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The National Geographic Magazine 



inland. In reality the mountains are 

 not very high, but their gradual in- 

 crease in height from one end of the 

 lake to the other and the misleading 

 vista effect causes them to appear quite 

 lofty. The higher peaks immediately 

 surrounding the upper end of the lake 

 are possibly 6,000 feet in altitude ; 

 others, which may be seen at a distance, 

 are somewhat higher. All of the moun- 

 tains on the south side and most of the 

 others are of volcanic origin, evidently 

 dating from no very remote geological 

 period. Those about the upper end are 

 very steep and only slightly eroded ; 

 there are no very deep canyons or wide 

 valleys, no well rounded summits, but 

 usually jagged rocky pinnacles instead. 

 The slopes above timber line are so 

 steep that there is no room for large 

 snow banks, and although perpetual 

 snow often occurs at such altitudes in 

 this latitude, there is extremely little on 

 these mountains. Several high-hang- 

 ing glaciers may be seen, however, at 

 the head of narrow canyons on the 

 south side near the head of the lake. 

 Granite is found on the north side and 

 predominates for about 5 miles at the 

 extreme end of the lake, perhaps being 

 the termination of similar formations to 

 the northward in the main part of the 

 Alaskan Range. Mt Redoubt, which 

 has been represented as rising from the 

 shore of Take Clark, is not visible from 

 any part of the lake or from any of the 

 peaks that we ascended. However, 

 volcanic ashes, supposed to have been 

 thrown from Mt Redoubt, were found 

 in abundance all about the head of the 

 lake. 



Several of the streams that enter the 

 upper part of the lake carry consider- 

 able glacial waste in suspension, which 

 gives a grayish brown color to the 

 waters of the entire lake. One of these 

 streams, called the Tleekakeela by the 

 natives, which comes in on the north 

 side about 10 miles from the head, has 

 deposited very large quantities of sand 



and silt, forming a wide delta, which 

 effectually blocks that side of the lake 

 and virtually cuts off the water above 

 it as an individual lake. On the south 

 side there is a strong current between 

 this upper section and the main lake, 

 and the channel is not more than 200 

 yards wide. The upper part, however, 

 has no resemblance to the long, T- 

 shaped arm which has been shown on 

 recent maps. This stream, the Tlee- 

 kakeela, is navigable for canoes or na- 

 tive bidarkas for a considerable distance, 

 and the natives report a portage from 

 some point near its headwaters to Cook 

 Inlet, in the vicinity of Tyonek. This 

 portage crosses at least one glacier and 

 is probably rather a difficult one. An- 

 other portage which is much used by 

 the natives extends in a northwesterly 

 direction from the village of Keeghik 

 through several low passes in the moun- 

 tains to Trail Creek, a tributary of the 

 Kuskokwim River. The trip is made 

 in 2 or 3 days without heavy impedi- 

 menta, or, as the natives say, it is a 

 case of "tree day, spose no paack; fi 

 day, spose paack." Several white men 

 have crossed this portage and report it 

 not difficult. An expedition to the 

 upper waters of the Kuskokwim River 

 might find this a desirable route. 



At the lower end of the lake and also 

 on the north side of the Nogheling 

 River are several old terraced beach 

 levels, apparent evidence of a former 

 occupation by salt water. The valleys 

 of the Chulitna and Nushagak rivers 

 also seem to have been part of a sea 

 basin. The whole region is but little 

 above sea level, and a very slight de- 

 pression of the land would allow the 

 waters of Bristol Bay to occupy the 

 basins of Lakes Iliamua and Clark and 

 the greater part of the valleys of the 

 Chulitna and Nushagak rivers. 



The stream entering the extreme 

 head of the lake is also of good size, 

 about 80 feet wide at the mouth and 

 navigable for small boats some 20 miles. 



