58 CRUISE OP STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



rewards for every article belonging to the missing vessels. At 8 p. m. we sent them all out of the 

 vessel for the night. On the following morning they were alongside bright and early, and as soon 

 as permitted to come on board they scrambled over the side, each dragging some article which he 

 claimed to have been taken from the wreck. We bought everything offered, and paid them well, 

 although many of the things were of no possible use; but I hoped by doing this to induce them 

 .to bring out everything in their possession. After purchasing all they brought on board,, we 

 went on shore and made a thorough examination of their houses, the natives kindly throwing 

 them open for our inspection, and looking on with a most amused expression while we were making 

 the search. The account given us of the finding of the wreck by these people was substantially 

 the same as that given to Lieutenant Herring and party. It was as follows: In the fall of 1880, 

 just as the new ice was forming, a party of natives from Wankerem was out on the ice seal- 

 hunting, when a black object was discovered, which proved to be a wreck. The masts, bulwarks, 

 boats, &c, were gone, and the hold was half filled with water. They boarded the wreck and 

 carried away such things as they thought might be of use. Four dead bodies were seen in the 

 cabin, three being in their berths and one on the floor. On a shelf at the head of the berth in 

 which one of the dead bodies was lying they found a pair of silver-bowed spectacles (they were 

 brought back by Lieutenant Herring, and have since been identified as belouging to Captain 

 Nye of the Mount Wollaston). Night coming on, the party returned to the shore, intending to 

 make another visit to the wreck when daylight came, but during the night the wind chauged to 

 southwest and the wreck disappeared and was seen no more. They were very positive that the 

 wreck had a pair of deer horns on her jib-boom, and when shown a rough sketch of a dismasted 

 vessel one of the natives took a pencil and without the slightest hesitation drew the horns as 

 shown in the illustration. They also stated that the masts had been cut away, and when asked 

 how they knew they said they saw the marks of the ax. This account I believe to be as nearly 

 correct as their defective memory and poor command of language will admit of. It is probable, 

 however, that the wreck was in sight of the settlement several days instead of one, as stated by 

 them, judging from the number of articles found in the possession of the natives which must 

 have come from the wreck. The following-named articles were obtained by us : One chain 

 bobstay with heart attached, several pieces of chain-plate and one complete, with dead-eye strap 

 attached, several small pieces of chain, iron bolts, pieces of iron band, &c, an old worn sheath- 

 knife bearing the initials W. B., a table fork, an iron spoon with the letter H on the handle, a 

 small black leather pocket-book containing a number of articles of cheap jewelry, a finger-ring 

 bearing masonic emblems, two American coins (one cent and five cent), a portion of a truss-pad, 

 and a Rodgers pocket-knife. In addition to these things we saw on shore several axes, saws, &c, 

 but as they bore no marks except the name of the manufacturers, and as the natives were anxious 

 to retain them, we allowed them to do so. A number of oil casks cut in halves were seen and, 

 carefully examined, but no names or marks were found other than the gauge marks. Two whisky 

 casks were also seen, marked "Honolulu." The articles obtained were placed on exhibition at the 

 office of Wright & Bowen, ship chandlers, after our return, and we learn that some of them 

 have been identified as belonging to the Vigilant. 



The fact that the wreck had a pair of deer horns on her jib-boom, as this vessel only was known 

 to have of all the vessels of the fleet, confirms the belief that she was the one seen. The finding 

 of the Sandwich Island whisky casks also points that way. Although Captain Smithers had 

 instructions from his owners not to trade whisky, he may have disregarded them and taken it on 

 board, while the other vessel could not have had any, as she had not been to those islands. All 

 these facts show pretty conclusively that the wreck was that of the Vigilant. The finding of the 

 whale-iron marked " Bk. O." (bark Uuward) forms another link in the chain of evidence, as a portion 

 of the outfit of the Vigilant came from that vessel, and had been marked in that way. The finding 

 • of Captain Nye's spectacles indicates that that officer was on board of the Vigilant. The last seen of 

 the two vessels (October 10, 1S79) they were cruising in company between Herald Shoal and Herald 

 Island in an opening between the northern and western packs, with a large body of hea vy ice to the 

 southward, stretching almost entirely across the Arctic Basin. Of this large body of heavy ice 

 to the southward a few words of explanation are necessary. To this, in my opinion, may be attrib- 

 uted the loss of the two vessels in question. By the reports of the masters of other vessels we 



