, 1897-09-03
ALASKA WEATHER.,
Effect Of the Japan Current-Midsummer
Days That Have No Night

Days That Have No Might.
The climate of all that portion Of the
Alaskan coast that is hathed by the
Japan current. extending from the
southern boundary of the territory
northward and westward to the island
of AtOo, a distance of nearly $500
miles. is remarkably bland and free
from extremes Of heat and cold through
ont the year. II is rainy, how
ever, but the rain il of good quality,
gentle in its fall, filling the fountains
of the streams. and keeping the whole
land fresh and fruitful, while anything
more delightful than the shining wealth
IT after the raiu-thc great, round sun
days Of June, July and Aurust-can
hardly he found elscN here. An Alaska
midsummer Gay is II day without night.
In tie CNtrCTr" nCr'hcrn p"Orti1n Of the
Territory the sun does II o set for weeks,
and even as far south ;s Sitka aud Fort
EIur-, ! ii sinks Cniy u few degrees be
low the hon ION, 80 that the rosy tCl1rs
Of the r>,lire blend with those If tie
morning, ItavlGg no gap of darkrCss
ir,w,ru Nevertheless, the full DAY
uIlrs slowly. AT midnight, from the
middle point between the cleaning and
III" GaM = low ~" of light is seen
! s%tta!IrE mio. 1.-THE horizon, with gradual
! u"rr,., 81 iIiNEt and span aud iutrn.
S,ty # rCn", accompanied usually Iy red
| cI, .'s. which make II striking uGvJr-
IT,, u, NJ of IT." suns progress long lie.
for J." appears nEuT" the mountain tuE-
Far .CV'iAl hours after sunrise ever.
thing III tie landscape seems dull q.
umc,ur EIi ttIvc. The clouds fade, liv
islands and tuv mountains, with ruiis of
mist aluut ta,UI. cast i'll defined saad
uws, and o. hole armament rlar., :
t. pale l'&rI gray with just n trace If
pu1liC i'll il. BIT toward con there is
agluriCHS awaF iinG. The cool haZiuC'a
Of tie an vanishes, aud the richer sui
b,ams. luuIirg from Oh high, make all
the lay and channels shine. Brightly
now Play the rCuwi tuVTed liIrl,s
about III" edges Of the islands ard over
wnuv u plume shaped streak between
| thou. vi'lc the water Is stirred y
som" passing tl,,ze.
On ,iu mountains of tho mainland
and in the Ei2h walled fin,ds that fringe
the con>t sji!i finer is tn" work of the
sunshine. The broad white bCsGms Oi
the glaciers glow like silver, and thei;
Crys'"l iIun's and the multitude Of ice
lrgs that liugcr aloCt item. drifting.
swirling, tanning their myriad arg!'>
to tine sun, are kiudlud into Il T,rttI,
blaze & iliscd light. The NaIu air
thrOhS and WAIVERS and makes itself felt
| &c :, life pl,IJr In,,yIyt ffrs.1 ON.
hrat irgul the earth. Filled with rzCnc.
IL pulses bound, and we mr NDrnit
and qui,kcmed into sympathy Wit,
everything, taken back into the heart
of nature, whence we CAME. We feel tho
life and motion about us and the uni,
vcrsal Irwuty, tic tides marching back
and forth with Tvari!rSs industry, Ia,
ing til" lrautifui shoes and sWHyinp
the purple dulSr of the broad meadow :
Of the sea where the fishes are fed: tic
wild stI,anIs in rows white with water.
falls, ever III lloom and c,Dr in >cuc,
spreading thor bralIhcs over II thGu
sand mOurt?li"; tie va.t iui,ats feed
ing on tic G'lftuinR suulruus, every
cell in ~ = A. Il Of enjoyment; misty
tlCrk. Of ip' 'J< SHINING all the. air; til,
wild shttn and goats on tLr" grassy
rid&cs alc," the Muuus, hcms i'll the
lrrly tan ;:,s. mink and lcav,r and OF,
ter far tt,. On many II river aud lake;
Indians an. alI'LturCrs pursuing ttCil
lonely ways, birds ~:,uLiI2 their young
-cvcrywErlc, ,~v'ryWhrIo beauty and
lie and gf:.,. rejoicing action.
TlIu. ! the afternoon all the way
down to IT," west the air seems to thick,
en- and tcccn" soft, without losing its
tinenC>$. The breeze dies away, ami
everything settles into II deep, conscious
reTu-". Thou comes the sunset with It's
purple and LClG--mOt a Harrow arch of
color. hut Oftcniilus filing more tEuu
half the sky. The horizontal clouds
that usually bar the horizon are fired
on the edges, and the spaces Of clear sky
between them are filled in with green
ish yellow and amber, while the iiCckS
of thin, overlapping Cloudlets are
mostly toCCh,d with crimson, like the
Outleanir: sp:uys of q maple grove in
the beginning Of Indian summer, and Il
little later II smooth, mellow purple
tiush,S ,hc sky to tie zenith and fills
the ar, fairly steel irg and transiigur-
ing the islands and mountains and
changing I'll the water TO wine.-John
Muir i'll Century.