1874.] W. H. Dall—Ojmmtions of the IT. S. Coast iSurvei/. 247 



one ever having existed on either of them. I could see distinctly the strati- 

 fication of the rock for two-thirds of the height of St. Elias, which is shaped 

 on one side like an enormous crystal. The summit has, it is true, a sharp 

 peak, but it is like the smaller granite peaks of the Sierras and the moun- 

 tains of the whole west coast inside the Coast Range properh' so called, 

 which runs out in Oregon and Washington Territory. The rock at Litu3^a 

 was garnetiferous granite, and I saw no volcanic roc)^ there at all. However 

 there are numerous volcanic outlets, mostly cold and dead, among these high 

 mountains, but they are all low and are evidently of subsequent date to the 

 elevation of the range of St. Elias and others. 



From Bering Bay we went to Port Etches in Prince William Sound, 

 to Middleton or Otchek Island, and to Kadiak, in the order mentioned. At 

 the last place we rated chronometers. 



Middleton is a low island, surrounded by reefs, and we were very for- 

 tunate in obtaining a calm day, enabling us to land and get observations 

 without any delay. The vegetation here was very luxuriant. We found 

 one leaf of a skunk-cabbage (which, as you know, usually grows from six to 

 twelve inches high) four feet long and two feet broad and with a stalk 

 four and a half inches thick. 



Much of our work this summer lay among islands without harbors or 

 safe anchorages, except in calm weather ; and we were especially favoured 

 in the weather we had, when in such localities ; in which we were not 

 delayed a day anywhere by rough weather. 



After Kadiak we visited Chirikoff Island, once inhabited, and now 

 reported to be full of wild dogs of great ferocity. These were said to be 

 the progeny of some native dogs abandoned there some ten years ago ; and 

 a party sent down from Kadiak some years since, to hunt, came back and 

 reported that the ferocity of the assembled dogs, who were congregated on 

 the beach, had deterred them from landing. We therefore approached this 

 island with some curiosity ; but saw only one dog, the day after landing, 

 and he ran away before we could come up with him. We next visited the 

 Semidi Islands, a rocky group in deep water without harbors ; and then 

 anchored in Chignik Bay. Here we had a good deal of bad weather. I 

 found a good many fossil plants here, mostly Eocene or Miocene in age. 

 There are lignite beds here. 



We also obtained a number of reindeer, whose fine juicy meat was an 

 agreeable addition to our sea fare. From hence we went to examine some 

 isolated rocks off the coast of Aliaska Peninsula ; — and to a small anchorage 

 near Mitrophania Island ; and thence to the Shumagins. Here we did a 

 good deal of work, finishing our reconnaissance of the group begun in 1872. 

 Then a few days were spent in the vicinity of the dreaded Saunakh Reefs ; 

 — and we sailed for Unalashka to rate chronometers. Our next point was 



