238 ALASKA. 



the spring of 1872 the Alaska Commercial Compauy sent a man 

 from San Francisco, on trial, to serve as assistant agent at 

 Oanalaslika ; he was fonnd wanting, and in less tban six months 

 from the time of bis engagement be was dismissed from its 

 service as unfit and incompetent. IMr. Dall bad given a letter 

 to the person in question, Avbile tbat person was acting for tbe 

 company as assistant trader at Ouualasbka, for transmission to 

 tbe postmaster at San Francisco. Tbis letter contained a small 

 jsum of money, (a twenty-dollar greenback, I believe,) and never 

 reached its destination. I am, of course, not prepared to say 

 whether tbe man robbed tbe letter or not ; but I should acquit 

 tbe company of collusion in so contemptible a matter, even if 

 tbis man did do so. Then, again, ]Mr. Dall writes tbis letter with 

 tbe ship of an opposition trader laying over ten days at anchor 

 in the same harbor with us — no other vessels tban those of the 

 company to carry tbe mails! 



(G) Tbis is one of tbe reasons why 1 ask for a steam revenue- 

 vessel in tbis Territory: it is impossible for a saiU)i(j-ciitier to go 

 about from place to place, as she ought to do. 



(7) In tbis case I think I have shown, in a foregoing chap- 

 ter, that, contrary to Mr. Ball's statement, it is to the direct 

 interest of traders to do all in their power to improve and elevate 

 the 7iatives, and tbat the natives are to-day living, at Ounalashka 

 and elsewhere in the Aleutian district, in better condition than 

 they have ever lived before. 



The traders, however, difier in their appreciation of this truth ; 

 biit two very successful traders in the Territory, Capt. E. Hen- 

 nig and M. Mercier, have given me good reason for making 

 this statement — so emphatic : a trader who does the best by the 

 natives will be tbe better served by them. Father Shiesnekov 

 makes a deliberate statement which I print in this appendix 

 (page 220) tbat conflicts with Mr. Ball's decidedly, and as this 

 priest has spent over twenty-five mature years of active intelli- 

 gent labor among these people, bis judgment is worth some- 

 thing, inasmuch as he " has seen more of the country tban any 

 other individual," and no one can controvert tbe fact. 



(8) Tbis policy of Mr. BalFs, of declaring four or five Indian 

 reservations in the Aleutian district, with an Indian agent and 

 schoolmaster in each, would, in my best judgment, amount to 

 nothing but discord and mischief. What security can the Gov- 

 ernment have for tbe disinterestedness and honesty of its Indian 

 iigents? Are such agents to tell the traders in tbe country 



