1890.] Geography and Travel. 1181 
was with difficulty that we found our way through the blinding snow to 
a lower camp, where the necessary rations were to be had. A second 
attempt was made to reach the summit two days later, but another 
snow storm broke over the mountain as suddenly as the first. This 
time I was alone in the highest camp, where I was imprisoned for six 
days before being able to rejoin my party below, while Mr. Kerr was 
similarly isolated at the first camp lower-down. When I started down 
there was six feet of new snow, which refused to harden, and rendered 
it impossible to do more work among the high-peaks. 
** On descending to a lower level I started on an excursion up the 
glacier between the St. Elias range and Mount Cook, which gave 
promise of leading to a low path across the main range, but a third 
snow storm coming on, I was obliged to return to Blossom Island and 
there rejoined Mr. Kerr, who had descended a few days previous. 
My stay above the snow line lasted thirty-five days., During that time 
we lived in tents, many times camping on the open glacier, so as to be 
out of the reach of avalanches. All of oyr cooking was done by 
means of small coal oil stoves. 
*After returning to Blossom Island an excursion was made far out 
on the great Piedmont glacier, which forms a plateau about 1500 feet 
high, stretching along the southern base of St. Elias range. This 
glacier is of continental type and has an area estimated at about 1000 
square miles. It is the largest glacier known in the Northern Hemi- 
sphere, with the exception of the ice fields of Greenland. 
** We returned to Yakutat Bay about the 2oth of September, having 
had stormy weather almost all the time since leaving the vicinity of St. 
Elias. On the 22d of September our hearts were gladdened by seeing 
the Corwin steaming. up the bay. Captain C. L. Cooper, commander 
of the Corwin, acting on his own judgment and knowing that we would 
have a hard time if left at Yakutat until winter set in, made the cruise 
from Sitka especially for our relief, and conveyed the expedition to 
Port Townsend, where we arrived on October 2 
** From the point of view of the scientist, if not of the Alpinist, our . 
expedition was a success. The plan proposed before starting was car- 
ried out almost to the letter, so far as the study of glaciers, geology, 
and topography was concerned, but we did not reach the top of Mount 
t. Elias. The measurements made have determined that all the 
mountains in this region are lower than was previously supposed, and 
that St. Elias, instead of being the highest point in North America, is 
in reality a second-rate mountain. Its elevation, instead of being 
19,500 as previously considered, is about 13,500. Mount Cook has 
