112 I. C. Russell — Expedition to Mount St. Ellas. 



has been abandoned by the ice so recently that it is not yet 

 grassed over. Above this came the luxuriant and beautiful 

 vegetation covering all the lower mountain slopes. 



The mountain spur just west of the glacier, like several of the 

 ridges stretching southward from the higher mountains, ends 

 in a grou]) of hills somewhat separate from the main ridge. The 

 hills are covered with a rank vegetation, and in places sup- 

 port a dense growth of spruce trees. Reaching the grassy 

 summit, we had a fine, far-reaching view of the unexplored 

 region toward the west, and of the vast plateau of ice stretching 

 southward beyond the reach of the vision. West of our station, 

 another great ice-stream, named the Marvine glacier, in honor of 

 the late A. R. Marvine, flows southward with a breadth exceed- 

 ing that of any of the icy streams yet crossed. Beyond the 

 Marvine glacier, and forming its western border, there is an 

 exceedingly rugged mountain range trending northeast and 

 southwest. Although this is, topographically, a portion of the 

 mountain mass forming Mount Cook, its prominence and its 

 peculiar geological structure render it important that it should 

 have an independent name. In acknowledgment of the services 

 to science rendered by the first state geologist of Massachusetts, 

 it is designated the Hitchcock range on our maps. Rising above 

 the angular crest line of this mountain mass towers the pyram- 

 idal summit of Mount St. Elias, seemingly as distant as when 

 Ave first beheld it from near Yakutat bay. 



About a mile west of the hill on which we stood, and beyond 

 the bed of a lake now drained of its waters by a tunnel leading 

 southAvard through the ice, rose a steep, rocky island out of the 

 glaciers, -its summit OA'^ergrown Avith A^egetation and dark with 

 spruce trees. This oasis in a sea of ice, subsequently named 

 Blossom island, Ave chose as the most favorable site for our next 

 advance-camp. 



We then returned to our camp in Floral pass, and a day or 

 tAVO later Kerr and Christie started on a side trip up the Hayden 

 glacier, to be absent .five days. During this trip the weather Avas 

 stormy, and only alloAved half an hour for topographical Avork 

 AA'hen a somcAvhat favorable station Avas reached. This Avas of 

 great service, hoAvever, in mapping the country, as it gave a station 

 of considerable elevation on the side of Mount Cook. The trip 

 was nearl}^ all above the snoAV-line,. and was relieved by many 

 novel experiences. 



