FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO ST. LAWRENCE BAY. 



89' 



were there or not. Everybody wished us all sorts of 

 good luck as we steamed out. The first day, of course, 

 we had a head wind, though a fair wind had been blow- 

 ing for the three days that we were in port. The sec- 

 ond day, however, we had a nice little breeze, which 

 freshened so much that — will you believe it ? — we 

 made one hundred and seventy-three miles in the first 

 twenty-four hours, and one hundred and thirty-six in 

 the next. Then the wind failed us and came out 

 ahead, and this day we are down to our old speed of 

 four knots. 



St. Michael's, August 12, 1879. 



We reached here this morning at ten o'clock. The 

 navigation was not so troublesome as at Ounalaska, 



.^ 



ST. MICHAEL'S 



because we had no fog ; but the general uncertainty, 

 owing to poor charts and shoal water, made me suffi- 

 ciently thankful when our anchor was let go off this 

 collection of native huts and one storehouse. 



Our schooner [the consort with coal] has not yet 

 arrived, and there is no news of Nordenskjold. The 

 Alaska Company's agent promptly came on board to 

 welcome us and receive his letters. He had almost, 

 given up the idea of seeing us this year. No commu- 



