Travels in Alaska 



while the missionary said, "Toyatte, you do not need 

 to rise. You can answer the questions seated." 



To this he paid no attention, but stood several min- 

 utes without speaking a word, never for a moment 

 thinking of sitting down like a tired woman while 

 making the most important of all the speeches of his 

 life. He then explained in detail what his mother had 

 taught him as to the character of God, the great 

 Maker of the world ; also what the shamans had taught 

 him; the thoughts that often came to his mind when 

 he was alone on hunting expeditions, and what he first 

 thought of the religion which the missionaries had 

 brought them. In all his gestures, and in the language 

 in which he expressed himself, there was a noble sim- 

 plicity and earnestness and majestic bearing which 

 made the sermons and behavior of the three distin- 

 guished divinity doctors present seem commonplace 

 in comparison. 



Soon after our return to Fort Wrangell this grand 

 old man was killed in a quarrel in which he had taken 

 no other part than that of peacemaker. A number of 

 the Taku tribe came to Fort Wrangell, camped near 

 the Stickeen village, and made merry, manufacturing 

 and drinking hootchenoo, a vile liquor distilled from 

 a mash made of flour, dried apples, sugar, and 

 molasses, and drunk hot from the still. The manu- 

 facture of hootchenoo being illegal, and several of 

 Toyatte's tribe having been appointed deputy con- 

 stables to prevent it, they went to the Taku camp 

 and destroyed as much of the liquor as they could 

 find. The Takus resisted, and during the quarrel one 



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