File:Alaska + its history, climate and natural resources (1898) (14761031316).jpg

Identifier: alaskaitshistory00swin (find matches)
Title: Alaska + its history, climate and natural resources
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Swineford, A(lfred) P
Subjects:
Publisher: Chicago, New York, Rand, McNally and co
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ion around Cross Sound, andthe Yakutats the district adjacent to the bayupon which their permanent village is located.The Hydahs inhabit the southern part of Princeof Wales Island, though a larger number of thatpeople make the Queen Charlotte Islands theirhome. Unlike the American Indians, these people areindustrious and self-supporting. They are pos-s^essed of much natural intelligence, apt in imi-tation, keen, shrewd traders, and among themare not a few more or less skillful engravers ofwood and metal ornaments and utensils. Fromthe wool of the mountain sheep they weaveblankets in fantastic designs, which are betterand more durable than those of civilization; fromthe fiber of the spruce they make baskets of pat-terns and designs almost innumerable, some ofwhich are so closely woven as to render themimpervious to water, while from gold and silverthey make bracelets, rings, spoons and otherarticles tastefully engraved, and which are eager-ly sought after by tourists. Many of them live
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CLIMATE AND RESOURCES. 97 in massive timber houses, in the construction ofwhich great puncheons, hewed or split, from thespruce or cedar tree are used, though not a few,prompted by a spirit of emulation, have of latebuilt for themselves homes wholly modern inoutward appearance, but, it must be confessed,with little regard to the health and comfort ofthemselves and their families. From the gigan-tic trees of the forest they fashion canoes, someof very large size and capable of carrying fromforty to fifty persons, the symmetry of whichis such as to evoke the praise of an enthusiastin aquatic sports, and in which they skim overthe sheltered waters far and near, to hunt, fishand trade. The canoe is their means of convey-ance everywhere, and to the native Alaskan the^anoe is as essential as is the locomotive to theneeds of trade and commerce among civilizedpeople. The superstitions which formerly prevailedamong these people have to a great extent beeneradicated through the influence and te

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