Among' the Islands 233 



it, but found a thicket of "devil's club," four feet 

 high, in my way. It is a delicate thread as seen 

 high up on the mountain, and at a distance, but at 

 the foot is seen to be a strong stream. I saw every 

 day scenes which I longed to photograph, but could 

 not, either because the air was thick or because of 

 the vibrations of the ship. A roll or a pitch would 

 not hinder, but those vibrations were fifty to the 

 second. I will have something more to say of the 

 Silver Bow hereafter. As I look back upon the two 

 weeks of winding in and out along that coast, and 

 at the procession of villages under the cliffs, I fear 

 that I did not take sufficiently particular memoranda, 

 and that I shall get them mixed. An Alaskan coast 

 village is always a thin line of houses along thebeach, 

 with a snowy mountain back of it, from which a 

 river emerges. The river attracts the salmon and 

 the salmon attract the natives, and both attract the 

 Russians. Wherever, therefore, a river or a con- 

 siderable stream issues out of the mountain, there 

 you will find a village, and a Russian church with 

 its Muscovite dome, triple cross, and chime of bells. 

 The church is always by far the most showy and 

 conspicuous building in the place, and it is always 

 given the advantage of an elevated site. The Rus- 

 sians are remarkable for their fondness for bells. 

 Their "Kol-o-kol" in Moscow is one of the wonders 

 of the world. These are no cheap chimes which 

 send music out among the cliffs and snow. On 

 Saturday — their Sunday — they ring out very sweet 



