many of them into the air and overturning others. This causes a wave that splashes with lightning rapidity against the ice cliff and crunches in the ice caves there, while other waves spread ring-like across the fiord, overturning great icebergs on the way and causing the surf to splash spitefully on shores two and a half miles away for ten minutes or more. The accompanying noises were never absent at our camp facing the Hubbard Glacier. The stream of icebergs thus produced (Fig. 9) moves endless out toward the sea.
Retreat of the Hubbard Glacier
This glacier, long known to the natives, was seen from a distance of about six miles by the searchers for the Northwest Passage, Malaspina and Vancouver, in 1793 and 1794. The former gave the undescriptive name of Desangano to this bay because of his disappointment at once again failing to find the passage. Before historic times the Hubbard Glacier extended southward more than thirty miles to the Pacific Ocean, receiving large tributaries on its way. In 1792 and 1794 it had probably retreated nearly to its present position, not being five miles down the bay as several have inferred.[1] When seen by the late Professor I. C. Russell, in 1890 and 1891, it was no doubt slightly farther back than in 1792 and 1794.[2] By 1899, when studied and
- ↑ See Tarr, R. S., and Martin, Lawrence, "Position of Hubbard Glacier Front in 1792 and 1794," Bull. Amer. Geog. Soc, Vol. XXXIX., 1907, pp. 129-136.
- ↑ Russell, I. C, "An Expedition to Mount St. Elias, Alaska," Nat. Geog. Mag., Vol. 3, 1891, pp. 90-100; see also "Second Expedition to Mount St. Elias," Thirteenth Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 2, 1892, p. 85.
