Chapter XIV: MORSE AND MAHLEMOÖT pp. 436-465

The Monotonous Desolation of the Alaskan Arctic Coast.—Dreary
Expanse of Low Moorlands.—Diversified by Saddle-backed Hills of
Gray and Bronze Tints.—The Coal of Cape Beaufort in the Arctic.—A
Narrow Vein. Pure Carboniferous Formation.—Doubtful if these
Alaskan “Black Diamonds” can be Successfully Used.—Icy Cape, a
Sand- and Gravel-spit.—Remarkable Land-locked Lagoons on the
Beach.—The Arctic Innuits.—Point Barrow, Our Extreme Northern Land,
a Low Gravel-spit.—The Buttercup and the Dandelion Bloom here,
however, as at Home.—Back to Bering Sea.—The Interesting Island
and Natives of St. Lawrence.—The Sea-horse.—Its Uncouth Form and
Clumsy Life.—Its Huge Bulk and Impotency on Land.—Lives entirely
by Clam-digging.—Bank Flavor of its Flesh.—The Walrus is to the
Innuit just as the Cocoa-palm is to the South Sea Islander.—Hunting
the Morse.—The Jagged, Straggling Island of St. Matthew.—The Polar
Bears’ Carnival.—Hundreds of them here.—Their Fear of Man.—“Over the
Hills and Far Away,” whenever Approached.—Completion of the Alaskan
Circuit.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

_FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS._

SITKA SOUND, _Frontispiece_.

SEA-COW, _Facing Page_ 4

GRAND GLACIER, ICY BAY, ” 19

KOOTZNAHOO INLET, ” 23

GLIMPSE OF SITKA, ” 32

STICKEEN SQUAW BOILING BERRIES AND OIL, ” 58

MOUNT ST. ELIAS, 19,500 FEET, ” 73

MOUNT WRANGEL, 20,000 FEET, ” 77

VALDES GLACIER, PRINCE WILLIAM’S SOUND, ” 78

MOUNT ILYAMNA, 12,060 FEET, ” 87

KENAITZE SALMON TRAP, COOK’S INLET, ” 95

CREOLES AND ALEUTES, PENCIL PORTRAITS, ” 108

BELCOVSKY, VILLAGE OF, ” 120

SEA-OTTER SURROUND, ” 140

CLUBBING SEA-OTTERS, ” 143

A GLIMPSE OF SHISHALDIN, ” 146

ALEUTES WHALING, ” 152

VILLAGE OF OONALASHKA, ” 156

VOLCANO OF MAKOOSHIN, 5,475 FEET, ” 160

OONALASHKAN NATIVES COD-FISHING, ” 168

VILLAGE AND HARBOR OF ATTOO, ” 179

NORTH SHORE OF ST. GEORGE ISLAND, ” 200

NETTING CHOOCHKIES, ” 209

APPROACH TO ST. GEORGE ISLAND, ” 227

HAIR-SEALS, GROUP OF, ” 255

FUR-SEALS, ” 258

“OLD JOHN,” PORTRAIT OF AN AGED FUR-SEAL, ” 262

OLD FUR-SEAL BULLS FIGHTING, ” 266

SUNDRY SEAL SKETCHES, FROM AUTHOR’S PORTFOLIO, ” 277

ARRIVAL OF THE FUR-SEAL MILLIONS, ” 296

NATIVES GATHERING A DRIVE, ” 333

NATIVES DRIVING FUR-SEALS, ” 336

KILLING GANG AT WORK, ” 339

GROUP OF SEA-LIONS, ” 354

SEA-LION ROOKERY AT TOLSTOI, ” 358

NATIVES CREEPING UPON SEA-LIONS, ” 364

THE SEA-LION PEN AT NOVASTOSHNAH, ” 365

SPRINGING THE ALARM, ” 366

NOOSHAGAK, ” 374

PORTRAIT OF “CHAMI,” AND THE FAVORITE POSITION
OF INNUITS, ” 378

PORTRAITS OF A JESTING INNUIT MOTHER AND THE
SON OF AHGAAN, ” 395

THE SADDLE-BACKED HAIR-SEAL, _Histriophoca_, ” 400

THE KUSKOKVIM RIVER BELOW KOLMAKOVSKY, ” 403

KOLMAKOVSKY, ” 406

TOMB OF INNUITS, ” 410

CAPE PRINCE OF WALES, ” 429

POONOOK WINTER VILLAGE, ” 443

GROUP OF WALRUS, ” 447

PINNACLE ISLET, NEAR ST. MATTHEW ISLAND, ” 461

_ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT._

PAGE

VIGNETTE: HAIDAHS HUNTING HAIR-SEALS, _Title_

LODGES IN A VAST WILDERNESS, 16

BARANOV’S CASTLE (1817-26), 30

SITKAN CHIMES, 39

OLD INDIAN CHAPEL, SITKA, 41

HAIDAH RANCHERIE, 46

SECTION SHOWING INTERIOR, 48

RAKING OOLOCHANS, STICKEEN RIVER, 57

KENAITZE CHIEF, 88

BEAR ROADS, OONIMAK ISLAND, 90

KENAITZE RANCHERIE, COOK’S INLET, 92

OOGASHIK, VILLAGE OF, 119

SEA-OTTER, 131

BARRABKIE, OR ALEUTIAN HUT, 135

ALEUTIAN MUMMY, 185

ALEUTES CATCHING HALIBUT, 212

BOBROVIA, OR OTTER ISLAND, 219

FUR-SEALS SCRATCHING, 271

FUR-SEALS RISING TO BREATHE AND SURVEY, 300

PORTRAIT OF A PREBYLOV SEALER, 338

A SKINNED CARCASS, AND SKIN THEREFROM, 342

INTERIOR OF A FUR-SEAL SALT-HOUSE, 345

NATIVES DRIVING SEA-LIONS, 368

SEA-LION BIDARRAH, 371

INNUIT WOMAN, 377

INNUIT HOME ON THE KUSKOKVIM, 379

THE BIG MAHKLOK, OR _Erignathus_, 383

THE INNUIT KASHGA, 385

SECTION OF THE KASHGA, 386

INNUIT DOG, “TATLAH,” 388

“BRULÉ,” OR BURNT DISTRICTS, 409

STEAMER ON THE YUKON, 414

MICHAELOVSKY, 419

OOKIVOK, OR KING’S ISLAND, 426

THE DIOMEDES, 430

INNUIT WHALING CAMP, 439

RINGED SEAL, _Phoca fœtida_, 441

WALRUS-HUNTER, 444

SECTION OF INNUIT WINTER HOUSE AT POONOOK, 446

NEWACK’S BROTHER, 455

NEWACK AND OOGACK, PEN PORTRAITS OF, 457

NATIVES GIVING THE WALRUS A DEATH-STROKE, 459

“DOUBLE PURCHASE” OF THE INNUITS, 461

_MAPS._

SPECIAL MAP OF ST. PAUL ISLAND, _Facing page_ 215

SPECIAL MAP OF ST. GEORGE ISLAND, ” 226

SPECIAL MAP OF NOVASTOSHNAH ROOKERY, ” 314

SPECIAL MAP OF LAGOON ROOKERY, ” 315

GENERAL MAP OF ALASKA, _At end of Volume_.

OUR ARCTIC PROVINCE.