REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 15 



tlie original party of ten reporting- for duty on July 5, 1881, and it 

 sailed from that city on the 18th of the same month, in the schooner 

 Golden Fleece. 



On September 8 the vessel arrived at Cape Smyth, 10 miles from 

 Point Barrow, to the southwest, and it was decided to establish the 

 station here, as the ground at Point Barrow itself was unsuitable for 

 this purpose. The supplies of the party were accordingly landed with 

 all possible speed, on account of the lateness of the season, and on Sep- 

 tember 16 the schooner returned. 



The house was finished and occupied October 3, and the regular 

 work of the station commenced October 17. The station received its 

 official name, " Ooglaamie," from an Eskimo village of the same name, 

 about half a mile distant. The expedition succeeded in obtaining a 

 continuous series of hourly meteorological observations from October 

 17, 1S81, to August 27, 1883, when the party was recalled and the sta- 

 tion abandoned. Hourly magnetic observations began on December 1, 

 1881, and continued till the station was closed. The 1st and 15th of 

 each month were observed as magnetic-term days, the observations 

 being made every five minutes on these days. Numerous observations 

 were also obtained of auroras, tides, temperature of the sea and earth, 

 &c. 



The zoological work was carried on assiduously when the season per- 

 mitted, and resulted in the securing of 497 bird-skins, comprising about 

 50 species, and 177 sets of eggs, mostly of wading birds; a small col- 

 lection of skins, skulls, and skeletons of mammals ; 11 or 12 species of 

 fishes, not yet identified ; a very few insects ; and some marine and 

 fresh- water invertebrates. The plants of the region were carefully col- 

 lected. 



A considerable number of Eskimo vocabularies were obtained, to- 

 gether with a large collection of implements, clothing, &c. 



The commanding officer made two expeditions into the interior, 

 which resulted in the discovery and partial exploration of a large river 

 flowing into the Arctic Ocean. 



The Arctic whaliug fleet visited the station, bringing mail, in the sum- 

 mers of 1882 and 1883 ; and in 1882 a relief expedition in the schooner 

 Leo brought supplies and reenforcements. 



The steam-whaler North Star, of Xew Bedford, was crushed in the 

 ice near the station, July 8, 1882, and her crew were, received at the 

 station and cared for till they could be placed on board the other 

 vessels. 



The station was closed and abandoned August 27, 1888, and the ex- 

 pedition proceeded on the schooner Leo to San Francisco, where it was 

 disbanded October 15, 1883. 



Due report will be made by Lieutenant Ray to the Chief Signal 'Offi- 

 cer of the meteorological and physical researches of the party. The 

 collections in natural history and ethnology just referred to are of the 



