CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWIN. 9 



about October 28, 1883, by Captain Smith, of the Boichead, and others, just previous to a heavy 

 gale, between St. Lawrence and St. Matthew's Islands. This spring a schooner, bottom up, has 

 been seen by several parties to the westward of the Aleutian Islands, and in all probability this 

 wreck was the AlasM. I feel little hesitation in saying that she foundered in the gale referred to, 

 or one subsequent, and tliat all hands perished. 



Lieutenant Hall was also directed to make close inquiry regarding the relations existing 

 between the miners and the Indians. A few questions elicited the information that two Indians had 

 been killed during the winter by the whites for breaking, entering, and robbing the company's 

 store-house. The miners claimed that the killing had been done in defense of life and property, 

 and had been resorted to only as a last extremity and after peaceful means had failed. After hear- 

 ing this plea in justification of the act, I sent Lieutenant Hall with our Indian interpreter among 

 the natives to make a searching investigation as to the facts of the shooting, the character of the 

 Indians killed, and the general treatment of the Indians by the whites. The natives unanimously 

 agreed that the shooting was entirely justifiable; that the dead men were desperadoes and had 

 been for years a terror to their own people, and that their treatment by the whites had been 

 uniformly kind and humane. Under these circumstances I did not deem further action in the 

 premises necessary, more especially as the men concerned in the killing could be found later on in 

 San Francisco. 



At the time of our visit the supply of provisions in the camp had become nearly exhausted, 

 and I issued to them from the ship's stores sufHcient to last them until the middle of July. I 

 informed them that in case they desired to return home passage could probably be obtained on the 

 steamer St. Paul from St. Michael's about July 15, or in case they should fail to make this arrange- 

 ment that they could go down on the Gorwin in the fall. I also agreed that in case they desired 

 to remain at the mine over winter to convey to their camp such provisions as they might be able 

 to purchase at St. Michael's. Subsequently (August 4) these provisions were transported and 

 landed as agreed. 



On September 4 I found five of these miners at St. Michael's. As there was then no other 

 means of transportation, and not sufficient food at the station to warrant the agent keeping them 

 over winter, I was obliged to grant them ijassage to San Francisco. 



In connection with this work I desire to express the satisfaction I feel in being able to be of 

 service to citizens who have interests in these Arctic seas, and at the freedom with which they ask 

 for the assistance of this vessel in matters of private importance, public interest, and humanity; 

 but, nevertheless, I can not censure in too severe terms the employment of persons here without 

 sufficient stores and with inadequate means of retreat. 



On June 9 I left Golowin Bay and proceeded to the westward under sail, and sail and steam, 

 and had clear water until the evening of the 10th, when heavy drift ice was encountered off King's 

 Island. From King's Island we stood to the northward, working through ice until 10 a. m. of the 

 ] 1th, when the vessel was made fast to an iceberg for the purpose of watering ship. At 7.20 p. m. 

 lines were cast off and we steamed to the northward and eastward. At 8 a. m. of the 12th the ice 

 by an erratic movement swung around to the southward of the vessel, completely inclosing us in 

 the pack. There being no clear water vissible from the masthead I made no exertion during the 

 day to extricate the vessel from her position, hoping that the ice would open and give us a lead 

 to the southward into clear water. At 8 a. m., however, finding our position growing more serious, 

 as the vessel was drifting to the northward in the pack at the rate of one and a half knots, I made 

 a determined eftbrt to work out under a full head of steam, but after three hours of hard work I 

 was obliged to desist, as the vessel could not be moved in any direction. At midnight another 

 attempt was made under steam and sail, and although for several hours the gain to the southward 

 was hardly perceptible, we gradually entered weaker and more open ice, and at 8 a. m. of the 13th, 

 to the satisfaction of all, and to my intense relief, clear water was reached. The thumping of the 

 vessel against the heavy ice as she was being forced through it was something terrific. At times 

 it seemed hardly possible that she could hold together under the pressure, and if it had not been 

 for the sheathing and strengthening received last spring it is, in my opinion, extremely doubtful 

 whether she would have ever emerged from her perilous situation. 



