86 /. C. Russell--Expedition to Mount St. Ellas. 



outfit were assembled at Camp 3. j\fr. Hendricksen and our 

 Indian friends took their departure, and the work for which we 

 had come so far Avas actually Ijcgun'. 



Base CIamp on the Shore of Yakutat Bav. 



About ^the tents at Camp 8 the rank grass grew waist-high, 

 sheltering the strawberries and dwarf raspberries that l^loomed 

 beneath. A little Avay back from the shore, clumps of alders, in- 

 terspersed with spruce trees, marked the beginning of the forest 

 Avhich covered the hills toward the west and southwest. Toward 

 the north rose rugged mountains, their summits shrouded in 

 mist; in the steep gorges on their sides the ends of glaciers- 

 gleamed white, like foaming cataracts descending from cloudland. 



The day following' our arrival dawned bright and beautiful. 

 Every cloud vanished from the mountains as by magic, reveal- 

 ing their magnificent summits in clear relief We found our- 

 selves at the base of a rugged mountain range extending far 

 southeastward and northwestward, its first rampart so breached 

 as to allow the waters of the ocean to extend into the very midst 

 of the great peaks beyond. Through this opening we had a 

 splendid view of the snow-clad mountains filling the northern 

 sky and stretching away in lessening perspective foAvard the 

 east until they l>lended Avith the distant clouds. 



Topographic Avork Avas started, and the preparation of " packs " 

 for the journey inland Avas begun at once; and all hands Avere 

 kept busy. A base-line Avas measured by Mr. Kerr, and a be- 

 ginning Avas made in the clcA^elopment of a system of triangu- 

 lation AA'hich Avas carried on throughout the season. 



Our stay at the camp on the shore extended OA^er a Aveek, and 

 enabled us to become familiar Avith many of the changes in the 

 rugged scenery surrounding Yakutat bay. The bay itself Avas 

 covered with icebergs for most of the time. Owing to the pre- 

 vailing Avinds and the action of shore currents, the ice accumu- 

 lated on the coast adjacent to our camp. For many days the 

 beach toAvard both the liorth and the south, as far as the eye 

 could reach, Avas ]3iled high Avith huge masses of blue and white 

 ice. When the bay Avas rough, the surf roared angrily among 

 the stranded bergs and, dashing over them, formed splendid, 

 sheets of form ; Avhile on bright, sunny days the ba}^ gleamed 

 and flashed in the sunlight as the summer Avinds gently rip])led 



