, 1883-07-12
JUDGE SWANS NORTHERN TRIP.

On board Steamer Otter, Clarence Strait,
Alaska; bound from Fort Wrangel to
MasSit, Queen Charlotte Islands, b. c.
June a, 1888.
DEAR Mr.. WEIR: After an unavoid-
able delay of week at Victoria waiting
for new shaft for the steamer Gertrude
at Wrangel, We left Victoria on the 18th
inst. with Il full cargo and about IS pas
scngers, of which number 30 were Chi
nese. We stopped at Alert Bay at the
cannery of my old friend Wesley Huson,
who, in connection with Mr.. Spencer,
photographer OF Victoria, is doing a
| trading with the natives. Having dis
charged HusOn's freight with himself
wife and three children, and 10 China
men who were passengers on the Otter
with me, we next proceeded to Rivers
Inlet, up which we ran some 40 miles to
the head where are Shotbolt's cannery,
and the cannery and sawmill of Messrs.
Saunders e Wasscn of Victoria. Here
We discharged freight and all the re-
manning Cinnamon and several white
passengers, and left for the Skeena
river. l never was in Rivers Iulet be-
| fore. 1t is deep, with 10 hidden OBJ
structions, but its sides are mountainous,
of limestone, precipitous and snow-cov-
cred. We remained but short time
and then proceeded TO the SkeeGa river.
at the mouth Of which is cannery
formerly Woodcock's landing. We arriv-
ed there at midnight on Thursday, the
2lst, and as there was nothing to be seen
at that hour did not turn out of my
berth.
The next morning Friday, 22dJ, we
arrived at Metlakatla Mission stormy,
S. E. wind and constant rain. [ sent
my cards ashore to Bishop Ridley and
Mr.. Duncan. and soon after the Bishop
came off in his boat for some freight,a and
invited me to go ashore with him, which
] did, and ~as iniEaaEced to Rev. Mr..
: ''-'''hsnn. one Of The missionaries, and
who has fine collec,. u Ao'Si'e anu
Indian carved work. After a hurried
examination / went to Mr. Duncan's
house where L was kindly received. Mr.
Duncan showed me blankets, shawIs and
wooden cloth, made by the Indians on
looms he procured at the Mission mills,
San Francisco. These goods were not
| finished as the work of the looms has
been suspended for work in the can
merry. to which Mr.. Duncan conducted
me. There were from 10 to 100 Indians,
men, women and large children busily at
work canning salmon. The premises
were scrupulously clean, and everything
as qniet, orderly and thoroughly syste-
matte as in the best of the Golum bia riy-
er cal4eries. After inspecting this il.-
teresting work, which showed the un-
mistakable evidence of the capabiIity of
Indians to do such kind of work as well
as Chinese, our next move was to visit
the church, but before we reached it the
| whistle 81 the Otter blew and I hastened
| to the beach escorted by Mr.. DUNCAN
who hailed Ii canoe and | returned to
| the steamer. | regretted not being able
to have remained at Metltikaila several
days. IS there is much of interest to be
found there Both Bishop Ridley and
Mr.. Duncan received ne yery kind
". aud coull have remained | would
have been able TO obtain much valuable
information.
We left M,tla5atla at S:15 'Dr Fort
Simpson the headquarters of the Hudson
Bay Company on the northwest coast,
and arrived there at noon, the distance
being % or 30 miles. At Fort Simpson
is a Methodist mission under the charge
of Rev. Thomas Crosby, of the Wesleyan
mission Ontario, Canada. l was at
! Fo.t 5imgeon seven wears ago, and L
I gould notice the great imProven.eht .n
the appearance Of the place since that
time. All tie glI unsightly Indian
houses have bcoa feiaGYed ana houses ln
white mems style adopted. At Aietlakat-
La the houses are nearly all of one sci
pattern, with no more pretentions to
architecture than the corn barns OF
the Eastern States, and are neither
painted or white washed. At Fort Simp,
sd, The Indians are encouraged to
display ihe,r Iastp. sH4 ~ 1RsT!t ha.
been that there is variety OF design
which gives the town an at
tractive appearance. As we had Il few
hours 10 spare l visited with Mr. Crosby
his school and church, both Of whicl
are fine structures of admirable design
brilt entirely by Indians under Mr.
? Cr0sbSas s4prss iggion. The school build
, ing is in the form of a 7 with lqidipg
doors TO separate the rooms. Black
boards are inserted in the walls arount
? the entire inside of both rooms, and from
: their appearance [ judged they wer,
pretty extensively used by the scholars.
/. From Mr.. Crosby L purchased seyera
: interesting specimens of Indian wurl
sarh H. II. IA. tone hammers, fish huoks,et
Hud from Mr.. Huti. t:i6 II. Il. Go.;a tFad
= er. some iiue carved stone work Gfte
!. leaving Fort Simpson We had storm