32 REPORT ON INTRODUCTION OF 



beautiful snow clad mountains to the southward. About 9 p. m. we 

 reached our destination at Pete Doll Slough. Upon stilts on the bank 

 was a small frame house where twelve fishermen and a cook abide dur- 

 ing the few weeks in which salmon run at this point. As we came up 

 to the mud bank there were six piles of red salmon and sis of king 

 salmon waiting to be loaded upon the steamer. The catch for the day- 

 was 4,000 fish, which were soon loaded on board. For the common 

 salmon, averaging 8 pounds each, the fishermen receive 3 cents per 

 fish, and for the king salmon, weighing from 40 to 80 pounds, 10 cents 

 each. Soon after midnight, the tide being up, the steamer started to 

 return to the canneries, but before fairly getting out in the stream, ran 

 aground, and the tide falling, we were left where we could get off the 

 steamer and walk ashore. This detained us until high tide at noon on 

 the 24th, when we again got under way, reaching the canneries about 



5 p. m. While en route we passed five bidarkas with natives hunting 

 the sea otter. 



Eeturning to the Bear at 6.45 p. m., we were under way for Nuchek. 

 At 10.35 the cutter ran ashore on a sand shoal, but was able to back 

 off without any serious damage. On the morning of the 25th we 

 dropped anchor at Nuchek, where we remained until 2.35 a. m. on the 

 27th, at which time a start was made for Cooks Inlet. Glaciers and 

 snow-covered mountains were visible the entire day. At 6.30 a. m. on 

 the 28th, rounding Chugatz Island, we entered Cooks Inlet. At 9 

 o'clock, overhauling the Ida Etta, the steamer was stopped to send a 

 boarding party to the sealer. At 9.20 we were again under way north- 

 ward, and at 1 p. m. passed Coal Point (Kachekmack Bay); at 3 p. m. 

 Staritchkof River was abeam; at 4.50 we anchored off Munia (Nilckik). 

 The village being 4 miles distant, the sailors had a long, hard pull to 

 shore. The whole male and child population of the village came down 

 to the beach to meet us. The only American in the place was Mr. J. 

 M. Cooper, the trader. The village is composed of 17 families of Rus- 

 sian Creoles, comprising 53 people, of whom 23 are children between 



6 and 21 years of age. The houses are small, but comfortable and well 

 built of logs. The village has also a small log church recently recon- 

 structed. The priest comes from Kenai once a year. In the meantime, 

 the principal men take turns in conducting church services. The com- 

 munity possesses 15 head of cattle (small Siberian breed). They raised 

 600 bushels of potatoes, besides cabbages, turnips, rutabagas, etc. 

 They have about 5 acres under cultivation. Each season they salt 

 down a sufficient quantity of fish for their winter use. Eighteen head 

 of moose were killed the past season; also a number of bears, lynx, 

 etc. The community was anxious for a school. These people are inter- 

 esting as the descendants of those who were sent in 1812 by the Rus- 

 sian American Company to found the Ross Colony and raise provisions 

 for the Alaska colonies. When the attempt was abandoned in 1841, 

 the people were returned to Alaska, and many of them settled at this 

 point. 



