The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-01
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
SOME WONDERFUL STORIES
ABOUT ALASKA.
PeculiaritIes of the Arctic Mosquito
The Little Pests a Great Draw
back to the Country.

1ooRREsPoSDEsoE OF THE ArPEAL.l
WASHINGTON, August 80. =
Did YOU ever hear Gov. Swlnetord
tell his wonderful stories about
Alaska2 Some of the streams up |
there are SO full of salmon that, in
the season, boats are actually i'm
peded in navigation, owing to the
countless millions of these fine fish.
But in all the Governors tales he
touches the mosquito very lightly.
II remains for DR.. Rose and gen
tleman connected with the sealeries
lust here from Sitks, to give the |
plain truth about Alaska mosquitoes.
These pests are found to be trouble
some ia Alaska, says DR.. Rose. |
How strange that the little drone OF
these little depterious insects, recall
ing the solicitations for a pour bore
in French cafe, should inportune
ones ears so far north as the Arctic
regions, beyond the Dc main OF the
ordinary globe trotter and I'M
known tourist! The little pests
are more widely distributed than
the innuit race or the rein
deer, to both of which they
cause great annoyance during
the short Arctic summer. Frail as
they are in body, they have reached
as far north as man can penetrate,
having been found by the Mares ex-
petition, and, unlike other insects,
they seem to have no relations to the
external conditions by which they
are surrounded, being in fact cosmo,-
politans, and having no geological
province.
Not only are they uncopfned to
any limited or definite area, their
distribution in time is cOntemporan-
cous with if not antecedent to man,
as their fossil remains have been
foun d in the tertiary beds of the
lower White river, Colorado, and an
instance is even recorded of their
affording material for Esquimaux
wit at the expense of Lieut.. Sohwat-
ka. who was tacetiously termed by
these people, 1.-THE Big Mosquito"
The myriadsof mosquitoes are great
drawback to visiting Gov. Swine
foIds wonderful country, and that is
the reason it is SO frequented by
birds. At times life without veil
is perfectly uncomfortable.
Visitors are obliged to.,wear thick
leather gloves, and the seal merchant
states that on many occasions when
out shooting, if he was too long IN
taking aim, he was compelled to
shake the gun barrel in order to get
the mosquitoes off, and then take an
other aim before they alight again,
otherwise he could not have seen the
game at all.
Arctic mosquitoes as encountered
in Alaska, surpass any seen even In
New Jersey, for instance, where, 1t
is said, they collect at times about
village church steeples in such forms
as to be mistaken Tor smoke and
cause an alarm of fire. The mer-
chant adds that they are worse thsn
anything of the kind he ever ex-
perienced at such places as Tybee
Island, Ca, the New Orleans Quar-
antine Station, or on the Rio Grande
river, Texas. TIE Alaska insect, how
ever, differs from the southern
mosquito in several respects. They
are more pilose and more plumose,
and have not such Influences
and activity, In consequence
of which they are unable to get out
of the way quickly, and can easily be
killed by the handful, but they seem
to be just as bloodthirsty and veno
nous as their Southern conquerors.
1t will be remembered in the Corwin
expedition musquitoes were found
to be very troublesome, and owing to
their excessive annoyance In the
Arctic regions at times it was found
to be almost impossible to use the
scientific instruments In taking OBJ
servations when the position of 8 spo!
on shore was to be determined. Or
one occasion at q desolate spot on the
top of Chamissa Island, two hundred
feet above the sea, an Astronomical
station was found which had beer
established by parties from English
ships in search of Sir John Franklin
and near it was notice that bottle
was buried 20 many feet away tOwarC
the magnetic north. Curiosity, o
course, prompted them to get thu
bottle by all means, but the mos
quitoes descended in such myriad
that further search was actual.
abandoned. There we're no othe
signs of animal life on the island
Many men of the Corwin's crev
were seriously incommoded by mos
quito bites and stings on exposes
parts of their bodies, one man
neck and face being so swollen iron
this Cause that he was temporari!.
deprived of his eyesight.
"By the by, remarked the Alas
kan, did you know that the Unite,
States capital was full of mos
quitoes?'
"Factl | was up there the oths
day and found myriads Of the post
in the Senate Chamber and House O
Representatives, and the attendant
told me that the committee room
swarmed with them, drawn thithel
no doubt, by the crowds Of peopl
who congregate in the vast buildin
up to the adjournment Of Congress i
the early days of August. They ar
small and nearly Doiseless; bite abou
as soon as they alight on the person
but have little venom"
The Congressman departed, leav
ing this annoyance. Mosquito mel
ting is in active demand this season
How EIe' Ru,OandH Died.