ALASKA. 25 



iu better bouses, witb greater facibties for bunting, and receive 

 better pay tbau tbey ever reabzed before for tbeir skins. Of 

 tbis I am confident, by personal observation of tbe present, and 

 from a knowledge of tbe past derived from tbe archives of tbe 

 Eussian company, and tbe bistory, meager but true, of tbe 

 early traders in tbe country. Tbe enligbtened and true business 

 policy adopted by tbe agents of tbe Alaska Commercial Com- 

 pany witb regard to tbe improvement of tbe condition of tbe 

 bunters of tbe Aleutian Islands bas already begun to bear its 

 golden fruit in an immensely-increased yield of sea-otters every 

 year. Tliis statement is fully corroborated by a person of all 

 men in tbe whole country best qualified to pass an independent 

 and correct opinion, Fatber Innocent Sbiesnekov, an intelli- 

 gent and pious Greek Catbolic priest, in charge of tbe Aleu- 

 tians, who was born and raised on tbe ground, and witb wbom 

 I bave had several interviews bearing upon tbe subject of tbis 

 chapter. 



There is one general evil, not confined to tbis section of tbe 

 Territory, but more injurious to tbe people bere than elsewhere, 

 and tbat is tbe curse of beer drinking and tbe disorders wbicb 

 arise constantly from its effects. These people bave an inordi- 

 nate fondness for spirituous liquors, and as tbis is not permitted 

 to be made, vended, or brought into tbe Territory, tbe traders 

 among these natives keep sucb a sbarp lookout for wbisky- 

 scbooners, that tbe traffic is tborougblj^ suppressed among tbe 

 Aleutians; and tbe people, tberefore, determined to bave some 

 means of ministering to tbeir craving appetites for strong drink, 

 brew a thick, sour, alcobolic beer, by fermenting sugar, bops, i 

 flour, dried apples, &c., together, in certain proportions, witb j 

 water, and many of them manage to keep intoxicated and stu- > 

 pefled for weeks, and even montbs, at a time ; beating tbeir 

 wives and cbildreu, destroying their bouses, and recently, on 

 several occasions, committing murder. Tbis practice uiakes 

 every one of the settlements at frequent intervals, and always 

 after tbe return of a successful bunting-party, a scene of la- 

 mentable debauchery, wbicb can only be stopped either by pro- 

 bibitiug tbe sale or importation of sugar into tbe Territory, or 

 by empowering Government agents to inflict sumiuary punisb- 

 ment for tbe least criminal oftenses growing out of intoxication. 

 ^0 great severity in the punisbment would be required, for it 

 must be said, to their credit, that tbey are naturally a law-abiding 



