and to myself. Each summer I bought my long purple ticket, reading from Portland to Sitka and return, with pleasurable anticipations; and all of them —and more-being realized, I yielded up the last coupons with regret. For information given and assistance rendered in the course of this work I am under obligations to many people. I would particularly make my acknowledgments in this place to Prof. WILLIAM H. DALL, Capt. JAMES C. CARROLL, Hon. FREDERIC W. SEWARD, Prof. JOHN MUIR, Prof. GEORGE DAvidson, Capt. R. W. MEADE, U.S.N., Capt. C. L. HOOPER, U.S.R.M., and Hon. J. G. SWAN. WASHINGTON, D. C., March 15, 1885. E. R. S. CONTENTS. IX. BARTLETT BAY AND THE HOONIAHS X. MUIR GLACIER AND IDAHO INLET XI. SITKA-THE CASTLE and the GREEK CHURCH THLINKET BIRD-PIPE (Side and bottom) DIAGRAM OF THE MUIR GLACIER. RIVER ON NORTH SIDE OF THE MUIR GLACIER 127 133 137 THE GREEK CHURCH AT SITKA INTERIOR OF the Greek CHURCH AT SITKA 147 155 162 165 TOTEM POLES AT KAIGAHNEE OR HOWKAN. THE CHIEF'S RESIDENCE At Kaigahnee, SHOWING TOTEM 273 LTHOUGH Alaska is nine times as large as the group of New England States, twice the size of Texas, and three times that of California, a false impression prevails that it is all one barren, inhospitable region, wrapped in snow and ice the year round. The fact is overlooked that a territory stretching more than a thousand miles from north to south, and washed by the warm currents of the Pacific Ocean, may have a great range and diversity of climate within its borders. The jokes and exaggerations that passed current at the time of the Alaska purchase, in 1867, have fastened themselves upon the public mind, and by constant repetition been accepted as facts. For this reason the uninitiated view the country as a vast ice reservation, and appear to believe that even the summer tourist must undergo the perils of the Franklin Search and the Greeley Relief Expeditions to reach any part of Alaska. The official records can hardly convince them that the winters at 1 |