The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1890-02-25
A TRIP AROUND ALASKA.
BY EDWARD BAILEY.
tContinued.)

spent in wandering aimlessly about.
inquiring now and then if anything
had been heard from the Elder, ETC.
Sunday morning, no Elder, but by
telegram it was announced that she
would sail at P NJ on Sunday. So
l went to church and heard a good
sermon, and enjoyed a Sabbath
school once more before going be-
yond civilization, and at 6 P. NJ. we
were ready to go aboard the Elder,
but it was late in the evening when
we finally got off on our wonderful
trip to Alaska My trunk had been
sent from the hotel when l did not
know it. and / had much ado in find
ing it and getting it checked.
Things are rather newish up this
way and 1t is well to see to your own
affairs yourself.
The Elder did not sail till 1 A. NJ.
of Sunday. July 10Th. Itwas foggy,
and when We began to stir about in
the morning, it was to find that the
accommodations of the Elder were
of the narrowest, and that we were
fairly sandwiched into her. There
were about 135 first-class passengers.
Just one-third of that number might
have been comfortable. but never
entirely so. when the births were so
near together that a fat man could
not roll over without disturbing the
one in the berth above him. To &C
commodate this whole number at
one table, contracted as it was, could
not be thought of. so we had first
and second. and for a part of the
voyage. third tables.
Added to all this our steward was
often unfit for duty through inc
briefly. But Capt. Hunter and his
chief officers did their best to make
us comfortable, and the voyage an
agreeable one. We came for a
pleasure trip and were not lightly t.
be disappointed. Many, if not most
of our company had seen the roush
side of life.
And / fear it Is not possible t.
show in writing what was the con
slant JOY of the trip, notwithstand-
ing all It's discomforts. Excepting
in few places where the channels
opened out to the broad ocean, and
some other places where owing to
the narrowness of the channel the
tide caused fearful eddies and whirl-
pools at times. the whole voyage
was like sailing In canal. Even IN
the broadcast of these places compar-
atively landlocked the waves were
only like those on Lake Ontario
when the wind was strong.
As rule we had little wind. We
arrived at Port Townsend about
noon of the 18th. Here the third
man in our room. Russian priest
for Keliisroo. came on board. He
did not speak English, but caused as
little trouble a. the case admitted
of; though he acted as if he feared
his baggage might be stolen.
1 should say here that do not
certainly know that l lost anything
by theft during the trip. though
some complained that they lost
things. 1t is not worth while TO
take much for fancy ON the trip, I'M
less for trade with the Indians.
may as well remark here that
the sO-called Indians whom we saw
are not Indians al all, and are not
considered as Indians by intelligent
white people. They are undoubt-
edly descendants of Japanese who
drifted to the continent of America
at a greater or less distance of time
ago. They have few of the charac-
teristics of the Indians; perhaps
none which are not the direct out
come of their Surroundings. What
their peculiar custom of giving
woman more life than was assigned
her By her Maker arose from 1t is
difficult TO conceive.
But it is equally difficult to
sccout for their peculiar mythology
making the whale. the crow. the
1TOg ana TIE DCoI GAO oSAAO
other animals their progenitOrs
and patron gods. Some childish
whim. probably, growing out Of mis-
conceptions in general. and taken
advantage of by their designing
shanans to reduce them to servility.
Such q system would require no long
time to become fixed in the very tex
ture of their minds, being an ingnor-
ant and impressive people who had
no other and more reasonable system
to occupy them The disposition to
account for everything around Us
with some reason, true or false. Is
not wanting among savages. III COM
mon with those of more pretentions
to civilization. and when men lost
the knowledge of the true God they
became vain In their imaginations.
As stated above the Elder sailed at
"A. n. and we were enveloped in fog
most of the forenoon. rendering our