?—?Nattie doesn’t want anything to do with him, he said.
?—?You’re so sure of a woman’s heart. Now there’s territory I have never been able to navigate, Samuelson said.
May 6
Tillman was correct. During the night, Nat’aaggi remained near the campfire without sleeping?—?she no more trusts the Old Man than any of us. He whispered at her, poked at her. Though I did not know the words, I could guess their meaning. Eventually, his wooing efforts frustrated, he tried to manhandle her away from the fire & into the darkness. This was too much. I stood to intervene, but Nat’aaggi had already wrestled free. She would not have it. She drew her blade.
That’s more than enough, I advised the Old Man.
He laughed, said something. I asked him to repeat himself in English, now that I am certain he knows our language. He refused. I asked again with more force.
?—?For Christ’s sake, can’t a man get any shut-eye around here, Samuelson grumbled. —?He says he will never get his fill.
The Old Man gave a last yank at Nat’aaggi’s hair, then retreated before I could respond.
This morning he is gone. He did not kidnap Nat’aaggi in the night, but he did take the last of the tebay meat with him. Tillman, who had the early morning watch, was the only one to notice him slip away before dawn. He says the Old Man left without fanfare, walked from the campfire presumably to relieve himself but did not return. Tillman did not notice the meat gone until daylight.
This late morning we reached what I believe is the Trail River. We split into two parties. Nat’aaggi, Samuelson, & Boyd will remain behind to hunt the nearby peaks for tebay. Amongst us, they have best odds at getting meat. The men & I go east up the river in search of the village & its tyone. Tillman says he has learned enough of the Midnoosky tongue to make do as translator.
I have ordered Pruitt to leave behind camera, tripod, & all but the most necessary of instruments. We have also cached a small amount of tea, lard, & other provisions for when we return. We set out with a few cups of flour & the unappetizing salmon we traded from the Indians. From the Indians’ vague direction, we believe the village is about 10 miles upriver, well before the river branches into two forks. The Old Man denied the village exists at all, though I give him no credence.
If their hunt is successful, or if they do not hear from us for more than a week, Samuelson says they will seek us out on the Trail River. If we do not find each other before, we will meet here at the juncture of the two rivers within the month.
Ice is rapidly disappearing. Small patches of green grass emerge along the riverbank.
May 7
No sign of the village yet. Travel difficult, as the valley is snarled with alder, deadfall trees. We are hungry. Soles fall from our rotting boots. We try to mend them with strips of hide, without success.
May 8
All of us quite ill. Out of desperation, ate the salmon yesterday afternoon. Quickly doubled us over with cramps, vomiting. Pruitt so weak, we must at times support him as he walks.
A hardship to travel on, but the village is our best hope.
Part Three
Alaska Indian Infant Sling.
Allen Forrester Collection.
Wolverine River Indians, Circa 1885.
Strap of caribou hide, 44 inches long by 6 inches wide, with sinew threading, decorated with a pattern of flattened porcupine quills. Quills dyed with ochre. Used to secure infant to mother’s back.
Perkins Island, Alaska
9 November, 1794
Your Grace, Dmitry,
Most Merciful Archbishop and Father.
Blessed be the Father of compassion, God Almighty, who through Divine Providence protects us from our own weaknesses and failings.
I, humble servant, have the honor of reporting that we have conducted 100 baptisms in the past seven days. Since our arrival last autumn, we have welcomed nearly 5,000 natives to the Christian faith. It is still difficult to know how much they understand about their duties before God, but they come in zeal and so we baptize them and instruct them as best we can.
Although their nature is rough, wild, and libidinous, these natives are entirely capable of Redemption. They seem to come naturally to the concept of Christian Charity. Without hesitation they will share whatever food or shelter in their possession, and miserliness is considered greatest amongst sins. They are also as modest in their dress as any good Russian. The women wear simple dresses of bird skins. In cooler weather, they dress in the furs of otter and beaver.
As they come to understand what the Creator requires of them, we believe they will continue to abandon their shameful dances, polygamy, and worship of shamans.