New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-25
srrKA, NOV .. 1851.

TIE ENCHANTED MOUNTAINS.
From our SPECIAL CorctIolient -
Between the 13Oth and the 1s9th degrees of
western longitude and lying within the shores Of The
Frozen Ocean the north and the Pacific on the south
is that broad Of territory newly acquired by the
American Republic designated by the name OF All
aska Its area I'm square miles Is not definitely known
WGst ~ ,he georraphics put IN az 10000 Mr. Sumner
thinks IL "a about $4,000 lie is more nearly correct
though NJ NAV bc 20 600 more perhaps 10000 less No
American man as Vet gives q correct idea of ~ topo
graphy There rivers "a large ns inc sacramento
and islands of greater area than the state of Rhode Is
land which have no name locality our school room
mans IN thu absence Of Russian map II lhc iehutI
Will turn 10 q map Of the world, exhibiting TIE
American continent a. occupying St. center, be
will ind that the Territory OF Alaska consists OF
extending To the southeast aud the other TO the
southwest The southwestern area eNien'3 RON I
st. Elias, 40 miles down 70 me ld'lluc Oh oi iO i. ~.
a width Of 90 miles, and is bounded ON e MSst " tg
Pacific. SEA- iarhg men d.slEdale ~ a. llJ
The southwestern arm Is the ALASKA fehnsuH pI9ee
Ing INTO the ocean between ue kauethatAdh sea ana
the Pacific. II is rugged pronnhto! having lenk,n
Of 400 miles aud Wldth VARYING ll'iu ~ 70 -, ~
as 20 the area Of the mainland. But Ia practical import
ance OF greater value than this vast mainland sur
face Is the long ana sl. c' vi @
belonging this errtOry-Tcacng from the most east
ern Of tho Stka group n Longitude 49, To MOO tne
m * this typographical feature OF Ala.ka-ts multiple
ity Of i-ands-that Is especially worthy ot nouce Iho
southern base Of Alaska TERRITORY nas 9ns Iailgv
Starting from Stka-the present tapita-the lhaIlho
sail 10 Kodac 500 miles. From thence he sun sans west
ward $50 miles, ana reaches 'uhai,'Ad DI' w o H.,
NOT vet Passing scores ana even huhOtds OF i'hut III
"A
limit Of the National domainIVO miles Dey ohd
Alaska from It's eastern boundary, near the head OF
Portland Channel, stretches westward IN an ar le 2o
nes In the extent Of boundaries. IL IS an empire OF
ifself-havng 1000 miles OF coast, and nearly four
times the size Of California.
OF fbe Eastern or stka group Of Islands the six largest
are Prince Of Wales, 10 miles IN lchgh ny % ~ Wiath
Admiralty 100 by 35 BaranOh. ~ by & IthllchagOh ~
by 40 Revilla A. by 80; KupranOh, 30 by IS None 81
these islands have any plain lands but are gronp Of
sharpy-pOinted mountains densey covered VIII utc'
and an undergrowth OF moss. ~ ~ WI! 0Ht
plorc the Inland portion Of any OF these llas on
Of Tie fallen timber and the depth Of the DARK moss
Thee are only nineiy days annually aud thcee nearly
ell occur in May. June and July. Some essaJhl mas SAN
that "the loss Of sunshine is the curse Of CIVILIZATION
At sitka this curse existed long before cNlzauoh nau
any fOOhOid the western continent ON sunny Gays
amid the channels hooks, and recosses WmCb eF"fyWhtc
abound among TINS group the scenery Is no5t enoh33nS
ing Waterfalls abOund-s some gliding Ike sNer lbD0h
the smoothwom ledge ana othcTo daalng their SIT
Nlhe miles from sitka Is a retired bay, landlocked by
far away up the summit amid the dark spruces Hiring
skG and the service Of ~ owner an nntlter'd Russian
who had learned something Of the English by two
years tarry at Fort simpson. reached SILVER BAY AZ
\ late hour in tho forenoon. Baranof, Tor whom me
island was named used often 10 visit this spot during ms
long term OF Govemorshp lie was bred merchant IN
Western Siberia ana coming ery 10 n@sh "s IN
Russian settlements In North America. Active, honest
and farseeing, it was under his directions that BOdega
became Russian settlement, and the Coast Range OF
California was explored Nor was he merely man or
business capacity Unlike most OF the Russian officials
he had cultivated taste and ardent lover Of the
beautiful in natural scenery coming 10 Aaska wien
fifty years of age he remained till eighty and died
on The passage home During the clear days Of June no
used 10 VISIT Silver Bay and passed many hour at the
| foot Of Oleema Cascade.
| NY Russian guide had an enormously long and tough
name which II was useless 10 attempt 10 remember For
short called him shoffsky" He had haavy-molded
modtative face and yet disposed TO be converse
tonal We had turned 20 leave the bay when the sun,
after full weeks obscuraon broke the clouds aud re
yealed far TO the north two snowy SUBMITS which had
| not before seen.
! "What mountains are those r. inquired
| "They have many Names" said the Russian; Il don Z
know which the true one They further Of than you
think for The are mighty In size ana cause much cold
like 20 iOOk at them but don care 10 go near them
There is not another such range IN the world They
have their ecctsstrange stories are told OF those hs
and of what they contain in their deep cayerns for they
are a broad range and you may wander days and days
among them and not come % any end Some early ex-
porers themselves those hills and have never
been heard Of Wonderful things told OF them IL
! is said that in some places there are deep
pools and lakes in which dwell mOnsters-scrpents as
long as fir tree which they Ia the open sea- would
! commit mighty damage One thing the Indians tell US
for certain that yOnder far away 20 the north ia tho
heart those hills there is wonderful valley 80 mar
row that only at midday the face Of the 10 be seen
That valley Law undiscovered and unknown for thousands
of years no person dreamed Of its existence but az
last a long time ago. two Indian hunters entered u by
chance and then what do you think they foundf They
fonnd small tribe OF unknown people speaking all un-
known tongue who had lived there since the creation OF
the world and without knowing that other beings existed
Did YOU hear OF these mountalnsP NO wei,
Won Americans daring people, but you VIII rue the
day you attempted to explore yOnder enchanted noun
such are the supersons Of the ignorant OF these
people regard to tie unexplored interior OF these
paradise OF the aDphibious and nny races-Dut 1t can
| nroduce little else.