Front matter
ClassHaQfL
Book
TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
Preface
So little is known of the interior of Eussian America, that I trust even this imperfect and meagre narrative may prove not altogether uninteresting. A large portion of these pages refers to a journey made in the Yukon region, which though containing one of the grandest streams on the North American continent, has hitherto remained almost unnoticed. Sir John Eichardson, indeed, when on the Mackenzie, collected some information respecting it, but never visited any portion of it, while the travels of Zagoskin, of the Eussian Imperial Navy, have never been popularly known.
This country has recently acquired some notice from its transfer to the United States Government, and within a few years we shall doubtless hear more of it. The natives have been hitherto so isolated from civilization, that perhaps in no other part of America can the " red-skin" be seen to greater perfection. In a few generations he will be extinct.
"Alaska Territory" — the title by which the whole of Eussian America is to be known in future — though as good a name as any other, is founded, apparently, on a misconception. It seems to have been derived from the title of that long peninsula (Aliaska) with which we are all familiar on the map, but the title does not properly belong to the whole territory.
I have before me a " Eeport on the Eesources of Iceland and Greenland," issued this year (1868) by the State Department at Washington. It was compiled, at the desire of the Hon. W. H. Seward, by B. M. Peirce, Esq. From that production I glean that the United States Government, so far from regretting the purchase of Alaska, are almost xii Preface.
ready to bid for Iceland and Greenland! Mr. Seward's mania for icebergs and snow-fields seems insatiable.
The opening chapters contain some earlier reminiscences of British Columbia and Vancouver Island, while in the concluding pages I have attempted to sketch California of our own time. I have also briefly recorded some visits paid by me to the eastern coasts of Siberia and Kamchatka.
Some of the most pleasant days of my life were spent with the two expeditions with which I have been connected ; and of many of my old friends and companions I shall ever think with much kindness. To Colonel Bulkley, Engineer-in-chief of the Russo-American Telegraph Expedition; to Captain Scammon (IT. S. Revenue Service); and to my good friends Messrs. Wright, Chappel, and Lewis, all American gentlemen with whom it was a pleasure to be connected, I am indebted for courtesies which it would be difficult for me to sufficiently acknowledge.
To the President and Council of the Royal Geographical Society I am specially obliged for the use of the map, illustrating the course of the Yukon, etc., which, is to appear in their " Journal " in connection with the paper contributed by me. To Mr. Arrowsmith, for the trouble he has taken to work out the crude material laid before him ; to Mr. H. W. Bates and Captain George ; to Mr. Murray, and to my father and brother, for their constant and kind assistance, I can not be too grateful.
The illustrations are taken, with but two exceptions, from the original sketches made on the spot; they have gained considerably in the hands of my friends, Messrs. Skelton, Mahoney, and Zwecker. The portrait of an Aht native (Vancouver Island), page 74, has been copied from an excellent photograph by Mr. Gentile, now of San Francisco; and the picture of a Tchuktchi house, page 112, is from a photograph by Mr. Ryder, who was for the season of 1866 attached to the Telegraph Expedition.
Chapter I. The Voyage Out
Leaving England. — Our Passengers. — Old Mo'. — Freight for the matrimonial Market. — Storm on board. — Mutiny. — Volunteer coal-heaving. — Falkland Islands. — Port Stanley. — The Horn. — Out of Coal. — San Francisco. — The Straits of Fuca. — Cook. — Vancouver. — Juan de Fuca. — Victoria. — Cariboo Mines. — The Gold. — The Discoverers of William's Creek. — Journalism on the Pacific Page 21
Chapter II. The Glaciers Op Bute Inlet, British Columbia
The Mountains of British Columbia and adjacent Coasts. — Bute Inlet. — Chilicoten Indians. — A "Blow-up." — Indian Packets. — Route through the Forest. — Indian Guide. — Chinook Jargon. — Trackless Forests. — Lost in the Woods. — The glacier Streams. — Camp. — Great Glacier. — Description. — Return Journey. — Second Glacier 36
Chapter III. The Tragedy Among The Glaciers
Reported Murder.— Canoe-trip on the Sea.— Dodd's Narrows.— Island on Fire.— The Massacre at Bute Inlet.— Reports of Survivors.— Secon d.Massacre.— Excitement in the Colony.— Expeditions in Search of the Indians.— Capture of a Part of the Murderers.— The Ideal and Real Indian.— His ultimate Extinction.— Reasons for it.— Indian Traders.— Proposed semi-secular, 'semi-missionary Settlements.— The Mission at Metlakahtla , 48
Chapter IV. The Interior Of Vancouver's Island
Pleasures of Labor. — Unknown Interior of Vancouver Island. — Expedition organized. — Cowichan River.— Somenos. — Kakalatza and his Hat-box. — Travel up the River. — Our Camps.— Camp Yarns. — Indian Version of the Book of Jonah. — Cowichan Lake. — Rafting Experiences. — The "Rampant Raft." — Brown's Camp. — Acquisition of a Canoe 61 xiv Contents,
Chapter V. The Interior Of Vancouver Island
Nittinaht. — "Whyack." — The Indians. — Aht Tribes.— The Breakers. — Port San Juan. — Indian Yarn. — Sooke. — Basin and River. — Discovery of Gold. — Gold on Queen Charlotte's Island. — Nanaimo. — Coal-seam at Comox. — Ascent of Puntledge River. — Wreck of Canoe. — Interior Lakes.— Barclay Sound. — Game List. — Camp-marks Page 73
Chapter VI. Alaska Territory
Acquisition of Russian America by the United States. — American Criticisms on the Purchase. — Coal and gold Discoveries. — Mock Advertisements. — America for the Americans. — Geographical Literature of the Pacific. — Of Russian America. — The Treaty. — W. U. Telegraph Expedition. — Its Organization. — Preference for young Men 86
Chapter VII. A Visit To The Capital Of Alaska
The Voyage. — Sitka Sound and Harbor. — Baranoff. — Early History. — The Town. — Water Supply.' — Agriculture. — Former Russian Settlements in California. — Russian American Company. — The Fisheries. — Kalosh Indians. — Our Experiences of Russian Hospitality. — Sitka in new Hands. — Two Sundays in a Week. — Kodiak Ice. — Formal Transfer of Alaska 93
Chapter VIII. Voyage In The North Pacific
Departure from Sitka. — Oukamok. — Ounga. — Breakers ahead! — Volcanoes in Ounimak Pass. — St. Michael's, Norton Sound, Alaska. — Soundings of Behring §ea. — Plover Bay, Eastern Siberia. — TheTchuktchis. — Tents. — Canoes. — Tchuktchi Strength. — Children. — The irrepressible "Naukum." — Native's Idea of the Telegraph. — The "Shenandoah" Pirate. — Avatcha Bay 107
Chapter IX. Petropaulovski And Our Return Voyage To San Francisco
The Harbor. — Town. — Monuments. — The Fur-trade. — Kamchatka generally.— The Volcanoes.— The Attack of the Allies in 1854.— Their Return in 1855.— The "General Teste."— Rejoin the Steamer "Wright." — Gale. — Incidents of Storm.— Covert's "Smoke-stack" 118
Contents. xv
Chapter X. Voyage In The North Pacific. 1866
Organization of the Expedition. — Thirsty medical Man. — Our Fleet. — Voyage. — Petropaulovski again. — The Russian Corvette. — Russian Wedding. — Heat. — International Picnic. — Voyage north. — Behring's Voyages. — Shipwreck. — Death of Behring. — Gulf of Anadyr. — The " wandering Tchuktchis" Page 132
CHAPTER XL
THE ANADYR RIVER AND PLOVER BAY, EASTERN SIBERIA.
Tchuktchi with Letter of Recommendation. — Boat Expedition to the River. — Our Explorers. — Their Experiences. — The Anadyr River. — Tchuktchi Thieves. — PloverBay. — Nau-kum again. — Advertising in Behring Straits. — Telegraph Station erected. — Foraging with a Vengeance. — Whaling. — Norton Sound. — Alaska. — Death of Major Kennicott 143
Chapter XII. Russian And Indian Settlements. — Norton Sound
St. Michael's. — The Fort and its Inhabitants. — The "Provalishik." — Russian Steam-bath. — " Total Immersion." — The Island. — Incident of Break-up of Ice. — Arrival of dead Indian Sledge-driver. — Steam-boat trip. — Steamer laid up. — Russian Post at Unalachleet. — Malemute and Kaveak Indians. — Skin Clothing. — Intertribal Commerce. — Trade with the Tchuktchis. — Under-ground Houses. — Fishing through the Ice.. 152
Chapter XIII. Unalachleet. — Norton Sound
Indian Town-hall.— Preparations for Dance.— Smoke-consuming Indians.— Feast.— Dance. — Chorus. — The Malemutes and Kaveaks.— The Chiefs. — "Parka Mania." — Erection of Quarters. — Preparations for Sledge-journey 165
Chapter XIV. Sledge-journey To The Yukon
Routes to the Yukon. — Sledges and Dogs. — Our Start. — Our Party. — Unalachleet River. — Brought to a Stand-still. — Dogs desert. — Ingelete Indians. — Under-ground Houses, etc. — Beans versus Rice. — Indian Cleanliness. — Medical Aid. — Ulukuk. — The River. — Indian Trading 171 xvi Contents.
Chapter XV
sledge-journey to the yukon — continued.
Cross theUlukuk River. — Walking on Snow-shoes. — Ulukuk Mountains. — Land travelling. — Versola Sofka.— Patent Camp. — Our frozen Breath. — Indian Honesty. — The Use of Snow-shoes. — Warm Springs. — First Glimpse of the Yukon. — Coltog. — Old " Stareek." — Travel on the Yukon. — AlikofT's " Barabba." — Meet a Russian Sledge-train. — Arrival at Nulato Page 182
Chapter XVI. Life At Nulato. — Yukon River
First Explorers of the Yukon. — Nulato. — Our Quarters. — Water-sledge — Fish-traps. — Winter Sketching. — Frozen Provisions. — Coldest Day.-— Departure of a Sledge-train. — Dinner-party. — Indian Arrivals.— Shortest Day. — Merry Christmas. — Bill of Fare. — Aurora. — Temperatures. — Supplies. — Principal Winter Trip of our Explorers t 193
Chapter XVII. The Co-yukon Indians
Co-yukon Tribe. — Fashions. — The Nulato Massacre. — Incidents of the Attack. — Indian Murders. — Mourning Observances. — " Wake." — Four-post Coffins, — Superstitions. — " Corralling " deer. — News travels fast. — Furs and Trading. — Indian Women. — Indian " Goggles." — Children's Dolls 204
Chapter XVIII. Canoe Journey. — Ascent Op The Yukon
Spring. — Thaw. — Break-up of the Yukon. — Preparations for Journey. — Oar Canoes. — Start. — Dangerous Condition of River. — Its Size. — Current. — Perilous Navigation. — Submerged Islands. — Co-yukuk. — Birch-bark Fleet. — Sachertelontin. — Lagoon. — Newicargut. — Purchase of Supplies. — Tooth-brush Experiences. — Medicine-making. — Indian Dissipation. — Child's birch-bark Chair 216
Chapter XIX
canoe journey {continued). — ASCENT OP THE YUKON.
Meet a Deserter. — Indian Taste for " Nigger " Minstrelsy. — Tracking. — Lagoon. — Piles of Drift-wood. — Nuclukayette.— Unsophisticated Indians. — Ceremony. — Leave the Russians. — The Indian's Head. — Mountain Gorge — Indian Dogs. — Canoe Leak. — The Rapids. — The "Ramparts." — Moose-hunting. — Islands. — Overhanging Banks. — Shallows. — Shortest Night. — First English Indians. — Porcupine River. — Fort Yukon 234
Contents. xvii
Chapter XX. Fort Yukon
Return of the Commander and Missionary. — Information received from them. — Mackenzie and the Yukon. — The Indians. — Numerous Tribes. — The Furs. — Fictitious Black Fox. — Missionary Work. — Return of our Explorers from the Upper Yukon. — Fort Yukon Sledges, etc. Page 251
Chapter XXI. Descent Of The Yukon
Drifting down the Stream.— Yukon Salmon. — Arrival at Nulato. — Over- * dose of Arsenic and Alcohol. — Trip resumed. — Indian Music. — Anvic. — The Mission. — Earthquake on the Water. — Andreavski. — The Mouths of the Yukon. — Smith's Observations. — Pastolik. — St. Michael's. — Progress of the Telegraph. — Frozen Soil. — Scurvy. — Arrival of our Bark. — Plover Bay. — Return to San Francisco ' 262
Chapter XXII
THE VALUE OF ALASKA. — THE ORIGIN OF THE ESQUIMAUX OF NORTHERN ALASKA AND GREENLAND
The Value of Alaska. — The Furs and Fisheries. — The Purchase an Act of Justice to Russia. — The Aleutian Islands. — Volcanoes. — Bogoslov Island. — The Asiatic Origin of the Esquimaux. — The Tchuktchis. — Sea-going Canoes. — The Voyages of two Japanese Junks. — The connecting Links between the Tchuktchis and the Esquimaux. — Language. — Degeneration of the Esquimaux. — Community of Goods. — The " Scha- 1 man " and the "Angekok." 274
Chapter XXIII
W. U. TELEGRAPH EXPLORATIONS IN ASIA.
Major Abasa appointed Chief. — Arrival in Petropaulovski. — Travels in Kamchatka. — Ghijega. — The Town, etc. — Route between Ghijega and Ochotsk. — The Explorations of Mahood and Bush. — Nicolaiefski, Mouth of the. Amoor. — Travel to Ochotsk. — Reindeer-riding. — The Tunguse. — Ayan. — Ochotsk. — M'Creaand Arnold's Wanderings amonp the Tchuktchis.— Anadyrsk 286
Chapter XXIV. California
California in 1849. — To-day. — Agricultural Progress. — Wine Manufacture. — Climate. — Lower California. — San Francisco. — No Paper-money. — Coinage. — Growth. — General Prosperity. — Scarcitv of Labor. — Hiring
B xviii Contents.
a Domestic. — Luxuries of the Land. — " The Mission." — Hotel Carte. — Home for the Inebriates. — Immigration desired. — Newspapers. — Chinese Population. — " John's " Status. — John as a Miner. — Dead Chinamen. — Celestia Entertainment. — Merchant's Pigtail... ....Page 297
CHAPTER XXV. California — continued
San Francisco Society. — Phraseology. — Ladies of Fr'isco. — Sunday in the City. — Free Criticism on Parsons. — Site. — Steep Streets. — San Francisco Calves. — Earthquakes. — House-moving. — Fire Companies. — "Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express. "—The three-cent Stamps.— The Men of the Pacific 309
Chapter XXVI. California As A Field For Immigration
Early American Opinions of the Country. — California Steamers. — The Public Lands. — Extent. — Price. — Labor. — Wages. — The Wine Interests. — Table of Temperatures. — Vineyards, etc. — Classes suitable for Immigrants. — Education.— "Schools. — School-ma'ams. — Investments 319
I. — The Proposed Overland Route from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, through British Territory.. 333
II.— The W. U. Telegraph Scheme 336
III.— Notes on Sitka..... 338
IV. — Port Clarence, Northern Alaska 339
V. — Indian Dialects of Northern Alaska 341
VI. — Notes on the Geology of the Yukon..... 351
LIST OF 1LLUSTEATIONS.
Auroral Light seen from Nulato, Yukon River, Dec. 27, 1866 Frontispiece.
Vignette — Loading a sledge in Alaska Title-page.
Map — the course of the Yukon, etc ....To face Chap. I.
PAGE
The Great Glacier, Bute Inlet 43
Island forest" conflagration in the Gulf of Georgia. 51
The "Raft Rampant" 69
Aht native, west coast of Vancouver Island „ 75
Example of mask worn by Aht natives of Vancouver Island...,. 77
Camp with "blaze" or camp-mark 85
Sitka, or New Archangel, capital of Alaska 95
Kalosh Indian grave-boxes 101, 102
Indian stone-carving, representing a Russian soldier at Sitka 105
Tchuktchi skin canoe — Frame-work of Tchuktchi house 112
Tchuktchi pipe 115
Petropaulovski, Kamchatka 119
Monument to Behring, Petropaulovski 121
The volcanoes of Koriatski, Avatcha, and Koseldskai, Kamchatka 123
Fort St. Michael's, or Michaelovski 153
Malemute native 159
Malemute skin clothing 160
Malemute pipe v 166
Diagram of under-ground house 175
Snow-shoe 182
Arrival at the Frozen Yukon 188
Fish-traps on the Yukon , 195
Co-yukon four-post coffin , 208
A Co-yukon deer corral 210
Co-yukon goggles 214
The Yukon River at the break-up of the ice 222
Indian summer encampment, Newicargut, Yukon River 227
Yukon fire-bag, knife, and sheath, etc 230
Indian child's birch-bark chair 233
Tanana Indian 238
Moose-hunting in the Yukon River 244
Yukon Indian's knife 247
Fort Yukon, Hudson's Bay Company's Post 250
Fort Yukon sledge (loaded) 261
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TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
TERRITORY OF ALASKA.
Chapter I. The Voyage Out
Leaving England. — Our Passengers. — Old Mo'. — Freight for the matrimonial Market. — Storm on board. — Mutiny. — Volunteer coal-heaving. — Falkland Islands. — Port Stanley. — The Horn. — Out of Coal. — San Francisco. — The Straits of Fuca. — Cook. — Vancouver. — Juan de Fuca. — Victoria. — Cariboo Mines. — The Gold. — The Discoverers of William's Creek. — Journalism on the Pacific.
In 1862, the Pacific coast, and especially British Columbia, attracted much attention at home. Having, thank G-od, like a good proportion of my countrymen, a little superfluous energy — which was then lying fallow — I deter-, mined to see something of those coasts, and accordingly commenced getting together my traps for the voyage. I need not say that I laid in a stock of things said to be "portable," essential, or absolutely "indispensable," and that the larger part of them proved to be exactly the reverse. Such, I take it, is the experience of most young travellers. On the 6th June of the above-mentioned year — with some slight feelings of regret, it must be admitted — we left the Thames ; and on the 9th saw the last of Old England's shores, after a brief halt at peaceful, sleepy Dartmouth. A few hours later, the " waves," to use an exrim h\
TEAVEL AND ADVENTUKE
TERKITOBY OF ALASKA.
CHAPTEE I.
THE VOYAGE OUT.
Leaving England. — Our Passengers.— Old Mo'. — Freight for the matrimonial Market. — Storm on board. — Mutiny. — Volunteer coal-heaving. — Falkland Islands. — Port Stanley. — The Horn. — Out of Coal. — San Francisco. — The Straits of Fuca. — Cook. — Vancouver. — Juan de Fuca. — Victoria. — Cariboo Mines. — The Gold. — The Discoverers of William's Creek. — Journalism on the Pacific.
In 1862, the Pacific coast, and especially British Columbia, attracted much attention at home. Having, thank Grod, like a good proportion of my countrymen, a little superfluous energy — which was then lying fallow — I deter-, mined to see something of those coasts, and accordingly commenced getting together my traps for the voyage. I need not say that I laid in a stock of things said to be "portable," essential, or absolutely "indispensable," and that the larger part of them proved to be exactly the reverse. Such, I take it, is the experience of most young travellers. On the 6th June of the above-mentioned year — with some slight feelings of regret, it must be admitted — we left the Thames ; and on the 9th saw the last of Old England's shores, after a brief halt at peaceful, sleepy Dartmouth. A few hours later, the " waves," to use an ex-
22 Leaving England.
pression of Lamartine's when starting on a cruise in the Mediterranean, "had our destinies in their power," and made us aware of the fact.
"Winds are rude in Biscay's sleepless bay :"
At least we found them so, for a breeze increased into a gale before we were clear of its outer waters. Our craft was a stanch iron-screw steamer, the " Tynemouth," which had won a good reputation during the Crimean War by weathering out that terrible storm in the Black Sea in which so many vessels (including the "Black Prince") were lost. We were bound for Yancouver Island, via the Horn, and expected to call at one or two ports by the way. On board were some three hundred passengers, two-thirds of whom showed a total loss of dignity and self-respect during these early days, and made our vessel much resemble a floating hospital. But there is an end to all things ; and by the time we reached the tropics, our friends had recovered their appetites, and, clad in light attire, lounged, smoking, chatting, and reading under the awnings, giving our decks the appearance of a nautical picnic. Our passengers were a study in themselves. They included a number of young men, much too large a proportion of whom had apparently no profession, business, or definite aim in life, to auger well for their future career in a new country, Still, most branches were represented — from farmers, tradesmen, and mechanics, to lawyers, artists, and literary men. The greatest character on board was a venerable Jew, generally known as " Old Mo'." He was an Israelite of the conventional stage type, and did not neglect turning a penny by selling to the passengers stale lemons and bad cigars, or by organizing raffles and mock auctions. Toward the end of the voyage he purchased all the odds and ends on which he could lay his hands, offering the
Our Passengers. • 28
" highestch prishe for old closhe and zhewellry ;" and with these he afterward stocked a small shop in Victoria. Moses, like Shylock, had much to stand in gibes and sneers, but bore it " with a patient shrug."
Our most noticeable living freight was, however, an "invoice" of sixty young ladies, destined for the colonial and matrimonial market. They had been sent out by a home society, under the watchful care of a clergyman and matron ; and they must have passed the dreariest three months of their existence on board, for they were isolated from the rest of the passengers, and could only look on at the fun and amusements in which every one else could take a part. Every benevolent effort deserves respect; but, from personal observation, I can not honestly recommend such a mode of supplying the demands of a colony. Half of them married soon after arrival or went into sendee, but a large proportion quickly went to the bad, and, from appearances, had been there before. The influence of but a few such on the more respectable girls could not have been otherwise than detrimental. To speak ungallantly, but truly, many of these ladies were neither young nor beautiful, and reminded me of the crowd who answered the advertisement in the farce of "Wanted 10,000 Milliners!" Of course much might be said about giving the poor creatures a chance ! but the fact is that the market would, in - the course of affairs, more naturally supply itself. The prosperous settler would send for his sweetheart, or come home in search of one, and could always get suitable domestics sent out by his friends, and meet them at the port of arrival. It will be readily understood too, that in a new country there is a floating population, among whom some individuals by "chance" or by industry have acquired a little money, and are ready to plunge into matrimony on the slightest provocation ; while there is also a large pro-
24 Mutiny on Boaed.
portion of "black sheep," who are quite ready to amuse themselves at the expense of the poor girls.
We were beginning to find life somewhat tedious, when a storm arose on hoard that altered the aspect of affairs. In common with a large proportion of ships — as far as my experience goes — we were considerably undermanned, and the overworked crew rebelled. They came aft to the captain, and a scene ensued in which very high words passed, and at length one of the more daring mutineers " planted" (to use the language of the fraternity) a blow between the skipper's "peepers," which brought the "claret" very freely from his nose. In consequence, the fiat went forth, instantly and indignantly, " Put them in irons I" which was, however, a thing easier said than done. At last the officers — with the assistance of some of the passengers — succeeded in handcuffing the rebels, and they were then stowed away in a rather warm compartment near the engine-room till such time as mutiny should be melted out of them.
Our captain was in a dilemma. "We were almost becalmed ; our sails flapped idly in the wind, while the arrangements for the coals were such that, with these men off duty, our engine must soon come to a stand-still. The coal was chiefly in the fore-hold, and had to be raised, wheeled along deck, and deposited in the "bunkers."
At this juncture a.committee of the passengers was convened, and it was agreed that the more active of all classes should be invited to volunteer, and act as crew for the time being. All the younger men came forward readily, were solemnly enrolled, and set to work at once, glad of an interruption to the monotony of the voyage. We scrubbed the decks, hauled at ropes, filled the coal-sacks, and hoisted them on deck, getting a fair taste of a modern sailor's life o"n board a steam-vessel. It is more than doubtful whether
Volunteer Coal-Heaving. 2o
any of us would have echoed the words of England's seasong writer, who says —
" Then, Bill, let us thank Providence That you and I are sailors !"
but we found it good exercise, and worked with a will. Did we not know that the eyes of sixty maidens were looking on approvingly as we helped them on to the consummation of their dearest wishes ? "We did, and even our parson creditably proved his " muscular Christianity," and soiled his irreproachable garments at one and the same time. I tasted the dignity of labor in the role of an amateur coal-heaver, and in the more sinecure employment of keeping the " lookout." We cooled our fevered frames with libations of beer, and buckets of diluted lime-juice ; in this matter having an undoubted advantage over the old crew, who didn't get much of such luxuries. At last the tropical heat, superadded to that of the furnaces, brought the men to their senses, and the larger part of them went back to work ; three, however, held out, and were kept in irons.
After some rough weather off the Eio de la Plata (known familiarly by sailors as the Kiver Plate), in which we stove in our bulwarks and lost a boat, we at last made the Falkland Islands, and came to an anchor in Stanley Harbor. This is a land-locked basin some six miles long by half a mile or so wide, and is on East Falkland. We arrived there early in August, but it was the end of their winter. The snow had just disappeared from the lowlands, leaving them in places very swampy. The island was thick with peat-moss, which affords the inhabitants their only fuel, no timber except a very limited amount of drift-wood beingattainable. There are no trees whatever on the Falklands, and it is said that attempts to introduce them have been unsuccessful. It was from these islands that Col. Moody, when colonial governor, brought the " Tussac " grass.
26 The Falkland Islands.
The Falklands had been in the hands of both the Spanish and French before we obtained possession of them, and they were not formerly valued as they are now. Port Stanley is a pretty little town of 700 or 800 inhabitants, with a church, government buildings, and school-house. Vessels returning from China, Australia, or California, find these islands directly in their course, and often put into Port Stanley for repairs, water, coal, or supplies. Vegetables and fresh meat are abundant, the latter selling for twopence or threepence a pound. The cattle on the islands are very numerous, and for the most part wild ; they were introduced by the Spaniards. Stanley was a free port at the date of our visit, and our passengers took advantage of the fact to lay in stocks of hollands and brandy, much to the disgust of our steward, who firmly believed in monopoly.
As our ship's cow had given up the ghost — frightened to death in a storm — and the fowls were things of the past, we were all glad to get ashore, luxuriate on milk and fresh provisions, and stretch our legs. An English company had — and I presume has — a large store there, and exported hides and furs, employing some 150 persons directly, and a larger number indirectly, in their collection. Our vessel coaled at this settlement.
We spent several days in excursions from the ship, shooting wild-fowl, and amusing ourselves with watching the penguin, which were very abundant. On the beach, when waddling away from us in a hurry, they suggested the idea of old women tripping over the stones with many a fall ! We visited the excellent light-house at Cape Pembroke, the easternmost point of East Falkland, about eight miles from the port. Here we found the keeper's wife, with a family of youngsters, some of whom had never seen even the glories of Port Stanley, and yet were happy. The light-house, 110 feet in height, stands at the termination of a bar-
Cape Horn. 27
ren sand waste, and the beach near it is everywhere strewed with kelp and sea-weed of the most enormous growth, resembling, in fact, sea trees. Kelp is so thick in some parts of the harbor that it is next to impossible to row through it.
Our mutineers were tried in due form, and sentenced to a spell of hard labor, which in this case consisted of amateur gardening, and sanding the floors of the government buildings. They were apparently rather glad than otherwise of a brief residence in a place where fresh food was so abundant, and knew moreover that the next vessel touching there short-handed would probably be glad to take them at higher wages than those ruling in the port of London.
We were detained — partly by bad weather — for twelve days, but at last the favorable moment arrived, and we steamed out in good style. In the evening of the same day we passed Staten Land, over the rugged shores of which a canopy of mist hung gracefully. In the valleys a lace- work of snow still remained. Next morning we were in the Pacific, in sight of the broken, jagged coast of the famed and dreaded "Horn." The weather was superb, the sea almost a lake, and the regulation terrors of the passage were nowhere ! For the reader's sake, this was a great pity, but our passengers felt a kind of relief from the lingering dread of the more usual bad weather of the Cape. We soon got the " trade- winds," set all sail, and knocked off steam.
Before we made the Californian coast the wind died out, and having again to steam, our coal got reduced to the last gasp. All loose wood on deck, and even some valuable spars, had to be cut up for the furnaces, and the day before our arrival in San Francisco it was seriously contemplated to strip the second and third cabins of their berths and furniture.
But if we had been glad to go ashore at the Falklands,
28 Straits of Fuca.
how much more so were we to land in San Francisco, to walk about its handsome streets, and enjoy its good things. Some of our passengers were so well satisfied with it that they abandoned all idea of going any farther, and others, who could not imagine that our captain would start from it in such a hurry, were in consequence left behind. Of San Francisco I shall speak in my concluding chapters. I have watched its growth for five years, and believe its history to be almost unexampled among cities that have arisen in modern times, and that its future teems with the greatest promise.
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