Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1895-07-25
GRAND GLACIER BAY.
THE DlScovERER DESCRIBES HIS
FIRST VISIT TO THE PLACE.
A Canoe Journey Of Eight Hundred Miles
with Many Hardships-Th Daring Ex-
pIorer's Search Alone and the Reward
His Courage Brought.

pIorer's Search Alone and the Reward
His Courage brought.
John Muir, after whom the largest
glacier in the world Is named, writes a
paper for The Century on 1.-The Discovery
Df Glacier Bay" Mr.. Muir says:
NV first visit to the now famous Glacier
bay of Alaska was made toward the end
Of October 1870, when young Ice was be
ginning TO form in the branch inlets occu-
MED by the glaciers, and the mountains
were mantled with fresh snow all the way
down from the highest peaks and ridges Of
the Fairweather range nearly to the level
of the sea.
had spent most of the season exploring |
the CANYON of the Stickeen river and Its
glaciers and small portion of the interior
region beyond the coast mountains, on the
divide of some of the southerly tributaries
of the Yukon and Mackenzie rivers. When
got back to my headquarters at Fort
WrangeL about the beginning OF October,
IL seemed too late for new undertakings in
this lev northland The days were grow
ing short. and winter, with its heavy
storms, was drawing nigh, when ava
lanches would be booming down the long
white slopes of the peaks, and all the land
would be buried.
Rut. on the other hand, though this
white wilderness was new to me, was
familiar with storms, had enjoyed them,
knowing well that in right relations with
them they are ever kindly. The main In
land channels, extending in every direc-
ton along the coast, remain open all win
ter. and their shores being well forested 1t
would be easy TO keep warm In camp,
while in large canoe abundance OF pro-
visions could be carried. l determined,
therefore, to go ahead as far north as pos
sible, with or without companions, TO see
and learn what | could, especially with
reference to future work. When 1 made
known my plans TO Mr.. Young, the Wran-
gel missionary, he offered TO go with me,
and with his assistance / procured good
canoe and q crew of Indians, gathered a
large stock of provisions, blankets, ETC.,
and on Oct. ii set forth, eager to welcome
whatever wildness might Offer so long as
food and firewood should last. We made
Journey more than 500 miles long, and
though hardships were encountered and
few dangers the wild wonderland made
compensation beyond our most extrava'
CANT hopes
|
mostly enjoyment. The weather was about
half bright, and we glided along the green
and yellow shores in comfort, the lovely
islands passing in harmonious succession,
like ideas in a fine poem. The rain did not
hinder us, but when the wind was toe
wild we staid in camp, the Indians usually
improving such storm times in deer hunt
ing. while l examined the rocks ant
| Nf
hooks that were charmingly emboweret
and fringcd with bushes and late flowers
About noon we discovered the first OF thu
great glaciers-the one afterward name'
for Geikie, the noted Scotch geologist. 1t
lofty blue cliffs, looming up through tn
draggled skirts of the clouds, gave tire
mendous impression of savage power
while the roar of the newborn iceberg
thickened and emphasized the general roa
of the storm. An hour and a half beyon
the Geikie glacier we ran into slight hal
bor where the shore Is low, dragged tn
canoe beyond the reach of drifting iceberg'
and. much against my desire TO pus
ahead, encamped, the guide insisting tina
the big ice mountain at the head OF the ba
could not be reached before dark, thattf
, landing there was dangerous even in da!
light. and that this was the only safe ha
Dor on the way to it. While camp was b
=, ing made strolled along the shore to e.
anime the rocks and the fossil timber th'
abound here All the rocks are fresh
rlaciated even below the sea level, M
have the waves as yet worn off the surfa
polish much less the heavy scratches al
grooves and lines of glacial contour.
The next day being Sunday, the mini
|. ter wished to stay in camp, and So on a
count of the weather, did the Indians
: therefore set out on an excursion, al
spent the day alone on the mounta
slopes above the camp and to the north
il. To see what might learn. Pushing {
through rain and mud and sludgy sno'
crossing many brown, bowlder choked tC
rents, wading, jumping wallowing
snow TO my shoulders, | had a desperate
hard and dangerous time. After crouc
ing, cramped and benumbed in the cane
poultced in wet clothes and blankets mig
and day, my limbs had been long aslee
This day they were awake and In the no
Of trial proved that they had not lost
cunning learned on many a mounta
peak of the high Sierra.
/ reached height of 1900 feet on {
| ridge that bounds the second of the gre
| glaciers on the south. All the landsca
/ was smothered in clouds, and began
i fear that had climbed In vain as far
4 wide views were concerned But at lenp
i the clouds lifted little, and beneath tn
Il gray fringes | saw the berg filled expaI
i of the bay, and the feet of the mountai
II that stand about 1t, and the imposi
II fronts of five Of the huge glaciers,
II nearest being Immediately beneath !
II This was my first general view OF Glac
II bay, a solitude of ice and snow and mt
Il born rocks dim, dreary, mysterious
Nj held the ground had SO dearly won for
il hour or two. sheltering myself as bes
81 could from the blast, while with benuml
Nj fingers skctched what | could see of
IL landscape and wrote a few lines In
N notebook Then | breasted the sn
u again crossed the muffled, shifting a
ii lanche tall, for,led the torrents in SAT
81 and reached camp about dark, wet
)I weary but rich in notable experience