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



Dome 23ass, and pitched our tent on the high ridge beside the 

 one occupied by Kerr and Doney. In the morning, although 

 the storm still continued, our party divided, Kerr, Doney, and 

 Partridge starting early for Blossom island, while Stamy, White, 

 and myself, after following their tracks for a few miles, turned to 

 the left and worked our way northeastward among the crevasses 

 of the Seward glacier. Toward evening we reached the north- 

 western spur of Mount OAven, but found the cliffs rising abruptly 

 from the glacier and too favorable for avalanches to admit of our 

 camping near them. Again we were forced to go into camp on 

 the open glacier, and were less comfortable than previously on 

 similar occasions, owing to the fact that we had been exposed to 

 the rains for three successive days and our blankets and clothes 

 were wet. Rain continued all night and all the next day, and 

 on the following night changed to snow. 



On the morning of September 4 we awoke to find the skies 

 clear, but the mountains all about us were white with snow. 

 Before the sun rose. White and I started for the top of the high 

 ridge above us, determined to have at least a distant view of 

 the amphitheatre which we wished to explore. The snow about 

 our camp was only six or eight inches deep, but as we ascended 

 the mountain it grew more and more troublesome, and at a 

 height of a thousand feet above camp was thirty inches deep. 

 On gaining the summit of the ridge a magnificent view was 

 obtained of the ui3per portion of the Seward glacier and of Mount 

 Irving and Mount Logan, and many bold, tapering mountains 

 farther northeastward. The whole landscape was snow-covered, 

 and as the sun rose clear in the east became of the most dazzling 

 brilliancy. An icy wind swept down from the northeast and 

 rendered it exceedingly difficult to take photographs or to make 

 measurements. On endeavoring to use my prismatic compass, 

 I found that, having been soaked Avith moisture during the pre- 

 vious days of storm, it froze solid and refused to move, on being 

 exposed to the air. Making what observations I could, we 

 started back to camp with the intention of abandoning all further 

 attempts to work in the high mountains. 



On the steep slope now exposed to the full sunshine several 

 avalanches had gone down, and there was great danger of others. 

 Selecting a point where an avalanche had already swept away 

 the new snow, we worked our way downward in a zigzag course 

 and reached the bottom safely, although an avalanche starting 



