The daily Alaskan., 1922-03-11
ANCIENT BOOKS ARE
OF MUCH VALUE

Alaska Historical Library, The books of law, trav>l and the many sciences may only be of use to those interested in those branches of learn ing; the many government reports enough to fill a library in them selves-will be of special interest to those doing research work; bound volumes of all the early newspapers printed in the terisory give an au- thentic, first hand description of life in Alaska in the pioneer days and should be of interest to every one. The educational and practical value of this collection of books and documents is beyond estimate, but their value can never be realized un- less the public taxes more interest in the library than 1t has in the past
 Several volumes are of extreme interest, not so much because of their historical interest-which Is great-but because they are unique museum specimens. The most i'm portant of these is volume entitled "A History of Lapland," published in 1874. The title bears the inscrip- tion: The History of Lapland wherein are showed the original manners, habits, customs, cOnjura-
 tions, etc. of that people, written by
 John Shefrerus, professor of law and
 rhetoric at Upson in Sweden Pub Iished at the Theatre in OXon, to be
 sold by George West and Amos Cur
 tein." This book was written and
 published over 246 years ago, al
 most two hundred years before the
 Revolutionary War. It is written in very good English, even accord
 ing to our modern standards, tho
 the wording is quaint at times and old-fashioned lettering and spelling is used. It is well illustrated with drawings made from life by a very good artist. These drawings were probably printed from wood cuts. as
 It is doubtful if any other means of printing illustrations were known at
 that time. A detailed description of Lapland and it's people is given
 and. except for the difference in spelling and printing. this book
 would be very similar to our mod ern histories.
 Other books, almost as ancient, are of more special interest to AL askaus. as they are more closely
 connected with our early history l One of these, a book of engravings 1 IS entitled. "Engravings in Conuec- | tion With the Travels of Saritchov. '"
 These engravings are illustrations of scenes in Kamchatka. Unalaska and | the Aleutian Islands, together with
 pictures of the people, their villages, | houses. etc. The volume is printed
 in Russian and. though not dated.
 was probably published soon after STitchov's return in the early part
 of the eighteenth century. making | it from l5O 10 200 years old. The 1 eugrayings doubtless etchings on copper-are works of art and show
 a conscientious attention to detail and real knowledge Of the country | and its people on the part of the
 artist. though his name is not men
 toned in the book.
 A collection of charts bearing the i title. Atlas to Accompany Vancou- | ver'S voyage" published about I79S , is of more direct interest to us of 1 Southeastern Alaska, as these charts are the first made of the Northwest 1 coast of the Pacific ocean by a man
 really competent for such work. 1 They are surprisingly accurate when
 one considers the limited facilities
 at Vancouyer's command.
 Another large volume containing G5 etchings was published about
 l7SI to accompany the record of Captain Cooks voyage in l77S-79.
 These etchings picture the lives of : the people. with their customs and
 manners of living. Some are made
 from drawings brought home by
 members of the expedition, but it is ] evident that most of these etchings
 were made from secondhand in
 formation and imagination, as the physiognomy and clothings of the Indians are distinctly Caucasian and bear little resemblance to the Ma tives as We know them.
 Among the more modern docu-
 ments are the reports of the GUS
 tom house at Sitka during the first year of the occupation of Alaska by
 the Americans, comprising the man ifest of all ships coming to Alaska
 in 1868. together with all tonnage registered in that year. These are only a few of the many instructive
 and interesting books which can be SaaD and raqd in fha rporDg DF tba