, 1879-07-31

them, but would, in my judgment,
lead to the happiest results.
In 1875 l had the honor of being
appointed special commissioner Of
the United States for procuring arti.
cles of Indian manufacture for the
National Museum, to be exhibited
at the Centennial Exposition in Phil
adslphia, and proceeded in the
United States revenue steamer VOL
colt, to Aalaska, in a cruise during
the months of June and July of that
year.
During that cruise we stopped at
many of the villages of various tribes,
and whenever we had any converse.
tion with the Indians it was the uni
versally expressed wish that the gov.
ernment would send them teachers
and missionaries, as the English had
sent to Indians of British Columbia,
and they particularly referred to the
missions at Fort Simpson, and at
Matahcatla, British Columbia, the
former under the charge of Rev. Mr..
Crosby, OF the Wesleyan Methodist
Society of Ontario, Canada, and tho
latter under charge Of Rev. Mr.. Dun.
can, of the Episcopal Missionary So.
ciety Of London, England.
Fort Simpson being one of the
principal trading posts of the Hud.
sons Bay Company, and situated
but few miles from the southern
boundary of Alaska, is the place
where a gres. many Of the Alkskian
tribes resort to sell their furs, and
have there seen for themselves tho
superior condition of the Tsimsean
Indians, both at Fort Simpson and
Matahcatla, and it was undoubtedly
jealous spirit, induced by the un-
favorable comparison of their own
uncivilized state, in contrast with the
great improvement of the Tsimseans,
which caused them to be so unani-
nous in their applications to US for
government aid in sending teachers
TO them.
In a report made by me to the
Commissioners OF Indian Affairs on
my return, which was also published
in the Port Townsend ARGUS, Sept.
3, 1877, | dwelt at length on this
subject, and strongly recommended
that our government adopt towards
the Alaska Indians a similar policy
10 that so successfully enforced in
British Columbia, at the two missions
of MatIakatla and Fort Simpson,
short account of which will serve to
explain the method which l would
suggest our government adopt in its
future management Of the Alaskan
tribes.
In October, 1857, Mr.. William
Duncan, missionary, schoolmaster
and ca'cchist, and graduate at High
burg Episcopal Training College of
the Church Missionary Society of
London, was selected to fill the post
of teacher and missionary at Fort
Simpson, and, with no other aid than
the stipend paid him by the society
and sional donations from chart
table nersons in England and Vic
tora. he has succeeded in making
tho Indians under his charge self
sustaining people, and their settle
ment is model which many of our
pioneer communities might emulate
with profit.
In May, 1860, Mr.. Duncan, finding
the locality of the post at Fort Simp-
son unsuited to this purpose, re-
moved to his present place at MetIa-
katla, some 20 miles south, where he
established town. Here, acting in
turns as minister, schoolmaster, physi
clan, builder, arbitrator, magistrate,
trader, and teacher of various me.
cnanic arts, he has labored so sue.
cessfuIly that they now own
schooner trading regularly to Vic.
toria; they have a joint stock trading
house, soap mandatory, black
smith shop, saw mill, an octagon-
shaped school house, with cost near
ly $4,000, a building 90 by 80 #,
used as court honse, for public
meetings, and to accommodate
strangers, mission-house Ga feet by
80, containing seven apartments on
the ground floor, a spacious dorm.
tory above, and outbuildings. Also
church, woolen factory, where they
weave blankets and common flannel
on machine supplied them by the