The record-union., 1892-08-03

A little further along, at the chiefs
house, was a black-eyed, clear-skinned
little girl, about Is, or possibly more,
nicely dressed in garments like ourselves,
with milliner's hat on her head.
planning things, giving the missionaries
deprecatory send-oh, saying: ''They are
no good-just in the school business to
make a living for themselves, same as
other folks"
'Of course you don't like the whites
anyhow!' said the enfant terrible of the
party-a saucy boy.
like to know" she replied tartly. why
I'm half white myself. What do you
take me for?'
We fell back little at so much unex-
pected facility, if not felicity, of speech.
And then great pity filled us, for how
could the poor child be expected, under
the circumstances, to be any better than
the hoodlum girl of San Francisco? 1t
was the spoonful of white blood in her
veins which made her so defiant. Alas
kan girls and women have naturally a
pretty method of address, being mild
and gentle IN contrast with us, their con-
querors. Such rudeness is not common
with the purely native Alaskan. For this
reason we must deplore the effect of our
civilization upon their manners. To sur
we IN the conflict this defiance is neces-
sary, but 1t is very unbeautiful.
Indeed. as we went from house to
house, unbidden guests, thrusting our
selves in, scanning everything, openly
ridlcullng, laughing, sneering at the
doors Which prevaiI-odors compounded
OF dead fish, oil and half dried skins
wondered what these Alaskans thought
OF US. Our manners were dreadful.
while theirs were uniformly kind and
pleasant. There was one woman,
however, who resented our intrusion.
But even then, through her husband,
was persuaded to open chests and boxes
and show his Chilcat blankets and other
treasures. and got laughed at into the
bargain. She only went outside with
her broom, and stood looking off across
the water into vacancy like a bronze
statue until we took our departure. L
tried to apologize and say good-by as we
passed, but she merely nodded. Her
dignity aroused my deepest respect.
Ignorant as they are, and low in the scale
OF intelligence as they may appear to be,
they appreciate good manners and know
the difference at once. In the course of a
few years | believe they will close their
houses upon the approach of a ship from
civilized lands, and they will be justified.
Memories of Wrangel cluster closely
together. There was another old crone
in yellowand- black blanket, decorated
like an Eastern Sultan with earrings and
bracelets of gold and silver in profusion
and labrette in her lip, weaving bas-
keL and gazing at us pleasantly as we
passed. was glad to see that air of van
lty. knew that something very strong
had survived IN the bent form in spite of
old Father Time. And these three were
the only white-haired ones to be seen
upon the whole trip. There is something
reminiscent of the Morse mythology in
the memories of the totem poles-those
carved wolves and bears and animal
forms so strangely intermingled. But
that is another story. Such is the
the memory of their ancestors
that they will not dispose of these memo
rails to the greedy relic hunter for any
sum. AS time goes by, however, the
corrupting influences of civilization will
doubtless destroy this last remaining
virtue OF the Alaskan, and then the white
man Will tote 'em home.
AS we sailed away and up Wrangel
Straits, nature was eloquent The sunset
rays made great gateway into the west,
gateway offretted gold and rose, against
which the horizon made groteSque sill
houtte shapes of animals. One high peak
held alott gigantic frog, gazing stonily
at us as we passed. 1t took all my nine
teenth-century reasoning powers to keep
ing through my veins.
AS for the poor AlaSkans / don't Won
der that they have some uncanny feel
ingS on the subject Of the unseen when
the seen itselfis SO suggestive. / feel that if
left alone in the presence of such optical
illusions as these, with no scientist
around to dispose of them with a sweep
of the hand, that / should soon take on
some superstitions myself. There's moth
ing like sleeping under warm roof at
night. and never seeing the rising or set
ting of the moon or sun, or stars, to cure
one Of such little eccentricities.
But we were in the midst of it all here,
surrounded by such figures in gigantes-
que as Dore himself loved to portray,
DEVILS Thumb," strange, square
feet sheer from the waters level,
which played hide and seek all after
noon. till evening came, and we met it
face to face. No one seems ever to have
seen it save as a thumb" but sat and
gazed fascinated at the majestic face of
the Great Spirit which there appeared
with such an expression of benign pa
thence and magnanimity as / never even
imagined before.
The lines of greatness and sublimity
were there in that great stone face, framed
like an Oriental in its own hair and flow
ing beard. 1t was only a trick of the
light on the snow and the stone, but sat
there, as we sailed up the inland sea, and
was afraid.
ELLA STERLING CUMMINS.
Juneau, Alaska, June II, 1892.