The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-07-16

Dr1Sk business.
After coaling here the boat fairly gets nm
der way for Alaska and finds no more stop
ping places for four days; no habitations be
ing in sight except few Missionary stations
or some Indian vii iages. After passing
through Georgian and Queen Charlotte
Bays, the vessel leaves Vancouver Island
and steers among smaller Islands, through
straits, channel Bays, and Sounds; theil
waters being mostly as smooth as those oi
the Mississippi. This renders the trip one oi
the most delightful imaginable; there being
scarcely more than sixty miles of open ses
during the whole voyage.
Some of the Islands on the way are large.
some small; most of them hiliy, some en-
tirely of high mountains; but all completely
composed of rocks. They are all covered
with forests of fir, cellar, spruce and pine;
the trees roofing among the rocks, being in
some cases of great height and of good size.
In many places vast numbers of these trees
are dead, yet still standing, but surrounded
by newer and fresher growth; this gives g
strangely hoary appearance to the whole
forest.
For miles along some of the islands the
trees form continuous line along the waters
edge; the branches projecting thickly al
most to its surface. Looking under these
branches and the rocky shores have the ex.
act appearance of an immense wall. Very
little of the shore presents sandy or grav.
ely appearance; instead it Is blocks OF
lefges of stone; some times presenting mes!
grotesque appearances This continues quits
to the Island upon which the town of Sitka
is built, which is one Of the most southerly
in Alaska. Thus much of the voyage is
made among Islands belonging to British
America.
Often the mountains are so steep and the
soil so thin, that vast land slides occur, laying
bare the naked rocky skeleton of the Island.
The snow collects ON the hills and mountains
during the cold season, where it remains
until the heat of the longer and warmer
days gradually melts it and thus forms a
succession of the most charming cascades to
please the eye of the beho de-.
Wrang'e is the first settlement reached
in Alaska. 1t is an old Russian trading
settlement, built III most nncomfortably
swampy place; now Hourishing missionary
station and an Indian village. There the
heroic and self-sacriti,ing Mrs. Mcfarland
commenced missionary work alone, among
the natives. She is now aided by hearty CO.
workers, in the Rev. Mr. Young anil wife
and Miss Dunbar, who feel that they are
doing good and profitable, work mas
much as they are assured of the gradual
of their pupils.
Near this place is the mouth of the Stick
cen river, a large stream; upon the right
shore of which abuts the Immense Grand
Glacier, which extends back some sixty
miles. Here one may see actual glacial ac-
tion in process of operation and can thus
Judge from actual observation of the i'm
mense influence of such action upon the
present contour of the globe. Of the depth
of this glacial river no correct estimate can
be made. Crevi,es or crevasses of greater
or less width cross it in different directions.
Stones thrown down are heard either to
plash into water or to rumble away as if
through a subteranean galley. The whole
ice river moves forward at slow rate, melt
ing as it reaches the warm low lands and
forming immense moraines of the boulders
and rocky debris which it bears onward,
imbedded in the ice.
Sitka was the capital of this Territory
while it belonged to the Russians, when il.
was town of some note; being center for
fur and fishing business. The buildings
then constructed were of the most durable
kind being made of heavy logs, skiifully
put together and good now for the wear of
a century. Among some of the hest is the
Governors palace or castle, built upon a
lofty rock and making most imposing ap-
pearance. The Greek Church is a hand
some building with finely fitted interior,
where the Greek priest, himself an intefli
gent Russian, administers to the spiritual
needs of his congregation; who are mostly
Russians, who remained at their old home
when it became the property of the United
States.
Protestant missionaries have both school
and church there into which they gather
the natives, who are numerous in the town.
These Indians, like all on that Coast, arc
a lazy improvident, yet not very warlike
race. An American Man-of- War lies in the
harbor to keep them in order. The inhabi
tants think great good would grow out Of
an organization of the Territory by the gen
eral Government and the appointment OF
suitable officers to reside there. They await
this action with much anxiety. But these
officers must be of the right kind; no mere
politician will do for them what they re-
quire and hope for. If such men are lying
back in the hope of of grabbing an office in
Alaska when an office is formed there, it is
to be hoped they may be disappointed.
The belief that rich mines abound in the
near the town, is very sanguine.
Already some prospecting has been done,
with more than fair promise of success.
The fur business gives some employment.
which with some other industries makes the
town far from dull. Efforts are being made
to cultivate the soil which it is thought will
yield a fair crop of good vegetables with
perhaps some grain. But the soil is very
thin and the prospect far from certain.
A few miles from Sitka are springs at a
temperature of l49 deg, the medicinal
properties of which have been long known