96 I. C. Russell — ExpedUlon to Mount St. Ellas. 



" Tweed " showed signs of weariness, and offered no objection 

 when I started a fire and expressed my intention of spending 

 the night beneath the wide-spreading branches of a moss-covered 

 evergreen. Having a few pieces of bread in my pocket, I shared 

 them with the dogs, and stretching mj^self on a luxuriant bank 

 of hchens tried to sleep, only to find the mosquitoes so ener- 

 getic that there was no hope of passing the night in comfort. 



After resting I felt refreshed, and concluded to press on 

 through the gathering darkness, and after another hour of hard 

 work I came out of the forest and upon a field of torrent-swept 

 bowlders, deposited by the stream which I had left farther up. 

 I was surprised to find that the twilight was not so far spent as 

 I had fancied. The way ahead being free of vegetation, I has- 

 tened on, and after traveling about two miles was rejoiced by the 

 sight of a camp-fire blazing in the distance. • The Avarm fire and 

 a hearty supper soon madenie forget the fatigues of the day. 



This, my first day's exploration, must stand as an example of 

 many similar days spent on the hills and in the forests north- 

 west of Yakutat bay, of wdiich it is not necessary to give detailed 

 descriptions. 



Canoe Trip in Disenchantment Bay. 



On July 3, I continued my examination of the region about 

 the head of Yakutat bay by making a canoe trip up Disenchant- 

 ment Imy to Haenke island. With the assistance of Christie and 

 Crumback, our canoe was launched through the surf without 

 difficulty, and we slowly worked our way through the fields of 

 floating ice which covered all the upper portion of the inlet. 

 The men plied the oars with which the canoe was fortunately 

 provided, Avhile I directed its course with a paddle. A heavy 

 swell rolling in from the ocean rendered the task of choosing a 

 route through the grinding ice-pack somewhat difficult. After 

 four or five hours of hard work, during which time several vain 

 attempts were made to traverse leads in the ice which had only 

 one ope^iing, we succeeded in reaching the southern end of the 

 island. 



The shores of Haenke island are steej^a nd rocky, and, so far 

 as I am aware, afford only one cove in which a boat can take 

 refuge. This is at the extreme southern j^oint, and is not visible 

 until its entrance is reached. A break or fissure in the rocks 

 there admits of the accumulation of stone and sand, and this 



