THROUGH WONDERLAND. 
65 
Formerly the pilots used to go around Cape Ommaney, and put out to sea in 
order to reach Sitka, although there was a channel leading from Chatham Strait 
thereto which saved the roughness of a sea voyage. It was shunned, however, 
by most of them, and, in getting the ominous name of Peril Strait, certain sup¬ 
posed dangers were thought to be lurking in it. Captain Carroll, who has spent 
half an ordinary lifetime in these waters, and done much toward practically 
determining their navigability, found that most of the peril was in the name,— 
at least to ships under his management,—and Peril Straits* are used nearly 
altogether now, making Sitka, though facing the Pacific Ocean, practically on 
the inland passage. 
Just before entering Peril Straits,—by the way, one of the most charming 
of the many channels described,—we stop at a little place ensconced in a 
narrow inlet of Chatham Strait, called Killisnoo. At Killisnoo the Northwest 
Trading Company, of Portland, Oregon, have erected quite extensive works for 
the capture and curing of cod-fish, which has made this something of a port, at 
least for Alaska. There is also a phosphate factory here, where phosphates are 
made from herring, after the oil is extracted. This company formerly caught 
whales in this strait; but I understand the enterprise has been partially, or 
wholly, given up as not paying; or, at least, in proportion to the new enter¬ 
prises they have more recently opened. Around this part of Admiralty Island 
are the Kootznahoo Indians, who have been quite a warlike band of savages in 
the past, but have been quite mollified by an incident in their troubles, which I 
will give in the language of a correspondent to the New York Times , of 
November 23, 1884 : 
“The Kootznahoo village, near the fishing station of Killisnoo, was the 
scene of the latest naval battle and bombardment on the coast, two years 
ago. A medicine man of the tribe who went out in a whale-boat was killed 
by the explosion of a bomb harpoon, and the Indians demanded money or 
a life as an equivalent for their loss. The Killisnoo traders did not respect 
this Indian law of atonement, and the Indians seized a white man for hos¬ 
tage. Finding that the hostage had only one eye, they declared him 
cultus (bad), and sent word that they must have a whole and sound man, or 
his equivalent in blankets, to make up for their lost medicine man. They 
threatened the massacre of the settlement, and word was sent to Sitka for 
help. Captain Merriman, United States navy, went over with the revenue 
cutter ‘Corwin’ and the steamer ‘Favorite,’ and made a counter demand for 
blankets as a guarantee for their future peace and quiet. Failing to respond, 
he carried out his threat of shelling their village, the Indians having 
improved their hours of delay by removing their canoes, valuables and pro¬ 
visions. Most of the houses were destroyed, and the humbled Indians came 
to terms, and have been the most penitent and reliable friends of the whites 
* The Russian name is Destruction or Pernicious Straits (the reason for which appears further 
on), and, in its improper translation to Peril Straits, many people supposed the name was given 
on account of its dangerous navigation. 
5 
