CJlcwsCett
Twenty-five Cents a Year
MAY, 1909.
Vol. X. No. 2
Willie and Flora Robertson were
made happy by a visit from their
father, who came over from Kaguyak
in a bidarkie a lew days a^o. Many
of the readers of the News Letter
have never seen such a strangely
constructed boat, you will see the
picture of one on this page. The
ribs are made of the roots of the
native spruce tree, the rest of the
frame work of spruce lumber worked
down thin. This frame is covered
with seal skin. For the ordinaly
bidarkie it takes six skins, but a
three hatch one, such as Mr. Robert
son came in, nine or er. skins. The
skins are tanned and oi e l, someti * es
the native women cl ew the ski, s
to m ke them p iable.
It is necessary to sit very still in a
bidarkie as they aie veiy light cm!
easi y upsized. They ; re entirely
R7—- hs.- -T"
covered except the little round hole,
or hatch as it is called ill whi-h th«
rower sits. If children are to he car
ried. they are put inside, and some
times the skin covering is so trans
parent thev cun seethe water through
it. One can travel very swiftly in
these light boats, but they require a
good deal of care to keep them iq
good condition for use.
Mr. A. R. Law arrived on the Dora
from Galesburg 111. where he has
I een speudiug the winter. He will
go to Akhiak on Kodiak Island hni'd
a school house and teach the school.
Mr. Law is a visitor we are always
glad to see at the Mission.
B ill playing, m .king and s iii g
tchooneis takes up the leasure time
of the boys and some time that shou d
not he leasure.
T"73