MOUNTAIN EXCURSION. — BEAUTIFUL VIEW. 107 



that are massive and hard. This is done by drilling holes and 

 entering steel wedges, which are acted upon by slight blows. 

 Another way is to drill deep into the rock and charge with gun- 

 powder. But God has His way of splitting rocks ! He uses the 

 little snow and rain-drops. They find their way into every re- 

 cess. Crevices are at length filled with solid ice. They are en- 

 larged ; chasms now yawn ; another winter, and down from their 

 rude heights the cliffs fall, making the earth to quake in her 

 career ! 



There were many, very many rocks that would be cast from 

 their places, high up the mountains, on the next spring. A per- 

 son can hardly conceive the quantity of rock that is lifted from 

 its base every season by the freezing of water. 



Never can I forget the visit I made on this excursion to the 

 stream that runs wildly down the mountain's side, between the 

 first and second lakelets, near Kow-tuk-ju-a — Clark's Harbor. 



For one third of a mile the stream was covered with a huge 

 pile of snow. I crossed to the upper part of this with my Esqui- 

 maux boy, and went down to the stream itself to slake my thirst. 

 I kneeled and drank of the sparkling waters. As I looked round 

 before rising, what did I see ? a cave of alabaster ! snow-arch- 

 es, numberless and incomparable ! At a point where several arch- 

 es commenced to spring were pendent finely-formed icicles, from 

 which poured, perpendicular to the earth, unbroken streams of 

 water, having the appearance of inverted columns of crystal sup- 

 porting the arches. The number of these columns was great. 

 Away, far down the cave, through which the stream passed, all 

 was dark — dark as Cimmerian darkness. 



From this I turned my eyes upward. Overhanging my head 

 were pinnacled mountains 1000 feet above me. Far as the eye 

 could see they extended. On my still bended knees, I thanked 

 God that I lived to behold how manifold and wonderful was the 

 world's creation. None but God and that untutored Esquimaux 

 saw me there, amid the roar of that mountain waterfall, offering 

 up this, my heart's prayer ! 



While there I gave the dogs some dinner (capelins), and then 

 had my own along with the Esquimaux. A good appetite made 

 me relish the sea-biscuit and Cincinnati pork, and then, after rest- 

 ing a while, I began the return journey. I had ascended to a 

 height of about 1500 feet above the sea, and two miles from the 

 beach, making a collection of various geological and other speci- 



