XXI
_"A SHIP! A SHIP!"_
While Lewis and Clark were making preparations to leave Fort Clatsop,all unknown to them a ship was trying to cross the bar into theColumbia River. And what a tale had she to tell,--of hunger, misery,despair, and death at Sitka.
Since 1787 the Boston ships had been trading along these shores. Inthat year 1792, when Captain Robert Gray discovered the ColumbiaRiver, there were already twenty-one American ships in the Pacificnorthwest.
In May, 1799, the Boston brig _Caroline_, Captain Cleveland, wasbuying furs in Sitka Sound, when coasting along over from the northcame the greatest of all the Russians, Alexander von Baranof, with twoships and a fleet of bidarkas.
"What now will you have?" demanded the Sitka chief, as the expeditionentered the basin of Sitka Sound.
"A place to build a fort and establish a settlement for trade,"answered Baranof.
"A Boston ship is anchored below and buying many skins," answered thechief. But presents were distributed, a trade was made, and Russianaxes began felling the virgin forest on the sides of Verstova.
The next day Captain Cleveland visited Baranof at his fort building.
"Savages!" echoed Captain Cleveland to Baranof's comment on thenatives. "I should say so. I have but ten men before the mast, but onaccount of the fierce character of these Indians I have placed ascreen of hides around the ship, that they may not see the deck norknow how few men I have. Two pieces of cannon are in position and apair of blunderbusses on the taffrail."
But the land was rich in furs. It was this that brought Baranof overfrom Kadiak.
In three years Sitka was a strong fort, but in June, 1802, in theabsence of Baranof, it was attacked one day by a thousand Indiansarmed with muskets bought of the Boston traders.
In a few hours the fort, a new ship in the harbour, warehouses, cattlesheds, and a bathhouse were burnt to ashes. The poor dumb cattle werestuck full of lances.
A terrible massacre accompanied the burning. To escape suffocation theRussians leaped from the flaming windows only to be caught on theuplifted lances of the savage Sitkas. Some escaped to the woods, whenan English vessel providentially appeared and carried the fewremaining survivors to Kadiak.
That autumn two new ships arrived from Russia with hunters, labourers,provisions, and news of Baranof's promotion by the czar.
Tears coursed down the great man's weather-beaten cheeks. "I am anobleman; but Sitka is lost! I do not care to live; I will go andeither die or restore the possessions of my august benefactor."
Then back came Baranof to Sitka on his errand of vengeance, with threehundred bidarkas and six small Russian ships, to be almost wrecked inSitka Sound. Here he was joined by the _Neva_ just out from Kronstadt,the first to carry the Russian flag around the world.
Upon the hill where Sitka stands to-day, the Indians had built a fortof logs piled around with tangled brush. On this the Russians openedfire. But no reply came. With one hundred and fifty men and severalguns, Baranof landed in the dense woods to take the fort by storm.Then burst the sheeted flame. Ten Russians were killed and twenty-sixwounded. But for the fleet, Baranof's career would have ended on thatday.
But in time ships with cannon were more than a match for savages armedwith Boston muskets. Far into the night a savage chant was wafted intothe air--the Alaskans had surrendered. At daylight all was still. Nosound came from the shore, and when the Russians visited the Indianhill, the fort was filled with slaughtered bodies of infant children,slain by their own parents who felt themselves unable to carry themand escape. The Indian fort was immediately burned to the ground andon its site arose the Russian stronghold of Sitka Castle.
That new fort at Sitka was just finished and mounted with cannon thesummer that Lewis and Clark came down the Columbia. Kitchen gardenswere under cultivation and live stock thriving.
At Sitka that same autumn the _Elizaveta_ arrived, with the RussianImperial Inspector of Alaska on board, the Baron von Rezanof,"Chamberlain of the Russian Court and Commander of all America," hecalled himself.
"What is this I hear of those Bostonians?" inquired the great Baron,unrolling long portraits of the Imperial family to be hung in SitkaCastle. "Those Bostonians, are they undermining our trade in furs withChina?"
"Ah, yes," answered Count Baranof, "the American republic is greatlyin need of Chinese goods, Chinese teas and silks, which formerly hadto be purchased in coin. But since these shores have been discoveredwith their abundance of furs, they are no longer obliged to take coinwith them, but load their vessels with products of their own country."
"All too numerous have become these Boston skippers on this northwestcoast," continued Von Rezanof in a decisive tone. "Frequent complaintshave been made to the American President that his people are sellingfirearms to our Indians, but all to no purpose. It is an outrage. Weare justified in using force. I recommend an armed brig to patrolthese waters."
Food supplies were low at Sitka that winter. No ship came. The_Elizaveta_ dispatched to Kadiak for supplies returned no more. Noflour, no fish, not even seal blubber for the garrisons, could becaught or purchased. They were eating crows and eagles and devil-fish.Just then, when a hundred cannon were loaded to sweep the Yankeeskippers from the sea, a little Rhode Island ship came sailing intoSitka harbour.
"Shall we expel these American traders from the North Pacific?"demanded Von Rezanof.
"For the love of God, no!" cried Baranof. "That little ship is oursaviour!"
Into the starving garrison the Yankee Captain De Wolf brought breadand beef, and raised the famine siege of Sitka Castle. Baranof boughtthe little ship, the _Juno_, with all her cargo, for eight thousanddollars in furs and drafts on St. Petersburg. In addition Rezanof gaveDe Wolf a sloop, the _Ermak_, to carry his men and furs to theHawaiian Islands.
"God grant that they may not have paid dear for their rashness intrusting their lives to such a craft!" exclaimed Von Rezanof, as thegallant Yankee Captain spread sail and disappeared from Sitka harbour.
The _Juno_, a staunch, copper-bottomed fast vessel of two hundred sixtons, built at Bristol, Rhode Island, in 1799, was now fitted out forthe Russian trade and dispatched to Kadiak.
The storms that Lewis and Clark heard booming on the Oregon coast thatwinter, devastated Alaskan shores as well. When the breakers camethundering up the rocks and the winds shook Sitka Castle, CountBaranof in his stronghold could not sleep for thinking, "Oh, theships!--the ships out on this stormy deep, laden with what I need somuch!"
The little _Juno_ returned from Kadiak with dried fish and oil, andnews of disaster: "The _Elizaveta_ has been wrecked in a heavy gale.Six large bidarkas laden with furs on the way to you went down. Twohundred hunters have perished at sea. Our settlement at Yakutat hasbeen destroyed by an Indian massacre."
"My God! My God!" Baranof cried, "how can we repair all thesedisasters!"
But ever and ever the gray sea boomed upon the shore where thewretched inmates of Sitka Castle were dying. The relief from the_Juno_ was only temporary. By February not a pound of bread a daydared they distribute to the men.
Long since Rezanof had declared they must have an agriculturalsettlement. Now he fixed his eye on the Columbia River. Sitting therein the dreary castle he was writing to the czar, little dreaming thatin a hundred years his very inmost thought would be read in America.
Starvation at Sitka was imminent,--it was impossible to delay longer.Into the stormy sea Rezanof himself set the _Juno's_ sail on his wayto the Columbia.
While Lewis and Clark were writing out the muster roll to nail to thewall at Fort Clatsop for any passing ship, Rezanof was striving tocross the Columbia bar. None could see beyond the mists. Contrarywinds blew, it rained, it hailed.
Rezanof sighted the Columbia March 14, 1806, but the current drove himback. Again on the 20th he tried to enter, and on the 21st, but thestormy river, like a thing of life, beat him back and beat him back,until the Russian gave it up, and four days later ran into the harbourof San Francisco.
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In June he returned with wheat, oats, pease, beans, flour, tallow, andsalt to the famished traders at Sitka.
But notwithstanding all these troubles, in 1805-6 Baranof dispatchedto St. Petersburg furs valued at more than five hundred thousandroubles.
More and more the Boston traders came back to Alaskan waters. Baranofoften found it easier to buy supplies from Boston than from Okhotsk.
"Furnish me with Aleutian hunters and bidarkas and I will hunt onshares for you," proposed a Boston Captain.
"Agreed," said Baranof, and for years fleets of bidarkas under BostonCaptains hunted and trapped and traded for sea otter southward alongPacific shores.
"These Boston smugglers and robbers!" muttered the Spaniards ofCalifornia. "Where do they hide themselves all winter? We know theyare on our shores but never a glimpse can we get of their fleet."Meanwhile the Boston traders on the coasts of California raked in theskins and furs, and sailing around by Hawaii reached Sitka in time forSpring sealing in the north.
Some hints of this reached the Russian Directory at St. Petersburg,but no one dared to interfere with Baranof.
Shipload after shipload of furs he sent home that sold for fabuloussums in the markets of Russia. The czar himself took shares and theImperial navy guarded the Russias of North America.
All honour to Baranof, Viking of Sitka, and builder of ships! Forforty years he ruled the Northwest, the greatest man in the NorthPacific. His name was known on the coast of Mexico, even to Brazil andHavana. The Boston merchants consulted him in making up their cargoes.In 1810 he went into partnership with John Jacob Astor to exchangesupplies for furs.
Above all disaster he rose, though ship after ship was lost. But itmust be admitted the Russians were not such seamen as the gallantBoston skippers.
Never again will this land see more hardy sailors than the Americantars that travelled the seas at the close of our Revolution. Ourlittle Yankee brigs were creeping down and down the coast and aroundthe Horn, until every village had its skippers in the far Pacific.Some went for furs and some for whales, and all for bold adventure.
In July, 1806, the _Lydia_, having just rescued two American sailorsfrom the savages at Vancouver Island, came into the Columbia River fora load of spars, the beginning of a mighty commerce. Here they heardof Lewis and Clark, and ten miles up, faithful old Chief Coboway gaveCaptain Hill the muster roll left at Fort Clatsop. This, sent by wayof China, reached the United States in 1807, to find the greatexplorers safe at home.
With the death of Baranof in 1819 ended the vast plan of Russia tomake the northern half of the Pacific its own. Baranof was small andwrinkled and bald, but his eye had life. He would have made a czarlike Peter the Great. To him and him alone was due the Russia ofAmerica, that for seven million dollars was sold to us in 1870, anempire in itself.