An Old Letter Translated.
We are greatly indebted to Mr C.
1,. Andrews of Seattle fur the very
interesting artiole begiuing in this
issue The translation of Father
Alexander Newski's letter in 1*94 re
lating to the Kodiak Settlement.
During the autumn of 1794 there
arrived at Kodiak settlement at St.
Paul's, the ship “Three Saints" and
on board this were the Archimandrite
Joassaf, and his clergymen who were
to assist him in the colonies.
Joassaf wasboru in Katinsk District,
Russia, Jan. 22, 1 dll, finished his ed
ucation at. Yaroslav religious semina
ry in 17hi>, and came from Irkutsk to
Kodiak m 1791, In 1797 he returned
to Irkutsk anti was there ordained as
Bishop for the Episcopate of Kedyek
and on his return to his post on board
tlie ship “Phoenix" in 1799 was lost
when the ship snuk with all an hoard
Somewhere west of Kodiak Island.
With Joassaf were, llieroiiit.uk
Juvenal, who was killed by the na
tives at lliamne in I79ti, liierouionk
Afnonsia who was priest at the Ko
ctiitk I'hurol) in ) uiJ'i Hint year re
turned to K'ibaiu; Ilier Miioiik Nektar
who retired tu Irkutsk 111 1808 and
di d in Kirenski moinmtery in 1814;
Monk .1 i-Mnf who died in Kodiak in
]S*2 {; Monk iiermiui wh • lived on
Yelnvie U and niii.il 18!7; !li* romonk
M uiiru, who went *o Iruut>k *ed
whh !••«» on the re1urn trio in 1790 on
I h** ‘ IMi'mmi ix”; < i n*r<inn>n . >ti-ph**ti
who *v<m 'iU > h h* ••»» Hit * Pho. in*”
In iv idiiU if' I70d tIn* Hr*t church
Win u oh ivilp.i * »j» 1*1 i;r(ti! r-j l-l'i^
i .f I he '! I • I’o y HU I >'f lie ‘V hi »1m .if I he
K .H-U’t " P • 'pi*.
XoltJ I he d 11* of the hiiildiiiK of
fh»« ohuroli i* ioniMwliHf indefinite in
tin' histories, it is tfiven hs 17O’) in the
Life of Barauof, p. .*{3, and Dali in
hit Kesourcaa of Alaska, given the
same, but Tikbmeuef on page 59 of
hit lliatoriaal Sketch of the Kiitaian
Colonies gives 1796, while Bancroft’s
History gives 1795 in one place (p 699)
and 1796, on p. 362.
In 1804 the Hieromonk Alexander
Nevaki visited Kodiak and tn his let
ters which were published in the His
torical Sketch of the American Mis
sion, in St. Petersburg in 1*91, is giv
en one which details his arrival at
Kinliak and a description of the w»r
ioiisstatioiijon the island He wiiiea;
“1H04, June 26th at the beginning
of the 3rd hour after noon we saw the
island of I’kainok, or Ohirikof; 27f h
at 2 P. M. still off the I'rinUy la anils,
Sitkinak and 1'ugidak. At 12o’ch»ck
we lav to.
The 2Nth at 3 30 A. M. *»» n*en
with tlie eye Kadyak with its high
m aintains which nil smntm r are mv
ered with snow. At 5 oVlook we
raised the Russian trading flag end
in another hour discharged fmir gnn«
three times. At2P M came r*» n§
from Three Saints Harbor in a three
holed bid ark a the old H’dnrshtk
Ostrogin, who remained wnh ns on
the boat for showing the entrance *o
Pavlof Harbor.
The 29th a thick foj covered nsaiid
all «'.ay continued light, wind ; then
we saw Ohiniatg'. i Cape (On English
charts Cap** dr* nville) at 10 Italian
miles, at 5 P M. on top sail w ind
p i*8 i>g one c • p« we discharg'd from
a gun with bull, on such arrived and
C*me to op » two hatched b«durka
whi h s t out to go b mk with k b-i t. r
to chi f H inner to sand bidars t.< tow
our ship In this time approach'd a
calm, f'roin 9 to 2 o’cloc*. fired from
cannon, and r*mg bells in order that
the messenger from the shore would
not piss us on entering the thick fog.
(To be Continued)