The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-16
1.-THE place before night, it was easy to
lsee the low wooded valley, but no trail

the place before night, it was easy to
see the low wooded valley, but no trail
was visible.
So it was deemed expedient to return
so an experimental knowledge of some
commonplace facts about Alaska was
acquired Here the tides flow up so many
long inlets that grow narrower as they
enter the land that they rise rapidly and
to great heights. AS it grew.d dusk a land
ing was made near stream of fresh
water, the canoe drawn at least two feet
ashore, and trip made for drinking
water. At the same time a. fawn APP
preached the opposite side. 1t was 100
dark to see the sight of the gum so the
several shots fired proved unsuccessful.
1t finished drinking and departed. BY
this time the canoe was at least ten feet
securing it n thorough wetting. had to
be undergone. The climate of Alaska is
| so. wet that dry wood is difficult to OBJ
not see the face of the earth because
| of the forests, fuel costs $500 cord, de-
liyered on the beach-the roadside of
it was desirable to buoy it up With some
| branches in order to sleep in it, The
branches were cut and. placed in the
water; but Immediately disappeared, leav-
ing the canoe to take care OF itself The
result was that after an hour of sleep
fircing the canoe half fun of water, il
vas concluded better to return to camp
There was bright starlight, but no moon
The water was as calm as the Mississippi
could be, but every ripple was brillian
with phoSphorescence. MultitudeS OF
small fish and insects accompanied the
canoe, streak!ng the water with light
Every few fathoms large fish would
pass, and once the paddle struck one
which darted away, leaving behind it a
trail of light many feet in length
The white man and his racket of civil
cation was at least thirty miles distant
Mother Nature was undisturbed and con-
Jured up a sight sublimely beautiful. Al
IL O'Clock in the morning the camp was
reached and an examination made of an
old fort which stood near. The inlet
on which the Indians had their camp
| IS the bed Of a stream descending from
f6lE lakes in the mountains. At its mouth
stands the old Indian fort on a small,
rocky island. A dense thicket hides it
from the sound. 1t is a relic of the In
dian wars of the last century. On the site
| Tongass Indians called Tagawanee. A
party of Indians had a summer camp a
| few miles south of this place. They
were attacked here by war party of
were all killed except four or five. The
| Tongass Indians knew that vengeance
would follow them, and fed to TagaWanee
Some time -afterward ten canoe loads of
Stikeen Indians started for Tagawanee
When they arrived they found nothing but
deserted heaps Of blackeped. ruins. The
| inhabitants We're poor and in distress, and
had fled from the vicinity of their enemies
! On this inlet of Mora sound they built
the village of Dachnu and in this old
fort they kept watch day and night for
| their enemies. Here they remained until
they removed to the present Fort Ton
gass. The five families who now camp on
the inlet are Tongass Indians and the
young man who brought the boat over
from Metlakahtla is the grandson of the
old chief
The fort is a large log house with two
windows and a door in front. 1t is built
on huge rocks and wooden steps lead to
the door. The door and windows were
fastened. One corner of the fort extended
beyond the rock, and was supported by
posts. Here there was a hole in the floor,
In the center of the roof was the custo-
mary hole for the escape of smoke. Age
had added other holes Half the floor was
of slabs, the rest of gravel. Overhead
salmon. These poles burned well and for
the next ten DAYS were used as fuel.
The five Indian families camping here
live in two cabins, one a log house and
the other large board shanty. In each
cabin there was one large room with
several adjoining closets used as bed
rooms. Several corners of the large
rooms were also partitioned off as beds.
Part of the room had plank flooring,
but in the center a fire was built on
the ground and around this the culinary
department of the household was scat
tered. Overhead were 300 or 100 salmon
drying in the smoke. Just above the ire
small screen of boards was hung to
It is an excellent device for the salmon,
but trying on the inmates The nauseat-
ing filth of the past has departed; but
there is still room for improvement. Nea-
shot the young man of the boat. kindly
extended an invitation to sleep in their
cabin and then asked: Have you lice?''
mo, have you?' mo; but there are some
over there on the floor" He was asked