No7]£Mbek3o,1880,] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



325 



gortsmm Skomist 



CniLCAT AKD CHILCOOT. 



StEAJIEH r.VTOBlTE, POKTAOE BaT, 



Cnri-OOOT JsiiB.% Ghatharo Straits, Aliislia, 

 August 24, 1880. 



I DON'T feci at all sure that the aboTC long and apparent- 

 ly comprehensive heudiiig will give you or your readers 

 a very clear idea as to "Piseeo's" whereabouts; ao I will 

 expliiui a little uiore in detail where I am, and tor the benefit 

 Oi such of >our readers willi udvenlurinis Inrn of jniud, 

 fnnduesa for travel, and who uiay be bolJiercd every summer 

 with the great questiou "Where shall I go?" will tell you 

 u.nv and why Igot here and what I ani doing— the latter 

 first, as it is the shortest story. I am simply waiting, with 

 such patience as 1 can muster up, the getting sober process- 

 now 1 hope in operation upon a number of Indian chiefs 

 ■with whom to-morrow I am to hold converse on affairs of 

 importance; of so grt-at. iniiJOiifuice, in fact, that there are 

 at this present moment, within thirty miles of this place, at 

 least lliree thousand Indians, wjio are more or less advanced 

 in the different fctages of intoxication which are incidental to 

 a IKikUach, which potalach is the commencement ceremony of 

 a war which has heen declared^ het ween the Chileat and Chil- 

 coot Indians. 



A self-const itnted conimissiriri, consiRting of Major Wm. 

 Gouverneur Morris ami mysi.-if, wliien is iii-cverenlly temif-d 

 liy the Shamiui and by.lrocrraplicr wlm acconipany it the 

 "Hyas .Joint," has liecn cmitiun' mound anions the islands 

 of tlu' Alexander Archipelago, llie icebergs of Cross .Sound 

 and ley Straits, the "Klorions" Klaciers (1 got that adjec- 

 tive from i'rof. :Mnir liiniscifj of Chatham Straits and Lynn 

 Canal, and the dangiriais rapids and reefs which character- 

 ize Peril Straits, vissiiin^;- the most powerful of the Oranans 

 ur coast tribes, and settling uji niany troubles and little dis- 

 putes which liiive sprung up siuce the white men have begun 

 10 pcneirale ihi- eounlry. 



(Jirr trip is lieing made in a trim and very comfortable little 

 steamer, the Favinite, wbicb is owned by a company of nn- 

 terprisintj men, v,-ho have delermincd, Elliott to the contrary 

 nolwilh.-tundiiig, llial the resources of Alaska are well worth 

 developing, and who, havuig organized themselves as the 

 "Northwest Trading Company," are following as far as 

 they go, and reaching out beyond, when they fall short, the 

 footsteps of the Hudson's Bay Oompanj', which for years 

 controlled the trade of southeast .^Viaska. 



The company has established and is establishing trading 

 posts at various suitable locations, where, comfortably en- 

 sconced in a neat frame house and store comliincd, their agent 

 cmphiyslns time hi trading with the Indians his slock of 

 cloths," buttons, shoes, hats, beads, blankets, cnmlis, in short 

 nearly all and every article down to bogus mecrschauins and 

 cheap umbrellas usually to be found in a eonntiy store, re- 

 ceiving in return the skins of sea otter, fur and iifiir scals^ sea 

 lions, beaver, mink, marten, laud otter. Ijears, ^volvcrine.s, 

 lynx and others, aud the oil of whales, porpoise,^, and seals 

 and between intervals of active trade beguiles Ins lonesome 

 weary houis by learning Chinook from a Clootchman. 



The Faverite is the eotmecliug link between theii' agents 

 and the outside world (in which dignified position Sitka 

 stands to thenOi and, making a monthly trip, distributes and 

 collects. 



I'pon Ibis tiiii ;!,c i-i.ivsls of trade were -■,,,,. mkI 



ich.v. 



! iK 



— which WiTi: . I.I,.:. :.cii the huv.'il/.er - 



aud the galling, i.,.jUiut-uou Llie upper deck ,.:a,^ij i.n 



that the ''lire canoe" was upon a more important 



and at each village we visited there was a hun-ied discarding 



of blankets and scrubbing up and arrangement in gorgeous, 



although often incongruous cosimnes. by the Li wash Tyhees, 



pre.paraior}' to their wiui-pnn with the " ITyas CiotcUe J. 0." 



Yesterday we reached this place, and here only the post 

 traders greeted us, and a few women remained to welcome 

 and sell' us salmon berries. All the men and boys had gone 

 to the great polalatch which was going on at the Chilcoot 

 villilge," some twenty miles awav, and at Chileat also (do be 

 careful of the last syllfiliies of C\n\mi and CldUwy/, otlierwise 

 niy letter will be liartly mixed j a polalatch was taking place, 

 which was enlivened by a little fighting, in which already 

 some blood had iicen shed, one life lost, aud much more 

 of the same to be expected. 



I'll try to give you a clearer (I won't say clear) idea of the 

 situation. The Chilcals and Coots occupy ea^h ';m:; r -■'.'■.-(.^ 

 which are about thirty mUes distant from ea. !i . . : . .d 



well up the rivers, one of which, the Chileat, ,ifli- 



east, imd the other south-west, converge to ili; l; . . i j ur- 

 row^ peninsula which divides the upper end uf Chatliain 

 Btrails into t,wo bays. There is a trail and poiiuge across 

 this peninsula, ainj ut the losver Chileat village on the w-esl, 

 side, and at I'ortage Ba\- on llie east, the two tribes meet to 

 trade or La't dannk when in hannon3% At Portage Bay the 

 I'osl Ai'eail, ii in the coiillnencc of the two. 



The 'I,;!!-:!!: ■■■■■■• 'iw 111, 1^1 ;iM.,v,-TfnI and warlike of all of 

 the .VI, -ii 'ir " Ili' ' ■ iiv,-,ys been opposed To the 

 eomir : I, ... r ■ 'i !i . 'I ' 1, iHincipally because they 

 feared :iii iui , ■ -,.i,_ii, i v, lili :, li^lit which they have always 

 ' lainicd and maintained to the trade with the interior In- 

 eli ms, the Sticks, and also because, as their chief, Klotz-Klolz, 

 .^aid, "The while men demoralize the Indians by selling or 

 giving them liquor and debauching the women," which, I re- 

 gret to say, is only too true. 



Nearly all of the Indians of Ala.ska arc, according to tradi- 

 tion, descended from the Chilcats, and among these descend- 

 ants are the Chiicoote, who. living in proximiiy, have inter- 

 married to such -extent that a war between theui has all the 

 horrors of a civil war. Such a war we found in progress. 

 Slatted a. few days ago. its are nearly all the troubles in this 

 or.uatry.started,byabarrelofmolaise.?, which had produced its 

 usud "effect upon an Indian who, last summer, had been 

 st;il>lK;d at Wrangel by a white rowdy, and wlm, as a natuial 

 (lonHequencc, cherished a blood lend, to be allayed only by 

 the "getting even" process of kUUng a white man. This 

 ceremony ho attempted to perform on a French trader (from 

 whom in all probability the molasses was procured), but .got 

 whipped in tJie attempt, as the trader was protected by the 

 chiefs, who thus kept their promises to me, and satisfied him- 

 self liy settling up a gi'udge with another Indian, who some 

 time ago had, in a heated discussion, bitten off his right ear, 

 This little aSair he settled by shooting to death tlic cjinnibal- 

 isiic iidian, Uiifortuaalely the man with the brokeu ear 



a Clulcat aud the ear-breaking defunct a Chilcoot, hence this 

 row, which blood ot blankets alone can settle, aud both par- 

 lies are getting up Duieh courage for the fight. 



Ow onl}'- hope is that the messj^ges we sent to both sides 

 on our arrival yesterday will meet with respect, and that 

 they wiU, as we reiinest, estat'lish a tiaice, gel sejber and 

 come to lalk the matter over with us. If they do I have full 

 faith that we will be able to stop llie wm- ; Iml until they do 

 come, or send us word that they refuse, we are reduced to 

 the monotony of expectanc}^ which i,s llie more trying inas- 

 much as within easy distance there is a grand glacier, \vliij,'ie 

 terminal moraiac ia accessible, that we would like to visit, 

 a marsh aud flat where wild geese and ducks congregate, aia:l 

 a stream where Salmo spcciabalU are abundant, all of wdiieh 

 are to us now out of reach, for it woidd never do to let these 

 Tyhees, if they do come, catch us in the dishabille incident 

 to glacier explriring, .shooting or fishing trips. We would be 

 sure to sacrifice prestige, while gaining comfort, by the sub- 

 stitution of slouch hats, flannel shirts aud rubber boots for 

 brass buttons, cocked hats aud gold lace. 



The Major and I have, however, our resources — ^he up to 

 his elbow in papers which are in course of embodiment in his 

 forthcoming report, aud I my note-book, which is crowded 

 with items', among which lho.se for Piseeo's Fop.est and 

 Stream friends are badly mixed with others of dry statistics 

 and other matter bctler adapted for olficial papers. 



I will while waiting employ profitably a portion of the weary 

 hours in getting into shape some of the former, which in due 

 time I will transmit to you as "The Log of the Favorite." I 

 trust that in so doiug I may be able to interest first of all 

 myself, for it is hard for mc now to withdraw my mind from 

 the contemplation of the alternative which is facing me. If 

 my message to the Chileat aud Chilcoot chiefs is received 

 with respect, and I find that I have not over-nitcd my influ- 

 ence with the Indians, and if they ilo get Kobcr, do deelafc ii 

 truce and do come to me as I bid them, and wlaai tlii:y co ne 

 do submit to my counsel and do re-establish [/eace, f shall 

 have rendered a gi-eal service to them and to such whites as 

 arc now iirospeeling the country far beyond protection, and 

 the results of this trip will be of more value to the future 

 of Alaska than any which I have been enabled to accom- 

 plish. 



But, on the other hand, if I have overrated and they won't 

 come, aud send me instead a message to clear out ; or, if 

 coming, they refuse ray intervention, the prestige I have es- 

 tablished wUl be ruined and my usefulness in this coimtry at 

 an end. 



I have a great deal depending upon tlic nex't few hours. 

 When tlicy are [lassed anil I shall know the result I shall 

 either finish this letter or commit it to the wastepaper 

 basket. 



PriiAMro HAKBdB, Aug. SS, p m. 



That you get this letter may be a sign and token to you 

 that succesi? has crowned our efforts. I gave in I'esterday 

 afternoon, too restless to continue my summing up, and in 

 spite of my prudent resolution donned my shooting habili- 

 ments and started across the trail for a peep at a little lake 

 where the evening before tlie jiajor had .seen signs that con- 

 vinced him that when the time was right duck.s must flock 

 to it. 



About half way over I met in shiglc file, first Pierre Erras- 

 san, who, witli his handsome six feet of figure arrayed in 

 red shirt leggins and well revolvered, would have made a 

 capital robl.rer in Fra Diavolo ; and behind him five Inditms, 

 the feiremont of whom f at onee rccogmzed bv dpscri|.i|ions 1 

 had had as Klotz-Klotz, the ciiitf ot the Chilcats, a tall, well- 

 built, dignified old fellow, from whose good looks, however, 

 a wad of cotton, stufledintoahole in his left cheek, somewhat 

 detracted. From this hole, caused by a gunshot wound, one of 

 his soubriquets, "Holedn-the-Cheek,"has been derived. With 

 him was auotlici- veteran, almost equally powerful wilh him- 

 self aud much older, Klot/, being about sixty and Kak na lay 

 about seventy or more. Both welcomed me most lieartily, 

 for in sjiite of my decidedly umnilitary rig, Fnassau, with 

 troe shrewdness "and French poUteuess combined, drew him- 

 self stithy up as we neared each other, and making to me the 

 most pro'fouud obeisance omitted to offer me his hand, thus 

 paying tribute to my greatness, which was his trump card 

 with the Indians, trnd most gracefully and solenmly introduced 

 me. 



The costume of Klotz and Kat were not so gorgeous as to add 

 to my discomfiture, as both they and their attendants were 

 arrayed in blankets and leggins ; but in a big box carried by 

 the "latter was the wardrobe, in wluch he had expected to 

 astonisli and impress me. 



The retainers w-ere in war paint, with cotton or down on 

 their bea<is, which indicated determination. 



Thus stripped, of all external show <,.f power, the old chief and 

 I sat down under a gi-eat cedar tree and discussed the situ.-ition. 

 I think that this meeting was a fortunate one, for I had wilh 

 uie cigars and a breech-loader, the ixe.b use of both of which 

 I at olice accorded ; and the influence of a large meerschaum 

 pipe, wduch some mouths ago I seut him as a present, had its 



weight. 



Ai\i'.\r all, if the true history of wars and diplomacy could 

 lie written, how many times such little matters have had 

 more weight than elaborate speeches, couviucing only their 

 utterer. 



Free from disturbing influences, Klotz-Klotz unbosomed 

 himself, and during that interview he admitted tome that his 

 family was in the wrong, and that he woukl willingly assist 

 in esiabllshing peace. lie claimed that the Ii died Chilcoot 

 was not worth a hundred blankets, but that he would pay 

 two hundred if no less would heal the breach. 



The post trader made Klotz & Co, comfortable for the 

 night, and this morning about ten o'clock several large ca- 

 noes, with flags flying, drums (Indian dinima) beating, and 

 propelled by aliom a dozen painted paddlers, each came 

 around the point of Chilcoot Inlet and were shortly along- 

 side. h\ the foremost was Danawah, the Chief of Uie lon-er 

 villaore, and a blind old Shaman, who is Chief of the Ghil- 

 coots. 



They were directed to go ashore to the post trader's, to 

 wait III III I I iuicod the readiness ot the 



Tjh liised to go to the trader's, 



becai; ■. were there, but instead 



paddleii in i,o lac nioiiiu 'n a eii-ei., where on the beach they 

 prepared and ,Hte tlieir meal arn:l eliaineiJ tlieir pow-wow gar- 

 ments. At 11 the sharp bark of the howitzer summoned 

 them to llie meeting, and both panics came alongside on 

 different sides of the boat, and avoiding aU intercourse with 

 each other. 



When duly seated in the cabin they presented a not undig- 

 nified appearance. All wore good American clothes, of which 

 the cf'sts were ornamented wilh more or less insignia of vari- 

 ous ranks of American aud English officers of both army and 

 navy, white shirtij and shoes and stockings. 



On our side of the table, epaulets and full dress tmdoubt- 

 edly produced good effect. 



The interview lasted two hours, and during it the whole dif- 

 ficulty was adjusted, aud when we left the stifling atmosphere 

 of the cabin — for Indians even of high rank are odorous — ^for 

 the upper deck we were a parly of friends aU under pledges 

 for inutnal benefit. 



]\Iine to them was, in answer to the request of both parties, 

 "Yes; 1 will do my utmost to assist you in this matter," 

 wh ich matter was this, " When you go to your country please 

 tell them to send teachers to us as well ss to the Stickienes, 

 so tliut our clnldi-en may not grow up stupid like their 

 fiUliers." I The Slicldenes are the Indians at Wrangel, where 

 the Prcslij'terians have established a mission school which is 

 doing much good.) I believe that they vyll keep their prom- 

 ises U) treat well all white men couiing to their cotmtry, and 

 I know I will mine, and through yon I now ask of any Cliris- 

 tians you may have aiiiong your readers - and I doubt not that 

 suchthereare — tosend toihepiov. G. Lyon, :\Iissiouary at Sit- 

 ka, such articles as wi 1 1 be ueel ul to the school which iVlrs. Dick- 

 son, the wife of the post trader, has started on her own hook, and 

 at which half a hundreu children are being taught, and which 

 is soon to be transferred toa neat frainebuilding, which, designed 

 for a store at Taku, has lieen, by Capt. Vanderbilt, given to 

 the Indians at Portage Bay, and on each side of which build- 

 ing the C!liilcats and Chilcoots, now re-united, pronii.se to 

 build villages so that their children may attend the schools. 



The Indians were entertained by a few shots fired from the 

 howitzer, and more by several volleys from thegatliiig which 

 was mounted aft, and which was made to sweep an arc of 180 

 deg., at good canoe distance. 



Then lliey paddled ashore in company, lit a camp fire, and 

 began a fri"endly polalatch on the beach, and we, satisfied 

 -with the day's work, started at 3 p. m for home, as we have 

 learned to "consider Sitka, and are now anchored in a snug 

 harbor for the night, during which I hope to make up in 

 sleep for last night of wakefulness and unrest. 



All's well that ends well. Piseco. 



ROUGH NOTES FROM THE WOODS. 



FoTH Papeb. 



Outlet or Foueth Lake, Bkown's Tbaot — Ann Jonks' 



CA3IP on the S'lILLWATEK — GolNG Is ASD CoMINQ 



Out— Some Remarks on the PtiESENT Statcs of tuk 

 KoRTtiEiiS Wilderness— The " Arnold HorsE "—The 

 Gentle Tourist— What He Caioiibi3— What Hb 

 Kills, ako How He Does It. 



IT is the 2d of September, as sitting in my shanty at' the 

 foot of Fourth Lake I lazily scribble a' few notes of a 

 two months' paddle in these Nort'liern waters. I have perhaps 

 paddled loo much. My unquenchable love for fresh water 

 seas — laige or small — has kept me from prospecting the for- 

 est as much as in all honesty I ought to have done. 



But the Wooddrake was such a duck ; it was so delightful 

 to drift about the cool, clear laki^s, by ilay or night in her. 

 The weather diuiug the healed term wi;s so perfect, and the 

 woods from side topside, and from end to end, are so fearfully 

 heavy to a footman that I came to spend most of my waking 

 hours aflfjat. More times llian I can tell I filled her with the 

 coarse, soft brakes, (ferns, botaniealiy) piling them a little 

 more at each end of the canoe than in the middle, then lying 

 down in the easiest position I could get, let myself drift — just 

 where it pleased winds and waves to send me. 



The easy, gentle rocking of the canoe was the best incen- 

 tive to dr'owsiness I ever found, and by night or day, was 

 nearly certain to send me into dreamland. AT score of times 

 I have gone to sleep drifting on deep, wide water, to be 

 awakened by the jiressing and bumping of the little craft 

 among the dead balsams and sprevees that— Sathanus con- 

 found them— m.ake half the shore-lines of all the lakes in the 

 North Woods a nuisance instead of adelight. Government does 

 it. Authority decrees that because a certain ditch on which 

 floats may be" floated, taxed, locked, loaded and, let us hope, 

 ultimately sent to the demnition bow-wows — requires more 

 water, the most beautiful and useful water system in 

 the world shall bo laid under coiilribution for llie needful 

 liquid to float u bulLhead seov,-. The bright, green shores 

 are to be convened into a dismal nightmure of "drowned 

 lands." The outlet of First Lake has a most powerful and 

 commanding dam which has lowered the first three lakes 41 

 inches since July 13. A dam is bein^ built at the foot of 

 Sixth, where there is 60 feet fall or there.aboiUB. 



A coffer daui is in progress between Seventh and Eighth, 

 the Woodhulls, the Beaver, the Grass, the Oswegatohie.'' All 

 the waters in tlie western and northern portions i L the wilder- 

 ness are " essentially damned." As totho shortaightetl policy 

 that has ctmsed this time will show. For the present I am. 

 tenipted to quote fi'om "As You Like It -." "Touchstone. 

 ' If thou be'st not damned, for this the devil will have no shep- 

 herds. I cannot see how else thou should'st escape.' " 



1 cannot dwell on this dreary featmc tliat every intelligent 

 touri-st sees and execrates. If Vcjplaack C'ciK in's proposition 

 of a grand aeiiKiduct from the hencl waters of rjie Hudson to 

 Now York City (supiilying the Hudson Valley) should ever 

 become an accomplished fact, 11 will cliunge the entire char- 

 acter and status cif tlio Wilderness in a luauuer that guides 

 and landlords have yet to leain. 



Ne\-er in tlic history of the Wildemess was such an influx 

 ofvisiloia seiui as in the summer of 1880. One naturally 

 asks, is this to continue? When "Murray's Fools " rusle'd 

 to the North Woods in 18G9, it was thought by mimy, even 

 the guides, that the thing was overdone. 



In 1870 guiding was poor business. It has picked up won- 

 derfully since then, but to my friends the guides of the North 

 Woods, I want to give a few words of advice. I have made 

 it a point to get my information from the men most able to 

 give il, and these luo the guides. 



IMy good fellows, deiu't run yourselves Into the ^oimd. 

 Y'ouknow, and I know, that when the guiding season is over, 

 instead of $3 per day you are ready to "hire out" for the 

 winter at a wage of $1 per day and board, and few of you 

 can get that much. 



More : when you skin a gentleman he paj^ tlie swindle 

 and makes a note of it. 



For weeks I fished, paddled and hunted about the head- 

 waters of the Moose. ^ly son] was sated with trout and ven- 

 ison. I longed not for i lie Hesh-pots of Egj'pt, but for 1 he 

 vegetable gardens at home, green peas, so to speak ; suc- 

 cotash, as it were ; the early harvest apple ; the sweet hough ; - 

 the summer sweeting: the fresh tomato; the dozens of things 

 unattainable in the woods. All this I said to myself, as at 

 midnight I sat at the outlet of Fourth Lake and hailed and 

 interviewed guides and tourists, who row over these waters 

 at all times of day and night. It was the fourth of Septem- 

 ber. In a week more my holiday was out. Why should I 



