[July 5th - July 18th]

                                           July 5th

     Left Kodiak about noon as soon as the steamer got afloat in a hot sun and fine quiet weather.  Our first course was northerly to the mainland to pick up Ridgway, Saunders and the others put ashore at Kukak Bay five days before.  We took them aboard about 6:30 P.M. in good spirits and reporting a fine collecting trip but rather a poor camp owing to many mosquitoes.  They brought many birds and plants and a fine lot of fossil plants from some Tertiary beds near the shore.  The sunset was very beautiful, a golden sky throwing into strong relief the sharp peaks and volcanic cones of the peninsula.

     Played 6 handed euchre in the evening after hearing a short talk by Saunders on the results of their trip.  We reached Uyak Bay at 11:30 P.M. to pick up the hunting party left there on the 1st and they came aboard after midnight.  The view down the harbor at that hour was beautiful, a rich golden glow in the sky to the N.W. against which were outlined the distant volcanic mountains, the nearer hills and a big ship lying at anchor near the cannery. 

     Morris, Devereaux, Grinnell, Averell and Trudeau were the hunters and they came in looking tired and disgusted, no game, much discomfort from flies and mosquitoes, hard walking thro alder country, poor camps and packers—generally disgruntled.  Most of the packers were here discharged.  I did not mention that we met the mail steamer Dora during the morning, boarded her and got papers up to June 25th and a letter for Keeler telling of Wheeler's call to presidency of U.C.

                                           July 6th

     Sailed all day on a westward course toward the Shumagin Islands.  Spent the morning reading, loafing and finally just before lunch a lively game of tag with the girls, Harriman et al.  After lunch spent a good while packing up the fossil plants and storing the two boxes below. 

     A small party planning to land at the Shumagins while steamer goes north.  Lecture in the evening by Trelease on insect fertilization of plants and its relation to color, scent etc.  Good but evidently something given before and not spontaneous.

     Splendid volcanic peaks, some glacier covered, in sight on mainland all day.  Toward evening brought up the perfect cone of Pavlof Mt. and were sailing among the outer Shumagins.

                                           July 7th

     Turned out early and found ship at anchor in Sand Harbor Popoff Island.  Could not get ashore so went to bed again and got up for breakfast.  Understood the ship was to leave at 9 and went ashore with some others for a few moments to collect the lavas which we are here among for the first time.  Returning find that Kelly is to go ashore here prepared to make a hunting trip on the mainland so with fifteen minutes to get ready I go along.  Ritter, Saunders and Kincaid are to stay at Sand Pt.; Kelly, Pilot Jordan and self to go to mainland.  Outfit the steam launch Manila, boat and canoe.

     All ashore at ten oclock and the steamer heads out and away west and north.  No regrets after first few moments at leaving her comforts and the chances of interesting scenes to the northward in Behring Sea. 

     Spend the forenoon in a stroll over the Island with Ritter and Saunders to see the lay of the land and the prospects for their collecting which prove to be good.  Returning we find the party installed in a big empty hotel erected for the Lord knows what when Sand Pt. was a port of call for sealers and whalers.  Fine lunch cooked by Dickey and then Kelly, Jordan and I run down to Unga, 15 miles on the launch to visit a big gold mine there.  We are too late to see the mine but have a pleasant call on the Supt. (Mahan [?]) and his wife and return to Sand Pt. during the night, having a lunch on the way and coming to anchor at midnight.

                                           July 8th

     Uncomfortable sleep on the launch and breakfast at the hotel at eight o'clock.  Waste the whole morning waiting around for the Pilot to make his plans and get started finally about 12 for the mainland.  Weather has changed over night from the clear sunny days we have been having to cloudy squally weather.  The run across to Chicago Bay, 30 miles or thereabout took all the afternoon with much rough water which tossed the boat around at a lively rate.  Finally landed in a little creek at the east side of a big bay about 7 P.M. in a heavy rain squall.  Tents were soon up on a sheltered gravel bar and by 9 we had some supper and turned in.  A half breed Russian, Ivan, is our guide, brought over from Sand Pt.  He is a hunter and seems to know the land and waters of the region well. 

                                           Sunday July 9th

     Awoke to find a glorious sunny morning.  Kelly and Ivan went off early to hunt and the former came in at 9 with a hare, the only game seen.  But tracks of bear and deer were seen.  I found the rocks near camp contained fossils and had a fine morning among them along the shore to eastward.  Also many many flowers—some of them, especially the arctic poppy new to me.  Lunch at 3 P.M.  Afterward went with Friedel, a colorado ranchman and hunter for a walk inland up a fine ridge.  Saw no game but ptarmigan and a porcupine which we killed for Merriam.  Clouds came up again from northward as sun set but not soon enough to cut off a glorious view of islands and bays and rugged peaks.  All same formation as far as I could see—Tertiary shales and sandstone of great thickness and tilted up to high angle.  Lovely flowers and heather.  Back at 8:30 P.M. to find a fine mess of trout caught by Jordan from the stream in front of camp.  The stream is alive with salmon running up to spawn in the lake and the boys killed three in the forenoon in a shallow.  They were poor eating but the roe was fine bait for the trout and the pilot caught them as fast as he could throw his hook till he had 99.  Great supper—stewed hare, fried trout, boiled potatoes, stewed peaches and tea. 

                                           July 10th

     Rain in the night and a gale of wind blowing down the valley this morning.  Nothing to do after breakfast but lie around in the tent, smoke, play solitaire and generally loaf.  Toward noon I make a rich haul of fossils in the cliff near camp—the best lot yet. 

     Lunch at 2 and as it has cleared off I go with Kelly to try and find Ivan who has disappeared since yesterday morning.  He was to go with Jordan in the launch as pilot on a trip to westward.  We cross the long sand beach to the further side of the bay and he goes on hunting while I look for fossils with some success, returning at 8 P.M.  Kelly comes in little later—no trace of Indian but fresh bear tracks.  Early bed and glorious sleep to this morning.

                                           July 11th

     Heavy rain falling this A.M.  The launch went away at high tide early in the morning.  Kelly, Friedel and I left in camp only.  Late breakfast and then a bully smoke in the tent while Kelly tells stories of his adventures as a scout in Montana in the 60 and 70'ties, among the Sioux Indians.  Was with Miles after the Custer massacre.  Kelly goes off hunting at 12 and I write till now, one oclock, when I stop my pen being empty and nothing more to tell.  Rain has stopped but clouds stilll heavy.

     After lunch the clouds broke and gave me a channce for a walk up to a fine hill directly behind the camp.  Wet grass was uncomfortable but wind and fast walking soon dried me out.  Fine view of ridge to northward, some fossils and dykes rewarded me.  Back for supper and so to bed.

                                           July 12th

     Morning rainy and cold and miserable again.  We occupy ourselves after breakfast by trying to heat the tent with a gasolene Primus stove which however will not light.  So we borrow the old rusty stove from the Indian's still vacant tent and get up at least a good smoke if not much heat.  Toward noon the sky clears again with the usual heavy northwest wind down the valley and after an early lunch Kelly and I start out together along the beach to westward to the next cove.  Here we separate and I follow the beach for 5 or 6 miles up a fine big bay nearly to its head.  Hard walking against the head wind.  Somewhat scared by a fresh bear track on the beach tho' it is not going my way.  At 4 P.M. I climb up the mountain and cut across country for camp.  Hard walk up four big ridges and down to the intervening valleys.  8:30 P.M. before I get into camp and relish supper heartily.  It consists chiefly of broiled hare, the only game seen by Kelly having been one of those animals. 

                                           July 13th

     Kelly and I start early to try and climb to the summit of the main ridge, the weather promising a fair day.  Lovely but very fatiguing walk of five miles about the borders of the shallow lake which fills much of the valley.  The meadows are full of flowers but often boggy and where not so are so deep with moss that the foot sinks into the ankle and makes walking very hard.  Just as we reach the head of the valley and start up the slope thro' dense alders toward our pass we strike a fresh bear trail going our way and follow it with great expectations.  No results.  Kelly decides to "lay for" the bear and I go on up the pass.  Part way up I strike the fresh trail again and Kelly comes along and together we climb up past the limit of plants into a wild rocky gorge filled at the bottom with snow.  The bear trail disappears and a dense cold fog envelopes us so we give up the climb whose chief purpose was to get a view to northward.  Returning we eat lunch by a tiny brook on the hillside and then descend to the region of the bear.  Kelly again stops to try and get a shot at him and I return to camp alone not without some uncomfortable sensations at leaving the rifle behind notwithstanding the six-shooter at my belt.  Cross a lovely meadow and then around the other shore of the lake and back to camp by five o'clock, shooting a big 10 pound salmon on the way.

     Take a refreshing bath, slick up and loaf around till evening when Kelly appears disgusted.  He had been near enough the bear to smell! him and found his feeding place but not him.

                                           July 14th

     Kelly off very early after the bear again.  Fredell [earlier spelled Friedel--?] and I get up later, have a leisurely breakfast and then he goes hunting while I keep camp.  Catch a salmon in the creek full of eggs and with them catch 75 trout in a couple of hours on the bank by the camp.  Kelly returns with no luck about one.  The day is perfect but I am bound to stay in camp till he returns.  After lunch I start up the hill behind the camp to get some photographs but the fog sweeps in just as I reach the top and my end is defeated.  I collect some flowers and rocks, find the nest of a "snowflake" and have a fine scramble over the cliffs and back down the canon by seven P.M.  Find the Indian has come for his boat and camp, having had a successful hunt somewhere to the westward.  Fredell returns likewise with nothing.  The trout for supper are delicious, fried in corn meal.

                                           July 15th

     Cloudy morning but clears up toward noon.  A lazy day.  Fool away the morning playing with the salmon and catching some more trout.  Kelly returns for his bear for the last time about noon.  After lunch, I collect some more fossils, shoot a couple of squirrels (ground squirrels) for Merriam and skin one of them, do some washing of clothes and am now writing toward evening.  Wind still heavy but sun shining brightly.  Kelly returns late still bearless and disgusted with the hunting.

                                           July 16th

     Clear this A.M. but a heavy wind blowing off the mountains.  Start off with Kelly about 10, he to hunt the next valley, I to try the heights by the middle ridge despite the heavy fog lying on them.  After getting up a short way I conclude it is useless and spend a couple of hours taking photographs of the opposite side of the valley and of details nearby, eat my lunch in the shelter of a big rock on the hillside, then descend, wade thro fields of flowers and grass, then the river above the lake and back to camp by the ridge, crossing lower down to the first creek.  Spend an hour watching the salmon playing in a big pool and trying to photograph them in the water. 

     Fished in the stream after getting back and caught some beauties 12 inches long, in a pool near camp.  Kelly came in late after we had had supper, tired and unsuccessful as ever.

                                           July 17th

     Woke up late—8:30, to find a glorious morning and, with a S.E. wind the fog gone for once from the mountain tops.  So as soon as I can I pack some lunch and make a start up the first ridge for Pinnacle Pk.  Sun hot at my back as well as the little breeze and the tramp up the ridge therefore far from cool.  Climbed up to about 2000 feet, as far as the crumbling pinnacles would allow, then scrambled by dangerous ledges around by the talus slopes to a snow slope that led to a notch in the ridge.  Here I had a splendid panorama, including the waters of Port Moller an arm of Behring Sea to the NW.  Also found the wished-for key to the geological structure of the region in the intrusive rocks filling a big area behind the peak.  Lunch eaten on the summit and some rocks collected I am off again to slide down the snow slope and wander back over the loveliest alpine gardens clothed in gay flower garments, starting ptarmigan from the rocks here and there and a young eagle from his watch above the lake.  Back to camp by 5 P.M. in time for a delicious bath in the bay and then for a quiet fishing near camp with the luck to catch a beauty 18 inches long and several not quite so large. 

                                           July 18th

     My 30th birthday.  We expect the launch or the steamer today and plan no long excursion.  Clamber up the sea cliffs near camp to spy the contents of two eagles nests but find nothing in either.  Fish the rest of the morning with some success.  After lunch Kelly goes off with his gun and I too lazy to do anything else again take the rod and go farther up stream than usual.  After I have caught a dozen and am just turning back tired of the sport I am aroused by a call and look up to see Merriam and Miss Mary Harriman across the stream.  Hastening back I find the tents already struck and soon everything is in the boats.  Those who have come in on the launch are fooling with the salmon in the creek or shooting at the eagles on the cliff.  Kelly comes in just as we are about to depart without him and Camp Chicagof is at an end. 

     A late supper with some of my trout broiled as the best feature bring the day to an end except for a long discourse to the geologists as to what I have found.  The ship carried out her program to the word, visited the Seal Islands, Plover Bay, Siberia, the whaling fleet at Port Clarence trading with the Esquimaux, and many other interesting points.  But though I regret these pleasures I feel entirely satisfied at having stayed behind, having accomplished a good bit of geologic work.  Dall declares my fossils to belong to a period not before found in Alaska so I have a good thing.