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teaching. A little education seems to show more quickly when applied to an Indian than it does on any other race. It shows on the surface. It smooths out the wrinkles on his forehead, as if the tangled threads of life had been set aright. He looks much better, and no doubt the effect is far reaching.

A thousand miles is as nothing in the jurisdiction of Bishop Rowe, of the Episcopal Church. It is more than that far from Anvik to Circle City, and yet they are spoken of as neighbors. The Rev. J. L. Prevost has charge spiritually of the few hundred miles of the river, which includes the mining towns and the post at the mouth of Tanana river, which latter place is called Fort Adams although the mission is designated St. James. Mr. Prevost has made that station his residence for two or three years. They have a boarding-school for natives there, and among other enlightening influences he has started a small newspaper, which is now issued from the press twice a year, and it is a very interesting little paper, for it contains the news of the country—something of all that is going on-from Herschel Island to the mines, and from Bering Sea to Mackenzie River. Mr. Prevost will have a small steamboat at his disposal next year, and will be enabled to move thoroughly over his field. The work of religious teaching at Fort Yukon for the most part has been deputed to a native catechist.

Other Protestant denominations have missions on the Yukon and along the coast of Alaska, notably the Presbyterians and the Methodists.

PROTESTANT MISSIONARIES.

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The work of the Protestant missionaries will be facilitated by the introduction of the little Siberian reindeer, provided the experiment proves a success, which now seems likely, although it will be rather slow in practical benefits. The Eskimos will need to be patiently taught new traits. Their natural inclination is to kill and eat. This likewise is the ruling passion of their dogs, and both must be trained and restrained.

The majority of the Protestant missionaries are married, and, of course, have their families with them. There are those, especially of the Church of England missions, who have almost grown old in this particular field. Bishop Bompass, of the Selkirk diocese, has been in the country since the establishment of the mission, thirty years ago. It is said he can take a slab of dried salmon in each pocket, and for a few days out-travel an Indian courier. And the worthy bishop, while extending the sway of the Gospel, has taken some thought at odd times of worldly matters. His wealth is estimated at $250,000. The Jesuits enter the field, of course, to

stay.

Supported distinctively by the American Province of the Moravian Church, the mission in Alaska dates from the year 1884, when in response to the invitation of Dr. Sheldon Jackson, A. Hartmann and William H. Wienland were sent on a tour of exploration to the Nushagak and Kuskoquim Rivers in northwestern Alaska. The first permanent missionaries, William H. Weinland and John H. Kilbuck and their wives, together with Hans Torgersen, who was to go out temporarily to aid in erecting

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TORGERSEN DROWNED:

the needful houses, landed at the mouth of the Kuskoquim River, on June 19, 1885. On August 10 Torgersen was drowned whilst sailing up the river with supplies for Bethel, as they named the station they founded. The first converts were received into Church fellowship on September 10, 1888. A second station was founded at Carmel, on the Nushagak, by Frank E. Wolff, in 1887, who was accompanied by his wife and Mary Huber.

CHAPTER XIV.

NOTES FROM ALASKAN HISTORY.

Vitus Bering, an emissary of Peter the Great-Discovery of Mount St. Elias-Fourteen lost sailors—Alexander Baranof and the inception of the Russian American Company-Spanish attempts to possess Alaska-Russian oppression and cruelty -An idyll of Baranof Castle-Purchase by the United States-A blood-stained flag-The naming of the territory-Military occupation and civil government— Governors past and present-Proposed legislation.

THE

HE history of our northwest possessions begins with the voyages of discovery by Vitus Bering, an officer in the Russian navy. In 1728, bearing a commission from Peter the Great, he found the strait, between Siberia and America, which bears his name. In 1741, at the behest of the Empress Anne, he started to find Vasco de Gama's fabled land. After encountering and weathering a severe storm he reached Kayak Island on St. Elias Day, July 17th, 1741, saw and named the great mountain that to-day is one of the monuments which set the line between the American and British possessions. A few days later this intrepid old sea-dog was shipwrecked on the Comandorski Islands and lost his life. His scurvystricken crew put back into a Siberian port, carrying with them a few skins of seals whose flesh had kept them from starvation. Immediately Russian traders sent out expeditions to get more of these rich furs. Tschirikow was in command of one of these parties, and arriving on the coast near the present site of Sitka, sent a boat's

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crew to make a survey of the bay. They failed to come back, and a second crew was dispatched to make search. After waiting for three weeks Tschirikow sailed for home short of fourteen men and a number of boats. This experience put a damper on Alaskan exploration, and there was but little activity in this direction until 1783, when Gregory Shelikoff, a rich Siberian merchant, established a post on Kadiak Island. He took into partnership with him Alexander Baranof, a Russian merchant, who had been ruined by the loss of his caravans. They seem to have been a very energetic firm, and did much to establish their business on a firm basis. In May, 1799, Baranof built a stockaded post on the island which bears his name, three miles north of the present city of Sitka. That same year Emperor Paul VIII granted a charter to the Russian American Fur Company. This corporation was the result of a consolidation of nine rival Siberian trading concerns, and had a number of the imperial family as stockholders. Up to this time the Romanoffs had given but little attention to their American domains. The new company was given absolute control of the country for a period of twenty years, and Baranof was made the resident manager.

In the meantime the news of Tschirikow's discoveries had reached Spain and had aroused the cupidity and interest of the reigning monarch.

Spain took alarm at the apparently important nature of the Russian explorations. In order to neutralize what she evidently considered an encroachment on her