THE ORPHANAGE NEWS LETTER.
LAST OF THE FLEET.
THE PASSING of the “St
Paul’'clones the history of the
sea otter fleet which formerly
sailed from Kodiak and Wood
Island. There has been a
large number of able vessels which
have gone out from these ports to
seek the furry wealth from the sea,
but the “St Paul” was the last of
all.
The “Herman”, the new “Kodi
ak”, the “Woodberry”, the “Bow
Head”, the “Lydia”, and the “Let
tie”, have alt sailed away to other
ports, where they are still heard from
occasionally. The "Mary Ander
son”. and the “Matinee” languish
on the beach near Afognak, where
they were last laid and pronounced
unfit for further service. The “76”,
“St Paul", old “Kodiak”, “General
Siglin”, “Rattler”, “Jane Gray”,
“Maria Theresa”, “F. F. Feeney”,
and “Alexander” all met with disas
ter, and were utterly lost. Some of
them had no loss of life, while others
like tha “Jane Gray” had some es
cape to tell the tale, and others like
the “General Siglin”, "Alexander”,
"RattleT”, and “76” left none to re
port the details of their passing.
The sea otter fleet is a thing of the
past. Not one little craft remains
here to remind the natives and the
traders of the halcyon days. Yet
there remains one object to remind
ns all that there was such a time.
i he old hulk of the “Walter Earl”,
a British Columbia boat, lies on the
beach at the entrance into Kodiak
harhor. She was discovered twelve
years ago last summer, bottom up,
and towed into Wood Island, where
she was righted and nineteen bod
ies of her hunters were taken from
her hold.
Thanksgiving', CooduJtJ. .
propriite songs ware snog and three
times three cheers were given for
the donor of table cloths and nap
kins in use for the first time. All
joined in singiug "Praise God from
Whom all Plessinga Flow”, and dis
persed to sperd the rest of the day
in sports, games, reading, and writ
ing.
St Paul's Crew Safe, Concluded.
chances of weathering the storm, so
all h-nds were ordered ashore. At
3 p. m. both anchor chains parted
and the "St Paul" waa kindling wood
in forty minutes.
The question of provisions at once
p.ro6e. None had been saved from
the ship, and those which had been
landed were not more than sufficient
for the regular residents of the island.
There was, however, plenty of corn
meal for fox feed, ducks were plen
tiful and easily secured, and fish
were readily caught in fine weather.
Six weeks were passed in compar
ative comfort, although no one had
any clothes except those he had
worn ashore from the ship. The
“Cora” at last came into sight and
brought the ship wrecked mariners
Komc by way of Unalaska.
The whole trip took three months,
lacking one day, from the date of
sailing of the schooner, and Alex
thinks that is enough sea experience
to last him the rest of his life.
We are glad to note the announce
ment that Rev. H. S. Atkins has been
appointed missionary at Copper Cen
ter, and we extend a most cordial
welcome to him and his wife. Now
let them have the support and the
sympathy which their needy field
and their isolated position deserve.