fied seventy-seven different kinds of mammals, thirty-five of fishes, 
one hundred and ninety-two of birds, and fifty-three of insects, 
many of them prior to 1867 unknown to science. That this list 
will be extended upon additional investigation there is little doubt. 
Congress has been asked to authorize the expenditure of a sum of 
money to enable further study, but as yet it has not regarded the 
request favorably. Volunteers possessing the requisite zeal and 
talent necessary to prosecute a w r ork of this character have not 
been wanting, and at this time are not without hope that the sub¬ 
ject will be regarded with favor by Congress at an early day, from 
the fact that very recently the United States Senate has approved 
a bill authorizing a Territorial government for Alaska, hesitatingly, 
it is true, and only of a tentative character. In any event the 
friends of the Territory can now feel that the results of this new 
and first government provided by the United States will be grati¬ 
fying to Congress, and lead to further important legislation in her 
interests. 
In the quantity and quality of her timber, Alaska is thought to 
rival California, Oregon and Washington Territory, and to hold 
in reserve a supply of this article for an indefinite period, when 
the forests of the last mentioned places have been exhausted and 
perhaps forgotten. The visitor who has observed several saw¬ 
mills in operation on the waters of British Columbia and in the 
Territory, and the numerous slides for timber from the summits 
of the elevated peaks, may not feel so confident as to the duration 
of Alaska forests. At a number of points timber was sawn in 
steam-mills and transported to San Francisco, where it is prized 
for ship-building among other uses. The most highly prized are 
hemlock, pine and cedar, though there are other useful woods. 
The mountainous character of the coast, the absence of roads and 
facilities for transporting the timber w hen it cannot be rolled into 
the water, greatly retard the activity of this industry, and in some 
instances have caused it to languish. 
There is reason for the impression that gold exists extensively 
in the Territory, and for certain active mining operations connected 
therewith. At Auk, an Indian village on an inland arm of the 
sea, placer and quartz-mining have been going on for a number 
of years during the summer months. As to the results, it is 
