Fort Wrangel.—Plenty of Wild Game.—Natives do not care for Soldiers, but
have a Wholesome Fear of Gunboats.—Mode of Trading.—Girls’ School and
Home.—A Deadly Tragedy.—Native Jewelry and Carving.—No Totem-Poles for
Sale.—Missionary Enterprises.—Progress in Educating Natives.—Various
Denominations Engaged in the Missionary Work.
We prefer to think it was to see the sun rise that we got up so early on
arriving at Fort Wrangel, and not because of the torturing fact that our
berth was too short at both ends, and kept us in a chronic state of
wakefulness and cramp. The distance passed over in coming hither from
Victoria was about eight hundred miles. The place, having about five
hundred inhabitants, is advantageously situated on an island at the
mouth of the Stickeen River, which rises in British Columbia and has a
length of nearly two hundred and fifty miles. There is here an excellent
and capacious harbor, surrounded by grand mountains, while lofty
snow-crowned summits more inland break the sky-line in nearly all
directions,—mountain towering above mountain, until the view is lost
among far-away peaks, blue and indistinct. This elevated district
contains wild goats, with now and then a grizzly bear, fiercest of his
tribe, while in its ravines and valleys the little mule-deer, the brown
bear, the fox, the land-otter, the mink, and various other animals
abound. As to the small streams and river courses which thread the
territory, they are, as all over this country, crowded with fish, the
salmon prevailing. The inland haunts within twenty leagues of the coast
are little disturbed by the natives. The abundance of halibut, cod, and
salmon at their very doors, as it were, is quite sufficient to satisfy
the demands of nature, and it is only when tempted by the white man’s
gold that the aborigines will leave the coast to go inland in search of
pelts and meat, in the form of venison, goat, or bear flesh.
The town, consisting of a hundred houses and more, is spread along the
shore at the base of a thickly wooded hill, flanked on either side by a
long line of low, square, rough-hewn native cabins. A peep into the
interior of these was by no means reassuring. Dirt, degradation, and
abundance were combined. The few domestic utensils seen appeared never
to have been washed, being thick with grease, while the stench that
saluted the olfactories was sickening. There were no chairs, stools, or
benches, the men and women sitting upon their haunches, a position which
would be a severe trial to a white and afford no rest whatever, but
which is the universal mode of sitting adopted by savage races in all
parts of the world. The place was named after Baron Wrangel, governor of
Russian America at the time when it was first settled, in 1834, being
then merely a stockade post. After the United States came into
possession of the country it was for a short time occupied by our
soldiers, but ere long ceased to be held as a military post, the
soldiers being withdrawn altogether from the Territory. It was soon
discovered that the natives cared nothing for the soldiers; they could
always get away from them in any exigency by means of their canoes; but
they had, and still have, a wholesome fear of a revenue cutter or a
gunboat, which can destroy one of their villages, if necessary, in a few
minutes.
A steamer can always move very rapidly from place to place among the
islands, making her presence felt without delay, when and where it is
most needed. At the outset of our taking possession of Alaska, an
example of decision and power was necessary to put the natives in proper
awe of the government, and it followed quickly upon an unprovoked
outrage committed by the aborigines. One of their villages, not far from
Sitka, was promptly shelled and destroyed in half an hour. Since then
there has been no trouble of consequence with any of the tribes, who
have profound respect for the strong arm, and to speak plainly, like
most savage races, for nothing else.
Fort Wrangel has two or three large stores for the sale of goods to the
natives, and for the purchase of furs, Indian curiosities, and the like.
It is also the headquarters of the gold miners, who gather here when the
season is no longer fit for out-of-door work at the placers.
Seeing the natives crowding the stores, it was natural to suppose the
traders were driving a good business, but a proprietor explained that
these people were slow buyers, making him many calls before purchasing.
They look an article over three or four different times before
concluding they want it; then its cost is to be considered. The native’s
squaw comes and approves or disapproves; the article is discussed with
the men’s neighbors, and, finally, his resolution having culminated, he
goes away to earn the money with which to make the purchase! “Such
customers are very trying to our patience,” remarked the trader, “but
after you once understand their peculiarities it is easy enough to get
along with them.”
A truly charitable enterprise has been established here; we refer to the
Indian Girls’ School and Home, supported by the American Board of
Missions, where the pupils are taught industrial duties appertaining to
the domestic associations of their sex, as well as the ordinary branches
of a common school education. No effort, we were told, is made to
enforce any special tenets of faith, but these girls are taught
morality, which is practical religion. The example is much needed here,
both among these native people and the whites.
To show what strict adherents these Alaskans are to tribal
conventionalities, we can do no better than relate a singular
occurrence, for the truth of which Dr. Jackson is our authority.
“Near the Hoonah Mission, a short time ago, a deadly tragedy took place.
A stalwart native came into the village and imbibed too freely of
hoochinoo. Walking along the street he saw a young married girl with
whom he was greatly infatuated. The girl was afraid to meet him and
turning ran to her house. The man gave pursuit and gained entrance to
the house. All the inmates escaped in terror. The desperado boldly
continued his hunt for the woman, and the husband of the woman with a
few friends took refuge in his own house again. The ravishing fiend
returned, and demanding admittance battered in the door with an axe, and
as he entered was shot and instantly killed. The friends of the dead man
met in council, and according to their custom demanded a life for his
life. The husband and protector of his wife’s virtue gave himself into
the custody of his enemies and was unceremoniously killed!”
The production of native jewelry is a specialty here, and some of the
silver ornaments of Indian manufacture are really very fine, exhibiting
great skill and originality, if not refined taste. Their carvings in
ivory are exceedingly curious, skillful, and attractive, especially upon
walrus teeth, whereon they will imitate precisely any pattern that is
given to them, with a patient fidelity equaling the Chinese. The native
designs are far the most desirable, however, being not only typical of
the people and locality, but original and fitting. The time devoted to a
piece of work seems to be of no consideration to a native, and forms no
criterion as regards the price demanded for it. From the sale of these
fancy articles the aborigines receive annually a considerable sum of
money. It is indeed surprising how they can get such results without
better tools. With some artistic instruction they would be capable of
producing designs and combinations of a choice character, and which
would command a market among the most fastidious purchasers. Their
present somewhat rude ornaments have attracted so much attention that
two or three stores in San Francisco keep a variety of them for sale.
But it is the charm of having purchased such souvenirs on the spot which
forms half their value.
Speaking of these souvenirs, the author was shown some stone carvings at
Victoria, on the passage from Puget Sound northward, which were of
native manufacture, and thought to be idols. It was afterwards learned
that these were the works of the Haidas of Queen Charlotte Island, about
seventy or eighty miles north of Vancouver Island. There is here a
slate-stone, quite soft when first quarried, which is easily carved into
any design or fanciful figure, but which rapidly hardens on exposure to
the air. The stone is oiled when the carving is completed, and this
gives it the appearance of age, as well as makes it dark and smooth. The
natives of this northwest coast do not worship idols, therefore these
are not objects of that character, though they are curious and
interesting. It is among these Haidas that the practice of tattooing
most prevails, and they still cover their bodies with designs of birds,
fishes, and animals, some of which are most hideous caricatures. This
tribe is said to be the most addicted to gambling of any on the coast,
the demoralizing effect of which is to be seen in various forms among
them.
Fort Wrangel has several demon-like totem-poles. There is a sort of
fascination attached to these awkward objects which leads one carefully
to examine and constantly to talk about them. Before some cabins there
are two of the weird things, covered with devices representing both the
male and female branches of the family which occupies the cabin. It was
found that much more importance was attached to these emblems here than
had been manifested farther south. An interested excursionist who came
up on our steamer, wishing to possess himself of a totem-pole, found one
at last of suitable size for transportation, and tried to purchase it,
but discovered that no possible sum which he could offer would be
considered as an equivalent for it. All of his subsequent efforts in
this line proved equally unsuccessful so far as totem-poles were
concerned, and yet we remember that they are to be found in many of our
public museums throughout the States, and we have seen large ones lying
upon the ground moss covered and neglected. It appeared to be only the
rich native who indulged in an individual totem-pole. The cost of one,
say forty or fifty feet long, carved after the orthodox fashion, with
the free feast given at all such raisings, is said to be over a thousand
dollars. The more lavish the expenditure on these occasions, the greater
the honor achieved by the host.
There is a successful day-school established here besides the Indian
Girls’ Home, which is accomplishing much good in educating the rising
generation, and in introducing civilized manners and customs. The
children evince a fair degree of natural aptitude, learning easily to
read and write, but are a little dull, we were told, in arithmetic.
Adult, uneducated natives, however, are quick enough at making all
necessary calculations in their trades with the whites, either as
purchasers of domestic goods, or in selling their peltries. The
Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Moravians, Quakers, Baptists,
and Roman Catholics all have missionary stations in different parts of
the country. Schools have also been established for the general
instruction of whites and natives at Juneau, Sitka, Wrangel, Jackson,
and other localities under direction of our government officials, and
proper teachers have been supplied, the whole system being under the
supervision of a competent head. Mrs. J. G. Hyde, who teaches school at
Juneau, in her last year’s report, says: “Many of the scholars, who,
when the term began last September, could not speak a word of English,
can now not only speak, but read and write it. They can also spell
correctly and are beginning in the first principles of arithmetic. To
the casual observer perhaps nothing seems more absurd than the attempt
by any process to enlighten the clouded intellect of this benighted
people. Indeed, the most squalid street Arabs might be considered a
thousand times more desirable as pupils. But a few days’ work among and
for them convinces the teacher that she has not a boisterous,
uncontrollable lot of children, but as much the opposite as it is
possible to imagine. Children who habitually refrain from playing during
intermission that they may learn some lesson or how to do some fancy
work are not to be classed with the wild, wayward, or vicious. Boys who,
when their regular lessons are done, are continually designing and
drawing cannot be said to be entirely devoid of talent worthy of
cultivation. While the development must be slow in most cases, there are
a few who would compare favorably with white children. Their abnormal
development of the faculty of form gives them an inestimable advantage
over their more favored pale-face brothers in acquiring the art of
writing and drawing. Their mind acts very slowly, but they make up in
tenacity of purpose what they lack in aptness.”
At Sitka there is an industrial school which is very successful training
native boys and girls in mechanical and domestic occupations, and of
which we will speak in detail in a further chapter.
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