Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-12
UneXplOred Alaska.

epeclA Correspondence of the Globe Democrat.
SrrKA, ALASKA, July 19-Although we had
realized the distance we had travelled to the
nOrthward by the increasing length of the days,
We were astOnished enough when we reached
Sitka to find all of our time-pieces forty-tiye
minutes ahead Of the local time. For the first
time we became aware of the fact that our
course had verged to westward, and we
puzzled not little over that great difference
In time between Astoria and Sitka. Although
Sitka and Alaska are almost synonymous with
north pole to average minds in the temperate
zone. a comparison of maps shows that Sitka
and St Petersburg. Russia, are in the same
latitude, and the mouth Of Chilcat river the
most northery point that We visited, is
on . line with the south coast of
Greenland. The extent of this north
west territory and the vast distances
between points are more than bewildering
Alaska itself is equal in area to all OF the United
States east of the Mississippi river. Counting
the Aeutlan chain, the PribylOff group and the
1.1OO islands of the Alexander archipelago, the
total area of the Alaska islands is 81 2O5 square
miles. The Island OF Attn. the last of the Aleu-
tian chain. Is as far west of San Francisco as
Bangor Me-, Is east of it, and the indented
coast line OF Alaska. measurieg over g, 600
miles. is even greater than the whole coast line
of the Atlantic and Pacific shores of the United
States put together. Southern Alaska, as it is
called, comprises the narrow strip of territory
tHdl cAttHuS eOutHWdTU lIOm MOUNT ST. Elias
to Dixon channel, the boundary line between
Alaska and British Columbia This thirty-mile
strip OF land with Its outlying islands is the
best known part Of the territory, and with the
exception of Onalaska and the Seal islands, is the
seat Of the only white settlements of any cOnse-
quence or promise. Dense forests clothe the ISL
ands and mainland of Southern Alaska and dark
en- region half as large as Europe" Although
the rocky foundations are only covered with q
thin. sandy soil. vegetation fiOurishes with a
ran M hat on hos
The close forests Of yellow cedar, Stka and
Douglass spruce, Jeffreys pine and balsam fir
have never been devastated by fires and for
unnumbered ages only glaciers or avalanches
nave lnter!ered with the steady processes of
nature. The Russians cleared little ground
about their settlements, but later inhabitants
have made no efforts In that way since crOps
cannot be raised with success and there are not
enough horses or cattle for any one to direct
their attention to grasses that cannot be dried
IN the constant downpOur. The stumps of trees
will neverrotin the ground. and the falen trunks
In the forest form network like the corners of
Grail fences. with each log covered with thick
MOSES and grasses and bearing dense growth
OF rank ferns, bushes and small trees. Itiswholly
impossible to penetrate the forests without a
path first being hewn through the thckly
ranged tree trunks, and in the wood paths
about Sitka one frequently sees trees two and
three feet in diameter. growing over the pros
trate forms of pines of even greater diInen-
siOns. IL you step aside from the path to force
your way through the underbrush to reach
clusters OF crimson and orange salmon berries
You may suddenly be engulfed, and sink two
or ten feet into a pitfail OF mOssy logs Only
the certainty that there are no snakes or GREEN
ing things in Alaska encourages one to venture
aside from the narrow and grayeled paths that
benefcent Russian rulers caused to be made about
Stka- Although there are few natural Clear
ings at the mouths Of the streams. and grassy
fields cleared by the toll OF the old serfs. no at
tempt Is made to raise or keep CATTLE and the
milk Of the three COWS Of Sitka is sold at 80
cents a quart. Without beef or mutton the peO-
pie live on a routine Of fish, venison and bear
meat. and no quail-eater grows wearicr of his
daily luxurles than these Alaska citizens do of
their regular venisOn, salmon and halibut in
steaks rOasts and curries.
Even the Indians know nothing of the interior
of Southern Alaska and on account Of the i'm
penetrable forests not one island has been
wholly explored. All travel is done by boats and
Canoes and the two sections Of the territory are
as far apart for traveller If on different con-
tinents- From Sitka to San Francisco IL is some
1,6OO miles by direct line, and communication is
kept up by the monthly mail steamer Idaho.
From Sitka across TO 0naaska there is a VOYAGE
on the open sea of 800 miles, and the Seal
Islands lie hundreds Of miles further west of
that point. Onalaska and the sealing stations
have communication with San Francisco BY
the steamer belonging to the Alaska CONNER
cial company, but no direct communication with
Sitka or the rest Of the territory. The collector
Of customs at Sitka gets the report from his
Onalaska deputy viaoSan Francisco, unless a
rare schooner or whaler comes that way. and
sailing vessels, as rule, give the tOrtuOus
channels and unknown reefs of the archipelago
wide berth at all times.
Northern Alaska, or the territory proper COM
prises vast areas Of UNEMPLOYED land, where even
the adventurous Russian and Hudson Bay Com
pany traders have never set foot. No surveys
OF these great steppes, moOrs and praires have
been made, with the exception Of the explora-