50 CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



with large bowlders, and a slight roll of the sea coming in made great caution necessary in hand- 

 ling the loaded boats to prevent their being stove. While here we explored the cliffs to the east- 

 ward and discovered several new veins of coal, from one of which we took several tons. These 

 cliffs contain an abundance of coal and of good quality, but it is quite difficult to mine large 

 quantities of it for several reasons. First, the season is very short in which it can be approached 

 with a vessel, probably not averaging over two months and a half, from the middle of July to the 

 end of September. During the whole of the latter mouth strong winds prevail from northeast to 

 northwest, which, as they blow directly on shore, make the surf too rough for lauding, as there is 

 no protection of any kind. Inside of 7 fathoms of water, which is found about 1 mile off shore, 

 the bottom is a flat rock, upon which an anchor will not hold at all, so that with a sailing-vessel 

 the shore cannot be approached nearer than a mile with any safety. Owing to the precipitous 

 nature of the banks in which the coal is found, only the lower part of the veins is accessible with- 

 out erecting staging, &c, and in the early part of the season there are enormous snow-banks, and 

 the coal can only be reached by ascending to their tops and lowering it down, as we were com- 

 pelled to do at this time. Until coal becomes very much scaicer nearer home the Corwin mine 

 will not probably furnish much for use outside the Arctic Ocean ; but if steam takes the place of 

 sail as a motive-power for our whaling fleet, as it bids fair to do, I see no reason why at least a 

 part of their fuel should not be taken from bere. But a small amount of capital would be required 

 to open and work this mine, and a supply might be kept in readiness for the whalers at all times. 

 I took samples of the coal to San Francisco for the benefit of any who might wish to test its qual- 

 ities. Several applications were made for samples, all of wbich I was able to supply. Before 

 leaving the place we erected a cross on top of the cliff for the benefit of any who might wish to 

 find the mine. Its geographical position is approximately latitude 6S° 50' north, longitude 164° 

 55' west. It is about 22 miles east of Cape Lisbume, and some of the veins are easily distin- 

 guished at a distance of a mile and a half. The large pockets of coal and dark slate in the face 

 of the cliff are particularly conspicuous. As stated in my report of my first cruise, the existence 

 of this coal was first reported to me by Capt. E. B. Smith, ice-pilot. The mine was first visited 

 and worked by the Corwin, and, with the exception of a small veiu at Cape Beaufort, which was 

 discovered by the early English explorers, no other coal has yet been discovered in this part of 

 the Arctic regions. 



While the ship's company was employed coaling, Professor Muir and Mr. Nelson each 

 improved the time on shore; the former in making botanical and geological examiuatious in the 

 vicinity of the coal deposits, and the latter in a fruitless hunting excursion, during which he 

 endeavored to get a shot at two mountain sheep by creeping on his hands and knees in the bed of 

 a small stream for a distance of several hundred yards, when thinking himself near enough to 

 shoot, and rising cautiously, he was just in time to see them disappear over the brow of a hill, 

 half a mile away. The course of the stream unfortunately took him to windward of the sheep, 

 which, having a remarkably keen scent, took the alarm. Mr. Nelson also saw a number of little 

 graylings in a small stream which runs back from the sea-coast, and is, I believe, a tributary to 

 the Noyatag River, which discharges into Hotham Inlet. Unfortunately Mr. Nelson had no net, 

 and these fish, like the big-horns or mountain sheep, escaped being made specimens for the National 

 Museum. 



During our stay at the coal mines several oomiacs full of Point Hope natives arrived and 

 pitched their tents near the stream of fresh water. They said they were on their way to a place 

 just east of Cape Beaufort, where they go each summer to hunt reindeer and lay in a stock of 

 meat for winter use. They go north in July and return about the 18th of September, laden with 

 meat. At this season the deer are very fat, and the skins are in excellent condition for making 

 clothing.' I also saw a large number of beluga going north, many of them young ones, being quite 

 small and dark colored. 



July 28, at 4 p. m., we got under way, having taken on board about 20 tons of coal during the 

 two days. We shaped a course to pass south of Herald Shoal. During the night and on the fol- 

 lowing day the weather continued fine and warm, with not a cloud in sight, the atmosphere having 

 the same smoky appearance often seen on the coast of California and Oregon in the summer months. 



