WONDERS OF A NEW LAND 209 



ter. Europe has nothing like these glaciers, 

 which overflow the Alaskian valleys, and sub- 

 merge the hills, for many of them contain 

 more ice than the whole of Switzerland. 



*'This range is the Andes of the North, and 

 it curves westward in a magnificent sweep, 

 hugging the shore for a thousand leagues. 

 Against It the sea beats stormily; its frozen 

 crest is played upon by constant rains and fogs 

 and blizzards. But beyond lies a land of sun- 

 shine, of long, dry, golden summer days." 



Here we have a description that to my mind 

 cannot be excelled. 



On the Coast Range we have rain and rain 

 for weeks, with snow, ice, and a host of other 

 discomforts. And then sixty to eighty miles 

 back of the great Coast Range we find just 

 what this noted writer has characterized this 

 inland country to be — "a land of sunshine, of 

 long, dry, golden summer days." 



It is in reality a semi-arid country. The 

 atmosphere is so dry that you may cache meat 

 out in the open in the early fall, and it will 

 be good to eat all through the winter; but 

 of course it will at that time be frozen. 



Hang your wet clothes outside at night. 

 In the morning they are dry. Dust, heaps of 

 it, we found along the beds of certain rivers, 



