38 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



at Hoonia. I did not envy the padre his summer 

 holiday; even as they got on to the wharf they were 

 verging on what Hardy calls " the antipathetic, re- 

 criminatory mood of the average husband and wife 

 in Christendom." 



Leaving Sitka we stood out for the open sea, cross- 

 ing the Gulf, making for Yakutat, over three hundred 

 miles distant, and for the next few hours such glories 

 were laid before our astonished eyes as my poor pen 

 can in no way adequately describe. The mighty 

 Mount Fairweather compelled admiration first, but 

 appeared almost insignificant as Mount St. Elias 

 burst upon our vision. Perhaps it is no exaggera- 

 tion to say that this mountain is the most awe-inspir- 

 ing in all the world, outdoing Cotopaxi and its 19,600 

 feet, for it must be remembered that Mount St. Elias 

 rears its 18,200 feet from the very edge of the sea, and 

 most mountains can only be viewed from an already 

 high level. 



A wealth of beautiful scenes held us spellbound. 

 Mountains rising to great heights with bold and lofty 

 peaks covered with an everlasting snow mantle, sup- 

 ported on their giant sides the wondrous glaciers. 

 Contrasted with the even-coloured snow above, these 

 frozen sunlit ways seemed to glitter in all imaginable 

 tints, blue and green, green and deeper blue. Range 

 upon range of peaks, and each valley filled with the 

 wonderfully iridescent glaciers. Great blocks of ice 

 are perpetually tearing off with a splitting reverbera- 

 tion, and sometimes the effect on the water was 

 terrific, as the disturbed waves lashed around the 



