Alaska7i Volcanoes 215 



weather. It is this that has undercut the moun- 

 tains and left the cliffs, breaking off like bergs from 

 a glacier, a sheer perpendicular. We came quite 

 near to a second volcano — I forgot to inquire its 

 name — which is not of much importance when we 

 remember that there are sixty-five volcanoes in 

 Alaska and its islands. The black patch on the 

 summit, from which smoke was issuing, was not so 

 large as the black hood of Shishaldon, nor is it so 

 sharp and striking in form. 



I have been describing only the terminal range 

 of the unequaled scenery of the east Alaskan 

 coast, of which I have only yet seen this much. 

 Now there is nothing in Europe comparable to the 

 scenes I have been describing. Mont Blanc is 

 a huge, round pile of snow. It is higher than Shi- 

 shaldon, but it does not appear to be half as high, 

 for the reason that it rises from an elevated table- 

 land, while of this mountain is seen its whole height 

 from sea level. Another element of apparent great 

 height is the clearly cut outline rising at a sharp 

 angle to a sharp point. These volcanoes, built 

 from the top, are at an angle more acute than one 

 could make of a pile of earth or sand, for the rea- 

 son that they are eternally frozen. The detritus 

 thrown out by the crater is locked securely and for- 

 ever where it falls. So the whole effect is peculiar 

 and unique. 



"Now we'll catch it!" some one sang out, and 

 then the ship was balancing on the top of a huge 



