The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-01

out of his potato patch and broke his
leg.
The Tyoonoks are supplied with coal
quite as mysteriously as the scriptural
Israelites were provided with mamma. In
stead of falling from heaven, however,
the coal is washed up by the sea- Where
II comes from no one seems TO know or
care. The fact remains. however. that
every day at low tide the beach is
strewn for miles around with a soft
bituminous substance, which is speedily
gathered up, dried out and used for
fuel. Apparently the supply is mex
haustible. Piles of this coal are con-
spicuous features Of the town. They
extend from end to end of the beach and
look like the cakes Of asphatum that
embellish our sidewalks during street
alterations
The Indian houses of logs with matched
roofs and the numerous caches on high
poles are the picturesque features of the
town. The natives fashion curious bas
kets of birch bark, which serve a variety
of uses in the domestic economies, and
make curious needles, fish hooks. etc, Of
moose bones.
There ia no hotel nor accommodation
of any description for strangers, much to
the discontinue of the colonel who was
compelled to remain here for the night in
order to take the boat for Sunrise City
in the morning. We left him exuberant,
had kindly promised him the loan of a
bale of hay for the night.
II was soft, balmy morning that found
our steamer tied to the wharf at Ka-
diak. Apparently the Alaska Commercial
Company owns the town. The warehouse
is built Of enormous logs and is said to
have consumed twenty years in its con-
struction, the laborers from the cars do
main receiving ten cents per day for
their work. Various other buildings be-
longing to the same corporation rise sue
cessively and graduany from the water
front to the summit of the hill which Is
crowned by the pink custom house and
the reen-andwhite painted Greek
church and backed by gistening. snow
covered mountains.
II was at Kadiak that we made our
acquaintance with the bidarka that
famous skin canoe Of the southwest coast
Indians. Marvellous are the stories told
of this ingenious water craft. They are
made of tanned sealskin. which is
stretched over light wooden frame with
a curious double prov. and have from
one to three holes or matches. No nails
are used, the frame being bound together
with roots and sinews. Attired in his
kamelika, a seal bladder coat the canoe
list leaps into the hatch. squats or kneels
on the floor of the canoe and tying the
lower edge OF his kamelika to the rim Of
the hole, canoe and occupant thus being
absolutely waterproof. the latter is ready
to break through the surf or battle with
the riotous waves. In this cramped po-
si.ion the men will paddle for hours at
time. Exhibitions of their skill some
times given by suddenly overturning the
canoe sideways and bobbing up in the OPP
posite direction. Sometimes a native will
arrive in his bidarka, drag II up on the
beach, coolly turn 1t over and dump out
his wife, several children and perhaps
dog or two In the bargain, How the en-
tire party is enabled to exist in the air
tight compartment Is known only to their
Maker.
animal life. Porposes and spouting
whales. sharks and other huge fish dis
ported on every side. Occasionally we
came across schools of enormous fish.
each with sharp dorsal fin projecting
high out Of the water. which one of the
men explained We're "killers-them that
kills the whales" Pilot birds with their
ridiculous bonnets of red and yellow.
rode proudly on the pillows. Vast num-
hers OF shags flying in single file looked
like yards upon yards OF dark brown
ribbon floating in the stiff hreezes. while
other sea birds of tiny variety,
punched together like swarms Of bees,
followed us for hours at time.
And now once again Orca and Kyack,
the copper mines and Yakutat. then back
to Sitka and the starting point.
DE WITT c. LOCKWOOD.