The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-02-11
In the Wilds OF Alaska.

hlS Work IN the neld last september anu
has reached Washington. Mr.. ,Petroff
is the gentleman who last year made
journey of eight thousand miles in
Alaska and among the Aleutian islands,
twenty-five hundred miles of which was
through portion of Alaska never be-
fore penetrated by civilized man. This
Journey was made for the Census Bu-
reau, and was entirely successful. The
islands and the western portion of the
peninsula of Alaska, SO far east as
Cooks Inlet, were examined and the
data required for the census publica-
tions We're secured. -.
For last summers work Mr.. Petroff
planned to take the work at Cooks In
let when he left it the previous season,
nd:hake his way along the coast, to-
ward the east to Sitka. In this he was
only partially successful, and for very
good reasons, as the following story of
his adventures will show; 81 rYI
Having collected his supplies at the
island of Kodiak, he set sail in schoon-
er, early in the season, for the northern
shore of Cooks Inlet. The vessel had
been out about an hour when she struck
upon sunken reef not marked in any
chart of the locality, speedily filed and
sunk. Her cargo, including his prop
erty, was total loss. The passengers
and crew were rescued and returned to
Kodiak, where a new outfit was pro-
cured, and after short delay a second
and more successful attempt to reach
the mainland was made.
Mr.. Petrof and party made their way
with canoes along the northern coast of
Cooks Inlet to and around its head, a
distance of about one hundred miles,
and then struck out overland for Prince
Williams Sound, carrying his canoes
and supplies. This portage has only
once before been made. This region is
one of the most inhospitable and repel-
liant on the earth. Two large glaciers,
one eight and the other fifteen miles
wide, were crossed, the passage being
one of great difficulty and many dan
gers. One of these glaciers, the smaller,
reached and terminated in the sea; but
the other had formed for itself a deep
valley in frontof the terminal moraines.
being of great size. At that season of
the year there was a continuous noise
like thunder caused by avalanches of
snow and ice from the high mountains
on each side of the glaciers. The COM
fort of the travellers was seriously inter-
fered with by numerous accidental ice
water baths.
Prince Williams Sound was reached
on the LIST of June, at which time the
season was so backward that no blade
of grass or green thing was to be seen.
The ground was frozen so solid that it
was difficult to fix the tent-poles in their
places. The country around Prince
Williams Sound is very forbidding in
appearance. Stones and large boulders,
brought down by glaciers of former
ages, cover the greater portion of the
earth, the remainder being swamp or
bog. Upon the mountain sides, at a
distance, there is timber which with an
almost impenetrable underground
reaches up short distance above the
sea level.
In coasting along the sound in his ca
noe Mr.. Petrof passed the face of gla-
cier twenty miles wide, from which
large pieces of ice, small bergs, in fact,
were constantly breaking off and float
ing out to sea, making passage very
perilOus. His canoe was in sinking
condition when he reached Nuchek
Island. In this place there are two
stores, and considerable trade is carried
On with the natives for long distance
up and down the coast.
Having completed his preparations,
Mr.. Petroff started from Nuchek, with a
crew of four Inuits and half-breed in
terpreter, for Copper River, fifty miles
distant. He assembled the river to the
first village, Alaganok, inhabited by
North American Indians. AS he landed,
an1 hofora ha Ipnroonhnd tho
village, his Inuits became alarmed and
were reioiced at this state of affairs, and
flattered themselves that they would
keep the traveller and his stores among
them to be preyed upon at their leisure.
He sought to hire crew of Indians to
assist him on his journey, but they de-
maded "a large gold piece every day
for each man employed" The boat
was large one, and the Indians fancied
it would be impossible for their visitors
to escape without help. With his inter
prefer alone he decided to make the at
tempt, and when night came they cut
loose and floated down stream. The
channel through the delta to the sea was
a difficult one, but it was safely passed.
and when the coast was reached sails
were set for a return to Nuchek. Be-
fore reaching the island the boat ran
upon sunken rocks and was wrecked.
The two men were picked off by natives,
who saw them from the shore, but much
of their property was lost.
Mr.. Petrof now decided to await the
arrival of the Kolosh Indians from q
distant point on the coast, who usually
come once year to Nuchek with furS
to trade for the molasses used in max
ing their favorite intoxicant. He start