, 1875-07-29
IC1sLASD1C EMIGRATION.

Internally.
ICELANDlC EMIGRATION.
Return OF the xcclnn.stc Commission
from Sitku to xa1l E'rnncisco-tutcr.
cstln1 Facts nl,A Figures.
Hy tho arrival Of tho steamer California from
Sska at San Francisco OIL tho fGth inst. nh Ala
California representative il placod iu pohacssion
Of tho following particulars of tin visit Of thu
lcclandio Commissioners to Bitks to inquire into
tie esped.ency Of 1celan.lio omisrations
Tho Commission originally cons!Btod Of tt1rco
leoIauslotn, John Ulafsaon, Olaf Olafsson and
Pau! niorasson. Tle two tisst arc oulv DISTANT
ly relatod John 0lafhso,i IL well KNOWN both In
1caland and to hts countrymon in Amorica- ~ a
fourua,nt Of rnnnto. pFiur to 1878 ho edited the
Brltfar, woeLly paper, published at tho Capital
Of Iceland; but III consequence OF advocating
Certain schemes moi viewod with favor by tho
UanIsh authorities, ho wts bAuished. 11o then
calue 10 tlu United Stntcs. and, hftor a toir
through Canada became ono Of tho smal colony of
IcelAllJeT9 locnted in Wisconsin. At present ho
Is engaged as editor OF tho hortre1ia" and cor.
responds with various pnnerb IN lco!ahd' hnd
ly thin means kecpa alive tho lutereat OF his
countrymeu in tho proposed sct.e1no Ut cnligra-
tion. Ulaf OIatHaou ia practical farmer, aud
l'aut DIotnksop, tho thfld aud youngest Com.
missioner Ia young ninn of good parts: Eooa
/
their countrymen tho Cotnsnissonets arc es-
| teemel aa representative nen. and their report
! for Or againB: tho psouuaod scheme will have
| decided effect.
| Htatcs HovornneIt l,y John OIafhHon, who acted
nv Secretary OF the IceaI,dle Etniyration So
| cioty u ,WisconHiu, tho sloap.of-war PORTSMOUTH
waH placed ut tho dlsposal u THO commission,
and On tho 15tli Of last September slo Eacd
with the t,rco ComHissioncf*. After an un-
eyenttul passngo they ronehetl Cooks Ipset Oil
| tho 1ath Ut U.tober. aud put Bjornssnn md his
companions agl,pro. Tho climate hnd soil, how,
over, pleased shcm ,u,liiferontly, mud on tho 22d
| tile Portsmouth weighed anchor. aud two days
alter sightad Nj. paul'B. After an exploration
Of tito island tho Commissioners were satisfied
that they hal found tha El Dorado Of tnoiI i'm
aginatiou,
st. paui'1 contains an abundance Of grazing
landa aud nufcient tracts OF tt!iaole land TO An.
swer thotr overy need. II wss formerly occupied
by Tue RUSSIANS, but upon THO sale ot AiaAka 70
tic United statoa, tha lluns'a settlers, for ti1o
| most part, vacated thoir homes. IN consequence
Of this migration numbora OF buildings. eligible
for dwellings, wnro LOFT nnoccuried, anl wnIcll
the Commissioners thought might be utilized by
their suuntry1ueu. Should tlloy coneiuds to o.ni-
gTa,o to Alaska. Tho climate ST 1T. paulB,
though cod is not too yasinhlo, aud IL tempered
by tho warm cnrrcnt from the Japanese beas,
which sweeps past tho island aud UP tho coaas.
Thu island abountlH III foatAated eauln aud tho
water, literally toam With iEh. Two tribes of
1rtlluuB-tllo AIsuts and koYukeeuB occupy tho
ih1auuH. but they arc not hostile 10 white settlers
The Commissioners were so we'll pleased with
the prospect that John OlafssnD. concluding that
le had found tue Ieelsd!c paradiso OF his hopes,
sought nj further, but took ;paeaago On tho
Portsmouth aud returned to aan Francisco.
whila his companions rcmaned to acYualns
tllcmael5cs with tho 1nannclH ot tAa inhabitants
and MAKO preparations for tho reception OF their
coul.trymo,l, whp wese oxroatca 1t onco to aock
toward Alaska. xlnter'H Residence " tho'i
adopted country, however, hay apparently not
Increased tho enthusiasm II the two Commits.
sioneEa. and from tho tenor Of their conrctaatiou
It IL mora than doubtful wlleshar they will ~
dorao Tho favorable report mada to the lcolanalo
Emigraton Society by thoir journalistic colleague
oil GiH return 10 WISCONSIN.
Tho poverty Of tho lcnla1iders Ia tho greatest
difficulty in tho way Of making tho r!opoaet
sehoa,o successful, and unless tue United
, with FREQ transpostation, Aaska, tba Conn'a
sionorH Say, must ronsaln unsettled bY Leo
las,Iip pioneers. What return tho emiBrAnt'
would make for such assistance Il etatod IN ~
; following extract from lptter Written IN No
, | vember last by John olalason !. .,.
Last sunllner tho Icelaudlc Society su Mil
waukea, Wiz, sent pctition to thp President y
: t;ovosumant i'll exploring portion Of the casAt 9
: Alaska, with Wow to colonization. Tho paopl
!, Of Iceland desire to a1ptgrate. iuasmuoh aa tic
: | haye for long une GouA under despotio an
j. ilAbeEal Government, aud tho natural rssol11cea
Of Iceland arc in many rosnota exhausted. AL
though ICELAND succeeded III 1878 iu obtainlng
nav sud .ot altogether lIlibarai Constitution
tl,ero Htill Eenaiu many REASONS for d!aagteameu
i country Is certainly capable Of supporting NOR
- tusn tie ~, ,0UD who now inhhbit the land. Du
= tho increase Of population has been too 1arl;
% aud the soil In itB present condition IN tncapabl
J. of supporting no many. The Commissioner
Il suggest, sA advantages 10 bo, derived by sh
n Unltod States from the establishment of III Loo
=. =. landc coouy In Alaska that Alaska Ii too II
~ north aud too cold 10 attEact my but OF
IL, IN 1pin
t. lefs enlEely u tho sAyages uslass Wo aetIIa Q
II il that wo will be 4blo to raiso xaAt nula6arA
CATTLE sheep and horses there OF tho hardy 1c'
y. lal,uie stock, mud can supply tle Pacitto stat
Y aso tho NA4erles of AIaska IL far batter manu
ID titan has heretofore been aods that we VI
10 utilize tho 1useHtE aud Hupply timber for
y l'acs'lu States, beside; building sis Tor r. o9 y
Q. navy service and the mercantile marine Of th
Of pacltlc and thst by tho immediate casabliahmel
10 OF colony there No will attract all future 1c
ana!u e$ta.on @ xnefSa4 % ;o1o not in o1ae. nsI
os whoae toyernnlent offers fas Better 'i'ducemen
~ than the United States.
OF "Tne Commissioners fonndKotalak well suit
tnf ,ns snst a1u a ~
fur agriculture. uaMa IL &bundaut, ahd i
t2hericA are exceIlant.
Al stasea IN the foregoing extract. tho !
oF cresso OF population In Iceland las boen !
er mataablo. At tho commencement OF tho Il
a. century Ii was only $4,000 In 1854 It WAS 10 ~
ntr and 1t present tho population il 10000. II
VS. number Of IcaAudasE IN Amssiea IL not 1no
than 5Co; but tlis, considering tho opposition
the Dsni1I. Government to emigration aud Il
ID poverty of tho people. IL Eena1kahle. There
cd also small colony tlcAtcd in Cauada.
10, Tho Commissioners also report dull tsnes
nv 6itkA in busi&aaa, except tho whisky ttat
RI wbinh tloutAl8d With unwoutad vguT. Tho "
~ OF strong drink 70 natives ts forbidden, but !
ahoriyises overcome the dihlculty b! !nanuf'
turing fo1ty-ro1 from mo!asaes and tour, =
on iustead OF buying whtsky from whites actua
iu upuapolize tle business themselves and +
10, stills enough ~ sutlice fos the ueels OF gos
rue sized town 10 ehs A!ehess stalo o1 caf!Hftie
hy Tho CpI1tn4isipubr2 pIppQH4 to return ~ kpQQ