, 1877-09-07
PoRr TOWNSEND, w. T.,
October, III, IS10.

October, II, 1870. J
S1R:-I have the honor herewith to
present my report of my cruise on
the u. S. Steamer Wolcott, of the
Revenue Marine Service, during the
month Of Juno and July, 1875, in the
waters of Alaska and British Colum
bia. Accompanying this report, l
send q chart, published by the Eng,
lish Admiralty, of that portion OF
the Northwest Coast from Fort Slmp-
son, B. c., to Cross Sound, Alaska,
on which have indicated the route
of the Wolcott, and the various In
dian villages we visited:
We left Port Townsend on Mon
day June 7th 1875, and after coaling
at Nanaimo, we again started on the
9th and arrived at Alert Bay, on the
west side Of Commorant Island near
the mouth of Vancouver Island. i
found at Alert Bay one Of the finest
specimens of Northwest coast
canoe have ever seen. She is 60 feet
long over all, and 8 feet wide and a
feet deep. She was made at Nootka
on the west side Of Vancouver Is
land, for a chief named Mo-ki-willa,
and by him sold to the head chief of
the Nimpkish Indians, whose name
ia Kla.ko.tlas. purchased this en-
ormous specimen Of Indian naval ar
chitecture, and ordered it deliveredin
good order in Victoria, B. c., where
/ had arranged to have the bill paid.
She was subsequently towed to Vic
toria by a schooner, and taken
charge OF by Hon. ]. W. Powell, In
dian Commissioner for British Col
umbia.
After landing at Alert Bay on the
lIth, we proceeded without stopping,
and on the 14th we passed Metlaka'
tia mission, which WAS established 20
years since by Rev. Mr.. Duncan who
arrived in October 1857. Mr.. Dun
can is a jealous and indefatigable
missionary OF the Episcopal church,
who has been fortunate in making
this the most successful mission on
the Northwest coast. The village
was quite distinctly seen from the
steamer, and by the aid of our glasses
we could see the fine church and
houses laid out regularly as q town.
The church is large Gothic struc.
ture and was built almost entirely by
Indian hands. Commissioners Powell
informed me that Mr.. Duncan has or.
ganized among the Indians, a town
government, with an Efficient police
force, and as he is a magistrate Of
British Columbia, he finds no diff
Guilty in enforcing law.
Mr.. Duncan was formerly located
at Fort Simpson, a Hudson's Bay
Company's trading post twelve miles
farther north, and near the boundary
line between British Columbia and
Alaska. Here he commenced his la
bors with great effect, but, after a
few years, he thought it. better for
the Indians to have town Of their
own, and founded Metlakatia mis-,
sion As he was absent on visit to
Ottawa, We did not stop, but at $50
we arrived at Fort Simpson. Here
we found another missionary, Rev.
Mr.. Crosby, Wesleyan Methodist,
who for nine years has been seaching
the natives at Nanaimo, and who is a
jealous and faithful man, combining
in marked degree, high executive
ability and conscientious and un.
remitting labor for the temporal and
spiritual wslfsrs OF the Indians un-
der his charge. He is supported by
the Wesleyan Missionary Society Of
Ontario, Canada, and by voluntary
contributions of the Indians.
He is now building a large Gothic
church so by so feet, with buttresses
and tower 1S0 feet high. An arch-
tect at Victoria furnished the plan,
and the work is superintendent by a
white carpenter, and the work Itself
is all done by Indians. The timbers
which are very massive are entirely
of yellow cypress. or Sitka cedar,
and will last for ages. This church
has since been completed. The Ins
dians here and at Meilakatla mission
are the Tsim Sc an, pronounced by the
whites Simscan. They are the furthest
advanced OF any Indians on the coast; I;
and, although they do not equal the
Haidahs of Queen Charlottes Islands
in the skill and beauty Of their work.
manship in gold and silver, or in
their carvings in stone or wood, yet
they are the most orlerIy, civilized