The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-07
XIV

-, The white rain clouds, rolling as ever
like a nervous intruder over the great
snow peaks behind the steep hills Black.
with forest that rose like a wall behind
the little settlement of Sitka; parted.
for a moment and "the sun, a coy dis
dainful guest, flung a glittering mist
over what Nature had intended to be
one Of" the most enchanting spots on
earth, until, in a fit]of i'll temper-with
one Of the gods, no sdoubt-she gave it
to Niobe as a permanent outlet for her
discomfort. When it does not rain at
Sitka it pours, and when once in way
she draws a deep breath of respite and
lifts her grand and glorious face to the
sun, in pathetic gratitude for dear in
frequent favor, comes a wild furry of
snow or a close white fog from the in
land waters; and like a great beauty
condemned to wear veil thru life she
can but stare in dumb resentment thru
the folds, consoling herself with the
knowledge that could the world but see
it must surely worship Perhaps, who
knowss she really is frozen goddess,
condemned to the veil for infdelity to
him imprisoned in the great volcano
across the sound-who sends up a col.
umn Of light once in a way. to dazzle
her shrouded eyes, and failing that bat
ucI WIFI -IOCh dul. SbOuG Ike Any
lover Of the slums. One day he spat
forth rock like a, small hill, and big
enough to dominate the strip Of low.
land at least, standing out on the edge
Of the island like a guard at the gates,
and never part Of the alien surface
Between this lofty rock and the forest
was the walled settlement Of New Arch
angel, that Baranhov, the dauntless,
had wrested from the bloodthirsty Ko-
Josh but a short time since and pur-
posed to hold in the, interest of the Rus
sian American company. His log hut,
painted like the other buildings with a
yellow ochre found in the soil, stood
on the rock, and his glass swept the
forest as often as the sea. =.
thirty one days after leaving San Fran
cisco, sailed into the harbor with it's
hundred bits Of volcanic. woodland
weeping as. ever, he. gave whimsical
sigh in tribute to the gay and ever
changing beauties Of the southern land,
but was in no mood for sentimental
"Reminiscences. Natives, padding eager
" out to sea in their bidarkas to be
the first to bring in good news or bad,
had given him a report covering the
with dismay. There had been deaths
from scurvy; one Of the largest ships
belonging to the company had been
wrecked and the entire cargo lost; Of a
hunting party Of 800 .Aleuts in 40
bidarkas, which had gone from Sitka
to Kadiak in November Of the preced-
ing year, not one had arrived at its des-
tination. and there was reason to be-
lieve that all had been drowned or
massacred; and the Russians and Aleuts
at Behring's bay settlement had been
exterminated by one Of the native
tribes.
But the Juno was received with sal
vos Of artillery from the fort, and
cheered by the entire population of the
settlement, crowded on the beach. Bar
anhov, looking like a monkey with a
mummy's head in, which only, pair Of
ircomparably shrewd eyes still lived, his
black wig fastened on his bald red
fringed pate with silk handkerchief
tied under his chin, stood, hands on
hips, shaking with excitement and de-
light. The bearded, 1ong-haired priests,
in full canonicals Of black and gold;
were beside the chief manager, ready
to escort. the chamberlain to the chapel
at the head Of the solitary street, where
the bells were pealing and mass Of