246 W. H. l)ix\l—02)eratmis of the U. S. Coast Purvey, [Dec. 



Yosemite full of salt water and adorned by glaciers, — but on a grander 

 scale. The highest mountains in North America, and the grandest living 

 glaciers, out of the Arctic and Antarctic Zones — are here. 



We made some measurements, the best hitherto obtained, and got a 

 height of about 15,000 feet for Mts. Fairweather and^ Crillon, with an 

 uncertainty of three hundred feet. The smaller mountains, all about the bay, 

 range from 0,000 to 11,000 feet :— so that the loftiness of the principal 

 peaks is not so apparent as their proximity to the sea would lead one to 

 infer. 



Leaving Lituya Bay, we coasted along, finding work at every point. 



The charts of this region are very inaccurate. We moved, so to speak, 

 the entire shore-line of America between Lituya Bay and Mount St. Ellas, 

 to the westward, from four to six miles (geographical) ; thus increasing the 

 area of the British possessions in British America by that area, some eight 

 hundred geographical square miles ; as the American boundary is a line ten 

 marine leagues from the coast.. We have proved the relative accuracy of 

 much of La Perouse's work, as compared with that of later map-makers. 

 We have a reconnaissance of the part of the coast mentioned, sufficiently 

 accurate for a general chart. Our instruments are so much better and our 

 methods so much more exact, that we ha^ been able to improve materially 

 on the work of our predecessors, though they did wonders with their slender 

 means. I cannot describe the sublimity of the scenery of this part of 

 America. In original grandeur it far surpasses Switzerland ; at least I am 

 so informed by some who have seen both ; and I can well believe it. We 

 surveyed Port Mulgrave, in Admiralty or Bering Bay, and obtained a very 

 fine series of observations for the height of Mount St. Elias ; in all sixty-four 

 observations of it from four stations, with a very delicate instrument of Gam- 

 bey's, reading to five seconds of the arc. Our observations cannot be worked 

 up until we return ; as they will require some special corrections for which 

 our tables are not extensive enough ; but we have, from rough calculations, 

 data sufficient to infer that the result will be a height in the neighbour- 

 hood of 19,000 feet. All previous observations have been made at sea with 

 sextant angles ; a very imperfect method, especially when the doubtful 

 nature of a sea position, is taken into account. Hence the great difference 

 between our results and those of some previous explorers. La Perouse had 

 an error of twelve miles in his reckoning, and the Bussians one of six 

 miles. The mountain is nearly under the meridian of 141 west, where 

 Captain Cook put it. The peak and about half a mile down the 

 east flank is in American territory ; so I suppose w^e may claim the whole 

 mountain as ours. It is generally supposed that these high mountains are 

 volcanos. With regard to Fairweather, Crillon and St. Elias, I am convinced | 

 this supposition is erroneous. There is no cone or crater nor any signs of ' 



