328 The American Geologist. May, 1892 
erly much more extensive than at present, aud at the time of 
the Vancouver's expedition in 1794, probably occupied the 
whole of the bay to a point some distance below Willoughby 
island. The retreat during one hundred years is thought to 
be in the neighborhood of fourteen miles. This conclusion, 
however, rests on certain passages in the narrative of Van- 
couver’s voyage* which may possibly refer to floating ice, and 
not to actual glaciers, and therefore not have the quantitative 
yalue indicated above. But under any plausible rendering of 
Vancouver's account, it does not seem possible to escape the con- 
clusion that the ice in Glacier bay was far more abundant at the 
time of his visit than in recent years. 
Observations made by Wright and Reid in 1886 and 1890, 
respectively, show that Muir glacier has retreated during this in- 
terval more than 1,000 yards. This observed rate of recession 
would, if continuous for one hundred years, produce a retreat of 
approximately fifteen miles, and affords ground for believing that 
the great retreat supposed to have occurred since Vancouver's 
visit is approximately correct. 
John Muir has kindly contributed the following note concerning 
the retreat of the glaciers of southeastern Alaska, which con- 
firms the evidence already presented: 
“All the glaciers that have come under my observation in southeastern 
Alaska have retreated and shallowed since first I became acquainted 
with them in 1879 and 1880. Those in which the declivity of the chan- 
nels is least, have of course receded the most. During the ten years 
between 1880 and 1890, Muir glacier has receded about one mile, at its 
mouth in Muir inlet.” 
St. Elias Region: Much space could be occupied in recording 
observations which indicate a general recession of the glaciers 
about Yakutat and Disenchantment bays and along the adjacent 
ocean shore, but a brief summary of this evidence is all that 
seems necessary at this time. 
The lower portions of a large number of glaciers in this region 
are completely covered by continuous sheets of debris which has 
been concentrated at the surface through the melting of the ice. 
This debris is not being carried forward and deposited in terminal 
moraines, but is distributed over the surface of the ice in a thin 
*Voyage of Discovery around the World, by Vancouver, Vol. v, pp. 
420-423. Quoted by Wright in Ice Age of North America, pp. 55-57. 
