Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-11-10
Correspondence of III, Country o,n.tm MI
AInaLn

from gentleman widely known in the lit
erary world, cannot fail TO be interesting 10
our readers. 1t is dated Wrangel, Sept.
oath.
l left Portland for Silka ON Tho 10th Of
August, and arrived at the capital Of Alas
ka on the 23d. We had a very large cargo,
aud landing part at one place, and taking
on more at another, caused a good deal Of
delay, and we were five or six days longer
on the passage than we should have been.
When reached Sitka, found 10 my great
regret that / could not possibly get any
farther at present, there being no convey
ance. had hoped 10 60 up 10 the vicinity
OF Behring's Strait, but that being out OF
the question, resolved TO return TO Wran-
gel, and spend part Of my time In trip up
the'Strickeen River. This river empties IT,
self into the sea near Wrangel. 1t flows in
Its general course nearly southwark. 1t Is
navigable for small crart $50 miles or more;
bat lis entire length is perhaps 800 or $50
miles. ascended as far as Glenora, called
l45 miles from Wrangel by the river. In
this distance there is descent OF the river
OF about 800 feetl In one place the water
falls more than twenty feet in 400 yards. It
varies in breadth from less than 100 yards
TO nearly quarter OF mile. 1t may be
well imagined that the navigation OF this
stream Is extremely difficult. In some
places our steamer, although a good and
fast vessel in ordinary water, seemed
scarcely 10 move at all we were at one
time more than three hours in going three
quarters Of mile. In many places the wa
ter is SO shallow that only vessels OF very
light draft drawing from 20 10 80 inches)
can possibly pass. OF course the depth va
RIGS considerably with the season OF the
year. What is remarkable, warm weather,
which in many couptres dries up The
streams, usually gives fuller flow 10 the
waters Of the Stricken. This is due 10 the
melting Of the snow on the neighboring
mountains. About forty miles from its
mouth there is on this river an immense
glacier-about four miles wide, and pre-
senting at its termination on the river a
nearly perpendicular wall of ice from 400 to
500 feet bigh. So great is the influence OF
this mass of ice, that the air is chilled for
miles around. This is probably the largest
glacier in North America, or perhaps in
the world, except those in the extreme po-
lar regions.
A glacier may be compared 10 a broad
stream or river frozen throughout its en-
tire depth. Think of a mass OF ice four
miles wide and four or Eve hundred feet
thick, extending back from the Stricken
river more than fifty mies--and this, too,
in mild, temperate climate. Two large
streams (as large as mill streams) were
flowing from its base when we passed up
the river, produced by the melting OF the
snow.
The weather at Wrangel is much warmer
at this season OF The year than at San Fran
cisco. The greatest heat experienced in the
past year was 7S degrees Fahrenheit in Ju-
ly. The greatest cold was in January, when
the thermometer sank four degrees below
zero; but the last winter, it is said, was
much colder than usual. The only time
that have felt the heat oppressive since
left the metropolis OF California, was the
day We reached Glenora in ascending the
Stricken in fact, in summer and early
autumn ii is much warmer above the gla-
cier, farther north than Wrangel, than at
the mouth OF the river. The latitude OF
Wrangel is 560 81 north. That of Sitka is
SO 81.
. think have nevor seen, on this planet,
anything equaling the picturesque grandeur
OF The scenery on the Stricken. On account
of The difficulty in navigating The river,
they never attompt TO run the steamers at
night. The first evening We stopped nearly
opposite the great glacier. The second eve
ming pI esented u scene shall never forget.
In beh olding il, one might almost imagine
be had passed into new and more glorl-
Gus world. Below, the scenery was darkly
aud TRANQUILITY beautiful, with every attrac-
tiOn that variety in such landscape could
present In water, rock and forest, The dark
foliage of the trees being rendered still
more charming by the deepening shadows
Of evening, while far above and beyond us
seven or eight mountain SUBMITS, clad with
everlasting snow, reflected the latest rays
of the setting sun in blaze Of golden light
fit were not for the scarcity of 1at land,
this country would be excelleutly adapted
10 grazing; but there is too little sunshine
TO ripen any of the fruits of The temperate
zone. We had on our table some potatoes
raised this season in Wrangel, but they
were scarcely at 10 eat. Many kinds of fish
are found in great abu ndance, and consti-
tute the main support of The Indians in these
regions. should like Wrangel well
enough ir IL did not rain so incessantly. 1t
is said TO rain or snow here 800 or more
days out OF the S65. But during the whole
time OF my trip up the Stricken (between
six and seven days,) the weather was per-
feclly beautiful. People here say they have
hardly known any thing like It. We had
in all two full weeks OF most delightful
weather without IN hours interruption. 1t
is proper 10 state that there is far less rain
farther north, than here. They have act
ually suffered from drouth at Glenora this
and autumn.
Alaska abounds in fine pine timber, not
few OF the trees being five or six feet in
and nearly II not quite two hun
dred feet high. A tree called yellow cedar
has a very beautiful hne-grained wood,
easy TO work. Boxes or trunks made OF
this wood are said 10 render their contents
perfectly secure against the attacks OF moths
or other vermin. This result Is due TO its
odor, which TO me is rather pleasant, al
though some do not like 1t. 1t is not i'm
probable that this wood may become an
important article of export. There Is found
near Wrangel a micaceous schlst, which |
abounds with the most beautiful 9drRets-
many OF them one inch, aud some an inch
and half Ia diameter, remarkably regular
in form a tfuncated dodecahedron buL
SO soft that 1 fear they can
never be worked TO any advantage.
The Iadians about here, aud most of