ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 555 



mou Ripiusky to Uualaska, where a school was opened in October, 

 1880. 



Commuuication with interior Alaska in 1885 was very difficult. If I 

 wished to visit the school on the Yukon Elver, my nearest way was to 

 take the mail steamer from Sitka to Juneau, 16G miles, then hire a 

 canoe and natives to take me, together with blankets and provisions, 

 to the head of Dyya Inlet, about 100 miles. Then leaving the water, 

 a fresh crew of natives would be hired to carry my supplies 25 miles 

 on foot, over a dangerous mountain trail, to the upper waters of the 

 Yukon, then construct a raft and float down the stream, 1,500 miles to 

 Nulato, or 1,750 miles to Anvik. The trip would occupy two months. 

 Another practicable way was to take the mail steamer to San Fran- 

 cisco, 1,G00 miles, then a chance steamer to St. Michaels, 3,264 miles, 

 then a small river steamer that makes one trip a year to Nulato, 709 

 miles, a total distance of 5,633 miles. To make the trip and return in 

 the same year would require close connections. 



If I wished to visit the school at Bethel, I could take a mail steamer 

 from Sitka to Sun Francisco, 1,000 miles, then wait until some vessel 

 sailed for Uualaska, 2,418 miles, then wait again until some trading 

 vessel had occasion to visit the mouth of the Kuskokvim River, 461 

 miles, and go from thence in a bidarka (sea-lion-skin canoe) 150 miles 

 up the river, a total of 4,629 miles. By the same tedious route the 

 teachers received their annual mail, except that it started from San 

 Francisco. 



During the summer of 1884 the American branch of the Moravian 

 Church, upon my representation, had sent a commission, consisting of 

 Rev. A, Ilartmau and Rev. H. Weinland, to visit the western section 

 of Alaska and secure a suitable location for a mission to the Eskimos. 

 The result of their exploration was the locating of a mission station 

 named Betliel, 150 miles up the Kuskokvim River. 



On the 18th of May, 1885, a party consisting of Rev. William H. 

 Weinland and Rev. J. H. Killbuck (Delaware Indian) and their wives, 

 with Mr. John Torgerson, the mechanic and lay assistant, sailed from 

 San Francisco, reaching the mouth of the Ivuskokvim on the 19th of 

 June. Being on the ground, I appointed Mr.J. H. Killbuck teacher at 

 Bethel. 



At Killisnoo, 80 miles nortbeast of Sitka, a school was opened in 

 January, 1886, with George B. Johnston as teacher. The same winter 

 Mr. Louis Paul, a native, was sent to open a school at Port Tongass. 



Having given the entire school year for 1885-86 to tbe organization 

 of public schools in southeastern Alaska, I commenced early arrange- 

 ments to make a trip to western Alaska during 1886-87. 



The work of education in Alaska for 188-3-87 was greatly hindered 

 by the delay of Congress in making the appropriation. Until it was 

 definitely known how much would be appropriated for education no 

 plan of work could be arranged. Until the appropriation was actually 

 nuide the office Avas left in doubt whether it would be able to enlarge 

 the work, or merely continue existing schools, or disband them. 



The appropriation was not made until August, 1886. In the mean- 

 time the trading vessels that sail from San Francisco to Bering Sea in 

 the spring and return in the fall had all sailed, and with them the only 

 regular opportunity of sending teachers and school supplies to western 

 Alaska. To wait until the following spring would involve the delay of 

 another year in establishing the schools. Under the circumstances 

 there was no alternative but to charter a vessel for the work of the 



