The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-01-11
FA1E OF a RUSSIAN COLONY.
Every Man Left on Halls Island. In Ec-
ring Sea. Eaten by the Bears.

ring Sea, Eaten by the Bears.
From the quarter deck of the Unit
ed States revenue steamer Corwin,
lying off Halls island. at the north
erly end Of St Matthew's island, in
Bering sea, the captain and several
officers were looking toward the
shore. Douglass, the pilot, had just
pointed out something under the
cliffs that looked likelow half fallen
walls, and said they were ruined
barrabaras The barrabara is the
Aleutian house, built half under
ground. Some Of the gentlemen wish.
ed to explore tho interior of the is
land in hopes of finding signs Of val
uable minerals
MIR. Douglass, how about going
inland here?" inquired the captain.
We'll, don't know, sir, said tho
pilot Il wouldn't care much to go
at this time of year unless the party
was large and we'll armed Any one
can see from hero what a forbiddine
country it is, and it's sure to get
worse wien you reach it. It's chock
full Of bears, and in tho breeding sea
son they're mighty uglyH'
How does it happen that there
are so many polar bears on ST. Mat
thew's and Halls islands?" asked
the captain. This must be about
tho southern limit of their range"
"Well, | suppose, sir, thoy come
dowafrom tho arctic ON tho field ice,
following tho seal and the walrus
The winter pack reaches way south
Of hero, and the bears make homes
on tho island among tho rocks and
caves. They breed hero, and as more
come every year from tho north
they naturally got plenty, So long
as they find enough to eat they won't
trouble anybody unless corncrcd, and
once food gets scarce they'll attack
anything, Ono look at what's left of
those barrab2raa has always been
enough exploration tor mo in these
parts.
There's n sad story about those
old houses, sir, continued the pilot
"A GOOD many years ago the Rus.
SLAMS thought they 4 form q settle
ment here. So they sent a ship with
don't know just how many people
to make q start, No doubt the set
tiers wcro q hard lot-convicts Of
ono sort or anothcr-tho Russians
often malo such uso OF their hard
citizens. But that's neither hero nor
thcro. They wcro human beings and
woro put on shore right hero, and
they built or DUG, whichever yor
ike to say. those barrabaras. Pro
visions for q year woIo given them.
ana they were toll to s!lirmish round
and see what they could do in the
hunting line Then tho ship sailed
away, promising to call round next
year and SEQ how they were getting
along.
And SO she dil, but the settlers
were not doing anything that the
visitors could sec. They 1oistod nc
signal and made no sign of lifo al
all, and whom a party from the shiT
landed Il sight it was they
saw. Tho tops were ripped off the
b~arraharas, and everything was
knocked about, Not a living thing
could they find. Some moldy pro.
visions were left, and, worst of all,
some human bones, not whole sLclo.
tons lying as thou"h The people had
been starved or had died Of disease,
but just human bones spread about
the floors, and ON Of EN- outside
on the ground.
Not a bit Of writing was found
Nothing at all to say how OF vher
tho trouble camo. Water was plenty
and provisions, too, and only Ink
bears could account for the wipiDs
out Of the little colony. They must
Lavo coTrallod tho settlers in thl
dead of winter, whom the pack ice i.
all around tho island, and hunger
makes en- fierce, and then they mus.
have torn OF tho roofs of the huty
and n1ado short work of tho people
Tho ship sailed away, and the Rms
SLAMS never tried to colonizo the is
land again. New York Sun.