8 4 
ALASKA GLACIERS 
The Harvard Glacier is by far the greatest discharging 
to the fiord. Only a few miles of it are visible from the 
sea, as the main trunk, traced backwards, curves to the 
right and disappears. So far as visible it is of low grade, 
its slope being gentler than that of any other we saw ex¬ 
cept the Muir and Columbia; and this feature, taken in 
conjunction with the notable height of the cliff in which 
it terminates (350 feet), indicates great depth of the ice 
stream and a remote source. The large number of medial 
moraines tells us that it has many branches, and five are 
visible from the sea. One from the southeast joins within 
a mile or two of the end, and the other four come from 
the northwest and north. All have steep grades in ap¬ 
proaching the main trunk, but two at least show gentler 
grades at higher altitudes. The Radcliffe joins the Har¬ 
vard so close to the water front that it does not become 
fully merged with the greater stream, but merely coalesces 
at one edge on its way to the sea. A conspicuous medial 
moraine of the Radcliffe maintains its high declivity quite 
to the water’s edge, and the cliff where the Radcliffe 
ends is notably lower than the confluent cliff along the 
front of the Harvard. The next tributary is likewise 
characterized by a strong medial moraine, and the branch¬ 
ing from which this arises can be seen a short distance 
back from its junction with the Harvard. The photo¬ 
graphs show no trees in close proximity to the Harvard. 
The point of land at the branch in the fiord five or six 
miles to the south is forested, and this forest follows the 
coast for some distance toward the glacier, but stops sev¬ 
eral miles from its front. The opposite coast is reported 
free from trees at the water’s edge for eight or ten miles, 
but at an altitude of several hundred feet the trees ap¬ 
proach the glacier. These relations, while they do not 
show whether the glacier is now waxing or waning, indi¬ 
cate that its length has been several miles greater at a 
