But listen, and hear me, If I were an artist, Her picture I'd paint, So sweet and so quaint; With a queer little cap On her tresses of brown, And sober gray gown; With a rogue in her dimples, The picture is finished, Her name would you know? They called her the "Mayflower,' Long, long years ago. "The Mayflower of Plymouth," So John Alden said, The Puritan maid. A witch, I should call her, I cannot but love her, O Cupid! go tell her, No time for delay,— To play by the way; And whisper it low. THOUSAND pens have attempted to describe Alaska, but the wonderful territory with its entrancing scenery has never yet been faithfully portrayed by even the most versatile writer; the attempt will not be made by myself, but certain impressions gained may be of interest. The distance from Seattle to Sitka, which is the capital, is about 1,200 miles, and from five to seven days is required to make the trip, stops being made at Victoria, B. C., Mary's Island, Wrangle, Juneau, and Skagway; the fare, until recently, has been $50 each way, which included meals and stateroom; at the present time, by reason of competition, tickets are sold for $25, or one may reach Wrangle, Juneau, or Skagway for $10, which is a ruinous rate. It was in 1867 that it became known that Secretary of State Seward had negotiated a treaty for the purchase of Alaska, in consideration of $7,200,000; few approved, and many condemned the proposed acquisition. Blaine, Logan, Washburn, Cullom, and other leaders entered their protest, while Charles Sumner in the senate and General Banks in the house favored the appropriation. Hon. A. P. Swaineford, at one time governor, and an authority on Alaska, states that during the debate in congress, E. B. Washburn defied any living man on the face of the earth to produce any evidence that one ounce of gold was ever extracted from Alaska, and declared the country was absolutely without value, yet on the 31st of October, the day prior to my sailing from Seattle, the United States assayer in that city showed me $350,000 in gold that was brought down from Alaska by the last steamer arriving, and stated that between April and October of the present year $7,000,000 had been delivered to him. to be assayed, another million had been sent to San Francisco, and a few hundred thousand dollars in gold dust had been sent or taken east by miners. A single mine has produced more gold than the original appropriation for the purchase of the territory. It is interesting to speculate as to why Russia disposed of her North American possessions, and the reason United States decided to purchase. It is probable that Russia feared, in case of war, she might not be able to defend her possessions, and it would be natural for Great Britain to desire the vast territory contiguous to her colonies. On the other hand it is the opinion of those with whom I have conversed that United States desired to reward Russia for her friendly attitude mentioned during the Civil War, and then it is well to remember a power ful corporation that had controlled the country for years was behind the movement. magnitude of Alaska, its grand scenery, or its mighty rivers. Hon. John G. Brady, the present governor of Alaska, who resides at Sitka, informs me the present population is estimated at 50,000, and of this number about 30,000 are Indians; the latest computation places the area as 800,000 square miles, or equal to all the territory east of the Mississippi river, while the coast line is 26,000 miles, a distance that would more than circle the globe. Sitka is more than 4,000 miles from Concord, yet one may travel west from this place over 2,400 miles and still continue in Alaska, or if the national capital was to be located in the centre of the United States Sitka would be near the geographical centre. A letter from Concord asks if I will call on Richardson, Barrett, and others who are on the Yukon river. To do so and follow route taken by them it would be necessary to sail It is difficult to comprehend the to St. Michaels, a distance of 3,000 $1,500 would be needed to defray expenses. His instructions were revoked. Other letters received refer to the climate, and give much advice as to wearing apparel, if I expect to survive. One might as well speak of the climate of the United States without mentioning locality, the popular opinion being that Alaska is a barren, desolate region of perpetual snow and ice, glaciers, and ice-bergs. The facts are that there is extreme heat and cold in different localities. In Sitka zero weather is a rare oc the grandeur cannot be described. The Muir glacier, which is about 70 miles from Juneau, is the largest in this vicinity, and the most wonderful. The main body occupies a vast amphitheatre, with diameters ranging from 30 to 40 miles. The waterfront is one mile wide, the height of the ice above the water is from 250 to 350 feet, and is grounded at a depth of about 750 feet, therefore, if the glacier was all visible it would present a solid wall of clear blue ice a full mile long and 1,000 feet high. greatest river in the world, and while it has not been seen by the writer many have been met who have navigated its waters. For a distance of 100 miles the width is from 12 to 20 miles, and for 1,500 miles it is three miles wide, and the vast volume of water is discharged into the sea by half a dozen channels. There are three great tributaries, one larger than the Mississippi, and all are navigable for many hundred miles. Then there is the great Nughegak river, which is 20 miles wide for a distance of 50 miles from its mouth, There is an Indian school, orphans' home, in which instruction is given in both English and Russian languages. The Greek church is one of the great attractions, especially for reason of valuable paintings. That of Madonna and child, with its drapery of gold, is one of the most precious relics. Mount Edgecumbe, an extinct volcano 8,000 feet high, stands like a sentinel over the place. There are about 2,000 inhabitants, one half of whom are Indians. Skagway has a population of 5,000 |