The record-union., 1895-07-19

hand. He has done more than any one
man had ever done among the Alaska In
dians. 1t was he who had to leave the
old Metlakahtla. In his own way he
taught the natives, and after thirty years
the Church of England found him and
insisted on his using wine at the sacra-
ments. He had taught the natives the
evils and sin of lntoXicants, but he was
compelled to take his family" as he
calls them, to the new home and estab-
lished himself here. And now, unoer
the stars and stripes, he and his people
worship as they choose. We trust, for
| Mr.. Duncan's sake, that Congress will
next November stand firm on the bound
ary question, and let the old flag protect
those eight hundred and fifty souls who
have sworn allegiance to US, and SO are
content and happy.
We have left Fort Wrangel, and now
go on through twenty-five miles of the
most interesting part of the voyage.
! Here in these narrows, as in Seymour
Straits, our steamer, drawing seventeen
feet Of water, must strike at full tide else
1t would be impossible to go through. a
vessel drawing i've or SIX feet could not
pass the dangerous sunken reefs at half
tide. The buoys that indicate these rocks
are so near each other that the vessel
barely has room to turn and twist from
one to another. We have so much faith
in our Captain however, and the shores
are SO near tnat we forget to be afraid; we
only wonder and admire.
Emerging from these narrOWS, we have
our first view of a glacier on this trip.
Very white and beautiful in the distance
it looked, but that and The spouting Of
the whales soon ceased TO be of interest,
as numerous white specks appeared In
f Il, ,r4a Eyx.r.lN no
field glasses were out.
Nearer, nearer, and we are among
theml oh, the indescribable beauty rs
they flOat by No sculptured images, no
paintings, no words can do them Justice!
Some white as snow, others clear as cryS-
tai, and in their depths al. the wondrous
colors Of the skies-the green, translucent
depths of the ocean, emerald hues. sap
! phres, a CLINT of flame, and the glory Of
them grew and grew upon us until we
anchored in front Of the Taku Glacier,
with the waters one mass OF crushed ice,
and those huge bergs floating. rainbow
hued, around us.
One slipped BY shall never forget it.
On the surface, looking up to the heav
ems, was large sphynX-lize face. Time,
the wondrous sculptor. had wrought q
face perfect in shape and symmetry! 1t
seemed pitiful that it should drift away
lAIO SlJdC6s VIC NdlSIS uaSlllllS OFtI tIl6
cold, still lace. There were fairy barges,
animals, castles-all sorts of strange
things to be seen and imagined as those
bergs slid away and out of sight.
The pure white of this glacier is in
strong contrast to the windows at the
left. The last is dirty and looks much as
the Mercu Glace does in Switzerland.
Here, while the snip takes in ice tor the
voyage, we watched the Indians catch
Eaala (llnth hQH n w bita rar with
square sail stretched in front of the prov
OF the boat, they move slowly from one
foe of ice to another. scarcely to be seen
| by US even when near. The seals fall
easy victims. and are either shot OF
speared with but little trouble.
From there we reached Juneau, after a
run OF twelve miles, the metropolis Of
Alaska. L did not care very much for
this place. Though prettily situated. it is
not clean place. Even tourists must
visit the Indian village for baskets and
curios. My wOman's curiosity was not suf-
! ticient to overcome the Overpowering
smells with which the houses and inmates
/ are cursed. l preferred the fresh air, and g
| talk with a woman vino had spent many
years here, whose husband was prospect
/ ing for the mythical gold mine. Her life
was hard, but hope cheered her on.
| fear if wealth ever comes 1t will be too
! late for her.
| We visited the Treadwell mines. The
| 240-stamp mill makes a bit more noise
| than any other, because it is the largest
| mill in the world. The ore taken from
| this mine is fabulously rich.
! Crossing the two-mile stretch of water
/ between the mines and Juneau, we wit
| messed the finest sunset of the whole
! journey. The most beautifully colored
Clouds the sky. and the simmer of dis
| tant water, far distant peaks and nearer
| ranges of hills, all bathed in a golden
| haze, to be seen only, thought, in lands
| far south of this. The peak, towering di-
rectly above Juneau, with its cleaning
waterfalls and gulches filled with snow
| patches here and there, almost to the
waters edge, the verdure-all so faith
fully reproduced in the mirror-like
WaterS-fOrmed strange contrast. All
the glory. the color, light and simmer
of the tropics in front, while near, and
| crowding up under our keel, the shadow
phantoms of winter that rests forever
! on that 3,000-foOt peak towering up so
| grandly above US!
! Once more in town, we went to little
hall. saw portion Of a society play (by
society amateurs of San EranciSco)
| played to miners aud Siwash Indians,
| who could not understand the pitifuI
vanity that prompted it. There was lit
! tie else to understand or appreciate. We
! CaiQ0 Out Vi tI0 HdII at Il.OU Will tlo
| hush of June twilight around US, and
! steamed away half an hour later in the
! glow of a sunset that was even then kiss
! ing the sweet dawn of another day
There was but little sleep for me, for at
/ 6 A. NJ. we were in front of the mighty
| Davidson Glacier. The boat paused here
but short time, and only few had the
courage 10 arise and see it. One mem Der
Of the party said he did not care to get up
-ssit Nyas only jca apUnOu ~
From here we went directly to the
Muir Glacier. So much has been said
and written of this that feel like putting
down an exclamation point and then
throwing my pen away. | will only say
that it was worth the trip.
While still thirty-fve miles distant, to
see through our glasses that misty.
frozen, mighty river of ice. as it stretched
back from the waters edge miles and
miles away, q luminous haze arising
from it, intensified by the dark peaks
and g0rges guarding it. y nd ever, as the
ship sped on. it grew and grew into won
drous beauty, eliminating in a grand
paean of delight AS the ship slowly