The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-03-04
A TRIP AROUND ALASKA.
BY EDWARD BAILEY.
(Continued.)

rounding the south end OF Nancouv-
ers' Island, pursued our way toward
the north pole. The shores seemed
sandy and the hills were covered
with forests of fir. At 5 P. NJ. no
land was in sight, which would not
be the case if the atmosphere were
clear, for we were running among
the numerous islands in the Gulf OF
Georgia.
Wednesday, July BIN the NOR
ming we were running along with
deep forests on both sides, clothing
the mountainous hills from their
SUBMITS down to the waters edge.
Here and there a break occurred-a
channel branched off or a point ran
into the channel.
At Up NJ we came to 1.-The Whirl-
pools" at Slackwater, the speed of
the steamer having purposely been
retarded so we should not arrive
there while the tides were running
swiftly, rendering it dangerous to
pass. Soon afterward we passed a
cannery with its attendant Indian
houses. At S:15 we came to Queen
Charlotte's Sound, which opens out
to the broad Pacific, and consequent
" we had the ocean swell for the
three hours it took to cross it. 1t
was Just at supper time and there
was no crowding at the tablet The
fog came in with the ocean breeze
and rendered it damp and chilly.
So went to my trunk for thick fan
nels, which l continued to wear for
the remainder of the trip. Snowy
mountains were in sight most of
the time in the East, when the
fog thinned so we could see
them. Many rocky islands
also were passed, and on the morn
ing of August 1st we had another
small toss where the swell from the
Pacific ocean by some means found
access to our peaceful channel. In
the main our course all the way
round to Sitka and back again to
Victoria was calm as any mill pond.
Day after day, and week after week,
for a thousand miles or more there
was scarcely any inc ion greater
than the waves produced by the
rush of our ship through the water.
The toughest that the winds could
make it in some of the broadcast bays
or channels only reminded one of
the waves on Lake Ontario.
On this day the hills were clothed
with very green forest brown had
gone out of fashion though the
tops Of many tall fir trees were dry.
The hills were too steep to admit of
soil lying on their surface unless
held there by the roots of the trees
themselves. An early old age was
the result.
The country was probably lime
stone, for along the shores, and
wherever bare spots appeared they
presented a white surface which
would only be accounted for on such
a supposition. Many large cliff of
white like marble appeared, and all
along the shores was a cavernous
appearance with many a stripe
across it, as if lime washed from the
mountains above, had been depos-
tied like icicles or stalactites on its
surface; but more mapped than sus-
pended.
We had IN our company from Ia
coma Mr.. Duncan, man well-known
about Alaska, who has spent many
years in laboring for the Indians
and with marked success. Having
belonged to the Church of England
the bishops undertook to lord it
over him, which he resented; and as
he was in British America and
therefore subject to government die
tation, he resolved to leave and go
over the line into the territory of the
United States. This he did year
or two ago,and seventy or eighty In
dians went with him, glad appar-
emily to be quit OF English domino
ton. Their number has now in
creased to upwards of 500; and they
have shown a surprising energy
under Mr.. Duncan's leadership in
clearing land, building houses, q
school, church, shops, storehouses
and lumber mill which was burnt |
down, but is now to be rebuilt, the |
boiler and machinery being brought !
by our vessel. One evening while |
on board our vessel, Mr. Duncan
gave some account of his work, and |
a subscription was started to aid him
as had been done on his voyage
down on the Corona. Subscriptions
were coming in when Mr.. Lewis,
priest of the Church of England,
from Toronto, stepped to the table
and protested against it, saying that
Mr.. Duncan was a rebel against the
Church and had no right to be work
ing. as he was, without the authority
of the Church, the only Church of
Christ which had authority to be,
and much more of the same sort.
Mr.. Duncan answered him with