CHAPTER V 



A CRUISE IN THE CASSIAR 



SHORTLY after our return to Wrangell the 

 missionaries planned a grand mission excursion 

 up the coast of the mainland to the Chilcat country, 

 which I gladly joined, together with Mr. Vanderbilt, 

 his wife, and a friend from Oregon. The river steamer 

 Cassiar was chartered, and we had her all to ourselves, 

 ship and officers at our command to sail and stop 

 where and when we would, and of course everybody 

 felt important and hopeful. The main object of the 

 missionaries was to ascertain the spiritual wants of 

 the warlike Chilcat tribe, with a view to the estab- 

 lishment of a church and school in their principal 

 village; the merchant and his party were bent on 

 business and scenery; while my mind was on the 

 mountains, glaciers, and forests. 



This was toward the end of July, in the very bright- 

 est and best of Alaska summer weather, when the icy 

 mountains towering in the pearly sky were displayed 

 in all their glory, and the islands at their feet seemed 

 to float and drowse on the shining mirror waters. 



After we had passed through the Wrangell Nar- 

 rows, the mountains of the mainland came in full 

 view, gloriously arrayed in snow and ice, some of the 

 largest and most river-like of the glaciers flowing 

 through wide, high-walled valleys like Yosemite, 

 their sources far back and concealed, others in plain 



IS6] 



