SECOND CRUISE OF THE CORWIN. 41 



Ten days after leaving San Francisco the Corwin was 

 within sight of the Aleutian Islands, and a little later was 

 anchored in the bay at the southern end of Ounalaska, to the 

 leeward of a high mountain. The natives came out from 

 the shore to welcome back the little cutter which had visited 

 them the preceding year. 



The next halt was made at Seal Islands, May 23d ; ice was 

 sighted on the 24th ; and the Corwin arrived at St. Lawrence 

 Island on the 28th. The natives appeared to be well sup- 

 plied with food, but lamented the non-arrival of trading ves- 

 sels with whiskey, as in former years. The voyage was re- 

 sumed the same night. 



Having been informed that a story was in circulation 

 among the natives along the coast to the effect that a party 

 of seal-hunters, while on the ice near Cape North, in Novem- 

 ber, 1880, had discovered and boarded two wrecked vessels 

 (supposed from the description given of them to be the 

 missing whalers, Mount Wollaston and Vigilant), Captain 

 Hooper resolved to fit out a land party to follow the coast 

 north and west, to investigate this report, and search for the 

 Jeannette. He stopped at St. Lawrence Bay to procure dogs 

 for the party, but the natives would neither sell nor lend 

 any. When told of the object of the excursion, they shook 

 their heads, and said : " No use ; all dead " ; and would have 

 nothing to do with it. At a village a little beyond Cape 

 Serdze, Captain Hooper was more successful. 



"Following the coast," he says, "'to the westward, we 

 came to a settlement of Chukches, behind an island called 

 by the natives Tupkan, which is about one mile long, one- 

 fourth of a mile wide, and 150 feet high. It lies a mile off 

 shore. Along the coast we found a rim of ice from five to 

 thirty feet high, and extending from two to ten miles off 

 shore. At our landing-place it was quite narrow, but so 

 rough and hummocky that it seemed to us impassable, and 

 we were about to give up the attempt and return to the ships 

 when we saw some natives going in the direction of the 

 vessel, about a mile further north. Taking our boat we 



