Alaska Land. A Perfect Day-Nature's Ceaseless Work-Pushing Northward. Indian Superstitions-The Tahkou River Indians-Magnificent Glacial Scenery-Gorgeous Sunset. (Special Correspondence of the Bulletin.) Mouth of Tahkou River, Alaska, August 24, 1880.

• Main Author: Muir, John
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Scholarly Commons 1880
• Subjects: Environmentalist; naturalist; travel; conservation; national parks; John Muir; history; pamphlets; journal articles; speeches; writing; annotation; Indian; Workman; glaciers; Alaska
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/jmb/189; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/context/jmb/article/1188/viewcontent/108.pdf

Alaska-Land A Perfect Bay—Nature's Ceaseless Work —Pushing; Northward. Indian Superstitions — The Tali&ou River azifl ladiaas — Magnificent Glacial Scsnery—Gorgeous Sunset. lifi'XO.Ai COSEESPQOTBNCE OP THE BOILSTIN.] Moots o? Taikou Ritse, \ AiA3SA, August 84,1880. f I never saw Alaska looking feetter than it did yesterday, when we bade farewell to Sam Dum, and pushed on northward up the coast toffSlds Tah&ou. The morning- was extremely beautiful—clear, calm, bright—not a cloud in all the purple sky, nor wind, however gentle, to shake the slendjr spires of the spruces on the heights, or the dew-laden grass-leaves around the shores. Over the mountaiu3 and over the broad white bosoms of the glaciers the sunbeams poured, rosy and warm as ever, fell on a field of ripe wheat, drenching the forests and kindling the glassy waters of the bay and the icebergs Into a perfect blaze of colored light. Kvery living thing seemed joyful, and nature's work went on with enthusiastic activity, not less appreciable on account of the deep repose that broeded every feature of the landscape. No better day could be given to suggest the coming fruitfulness of this ice region, and to show the ad-ranee that had been made from glacial winter to fruitful summer. The careful comtnereial lives we lead hold our eyes away from the operations of God as a workman. Set they are openly carried on from day to day through unmeasured geological seasons, and all who will look may see. The scarred roeks here and the moraines make a vivid showing of the old winter time of the glacial period, and mark the hounds of the mer-de-glaee that once filled the bay and oovered the surrounding mountains. Already that sea of ice is replaced by water, in which multitudes of fishes are fed, and the rocks are covered with forests and gardens up to a height of 8.50O feet, while the hundred glaciers lingering about the bay and the stre ms that pour from them are busy night and day bringing in sand and mud and stones, at the rate of tons every minute, to fill it ...