ALASKA. 15 



whicU were found here ii) 1825, when tbe Russians lauded for 

 tlie first time, and the rocks were still warm. 



';In tbis way aud recently, geologically speaking, were tbe 

 Aleutian Islands formed from tbe Peninsula westward, includ- 

 ing tbe Prybilov Group and Saint 3Iattbew's, tbeir appearance 

 marking tbe course of a line of least resistance in the earth's 

 crust. 



The Yulxon District. — In tbis division may be placed all that 

 countrj' above tbe bead of Bristol Bay aud north and west of 

 the Peninsular Bauge of mountains as they extend far into tbe 

 interior, reaching to the arctic and far beyond, an immense area 

 of desolate sameness, almost unknown, and likely to be so for 

 an indefinite time, the banks of tbe Yukon Eiver being the 

 only track traversed as yet by white men into the interior. 

 This great range of country may jiroperly be divided into two 

 sections, the bills or timber-lands and tbe plains or tundra. Tbe 

 former seldom approach the waters of Bering or the Arctic Rea 

 nearer than fifty or sixty miles, and generally trend some two to 

 three hundred miles back. Tbe general contourof the interior 

 is a vast undulating plain, with high, rounded granitic hills aud 

 ridges scattered here and there, on the flanks of which, and by 

 the countless lakes aud water-courses, grow in tolerable abun- 

 dance spruce, fir, hemlock, birch, and poi)lar, with a large number 

 of hardy shrubs indigenous all the world over to these latitudes. 

 The summers short, but warm and pleasant j the winters long, 

 and bitter]^' cold aud inclement. 



The tundra, however, which fronts the whole coast-line of 

 this, the most extensive section of tbe Territory, is, indeed, 

 cheerless and repelhint at any season ; in the summer it is a 

 great flat swale, full of bog-holes, slimy, decayed peat, innumer- 

 able lakes, shallow, stagnant, aud from all places swarm mos- 

 quitoes of the most malignant typ?, while in winter it is a wide 

 snow plain, over which fierce gales of wind, at zero tempera- 

 ture, sweep in constant succession, making travel as painful 

 and dangerous as can be well imagined. In this season all ap- 

 proach to tbe coast is barred by a great system of shoals and 

 banks, which extend so far out to sea that a vessel drawing 10 

 feet of water will be hard aground, out of sight of land, ofl' tbe 

 mouth of the Yukon. 



There is a vast area of tbis district between the head of 

 Cook's Inlet and tbe Arctic, and far back into the interior, that 

 is entirely unknown, but as traders are extending their routes 

 in all directions, this interior may in time be explored aud noted. 



