Former Height of the Ice-Flood. 93 



plateau of ice which stretched toward the south and west farther 

 than the eye could reach. This is the Malaspina glacier, shown 

 on plate 8. Its borders, like the expanded extremity of the 

 lAicia glacier, are covered Avith debris, on the outer margins of 

 which dense vegetation has taken root. All the central portion 

 of the ' ice-sheet is clear of moraines, and shone in the sunlight 

 like a vast snow-field. The heights formerly reached by the 

 nearer glaciers were plainly marked along the mountain sides 

 by well-defined terraces, sloping with the present drainage. 

 When the Lucia glacier was at its flood the ridge on which I 

 stood was only 200 or 300 feet above its surface ; now it approaches 

 1,000 feet. 



Turning toward the southeast, I could look doAvn upon the 

 waters of Yakutat bay, with its thousands of floating icebergs, 

 and could distinguish the white breakers as they rolled in on 

 Ocean cape. Beyond Yakutat stretches a forest-covered plateau 

 between the mountains and the sea, and the eye could range far 

 over the mountains bordering this jjlateau on the northeast. In 

 the distance, fully a hundred miles away, stood Mount Fair- 

 weather, its position rendered conspicuous by a bank of shining 

 clouds floating serenely above its cold summit. 



The mountains directly east of Yakutat bay rise to a general 

 height of about 8,000 feet, but are without especially jDrominent 

 peaks. In a general way they form a rugged plateau, which has 

 been dissected in various channels to depth of 2,000 or 3,000 feet. 

 Nearly all of the plateau, including mountains and valleys, is 

 covered with snow-fields and glaciers ; but none of the ice-streams, 

 so far as can be seen from a distance, descend below an elevation 

 of about 4,000 or 5,000 feet. This region is as yet untraversed ; 

 and when the explorer enters it, it is quite possible that deep 

 drainage lines will be found through which glaciers may descend 

 nearly or quite to sea-level. 



After drinking in the efi'ect of the magnificent landscape and 

 endeavoring to impress every detail in the rugged topography 

 upon my memory, and having finished Avriting my notes, it was 

 time to return ; for the sun was already declining toward the west. 

 Wishing to see more of the wonderful land about me, I con- 

 cluded to descend the western sloj^e of the ridge upon Avhich I 

 stood, and to return to camij l^y following a stream Avhich issues 

 from the Atrevida glacier directly beloAV my station and empties 

 into Yakutat bay a mile or two south of our third camji. 



11— Nat. Geog. Mag., vol. Ill, 1891. 



