The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-09-08
ALASKA TRIP.
(COntinued.)

ON BOARD STEAMER GLEN
ELDER, August 18th.
AT Hanaimo we got our coal on board by 8
O'Clock on Friday morning. August 18th. but
had to await the tide coming in before leav-
ing that port. The incoming tide raises the
water some eighteen feet. At ten our whistle
blew for all to come on board, and in a few
minutes we are oil, having now cut loose
from any mail or telegraph stations for two
weeks. As we sail out of this, rs all other
ports. the whistle blows three short times
which means good bye to those on shore. We
sail out OF the bay into broader waters. and
we soon find the breeze too cool on the
bridge where we had gone to have Il good
view Of the surrounding scenery. and we are
now sitting s~erenely In our comfortable rock
lng chairs, purchased ut Seattle, enjoying the
mountain scenery AZ we pass. We do not
touch the land anymore until Sunday even
Ing late. We are now sailing along through
Georgia Gull, which il about fifteen miles
wide. with snow capped mountains OF each
side Of us.
II IL n beautiful day. tho sun shining
brightly. weather pleasant; we ARE out
on the deck OF the steamer, the passen-
gers eagerly looking, some with their field
glasses, others with the naked eye. TO see
something strange in the deep blue sea. or
sizing up the depth OF this or that bank Of
snow on the sides of tho mountain. just ut
| one o'clock, In the distance | see our first
whale. When first he showed his back I
| to spout water high in the air. ! draw my
Il a H. ss
| All the passengers rushed pelmel forward.
My wife getting excited, saying, "Oh, look at
hlmW Then he goes down. his large tail
looking to be twenty feet broad. While we
are talking whale, the steamer speeding on,
In only q few minutes we see another whale,
and Look p one says, "snother. and anoth-
or !" until we see half a dozen around us.
oh, they look 80 big; passengers all excited;
now we see some large fish We suppose are
another species Of whale, on account of their
immense size, jumping up out OF the water.
See them. how high they go! One says
'Isn't It grand" Now another goes up, all
greatly excited, the captain Captain Hun
teri who Is a noble fellow. all patience and
kindness. as he never tires answering ques-
tiOns or giving Information, tells US they are
"thrashers'' u species of shark, which Jumps
into the air and comes down on the whales
brain and kills them, the thrashers being
about forty or fifty feet long, while the whales
are eighty feet long. The thrashers after
killing the whale eat only the tongue. being
very dainty, The commotlOn between the
whales and the thrashers lasted some twenty
minutes and was u grand sight. Now every
body il talking whale. only whale. On We
go.
In a short time whales show up again,
L and fnr ahnnt three hnura we have "a fine
whale exhibition, altogether having seen no
less than twenty-five or thirty OF them. We
now pass out of Georgian Gulf.at six o'clock.
into the narrOws. called so by Its being "A
narrow channel only half II mile wide run
ming through the mountains with Il current
OF twelve miles, and rs the captain says u
dangerous place on account of the rocks at
low tide. Now through into JOhnsi0ne's
strait. Scenery grand. The strait is about
100 miles through. We are all on the
upper deck looking. The wind blowing
almost u hurricane we are behind the wind
brake, which IS u board several feet high with
an opening about four feet wide in the center
for the officer on watch on the bridge to look
out OF. The captain tells us this narrow
channel between the mountains. although
about 100 miles through. IL u passage for the
winGs. We are sitting around In q group and
no cold that nv wife has ON her heavy black
cloth suit, heavy cloth jacket, her Newmarket
cloak. u veil over her face and n red shawl
/ hEOuuu u uuhus L Ia ou my iiiu SuiLs
and winter over-cOst. and q blanket shawl
over our laps. They call these winds the
warm Pacific winds. We think they are a
little cool. Our ship goes on. We wonder
how we are to get out lust ahead, ~ we seem
bemmed Ia all AROUND. Now we make u
sharp turn, then another, and so on, the
scenery all the time being perfectly grand,
the wind whistling through the rigging like
our December winds. only stronger, We
find 1t getting too cool, we go down and re-
| At. 30. shn ptUhf IL haInn affair tan nfrln.k
and Il beautiful clear moonlight. We sleep
under blankets and other cover, enjoy q good
nights sleep, awake ut six in the morning,
Saturday, August IS. We find ourselves
helng rocked 10 the cradle Of tue Deep" AZ
we are now out In the broad Pacific ocean,
or A. IL Is called Queen Charlotte's sound.
Our ship Is rolled by the huge waves OF The
i Pacific, although It IL calm. | 20 up on the
upper deck while my wife is arranging her
toilet, and while there enjoying the fresh
morning air, u huge yea lion hobs up s%erenely
az II TO say good morning to me-, He soon
rolls over. after u good performance for me,
and sinks out Of sight. go below, hut our
room being Just near the foot OF the steps
| leading to the upper deck the officer on watch
comes down and calls us TO see the sea lions.
Hastily we go up, and right close 10 rs we
zee some half dozen great big sea lions play
ing and inmping up. Afer ENJOYING their
performance for a while they disappear.
Fl Down we go, eat Il hearty breakfast, and
now, seated In our easy rocking chairs, loOh-
Ing out on the mighty waters, up bObs II
whslo and shows himself nicely. Weather
this morning cloudy and misty. raining Il
little. Some one hsiIaqs out again. "See The
whaiep While / am writing this, az we 90
sIong. | have to stop and admire the huge
whales which every now and then show
themselves. -Four bells has lust rang. which
means ten o'clock, my wife sitting by me on
The lookout for whales and sea hons while !
am writing. Now another whalel Oh. he
looks 10 bigI On we go through little mar
row iuleia. between islands and past thOus-
snds OF islands. eight bells sounds, meap-
ing twelve O'clock. Now the gong bounds
and az we eat at the first table there heine
Two tables set, and each passenger l. assigned
To his or her seat at the table. either lrst on
second table, and you take these seats nj vOuI
respective table as assigned you) we go AM
get our lunch.