7 2 Sketches of an Excursion to Southern Alaska. 



From the time of this interview Dr. Lindsley made persistent efforts to 

 secure the establishing of evangelical missions among this neglected people. 

 Frequent interviews were held with government officers and officials, in order 

 to secure protection for teachers and schools. In 1872 General Canby expressed 

 a favorable opinion of the proposed work, and promised his influence in secur- 

 ing government aid. In 1875 General O. O. Howard rendered valuable assist- 

 ance, and by co-operation with Dr. Lindsley urged the matter before public 

 attention by newspaper articles and much correspondence. The Boards of the 

 church were importuned, but found no one to undertake this work. An over- 

 ture was carefully prepared and sent up to the Assembly of 1877, in which the 

 interests of this mission field were urged upon the attention of this body, but 

 through the advice of "friends" it failed to come formally before the Assembly, 

 and so proved abortive. Up to this time failure seemed to attend every effort, 

 although "the appeals which had come from civilians, military officers, and 

 the aborigines were" very urgent. 



In the spring of 1877, the Board of Foreign Missions commissioned Mr. J. 

 C. Mallory, jr., for the wurk among the Nez Perce Indians of Idaho, but that 

 field was supplied when Mr. Mallory reached Portland. This seemed a provi- 

 dential opening of the way for beginning active work in Alaska. In May, at 

 Dr. Lindsley's expense, Mr. Mallory was furnished with necessary means to 

 enter the field at once, explore the ground, and take charge of a small school 

 already opened at Fort Wrangel. He visited Sitka and P'ort Wrangel and 

 the intervening regions, and very industriously prosecuted the work. He as- 

 sumed the responsibility of the school, and employed Philip Mackay, a native 

 convert, to assist. The work was progressing encouragingly when Mr. Mal- 

 lory, having accepted a government appointment in Arizona, was obliged to 

 leave the ground. Mrs. McFarland, a member of the First Presbyterian 

 church of Portland, u woman of " large and successful experience in frontier 

 work," was secured to fill the vacancy; and she carried on the work without 

 serious interruption. On the' eve of Mrs. McFarland's departure for Alaska, 

 Dr. Sheldon Jackson, having arrived at Portland on a visit, and being desir- 

 ous of seeing the regions beyond, acted as an escort, going up and returning 

 by the same trip of the mail steamer. Under Mrs. McFarland's supervision 

 the school became very prosperous. In a short time it doubled in nuftibers; 

 larger accommodations were necessary, and the success of the mission proven. 

 Up to October 22, 1877, about .f6oo of necessary expenses had been incurred 

 in assuming the payment of salaries, house rents, school furniture, and fitting 

 out the parties engaged in the work — all of which was undertaken by individ- 

 ual enterprise, and without the aid of the Boards of the church, the pastor of 

 the Presbyterian church at Portland assuming the entire responsibility. 



At this point, when the enterprise was established, the Board of Home 

 Missions assumed the charge and the money expended. 



The committee cannot refrain from calling the attention of the secretaries of 

 the board to a quotation which appeared in the Presbyterian Monthly Record 

 of December, 1877 (top of page 356), by which it appears to the public an 



