1 6 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



show much of very great interest. These gentlemen all make •acknowl- 

 edgment of the assistance given them in their work by the orders and 

 hearty good feeling of Captain Schley and the other officers in com- 

 mand. 



The Greely Relief Expedition fully and entirely carried out its mis- 

 sion of restoring the survivors of the Greely party to their friends in 

 the United States. By far the greater part, however, of the apparatus 

 and collections made in the several years of absence was left behind at 

 Fort Conger, and may never be recovered. A few specimens were 

 brought home by Lieutenant Greely, but have not been received at the 

 National Museum. 



Labrador. — The reports of 1882 and 1883 give full details of the work 

 prosecuted by Mr. L. M. Turuer at Fort Chimo, Ungava Bay, in North- 

 ern Labrador, and full credit given to the Chief Signal Officer for his 

 encouragement to Mr. Turner to make collections of specimens in the 

 intervals of his duties of recording the meteorological and other i)hysi- 

 cal phenomena of the region. Mr. Turner's two years of detail exi)iring 

 in 1884, he returned to Washington and is now engaged in preparing his 

 report. In order to make the report complete, I subjoin a brief extract 

 prepared by him of his work during the two years: 



" Under letter of instructions of date of May 27, 1883, from the Chief 

 Signal Office, United States Army, I departed from Washington June 

 1, 1882, for Montreal, where I remained until June 7th, and joined the 

 Hudson Bay Company's schooner 'Tropic' at Quebec, and left there 

 June 8th for Eigolet, Labrador, where we arrived June 2Sth. At this 

 place 1 remained until July 8th, and proceeded on the company's steamer 

 •Labrador' for Davis' Inlet, Labrador, where we arrived July 16th, 

 and remained fourdays. At these two stations I collected a great num- 

 ber of fishes, birds, plants, and insects. On the 21st of July we started 

 for Nakvak, Labrador, but were prevented by bad weather from enter- 

 ing that fiord, and continued around Cape Cbidley, at the entrance of 

 Hudson Strait. After entering we immediately encountered heavy ice, 

 and were detained eleven days in Ungava Bay. We went on shore for 

 part of one day (July 31st) at the mouth of George's River emptying 

 into that bay. On the 6th of August we ascended the Koksoak or 

 South River, and anchored at Fort Chimo, Ungava district of the Hud- 

 son Bay Company, where I was to establish a meteorological observa- 

 tion station for the Signal Service. The meteorological observations 

 were to be five in number daily at the following times: 7.35 A. M.; 11.35 

 A. M. ; 3.35 P. M. ; 7.35 P. M., and 11.35 P. M. A dwelling not being ready 

 for occupation, I was necessitated to await the completion of a building 

 intended for a blacksmith shop, which when finished was used by me 

 as dwelling and office until my final departure from Fort Chimo. Dur- 

 ing my stay at Fort Chimo I had an opportunity to ascend the Koksoak 

 River to the 'Forks' (junction of the North or Larch River with the 

 Koksoak and about 105 miles from the month of the latter river). Also 

 to the Falls, some 30 miles above the 'Forks.' These 'Falls' were 

 visited for the purpose of photographing them. I again visited the 

 ' Forks' for ihe pnipose of obtaining winter resident birds, and while 

 on this trip I ascended the Larch or North River, and discovered a 

 small river flowing from the southwest into it. On this river, some 14 



