192 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



but it is not plain, because we saw tbem only sleeping, at tbis season 

 of tbe year, on tbe lower ground, seemingly to deligbt in stretcbing 

 tbemselves and rolling over tbe rankest vegetation. 



Glacial exhibits. — Tbe action of ice in rounding down and grind- 

 ing bills, cbipping bluffs, and cbiseling everywbere, carrying tbe soil 

 and debris into depressions and valleys, is most beautifully exbibited 

 on St. Mattbew. Tbe bills at tbe foot of Sugar Loaf Cone are bare 

 and literally polisbed by ice sbeets and slides of melting snow. Tbe 

 rocks and soil from tbe summits and slopes are carried down and 

 "dumped," as it were, in numberless little beaps at tbe base, so tbat 

 tbe foot of tbe bill and out on tbe plain around strongly put us in 

 mind of tbose refuse piles wbicb are dropped over tbe commons or 

 dumping grounds of a city. Nowbere can tbe work of ice be seen to 

 better advantage tban bere, aided and abetted as it undoubtedly is by 

 tbe power of wind, especially witb regard to tbe cbiseling action of 

 frost on tbe faces of tbe ringing, metallic, porpbyry clifts. 



Extensive flora. — Tbe flora bere is as extensive as on tbe seal 

 islands, 200 miles to tbe soutbward, but tbe species of grammce are 

 not nearly so varied; indeed, tbere is very little grass around about. 

 Wberever tbere is soil it seems to be converted by tbe abundant 

 moisture into a swale or swamj), over wbicb we traveled as on a quak- 

 ing water bed; but on tbe rounded billtops and ridge summits tbe 

 wind-rubbed and frost-splintered sbingle makes good walking. Botb 

 of tbese climatic agencies evidently bave an annual iron grip on tbe 

 island. 



Fantastic cleavage of the rocks. — The west end of St. Mat- 

 tbew differs materially from tbe east. Tbe fantastic weatbering»of tbe 

 rocks at Catbedral Point, Hall Island, will strike tbe eye of a most 

 casual observer as tbe sbip enters tbe straits going soutb. Tbis east- 

 ern wall of tbat point looms up from tbe water like a row of immense 

 cedar-tree trunks. Tbe sealing off of tbe basaltic porpbyry and growtb 

 of yellowisb-green and red, mossy licbens made tbe effect most real, 

 wbile a. vast bank of fog lying just overbead seemed to sbut out from 

 our vision tbe foliage and brandies tbat sliould be above. Tbis nortb 

 cape of Hall Island cbanges wben approacbed witb every mile's dis- 

 tance to a new and altogetber cbaracteristic profile. 



Our visit at tbe west end of tbe island of St. Mattbew was, geolog- 

 ically speaking, tbe most interesting experience I bave ever bad in 

 Alaska. Tbe geologist wbo may desire to study tbe greatest variety of 

 igneous forms in situ witbin a sbort and easy radius can do no better 

 than make bis survej^ bere. Tbe rocks are not only varied by mineral 

 colors, together witb a fantastic arrangement of basalt and porpbyry, 

 but are ricb and elegant in tbeir tinting by tbe profuse growtb of 

 licbens — brown, yellow, green, and bronze. 



Hundreds of polar bears. — An old Russian record prepared us 

 in landing to find bears bere, but it did not cause us to be equal to 

 tbe sigbt we saw, for we met bears — yea, hundreds of them. I was 

 going to say that I saw bears bere as I bad seen seals to tbe soutb, but 

 tbat, of course, will not do, unless as a mere figure of speech. During 

 tbe nine days that we were surveying this island we never were one 

 moment wbile on land out of sight of a bear or bears. Tbeir white 

 forms in the distance alwa3^s answered to our search, though they ran 

 from our immediate i^resence witb tbe greatest celerity, traveling in a 

 swift, shambling gallop or trotting off like elephants. Whether due 

 to tbe fact that they were gorged with food or that tbe warmer weather 

 of summer subdued their temper, we never could coax one of tbese 



