B. r. I.— 164. - G. F. P. I.— 113. 



GRASS LANDS OF THE SOUTH ALASKA COAST. 



INTRODUCTION. 



- A glance at the accompanying- map of Alaska (PI. I) will show 

 that the coast line beginning at Dixon Entrance, in longitude 132°, 

 latitude 54° 30', and extending to Unalaska, in longitude 166° and 

 latitude 54°, is nearly in the form of a semicircle, or, rather, of a half 

 ellipse, the east and west diameter of which would be about 2,000 

 miles and the north and south diameter about half this distance. 

 Xear the northernmost part of this coast line are two large inlets, the 

 eastern one Prince William Sound, the western one Cook Inlet. It 

 will be further noticed that islands are very numerous on the coast 

 and that the coast line is much indented by narrow inlets or fiords, a 

 fact better shown on larger maps. The principal places mentioned in 

 this paper are likewise indicated on the majD. Officially, the region 

 from Mount Saint Elias eastward is known as southeastern Alaska, 

 that west of this peak as southwestern. Alaska. From an agricultural 

 standpoint, however, there is a much better and very marked divid- 

 ing line. From Cook Inlet eastward practically all of the lands lying 

 near the coast are densely timbered up to an altitude of 2,000 to 3,000 

 feet. From Cook Inlet westward, excepting Afognak Island and a 

 small portion of Kadiak Island, the lands are devoid of timber, and 

 are for the most part grass covered. 



The total area of the coast grass lands is about 10,000 square miles, 

 nearly all of which lies between Cook Inlet and Unalaska, a distance 

 of about 700 miles. At least one-half of this land would seem capa- 

 ble, in time at least, of profitable utilization. From various causes it 

 has remained until now practically unused. 



South Alaska is a mountainous country, a great range of snow- 

 capped peaks on the mainland paralleling the entire coast. Eastward 

 from Cook Inlet great numbers of glaciers arise in the higher moun- 

 tains, and many of these rivers of ice extend downward to the sea. 

 Westward from Cook Inlet no glaciers reach the sea, although nuuiy 

 of the mountain peaks are from 5,000 to 8,000 feet high. This strik- 

 ing difference apparently depends on a much smaller annual rainfall 

 and snowfall. 



9 



29975— No. 82—05 M 2 



