part of which there are 3£ fathoms at high-water, with deep water inside. Several miles up this inlet there is a fishing village of Hoonah Indians. Willoughby Island is said to be five or six miles long and from two to three miles wide. There is no timber in this section of the hay. From personal observation and from the information obtained from prospecting miners, Russian pilots, and Indians, a sketch of the bay was made. In running up to the inlet near Willoughby Island, from Cross Sound, numerous casts of the lead were taken, with no bottom at 16 fathoms, the vessel running along the southern shore of Glacier Bay at a distance of from three-quarters to one-and-a- half miles. Mr. Willoughby, a pioneer, who has explored the upper end of this bay, furnished the following information : There are five immense glaciers at the upper part. The first, on the southern shore of the bay nearest Willoughby Island, is about half a mile wide and 150 feet high. The next is about three-quarters of a mile wide and 200 feet high. The third, known among the Indians as the " Great Glacier," is situated at the head of the bay, and is about one mile and a half wide and from 200 to 300 feet high. The fourth, on the northern shore of the bay, is about half a mile wide and 150 feet high; and the fifth and smallest is about half a mile wide and 50 feet high. Most of the ice seen in this bay and in Cross Sound comes from two of these glaciers ; the sea washes under them, rots the ice, and pieces are constantly broken off. The information which follows in regard to Glacier Bay was obtained from Prof. Muir, a gentleman who had lately visited the locality : On the northern shore of Glacier Bay, north of Willoughby Island, there is a large inlet from three to four miles wide at its mouth. It runs to the northward and west- ward five miles, and at its head there is an immense glacier, which extends across the head of the inlet for a distance of about three miles. According to Prof. Muir this glacier is the grandest of all ; ten miles back from its snout it is ten miles wide, and near this, its greatest width, sixteen branches of the first class unite to form one im- mense glacier. Four of the sixteen branches are each over two miles wide, and nearly all have tributaries. The distance from the snout of the glacier to its farthest removed fountain is about forty miles. The five glaciers described by Willoughby, Prof. Muir judges to be about one and a half miles wide each, except the second,Vhich at its mouth is divided into two parts by a small island, each of the parts being about one mile and a half wide. At the head of the little bay just to the westward of Willoughby Island, Prof. Muir reports another glacier. He believes that many of these glaciers furnish icebergs. (H.N.97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880.) LYXN CAXAL. 944.— Da7igerous reef.— Near the junction of the waters of Lynn Canal, Cross Sound, and Chatham Strait, there is a large reef covered at one-third flood tide. It lies three miles S. 58° E. from Point Couverden, and does not appear on any chart heretofore published. At low-water the highest part was seven or eight feet out of water. It consisted of a series of detached rocks extending at least a quarter of a mile to the eastward of the position occupied. A vessel must not approach this reef nearer than a mile, for a strono- two or three knot current sets right across it. The instruments used for determining its position were the sextant and the survey- or's compass, and the conditions for observing were very favorable. The position was obtained by laying all the angles down at the same time on a paper protractor and then plotting. According to this, Point Augusta cannot extend so far into Chatham Strait as previously represented, which confirms information obtained from pilots. Most of the compass bearings, though carefully taken, are of no use whatever in connection with the determination of this reef, nor can they be until the points ob- served upon are correctly located. (H. N. 97-'80.) 'Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880.) AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 95 945. — William Henry Bay, which is an excellent harbor, is situated on the western shore of Lynn Canal, to the northward of Point Grant. Directions. — Wishing to enter this harbor, keep from one-half to three-quarters of a mile from the western shore of Lynn Canal until abreast the eutrance. This is nec- essary, as otherwise it is very difficult to recognize the harbor. Strangers will be aided in finding it by noting that the highest mountain in this vicinity, which has a rounded, bald top, without trees, is just to the northward and westward of the en- trance. When the bay has opened well, head in for the inner part of the bay, keeping in the middle until you pass the point at the eastern side of the entrance, after which select a berth at pleasure in from 9 to 13 fathoms water, soft, muddy bottom. Supplies. — Wood and water can. be obtained here. (H. N. 97-80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880.) 946. — Ralston Island — Reef. — Captain Vanderbilt, of the NW. Trading Company's steamer Favorite, reports a reef out of water at half tide, about one mile NW. by N. of the small island just to the westward of Ralston Island. Coming down from William Henry Bay to go down Stephens Passage inside of Lin- coln Island, Captain Vanderbilt steered for Port Bridget in order to avoid this reef. He adds that at low-water the portion uncovered is fully a quarter of a mile long in a NW. by N. and SW. by S. direction. Ralston Island and the small island just to the westward of it are about one mile and a half further to the westward than previouslv shown on the charts. (H. N. 97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880.) CHILCOOT INLET. 947. — Portage Bay — Directions. — When abreast of Sullivan's Island haul over for the northeast shore of Lynn Canal, keeping about midway between it and the island, and afterward between it and Seduction Peninsula, until you open Portage Bay, where the NW. Trading Company have lately established a post. Keep about a quarter of a mile from the south shore of the bay and anchor near it in from 9 to 15 fathoms wa- ter, soft, muddy bottom. The water on the opposite shore is comparatively shoal and the holding-ground is not so good, the bottom being either of rock or sand. Opposite this bay and to the northward and eastward of it there is a large inlet into which the Tyya River empties. This inlet is said to be navigable for large vessels for a distance of fifteen miles, and the river for ten more by canoes. From ten to fifteen miles up the Chilcoot River there is a village of eleven large houses, this being the principal settlement of the Chilcoot tribe. Across Seduction Peninsula, between the lower Chilcat village and the trading-post, there is an excellent trail, which the In- dians use as a portage for their small canoes. (H. N. 97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880. ) CHILCAT INLET. 948. — Pyramid Harbor is located on the southwest shore of Chilcat Inlet, and derives its name from a small pyramidal-shaped island about three-quarters of a mile distant, which bears about N. £ E. from the anchorage. This island can be readily recognized by its shape ; it is bare of trees, and is the only island above Ventosa Island. A short distance above Pyramid Island commence the flats and shoals which are formed by the quicksands of the Chilcat River. Although there may have been a channel for vessels of fifteen feet draught, as indicated on former charts, such is not believed by pilots to have been the case, and the ehannel which now exists is constantly chang- ing its depth and location, small boats finding it difficult to keep in the channel at times. In May, 1880, Lieut. McClellan searched ineffectually for several hours for a chan- nel suitable for a launch drawing about three feet. It is dangerous for any vessel to go beyond Pyramid Island without a local pilot. There is an Indian village four miles above Pyramid Harbor. Directions.— When abreast Seduction Point keep about in the middle of the inlet, giving the preference to the northeastern shore, as flats are said to make out from the opposite side. After passing Ventosa Island haul over for the western shore of the inlet, and you will be aided in recognizing the harbor not only by the little sand island known as Pyramid Island, but by the old bed of a glacier, which from the deck of a vessel will appear like a sand spit. This is just to the southward of the anchorage. Haul in for the bight and approach the shore boldly, anchoring in from 11 to 15 fathoms, soft mud. The ho ding-ground is excellent. 9() AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. On entering the harbor the high mountain which rises directly in rear of it, at an angle of about 35< ,will cause the shore to appear much nearer than it really is. (H. Is 97-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880.) (Report of Master (4. C. Hanus. U. S. N., U. S. S. Jamestown, Sitka, Alaska, Sept. 1, 1880.) This notice affects the following Charts, &c. : Hvdroeraphic Office, Nos. 527 and '225. Southeast Coast of Alaska. 919 to 928 inclusive. 930. 931, 941, 942, 945, and 947.— No. 882, Auchorages and Pas- sages in the waters of the SW. Coast of -Alaska. Coast Survey, No. 701, Northwest Coast of America. . British Admiralty, Nos. 2683, 787, 2172, and 2431, Port Simpson to Cross Sound, in- cluding Koloschensk Archipelago. 919 to 927/inclusive.— No. 2337, Sitka Sound. Sailing Directions : "Coast Pilot of Alaska," Part 1 (U. S. Coast Survey), 1869, page 122(919); page 123 (920); page 124 (921): page 125 (922 to 925 inclusive); page 100 (926 to 928 inclusive); page 104 (929 to 931 inclusive); pages 104 and 130 (932); pages 105 and 130 (933. 935 to 942 inclusive) ; pages 104 and 129 (934) ; page 104 (943): pages 105 and 108 (944 to 946 inclusive); and page 108 (947 and 948). "North Pacific Directorv.'* 2d edition (A. G. Findlay), 1870 page 467 (919 to 925 inclusive): pages 464 and 467 (926 and 927); page 464 (928); page 468 (929 to 931 inclusive) ; pages 469 and 470 (932 and 933) ; page 470 ,(934 to 942 inclusive) ; page 471 (943); pages 464, 465, 466, 468, and 470 (944); and pages 465 and 466 v945 to 948 inclusive). ]3l$9 "Directorv for Behring's Sea and the Coast of Alaska" (A. G. Findlay), 1869. page 60 (919 and 920>; page 45 (921 to 927 inclusive); page 47 (928 and 930 to 933 inclusive); page 49 (929 and 934 to 943 inclusive); and page 42 (944 to 948 in- clusive). Bv order of the Bureau of Navigation : J. C. P. de KRAFFT, Captain, U. S. X., Hydrographer to the Bureau. U. S. Hydrographic Office, Washington, D. C, December 18, 1880. (A copy of this notice will be sent free of charge to any ship-master on application to this office. The substance of this notice is to be inserted in red ink on the charts affected by it, and introduced into the margin, or otherwise in the page, of the Sail- ing Directions to which it relates. ) HYDROGRAPHIC NOTICE. [No. 98 of 1880.] The information contained in the following notice is furnished by Commander Henry Glass, U. S. N., commanding U. S. S. Jamestown. The reconnaissauce and surveys were made by Lieut. F. M. Symonds, of that vessel, during September of the present year : NORTH AMERICA — NORTHWEST COAST — ALASKA — BARANOFF ISLAND. 949. — Iiulna ( Fish) Bay — Shulze Cove. — (See sketch.) — Schulze Cove is about two and a half miles from the southern entrance to Peril Strait and is on the northern shore of Rubia (Fish) Bay. The entrance, as well as the cove itself, is free from all visible dangers. The Russian steamers formerly used this cove as a shelter from southeasterly gales, anchoring off the northern and western shore of Piper Island. In approaching that island avoid the sand spit extending from it to the northward and westward, andfjan- chor just to the northward and westward of the spit. The holding-ground is good. (H. N. 98-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 30° easterly in 1880.) CHICHAGOFF ISLAND— TENAKEE OR SIWASH CANAL. 950.— Hoonah(Hoonyah) Harbor.— (See sketch.)— The general directions for approach- ing Entrance Point after passing Sophia Point will be found in Hvdrooraphic Notice, No. 97 (936) of 1880. * ■■Mi AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 97 To the northward and westward and close to Entrance Point there is a pinnacle- shaped rock forty feet in height, which has upon it a few stunted hemlock trees. Within fifteen yards to the westward of it there are 6 fathoms of* water, and in the small bight E. by N. from it there is a perpendicular wall of hare rock one hundred and fifty feet in height. Having brought Entrance Point to hear NE., enter the harbor and anchor, without fear of dangers, opposite the Indian village, avoiding too near an approach to the sand spit just to the easward of Entrance Point. The holding-ground is excellent, being sticky mud. The shores of this harbor are thickly covered with hemlock and rank vegetation and are high. To the eastward of Entrance Point the hills slope in either direclion, northward and westward and southward and eastward, from a height of about 300 feet to a height of about 150 feet at Entrance Point, and GO feet at about one mile to the southward and eastward of the village. Pitt Island is low and thickly covered with trees. Between Green Island and False Points is the entrance to a large bay, which has the appearance of a good, snug anchorage.- One line of soundings, showing plenty of water, was run across the entrance. (H. N. 98-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 30° easterly in 1880.) lynn canal.— (See chart.) 951. — Point Conrerden. — The rocks to the northward and westward of this point, which were incorrectly placed on former charts, have been correctly located. (H. N. 98-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880.) 951a. — The Sisters. — The relative position of these islands has been corrected, and a small island and a rock, not previously charted, discovered to the southward and west- ward of them. (H. N. 98-'80.) 952. — Yanderbilt Reef. — Lieut. Symonds passed close to this reef, both on its eastern and western sides, at low water, and located it. He, however, recommends giving it a good berth to the northward.— (See Hvdrographic Notice, No. 97 (946) of 1880. ) (H. N. 98- ; 80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880.) 953. — Point WMdbey. — On the northern side and close to this point there are several islands not previously shown on the charts. (H. N. 98-80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 18*0.) 954. — Endicott River. — About three and three-quarter miles to the northward and westward of the entrance to William Henry Bay is a river to which the above name was given. Its mouth is filled with sand bars and the channel at the entrance is only about fifty feet in width. The river itself was not examined. (H. N. 98-'80.) favorite channel.— (See chart.) 955. — Directions. — The course through this channel, as marked on the accompanying chart, is free from all dangers and cannot be mistaken. The chart is complete as far as regards all visible dangers at low water. Entering from tiie northward and westward, keep well over towards Point Bridget to clear Vanderbilt Reef until a SE. f S. course will take you through in mid-channel between Lincoln and Sentinel islands. The sunken rock laid down on the old charts near Shelter Island, in this channel, may exist, but Lieut. Symonds passed at low water very near, if not over its position, in a steamer drawing 11 feet of water. The channel was found to be clear until George Rock was reached. When passing to the eastward of this rock keep well over towards Spuhn Island after passing Point Louisa. A good anchorage mav be found in the neighborhood at Fritz Cove, Douglass Island. (See 957.) (H. N. 98-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 18S0.) 956. — Shelter and Portland Islands. — These islands were found to be incorrect, both in topography and position, on former charts, and were corrected as far as it was pos- sible in passing on either side of them. (H. N. 98-80.) DOUGLASS ISLAND. 957. — Fritz Cove. — (See sketch.) — This cove is situated on the northwestern end of Douglas Island, in latitude 58° 19' N., longitude 134° 4?' W. On the western shore the land rises to a height of at least 1,500 feet, gradually slop- ing towards the center of the harbor to a height of 40 or 50 feet. The shore at the mid- dle of the cove is low, and just back of the beach it is marshy. Entrance Point is about seventy-five feet high, and is covered with trees. S. Ex. 71 7 98 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. Directh»*.-ln approaching the cove, keep about 100 yards distant from the north- ern ami western shore of Don-lass Island until opposite the middle ol the entrance, and hen steer a 8SE. course to at anchorage, keeping at least 400 yards from Entrance Point Anchor in 12 fathoms water. The anchorage of the I ayonte (see sketch) was formerly that used by the Hudson Bay Company's steamers. The holding-ground is good, being sticky mud. . • n.,^ v 1 Tides.— The rise and fail of the t ide observed was 14 feet. ( H. H . 98- 8U. ) i rings magnetic. Variation, 31 easterly in I860.) saginaw channel.— (See chart.) 958 —Beef.— Saginaw Channel contains a dangerous reef of rocks, lying about three- fourths of a mile to the westward of the southeastern end of Shelter Island. This reef is not laid down on former charts and is the only hidden danger. Directions.— Coming from the westward, after passing the rocks off Barlow Point, Rockv Point will be seen extending well to the eastward and just covering the south- west "end of what appears to he an island, but which is a part of the point itself. Keep well over towards Rocky Point until the dangerous reef mentioned above is passed, after which the channel is clear. When off this reef, Portland Island is seen to the southward and eastward of it. (H. N. 98-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880.) 959._p j,^ Retreat— k reef extends W. by N. from this point about one-third of a mile. Point Retreat should be given a berth of half a mile in passing. (H. X. 98-80. ) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31° easterly in 1880.) chilcat inlet and river.— (See chart.) 960.— Portage.— The portage between Portage Bay and Chilcat Inlet is one and a half miles in length. The divide is low, with a gentle rise from the bay. On the eastern side the soil is a rich loam, adapted to the cultivation of grass and the hardier vegetables, and covered with evergreen trees and a deciduous growth of birch and eottonwood. Passing from the eastern side to the middle of the divide, the soil be- comes thin and marshy and necessarily colder, as it has not the southeastern exposure of the eastern slope. On the western side large patches of swamp grass, a bluish clay soil, and then granite mud were found. The mouth of the Chilcat River opposite this point is about five and a half miles wide. (H. N. 98- ; 80.) 961. — Description. — Portage Point, where canoes were taken for Tondustek, the first Chilcat village, is about a mile to the southward and westward of the western end of the portage. The party embarked at half -flood. Snags and patches of sand were visible in many directions, "and it required, under sail, very careful handling to keep in even two feet of water. A careful examination of the mouth was made for quicksands, but none were discovered. Indians were observed on the sand flats in the center of the river spearing salmon, hut none of them had any knowledge of the existence of quicksands in the river. Tondustek is to the eastward of and close to Ranch Point. This village has sixteen houses and a population of 171 Indians. Two chiefs hold sway : the elder and head, Donawauk (Silver-gray), being about fifty years of age, and tall and noble-looking. with Caucasian features. Kacky, the other chief, is young and good-looking, being particularly notorious for his unscrupulous dealings and quarrelsome disposition. The village is on a wide, grassy, alluvial flat, having for its background a bold granite mountain, whose precipitous peak was streaked in a remarkable mauner by slides of bright slaty granite, sand aud gravel, while lower down were shrubs and bushes of bright yellow and crimson shades, deciduous growth, and woods of dark evergreen. The village was noticeably clean. After leaving this village a course was shaped up the river, and, although an oppos- ing current of at least four miles an hour was encountered, good progress was made, the breeze being fresh from the southward and eastward. The course from the village was S\V. Two miles from the village precipitous mount- ains, 2,000 feet in height, rose on either hand. The timber on the mountains gradu- ally changes, deciduous trees taking the place of the evergreens, and bushes replacing the larger trees, until, at about ten or fifteen miles from the mouth of the river, the mountain sides are brightly mottled with yellow and orange. On the southeastern side of the river the rugged aud serrated mountain crests, covered with snow, appear cheerless and uninviting. About five miles 8W. by S. from Tondustek, up the valley of a stream called Tak- heen (Hindmost River), is the Bertha glacier, resting on a southern mountain slope and reaching nearly to the surface of the river. It is precipitous in its descent and has a double snout, occasioned by a huge mass of rock near its medial moraine. The ice is very clear aud white. The mountains which feed this glacier are of the same AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. 09 group which supply the Davidson glacier and the many small glaciers which spring into view on the southwestern shore of Lynn Canal. At 1.45 p. m. September 27, 1880, Tondustek bearing NE., 7£ miles distant, the course was altered to west. Sand-bars just awash were continually met, and the average depth in the channel was only two feet. In altering the course Spuhu Point was rounded. The river at this point is one and a half miles in width. The flats opposite Spuhn Point extend out for nearly a mile from the southwestern bank of the river. The temperature of the water at this point was 46^ Fahr., the air being 53°. At 2.30 p. m. the canoe was off Vanderbilt Point, which bears west from Spuhn Point, distant 2-J miles. The general course was now WNW. Leaving Vanderbilt Point, the mud and sand flats, which fill the lower part of the river, were left behind, and numerous low flat islands were met with. These islands, •covered with alder, willows, birch, and cottonwood, inclose the shallow channels, while great stretches of barren gravel and sand flats, with sloughs and pools, fill the intervening spaces between the islands. The current is rapid and increases in proportion as the channel between the islands narrows, running at times five or six miles an hour. As the party progressed the average width of the river was one mile, and the gen- eral course was gradually altered to W. by X. At 6.30 p. m. the canoe reached Camp Point, which is half a mile SE. of Kutkwutlu (Gull's place) and sixteen and a half miles from the mouth of the river. On the morning of the 28th the course was continued up the river, and Kutkwutlu was soon reached. This village, the second from the river's mouth, is very dirty, and consists of eleven houses with a population of 125 Indians. There is no head chief at this place. From Camp Point the north bank of the river trends a little to the northward and then to the northward and westward to Chilcat Point, at the upper extremity of Kluk- quan village (Old town). The river is here two miles wide and is alive with salmon. The cliffs on the banks are about 2,000 feet in height. Klukquan, the main Chilcat village, bears W. by N. from Camp Point, distant 3 miles. It contains sixty-five houses and a population of 558 Indians. From this village the voyage was continued up the Taheen (King Salmon) River, which was entered after rounding Chilcat Point. At 11.15 the party was off Glass Point, which bears WNW. $ W. from Chilcat Point, distant two and a half miles. Glass Point extends out nearly to the center of the river valley. The river is here twe miles in width and its general direction is WNW. At 12.20 p. m., Glass Point bearing S. by E., six miles distant, the trip up the river was discontinued at a point S. by E., a quarter of a mile from Jamestown Point. Nearly west of Klukquan village is a point on which is Chilcat Peak, 4,000 feet high. It is at this point that the Taheen, flowing from WNW., and the Kluheeny (Dog-sal- mon), from SW. by W., meet. No information could be obtained as to the source of the last-named river. The Taheen is the outlet of Kousouah (Long) Lake, which, from Indian reports, is about 30 miles from Klukquan. On the Taheen, fourteen miles from the lake, there are falls 60 feet in height. Into the Taheen, thirteen miles from Klukquan, empties the Kaatl River, flowing from the northward. This latter is a small river and is not navigable for canoes. About three miles south of Klukquan is Chilcat Lake, which extends about six miles NW. and SE. From every indication on the banks of the Chilcat River, Lieut. Symonds concludes that during the spring and summer freshets the river never rises more than two feet above its level in September, which rarelv exeeeds three feet in the deepest part of the main channel. (H. N. 98-'80.) (Bearings magnetic. Variation, 31 c easterly in 1880.) chilcoot inlet. — (See chart.) 962. — Deyea River. — The Deyea River, the outlet of Chilcoot Lake, is small and shal- low and navigable only for canoes. The main village, called Tananei (Salmon Leaf), is at the junction of this river with the lake. It contains eight houses and has a popu- lation of 127 Indians. At the mouth of the river there is an Indian hunting village containing three houses. ENE. from the mouth of the river there is a small glacier, and E. by N. from the same point is the entrance to Tyya Inlet, which extends in a northerly direction to the mouth of a river of the same name. This river is navigable for canoes only. The northeastern side of Chilcoot Inlet is incorrectly placed on Commander Meade's chart, but want of time prevented Lieut. Symonds from obtaining sufficiently reliable data to place it correctly. The loftiest mountain peak, just to the southward of Tyya Inlet, was found by barometric measurement to be 3,700 feet high. 100 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. There is reported to be plenty of water and good holding-ground in Tyya Inlet, to the mouth of Tvva River, but no harbor. A mid-channel course up either Chilcat or Chilcoot Inlet shows that both are in error at least one point, as they trend that much more to the westward than shown on the charts. (H. N. 98-'80.) ( Bearings magnetic. Variation. 31° easterly in 1880.) CHILCAT, CHILCOOT, AND INTERIOR TRIBES. 963. — i), acription. — These tribes are all of the general classification group of Thlinkits. The whole region possessed by them is called Kunana, and its inhabitants Kunaani. One group of tribes, called Alitsch (which is their word for "people"), consists of six small tribes, viz : Tagesh (living nearest the coast), Kluhtane, Netlatsin, Tahtlin, Klukha, and Tahho. To the northward of this group is another group. Their name for people is Tinteh, which gives the name to this group of four tribes. There also appears to be a tribe, or group of tribes, bearing the name Tenneh. The above information was obtained from old Chilcat and Chilcoot traders, who visit the northern inland country yearly to trade with the interior tribes. These interior tribes, especially the Alitsch, receive their goods from the traders, who cross the divide, passing first over the mountains to the Tyya Eiver, then ascend- ing it to the glacial region, crossing from thence by a gap, and descending on the north- ern side into the bleak, soft, bush region. They barter with the Indians for their furs, and being in possession of the market values, the trade is a remarkably lucrative one to the traders. They look upon these interior tribes as tributary to them, and prevent them from visiting the coast by stories of the dangers of the route and by threats of violence. The Northwest Trading Company rendered Lieut. Symonds valuable assistance in the prosecution of his work. It has established a trading post at Portage Bay, Chil- coot Inlet, and the Presbyterian Mission has taken steps for the immediate construc- tion of a mission school and church near the same place. (H. X. 98-'80.) (Reports of Lieut. F. M. Svmonds, U. S. N., Sitka. Alaska, October and November. 1880.) This notice affects the following Charts, ' i SEN. EX. DOC. No. .//...., 1st SESS., 47th CONG. » " ~ < > $g£ . ■'• fe " 1 '''>WV-~-- ^(^Y^ V ^ < PRICE IO CENTS - Wo76M. SYMONDS BAY SITKA SOUND ALASKA Surveyed in 1879 under the direction of odoi-e W.D. WHITING U.S.N chief o BUREAU OF NAVIGATION NAVY DEPARTMENT by the Officers of the U.S.Ship Ja Conidr. L.A.Beardslee U. S.N. comdg. Lieut.F.M.Symonds U.S.N. MasUraC.Hajo.ua U.S.N. Published by the U. S. COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY CARLILE P.PATTERSON SUP".' SEN. EX. DOC. No..../// ., 1st SESS,, 47th CONG 3 /i SEN. EX. DOC. No. // , 1st SESS., 47th CONG. ?■* I-,J.„ ■■•■ 111 RpcoimaisHunces in the Waters on tile ,«- , S.W. COAST or ALAS',„^ SEN. MIS. OOC. No. // . hi SESS.. 47ih CONG. SEN. EX. DOC. No. // ., 1st SESS., 47th CONG. . PAET IV CLIMATE AND METEOROLOGY, 101 PART IV. CLIMATE AND METEOROLOGY. "During the occupation of Sitka by the Russians, an observatory was established on Tapansky Island, where full and detailed records were obtained from many observations. These for a portion of the time, viz, from 1847 to 186*, have been condensed and arranged by the United States Coast Survey, and are published in the Alaska Coast Pilot, in which is given the mean and extremes of temperatures, rainfall, and proportions of various kinds of weather for twelve years. Also, their own observations for a part of 1867, and deductions from compilation of Luther's tables for the years 1828 aud 1829. Also, those of Kotzebue for a portion of 1824-'25. Our log-books supply additional data, which I have arranged upon a system somewhat different from that previously employed. In all published records the days are classified as " rainy," "cloudy," "fair," &c, and the number of each, for each month, season, and year, is given. In thus classifying, judgment has so frequently to be substituted for figures that it would be quite possible for several conscientious compilers to produce as many varying results from the original data. The climate of Sitka is very peculiar, and there are many days dur- ing which the variations from fair to cloudy, from clear to rain, and from fog to sunshine occur so frequently that it becomes to me impos- sible to classify with certainty such days under either head. The impres- sion produced by study of these tables is, that at Sitka rain prevails a very large proportion of the time, and that fogs and mist fill up nearly all of the remainder. Our experience in the Jamestown does not justify such conclusions as shown by the meteorological tables herewith submitted, which have been prepared upon this system. On each of the first eighteen pages is given the meteorological record for a month, each day in detail j and for a portion of the data, each day has been subdivided into three parts, of eight hours each : "first part," from 1 to 8 a. m., inclusive ; "middle part," 9 a. m. to 4 p. m., inclusive ; " latter part," 5 p. m. to midnight, inclusive. Upon each of these pages the direction and force of wind and the general character of the weather for each eight hours is given, also the maximum, minimum, and mean of the barometer and thermom- eter readings and other data, as per columns. Following these detail records are two pages, upon which the results obtained are condensed into months, seasons, and the year and half year of the record. Adopting as a unit the 8,784 hours which composed the first year, the number of hours during which the wind was from either quadrant, and its force, the hours of calm, rain, snow, fog, overcast and blue sky with passing clouds are expressed in percentages of the unit, also of the parts of the unit, covered by the separate seasons. Thus, by simple in- spection of these final pages, definite information as to the proportion of all kinds of weather can be obtained, as found during a single year. 103 101 AFFAIRS IN ALASKA. The six months from June, 1880, to November, inclusive, have been arranged in the same manner, and furnish additional information, which, however, cannot be properly incorporated in the discussion of a year, and will therefore be referred to as furnishing evidence confirmatory or the opposite to conclusions derived from study of the data of the first year. The weather will be first analyzed. The first result of importance ob- tained from our data is that the generally received ideas in regard to the preponderance of rainy and foggy weather, and of snow, hail, and over- cast sky, at Sitka, are based upon facts differing greatly from ours. From the tables published in the Coast Pilot, the following is extracted, and comparisons made with results from our own observation : Comparison of the record obtained by the Jamestown, during 1879-'80, of the number of days in the year during which rain or snow fell, at intervals or continuously