CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 5 5 



While fast to the ice a small piece of wood showing ax-marks was discovered floating iu the 

 water. It was about 2 feet long and 2 inches thick, and had apparently been cut from a log of 2 

 feet or more in diameter. It seemed to have been but a short time in the water, and gave rise to 

 many conjectures on board as to how it came there, some declaring that it must have drifted off from 

 the shore of Wrangel Island, where it had been cut by white men. Our reckoning placed us 

 within 15 miles of the land, and we had no doubt but we should be able to reach the shore, or at 

 least the grounded ice, as soon as the lifting of the fog would allow us to see the leads. A sea- 

 urchin was also found on the ice near where we made fast, probably dropped by some bird. At 

 the time, however, it was taken as an evidence of our nearness to the land, and excitement on 

 board the Corwin ran very high at the thought that we might be actually within a few miles of some 

 of the missing people. We continued to work in towards the land whenever we could see the leads, 

 until our reckoning placed us within 7 miles of it, where the ice became so close that we were 

 unable to penetrate it any farther, and were obliged to give up the attempt. The soundings in 

 the last few miles had deepened to 22 fathoms, with no perceptible current. A slight roll of the 

 sea indicated that a fresh breeze was blowing outside of the ice, the barometer was falling, aud 

 the weather looked threatening. While working in through the leads three polar bears were seen 

 a>leep on the ice near the ship. As we were moving very slowly on account of the fog and heavy 

 ice, they were shot without difficulty, and two of them taken on board, but the third was lost iu 

 the fog. At 1.45 we headed southward and worked out for open water, and although the weather 

 was so thick that we could not see ice tar enough away to avoid a collision with it, we succeeded 

 in reaching open water at half past 5 p. m., without accident, by proceeding cautiously aud taking 

 the ice "end ou " as much as possible. The weather still continued thick, but by the long, regular 

 roll of the sea from the southeast I felt assured that no large bodies of ice existed in that direction. 

 In order to keep our position as nearly as possible we came to with the kedge iu 22 fathoms of 

 water, hard bottom; temperature at bottom, 31°; wind moderating, ami at 8 o'clock changing to 

 the westward, the vessel dragging her kedge slowly to the east-southeast; weather very thick. 

 During the day we had seen two bow-head whales, the three bears mentioned, and several seals 

 and walrus. Singularly enough one of the latter came up directly under the bow of the vessel, 

 and being struck by the ice-breaker was killed. In additiou to these we saw a number of gulls 

 (burgomaster and jaeger), a diver, and three or four snipe. A small fish resembling a smelt was 

 also seen swimming among the ice. The fog continued all night; wind light from west to northwest. 



At 7.30, August 3, beiug able to see a mile or more, we got under way and steamed to the 

 northwest under one bell until 9, when it again shut down thick, just as we came up to the ice. 

 The engine was stopped aud soundings made in 19.f fathoms of water, soft bottom, temperature at 

 bottom 10°, the current setting to the westward very gently, uot more than a quarter of a knot. At 

 2.30 p. m. the top of the high hills to the northward could be seen, and a lead was discovered 

 to the northwest, probably the same one we had entered the day before. We entered it and 

 steamed ahead at full speed until 3.30 p. m., when the lead was found to be filled with heavy 

 drift-ice, which became closer as we advanced uutil it fairly stopped our progress. There was not 

 a patch of clear water as large as the vessel's deck in sight from the mast-head in the direction we 

 wished to go. A light westerly current was here observed. Judging from the distant appearance 

 of the hills, as we had caught glimpses of them from time to time, I suspected, what our observation 

 afterwards confirmed, namely, that the land was considerably further norlh than it is laid down 

 on the chart. 



The solid appearance of the ice,, and the fact that there was no material change in the depth 

 of the water, convinced me that there was no possibility of reaching the land from this direction 

 until a decided change should take place. So we determined to follow the ice to the westward 

 and approach from the west where Wrangel, in his attempts to reach the land, had been stopped by 

 open water in March, aud compelled to turn back. Accordiugly, after getting out of the lead, we 

 followed the edge of the western pack towards the southwest, keeping close alongside of the ice. 

 Ou account of the thick weather, and in our auxiety to fiud the pack trending westward, we kept 

 running into leads in that direction, ouly to find ourselves disappointed and forced to turn back. 

 Instead of trending westward, as I had hoped, it gradually took a more southerly direction, until 



