Part 38 (2/2)

His reception by the natives was not of a nature to warm the c.o.c.kles of his heart. They approached in their skin-boats, but his G.o.dson, Ivan Glottoff, a young Aleut interpreter, could not make them understand him, and they fled in apparent fear.

Some days later they returned with an Aleutian boy whom they had captured in a conflict with the natives of the Island of Sannakh, and he served as interpreter.

The natives of Kadiak differ greatly from those of the Aleutian Islands, notwithstanding the fact that the islands drift into one another.

The Kadiaks were more intelligent and ambitious, and of much finer appearance, than the Aleutians.

They were of a fiercer and more warlike nature, and refused to meet the friendly advances of Glottoff. The latter, therefore, kept at some distance from the sh.o.r.e, and a watch was set night and day.

Nevertheless, the Kadiaks made an early-morning attack, firing upon the watches with arrows and attempting to set fire to the s.h.i.+p. They fled in the wildest disorder upon the discharge of firearms, scattering in their flight ludicrous ladders, dried moss, and other materials with which they had expected to destroy the s.h.i.+p.

Within four days they made another attack, provided with wooden s.h.i.+elds to ward off the musket-b.a.l.l.s.

They were again driven to the sh.o.r.e. At the end of three weeks they made a third and last attack, protected by immense breastworks, over which they cast spears and arrows upon the decks.

As these s.h.i.+elds appeared to be bullet-proof and the natives continued to advance, Glottoff landed a body of men and made a fierce attack, which had the desired effect. The savages dropped their s.h.i.+elds and fled from the neighborhood.

When Von H. J. Holmberg was on the island, he persuaded an old native to dictate a narrative to an interpreter, concerning the arrival of the first s.h.i.+p--which was undoubtedly Glottoff's. This narrative is of poignant interest, presenting, as it does, so simply and so eloquently, the ”other” point of view--that of the first inhabitant of the country, which we so seldom hear. For this reason, and for the charm of its style, I reproduce it in part:--

”I was a boy of nine or ten years, for I was already set to paddle a bidarka, when the first Russian s.h.i.+p, with two masts, appeared near Cape Aleulik. Before that time we had never seen a s.h.i.+p. We had intercourse with the Aglegnutes, of the Aliaska Peninsula, with the Tnaianas of the Kenai Peninsula, and with the Koloshes, of southeastern Alaska. Some wise men even knew something of the Californias; but of white men and their s.h.i.+ps we knew nothing.

”The s.h.i.+p looked like a great whale at a distance. We went out to sea in our bidarkas, but we soon found that it was no whale, but another unknown monster of which we were afraid, and the smell of which made us sick.”

(In all literature and history and real life, I know of no single touch of unintentional humor so entirely delicious as this: that any odor could make an Alaskan native, of any locality or tribe, sick; and of all things, an odor connected with a white person! It appears that in more ways than one this old native's story is of value.)

”The people on the s.h.i.+p had b.u.t.tons on their clothes, and at first we thought they must be cuttle-fish.” (More unintentional, and almost as delicious, humor!) ”But when we saw them put fire into their mouths and blow out smoke we knew that they must be _devils_.”

(Did any early navigator ever make a neater criticism of the natives than these innocent ones of the first white visitors to their sh.o.r.es?)

”The s.h.i.+p sailed by ... into Kaniat, or Alitak, Bay, where it anch.o.r.ed.

We followed, full of fear, and at the same time curious to see what would become of the strange apparition, but we did not dare to approach the s.h.i.+p.

”Among our people was a brave warrior named Is.h.i.+nik, who was so bold that he feared nothing in the world; he undertook to visit the s.h.i.+p, and came back with presents in his hand,--a red s.h.i.+rt, an Aleut hood, and some gla.s.s beads.” (Glottoff describes this visit, and the gifts bestowed.)

”He said there was nothing to fear; that they only wished to buy sea-otter skins, and to give us gla.s.s beads and other riches for them.

We did not fully believe this statement. The old and wise people held a council. Some thought the strangers might bring us sickness.

”Our people formerly were at war with the Fox Island people. My father once made a raid on Unalaska and brought back, among other booty, a little girl left by her fleeing people. As a prisoner taken in war, she was our slave, but my father treated her like a daughter, and brought her up with his own children. We called her Plioo, which means ashes, because she was taken from the ashes of her home. On the Russian s.h.i.+p which came from Unalaska were many Aleuts, and among them the father of our slave. He came to my father's house, and when he found that his daughter was not kept like a slave, but was well cared for, he told him confidentially, out of grat.i.tude, that the Russians would take the sea-otter skins without payment, if they could.

”This warning saved my father. The Russians came ash.o.r.e with the Aleuts, and the latter persuaded our people to trade, saying, 'Why are you afraid of the Russians? Look at us. We live with them, and they do us no harm.'

”Our people, dazzled by the sight of such quant.i.ties of goods, left their weapons in the bidarkas and went to the Russians with the sea-otter skins. While they were busy trading, the Aleuts, who carried arms concealed about them, at a signal from the Russians, fell upon our people, killing about thirty and taking away their sea-otter skins. A few men had cautiously watched the result of the first intercourse from a distance--among them my father.” (The poor fellow told this proudly, not understanding that he thus confessed a shameful and cowardly act on his father's part.)

”These attempted to escape in their bidarkas, but they were overtaken by the Aleuts and killed. My father alone was saved by the father of his slave, who gave him his bidarka when my father's own had been pierced by arrows and was sinking.

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