The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1895-11-30
FATE OF A RUSSIAN COLONY.


ring Sea, Eaten by the Bears.
From the quarter deck of the Unit
cd states revenue steamer Corwin,
lying off Halls island, at the north
erly end Of St Matthew's island, in
Rcring sea, the captain and several
officers were looking toward the
shore. Douglass, the pilot. had Just
pointed out something under the
cliffs that looked likclow, hall fallen
walls, and said they were ruined
barrabaraS Tho barrabara is the
Alcutian house, built half under
ground Some of the gentlemen wish.
ed to explore the interior of the is
land in hopes of finding signs of val
liable minerals.
Mr.. Douglass, how about going
inland here" inquired tho captain.
Well, Idon't know, sir, " said tho
pilot Il wouldn't care much to go
at this time of year unless the party
was large and well armed Any one
can see from here what Il forbidding
country it is, and it's sure to get
worse when You reach it. It's chOck
full Of bears, and in the breeding sea.
son they're mighty ugly!"
How does it happen that there
IRE 50 many polar bears on st Mat
thcw's and Halls islands," asked
the captain. This must be about
the southern limit of their range"
wei, | suppose, sir, they como
dow1 from the arctico on the field ice,
following the seal and the walrus
Tho winter pack reaches way south
Of here, and the bears make homes
on tho island among the rocks and
caves. They breed here, and as more
come every year from the north
they naturally get plenty. So long
rs they find enough to eat they Won
trouble anybody unless corncrcd, tad
once food gets scarce they'll attack
anything. One look at what's les C
tlOSo barrabaluS has always b2Gl
enough exploration tnr me in these
parts.
There's Il sad story about those
old houses, sir" continued the pilot
"A good many years ago the Rus
slams thought they'd form a settle
ment here. So they sent Il ship with
| don't know Just how many people
to make Il start. No doubt the set
tiers were Il hard lot-convictS of
one sort OF anOthcr-tho Russians
often made such use Of their hard
citizens. But that's neither here nor
there. They were human beings and
we're put on shore right here, and
they built or dug, whichever yor
like to say, those barrabaras. Pro
visions for Il year We're given them,
ana they WCr told TO SEirmiSh round
and sec what they could do in the
hunting line Then the ship sailed
away, promising to call round next
year and sec how they we're getting
along.
And so she did, but the settlers
yer not doing anything that the
visitors could sec They hoistcd nc
signal and made no sign Of life at
all, and when Il party from the ship
landed a grewsomo sight it was they
saw. The tops We're ripped off the
barrabaras, and everything was
knocked about. Not Il living thing
could they find, Some moldy pro.
visions we're left, and, worst OF all.
some human bones, not whole sl.clc.
tons lying as though the people had
been starved or had died Of disease.
but just human bones spread about
the floors, and some of en- outside
on the ground.
Not a bit of writing was found.
Nothing at all to say how or when
the trouble came, Water was plenty,
and provisions, too, and only the
bears could account for the Wipin@
out of the little colony. They must
have corrallcd the settlers in the
dead of winter, when the pack ice is
all around the island, and hunger
makes en- fierce, and then they must
have torn off the roofs of the huts
and made short work of the people
The ship sailed away, and the Rms.
slams never tried to colombo the is