The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-23
LEGENDS OF MT. WRANGEL.
TALES INDIANS TELL or THE NOUN
TIN OF MFSTERE.

Alaska Mount Wrangol rears its lofty height.
an unexplored peak. From the time when
Baron Wrangcl sighted the smoke-capped
crown of the volcano and gave 1t his name
down to the present many white men have
viewed the summit from distance. and some
few have tried to attain the mountain and all
but perished in the attempt None has ever
set foot upon even the lowest slope OF the vast
ACTIVITY which stretches UP into tho clouds
and Is not improbably the highest mountain
on this continent. In the language OF tho
Tnra Indians. who live In tho nearest habita-
Bile part OF Alaska. there Is an ancient wor'l for
the peak which Is said to mean Mountain OF
Mystery" and they have invested it with weird
terrors. which make Of it a veritablc Broken
OF the North.
1t Is probable that tho superstitious awe In
which the mountain is held by the Indians is,
like most other Alaskan supcrstltions. OF
ancient origin. but 1t has not decreased with
the passage OF tho years. Tho latest travellers
In that region. II. S. Condor AMI George
Divclhliss. who on May 3 went up tho Kotsina
River and assembled a mountain Just across n
narrow valley from tho mysterious volcano
and much nearer To it than any point which
other white men had cverattained before. were
warned By the friendly rarals. whom they had
left nifty mile, away. that II they attempted to
approach the Mountain Of Mystery they would
guarded 1t from intrusion by human beings
MANY years ago" said they. when our
fathers fathers were little children, a party
OF hunters OF our tribe went to the noun
tain In search oi game. for on tho further
slopc there is wonderful green coun-
try abpunding in all sorts OF game. as
our tribe has known for many CEN
turtles. But the party never came back. nor
was any trace Of them found, and it was then
monstrous fire. breathing beasts that mhnhit
the cuNrS in the sides Of tho mountain. Since
then few OF the bravest hunters OF tho tribe
have maiG their way to tho mountain. but all
have prrished there"
Undaunted BY this relation tho two Amcri-
cans kept on their way and had n good view OF
the mountain. which they saw to hc quite bar
rem Of vegetation. even the valley below il
being desolate and dead. Il drcar stretch Of
soidinei lava. The crater. about half a milo
in diameter. was smoki but was not throw
Ing out any fire or lava Down on the slope
were thirteen vent holes. which cast w steam
ing water to height OF several hundred feet
IN regular pulsatiOns. These gcyscrs, for such
they seemed to he, may well he the prototypes
of the monsters II Indian legend. On their re-
turn. which was fastened because Of lack Of
food. the explorers met other Indians who
received with open doubt tho account of tho
nature OF the mountain, but declined to hold
much discussion OF the matter. alleging that it
was dangerous even TO talk about that dread
region. Despite this cautious spirit tho Indian
tongue has lOosencd up at intervals and the
Alaskan newspapers have printed from time to
time bits Of Indian folklore. among which are
to be found few curious legends Oi tho Noun
tain Of Mystery. Presumably these exist to-
day much they we're handed down from
long ago. as tho lore Of aboriginal peoples is
transmitted from generation to generation
with an accuracy which In most cases would
shame the printed page. One Of the earliest Of
these legends. and the one. it would appear to
which Messrs. Condor and Divclblisss Taral
friends referred is rs follows:
In "a year OF great scarcity OF food the fathers
OF the tribe remembered that there was ira
dtion to the effect that in case Of famine.
when food was to be found nowhere, the great
est hunters OF the tribo should go to the Noun
tain OF Mystery and hunt on the further side.
whore lay a fair country rich in game. but
guarded by savage monsters and spirits of the
waste which must be avoided or overcome be-
fore the fertile region could be reached. Ac-
cordngly dozen chosen hunters set forth
fully armed and equipped. bearing tho bless
ings Of the tribe. 1t was agreed that when
they reached the summit Of the mountain they
were to make signal for which the tribe, on
the nearest peak to which it dared go, would
watch On the third d,ay. the, time set
on the peak. great cloud Of black
smoke was seen to rise from the summit OF tho
flame. and tn" mir was flIrl with dreadful
roaring and the earth trcmbl"I aud shook SO
that many Of the tribe. terrified ont Of their
senses, rushed down the luoNout mountain
nnIi I"iinG over chf', and into ci"yGs-"-. w"ro
killed, For thrc" DAYS the roaring ana tr"u-
Hing Of IT," ground continued showing tho
wrath of he mountain siTrtS against III" tribe
which had uUIuuSN ATTEMPTED IU force Il WAY
into III, secret p,arrS. hat horrible, fate th,.
hunters met could only Lc cunjrclurod hy their
friends. for thrr" was no sign or trace Of t:,om
All the tal"s Of Mount WranGel are Of this
general tyre. Int some 70 moro into deta AMI
OF these the Glowing IS u good specimen. IL
was told TO- traveller through an Interpreter
by II Taral Indian who had come down to tho
ln tho DAYS when my father was boy and
!ust l"Grn.n$ to %nst q smear there was great
chic" hm For tbs reason eaS n'1 tnS clf " w 's
nnGy o. tn" tribe he laid the blame OF lit It Mron
th" witch doctor and hanishcd him to ho
Hd srts HAT /" e n@s hnrs "m ="
sickness So Tas- kah-ych went forth d"cnr-
n ing ma, ~ ms Ssf"r"ns r%w%r1 h" void
dom. mi would learn III: lnte,"t thos" II 10
mountain for gam" and never returned. With
him Went his pupil ShR-koo. who desired
knowledge greatly thn, he might in time sue
ranged that h" sh5ni "tSn On the sam NM #
amountaIn near III" Mountain OF Mystery and
there watch his mister max" the ascent.
III the evil slirits prevail over me. said
TaS-knh ynh To- him. do you return to the
tribe and tc'N them the things which yuu have
eecn tor warning to others who NAV IN tho
future attempt tn enter this region; for II |,
with all my wIsdOm, cannot, preserve myself
from these agencies. then no man can come
hthrr and live
"Accordingy the Young man stationed him
self at point where he cuuld see all that
passed. and presently hcheld his mu.,tcr
emery. into IN" valley of lava below Moro
swiftly than any nero man could run be tray
ersed tn" broken surface. aud soon was speed.
ing up the gradual siOpo Of Tho mountain.
Stride after stride. each covering ten spears
lengths he took. and nothing rose NJ to or
rose him; but Shn-koo heard with terror :!
deep. hollow ToHr come from the bowels Of
the volcano: then. directly in the path
OF the climber, thcr" lnnpcd from out tho
side of the accvtr kissing So prnt that
towercda mile in the air, giving forth q thick
Nnpor from all its length To til" right and to
the left sprang up other scrpcnts. AMI tho
sound of their Kissing was terrific that tina
watcher on tho further mountain buried his
lend in his arms. When he looked up he saw
Tas- kah-yeh. GROWN to gigantic proportions
by his magic. strike down serpent httcr serpent
with great rocks which he tore from the side
of tho mountain and hnnII him shout with "a