220 THE JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY. 



GEOGRAPHY OF THE ST. ELIAS REGION. 



The south coast of Alaska from Glacier bay on the east to 

 the vicinity of the mouth of Copper river on the west, is 

 bordered by a system of lofty mountains composed of many 

 short ranges, which present steep escarpments to the south 

 and overlook a narrow coastal -plain. At times the plain is 

 wanting as in the vicinity of Mt. Fairweather, and the moun- 

 tains rise directly from the ocean to great heights. To the 

 north of the uplifts, facing the sea, there is an excessively 

 rugged plateau probably about a hundred miles broad, and with 

 a general elevation of eight or nine thousand feet. On this 

 plateau there are hundreds of short ranges and isolated peaks 

 rising by estimate some five or six thousand feet above the ice- 

 filled valleys, while some of the more prominent summits have a 

 still greater elevation. The northern border of this rugged 

 region has been only partially explored but is known to be less 

 precipitous than its southern face. The elevated region is 

 destitute of both plant and animal life, and is covered with a 

 vast neve field through which many precipitous peaks project. 

 The southern slopes of these islands in the desert of snow are 

 frequently bare in summer and furnish the only relief to the 

 mantle of perpetual white. It is in this region that the ice 

 streams supplying the Malaspina glacier have their sources. 



The Tyndall glacier, shown on the accompanying map, is 

 fed by the snow falling on the southwest portion of the Mt. St. 

 Elias range, and flows southward with such a strong current that 

 even after expanding on the plain at the base of the mountains 

 and forming the western lobe of the Malaspina glacier, it con- 

 tinues its southward course and entering the sea forms Icy cape 

 from, which thousands of bergs are annually set adrift. Tyndall 

 glacier has important tributaries, especially from the northern 

 side of Robinson hills, but whether it is joined by a glacier from 

 the elevated region to the north of the first range facing the 

 coast, is not known. No break through which a glacier could 

 flow has been observed in the mountain crest to be seen from the 

 ocean, but future explorers may hope to discover such a pass. 



