The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-25
"TRIP Je,N9IRER4 SEAS
Vivid Description of the Wonders OF
80 = ; Alaska. So,
MR.. RIchNoSD's ITINERARY
Pen Pictures Of the Beauties 10 the Won
dcrful Laud Of the NOrth-A Glance
ut Missionary Work Among
the Cauuibals.
Written for The Tribune.

We parted with our readers at mid
night, when lingering on deck with
Captain Carroll. as he entertained his
enthusiast admirers while witnessing
the aurora borealis in all its grandeur.
This magnificent display Of. northern
lights surpasses all description. This
luminous meteoric phenomenon ap-
pears in glowing streams Of light rum
ming upward towards the zenith, where
1t spreads In varying colors from pale
yellow and orange to a deep red most
wonderful in brilliancy." 1t Is a sight
that once witnessed Is never forgotten
we are again on the lookout. and still
not In Alaska. For two days have we
been sailing in British waters and must
continue thereon until y. m. today be-
fore We can enter our own wonderland
again. The thought that our own pos
sessions must be cut In twain by those
Of a foreign country and on this contin-
-ent Of America too, sends chill over
us hard to remove. / doubt not that
every American passengers enthusi-
asm was slightly chilled with the cold
reflection that all this grano scenery
and waterway that we have traversed.
couver IslanD which protects she great
ours--is not American.
The longer we travel here. the more
intensified is the feeling that lone of
this glorious domain should be owned
and controlled by a foreign nation. God
hasten the time when by peaceable
annexation the Union Jacf will give
way to Old Glory and only the Stars and
Stripes will wave over every Inch Of
ground on the American continent.
During the night our noble steamer
made its way through Fitzhugh Sound
and several straits and channels. Cap
tain Carroll has so wisely planned this
round trip that what we fail to see on
our outward voyage, can be seen on the
return passage.
At the upper end of FltZhugh Sound,
. q surprise awaits us by sudden turn
ing about of the steamer, whose helm
is put hard-a -starboard and swings
into Lama Passage" which presents
to the perplexed tourist something the
Ahape of ian half-open jack knife"
This passage is q narrow and beautiful
wooded waterway fifteen miles long.
It's northern shore Is broken at one
place by an Indian graveyard, with
kennels of tombs painted with totemic
designs and many flags and streamers
flying from tall poles. On the opposite
cove. on Campbell Island, we pass the
native village Of Bella-Bella Here
is a model Indian town, with a mis-
sion church, school, store and cabins
shining In their beauty and apparent
cleanliness. The church spires, the
white-washed cottages, tn. cattle on
the cleared hills, gives the place quite a
civilized aspect. There are said to be
about twenty-five white men here and
400 Indians. The Bella Bella camp,
some eighty miles up among the noun
tains, come here to trade. These tribes
was long the most treacherous, blood
the Hudson Bay company had to deal
with.
IN SEAFORTH CHANNEL.
From Lama Passage we emerge into
the broad Seaforth Channel. The
scenery here Is by far the finest yet
seen. its beauty Is greatly enhanced by
atmospheric effects, utterly unlike any
thing that ninety-nine out of one hum
dred Of our fellow passengers have ever
seen. The sun set, too, as seen on our
return voyage presented a scene Of In
describable grandeur. AS before stat
ed, we remained on deck with Captain
Carroll and others to behold the most
Respondent illuminations we ever wit
messed. The author, the artist even,
everybody on board. declared in rap
ture that no pen or brush can depict the
beauty Of these midnight Alaskan
scenes. '',,,.A. -, E,'.a !.
We headed north and west from Sea,
forth Channel into ;Milbank Sound;
about an eight nlile:rtin. and here we
look to sea for brief half-hour and
then plunge into Finlaysor Channel.
another typical waterway Of this in
land passage, like a great river twenty
four miles long and from one to two
miles wide with depths of fifty to $50
fathoms. The shores are bold and the
wooded mountains rise to even 5000 feet
with perpetual snow. Here islands sue
ceed islands and mountains succeed
mountains, and here We see glacier
paths on the lofty so-called pyramidal
stripe Mountain" 1000 feet high,
showing brilliant stripes Of white
reaching to heights where solitude
reigns supreme The scenery increases
In charm as the steamer passes through
"Hie Hish Narrows," a quarter Of q
mile wide. Here are beautiful water
falls that dash down the precipitous
heights like silvery channels on a deep
green background. They say all these
little streams abound in salmon, giving
the Indians q bountiful supply.
Twenty-four miles bring the steamer
into Wright Sound-first through Gra-
ham Reach, seventeen miles. followed