PROVISIONING THE SHIP 1 7 



eluded. The nymph was withdrawn into her bower, but 

 had left the door open. This element of mystery and 

 shyness was afforded by the well hidden rocky basin into 

 which the water fell, and by the curtain of rock which 

 shut it off from our view. Out of this basin the current 

 emerged near at hand and more familiar in a fall of fifty 

 feet or more, whence it took its way to the river in a clear 

 rapid stream. It was as if the goddess had reclothed 

 herself in this hidden rock-screened pool and come forth 

 again in more palpable everyday guise. I hardly expected 

 to see anything in Alaska or anywhere else that would 

 blur or lessen the impression made by those falls, and I 

 did not, and probably never shall. 



We had hoped that at Portland and Seattle we should 

 get glimpses of the great mountains — Hood, Baker, Rai- 

 nier — but we did not; fog and cloud prevented. A lady 

 living upon the heights at Seattle told me that when a 

 dweller there was out of humor, her neighbors usually ex- 

 cused her by saying, " Well, she has not seen the Olym- 

 pics this morning." I fancy they are rarely on exhibition 

 to strangers or visitors. 



THE INLAND PASSAGE. 



The chapters of our sea voyage and Alaska experiences 

 properly open on the afternoon of May 31st when we 

 find our staterooms in our steamer, the ' George W. El- 

 der,' receive our California contingent, which includes 

 John Muir, and make our final preparations for the trip. 

 The steamer is a large iron ship specially fitted up for our 

 party. Her coal bunkers are full and she is provisioned 

 for a two months' cruise. We have hunting parties 

 among us that expect to supply us with venison and bear 

 meat, but to be on the safe side we take aboard eleven 

 fat steers, a flock of sheep, chickens, and turkeys, a milch 

 cow, and a span of horses. The horses are to be used to 



