Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-09-27
ALAS KA.
Incidents of the Recent Excursion
to this Almost Terra sEcOgnita.

Incidents of the Recent Excursion
to this Almost Terra s~ncOgnita.
PORTLAND, Or, Sept. 16, 1882.
EDITOR SENTINEL: A pleasure excursion
to Alaska! Many of your readers may re-
gard the foregoing proposition with a skep-
teal smile, the "various terrors'of that
horrid Shore" as set forth at the time Of
the purchase in the newspapers and by
the pictorial publications, rising before
their vision. The few heretofore making
the Summer trip, however, have by voice
and pen given glowing accounts of the de-
lights of this voyage, creating in the
minds of many a desire to visit this sec
ton, This year the o. r. & N. Co.. ar
ranged for a pleasure excursion to points
in Southeastern Alaska, designing it to in
augurate what will hereafter be one Of
their regular routes for Summer tourists.
The Superintendent thought a small
steamship would carry all who wished to
go this time, but when the announcement
was made the demand for tickets was such
as to require the ~commodious
steamship Dakota to accommodate the APP
plicants, among whom was the writer. 1t
was a novelty in the way Of an excursion.
Its participants were to step aside from
the beaten track of Summer vacations and
sail away and enjoy
A ROYAL HOLIDAY
Among the innumerable islands and bays
that skirt and cluster upon and adorn the
North Pacific, all communication with the
outside world severed, safe from the OBJ.
trnsion from without Of every disturbing
influence, carrying with them amid the
solitudes of these isolated regions much of
the comfort and many Of the l~uxuries Of
civilized life-a well-tilled larder, COM
modious staterooms, roomy decks for
promenading, a band to discourse inspirit-
ing airs and furnish music for dancing,
the party composed of the young and
lively and the more elderly and sedate,
and when not engaged in rapturously view
ing the scenery, gathering in the social
hall for music, or in the main saloon for
dancing, or breaking up into groups for
gossip or more serious conversation, else
to play whist, read novels, firt or make
love.
There were about 80 excursionists, some
sixty Of whom were from Portland. San
Francisco and other California cities were
represented, and there were also several
ladies and gentlemen from Eastern cities.
The time occupied by the excursion, for
Portland people, was from August 4th to
tho Goth; fare $95. From her starting
point on Paget Sound, at New Tacoma,
the terminus of the N. P. r. R., the Dakota
on returning had Travelled nearly $500
miles, and during the entire time was out
in the ocean only IA hours. Our course
lay from New Tacoma past Seattle to Port
Townsend, the port of entry to the Sound,
thence across the Straits OF Juan de Fuca
to Victoria, B. c., and by way Of
THE INSIDE PASSAGE
To Alaska. There is scarcely any more
danger Of seasickness than there would be
in steamboating on a river, the system of
islands extending along the northwest
coast from the Straits of Juan de Fuca for
over 1000 miles forming a breastwork
against the storms and swell of the ocean.
At only a few points is there any exposure
to the ocean, i'll crossing Queen Charlotte
and Miibank Sounds, and in rounding
Cape Decision going from the Duke of
Clarence Strait into Chatham Strait.
The reason for our being out to sea the
time that we were was because the Captain
had never been through Peril Straits with
as large a vessel, and he took the outside
passage from Cape Ommaney to Sitka,
going and returning in the night, and only
the more sensitive ones experienced any
discomfort from the slight swell of old
ocean that was encountered. Much of
the way the channels are quite narrow,
but they sometimes broaden into seas, the
scenery constantly changing. From pass
ing between abrupt banks a broader space
opens to view, many islands Of varying
size and form, and distant snow-capped
peaks rise loftily above the surrounding
mountains. In the Finlayson and Gren-
Vile channels
n OF EXTRAORDINARY BEAUTY
Was met with. Cascades foaming on the
mountain sides OF dashing over cliffs, and
delicate, ribbon-like streams threading
their way more gently, were to be seen at
every turn. At Takou Inlet icebergs we're
encountered, and our steamship cautiously
made her way as far as possible toward the
head Of the inlet, where there are three
large glaciers. We came to anchor within
a few miles Of them and the small boats
were lowered for a close inspection. One
of these glaciers is in active operation, and
discharges the berg ice that was floating
in the inlet. Owing to the pack ice the
small boats could not approach very near
to it. The wide. perpendicular surface
where it approaches the water is of the
deepest blue. While the party were out in
the boats an immense iceberg broke of
with a report like that Of thunder, the
water squirting high in the air and sending
out waves that rocked the boats at Il lively
rate. The following day, in going from
this point through Lynn Canal to Chilcoot
at its head, the grandeur reveled i'll is be-
yond the power of my pen to family por-
tray, and a new revelation certainly awaits
the most extensive traveller who for the
first time beholds it. At Chilcoot we were
over a thousand miles distant from Vic
toria, in so deg. IS min. north latitude.
There is a trading post here, and a mission
ary and his wife and a native teacher
laboring among the Indians, the Chilcats.
Two Indian women, accused Of being
witches, were
RESCUED FROM DEATH
By the arrival OF the Dakota, and upon
being appealed to the Captain took them
to Sitka. The Alaska Indians are believ.
ers in witchcraft, and torture the sup
posed witches in the most cruel manner.
The towns visited were Fort Wrangel,
juneau and Sitka. At Fort Wrangel and
Sitka there are but a few white people.
At juneau there are over 800 white miners,
mostly working placer claims. The
lodges, however, look we'll and give prom
Use Of developing into mines. Since the
United States acquired Alaska the author
tiles at Washington seem to have held the
new possession in contempt, failing to
provide 1t with any kind of a civil govern
ment, an omission of great stupidity and
rank injustice. Capital to test and develop
any of the resources Of the country will
not go where it has no protection. The
people already there have no legal way OK
| projecting themselves or their interests,
| and cannot perfect their titles to mining
| claima timler lanls or any kind of nrnp-