October-December 1879, First Alaska Trip with S. Hall Young Image 38
[After] a mile or two we struck across towards an island that stands nearly in the mid[dle] of the bay. In this part of our night sail we came near running on a rock which showed a black round back over which the waves were breaking, and in the hurried Indian shouts that followed the discovery, and...
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| Language: | English |
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Scholarly Commons
1879
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| Online Access: | https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/jmj-all/1639 https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/context/jmj-all/article/2638/type/native/viewcontent/fullsize.jpg |
| Summary: | [After] a mile or two we struck across towards an island that stands nearly in the mid[dle] of the bay. In this part of our night sail we came near running on a rock which showed a black round back over which the waves were breaking, and in the hurried Indian shouts that followed the discovery, and while we were close alongside of it Mr. Y[oung] shouted as he leaned over against me, “It’s a whale!” He evidently feared its tail as well as its big mouth, several fine specimens of both we had seen this forenoon close to the boat in still water – some 8 or 10 of them about 40 ft. long. He was Jonahed, however. While sailing along the east shore of the island we got into a cross wind that was sweeping down the bay from the icy mountains at the head and hoisted our sail. Here too saw a light on the opposite shore which Toyatte took for some fire in the Indian vill[age] and steered for it. John stood in the bows to watch for bergs. We passed a good many. Suddenly he dropped the sail just as we were running upon a sand-bar. After clearing this by backing and running half a mile or so to the S. we again steered for the light, which now shone brightly. I thought it strange that Indians should have so good a fire. There was a large white mass seen below the clouds, and above the fire which Mr. Y[oung] took for the glow of the fire. This proved to be the bent down-flowing snout of a glacier. After we had effected a landing and stumbled up over a ledge of algae-covered rocks and through the ordinary lush tangle of shore grass to the fire we were astonished to find white men instead of Indians, the first we had seen for a month. They proved to be a party of seven gold-seekers who left fort Wrangel four days before we did. It was about 8 o’clock and most of them had gone to bed. One of them, a jolly Irishman, got up and made a cup of coffee for Mr. Y[oung] and myself which was appreciated by Mr. Y[oung] as a drink of whisky by a toper dry. We had been out of coffee for a day and Mr. Y[oung]’s sufferings were already shamefully ... |
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