THROUGH WONDERLAND . 
77 
summit of Edgecumbe. The mountain opened, and received her into the 
bosom of the earth. That hole [the crater] is where she went down. Ever 
since that time she has held the earth above the water. The earth is shaped 
like the back of a turtle, and rests on a pillar ; Ah-gish-ahn-ahkon holds the 
pillar. Evil spirits that wish to destroy mankind seek to overthrow her and 
drive her away. The terrible battles are long and fierce in the lower darkness. 
Often the pillar rocks and sways in the struggle, and the earth trembles and 
seems like to fall; but Ah-gish-ahn-ahkon is good and strong, so the earth is 
safe. Chethl lives in the bird Kunna-Kaht-eth ; his nest is in the top of the 
mountain, in the hole through which his sister disappeared. 
“ He carries whales in his claws to this eyrie, and there devours them. He 
swoops from his hiding-place, and rides on the edge of the coming storm. The 
roaring of the tempest is his voice calling to his sister. He claps his wings 
in the peals of thunder, and its rumbling is the rustling of his pinions. The 
lightning is the flashing of his eyes.” 
Looking inland are the glacier-clad summits of the interior mountains, 
Vostovia predominating, where few people, even among the Indians of the 
country, have ever been. Taking all its surroundings, it may be well said, 
as has been written, that Sitka Bay rivals in scenic beauty its nearest counter¬ 
part, the far-famed Bay of Naples. Near Sitka comes in a beautiful mount¬ 
ain stream called the Indian river. A most picturesque road leads out to this 
rambling brook, and a less frequented trail winds up its valley ; but, if the 
steamer stops long enough to warrant the tramp, no one should fail to stroll 
along its two or three miles of winding way, embowered in absolutely tropical 
foliage, so dense and deep is it. It is the only road worthy of the name in 
Alaska ; and, if one wends his way through it, and then combines his information 
acquired thereby with a view of the Alpine country of this part of the Territory, 
he will plainly comprehend why there are no more roads than this particular 
one, and feel willing to give full credit to its makers. It is near the half-way 
point of the journey, also ; and this warrants a little inshore exercise that can 
be had at no other stopping place so well. 
About ten or eleven miles south of Sitka, on the mainland, but protected 
seaward by a breakwater of (Necker) islands, is Hot Springs Bay, on whose 
shores are springs which give it its name. About six or seven years before we 
obtained the Territory, the Russian American Fur Company, whose headquarters 
were at Sitka (since Baron Wrangell established them there in 1832), built a 
hospital at Hot Springs, which was said to have had wonderful remedial powers 
in skin and rheumatic diseases ; but, for some reasons, the place has been aban¬ 
doned (probably the lack of government by the United States)’, and the build¬ 
ings are reported to be in a state of decay. The Indians used the waters for 
illness, and thus called the attention of the Russians thereto. The temperature 
of the water is from 120 to 125 degrees, and it contains a number of elements 
held in solution, as sulphur, chlorine, manganese, sodium and iron, besides com¬ 
binations of these, and with other elements. It is worth a visit to see these hot 
