Show FINDING OF GLACIER BAY description of the discoverers first visit to the place A of cipot hundred mlle with great of ice seen fog john muir after whom the largest glacier in the world is named writes a paper for the century on the discovery of glacier bay mr muir says sly first visit to the now famous glacier hay of alaska was made toward the cad of october 1879 when young ice was beginning to form in the branch occupied 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 1 I had spent most of the season exploring the canyon of the keen river and its glaciers and a small portion of the interior region beyond the coast mountains on the divide of some of the southerly bout herly tributaries tributa ries of the yukon and mackenzie rivers when I 1 got back to my headquarters at fort i about the beginning of october it seemed too late for new undertakings in this icy northland the days were growing short and winter with its i heavy storms was drawing nigh when avalanches would bo booming down the long white slopes of the peaks and all the land would be buried but on the other hand though this white wilderness was new to me I 1 was familiar with storms had enjoyed them knowing w ell that in right relations with them they are ever kindly the main inland channels extending in every direction along the coast remain open all winter and their shores being well forested it would be easy to keep warm in camp while in a large canoe abundance of provisions could be carried I 1 determined therefore to go ahead as far north as possible with or without companions to see and leam what I 1 could especially reference to future work when I 1 made known my plans to mr young the missionary he offered to go with me and with his assistance I 1 procured a good canoe and a crew of indians gathered a large stock of provisions blankets etc and on october 14 set forth eager to welcome whatever wildness might offer so long as food and firewood should last we made a journey more than eight hundred miles long and though hardships were encountered and a few dangers the wild wonderland made compensation beyond our most extravagant hopes the first stages of our journey were mostly enjoyment the weather was about half bright and we glided along the green and yellow shores in comfort alie lovely islands passing in harmonious succession like ideas in a fine poem the rain did not hinder us but when the wind was too wild we stayed in camp the indians usually improving such storm times in aber cuming while I 1 examined the rocks and woods most of our camps were made in nooks that were charmingly empowered embowered ered and fringed with bushes and late flowers about noon we discovered the first of the great glaciers the one I 1 afterward named for Geil cie the noted scotch geologist its lofty blue cliffs looming up through the draggled dragg led skirts of the clouds gave a tremendous impression of savage power while the roar of the newborn new born icebergs thickened and emphasized the general roar of the storm an hour and a half beyond the geikie glacier we ran into a slight harbor where the shore is low dragged the canoe beyond the reach of drifting icebergs and much against my desire to push ahead encamped the guide insisting that the big ice mountain at the licad of the bay could not be reached before dark that the landing there was dangerous ever in daylight and that this was the only safe harbor on the way to it while camp was being made I 1 strolled along the shore to examine the rocus and fossil timber that abound here all the rocks are freshly glaciated even below the sea level nor have the waves as yet worn off the surface polish much less the heavy scratches and grooves and lines of glacial contour the next day being sunday the minister wished to stay in camp and so on account of the weather did the indians I 1 therefore set out on an excursion cur sion and t pent the day alone on the mountain slopes above the camp and to the north of it to see what I 1 might learn pushing on through rain and mud and sludgy snow crossing many brown boulder bowlder choked torrents wad ins jumping wallowing in snow to my shoulders I 1 had a desperately hard and dangerous time after crouching cramped and benumbed in the cannoo poultices iced in wet clothes and blankets night and day my limbs had long been asleep this day they were awake and in the bouc of trial proved eliat they had not lost the cunning learned on many a mountain peak of the high sierra 1 I reached a height of fifteen hundred feet on the ridge that bounds the I 1 second of the great glaciers on the squib 4 the landscape was amoth ered in clouds and bagan to fear that i I 1 biad climbed in as far as wide views were concerned but at length the clouds lifted a bittle and beneath gray fringes I 1 saw the berg filled expanse of the bay and the the mountains that stand about it and the imposing fronts of five of the huge glaciers this nearest being immediately beneath me this was my first general view of glacier bay a solitude of ice and snow and newborn new born rocks dim dreary mysterious I 1 held the ground I 1 had so dearly won for an hour or two i holtbring myself as best I 1 could from the blast while with benumbed fingers I 1 al ahat could pee af pf ane landscape ancl fi a felines my note book then the enow again crossed the fumed shifting avalanche tali corded forded the torrents in safety and reached camp about dark wet and weary but rich k in a notable experienced |