152 C. W. Hayes — Expedition through the Yukon District. 



rise in small glaciers which do not descend to the level of the 

 valley. 



The largest glacier known to discharge wholly in the Yukon 

 basin is one which lies approximately on the 141st meridian, 

 called the Klutlan from the native name of the river to which it 

 gives rise. Its source is in the great snow fields between mount 

 St Elias and the high peak orl! the northern border of the range 

 called Nat-azh-at by the natives. It extends several miles be- 

 yond the foot of the range, though it is rapidly receding at the 

 present time, and is between four and five miles broad where it 

 enters the valley. The stagnant ice at the front of the retreating 

 glacier is buried under a great accumulation of moraine material 

 continuous with the terminal moraine, so that it is impossible to 

 determine the exact limits of the ice. The heavy mantle of vege- 

 tation which covers the terminal moraine continues a mile or 

 more beyond the outer edge of the ice, becoming gradually less 

 abundant as the active portion of the glacier is approached. 



The moraine in front of the Klutlan is the largest accumulated 

 by any of the interior glaciers. It is composed very largely of 

 the white volcanic tufa already described, but with this are min- 

 gled many angular fragments of amygdaloid lavas and a few of 

 granite and gneiss. Much of the moraine has been removed by 

 streams flowing from the glacier, but remnants 200 feet or more 

 in thickness extend nearly across to the high land north of the 

 valley. 



The second of the White river glaciers is about midAvay be- 

 tween the Klutlan and Scolai pass. It is much smaller than 

 the Klutlan and does not push'out into the valley, but its front 

 forms a wall of ice something over a mile in length from side to 

 side of the narrow valley in which it lies. 



The third and largest of the interior glaciers flows from the 

 high mountains northwest of St Elias down into Scolai pass, 

 and from the divide sends a lobe of ice toward White river and 

 a smaller one toward Copper River basin. This was named in 

 honor of Mr I. C. Russell, whose exploration and study of the 

 St Elias region during the past two years have added very 

 largely to our knowledge of Alaskan glaciers and to the science of 

 glaciology. The northern or White river lobe of Russell glacier 

 is buried under a heavy accumulation of moraine, bearing some 

 vegetation, while the southern lobe is almost wholly free from 

 moraine material and the exposed ice has melted down to the 



