The union Democrat., 1869-01-02
NUMBER 80.
From the 5. 2. Bulletin. De-. I&:h.I
The Coast Indians or Alaska.

The report of Major-General Halleck, pub
lished in to-day's Baiietja amongst ether
matters, gives list of the principal Indian
tribes inhabitlng Alaska, New Caledonia and
British Columbia, an estimate of their strength
and u statement of the character Of their re-
iations with the whites. From this report il
appears that the only tribes with whom anv
difhcuity Is likely to arise are those that live
on the sescoast and the adjacent islands. The
ordinary crimes of these people are depreia-
tlons on trading vessels sometimes attended
by the murder Of the crews. They obtain
much of their livelihood by fishing, and travel
IN canoes, whether they are errands or bus
mess or pleasure, or bent war. Their viii
lagos are usually built on low bluffs at the
head of some hetered bay, the water of
which is often too shoal and the navigation too
intricate for.vesseis of deep draught to enter.
We can understand from the report that n
company or two of infantry at such posts as
kodack and Sitka are desirable, and that q
mounted gun or two may be useful IN over
coming tue Indians should they ever be mad
enough TO think of attacking the fort The
history OF the county for the last twenty years
shows that nothing is less probable than that
the Indians Will ever congregate on land in
sufficient force to endanger settlement Of
the Importance of either of these places The
natives are too cowardly they prefer crowd
ing the deck of a schooner in such numbers
as to overpower the crew. or riiling disabled
vessel. In the adjoining British colonies,
with as large a body of Indians and the same
character tindeed 1--WE may say the same iudi-
viduals. for the Hydshs, the most dangerous
of the koloschiaus, are nearly as often seen
in Victoria as Sltka, there is not single SOL
dier of the regular infantry or cavalry forces
Al =. IL
in the colony. Our neighbors have held their
sway by means of their navy. Two Crmean
gunboats of light draft of water, each carry
ing crew of so or Go men and a l00-pound
Armstrong gun mounted on a swivel, have
generally been enough for :he purposes of in
timidanon a<hd OF punishment. Ia most casas
a few shells, knocking their canoes, as they
lay hauled on the beach, and their hnts and
fish curing houses. TO pieces, would bring
them TO terms and compel them to give up
any criminals who might be wanted bv tha
Colonial authorities. Even for land work
when it is decided to attack n rebellious camp
simultaneously in front and rear. as has been
once or twice done by the British within the
past few years on the West coast of Vanccu-
yer Island. sailors are more useful than SOL
d.ers. The distance is seldom more than FIVE
or six miles, or mornings march but it is
though brush and over rough ground,
which would reduce the best drilled company
of infantry to a disorderly band Of halifax
hausted stragglers. while sailors would reach
the rendezvous unbiown. In such n warfare
; field piece would not be of half as much use
as a howitzer mounted in a boat, should tte
Indians attempt to resist landing. Where
n pack mule cannot travel and man cannot
ride on horseback, fed artillery is out of the
question. lfthe Indians would collect on the
open plain and fight pitched battle, infant
ry and artillery would he useful enough bus
the natives will not. Eyen the land tribes of
British Columbia, where there are open tracts
of country for hundreds Of miles. do not open
ly march to battle against their foes. In the
last trouble with those tribes they were only
reached by driving them from the coast and
then driving them from their fishing places
on an interior lake. and. with the exception
of one white man killed by accidentally walk
ing into an ambush, they finally gave up the
ringleaders in the murders and ended the
war without volley having been fred on
either side. 1t is the policy of the United
States to keep up a navy in time of peace,
and there can be no better school for gun
practice nor no better employment for two or
three very light draft steamers than protect
ing traders in the waters of Alaska from D..
ratical Indians.