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The whole region plainly glacial. April 27. Went up river to Canton. Rain started at 8:00 A.M. Rain ceased about 9:00 A.M. and soon the clouds lifted, revealing landscapes of great beauty - on numerable islands like the Alexander Archipelago of southeast Alaska, but mostly bare of trees. A few pines broad-topped and airy looking along some of the ridges and dense dark trees, figs here and there on the low ground. Some of islands showing glacial action plainly in forms of greatest strength with reference to oversweeping ice. So all way to Canton. Pagodas here and there with trees growing in crevices, Nature trying to blend them harmoniously into her own plans. Vast forts on hills. Cannon looking out of hundreds of excavations. Hills riddled with graves. Canton with swarming streets, 6 or 7 feet wide, smelling to Heaven. Fruit trees in rows and pale yellow green rice patches, remains of barriers on river, etc., innumerable house boats. April 28. Return at 8:00 A.M. to hotel, moonlight. Arrived this morning about 1:00 P.M. Very glad I made this trip. The great gains are the plain traces of the owrk of ice during the glacial period, though so long gone by, and the general views of the great crowded swarming city - overflowing into thousands of river boats full of happy, or half-happy, men, women and children of all ages, the infants tied on the backs of mothers or young firls, asleep while they swayed from side to side by the movements of their mother or sisters while laboring at the oar, or engaged at domestic work or play. After dinner went up through botanical garden, called at residence of Mr. Dunn, Curator. Failed to find him. Received cable from Harriman. Put by baggage aboard Siberia.
Date Original
1904
Source
Original journal dimensions: 9 x 15.5 cm.
Resource Identifier
MuirReel30Journal01P120-121.tif
Publisher
Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library
Rights Management
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Keywords
John Muir, journals, drawings, writings, travel, journaling, naturalist
