The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1890-03-25

| D1C1 OIL 1oAO old JlO 6lobOA VI
the latter They were fifty miles
from Sitka which was their nearest
place of obtaining supplies. 1t was
a most solitary place, have only In
dian houses, besides those of the
mission. Totem poles were set up
before some of the larger houses.
But the people were mostly away
fishing and the houses shut up. The
human creatures however could not
forbear making their virtues known
to the world. The they were alb
sent themselves, and some invented
visages painted on the front Of one
house seemed to hint at possible fate
of any who might intrude during his
absence. One has put up sign on
his house marked Snow Tan
Wiske Tan," ga good Indian-Hoo-
rah."
Grass was of very vigorous growth
and vegetation generally had Wig
orous look. 1 saw wild currants and
1 think it was here some of the COM
pany found real golden rod. l am
sure roofing slate cannot be far of.
Scallop, clam and muscle shells
were abundant along the shore, and,
as all through Alaska, the inevitable
bed of bright yellow seams it was
thick and strong. By dark we were
all on board-it was dusk when we
landed, and in the morning of Aug
ust 18th we were approaching Ola
cier Bay through the fog passing
blocks of ice more and more numer
GUS as we proceeded. But no verit-
able icebergs like what the geogra-
phic picture were seen, either at this
or any subsequent time of our voy-
age. Nor were any of the foes more
than few yards across or a few
feet in height. Some bid goodbye
to all nonsense for the present. But
one thing was remarkable, viz, the
blue appearance of many of the
blocks of ice. They seemed to have
been colored by some dye, or like
huge masses of blue yitriol.
Had the sun shone there might
have been tinge of green in some
parts of the ice, as the painters re-
present it, but saw none. 1t became
colder as we progressed, and the fog
gradually broke away till at II A. NJ.
we came to anchor in front of the
face of the ice glaciers "a wall $50
feet high. We were three-quarters
of mile from the face of the glacier.
By this time the blocks of ice about
the ship had become very numerous.
They were OF all sizes, from half the
size of the ship to the size of mans
fist. We evidently struck some of
them in sailing, causing the steamer
to tremble from stem to stern.
All that part of the glacier near
the sea, where the pressure had been
removed by the tumbling of success
sive portions into the sea, was broken
up by cracks and assures into pin
nacles and all sorts of wild and
grotesque shapes.
Every five to twenty minutes dur.
ing our whole stay portions of this
ice face tumbled into the sea with
noise like thunder and created wild
commotion which it required some
time to settle. From that portion
which was Immediately in front of
the ship and which was higher than
any part we saw, and which was
cracked from top to bottom, we did
not see any part fall; but we watched
anxiously to see it, knowing the
effect would be prodigious. But
perhaps it was as well, for the effect
on our security might not have been
favorable This fall may have been
prevented by the concave form of
the cliff in that place consequent on
the fall of large portions previously.
La this place especially the intense
blue of the ice was most marked. At
its base rushed out a muddy river,
evidently furnished by the melting
of the ice.
The whole course of the glacier
was more or less discolored by the
falling on it of rocks and soil from
the mountains against which it had
rubbed in its journey towards the
sea. From space several miles in
width it becomes compressed to one
mile wide where it energies on the
sea.
In the corner where we assembled
it on the east side, SO great was the
body of rocks and earth that we
imagined we were climbing banks of
clay and gravel forty or fifty feet
high till, as we approached nearer
the center we became aware that orr
clay banks were of solid ice with
more or less soil upon them. But
! there was a stream of considerable
size running down on one terrace
and at the base of another, which
took vast quantities of the soil away
into the sea. The rocks, also which
lay in the utmost confusion and
great abundance on the surface of
the glacier as it descended from the
mountains, tumbled constantly down
the steep banks of the terraces. or
down the assures formed by melting
ice. #f
TO be continued)
The gossips of Brooklyn, n. Y,