Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-07-18
From Alaska.

Gustav llanus ot the US. Navy, was
received in this city u few days ago,
and we are kindly permitted to lay
it before our readers. 1t will be
read with interest not only by Mr..
Hmus's many friends, but by all
who desire to become better ac-
quainted with the wonderful
country Of which he writes and
which at this time is attracting 50
much attention:
W, S. sur JAMESTOWN, SlrK\,
ALASKA, juno -, lS19:--pear-
Agroeably 10 my promise, | will
give you short synopsis Of the
events which have followed each
other i'll rapid succession in con
ncction with the cruise Of the Y. $.
sailing ship jamestown. She went
into commission at the Mare
Island Navy Yard, Oh Tho Sth ot
May; which means that she was
turned over TO the officers ON chat
day. Her battery, consisting OF
10 eight-ineh gums, ? sixty-pounds
rifles, 3 howitzcrs and 4 gatlin gun,
was taken on board shortly after
wards. Her spare spars and stores
Of every description were taken on
hoard as rapidly rs possible and on
May 10Th, she left the navy yard,
and dropped down toSan Francisco,
whore she was inspected ON the
Dist, and on the 22d she sailed from
that port for Sitka. She encoun-
tered heavy weather, three or four
days out and from that time until
her arrival in Sitka ON the 18th day
Of June, the weather was generally
bad
Our first glimpse Of the shores OF
Alaska, was a grand sight, and one
not easily to be forgotten. The
beauty of the thousands of lofty
peaks ranging in elevation from
fifteen hundred to three thousand
feet, covered with snow except ut The
base, must be seen to be fully APP
preciated and cannot be described.
The day we first saw this was on the
18th of June, and we stood into
Sitka Sound, passing the grandcst
and most beautiful mountain Of
them all Mt. Edgecumbe-whcn
the thick s. g. weather which pre-
vailed, compelled us to 60 to sea
again; but on the 18th we were
more fortunate. On coming up
that day when about six miles
from Sitka, the alaska" made q
signal, notifying US that she would
tow us in, and us this sound is
literally filed with reefs and dan
gerous rocks, we were very glad
that the Alaska was there to tow us
in, especially as there is as yet no
correct chart of the place published.
The Alaska left us on the 10th,
and we have had good opportu-
nifty to examine our surroundings.
In natural beauty this place can
not be surpassed, The thousands
of little Islands which make this
az excellent harbor, are all covered
with evergreen (spruce) trees, and
resemble the coast of Maine so
closely that II il difficult to realize
that | am not there; but on the
shore Of what ! might call the main
land although ii il Of course only
large island) the lofty mountains,
which rise some two thousand feet
direct from the water and end i'll
pointed peaks resemble nothing
| have ever seen before. The trout
streams which come boiling and
foaming down the mountains and
frequently fall from fifty 70 a hum
drcd feet, are full Of trout, but il Is
almost impossible to follow either
bank. This will not seem strange
when ] assure you that not five
miles from here there il one place,
where the cliffs Oh either side Of the
stream rise at least eight hundred
feet in perpendicular walls; in other
places it is possible 70 approach the
stream. There are neither roads.
paths, nor trails in this country,
all communication e by water