168 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



shed came within that zone, in which case it was to 

 follow that. This position was then incorporated in 

 the U.S. Coast Pilot of Alaska. 



Before making another jump and this time clear 

 across the boundary St. Elias waited for the next 

 edition of the volume above-named, and finally alighted 

 in lat. 60 20' 45" and long. 141 0' 12". Some San 

 Francisco papers lately stated these facts ; but when I 

 landed there from Alaska in 1886, though they pro- 

 fessed to desire information, they informed me that 

 any such claim of depriving the United States of 

 Mount St. Elias made through their columns would 

 inflict an injury on their reputation and adversely 

 affect their circulation. 



Soon after leaving Glacier Bay the steamer reached 

 its destination, Sitka, the chief town in Alaska, beau- 

 tifully situated in a bay about thirty miles across, 

 bordered by mountains from four to six thousand feet 

 high. Twenty years ago, when Alaska was yet part 

 of Eussia, Sitka was the headquarters of the Eussian 

 Trading Company, and their great timber-built sheds 

 still attest the solidity with which they were con- 

 structed. 



The U.S. steamship Pinta named, I suppose, after 

 the vessel of Columbus had orders to take our Expe- 

 dition along the dangerous piece of coast as far as 

 Yakatat Bay, close to Mount St. Elias. But owing 

 to want of coal Captain Nicholls was unable to start 

 for another fortnight ; so I occupied the time first by 

 a fishing and hunting excursion to the extinct volcano 



