Letter from M.W. Harrington to John Muir, 1871 Oct 16.
Illinlink, Unalashka I, Alaska Terr. Oct 16, 1871.My Dear Sir The remembrance of my trip to the Yo Semite will always be fresh with me. I enjoyed myself thoroughly there and my pleasure was much increased by meeting a man so well-informed on its aspects as yourself. I anticipate much pleasure as wel...
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| Language: | English |
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Scholarly Commons
1871
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| Online Access: | https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1400 https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/context/muir-correspondence/article/2399/viewcontent/muir02_0558_md_1.pdf |
| Summary: | Illinlink, Unalashka I, Alaska Terr. Oct 16, 1871.My Dear Sir The remembrance of my trip to the Yo Semite will always be fresh with me. I enjoyed myself thoroughly there and my pleasure was much increased by meeting a man so well-informed on its aspects as yourself. I anticipate much pleasure as well as profit from correspondence with you. Although I expected to start for Alaska at once on leaving the Yo Semite, we did not leave San Francisco until the 27th of August. We had a tedious voyage of three or four weeks when we sighted this island. The next day we passed between two of the islands and entered this harbor - Captains Bay.- from Behring Sea. This island is the second or third of the Aleutian Chain in size, and is perhaps the first in importance. As we beat back and fourth down the bay against a head wind, we had we had a good opportunity to see the country, and it was very different from what I had expected. Rising up at once from the water on every side were steep and ragged hills and mountains from 1500 to 3000 ft. in height. Farther in the interior they were higher and the clouds were hanging about their summits. Here and there was a patch of snow, lying in crevices and ravines where the sun could not reach it. On one of our tacks, just ahead of us rose the volcano of Makushin, 6000 ft. high, hemispherical in shape, covered with snow for half the distance down except [in margin: I enclose a couple of characteristic plants, a Cornus (like Canadensis) and Claytonia Unalashkensis.] where, her and there, a ragged pinnacle of rock thrust itself through. On one side of the volcano could be seen the glistening blue color of a glacier the crevasses and moraines of which could be dimly seen through our glasses. At the same time behind us on another island was the volcano of Akutan, the cone of which was hidden from view, though the smoke rolling out from its crater was plainly visible. Meantime the wind and rain were coming down in heavy squalls.All these things I had anticipated, but now comes a feature which ... |
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