INVESTIGATIONS OF THE STEAMER ALBATROSS. 203 



anticipated a speedy aud interesting trip while skirting the northern 

 shores of Unalaska; but off Cape Cheerful a dense fog rolled down from 

 the heights of Makushin and shut out everything a ship's length from 

 us; a breeze sprang up a few minutes later, light at first and variable 

 in direction, but increasing rapidly, until within a short time we were 

 driving into the teeth of a southwest gale — atypical illustration of the 

 rapid atmospheric changes experienced in Bering Sea. The conditions 

 were so unfavorable for the prosecution of our work that we ran into 

 Chernofski for the night, anchoring at 8.30. 



Chernofski Bay is the most secure harbor near the western extremity 

 of Unalaska, if not in the whole of Bering Sea. The inner basin is per- 

 fectly landlocked, and being surrounded by low land or moderate eleva- 

 tions it is not subject to the much-dreaded "woollies," as the furious 

 mountain-bred squalls of northern regions are called. The Albatross 

 visited the harbor in August, 1800, and by careful observations with 

 artificial horizon determined the position of the southwest point of the 

 entrance to the inner basin to be in latitude 53° 23' 0G.5" N., longitude 

 167° 30' 33.8" W., the Greek church in the village bearing N. 5° 30' W., 

 true, 0.64 mile. The longitude depends upon that of the point opposite 

 the wharf in Iliuliuk Harbor, being in 166° 31/ 44.2" W., as shown on 

 Coast Survey chart No. 821. Information concerning the observations 

 above mentioned will be found in my report for the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, 1891. 



The wind subsided during the night, and at G.30 the following morning 

 we left the harbor and commenced work on line XI, making corrections 

 in the coast line of the northeastern extremity of Umnak Island in 

 passing. A line of soundings was run from the latter point to Bogoslof 

 over the line where a reef was shown on the older charts, and which 

 looked so formidable that for many years vessels avoided the passage. 

 Seven hundred fathoms was the lea.st water found, and we saw no indi- 

 cations of foul ground, yet a subsequent experience while passing the 

 volcano in a gale readily accounted for the natural belief in its existence. 

 We were running before a heavy, regular sea until abreast of Bogoslof, 

 when suddenly it lost all semblance of regularity as far as the eye could 

 reach in the direction of Umnak, high combers running apparently in 

 every direction, in a remarkable manner, giving the impression of break- 

 ers, and had we not recently sounded over the region we also would 

 have looked with suspicion upon it and perpetuated its bad name. The 

 phenomenon was doubtless caused by a strong current setting against 

 the wind. 



Bogoslof Volcano was in active eruption, as usual. We made 1 a par- 

 tial examination of it in 1890, which was verified and extended during 

 our late visit, The latitude of the cone of Old Bogoslof was, by good 

 observations, sea horizon, found to be 53° 54' K. 



Having developed line xi to the vicinity of St. George, we called at 

 that island in the afternoon of the 18th to communicate with Mr. Town- 



