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



The sides of Blossom island are rough and precipitous. The 

 glaciers floAving past it cut away the rocks and, as the surface of 

 the ice-fields was lowered, left them in many places in rugged 

 cliffs bare of vegetation. The top of the island was also formerly 

 glaciated and in part covered with debris ; but the ice retreated 

 so long ago that the once desolate surface has become clothed in 

 verd.ure. Every where ■ there are dense growths of flowers, ferns 

 and berry bushes. On the rocky spurs, thrifty spruce trees, 

 festooned with drooping streamers, shelter luxuriant banks of 

 mosses, lichens and ferns. There was no evidence that human 

 hand had ever plucked a flower in that luxuriant garden ; not 

 a trace could be found of man's previous invasion. The only 

 trails were those left by the bears in forcing their Avay through 

 the dense vegetation in quest of succulent roots. Later in the 

 season, Avhen the berries ripened, there Avas a feast spread invit- 

 ingly for all Avho chose to partake. On the Avarm summer days 

 the air Avas filled Avith the perfume of the floAvers, birds flitted 

 in and out of the shady grove, and insects hummed in the glad 

 sunlight; the freshness and beauty on eA^ery hand made this 

 island seem a -little Eden, preserved Avith all its freshness and 

 fragrance from the destroying hand of man. 



This oasis in a desert of ice is so beautiful and displays so 

 many instructive and attractive features that I Avish the reader 

 to come Avith me up the flowery slopes and study the interesting 

 pictures to be seen from its summit. 



The narrow ravine back of our camp is festooned and over- 

 hung Avith tall ferns, shooting out from the thickets on either 

 hand like bending plumes. You Avill notice at a glance, if per- 

 chance your youthful excursions happened to be in the north- 

 eastern states, as Avere mine, that many of the plants about us 

 are old friends, or at least former acquaintances. The tall fern 

 nodding so gracefully as we pass is an Asplenium^ but of ranker 

 growth than in most southern regions. These tall Avhite floAvers 

 with aspiring, flat-topped umbles, looking like rank caraAvay 

 plants, but larger and more showy, belong to the genus Archan- 

 gelica, and are at home in the Cascade range and the Rocky 

 Mountains as Avell as here. The lily-like plant growing so pro- 

 fusely, especially in the moist dells, Avith tall, slim spikes of 

 greenish floAvers and long parallel veined leaves, is Veratrum 

 viride. These brilliant yelloAV monkey-flowers, bending so grace- 

 fully over the banks of the pond, are closely related to the little 



