SITKA.
SITKA, July 11, 1892.
At six o'clock this morning we arrived here. The weather was warm,
tempered by a cool breeze. Not a cloud was in the sky. This is a small
harbor, with many islands in sight. From the deck of the steamer we
could see the town, and on top of a hill a large wooden edifice, where
the Russian governor-general formerly resided. It is vacant now, and
in a dilapidated condition. We went ashore, and saw many Indians
sitting on the walks or by the side of the roads. They were dressed
nicely, and were better looking than any I ever saw before. They had
the usual supply of baskets and curios for sale.
We went in and out of several stores, and bought some curios, and then
visited the Russian church, where there were some fine paintings of
saints and other religious subjects. Back about a rod from the water,
with boats in front of them, were a hundred or more houses occupied by
Indians. Accompanied by a resident doctor, we went into some of these
houses, and saw how the Indians lived. Owing to the large number of
dogs and quantities of bad-smelling fish, we were very glad to get
away from that neighborhood.
One of our friends had chartered the only wagon in the town, and took
us for a trip of a mile or two along the shore, among the
sweet-smelling spruce-trees, to a small stream of water, over which we
passed, and then rested in the woods. On our return, we went to the
Presbyterian Mission, which is a large and important one. It consists
of a group of buildings: a church, a school-house, and two large
edifices erected at the expense of Mrs. Elliott F. Shepard, in which
the young Indians are to be taught carpentry and other mechanical
industries. We attended a school in session, and heard the reverend
gentleman in charge examine the Indian girls and boys in arithmetic,
reading, and writing. They appeared as bright and intelligent as any
white children, and as capable of being educated. It was reported to
us that there were two hundred pupils in the school, and fourteen
missionaries in charge.
Mrs. Richard H. L. Townsend, of New York, saw among the pupils a
sweet-faced and bright girl ten years of age, and after talking to her
awhile, adopted her to educate, agreeing to pay the mission for her
support and education for a number of years. This lady, when in Japan
in 1889, adopted in a similar way a little native girl there, and
another native girl in China. These two children in their respective
countries are getting along nicely with their education, and write to
Mrs. T. sweet letters every month.