, 1875-07-24
CRUISE OF THE woLcOTT.
"Reminiscences of the GscO. =. Wright
Skeleton oTPay masDter Walker.
KLAwACK. June p, 1915

J ne w plCOtt Is the hrSt GOV-
.ernment steamer that has ever
visited this place, and the only
one since the 25th of January.
1878, when the George 5. Wright
was here, and received on board
several barrels Of oil as freight,
and some passengers. 1t was her
last known stoppiHg-place. Pro-
ceeding onward, we soon arrived
at Houkan, where the tribe to
! which the man belonged we were
searching for, had their village,
but all were away on one of their
hunting excursions. Mr.. Dicken-
son, the trader residing near there,
was the last man who had seen
and communicated with theWright
on her disastrous voyage. He
stated that he had gone out to, her
IN a canoe as she was passing, and
asked the captain if he had not
better anchor for the night as the
weather looked bad, but received
the reply that he was in a hurry
and must keep on. Shortly after
it commenced showing, and in a
few days portions of the wreck
and freight that were picked up
were all that was left to tell the
sad story of the missing steamer.
Through the agency of Mr.. Dick
enson the man who had found the
remains Of the skeleton mentioned
in my last letter was secured and
brought on board. He brought
with him two punches of keys on
steel rings, in one of which was a
safe key of peculiar construction;
also an amethyst cuff-botton, set
in gold, the stone of which was a
dark one, oblong in shape, and
ground fat on top and diamond
shaped along the edges. The In
dian stated that, beside these
things, he hadafound with the re-
mains some money, among which
was a $40 piece, several half dol
lars and number Of FIVE and ten
cent pieces, which were in the
possession of his brother, who
could not be found or it would
also have been secured. The man
stated that the remains were found
by him and his brother while hunt
ing seals in Bacon Bay, and viii
lingly agreed to point out the
spot; so steaming around Cape
Kygane, which is the most south
erIy point of the Prince of Wales
Island, as well as Of the Territory
of Alaska, we entered tho bay.
A small boat was lowered and an
officer, accompanied by the In
dian, proceeded to the head of the
bay, where, on lone rocky sic,
the bones of the poor unfortunate
had at length found a resting
place; washed there by the sad
sea waves, and at length buied
by friendly Indian, who from the
account given, must have had a
touch of humanity in him, for the
grave was in a small grove ID a
bed of sand and gravel, and over
it was piled a rude monument of
rocks. The man stated that be-
sides the coat and portions of the
pants found buried with the re-
mains there was also a cork hfe-
preserver attached, which, doubt
less, must have assisted in holding
it together for this long time.
The overcoat was of dark blue
cloth, and the cheveron on the
sleeves left no doubt that it be-
longed to an army officer. The
remnants of the pants showed the
material to have been of dark
gray cloth. The remains were
taken on board the cutter, con-
Veyed to Fort Wrangel and for
warded to Gen. o. o. Howard, at
Portland, and from all the circum-
stances and articles found there
remains not the slightest doubt
but that they are those of Pay
master Walker, who was known
to have been on the unfortunate
George S. Wright, and is another
link in the sad story of that lost
steamer from which there is no
living evidence to tell her sad
fate.
The glorious Fourth passed
away, honored only by strict at
tention to duty, and the devour-
ing of the last of the fowls that had
accompanied us all the way from
Port Townsend. An incident of
note was the catching one evening