24 CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



whom they very much resemble iu appearance and character. They are reported to fight among 

 themselves and steal from each other whenever opportunity offers, and numerous scars of knife and 

 bullet which we noticed bore silent testimony to the many desperate encounters iu which these 

 natives had engaged. Passing Cape Krelougoune in the evening, the course was shaped for the 

 west Diomede island, which was reached on the following morning, after steaming through a 

 succession of fog banks all night, at times having clear, blight weather, and at other times fogs so 

 dense that it was impossible to see the length of the vessel. Anchoring close iu shore, the natives, 

 as usual, soon came on board. Wishing to leave a boat's crew on this island to take current obser- 

 vations, I selected two of the natives who appeared to be looked upon as leaders, and making 

 known to them my plan, asked if they would render the crew any assistance they might need, and 

 see that they were not annoyed by the other natives. They said if the men were placed in their 

 charge they would assist them in every way possible and see that no harm came to them. 



The only fear I had was that they might be annoyed by thieves. Our interpreter, a Saint 

 Michael's half-breed, claimed to have heard the natives planning to rob our men after the vessel 

 left, but considering this only an invention on his part, got up to avoid remaining, which it was 

 evident he did not want to do, I gave the matter no serious attention. Dick, one of the natives 

 to whom I had spoken in relation to the boat's crew, said he would take them to his own house 

 and see that nothing was stolen from them. This was the same man who on a former visit so 

 promptly told me I lied when I assured him we had no whisky to sell. He seemed quite proud ol 

 the trust reposed in him, and ordered the other natives around with an air of great importance. 



A small anchor with a line and buoy attached was dropped well outside the eddies to serve as 

 a boat mooring; the crew was supplied with instruments for making current and meteorological 

 observations. Two commissioned officers being already absent from the vessel, I placed the 

 boatswain iu charge of the boat. The party consisted of the boatswain, one quartermaster, one 

 seaman, and the interpreter. Having giving them the necessary instructions iu relatiou to taking- 

 observations and cautioned them to avoid all trouble with the natives, we sent them on shore aud 

 got under way, shaping a course for Cape Serdze Kamen. We passed near East Cape with the 

 intention of communicating with the natives, but were prevented by a fresh northeast wind which, 

 blowing directly on, made a heavy surf on the shore. Steaming to the northward during the 

 night, on the following morning we arrived off Tapkan settlement and anchored outside a rim of 

 ice which extended two or three miles from the shore, the wind blowing fresh from the northward 

 and quite a heavy sea running. Soon after dropping anchor, the American flag was seen flying 

 from the top of a tent that looked smaller and whiter than the surrounding ones, and we knew 

 that our sledge party had returned. As soon as this became known, speculation ran high through- 

 out the ship as to what success they had met with. Had they found the Jeannette or learned 

 anything of the fate of the missing whalers, how far had they been, &c. 1 It was not long before 

 it was noticed that they were breaking camp, and soon after a general movement was made 

 towards the ice, and when near enough to be seen distinctly we could distinguish the skin boat 

 aud saw that an attempt was to be made to cross over the ice. Although quite rough near the edge 

 where the motion of the sea was felt, the feat was accomplished without accident. Before reaching 

 the edge of the ice two boats were sent to assist, which they did by throwing a line to the skin boat 

 and watching a favorable opportunity ; both boats succeeded in reaching clear water, although not 

 without a good deal of difficulty and danger. The wind had been increasing since morning aud 

 the broken ice along the edge of the pack was pitching aud tossing furiously. The Tapkan dog- 

 driver having come on board with our men to be paid for the work he had done, and the sea now 

 being too rough to think of sending a boat to the ice again, he was asked whether he could get 

 back from East Cape if put on shore there. Upon his assurance that he could walk home in three 

 days we got under way and proceeded towards the straits. Lieutenant Herring and party reported 

 having been as far west as Cape Wankerem, latitude 07° 50', longitude 176° 50'. They had suc- 

 ceeded in finding the discoverers of the wreck, and had procured from them the following-named 

 articles: One pair marine glasses, one pair silver bowed spectacles in a tin case, a harpoon with 

 the letters B. K. O. stamped on it in letters about five-eighths of an inch long, and the name 

 "Macy," supposed to he that of the maker; two common black-handled table knives, one marked 



