The wild gorge of Homathco is the result of the relentless glaciers.
In Jervis Inlet is a great tidal rapid, the roar of which can be heard for miles. It is considered the equal of the famous Malstrom and Salstrom of Norway.
At Point Robert we pass the last light house on the American coast. The stars and stripes floated from the flag staff. With a dash and a roar the white crested waves tumbled on the beach. With a last farewell to Old Glory, we steam ahead and for six hundred miles plow the British main.
LIGHT HOUSE, POINT ROBERT.
The scenery becomes more wild, savage, grand and awful. Snow-clad mountains guard the waterway on either side. Such Oh’s and Ah’s when some scene of more than usual grandeur bursts upon our view. A canoe shoots out from yonder overhanging ledge. The glasses reveal the occupants to be four Indians out on a fishing expedition.
Nearly every one of our three hundred passengers was interested in the first whale sighted. “O yonder he goes, a whale;” “O, see him spout;” “Now look, look!” “Ah, down he goes.” Then everyone questions everyone else. “Did you see the whale?” “Did you see our whale?” “O, we had whales on our side of the boat,” and adds some one, “They were performing whales, too.” Then the gong sounds for dinner and the whale is forgotten in the discussion of the menu.
Many of our passengers are bound for Dawson City, Juneau and other Alaskan points. One hears much discussion of the dollar, not the common American dollar, but the Alaskan dollar, which seems to be more precious as it is more difficult to obtain.
Here are young men bound for the frozen field of gold who could carry a message to Garcia and never once ask, “Where is he ‘at?’” “Who is he?” or “Why do you want to send the message, anyway?” Young men with backbone, muscle and brains, who would succeed in almost any field.
From Queen Charlotte’s sound to Cape Calvert we were out on the Pacific. Old Neptune tossed us about pretty much as he liked, although Captain Wallace, who, by the way, is a genial gentleman and a charming host, assured us that we had a smooth passage across this arm of the old ocean. Many suffered from mal de mer.