The record-union., 1897-08-15
LETTER FROM A KLONDIKER.
BEN BULLARD ON THE BEAUTY
OF AN ALASKAN TRIP.
Stupendous Mountains, Beautiful
Valleys, Magnificent Glaciers
and Pacific Waters.

H. G. Smith of this city has received
an interesting letter from Ben Billiard,
the veteran mining man who short
time since left this city for the Klon-
dixie gold fields. Through the courtesy
OF Mr.. Smith the Record Union" is en-
abled to publish the letter in full. 1t
iB as follows:
Aboard Ship Elder, about thirty
miles south of Juneau, at the head OF
Prince Frederick Sound, Thursday, )
.. NJ, Aug. ). 1S97-H. G.. Smith Sir:
Up to this writing the trip has been one
OF extreme pleasure. 1t has been an
excursion of sightseeing and elegance
unsurpassed.
I'VE have not made as good time as
we should have done, because OF the
unseaworthiness Of our ship. l do not
mean anything serious, when l char
acterize the ship in the above terms,
only that because she has been unused
SO long that her machinery does not
work well.
Since leaving Astoria we have had
to stop several hours in Gulf of Georgia
to repair the rudder, and again some
hours to repair one steam cylinder. In
consequence of these delays we did not
reach Princess Channel in time to catch
the high tide, and so had to lay-to at
its lower end some six hours to take
advantage Of such tide. Twice'We have
had to go out of our way a considerable
distance because we did not reach rapid
channels and straits in time for high
tide. But there now seems no doubt
but that we will arrive at Juneau by
or IN
runs eleven knots per hour when her
machinery works properly.
"All passengers have brooked all de-
lays, for the waters have been as smoth
as glass, and the scenery beyond de-
scription.
"All the way up from Victoria the
scenery has been beautiful, picturesque
and bewildering, one long chain of
high and stupendous mountains clothed
with green verdure and snow capped,
and to-day We have passed two glaciers
running off the east side of Baranoff
Island This is the island on which
Sitka is situated. Sitka is on the west
side of the island, while We passed on
the east side.
THE grandest scenery was witnessed
in Princess Channel. There was sue
cessfon of picturesque gOrges, cascades
of water, canyons and mountains of
surprising beauty. My powers of de-
scription are not equal to the situation.
Any description would be inadequate.
Il have wondered and wondered why
Californians know so little of the pleas
ures Of a trip up this coast. You must
understand that ours has been the
route known as the inside route. We
are only occasionally at sea, and then
only for very short distances, except
from the mouth Of the Columbia Riv-
er to the Straits Of Fuca, a distance of
about 100 miles.
The whole distance from the bar at
Columbia River to juneau is about
], $50 miles.
we have only touched at one port,
and then we stood away from shore, for
there was no landing for so large a
vessel as ours. We stopped to put
ashore a minister and lady companion
at the Indian village Metlahtakla, who
go there on missionary work. This viii
lage is on an island at the extreme
southern extremity of Alaska.
We passed an Indian village on
Bardswell Island in English waters.
This village was remarkable for its
display of Indian totems. These to-
TENS, as you doubtless know, are carved
poles carrying various carved images
Of human beings, birds and animals,
and are the insignia of rank and station
of the owner, and are unique and i'm
posing. They vary in hight from ten
to fifty feet.
ITO get good idea of our route you
viii have to refer to a map Of this
coast, if you do not already possess a
correct knowledge thereof
The coast from Washington to Ju-
neau is bordered by a succession of
islands Of varying sizes, and our route
has been through straits, sounds, gulf
and channels, between such islands,
and between the islands and main land
'I am SO impressed with the delights
of this trip from Seattle to Juneau and
Glacier Bay, about one hundred miles
above Juneau, that I cannot refrain
from advising you, if you cannot spare
the time to go to the Klondike. to go
part Of the way, say to Glacier Bay.
ION every hand I hear of the grand
eurs of this bay. It is surrounded by
mountain peaks as high as 10000 feet,
and has seven large glaciers-the
largest in the world-1owfng down
these majestic mountains, directly into
tide water.
''Do not omit to come as far north as
this bay, even if you do not go through
September is the best month in which
to make the trip up the coast and re-
turn. Yours, BEN BULLARD."