THROUGH WONDERLAND. 
9t 
heavy blocks that gradually slide down the mountain ravines, the great frozen 
river keeps pressing seaward, until the action of the waves crumbles away 
gigantic cakes, that fall into the waters with a noise like the booming of cannon, 
and with a force that sends columns of water high into the air. The scene was 
one of arctic splendor,—white, ghostly and cheerless ; while the light was that so 
often described by visitors to the polar sea,—uncertain, bluish, and strongly resem¬ 
bling a November twilight in New England, when the sky is overcast, the trees 
are bare, and the clouds are full of snow. Gaining at last a point barely three 
hundred yards from the glacier, the ship was stopped short. Before us rose 
the towers and solid walls, forming an embankment higher than our mast-head, 
and towering upward in dense masses against the leaden sky. Taken to 
Switzerland, the glacier of Alaska would cover that country three times over; 
for the frozen rivers of our largest purchase are not only fifty miles in length 
and three in width, but often twice that distance long and ten times that 
distance wide.” 
Lieutenant Wood, whom we have quoted before, in speaking of the T’linkit 
Indians in the ice, says: “I noticed that, when journeying through the floating 
ice in good weather, our Indians would carefully avoid striking pieces of ice, 
lest they should offend the Ice Spirit. But, when the Ice Spirit beset us with 
peril, they did not hesitate to retaliate by banging his subjects. After picking 
our way through the ice for three days, we came upon a small, temporary camp 
of Iioonahs, who were seal hunting. We found little camps of a family or two 
scattered along both shores. One of the largest glaciers from Fairweather 
comes into the bay, and thus keeps its waters filled with the largest icebergs, 
even in the summer season, for which reason the bay is a favorite place for seal 
hunting. The seal is the native’s meat, drink (the oil is like melted butter) 
and clothing. I went seal hunting to learn the art, which requires care and 
patience. The hunter, whether on an ice floe or in a canoe, never moves when 
the seal is aroused. When the animal is asleep, or has dived, the hunter darts 
forward. The spear has a barbed, detachable head, fastened to the shaft by a 
plaited line made from sinew. The line has attached to it a marking buoy, 
which is merely an inflated seal’s bladder. The young seals are the victims of 
the T’linkit boys, who kill them with bow and arrow. These seal hunters used 
a little moss and seal oil and some driftwood for fuel. * * * After 
about forty miles’ travel, we came to a small village of Asonques. They 
received us with great hospitality, and, as our canoe had been too small to carry 
any shelter, the head man gave me a bed in his own cabin. He had a great 
many wives, who busied themselves making me comfortable. The buckskin 
re-enforcement of my riding trousers excited childish wonder. I drew pictures 
of horses and men separate, and then of men mounted on horses. Their 
astonishment over the wonderful animal was greater than their delight at 
comprehending the utility of the trousers. The Alaskan women are childish 
and pleasant, yet quick-witted, and capable of heartless vindictiveness. . Their 
authority in all matters is unquestioned. No bargain is made, no expedition 
