PHOTO BY LYNN, TACOMA, WASH. 



GETTING AROUND GIBRALTAR ROCK, AT HEAD OF NESQUALLY GLACIER. 



of heaven, tells of a fierce conflict that was 

 waged in the spirit world. The memorable 

 battle of the pass of Thermopylae was per- 

 haps as valiantly fought as any that ever 

 took place between human beings. These 

 conflicts and all others like them, though 

 fierce in their nature, have always been of 

 short duration. But here is a battle royal 

 that has been waged for centuries past and 

 will be for centuries more to come. Look- 

 ing up the stream you see massed in 2 solid 

 walls the rock ribbed battalions of the earth, 

 defiantly standing there, in mute and sullen 

 silence, reinforced on either side by gigantic 

 mountains of stone, earth and timber, suf- 

 ficient to defy the armies and navies of the 

 world that might thunder their artillery 

 against them for all time and yet produce 

 little effect. Looking again you see the 

 enemy coming in a long column of milky, 

 muddy, glacial water, frothing and foaming 

 and leaping at its foe, with a determina- 

 tion born of frenzy; and rushing at the only 

 weak spot in their line, the opening between 

 the walls. 



The struggle now begins. As the water 

 demons forge their way along, the basaltic 

 stone walls recede on the right and advance 

 on the left, then recede on the left and ad- 

 vance on the right; but the onward rush of 

 the milky colored demons, led by Neptune, 

 the god of the sea, with a great force and 

 with the noise of thunder, dash themselves 

 against their antagonist and succeed in run- 



ning the gauntlet between these columns, 

 until at length, as if in one final effort, the 

 2 gray phalanxes attempt to close in on 

 their liquid enemy, and nearly succeed, 

 leaving only a narrow space, not more than 

 3^ feet in width. At this point the water 

 sprites seem to halt for an instant, but only 

 to gather additional power, for with an 

 angry plunge they dash through and with 

 a whirl and a swirl, a leaping and plashing, 

 and with the voice of many waters this 

 barrier is left behind, and a shout seems to 

 go up in encouragement of the long line of 

 comrades following, conveying the intelli- 

 gence to them that the way is open, to fol- 

 low their leader and they also will be vic- 

 torious. 



Thus the conflict continues for a dis- 

 tance of 3 to 4 miles, during which cascade 

 after cascade is passed, precipice after preci- 

 pice, 30 to 50 feet in height, is tumbled over 

 with a mighty plunge, the stream being- often 

 compelled to press between great bowlders 

 that have been thrown from the side of the 

 canyon, in their course, by the relentless 

 hand of time. As one stands far above on 

 the top of the wall, looks down on the boil- 

 ing waters and hears the rumbling he is re- 

 minded of Southey's pen picture of how the 

 water came down at Lodore. 



Neptune's forces are finally victorious, but 

 not until they reach a level more than 500 

 feet lower than where the battle first began. 

 With what a feeling of relief and security 



411 



