and industries that had often occupied his thoughts and excited his curiosity. China and Japan regarded the government of the United States as very friendly; and all but the most ignorant persons, even there, had heard of the civil war in the United States and of the Secretary of State that had so narrowly escaped death when Lincoln was assassinated. As was the case with Li Hung Chang, the attempt upon Seward's life had increased his fame abroad as perhaps nothing else could have done.

Here were attractions enough to induce him to leave the quiet and comfort of home, and to risk all climates and to endure at times the roughest and most primitive means of travel. But probably there were other considerations. Notwithstanding his many successes and cheerful disposition, Seward was a very-much-disappointed man, although not a sad one. The years with Johnson were a period of great anxiety and dissatisfaction. Even most of the popularity won in Lincoln's administration had disappeared since 1865. It were strange if he had not often been reminded that a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country. The attentions that foreigners would surely bestow upon him would be pleasing evidence of his real fame and success in the world; and those attentions might help to bring his own countrymen to a fairer appreciation of his services. Long absence from home and politics would at least give him new thoughts and pleasant experiences.

The fountain of his optimism continued to flow.

1 One of his earliest letters, written after returning to Auburn in March, 1869, said, significantly: "It is marvellous to see how popular it makes a man to retire from public life." Then a little later: "Several newspapers begin to relent and relax on foreign affairs, and signs of toleration of our own policy are becoming more frequent."-3 Seward, 401, 402.

The furniture, books, and miscellanies collected in Washington during twenty years' residence were transferred to the spacious and comfortable house in Auburn, and were soon arranged. "Mr. Lincoln's bust has gone to a place of honor in my library. We are well, and the robins are musically singing their greetings of the season." So the spring slipped by. His mind was full of pleasant expectations instead of sad broodings over the past.

The first long journey began in June, 1869. The party was composed of Seward and his negro valet, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick W. Seward, and Abijah Fitch, of Auburn. Beyond the Missouri river almost everything was new and strange. While enjoying all the comforts and luxuries of railway travel, they hastened across the plains, catching sight of many evidences of savage life -Indian camps, buffaloes and buffalo bones, antelopes, prairie-dogs, and jack-rabbits. Every phase of life seemed to please Seward. Salt Lake City was especially hospitable, and Brigham Young, who had once been a journeyman carpenter in Auburn, showed the travelers much attention and answered their inquiries with apparent frankness. After a halt of a few days at Sacramento, where they were entertained by the state officials, they proceeded to San Francisco. California regarded Seward as a great benefactor as well as a great man; therefore, the citizens of San Francisco welcomed him with more cordiality and gratitude than they had ever before shown to any visitor.

Hearing that Seward thought of going to Alaska, Ben Holliday put at his service a ship fully equipped for the trip. Some California friends were invited to join the original party, and the Active started about the middle of July to visit "Seward's Arctic Province." They stopped at Victoria, on Vancouver's Island, and then made a side-trip up Puget Sound to visit settle

ments in Washington territory. The voyage to Alaska was by the inland passage "through an archipelago of islands, straits, and sounds." By the end of July the Active reached Sitka, where a few days were spent in the study of the strange life of a Russian and Indian provincial settlement.

Jefferson C. Davis was in command of the United States troops in Alaska. The Chilcat Indians, who lived a few days' journey by water farther north, had given these troops much trouble, but now desired peace. So it was decided that General Davis and staff should go with the travelers on the Active to visit these Indians. The strange notions of the savages afforded great amusement.' A scientific party from the United States was near by, prepared to observe the total eclipse of the sun. The tourists and many of the Indians gathered about the scientists at the important hour. When the shadow began to pass over the sun the Indians thought that it was caused by the instruments used by "the Boston men," as the astronomers were called. Some of the Chilcats became greatly alarmed by the darkness and fell on their knees and prayed. When the shadow passed off they were relieved and thought that "the Boston men" were more wonderful than ever. A little later the visitors were invited to meet the principal men of the Chilcat tribe. The Indians supposed that Seward was their "Great Tyee" (supreme ruler), and they appealed to him to decree that nine Sitka Indians should be killed to avenge the murder of three Chilcats of the chief's family. When Seward learned that the Chilcats had been slain before Alaska was purchased, he thought it would suffice to tell the council that they ought to have appealed to the Emperor of Russia. They replied that they had done so in vain.

1 3 Seward, 426 ff.

Finally, they agreed to be satisfied if the Great Tyee should cause thirty-six blankets to be sent to themreckoning four blankets as equivalent to each of the nine Sitka Indians demanded as a peace-offering. The blankets could easily be given from the United States supplies at Sitka. So General Davis authorized compliance with the request. To make the very practical joke thoroughly effective, the Indians were instructed to appoint commissioners to proceed to Sitka to receive the blankets and to exchange tokens of friendship with their late enemies. The outcome pleased the savages as much as it amused the Americans. And the successful negotiations were celebrated on board the Active by a banquet attended by the tourists, "the Boston men," and the Chilcats dressed in their gayest attire.

When Seward returned to Sitka he was called upon to make a public address expressing his impressions of Alaska.' He was, of course, enthusiastic. "In the early mornings and in the late evenings peculiar to the season I have lost myself," he said, "in admiration of skies adorned with sapphire and gold as richly as those which are reflected by the Mediterranean." "The thermometer tells the whole case when it reports that the summer is colder and the winter is warmer in Alaska than in New York and Washington." He thought it would be impossible to exaggerate the marine treasures of the territory. He regarded the forests as hardly less wonderful and useful. "The elk and the deer are so plenty as to be undervalued for food or skins, by natives as well as strangers. The bear of many families black, grizzly, and cinnamon; the mountain-sheep, inestimable for his fleece; the wolf, the fox, the beaver, the otter, the mink, the raccoon, the marten, the ermine; the squirrel-gray, black, brown, and flying, are among

15 Works, 559-69.

the fur-bearing animals." He claimed that the explorations had already shown that Alaska possessed treasures in the baser ores equal to any other region of the continent. The scenery passed in his voyage seemed "like a varied and magnificent panorama," bordered with coast-range mountains rising to an exalted height and clothed with eternal snows and crystalline glaciers. Because other nations were exhausting their mines and forests, he believed that Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington were "destined to become a shipyard for the supply of all nations." After all the ridicule of "Seward's polar regions," it was a ludicrous fact, which he did not fail to notice, that a California company had found the climate about Sitka too mild to produce ice of sufficient thickness. This speech and later ones showed that he traveled with a keen eye and an inquiring mind.'

After returning to San Francisco the party took a steamer to the southern extremity of California. Mexico had renewed her invitation, and Seward decided to accept it. So he entered that country at Manzanillo, on the Gulf of California, early in October, 1869; and the party sailed from Vera Cruz, on the Gulf of Mexico, three months later. During this time Seward was the guest of the nation, and he received honors such as the Mexicans had never before bestowed upon any foreigner-or perhaps, indeed, upon any person whatsoever. The demonstrations of popular enthusiasm and gratitude were not less than those for Lafayette when he returned to the United States in 1824. In fact, there were many points of similarity between the two incidents. Lafayette's services to the United States had been more picturesque, but Seward's to Mexico were more critical

1 He spoke at Victoria of "The North Pacific Coast," and at Salem, Oregon, of "Our North Pacific States."-5 Works, 569, 572.