Skekhes of an Excursion to Southern Alaska, 



We coasted along the mainland, westward, to Prince Frederick's Sound, into 

 which we entered. Continuous forests and impenctral)le thickets hid the eavtli 

 from our view where anything like level landscape appeared. But most of 

 the \\ay. mountains descended abruptly to the water's edge, and beneath it at 

 the same angle into unmeasured depths. Above, the forests extended up th 

 mountain sides with a degree of uniformity, and beyond, the growth of trees. 

 shrul)bery, and moss crept upward often to the very summits. Defiles dis- 

 closed less timber and loftier mountains, often covered with snow ; or local 

 i^laciers in active operation. A few of the glaciers descended to the water's 

 edge. At one of these we spent a few hours. No white man on board had 

 fvcr seen it : but Kadishan l<new the locality, and piloted us tn it. 



INSI'ECTION OK THK Cl.ACIKR. 



It is estimated to be nearly two miles wide. Several streams were flowing 

 from it into the sea. The moraine covered several s<[uare miles. The near view 

 of it exhibited the ice in its varied forms, w ith pinnacles intercepted by fiee]) 

 ■crevasses, in which the intense blue of the ice appeared. The course of the 

 tjlacicr could be traced several miles ; and on either side tributaries joined th^ 

 main trunk — frozen streams entering a frozen river. 



We approached this glacier in a steam-boat, through a channel between 

 ni()untain> of LTanite, v.hich bore the inilelil^le mark of glacial action. The 

 ■chaiiiicl itself was excavated by the glacier, whose supplies were drawn from 

 ithese elevations upon which we were gazing. The direction of the warm cur- 

 rent from the Pacific, the increased temperature, had abridged the vast glacier, 

 which had lain within the embraces of these lofty peaks. We surveyed the 

 scene and traversed the landscape with great admiration and delight, this being 

 .the first opportunity for most of us to inspect a glacier, the slowest, and yet 

 among the most effective forces of nature. At the other extremity of nature's 

 forces stands volcanic action, and throughout the vast region which surrounded 

 lis for manv a hundred leagues in every direction, there were the evidences of 

 llie action of both these forces. Though they differ so widely in the time 

 employed to i)roduce great changes, yet they have left their signatures upon 

 the face of the landscape, equally legible and ineffaceable, .\fterwards, there 

 were three glaciers in view at the same time — a wonderful sight to us who 

 wen- unaccustomed to such scenery. All the glaciers were on the mainland. 



KSTIMATK OK THK MAINLAND. 



We were compelled, in consef[uence of the slow progress of our steamer, to 

 return before we had accomplished the main object of this trip, which was mis- 

 sionary. 13ut I obtained such definite information respecting the people and 

 their disposition toward receiving teachers, that I feel warranted in expressing 

 my views about the entire region with confidence. 



The insular scenery presented no new features ; but the survey of the main- 

 land agreed with accounts of persons whose journeys in the interior, or in vari- 

 ous directions, enabled them to give a description of it, from actual inspection, 

 ns this was my first extended contact with it, and ns I liad no other opportunity 



