| Summary: | In his letter, Nevin talks about his living quarters in Kodiak as being "large and comfortable" and describes his daily routine including what time he gets up and what food he can buy. He describes the people living in the village as "a few Russian families, but the largest part of the population consists of Creoles and Aleuts." He explains the main transportation the natives use is a canoe called a Bidarka, which were made with "light frame of wood and covered with dressed hair seal skins instead of lumber." He also writes about witnessing a wedding at the Greek Catholic Church. He asks if his mother has heard from his Aunt Margaret, Charley, Lizzie, or Uncle John. John Nevin King (1827-1915) was a member of the Northwest Boundary Survey (1857-1861) John Nevin King (1827-1915) was a member of the Northwest Boundary Survey (1857-1861) whose assignment was to define the boundary between the United States and British Canada. . He lived in Sitka and Kodiak, Alaska for most of his time working on the survey, a territory that had recently been purchased from Russia. His letters to his family are of particular interest because they describe Alaska after the purchase from Russia and prior to the great gold rushes. Subjects include descriptions of the social dynamics between the Russian and Native American residents, as well as commentary on the land and lifestyle in Alaska at this time.
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