Second Attempt to scale St. Elias. 153 



basins, we cleared a place down to the old snow large enough 

 for our tent and went into camp. 



In the morning, August 24, the storm had spent its force and 

 left the mountains with an immaculate covering, but still par- 

 tially veiled by shreds of storm-clouds. We found ourselves on 

 one of the many tables of snow, bounded on all sides by crevasses 

 of great depth, but not far from the snow-cliff where we had cut 

 steps. The steps were obliterated by the new snow, but by means 

 of a rope and alpenstocks we made the descent without much 

 difficulty. The last man to go down, not having the help of 

 the rope, used two alpenstocks, and descended by first planting 

 one firmly in the snow and lowering himself as far as he could, 

 still retaining a firm hold, and then planting the other in the 

 snow at a lower level and removing the higher one. By slowly 

 and carefully repeating this operation he descended the cliff safely 

 and rejoined his companions. Passing on beneath the cliffs, 

 dangerous on account of avalanches, we reached in safety the 

 precipice where we had left our rope. A heavy avalanche had 

 swept down from the heights above during our absence and sent 

 its spray over the precipice we had to descend. The cliff of 

 ice towering above the place where our rope was fastened had 

 become greatly melted and honey-combed, and threatened every 

 moment to crash down and destroy any one who chanced to be 

 beneath. To stand above the precipice in the shadow of the 

 treacherous snow-cliffs while the men were descending the rope 

 was exceedingly trying to one's" nerves ; but the avalanches did 

 not come, and the previous camping place below Rope cliff was 

 reached with safety. 



The following day, August 25, after some consultation, it was 

 decided to once more attempt to reach the top of Mount St. 

 Elias. Lindsley and Stamy, who had shared without complaint 

 our privations in the snow, volunteered to descend to a lower 

 camp for additional rations, while Kerr and myself returned to 

 the higher camp in the hope that we might be able to ascend 

 the peak before the men returned, and, if not, to have sufficient 

 rations when they did rejoin us to continue the attack. The 

 men departed on their difficult errand, while Kerr and I, with 

 blankets, tents, oil-stoves, and what rations remained, once more 

 scaled the cliff where we had placed* a rope, and returned on the 

 trail made the day previously. About noon we reached the ex- 

 cavation in the snow where we had bivouacked in the storm, 



