Siiotv-hlindness. 159 



of" new snow was seen to have descended lower and lower. Our 

 last view shoAved the wintry covering nearly down to timber- 

 line. 



On the night of August 31 we slept at the camp beneath Rope 

 cliff, but had a most uncomfortable night. Six men sleeping in 

 a tent measuring seven by seven feet, with but little protection 

 from the ice beneath, certainly does not seem inviting to one sur- 

 rounded by the comforts of civilization. A large part of the 

 night was occupied by Doney in preparing breakfast over our 

 oil-stov-e. An early start was welcome to all ; we were disap- 

 pointed at not being able to reach the top of St. Elias, and were 

 anxious to return to more comfortable quarters. Kerr concluded 

 to return at once to Blossom island to recuperate, while I made 

 an excursion up the Seward glacier, with the hope of gaining the 

 upper ice-fall and seeing the amphitheatre beyond. 



We left Rope cliff about six in the morning, and found the 

 snow hard and traveling easy for several hours. After descend- 

 ing the lower ice-fall, however, the snow became soft, and a 

 change in the atmosphere indicated the approach of another 

 storm. Kerr and Doney pressed on and were soon lost to sight, 

 while the rest of the party were delayed, owing to Partridge hav- 

 ing become snow-blind and almost helpless. As the crevasses 

 were exceedingly numerous and the snow-bridges soft and un- 

 certain, the task of conducting a blind man to a place of safety 

 was by no means light. Partridge bore up bravely under his 

 affliction, however, and did not hesitate in crawling across the 

 treacherous snow-bridges with a rope fastened about his body 

 and a man before and behind to assist his movements. Late in 

 the day we reached our camping place at the eastern border of 

 the Agassiz glacier, while Kerr and Doney crossed Dome pass 

 and spent the night in a tent that had been left standing at the 

 first camping east of the pass. We pitched a tent on our old 

 camping place at Camp 16, and had the luxury of a rocky bed 

 to sleep on that night. As Partridge's blindness still continued, 

 White was sent ahead to tell Kerr and Doney to wait for us in 

 the morning, so that Partridge could accompany them to Blossom 

 island. Rain continued all that night and all the next day. As 

 Partridge's eyes were still unserviceable in the morning, I con- 

 cluded to wait a day before alloAving him to start for Blossom 

 island. 



Toward evening on September 21 we moved our camp across 



