CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWiK. 21 



requires the larger portion of such time as they are not unfitted for mental work by the effects 

 of the chill of the damp, icy atmosphere. 



Special preparation is necessary in order to properly qualify one to do any of these subjects 

 justice, and officers of this service have neither time nor opportunity for such study. It is my 

 opinion that the interests of the vessel would be better served and the results would be more 

 satisfactory to the Department if a chronicler was assigned to this vessel during the cruises and 

 until such time as complete reports could be forwarded. 



The shotguns purchased by authority of the Department before we left San Francisco have 

 proved to be of the greatest value and are an acquisition to the ship that I should be loath to part 

 with. They have enabled us to obtain game for all hands aft, a matter of no small moment in 

 these latitudes, besides being the mainstay upon which we should have to depend in case of acci- 

 dent to the ship. No vessel, and especially one belonging to the Government, should go to the 

 Arctic without them, as the lives of all on board are rendered doubly secure by their presence. 

 With these guns, plenty of ammunition, and the assistance of the natives, a wrecked crew might 

 remain in the Arctic over winter with comparative safety. 



CROWDED CONDITION OF VESSEL. 



No description can fully convey an adequate idea of the crowded condition of the Corwin on 

 her homeward trip this season. 



In my cabin were Captain Smith, of the Bowhead, and Mr. Hawley, superintendent of the 

 Omalik Mining Company, an old gentleman, to whom I granted this privilege out of respect for 

 his years and consideration for his feeble condition. 



In the ward-room were eight officers, the surgeon, pilot, and chief officer of the Bowhead. 

 Three of the state rooms having double berths had two officers in each, and in the area of the 

 ward-room were three swinging cots that completely filled its beam. The officers in turning in 

 and out had almost to crawl ou their hands and knees to get under these cots. There was not 

 room at the ward-room table for all to eat at once. The second ofiScer of the wrecked vessel slept 

 in a locker out of the engine-room. The master of the seized schooner and one of the white 

 prisoners slept in the pilot-house. One of the miners slept in the steam-launch. Two firemen 

 slept in the shaft-alley and three or four men in the steam-drum room. 



Four Japanese slept in the paint locker and ou coils of rope under the top-gallant forecastle. 

 The sail locker on the berth-deck was cleared out and two berths put in it, and this, together with 

 the petty officers' I'ooms, was filled with the officers of the wrecked vessel. The two quartermas- 

 ters slept in their locker. The rest of the men were divided into watches, but when one watch 

 was below, together with our servants and those who stood no watch, the hammocks were all full, 

 the lockers on both sides were filled with sleepers, and quite a number of them had to place their 

 blankets on the deck. 



In order to feed them it was necessary to spread three sets of messes and about two hours were 

 required at each meal. The cooking accommodations in the galley were sadly deficient. The 

 decks were constantly wet either by rain or the swash of the sea, and opportunities for drying or 

 airing the quarters, forward or aft, were few. 



Everything that we could possibly do to make these people comfortable was done, but the 

 bad weather which we experienced, combined with the narrow limits of the shij), rendered their 

 condition anything but pleasant. Notwithstanding the many discomforts and hardships which 

 they were obliged to undergo, the wrecked men seemed to appreciate the fact that we were doing 

 all we could for them and kept cheerful under the trying circumstances to which they were sub- 

 jected. 



It gives me pleasure to testify to the manner in which our own crew suffered the inconven- 

 iences to which they were put by having so many strangers on board. With that forgetfulness 

 of self that so characterizes a sailor when brother mariners are in distress, they seemed to vie with 

 each other in rendering the wrecked men comfortable and to feel that a portion of the credit of 

 assistance belonged to themselves. 



