Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-04-16
WEIRD sTGHrs IN ALxSKA.
Wonderful Coast Scenery. Deserts, Gla-
ciers and Mosquitoes.

cters and Mosquitoes.
There is no more wonderful scenery
in the world, SAID Mr.. Marcus Baker. of
the geological survey, to reporter.
"than is to be found along the coast Of
Alaska, as you go up from Portland by
steamer to Sitka and beyond by the in.
side passage. Only for very small part
of the way do you feel the ocean swell
at all, continuous archipelago of islands
forming breakwater for hundreds OF
miles against the waves OF the Pacific,
while the vessel sails in water smooth as
mill pond. Along the mainland noun
tains thousands of feet high tower pre-
cipitously up from the sea, covered with
dense timber, while here and there
great ford reaches up toward the inter-
ior. The settlement SO essential to pic
turesqueness are unhsppily lacking, save
now and then an Aleut village may be
seen. Upon reaching Sitka you find
yourself in much more equable climate
than that Of Boston, its mean tempera-
ture being about tie same, though 1t Is
many degrees north Of the latter point.
Pursuing your way northward, along
the coast. you see now and then gla-
cier reaching down to the sea When you
reach the Yukon. If il is the proper sea-
son. Won find countless myriads OF can
vasback ducks disporting themselves.
That stream, together with other waters
theieabouts, is the great breeding
ground, you know, for canvasbacks, as
well a. for many other sorts OF ducks
and geese and swans All the canvas
backs which are shot on the Chcsa-
peake come from the Yukon and its
neighborhood. This fact has been es-
tablished as certainty by observation
of their flights from various points, their
aerial course being by way OF the great
lakes.
"What is the interior of Alaska likeg
asked the reporter.
lit is very mountainous and 50 bit
terly cold through nearly all the year,
that nobody lives there save few
wrotched Aleuts. The summer only lasts
for about two months, during which the
heat in the DAYTIME is apt to DO very in
tense, often rising above a hundred de-
grees in the shade. Grasses and other
plants grow and ripen with enormous
rapidity during the short season, because
they have to if they grow at all. In the
winter il is night almost all the time,
while in the summer the sun hardly has
time 10 set before il rises again. Alto
cether il is very weird sort Of ofcountry.
The coast. of course. is Kept warm by
the enormous body of water called the
Pacific ocean.
There are no snakes IN Alaska, per-
haps. because no snakes would live there.
Tho only frog ever discoved by explorers
there was found b. my party some years
ago. Probably, however, there Is no
part of the world where mosquitoes are
more dreadful than Alaska. Tho soil IS
OF soft. spongy character that hol Is
water for DAYS after a rain, aud The IN
sects are bred out Of it in such swrams
that il is hardly possible for man or any
other animal TO exist among them. They
attack the moose with such fcrocity as
to drive the beasts into the river, where
fhs natives attack them with kniyet.
Bears and reindeer are plentiful. Per-
haps the worst part of Alaska Is that To
the northwest, south Of the Yukon river
crossed but once, by party ofcxplor-
ers. who nearly starved TO death on tho
way. Tho history Of Alaska, is story
Of successive lea cs to fur gathering COM
panies. When Russia added il to her em-
pire she let it out inSterms OF twenty
wears each TO such companies, bat by
1869 tho abuses practlced by the FUR
concerns had become 20 serious that
the matter was made an important qnes-
ton in Russian politics. They decided in
st. Petersburg that Alaska was more
trouble than it was worth. Thus 1t came
about that Mr.. Seward bought 1t for a
comparatively small price, notwitA-
standing a very yociferous howl th~t
was raised against the project. That
was in 1869. A lease Of the seal Islands
for twenty years was at once given to an
American company. This lease having
expired, the same company is seeking
its renewal, and as you know, the pro-
position is being earnestly antagVni1ed
in the Senate.