The Return to Fort W^rangell 



the fiord or, at least, of their snowy fountains. But 

 in this also I failed; for at a distance of about sixteen 

 miles from the mouth of the fiord a change to the 

 northward in its general trend cut off all its upper 

 course from sight. 



Returning to camp baffled and weary, I ordered all 

 hands to pack up and get out of the ice as soon as 

 possible. And how gladly was that order obeyed! 

 Toyatte's grand countenance glowed like a sun-filled 

 glacier, as he joyfully and teasingly remarked that 

 "the big Sum Dum ice-mountain had hidden his face 

 from me and refused to let me pay him a visit." All 

 the crew worked hard boring a way down the west 

 side of the fiord, and early in the afternoon we reached 

 comparatively open water near the mouth of the bay. 

 Resting a few minutes among the drifting bergs, tak- 

 ing last lingering looks at the wonderful place I might 

 never see again, and feeling sad over my weary fail- 

 ure to explore it, I was cheered by a friend I little 

 expected to meet here. Suddenly, I heard the familiar 

 whir of an ousel's wings, and, looking up, saw my little 

 comforter coming straight from the shore. In a second 

 or two he was with me, and flew three times around 

 my head with a happy salute, as if saying, "Cheer 

 up, old friend, you see I am here and all's well." He 

 then flew back to the shore, alighted on the topmost 

 jag of a stranded iceberg, and began to nod and bow 

 as though he were on one of his favorite rocks in the 

 middle of a sunny California mountain cataract. 



Mr. Young regretted not meeting the Indians here, 

 but mission work also had to be left until next season. 



[ 185 1 



