5.4 CEUISE OP STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



miles long from east to west and about 2} north and south, in the shape of a triangle, the western being its apex. It i s 

 almost inaccessible on all sides and a solid mass of granite. Innumerable black and white divers (common to the sea) 

 here found a safe place to deposit their eggs and bring up their young. Not a walrus or seal was seen on its shore or 

 on the ice in its vicinity. We observed here none of the small land birds that were so numerous about us before 

 making the laud. 



Magnetic observations were taken on the ice which shows the dip to be 78° 45', and the 

 magnetic declination 24° 47' east. Unfortunately the Lloyd magnetic needle used for observing 

 the intensity of the vertical attraction was accidentally dropped on the ice and broken, so that in 

 the magnetic table the relative intensities are omitted, the vertical angle and the declinations 

 alone being given. I hoped to obtain an altitude of the sun below the pole at midnight for 

 latitude, but the sun being obscured by a cloud before first coming to the meridian, did not reappear 

 until an hour after. We had good observation during the day, both for latitude and longitude, 

 and, carrying the reckoning forward, find it to agree very closely with the position of the island as 

 laid down on the American Hydrographic chart. Just as we were about to cast otf from the 

 island a bear was observed in the water near us and evidently very curious to know what the 

 vessel was. He swam directly up to the bow with his head up, snuffing the air as if trying by the 

 sense of smell to learn something of this strange visitor. His curiosity cost him his life. The skin 

 was in good condition and the flesh proved to be fair eating. He was of medium size and probably 

 two or three years old. At 3 a. in. we took in our ice anchor and began working our way through 

 the heavy drift-Ice toward open water, fully satisfied that none of the parties of whom we were in 

 search had touched there. 



During the first cruise of the Corwin we made four attempts to reach Herald Island, and on 

 the 20th of August succeeded in gettiug within 3 or 4 miles of it, where we met a solid barrier of 

 unbroken ice exteuding nearly north and south, and from 12 to 40 feet high. At 6.30 we emerged 

 from the ice, aud, entering clear water, steamed southward along the edge of the ice, keeping a 

 sharp lookout for leads or lanes of open water in the direction of the land which might permit us to 

 approach it. While leaviug Ilerald Island several fish which resembled smelt, from 5 to 8 inches 

 •long, were seen for an instant as they were brought to the surface by the turning and rolling of 

 the ice. 



During the day the hills of Wrangel Island were in sight most of the time. Often, when 

 raised by refraction, they appeared as if coining out to meet us, then faded away until nearly lost 

 to view, and in the evening a thick fog shut them out entirely. Being unable to see the leads on 

 account of this fog, we came to anchor for the night. The set of the current was southward, about 

 half a knot per hour. The ice which we had been passing during the afternoon was very different 

 from that seen in the vicinity of Herald Island, being in much larger pieces, heavier, aud also 

 white, showing that it had not formed near the land. 



On the following morning (August 1) the fog clearing a little, we steamed along the edge of 

 the ice, which trended to the southwest and west, until 2 p. in., when it again shut down so thick 

 that we could not see the length of the vessel. The engine was stopped, and a cast of the lead 

 showed 21 fathoms of water, with blue mud bottom. Our noon observation put us in latitude 70° 

 15' north, longitude 178° 21' west, about 27 nautical miles distaut from the position of Cape Hawai, 

 as shown on the American Hydrographic chart. The fog settled once or twice during the day, 

 enabling us to catch a view of the tops of the mountains for a few minutes, but too far distant 

 and too indistinct to admit of a sketch being taken or any close estimate made of their height. 



At 1 a. m. (August 2) the fog began to break away a little, giving us a better view of the 

 mountain tops. At 4 a. in. we sounded in 21 fathoms of water. Temperature at the bottom was 

 35° ; the ice, which was close alongside, was very heavy but well open. At 4.15 we started ahead, 

 and after steaming northward in the ice for an hour, stopped and lowered a boat to observe the 

 set aud force of the current, which was found to be to the northward about one-quarter of a knot 

 per hour. At 7.30 the fog again shut down so thick that we could not find the leads and were 

 compelled to stop the engine. Making fast to a huge floe, we waited for a clear-up. The ice was 

 very heavy, many floes being from 1 to 2 miles in length, and probably from 60 to 100 feet thick. 

 We had 21 fathoms of water with blue mud bottom ; temperature at bottom, 35°. 



