The Nome nugget., 1927-06-18
THE FATE OF LIEUT.. BARNARD
The First English Spraking Man to
 Enter Lower Yukon

to MT. c. L. Andrews, of the Blu reau of Education, for the follow ing story. MT. Andrews is compii- ing all the available information concerning the earliest attempts at settlement in Alaska. His Story follows:
 The first Englishman to enter tho Valley of the Yukon from the Coa.' of Boring Sea was Lieutenant J. J. Barnard, of H. NJ. S. Enterprise" which was in the Arctic Ocean in search of Sir John Franklin. He met his death at Nulato while he was searching for some trace Of the members of Franklin's ill-fated ex- petition, and his grave may yet be seen near the little town on the Yukon River.
 The Enterprise sailed from England in January 1850. passed into the Arctic Ocean in Septem- Der of that year, went as far north as to be able to sight Icy Cape by the 22nd of that month, then turn ed south to Port Clarence where she arrived October 2nd. Captain Collinson, the Master, heard rum ors of a vessel being wrecked at Noo-Voo tPoint Barrow) and also Englishmen had been reported by Eskimos in the little known re- zion to the East. Lieutenant Bar nard volunteered to remain at the Russian post of St. Michael for the winter and render such assistance as he was able to any parties from the expedition of Sir John which might be in reach of that place. He was landed at St. Michael, with Edward Adams. Assistant Surgeon and Thomas Cousins, A. B. Sea man, on October 18th.
 The party remained at St. Mich ael until rumor was received that a ship had been attacked and plundered by natives in the Arc tic to the East of Point Barrow In December, the Russian trader, called Wassele Maximof, the Gov ernor of Derabin. (probably Vasili MaXimof Dera binD arrived at St. Michael with a letter from Alex ander H. Murray. in charge of the Hudson's Bay Company's post at Fort Yukon, saying that he could not read the letter of the Russian that had been previously sent to him concerning the English expe- dition. This was very likely the first letter to go down the Yukon River form Fit. Yukon to St. Mich ael.
 Lieutenant Barnard accompanied MaXimof on his return to his post at Nulato. going by the way of unalakleet and across the portage. Soon after reaching the post at Nulato, the fort was attacked by the koyukuk Indians and Barnard was mortally wounded, the Rus sian trader was killed and the ma tive town destroyed. A letter sent by Barnard through native was taken to MT. Adams at St. Mich ael. and he at once set out to re- lieye his wounded comrade. He left February 27th. reached Nulato March 18th, and found that Bar nard had died soon after writing for help.
 Mir Adams report gives the ac- count of the murder as follows:
 "On the 10th (February). a Rus sian, accompanied by native ser want, was sent to the Koukok (Koy- ukuk) River to trade for skins, and to bring back the chief of the village, with whom MT. Barnard and Maximof wished to have some conversation.
 "Mr. Barnard expressed great wish to accompany these men, but was dissuaded from doing so by his interpreter, who, mistrusting the Indians. refused to go.
 Nothing further occurred until the morning of the 18th, when about o'clock Maximof happened to go outside. He found large body of Koukok Indians about the door, by whom he was immediately seized and stabbed with knife. He staggered into the house, fol- lowed by the Indians, and fell dead at the door of his room. His wife, hearing the noise, made fast the door, and the Indians passed on to the room where MT. Bernard and Paul were sleeping.
 "It appears that Mir. Barnard was awoke by the noise of their approach, and asked what it was. Paul answered, The Indians are