The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-05-06


will not set in before lengthy stride towards the
plction Of the enterprise shall have been taken.
DESCRIPTION os BARAroR BLAND sIrKA.
The following account OF the island and settlement is
complied from information obtained from DR. Fisher,
surgeon OF the expedition, who has resided there since
the month of March preceding tho arrival OF the exped
tion, and from notes taken by Mr. George Wright ad
jutant, after Its arrival The town of New Archange
or, as II Is more commonly called, Stka-s situated upon
Baranor island Of the largest in St. Georges Arch
peago in latitude 81 degrees minutes north, longitude
137 degrees Is minutes west The island is named In
honor OF Baranor, a Russian navigator, who made tho
first settlement upon II in about 1890 The FIRST set
ers suffered much from the attacks OF the natives
neghboring mainland and II was not until twenty
years after liz first settlement that the Russians bad
permanent hold upon uheir possessions Even at
the present day they are not without fears being driven
out especially when the larger number OF the male in
habitans arc absent upon their annual expeditions
The entrance 10 the horbor Of Sitka is spacious
though somewhat difficult 10 ind II not for the
landmarks OF Mount Edsecomb the left which towers
to the height Of 3lS0 feet Proceeding inward the chan
mel grows more narrow and intricate until II wdens INTO
snug harbor, dotted with nnumerable ISLANDS The
hrt view OF the town is far from inviting large old
rickety building, OF dngy yellow color, answering for
barracks and fertilization, stockade surrounding the
town proper and line Of struggling Indian hus stretch
ing along the beach, do not give very favorable Inn
preston OF the wealth prosperity industry or the
town.
Having landed however one is agreeaby disappointed
TO hnd hidden behind the ugly yellow line several
looking log houses, either side OF the line Of
workshops neat coun. ing house and near the centre
OF the town, church OF moderate SIZE, with two
steepes dones surmountcd by the Greek cross hav
ing on one side town clock Of civilized though anc ont
pretentons 10 architectural beauty in any OF these log
buildings though ali present very substantial appear
ance
The residence OF the Governor standing in the
d the forhcations y spacious and It's large and com
portable rooms well furnished
Passing the church the mos, important building
s the club house. occupied by the unmarried officers and
their servants Beyond this are the Russian American
Companys sawmill and aree hospital; and still FUR
| ther several dwellings, comparatively new lining
very pleasant road running along the beach BacEof
the town. and every side towards the harbor,
teen hundred TO hiry-two hundred feet their SUBMITS
dotted with snow in the cles of the rock and then
sides covered with heavy timber which grows almost 10
the waters edge, and with its dark green foliage re-
lcves the otherwise rough appearance OF the scenery
Nesting In these hills IL beautifully clear lake while
pouring down ravne hmpid stream, In which one
may End the genuine mountain trout
The general appearance Of the mountains suggests
strongly the idea OF volcanic origin They similar
to all the mountains along the coast OF Oregon and
| British Columbia, though more pointed aud Jagged
very noticeable feature Is the size and density of the
timber, the prevailing wood being species of pine and
| yellow cypress. t..
The islands in the barbor present beautiful appear
aDce covered with low shrubbery evergreen aud short
grass, which seems almost 70 grow out Of the gray
| rocks.
The climate is by any means severe During rhe
winter months the thermometer rarely falls below twenty
degrees Fahrenheit and, although the tnow remains
late upon the mountains, there H. never sufficient lee
| formed to supply the wants OF the settlement. Dur
| ing the summer months the Thermometer averages
about sixty lve degrees Fahrenheit and the only draw
back Is tho almost constant rain and general damp
ness This however The great preservative OF health
as il is noticeable that warm sunny weather prevails
for several days in succession fevers and pulmonary
diseases prevalent and deaths frequent particularly
The inhabitants number from seven hundred TO eight
hundred whites men, women and children. The settle
meni ~ the principal depot Of tho Russian American
Company as the ba dquarters Of the government
OF the Russian colonies In America The Governor
officer Of rank either IN the imperial army navy
ally the latter appointed lrom It Petersburg and who,
In addition 10 the control ef the colonies director Of
the Russian American Company The garrison consists
OF one company Of inianly, who are also employed in
arons ny the coupany IRON whom they receive
some additional pay.
| Tho business OF the Russian American Company,
| though large is constantly decreasing The orDpany
gives cmpoymebs TO hundreds OF whites and Ind ans
who distributed posts siika Behr-
lug sea, and upon the islands OF the Pacific their
| principal business Is the collection OF furs, Ice
and hshthe two latter being exported principally 10
San Francisco, Hamburg and the Sandwich Islands The
most valuable furs collected upon this side Of the ocean
or rather outside OF siberia arc the fur seal
and the otter The former all obtained from
Island OF 81 Paul north OF the Alcutan islands or
thisiur aore the company furnish TO single house In
New York thirty thousand skins annually besides send
ing fifteen thousand 10 u Petersburg The sup.
ply Is inc xhausble, the island and surrounding
waters literally swarm With these nsh which OBJ aimed
wanted by driving them ashore and killing them with
club The less valuable furs, such Amercan Fable
martin, musk or beson rat, &C. are sent 10 Russia
bartcred with slips FOR provisonA The otter skins
are sent to lrousk and there prepared for the = Pc
tersburg market The most valuable urs those OF the
SiDer sable and the black fox also TO ~ Pc
tersburg and Is contrary to law of the company for
any It's employees own or wear either the latter or
sea otter As marx Of confidence or a. IL Is termed
qualification officers Of the company arc permitted
after several years faithful service, TO pur hase stated
number OF eable= Al thc oompanys pnce.
The trade from the company post at Kodiak 10
red prln pally with San Fnncsco.
The hshcres are principally In the vicinity OF Stka
About twelve miles from the settlement - situated the
nshlng cdoubt who're the larger portion of the
ploycs keIt busy during the fishing season, which
asts from June 10 september Prom one hundred thou
sand hundred and nity thousand salmon annu.
ally exported from lhn depot, prnopaily TO Hamburg
and the Sandwich Islands from which points the com
pany receive the larger portion of their supplies. The
company several lno steamers and vessels, which
are kept constantly employed, and have AZ this pnce
cooper thops, m lie shOemakers shops bras and
copper foundrles, and IN short, seemingly everything
noccssary for a most successful business En-
| ployng Indians largely ai small wages aver.
aging about twenty cents per day and pay ng them
sor.. al large prices their profits must m enornous
yet such their slow method OF conducting business
that thrd the number of enierprising Amer.
leans would produce results nearly double The business
men do not seem 10 know anything Of that ndefngnbe
energy which characterzcs those among For exam
pie Their stores magazines and counting houses are
open only from nine 10 eleven A. aud two 20 four r
NJ during which hours all business must be transacted
The labor u tie lower Glasses Of course u limited
To these hours but suffers much from The frequent re-
currence Of holidays Of which there les than
hundred and eighty dunng the year when all labor
| must be- suspended.
The policy Of the company towards and their
Of the NATIVES 10 Kind and conciliatory Many Of the
Russian employees have married natives and large pOr-
ton Of the inhabitants are halfhreois who are all treated
equals, aud some OF thom occupy positions of great
trust ard honor The company maintain nne schools for
the children Of Their employee, and should child de-
play any particular genius II s sent, al the company r
expense, 20 81 Petersburg for a complete cduc.-
ton. hne hospital under ehave of thoroughly
competeut and cflcient supeon well provided with al
tendants, nurses, &c, n free to ALL
In accordance with regulation of tho company the
price of all ARTICLES furnished io employees u nted At ~
PctersbLr, and, matter What be- the
Of their markets Or the cost of goods deviation b.
made frnn the established scale of prices The puses
Of the nccesarics Of lie low while those 81 the uIu
res are high, thus encouraging economy among all
cares. Zach OF the employees fufnished ration %
soup and a loaf Of bread by the company 10 any
charge made for 6sh The aborcr therefore ha, only
10 rchaso Tea, sugar aud clothing Fresh meat u bat
htte used Game ~ all s0r,s is plentiful Ia ~ sason
and grouse and sea fowl abb ndsut Fefy little
ton n paid 70 agriculture though ths soil productive
The principal vegetables raised potatoes and turnt@
These are cultivated quite extensively BY the Indians
who nnd ready market for them among the wbitea
! The Indians N the immediate vicinity % Htka are a
mot degraded race. Treachsrou and revengeful IN
Their natarc lazy and tlthy 10 their habt they DO not
compare favorabiy with ether the tribes of the Interior