Chapter I: Foreword

When the Russians first came to the island of Unalaska, they were told that a vast country lay to the eastward and that its name was Al-ay-ek-sa. Their own island the Aleuts called Nagun-Alayeksa, meaning "the land lying near Alayeksa."

The Russians in time came to call the country itself Alashka; the peninsula, Aliaska; and the island, Unalashka. Alaska is an English corruption of the original name.

A great Russian moved under inspiration when he sent Vitus Behring out to discover and explore the continent lying to the eastward; two great Americans--Seward and Sumner--were inspired when, nearly a century and a half later, they saved for us, in the face of the bitterest opposition, scorn, and ridicule, the country that Behring discovered and which is now coming to be recognized as the most glorious possession of any people; but, first of all, were the gentle, dark-eyed Aleuts inspired when they bestowed upon this same country--with the simplicity and dignified repression for which their character is noted--the beautiful and poetic name which means "the great country."

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

ALEXANDER BARANOFF _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

ALASKA (_colored map_) 1

COPPER SMELTER IN SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA 2

KASA-AN 9

HOWKAN 16

DISTANT VIEW OF DAVIDSON GLACIER 21

DAVIDSON GLACIER 36

A PHANTOM SHIP 41

ROAD THROUGH CUT-OFF CANYON 48

SCENE ON THE WHITE PASS 53

STEEL CANTILEVER BRIDGE, NEAR SUMMIT OF WHITE PASS 68

OLD RUSSIAN BUILDING, SITKA 73

GREEK-RUSSIAN CHURCH AT SITKA 80

ESKIMO IN WALRUS-SKIN KAMELAYKA 101

ESKIMO IN BIDARKA 116

RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION, EYAK LAKE 121

EYAK LAKE, NEAR CORDOVA 128

INDIAN HOUSES, CORDOVA 133

VALDEZ 148

AN ALASKAN ROAD HOUSE 153

KOW-EAR-NUK AND HIS DRYING SALMON 160

STEAMER "RESOLUTE" 165

"OBLEUK," AN ESKIMO GIRL IN PARKA 180

A NORTHERN MADONNA 185

ESKIMO LAD IN PARKA AND MUKLUKS 192

SCALES AND SUMMIT OF CHILKOOT PASS IN 1898 197

SUMMIT OF CHILKOOT PASS IN 1898 212

PINE FALLS, ATLIN 229

LAKE BENNETT IN 1898 244

WHITE HORSE, YUKON TERRITORY 249

GRAND CANYON OF THE YUKON 256

WHITE HORSE RAPIDS 261

WHITE HORSE RAPIDS IN WINTER 276

STEAMER "WHITE HORSE" IN FIVE-FINGER RAPIDS 293

A YUKON SNOW SCENE NEAR WHITE HORSE 308

A HOME IN THE YUKON 325

ONE AND A HALF MILLIONS OF KLONDIKE GOLD 340

A FAMOUS TEAM OF HUSKIES 357

CLOUD EFFECT ON THE YUKON 372

"WOLF" 389

DOG-TEAM EXPRESS, NOME 404

FOUR BEAUTIES OF CAPE PRINCE OF WALES WITH SLED REINDEER OF THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY HERD 421

COUNCIL CITY AND SOLOMON RIVER RAILROAD--A CHARACTERISTIC LANDSCAPE OF SEWARD PENINSULA 436

TELLER 453

FAMILY OF KING'S ISLAND ESKIMOS LIVING UNDER SKIN BOAT, NOME 468

WRECK OF "JESSIE," NOME BEACH 485

SUNRISE ON BEHRING SEA 500

SURF AT NOME 505

MOONLIGHT ON BEHRING SEA 512

ALASKA

THE GREAT COUNTRY

Alaska]

ALASKA: THE GREAT COUNTRY