"Travels in Alaska 



many white brothers and sisters at our dinner and 

 plays." 



Several short explanatory remarks were made all 

 through the exercises by Chief Shakes, presiding with 

 grave dignity. The last of his speeches concluded 

 thus: "Dear Brothers and Sisters, we have been long, 

 long in the dark. You have led us into strong guiding 

 light and taught us the right way to live and the right 

 way to die. I thank you for myself and all my people, 

 and I give you my heart." 



At the close of the amusements there was a potlatch 

 when robes made of the skins of deer, wild sheep, 

 marmots, and sables were distributed, and many of 

 the fantastic head-dresses that had been worn by 

 Shamans. One of these fell to my share. 



The floor of the house was strewn with fresh hem- 

 lock boughs, bunches of showy wild flowers adorned 

 the walls, and the hearth was filled with huckleberry 

 branches and epilobium. Altogether it was a wonder- 

 ful show. 



I have found southeastern Alaska a good, healthy 

 country to live in. The climate of the islands and 

 shores of the mainland is remarkably bland and 

 temperate and free from extremes of either heat or 

 cold throughout the year. It is rainy, however, so 

 much so that hay-making will hardly ever be ex- 

 tensively engaged in here, whatever the future may 

 show in the way of the development of mines, forests, 

 and fisheries. This rainy weather, however, is of good 

 quality, the best of the kind I ever experienced, mild 



[36] 



