DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 25 



The destruction of Fort Archangel Michael was a heavy blow to Bar- 

 anof, but he was so occupied with other sections that it was not until the 

 spring of 1804 that he was able to set out to reestablish his settlement in 

 Sitka Sound. In March, 1804, Baranof received word that the Emperor 

 had raised him to the nobility, creating him a "Collegiate councilor." 

 This new mark of the Emperor's appreciation of his work affected him to 

 tears, but with the memory of Sitka ever upon his mind, he exclaimed: 

 " I am a nobleman, but Sitka is lost. I do not care to live. I will go 

 and either die or restore the possessions of my august benefactor." 



Having completed his arrangements on the 2d of April, Baranof sent 

 foward two ships in command of Demiauenkof, and two days later 

 sailed himself with the sloops ETcaterina and Alexander and 300 

 bidarkas, making a combined force of 120 Bussians and 800 Aleuts 

 with which to meet and overcome the five or six thousand native 

 warriors that could be massed against them. Arriving at Yakutat, he 

 was reinforced by Kuskof with the small sloops Yermak and Eostislaf, 

 which had been built for the occasion. On the 25th of August Baranof 

 left Yakutat on board of the Mermalc, reaching Sitka Sound September 

 19, whither the Alexander and Elmterina had preceded him. And with 

 them was the ship Neva, Captain Lissianski having unexpectedly 

 arrived from Russia via Cape Horn and Kadiak. The natives were 

 found intrenched upon an island rock 60 feet above tide water. 



On the 1st of October four of the ships were anchored off the native 

 stronghold, and fire was opened from the ships, followed by a desper- 

 ate charge led by Baranof himself. The assault was repulsed, with 

 the loss of eleven men and the wounding of Baranof and Lieutenants 

 Arbuzof and Pofalishin. The following day the ships opened a furious 

 bombardment, which caused the natives to sue for peace. Three days 

 were consumed in negotiations without the stronghold being surren- 

 dered, when, on October 6, Captain Lissiansky, who, at the request of 

 Baranof, had taken charge of the hostilities, constructed a raft, upon 

 which he moved two guns nearer the fort. An interpreter was again 

 sent to demand an immediate surrender of the post, and brought back 

 word that the natives would leave at high tide. But the tide rose and 

 fell without any apparent movement within the fort. Late in the night 

 a weird, wailing chant was heard in the fort, and all was still. It was 

 the death dirge as they killed their infants and small children lest their 

 cries should betray their flight. Then silently stealing out of the fort 

 into the woods, they escaped unobserved. In the morning a flock of 

 ravens circled over the fort and fed on the slain. When the Bussians 

 entered the stockade they found the bodies of thirty warriors and all 

 the small children. 



This place had been originally selected by Baranof as the site for a 

 settlement, and it was now taken for that purpose. The rock fortress 

 was burned to the ground and its site was taken for the location of the 

 residence and offices of the Bussian commander, and the foundations 



