INDIAN BURIAL PLACES
burial places were generally on points projecting into the channel,
or on islets, and they were marked by miniature houses. At Bob's
Place (the name of a point), a small house contained the perfectly
preserved body of an Indian Chief lying on a sort of couch.
He was partly covered by a robe. Months later, in Ketchikan,
I heard that the body had been stolen and sold, but this we
did not verify, as we never returned to the locality. At Cape
Muzon I saw evidence of an earlier form of burial. Tree trunks
were cut off at a height of about ten feet. The body was placed
on a horizontal slab resting on top of two of these stumps.
These seemed to be quite ancient. The slabs were down and the
stumps were partly rotted. No remains were seen but none were
looked for. In the early days graves were desecrated mainly
for the purpose of getting curios, robes, and a type of blanket
(Chilkat), if I remember correctly, which was quite valuable.
officer in the ship, little attention was paid to me by members
of the crew. Two sailors, Kelly and Lenkeit, were talking on
the forecastle head. I was standing nearby. Kelly said, "I had
a rough time today and I am slated for mountain climbing tomorrow.
I don't feel like it." Lenkeit said, "When you turn in tonight,
hold something hot in your mouth and after a while groan and
tell the Quartermaster you want the doctor. Groan and say you
have an awful pain. The doctor will put a thermometer in your
mouth and feel your stomach. He will give you a pill and tell
the Quartermaster to call him at midnight, if you are not feeling
better. Well, at midnight have your mouth all hot and groan.
Doctor will place you on the sick list and you will report in
the sick bay instead of going out." But that Doctor Hawkes,
he would come to your bunk, take your temperature, feel your
pulse and feel so sorry. He would ask about your folks and say
they must be notified. Then he would give you a pill which he
watched you swallow, and then tell the Quartermaster he is to
be called at midnight, if you are not feeling better. You are
felling better all right and you report to the working party
in the morning. There is a story that fellow Hawkes saw that
mummy, gave him one of his pills. The mummy jumped up and headed
for the hills.
to Southeast Alaska was considered ideal by the surveyor. Deer
were plentiful and one was always hanging in the rigging. The
Commanding Office forbade indiscriminate hunting and, in fact,
after the first week or ten days, there was little inclination
on the part of anyone to hunt. Salmon were plentiful and cannery
superintendents turned over to the party all the salmon trout
that could be used and such white king salmon as were caught.
People would not buy white salmon. Cannery superintendents canned
a few cases of the white kings for Christmas gifts to friends.
Years later I received canned white kings from Mr. Brubacker,
cannery operator at Steamboat Bay. Half tubs of salmon bellies
were appreciated gifts from the canneries, but these, of course,
were mostly of interest to the married men.
plentiful and officers from the engine room would run out a
small net, get a couple of barrels of herring and salt them
down for the families at home. Halibut, red snapper, cod, and
kelp fish were there at all times. Trout were plentiful.
Survey Ship "Egeria," Captain Learmouth, was working a little
to the southward in the vicinity of the International Boundary.
She occasionally visited Ketchikan. When both ships were in
port the townspeople would get up a smoker in Indian Hall. Local
business men furnished the talent, putting on skits, telling
yarns and producing a performance which would be creditable
anywhere. The British had rough going in connection with the
land work. One young officer informed me that he had enough;
that he preferred line duty. It seems that he and some men were
landed on Graham island and the ship went off on hydrographic
work. Bad weather set in and the party lost most of its outfit
in quicksands. Short rations and continuous heavy rain added
to their discomfort. There were no walky-talkies then. When
the ship dropped a party, that party was on its own.
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