The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-02-26
A TRIP AROUND ALASKA.
BY EDWARD BAILEY.
(COntinued.)

we lotC NlCLOfld at l:lo T. Nj. anu,
rounding the south end of Vancouv-
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 mum erous islands in the Gulf ~of
Georgia.
Wednesday, July 31.-In 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 point ran
into the channel.
At P. 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 Sis we came to Queen
Charlotte's Sound, which opens out
to the broad Pacific, and consequent
ly we had the ocean swell for the
three hours it took to cross it. It
was just at supper time and there
was no crowding at the table! The
fog came in with the ocean breeze
and rendered it damp and chilly.
So I went to my trunk for thick fan
nels, which I continued to wear for
the remainder of the trip. Snowy
mountains were in ST ght 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 LIST 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 tc
Victoria was calm as any mill pond
Day after day, and week after week
for thousand miles or more there
was scarcely any motion 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 hao
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 unles:
held there by the roots of the tree:
themselves. An early old age wa:
the result.
The country was probably lime
stone, for along the shores, ant
wherever bare spots appeared they
presented a white surface which
would only be accounted for on sucl
a supposition. Many large cliff o
white like marble appeared, and al
along the shores was a cavernou
appearance with many strip,
across it, as if lime washed from til,
mountains above, had been depos
tied like icicles or stalactites on it:
surface; but more mapped than sus
pended.
We had in our company from Ia
coma MIR. Duncan, man well-knowl
about Alaska, who has spent man.
years in laboring for the indians
and with marked success. Having
belonged to the Church of England
, the bishops undertook to lord i
over him, which he resented; and a
he was in British America ant
therefore subject to government die
tation, he resolved to leave and g,
over the line into the territory Of tn
United States. This he did yea
or two ago,and seventy or eighty In
dians went with him, glad appar
!, emily to be quit of English DONNA
t ton. Their number has now in
, creased to upwards of 800; and the,
have shown surprising energ,
under Mr.. Duncan's leadership il
l clearing land, building houses,
3 school, church, shops, storehouse
and a lumber mill which was burn
down, but is now to be rebuilt, tn
boiler and machinery being brough
4 by our vessel. One evening Will
4 on board our vessel, Mr.. Duncan
n gave some account of his work. AN,