42 THE ICE AGE IN NORTH AMERICA. 



ain goat, the mountain lion, and of various smaller animals, 

 and the songs of birds, witnessed to the abundance of ani- 

 mal life. 



To the south the calm surface of the bay opened outward 

 into Cross Sound, twenty-five miles away. The islands dot- 

 ting the surface of the smooth water below us seemed but 

 specks, and the grand vista of snow-clad mountains, guarding 

 either side of Chatham Strait, seemed gradually to come to 

 a point on the southern horizon. Westward, toward the 

 Pacific, was the marvelous outline of the southern portion 

 of the St. Elias Alps. The lofty peaks of Crillon (15,900 

 feet high) and Fairweather (15,500 feet high), about twenty - 

 tive miles away, and about the same distance apart, stood as 

 sentinels over the lesser peaks, La Perouse, Lituya, and 

 their companions, which, anywhere else, would appear to be 

 mountains of the first class, being more than ten thousand 

 feet high, and rising directly from the water's edge. At 

 one time, when on a summit overlooking Glacier Bay, it was 

 our good fortune to see the sun go down behind this mount- 

 ain-chain. Alternate shadows and golden rays of setting 

 sunlight stretched across the water and climbed the peak on 

 which we stood. The glistering summits of the western 

 mountains were lined with the same glowing colors, while 

 the solemn procession of glaciers on their eastern flanks was 

 gradually fading in the growing darkness, and the more dis- 

 tant mountain-tops in other directions were ceasing to reflect 

 the glow of the western horizon. 



In such a setting of grandeur and beauty we gazed upon 

 the full face of the great glacier itself lying at our feet. 

 Below us its diminishing outlet disappeared in the waters of 

 th-3 bay. Distance made the rough places plain, and lent 

 enchantment to the view. Down from the mountains in 

 every direction from the north came the frozen torrents : 



Glaciers to the right of us, 



Glaciers to the left of us, 



Glaciers in front of us. 

 Voile ved and thundered — 



