, 1890-09-11

CAPTAIN NEWTON II, CHITTENDEN.
law to the West, which at that time
offered a great field, much of which
was unknown, and since then he
has travelled from Mexico to Alaska
more extensively than any other
man has done.
For the past eighteen years he has
been engaged in the work of eXplor-
ing, and gathering material for n
history of the North American
tribes of Indians, contining himself
principally to the Rocky mountains
previous to 1882.
In that year he made tour of the
Pacific states from Mexico north,
during which he visited the site of
Spokane Falls, then but u small
village, and of which he says:
"Spokane Falls, the most important
town in the region. 1t possesses a mag
niiicent water power, situated in the
heart OF country so great in extent and
resources that its utilization may be re-
garded as certain. Agriculture, stock
raising and manufacturing, combined,
| will build up large city here"
In the same year he visited
Alaska, making Il tour of that terri
tory, and visiting many uneXplored
sections of that comparatively un-
known land. He also travcrsed n
considerable part of the British do
minion, much of the time on foot.
Under n commission from the
government of British Columbia,
dated April 7, 1884, Captain Chitten-
den was the first white man to ex-
plore and circumnavigate the Queen
Charlotte islands, travelling lfor that
purpose over 800 miles in u canoe,
alone with the natives.
The work involved innumerable
hardships and dangers, the canoe
narrowly escaping wreck several
times by storms and the hidden
rocks.
After his return to Victoria, b. c.. 4,
from the North, Captain Chittenden
traversed the entire length of the
British dominions for the purpose of
preparing and publishing an illus
irative book descriptive of the coun-
try through which the Canadian
Pacific railway extends.
He was afterward sent to London,
England, by the British Columbian
government as commissioner at
the great Intercolonial and Indian
exhibition held there few years
ago, and exhibited there the collec-
ton of Indian relics which he has
gathered during his travels and ex-
plorations, until he has the most
complete private collection of this
description to be found.
He has published many books
descriptive of the countries though
which he has travelled, and during
the time he has been prosecuting
his researches he has studied the
language, customs and mythology
of the people, until he has become
almost an encyclopedia of informa-
tion regarding the American In
dians.
He has recently visited the cliff
dwellers' homes In the canyons of
the Colorado, and his description of
the buildings in the cliffs, their
solidity, extreme inaccessibility and
defensive construction, the extern
sive provision for storage of food and
water supplies, their watchtowers
and sentry-houses, all telling of the
unequal struggle between "a peaceful
race and savage enemy, are very
fine.
Inc captain made this trip OF 200
miles OH horseback, travelling from
Los Angeles eastward for 100 days,
passing In his journey through the
Haiara desert, which stretches away
for 200 miles, its temperature rang
ing from 1l0 to l30 degrees
at noon, and which he de-
scribes Us having barely cooled
since its numerous extinct
volcanoes were belching fire, pour
ing redhot lava down their quack-
ing sides for miles and throwing
burning cinders and showers OF
ashes over the surrounding country,
destroying all life. e,t
The captain Ii now making the
trip across tho continent for the
twentieth time.
He Is u descendant of Daniel
Boone, and 1t may be that he has