where it was said that the curious polygonal garnets embedded in schist
and peculiar to this region are found. There were plenty of them as
large as walnuts for sale at twenty-five cents a dozen. Odd carved
boxes, too, made of an unknown wood and inlaid with shells, were here in
plenty; cases of buckskin, containing the conjuring-sticks or
gambling-kits of the Thlinkit medicine-men; loin-cloths, ornamented with
multitudes of rattling puffin-beaks; head-dresses of defunct warriors;
fantastic and horrible masks; huge spoons carved out of the horns of the
mountain-ibex; bead-work on leather; robes of many-colored skins quilted
together; images carved to resemble otters; fleecy robes of wild sheep
and goat; pipes cut with nude figures; antlers; stuffed animals;
white-breasted loons, and the like.
After a short stop for landing the mails, the vessel was soon traversing
Wrangel Strait, just under some splendid glaciers and snowy mountains,
the water perfectly smooth, though full of small icebergs, which
glittered in the sunshine and had broken off from the descending
ice-mass. Enormous rivers of ice flow down between these mountains and
debouch in the sea, their current mysteriously stayed by the low
temperature. We were particularly fortunate in having fine, clear
weather early in the morning, especially at this point, where we could
see the great Pattison Glacier. The ship entered the enchanted region
through a narrow passage, which one of us christened the "Silver Gates,"
the Beulah Mountains edging our Pilgrim's Progress in passionless white
as we zigzagged along the course.
A little later, the scenery on Frederic Sound became truly transcendent:
grand mountains, forms that would be awful but for the sunshine resting
on their heads, the lake-like sound, with its blue spits of land and
cameo-like promontories profiled against the sky, motionless
_glace-de-Venise_ water reflecting a thousand shades of azure and gray
and white, gulls resting on the water, with white bodies and black tips,
almost a complete circle of brilliant snow-banks peeping above the
clouds that hung to them amorously, and far-away vistas of blue-white
glaciers coming down to meet the water-margin.
Schools of spouting whales played in the distance, and the passengers
sent balls out of their pistols hissing on the water, but happily
hitting nothing. During the last trip two lovely antlered creatures came
swimming along in the water, trying to cross one of the channels to
another grazing-ground. They were taken on board, but one of them died.
The next landing-place was Killimoo, a little Indian village on an
island surrounded by dim-green heights and flickering, ever-changing
mountain-views. It is a great station for drying cod-fish, long lines of
which lay spread out on the wharf in the sun to dry. As night fell the
squaws and Indian maidens gathered the rattling fish-carcasses under
little ark-like receptacles, where they lay till morning out of the dew.
At Juneau some of the passengers walked or rowed off to the gold-mines
in the mountains, where they picked up specimens of gold-quartz and some
teacupfuls of sifted gold-dust. One of these was said to be worth six
hundred dollars, another over twelve hundred dollars. One was reminded
of the gold-dust story of Alkmaion in Herodotus.
Shortly after this the ship cast anchor at Chilkat and Pyramid Harbor,
our two highest points in Alaska waters, about latitude 59 deg. 12' north.
We had but a poor glimpse of the glaciers on the Chilkat side,--one a
magnificent down-flow of pale-blue ice, the other a frozen river caught
and compressed in between strangling hills.
The location of Pyramid Harbor is very beautiful,--a wind-sheltered
nook, a curving shore, covered with pebbles, alder-clad heights just
behind, and dimly-flashing ice-peaks peeping out of the mist just over
the shoulder of a huge green rock-slope. A salmon-cannery in the
foreground, flanked by an Indian village, a semilune of pure green
water, nearly fresh, and a curious pyramid-shaped knoll rising from it,
constituted other features of the environment. The lifting mists drew
aside for a while, and refreshed the sight with views of the great
sculpture-lines of the surrounding mountains.
[We may pass the description of Sitka, and proceed.]
We were greatly favored when we left Sitka. Starting off in a rain, in
which everything lay in muddy eclipse, we woke up next morning and found
ourselves tracing the outside route to the Muir Glacier in sparkling
sunshine. The transition was delightful, and, though most of the
passengers were sick from the tossing of the ship on the long outside
ocean-swell, I believe they all enjoyed the sunshine as it flashed into
their cabin windows, played on the walls, and pricked and scattered the
enormous vapor masses that hung over the mountains on our right. There
were no longer the vaulted vapors of the preceding days, the dense
counterpane of nebulous gray that covered the whole sky with its
monotony. The heavy cloud-banks clung to the mountains, leaving an
exquisite arc of sky, almost Italian in its sunny azure.
Nothing could be more superb than the deep, dark, velvety tints of the
crinkled and crumpled mountains as they shelved to the sea and came in
contact there with an edging of foam from the blue Pacific. Huge
jelly-fish flapped about in the clear water, nebular patches of
protoplasmic existence, capable, apparently, of no other functions than
sensation, motion, and self-propagation. Some of them were richly
streaked, long-tailed, delicately margined, with comet-like streamers,
jelly-frills, and nuclei like a wide-open sunflower. Their motion was so
indolently graceful that I could not help gazing at them.
Mount St. Elias! Yes, there it was, they affirmed, on the northeastern
horizon, a vapory, unsubstantial cone, dancing up and down in the
refracting light. I looked and looked, persuading myself that I saw the
glorious vision nineteen thousand five hundred feet high. Others
persuaded themselves of the same fact, being naturally ambitious of
carrying away remembrances of the tallest mountain in all America. But,
after all, I fancy that nobody had a very strong faith in his discovery,
particularly as the reputed mountain seemed to change its place, flit
hither and thither on the curve of the sky, and finally disappear.
But yonder! What is that? Clouds? Apparently. But look again. What, that
small speck just on the edge of the water? No, higher up--up--up. What
a sight! Certainly the grandest view we have had yet. A huge, white,
snow-tipped back, like a camel's hump, now loomed apparently right out
of the water's edge,--the mighty range of Mount Fairweather, Mount
Crillon, and eight or ten other domes and peaks, the highest fifteen
thousand five hundred feet high, according to the measurement of the
United States Coast Survey. This is the finest mountain-landscape we
have ever seen, not even excepting the Alps from Neufchatel. The peaks
looked enormously high as they shot up just behind the sea-edge, far
above the first stratum of cloud which ran along midway of the mountain
in deep slate-colored belts. Now and then the vapor thinned to the
fineness of tulle and Brousa gauze, behind which the mountain-colors
loomed in vague and yet radiant purity. Gradually the ardent sun melted
away the misty striated belts of cloud, and the great peaks stood out
calmly and gloriously effulgent in the crystal August air, a scene of
exquisite loveliness and sublimity. At one end a mighty glacier ran down
to the sea, and at the other the pygmy mountains (two or three thousand
feet high) we had been coasting lay like ebon carvings against the
white, a ripple of dark velvet against ermine.
For hours we steamed towards this splendid picture, which, while growing
more and more distinct, did not appear to be any nearer than when we
first saw it. In the afternoon we turned to the right of this range into
icy straits, and soon we were in the midst of a scene more wonderful,
perhaps, than that through which we had just passed. On the light-green
water lay literally hundreds of icebergs, of all shapes and sizes, some
a deep translucent blue, the blue of cobalt, others green, others a pure
white,--serrated, castellated, crenellated, glittering,--from the size
of a tureen to that of a small church. We seemed on the point of
entering that ancient palaeocrystic sea of which the geologists
speak,--ice everywhere, our ship cutting its way through impinging ice.
THE FORT WILLIAM HENRY MASSACRE.
JONATHAN CARVER.
[Carver's interesting "Travels through the Interior Parts of
North America, in the years 1766, 1767, and 1768," is the
source of the narrative given below, relating to an event with
which most of our readers are probably familiar from historical
reading, though few of them have read the experience of an
actual participant. Carver served as a captain in the French
and Indian War, and tells this most thrilling narrative of the
American wars as an illustrative episode in his subsequent work
of travels. He is describing the cruel actions of the Indians
in war.]
I have frequently been a spectator of them, and once bore a part in a
similar scene. But what added to the horror of it was that I had not the
consolation of being able to oppose their savage attacks. Every
circumstance of the adventure still dwells on my memory, and enables me
to describe with greater perspicuity the brutal fierceness of the
Indians when they have surprised or overpowered an enemy.
As a detail of the massacre at Fort William Henry in the year 1757,
the scene to which I refer, cannot appear foreign to the design of
this publication, but will serve to give my readers a just idea of
the ferocity of this people, I shall take the liberty to insert it,
apologizing at the same time for the length of the digression and
those egotisms which the relation renders unavoidable.
General Webb, who commanded the English army in North America, which was
then encamped at Fort Edward, having intelligence that the French troops
under Mons. Montcalm were making some movements towards Fort William
Henry, he detached a corps of about fifteen hundred men, consisting of
English and provincials, to strengthen the garrison. In this party I
went as a volunteer among the latter.
The apprehensions of the English general were not without foundation,
for the day after our arrival we saw Lake George (formerly Lake
Sacrament), to which it lies contiguous, covered with an immense number
of boats, and in a few hours we found our lines attacked by the French
general, who had just landed with eleven thousand regulars and Canadians
and two thousand Indians. Colonel Munro, a brave officer, commanded in
the fort, and had no more than two thousand three hundred men with him,
our detachment included.
With these he made a brave defence, and probably would have been able at
last to preserve the fort had he been properly supported and permitted
to continue his efforts. On every summons to surrender sent by the
French general, who offered the most honorable terms, his answer
repeatedly was, that he found himself in a condition to repel the most
vigorous attacks his besiegers were able to make; and if he thought his
present force insufficient, he could soon be supplied with a greater
number from the adjacent army.
But the colonel having acquainted General Webb with his situation, and
desired he would send him some fresh troops, the general despatched a
messenger to him with a letter, wherein he informed him that it was not
in his power to assist him, and therefore gave him orders to surrender
up the fort on the best terms he could procure. This packet fell into
the hands of the French general, who immediately sent a flag of truce,
desiring a conference with the governor.
They accordingly met, attended only by a small guard, in the centre
between the lines, when Mons. Montcalm told the colonel that he was come
in person to demand possession of the fort, as it belonged to the king,
his master. The colonel replied that he knew not how that could be, nor
should he surrender it up while it was in his power to defend it.
The French general rejoined, at the same time delivering the packet into
the colonel's hand, "By this authority do I make the requisition." The
brave governor had no sooner read the contents of it, and was convinced
that such were the orders of the commander-in-chief, and not to be
disobeyed, than he hung his head in silence, and reluctantly entered
into a negotiation.
In consideration of the gallant defence the garrison had made, they were
to be permitted to march out with all the honors of war, to be allowed
covered wagons to transport their baggage to Fort Edward, and a guard to
protect them from the fury of the savages.
The morning after the capitulation was signed, as soon as day broke, the
whole garrison, now consisting of about two thousand men, besides women
and children, were drawn up within the lines, and on the point of
marching off, when great numbers of the Indians gathered about and began
to plunder. We were at first in hopes that this was their only view, and
suffered them to proceed without opposition. Indeed, it was not in our
power to make any, had we been so inclined, for, though we were
permitted to carry off our arms, yet we were not allowed a single round
of ammunition. In these hopes, however, we were disappointed; for
presently some of them began to attack the sick and wounded, when such
as were not able to crawl into the ranks, notwithstanding they
endeavored to avert the fury of their enemies by their shrieks or
groans, were soon despatched.
Here we were fully in expectation that the disturbance would have
concluded, but in a short time we saw the same division driven back, and
discovered that we were entirely encircled by the savages. We expected
every moment that the guard, which the French, by the articles of
capitulation, had agreed to allow us, would have arrived, and put an end
to our apprehensions, but none appeared. The Indians now began to strip
every one, without exception, of their arms and clothes, and those who
made the least resistance felt the weight of their tomahawks.
I happened to be in the rear division, but it was not long before I
shared the fate of my companions. Three or four of the savages laid hold
of me, and whilst some held their weapons over my head, the others soon
disrobed me of my coat, waistcoat, hat, and buckles, omitting not to
take from me what money I had in my pocket. As this was transacted close
by the passage that led from the lines on to the plain, near which a
French sentinel was posted, I ran to him and claimed his protection, but
he only called me an English dog, and thrust me with violence back again
into the midst of the Indians.
I now endeavored to join a body of our troops that were crowded together
at some distance, but innumerable were the blows that were made at me
with different weapons as I passed on; luckily, however, the savages
were so close together that they could not strike at me without
endangering each other, notwithstanding which one of them found means
to make a thrust at me with a spear, which grazed my side, and from
another I received a wound with the same kind of weapon on my ankle. At
length I gained the spot where my countrymen stood, and forced myself
into the midst of them. But before I got thus far out of the hands of
the Indians the collar and wristbands of my shirt were all that remained
of it, and my flesh was scratched and torn in many places by their
savage grips.
By this time the war-whoop was given, and the Indians began to murder
those that were nearest to them without distinction. It is not in the
power of words to give any tolerable idea of the horrid scene that now
ensued; men, women, and children were despatched in the most wanton and
cruel manner, and immediately scalped. Many of the savages drank the
blood of their victims as it flowed warm from the fatal wound.
We now perceived, though too late to avail us, that we were to expect no
relief from the French; and that, contrary to the agreement they had so
lately signed to allow us a sufficient force to protect us from these
insults, they tacitly permitted them; for I could plainly perceive the
French officers walking about at some distance, discoursing together
with apparent unconcern. For the honor of human nature I would hope that
this flagrant breach of every sacred law proceeded rather from the
savage disposition of the Indians, which I acknowledge it is sometimes
almost impossible to control, and which might now unexpectedly have
arrived to a pitch not easily to be restrained, than from any
premeditated design in the French commander. An unprejudiced observer
would, however, be apt to conclude that a body of ten thousand Christian
troops, most Christian troops, had it in their power to prevent the
massacre from becoming so general. But whatever was the cause from
which it arose, the consequences of it were dreadful, and not to be
paralleled in modern history.
As the circle in which I stood enclosed by this time was much thinned,
and death seemed to be approaching with hasty strides, it was proposed
by some of the most resolute to make one vigorous effort, and endeavor
to force our way through the savages, the only probable method of
preserving our lives that now remained. This, however desperate, was
resolved upon, and about twenty of us sprung at once into the midst of
them.
In a moment we were separated, and what was the fate of my comrades I
could not learn till some months after, when I found that only five or
six of them effected their design. Intent only on my own hazardous
situation, I endeavored to make my way through my savage enemies in the
best manner possible. And I have often been astonished since, when I
have recollected with what composure I took, as I did, every necessary
step for my preservation. Some I overturned, being at that time young
and athletic, and others I passed by, dexterously avoiding their
weapons; till at last two very stout chiefs, of the most savage tribes,
as I could distinguish by their dress, whose strength I could not
resist, laid hold of me by each arm, and began to force me through the
crowd.
I now resigned myself to my fate, not doubting but that they intended to
despatch me, and then to satiate their vengeance with my blood, as I
found they were hurrying me towards a retired swamp that lay at some
distance. But before we had got many yards, an English gentleman of some
distinction, as I could discover by his breeches, the only covering he
had on, which were of fine scarlet velvet, rushed close by us. One of
the Indians instantly relinquished his hold, and, springing on this new
object, endeavored to seize him as his prey; but the gentleman, being
strong, threw him on the ground, and would probably have got away, had
not he who held my other arm quitted me to assist his brother. I seized
the opportunity, and hastened away to join another party of English
troops that were yet unbroken, and stood in a body at some distance. But
before I had taken many steps I hastily cast my eye towards the
gentleman, and saw the Indian's tomahawk gash into his back, and heard
him utter his last groan; this added both to my speed and desperation.
I had left this shocking scene but a few yards when a fine boy of about
twelve years of age, that had hitherto escaped, came up to me, and
begged that I would let him lay hold of me, so that he might stand some
chance of getting out of the hands of the savages. I told him that I
would give him every assistance in my power, and to this purpose bid him
lay hold; but in a few moments he was torn from my side, and by his
shrieks I judge was soon demolished. I could not help forgetting my own
cares for a minute to lament the fate of so young a sufferer; but it was
utterly impossible for me to take any methods to prevent it.
I now got once more into the midst of friends, but we were unable to
afford each other any succor. As this was the division that had advanced
the farthest from the fort, I thought there might be a possibility
(though but a very bare one) of my forcing a way through the outer ranks
of the Indians and getting to a neighboring wood, which I perceived at
some distance. I was still encouraged to hope by the almost miraculous
preservation I had already experienced.
Nor were my hopes vain or the efforts I made ineffectual. Suffice to say
that I reached the wood, but by the time I had penetrated a little way
into it my breath was so exhausted that I threw myself into a brake,
and lay for some minutes apparently at the last gasp. At length I
recovered power of respiration, but my apprehensions returned with all
their former force when I saw several savages pass by, probably in
pursuit of me, at no very great distance.
In this situation I knew not whether it was better to proceed or
endeavor to conceal myself where I lay till night came on. Fearing,
however, that they would return the same way, I thought it most prudent
to get farther from the dreadful scene of my past distresses.
Accordingly, striking into another part of the wood, I hastened on as
fast as the briers and the loss of one of my shoes would permit me, and,
after a slow progress of some hours, gained a hill that overlooked the
plain which I had just left, from whence I could discern that the bloody
storm still raged with unabated fury.
But not to tire my readers, I shall only add that after passing three
days without subsistence, and enduring the severity of the cold dews for
three nights, I at length reached Fort Edward; where with proper care my
body soon recovered its wonted strength and my mind, as far as the
recollection of the late melancholy events would permit, its usual
composure.
It was computed that fifteen hundred persons were killed or made
prisoners by these savages during this fatal day. Many of the latter
were carried off by them and never returned. A few, through favorable
accidents, found their way back to their native country after having
experienced a long and severe captivity.
The brave Colonel Munro had hastened away, soon after the confusion
began, to the French camp to endeavor to procure the guard agreed by the
stipulation; but his application proving ineffectual, he remained there
till General Webb sent a party of troops to demand and protect him back
to Fort Edward. But these unhappy occurrences, which would probably have
been prevented had he been left to pursue his own plans, together with
the loss of so many brave fellows, murdered in cold blood, to whose
valor he had so lately been a witness, made such an impression on his
mind that he did not long survive. He died in about three months of a
broken heart, and with truth might it be said that he was an honor to
his country.
THE GAUCHO AND HIS HORSE.
THOMAS J. HUTCHINSON.
[Among the skilled horsemen of the earth the gaucho of the
plains of Argentina bears pre-eminence. The cow-boy of our
Western plains somewhat nearly approaches him, but the cow-boy
is only a passing accident, not an institution, like the
gaucho, who will still flourish on his native soil when the
cow-boy has ceased to be. Hutchinson's "Buenos Ayres and
Argentine Gleanings" gives us a well-limned picture of this
interesting individual, to which we owe the following
selection.]
I can hardly consider myself presumptuous in believing that few
travellers who have made an ascent of the Parana for the first time
have done so with a more agreeable impression of its beauty than I
experienced. The only drawback connected with this pleasure is the
consciousness of being unable fully to describe it. My readers will,
however, be indulgent enough to give me credit for an effort to do my
best.