FIRST ATTEMPTED ASCENT, 1857 



As we returned we had more leisure to examine and 

 clearer weather to see the glacier than we had coming 

 up. There was no medial moraine ; but an icy ridge 

 parallel to the lateral moraines, and about midway 

 between them, extending as far as we ascended the 

 glacier. The lateral moraines were not continuous, 

 but were interrupted by the walls of the spurs where 

 they projected into the glacier ; between these points 

 the lateral moraines existed. The glacier sloped away 

 from the ridge to the moraines, more or less sharply, 

 and it was no easy matter to get off the ice, owing to 

 the steepness of the moraine. The ice melted by 

 reflection from the face of the moraine, and formed a 

 difficult crevasse between it and the glacier. Bowl- 

 ders of every shape and size were scattered over the 

 face of the glacier. Large ones were propped up on 

 pinnacles of ice ; these were evidently too thick for the 

 sun to heat through. The small bowlders were sunk 

 more or less deeply, and surrounded by water in the 

 hot sun ; but they evidently froze fast again at night. 



The noise produced by the glacier was startling and 

 strange. One might suppose the mountain was break- 

 ing loose, particularly at night. Although, so far as 

 stillness was concerned, there was no difference be- 

 tween day and night, at night the noise seemed more 

 terrible. It was a fearful crashing and grinding that 

 was going on, where the granite was powdered that 

 whitened the river below, and where the bowlders were 

 polished and partially rounded. 



The great stillness and solitude were also very op- 

 pressive ; no familiar sounds ; nothing except the 

 whistle of the animal before mentioned and the noise 

 of the glacier's motion was to be heard, and if these 

 had not occurred at intervals the solitude would have 

 been still more oppressive. We were glad to get down 

 again to the Nesqually, where we could hear its roar 

 and see its rushing waters. The other members of 

 the party were so tired and worn, however, that they 



