The New York herald., 1869-09-16
The Glorious Land OF Alaska-The veners
BILE Seward Has Seen 1t and Rejoices.


BILE Seward Has Seen 1t and Reioices.
Let sceptics doubt no longer Alaska is a
great and glorious country, incalculable in Its
riches and cheap as dirt for the trifle of money
paid for it. Our venerable statesman, W. II.
Seward, who bought it at venture, has seen
it and he is more than satisfed-he is de-
lighted As the Queen of Sheba, attracted by
the reports of the grandeur and glory of King
Solomon, found on visiting him in his royal
city of Jerusalem that not One-half the story of
30 the Sage OF Auburn is entranced with the
splendors of Alaska. In the Portland Oregon
ia1. we find full report Of speech delivered
by Mr.. Seward, on the 10Th day Of August
last, at Sitka, the chief seaport and only city
of Alaska population say five hundred), and
from this can Of rich arctic milk we propose to
skim off the delicious cream in this article
First, in answer to the inquiry, "You have
looked on Alaska, what do you think of it 2"
he says -
Unbappiy have seen too little OF Alaska to an
swer the question satisfactorily. The entire coast
line OF the United States exclusive OF Alaska, Is
TO- 900 miles, while the coast line OF Alaska alone III
Guiding the islands, 10000 miles. Tue portion OF
The Territory which lies east OF the peninsula, in
Guiding islands, Is l20 miles wide; the western pOr
tion, including the AleutIan Islands, expands 10 a
breadth OF 200 miles. The entire land area, incud
ing island, Is 577 800 statute square miles, We should
| think foreigner very presumptuous who should
presume to give the world an opinion OF the whole
looked In from his steamer at Plymouth and Boston
harbor or had run up the T1dson river to the High
lands, or had assembled the Delaware to Trenton or
the James river to Richmond, or the Mississippi no
further than Memphis. My observation OF Alaska
thus far has hardly been more comprehensive.
Then, after describing his explorations
among the seaboard Islands and up to Mount
Fairweather, he proceeds to give his impress
| sions of the country.
First, he tells of the climate. OF course, 10
regions 80 vast the climate must be variable ;
but he thinks that she must be fastidious
person who complains of climates in which,
while the eagle delights to soar, the humming
bird does not disdain to futter." He says
too, that mot only have these skies been suffi-
ciently bright and serene to give me perfect
view, under the sixtieth parallel, of the tota
eclipse of the sun and of the evening star a
the time of the suns observation, but have
also enjoyed more clear than there have beer
| Clouuy udyb III tnc carry HorHihBc auu i"o'
evenings peculiar to the season." And if thel
have fewer unclouded sunrisings and settipg
in Alaska than in more southern latitudes
they have more frequent and more magnif
cent displays of the rainbow and the aurora
"And of all the moonlights in the world com
mend me to those which light up the archipei
ago Of the North Pacific Ocean," ''The ther
mometer tells the whole case when it reports
that the summer is cooler and the winter j
warmer in Alaska than in New York an'
Washington" The country, too, must b
healthy, for Mr.. Seward says that he ha
mingled freely with its mixed population
the Tongues, the Stckeens, the Cakes
the Hydahs, the sitkas, the Kootsnoo
and the Chilcats, and with the traders, sol
diers, seamen-English, Russian, Sw edish an
American--and he has found them all in robus
and exuberant health. Manhood, up there, /
active and energetic; ipfaucY seems exepp