104 L C. Bussdl — Expedition to Mount tit. Ellas. . 



Before leaving the base-camp I visited Black glacier for the 

 purpose of taking photographs and studying the appearance of 

 an old glacier far spent and fast passing away. This, like the 

 Galiano glacier, is a good example of a great number of ice- 

 streams in the same region which are covered from side to side 

 with debris. The canon walls on either side rise precipitously, 

 and their lower slopes, for the height of 200 or 300 feet, are bare 

 of vegetation. The surface of the glacier has evidently sunken 

 to this extent Avithin a period too short to allow of the accumula- 

 tion of soil and the rooting of plants on the slopes. The banks 

 referred to are in part below the upper limit of timber growth, 

 and the adjacent surfaces are covered with bushes, grasses', and 

 flowers. Under the climatic conditions there prevailing, it is 

 evident that the formation of soil and the spreading of plants 

 over areas abandoned by ice is a matter of comparatively few 

 years. It is for this reason that a very recent retreat of Black 

 glacier is inferred. Many of the glaciers in southern Alaska give 

 similar evidence of recent contraction, and it is evident that a 

 climatic change is in progress which is either decreasing the 

 winter's snow or increasing the summer's heat. The most sensi- 

 tive indicators of these changes, responding even more quickly 

 than does the vegetation, are the glaciers. 



The fourth of July was spent by us in cutting a trail up the 

 steep mountain slope to the amphitheatre visited during my 

 first tramp. No one can appreciate the density and luxuriance 

 of the vegetation on the lower mountain in that region until he 

 has cut a passage through it. Seven men, working continuously 

 for six or seven hours with axes and knives, were able to open a 

 comparatively good trail about a mile in length. The remainder 

 of the Avav was along stream courses and up bowlder- washes, 

 which were free from vegetation. In the afternoon, having fin- 

 ished our task, a half-holiday was spent in an exciting search for 

 two huge brown bears discovered by one of the party, but they 

 vanished before the guns could be brought out. 



The next day an advance-camp was made in the amphitheatre 

 above timber line, and there Mr. Kerr and myself passed the 

 night, molested only by swarms of mosquitoes, and the day fol- 

 lowing occupied an outstanding butte as a topographical station. 

 In the afternoon of the same day the advance-caiiip was moved 

 to the border of the Atrevida glacier at a point already described, 

 where a muddy stream gushes out from under the ice. 



