ALASKA.

Southland Times, Issue 1154, 7 May 1869, Page 3

ALASKA.

(The ' London Keview.) When the United States Government purchased from Eussia that portion of the continent which lying above the British Canadian possessions, infringes upon Behring Straits, and is now named Alaska, it was thought by some that the " earth fever" among our cousins had resulted in sheer madness. The satirical rogues of the American press described the transaction as an investment in eternal snows, glaciers, frozen seas, and volcanoes. These tbings are certainly plentiful enough in Alaska and the Aleutian Isles, which form part of the purchase ; but Mr Whymper shows that, although the newly acquired territory is anything but a paradise, it contains many things besides frost and snow and erabowelled fire. Even supposing, however, < that Alaska were in itself commercially ! valueless, there is one view which would give to the presumed madness of its acquisition a palpable degree of method. Many persons in England and the United States believe that all British America must ultimately become attached to the great republic by some species of annexation, and that the purchase of Alaska is like thrusting the prophetic end of the wedge into that piece of destiny. Thai a widespread desire to have Canada and the rest exists in the United States is true enough, and it is, no doubt, based on the fact that all nations like to have their territories complete and symmetrical. The possession by England of any portion of the American continent is evidently regarded as a territorial disfigurement, demanding speedy amendment. Mr Wymper seems to think that it is the destiny of the United States to posseses the whole of the northern continent. He believes that such a consummation would be for the benefit of all parties concerned, resulting, as it would, in a wider and more energetic development of the people, the resources of the country, and all co iraiercial relations. This may be true ; but should annexation become inevitable, it is to be hopo.l that ifc will take place, not through conquest, but by the special and peaceful desire of the whole confederation. The republic would at least be bigger, if not greater, by the possession of Canada — bigger still by the acquisition of Mexico and Cuba, both of whish enviable tracts of country no doubt loom large and bright in the " earth dreams" of the American people. The appetite which could gobble up such opposite slices of territory as Mexico and Alaska — the overdone and the underdone, the land of fire and the land of iee — must be perfectly cosmopolitan. There is a rumor, indeed, that the United States would like to purchase Greenland — -after which, we dare say, bhey will speedily include the North Pole, with all its bears. In the mean bime, Alaska is a pretty cool step in that direction — a step which measures some 100,000 square miles of unexplored ' mowy wastes, mighty rivers, rugged mountains, jagged coasts, and volcanic j isles. We may state that our traveller 3a w the sun rise on the 21st December at 20- minutes to 11 a.m., and set at half- ' past 12, giving 50 minutes to sunlight. No wonder that he found on the River Yukon ice nine feet thick. On the other hand, on the 2 1st June, he Baw the sun set a few minutes past 11, and rise on the same night at a quarter to 12 — ■ giving some 45 minutes of night without darkness. At this season the weather is exceedingly warua in Alaska, and wild roses and wild gooseberry bushes were seen almost within the Arctic circle ! Alaska's summer is, however, as short as its winter is long and cold. Should the Russo-Ame-rican telegraph scheme ever be revived, the Alaskan territory would serve to hold up the telegraph poles to the shores of Behring Straits. Hitherto, as a matter of fact, this part of the American continent like many portions of the Hudsou's Bay territories, has been used as a garden far the cultivation of wild beast's skina, the animals, themselves being the one avoidable nuisance of the speculation. The fur trade is no doubt important in its way ; but a country which can only produce material for muffs and other outlandish luxuries can hardly be considered a necessity in any theory of civilisation. Already, we must admit, as mentioned by Mr Whymper, there is some good fishing in the rivers, which suggests the possible establishment of extensive fisheries. Of the numerous rivers in Alaska, by far the grandest is the Yukon, which is upwards of two thousand miles in length, and, therefore, only, less important than the Mississippi, by being placed where ifc seems of so comparatively little use. Its commercial value just now is confined to the conveyance up and down of a few savages, a few traders, a few trappers, and a few bits of fur. Along its banks, at long intervals, trading stations have been established by the Russo American and Hudson Bay Fur Companies. About 700 miles from the mouth of the Yukon, the Hudson Bay Company have a station called Fort Yukon, the most remote of its posts. The employes at this station lead a dreary curious life from year to year, sometimes suffering no small amount of hardship from the diminution or sameness of their supplies! Mr Wymper gives a , hint as to the manner in which their meals are sometimes varied : " Moose meat, boiled, varied by boiled moose meat, alternating with the meat of moose boiled ! " This method of variation is extensively employed among ourselves in cooking the national beefsteak ; the Scotch obtain the same variety in cooking their national dish of oatmeal porridge ; while the Irish cook the potato in the same threefold manner. But although moose meat is not to be sneered at, Alaska is capable of producing daintier dishes in their season. The rivers produce salmon io. such abundance that it is regarded as food only fit for those who cannot get better. A twenty or thirty

use,

needles, a string of beady, or a charge or two of gunpowder. In fact, salmon are dried and cured for clod's meat. Grouse and deer can also be had for a pinch of snuff or a quid of tobacco. Alaska produces neither corn o»' wind ; but fish aud flesh of some kind ai'e generally accessible; and the traveller can have iced water all the year round for nothing. Mr Whyruper does not. think that Alaska is likely to prove a, bad bargain to the United States Government. Perhaps the extreme northern division of the country may bs nearly valueless ; but he shows that the central portions are capable of sustaining an abundant fur trade; while the southern parts ly'ng contiguous to British territory, wilfprobably be found, like it, to be rich iin mineral wealth. Something may also be done in the timber trade. The fisheries, as we have hinted, may become of oreat value ; and the extensive cod banks which are known to exist off the Aleutian Isles and on. other parts of the coast may prove auxiliaries to, if they do not rival those of Newfoundland. Nor is there any reason why an extensive trade in salt or vinegar should not be set up. Native labour is cheap ; and a merchant of Petropaulovski told Mr Wbymper that " during one season he "made 5000 dollars, at no more trouble to himself than that incurred in the superintendence of the natives employed." Whale fishing ought not to be forgotten ; and walrus tusks and oil have afways formed important items in the trade of those re-ions. Then the existence of volcanoes may be accept©. l as involving the accompaniment of extensive sulphur deposits simihr io tho.se found in Sicily. But whatever the possibilities of Alaska may l:e —whether its riches swim in rivers or seas, ropo«e in the hovels of the earth, or howl in the f ores t s — we may rest assured that the irrepressible energy of the Americans will find them out. At present the native tribes, who are in Mr "Why m per s opinion, unquestionably of Asiatic^origin, live an exceedingly simple liie, the co-Yukon Indians "being the most extensively diffused, and the least uncivilised of the native Alaskans. The Russian and native traders will soon be brought face to face with the most iirasistiblo traders of the world, into whose hands, it may be safe to predict, even the wildest business of the country will fall. With the Americans will come the lights and the lusts, the terrors, and the aplendours, of modern life. Keligion will bring spirits from on high ; while the New" York storekeeper will decant spirits from the vasty deep— the mforiio of the whisky barrel"; by which, and by other equally philosophical aud Christian processes, the believing and unb c ' iev i a g latlves -will slowly got improver] off the face of their own snows. Wli at (loe3 Mr Why.nper say? "The truth lonn S Chippewa, "when" asfecl, 'Are 7 0 1 a Christian Indian? very promptly rephea No, I whisky Ingen !* and the r tratixi^ rchokchi would say the -nine. Jhoy all ippear to be intensely fond o* spirits, rhe traders sell them liquor of the most horrible kind, not much superior to tue coal oil ' or ' kerosene ' used for lamps.' Truly a wouderful prospect for the happy md contented barbarians of Alaska! rhe first sound of the Gospel they hoar is the voice of the trader crying in the wilderness, twisting and making terrible the approaches of civilization.