Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1877 — Alaska. [ARTICLE]

Alaska.

Cot. John Menden it ALL, now In Louis▼»H®, Ky., write* * letter to the Cmmere>al of that dty, riving an Interesting sketch of Alaska, which places the Territory in a mow favorable light than th U in which it is generally presented. He spent the past nine months at Sitka as commanding officer ot that post and Indian Agent Tor the Territory of Alaska, in compliance with your request I will furnish you with some of the details ot my sojourn in our new domain: “ Before my departure from San Francisco I had heard rumors of the severity of the climate of Alaska, and was astonished ♦» find that the same clothing that I had worn in California was amply warm enough for Alaska. From the Straits of Fuca to Sitka, a distance of 1,200 miles, the vessel passes through channels between islands covered with a dense growth of fir. cedar, hemlock and spruce, mountains rising from 1,000 to 4,000 feet in height, their sides clothed in a luxuriant Sowth ot vegetation, while the tops of e most lofty are covered with perpetual snow. No more magnificent scenery can be imagined than that which constantly meets the eye. The channel is like a continuous river, ana the steamer is not exposed to the open sea for but eighty out of the 1,900 miles of its passage. On my arrival at Sitka, a well-built Russian town of 400 inhabitants, I relieved Capt. J. B. Campbell and two companies of the Fourth Artillery, who had been there about two years’ They were apparently in as good condition as when they left Ban Francisco, not having suffered many of the privations usual in frontier posts. In fact, Sitka is regarded as a paradise for soldiers, few commands having gone there without taking with them men who had served there before, and had been trarsferred at their own request. *• The population is principally Russian and Aleuts, with a few Indian traders of different Nationalities In the transfer of Alaska to the United States, the Russian inhabitants were offired the option of free transportation back to Russia, or, in lieu <f this, were given a certain sum of money, and those now there accepted the latter? They haye been li-ing upon the proceeds of this fund, but are now reduced to the last extremity. They are an idle, dissolute class of people, very fond of pleasure, especially dancing, and the menace, w'.tliout exception, addicted to strong drink which they obtain principally by the llicit distillation of molasses into a villaimusdecoctioncalled *hou-chi-nou,' no alcoholic spirits being permitted to be introduced into the Territory except

by militaryperniit. '"Game, tspecially venison, exists in great abundincc. The Indians, who are the hunters,bring it to the posts regularly, and, duringihe winter months, the supply is plentiful During the summer an abundance t>f salmon, trout, halibut, " flounders anj codfish are supplied by the same indefaigable caterers. Further up be coast, simon are of immense size, vcy are oftfl found so large that one, ■"ben dressed would fill a barrel, dams ar abundantj and are almost as tender au Vood to eit as oysters. ‘ \ur bearrig animals are not A ery plen ”- a Mi the Hands. Furs are principal--9 Seined inin the interior tribes by the t n< 7 a ’ on Elands, who are great v ’ 9 >t> n K posts in their caor 300 miles along the coast, J; for hhnkets, ammunition, etc. fnLdir*’' l Sod mink are occasionally vicinity of Sitka; but the iPds &re St. Paul’s and St. KMmLt i ,.' t L..’he Behring Sea, or Sea of hd ISo m ortb of Aleutian Isltwo from Sitka. Those SJiXt to t£<W heStateS for a term of yea^ 11 Fur 001 W hSoffit Alaska; aeveral ledges’ 1 ' ered on Baranoff Island?ZthiXeIreor fourteen miles of Sitka. o f the quartz obtained is very rich, m s neß have got l>een sufficiently devqAgd f or me to be able to say whether or »j, ev are of very great value. 3 “ Along the Pacific Coast, the temperature is extremely mild for that latitude, which is fifty-seven degrees north, the mercury rarely, falling to zero. Damp, cloudy weather is the rule, with more or less rain, the rain-fall during the year reaching from seventy to ninety inches, but it is so distributed as to be scarcely noticeable. Spells of as delightful weather as can be found in any climate are experienced at Sitka; the winters are never very cold, and the summers are always cool and pleasant. “ Sitka is almost surrounded by high mountains, some of which are coverea with snow which condenses the warm atmosphere from the ocean, creating an almost perpetual cloud.

V There is a very little tillable land in the Territory, but that little is very fertile. Ail kinds of vegetables are raised except those requiring a great deal of sunlight. We had no difficulty in raising plenty of cabbage, turnips, parsnips, lettuce, celery, beets, cauliflowers, etc., but found the ground too we: for good potatoes, As a rule, however, the entire surf ce of the country may be said to be covered by a mass of rocks. A valuable bed of kaolin or China clay has recently been discovered on Baranoff Island, and an abundance of coal exists about fifty miles east from Sitka. Grass grows upon the flats at the mouths of the mountain streams, where soil has accumulated. Cranberries are found in large quantities in the marshes all over the island. “ The most industrious portion of the inhabitants are the Indians, who are always willing to work for money. They live in comfortable log-house, and take good care of their families. Unlike the plains Indians, the men perform their share of the manual labor, spending most of their time in fishing, hunting and trading, besides supplying to the post from 000 to 800 cords of wood annually.

“ The Indians of Alaska, of which there are numerous tribes, practice cremation. Thia rite is performed in the most primitive manner, the corpse being laid upon a pile of wood, during the burning of which a great jollification lakes place, when the Indians eat a great deal of molasses, sealoil and bard bread, keeping up a continuous singing and dancing. “Some of them are vety skillful in the manufacture of trinkets from silver and gold, and they display a good deal of artistic skill in carving grotesque images from wood and bone similar to those made in China and Japan. “ About fifteen miles from Sitka is the extinct volcano, and near it ! are the boiling springs, which are visited by the invalids of the town, who have found great relief by bathing in the waters. I haveonly referred to that part of Alaska which I have visited, lying west of the British Possessions, extending southward from the main body of the Russian jOftWlWrtnni, as seen on the map in a narrow strip of land thirty miles wide and 509 miles long, with adjacent islands.

East of the mountain*, in the same latitude, the climate is entirely different, and the winters are very rigorous. Parties of gold-diggers ascend the Btlckeen River every summer, but are obliged to return early in the fall, owing to the extreme cold weather. I am, very respectfully,

JOHN MENDENHALL,

" Brevet Col. and Maj. Finrt Art., U. &. A"