A Cruise in the Cassiar 



formed it slowly receding but still filling the upper 

 half of the valley. 



Sailing directly up to the edge of the low, out- 

 spread, water- washed terminal moraine, scarce notice- 

 able in a general view, we seemed to be separated 

 from the glacier only by a bed of gravel a hundred 

 yards or so in width; but on so grand a scale are all 

 the main features of the valley, we afterwards found 

 the distance to be a mile or more. 



The captain ordered the Indian deck hands to get 

 out the canoe, take as many of us ashore as wished to 

 go, and accompany us to the glacier in case we should 

 need their help. Only three of the company, in the 

 first place, availed themselves of this rare opportunity 

 of meeting a glacier in the flesh, — Mr. Young, one of 

 the doctors, and myself. Paddling to the nearest and 

 driest-looking part of the moraine flat, we stepped 

 ashore, but gladly wallowed back into the canoe; for 

 the gray mineral mud, a paste made of fine-ground 

 mountain meal kept unstable by the tides, at once 

 began to take us in, swallowing us feet foremost with 

 becoming glacial deliberation. Our next attempt, 

 made nearer the middle of the valley, was successful, 

 and we soon found ourselves on firm gravelly ground, 

 and made haste to the huge ice wall, which seemed to 

 recede as we advanced. The only difliculty we met 

 was a network of icy streams, at the largest of which 

 we halted, not willing to get wet in fording. The 

 Indian attendant promptly carried us over on his 

 back. When my turn came I told him I would ford, 

 but he bowed his shoulders in so ludicrously persua- 



[6s] 



