66 CKTTISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



of difficulty. Inside of the 10 fathom curve we found much of the ice aground, while the float- 

 ing portion was drifting past and occasionally shooting up over the top of the grounded pieces. 

 Navigation under such circumstances was anything but safe or agreeable. However, we felt that the 

 land was certainly within our reach, and thought of nothing but pushing ahead. At 7.30 we reached 

 the open space and dropped anchor within a cable's length of the land in 5 fathoms of water. We 

 immediately landed and, raising the American flag, took possession in the name of the United States 

 of America. We landed at the mouth of a river, which at this time was about 75 yards in width, 

 although the entire distance between its banks was about 200 yards. The cliffs in the vicinity of 

 our landing place were of a dark slate formation, and from 100 to 300 feet high. On the beach 

 small pieces of sandstone, quartz, and mica schist were found. The surface of the land where the 

 slate has weathered away is composed of sticky clay, and is but sparsely covered with vegetation. 

 As observed from the ship, while cruising in the vicinity and also from the shore, it presents the 

 general appearance of smoothly-rounded hills, which, towards the interior and near the south side, 

 are from 1,000 to 3,000 feet in height. The upper portion of the higher hills appeared more rugged in 

 outline, as if composed of more enduring material, probably granite. These summits resemble those 

 6een on the Siberian coast in the vicinity of Plover Bay, being entirely destitute of vegetation, with 

 occasional red patches probably indicating the presence of iron. Those near the coast are remark, 

 able for the smoothness and beauty of their outlines, and present here and there patches of green 

 or gray, according to the nature of the vegetation. On the beach near the mouth of the river we 

 found a kyaek paddle, a cask-stave, a piece of small spar, probably part of a boat's mast, and a 

 piece of board about a foot in length bearing ax-marks. All these things were below the marks 

 of extreme high water, and were undoubtedly brought there by the current. Although the beach 

 showed undoubtedly signs of a rise and tall of tide, no tidal change could be detected, probably 

 owing to the fresh southerly wind which was blowing. The presence of this drift matter on the 

 beach would seem to indicate that the east coast of Wrangel Island was at times entirely free from 

 ice, though it does not necessarily follow, as it could easily have been carried through the pack to 

 the shore by the constant twisting and turning to which it is at all times subject. I believe that 

 it is a very unusual thing for the ice to leave any portion of Wrangel Island entirely. Our stay on 

 shore was necessarily short on account of the strong northerly current, which was sweeping the ice- 

 pack along with irresistible force. Much of the ice inside, of 10 fathoms, as stated, was aground, but 

 not sufficiently firm to form any protection from the drifting mass, the largest pieces of which w T ere 

 constantly being pushed and turned in every direction when struck by the drift, and the utmost 

 vigilance was required to avoid getting caught between the drifting and grounded masses. At 9.30 

 a. m., being unable to maiutaiu our position any longer, a gun was fired to recall the parties sent 

 out to explore the cliffs in search of cairns or other signs of human life, and we began to work out 

 towards the lead, which we reached at 11 a. m. We left the American flag flying and also a rec- 

 ord of our visit. We had good observations during the day, and found our landing place to be 

 in latitude 71° 04' north and longitude 177° 40' west. This is undoubtedly the part of the laud 

 seen by Captain Kellett, R. N., in 1849, when he discovered and landed on Herald Island, and which 

 since appeared on the British Admiralty charts as Plover Island, although erroneously laid down 

 somewhat further to the eastward. We now know that Plover Island has no separate existence, 

 and that what Kellett saw was the main island. As there is no record of any one else having seen 

 the land previous to that date, or in fact until several years after, when, in 1870, it was seen by 

 nearly the entire whaling fleet, all must accord to Captain Kellett the honor ot its discovery. 



While steaming through the ice, in our several attempts to reach the land, a number of species 

 of sea-fowl were seen from time to time, and carefully noted by Mr. Nelson. Among these the 

 most numerous were the murres and guillemots (Uria-arra and Uria-grylle), with numerous kitti- 

 wake gulls (Larus tridactylus Kotzebue) and the common ice gull (Larus glauous). More rarely 

 single individuals of the Sabine's gull (Xema Sabinei) came circling about the ship. Numerous 

 small flocks of black-headed turnstones (Strepssilas melcmocepheld) were seen near shore, and two 

 parties of common eider ducks (Somateria nigra). In both instances the latter were females with 

 their young. The second brood of eiders was seen swimming close along the shore and away from 

 the mouth of the river as we made our landing. On shore we found numerous snow-buntings 

 (Plectrophanes nivalis) and a snowy owl (Nyctea nivea), which, with a shrike picked up dead on the 



