CEUISE OF STEAMER COEWIN IN THE AECTIC OCEAN. 73 



Belvidere and several sailing vessels speut the day cruising along the edge of the ice to the north- 

 ward, but without success. The following reference to Point Barrow is quoted from my report of 

 last year's cruise: 



Poiut Barrow is the most northern point of the United States, and lacks only 25 miles of being the most northern 

 portion of the continent (a point, of land called Boothia Promontory, in longitude 95° west, lies a few miles farther 

 north). Point Barrow is alow sand spit which makes out to the northward about 8 miles from the regular coast-line, 

 which terminates at Cape Smyth, thence turning to the eastward and extending about the same distance forms a bay 

 named by Beechey, Elson Bay, after one of the officers of the Blossom. This bay is too shallow to be of any value, being 

 navigable only for vessels of very light draught. 



To the north of the point, lying nearly parallel with the shore, and from 1 to 2 miles distant, is 

 a shoal with only 2 fathoms of water on it, possibly less in places. It is probably 3 miles long from 

 east to west, and 1 mile in breadth. The space between the shoal and the poiut affords excellent 

 anchorage out of the way of the drift-ice which sets past the point. Small pieces from the south- 

 ward are constantly starting off shore, and being carried northward by the current, so that an an- 

 chorage on the west side of the point is not always safe or comfortable. A vessel running for this 

 anchorage from the southward should rouud the point within one half a mile, keeping the lead going 

 and not getting inside of 3 fathoms; the anchorage is in 3£ and 4 fathoms. Vessels going eastward 

 of the point should not " shut in" the west shore of the point nearer than 2J miles; and in hauling 

 around the lead should be kept going, aud care taken to keep outside of 4 fathoms, which will clear 

 the shoal. In approaching from the north keep outside of 4 fathoms until the coast-line to the south 

 is open to the westward of the poiut, when the end of the poiut may be run for with safety until 

 past the shoal 



The foregoing directions for avoiding the shoal are such as were observed by the Corwiu, and 

 may be relied on as safe. The position and extent of the shoal and depth of the water are ap- 

 proximated from a few lines of sounding made by the Corwin and from such information received 

 from the whalers as was in their possession, and are subject to correction. 



On the morning of the 18th several more vessels arrived, making fourteen in all. After. put- 

 ting our mail on board the Legal Tender we steamed to the south with no ice in sight, wind 

 fresh, southwest, and overcast. Having less than 20 tons of coal, it became necessary to procure 

 a supply. Accordiugly we made the best of our way to Cape Lisburne, intending to stop at the 

 mine should the weather prove favorable, and if not to continue on to Plover Bay. 



On the morning of the 19th we attempted to land at a native settlement near Point Bililur, 

 but finding the surf heavy we gave it up and kept on down the coast, feeling our way past the 

 Blossom Shoals with the lead. The weather was hazy aud wind fresh from southwest. During 

 the uight of the 19th, the wind backiug to southward, and moderating, led us to expect moderate 

 weather for coaling next day. On the morning of the 20th we made the land to the east of Cape 

 Sabine, and followed the shore westward, keeping as close in as the depth of water would permit. 

 I stopped the vessel several times during the forenoon to examine cliffs which presented the ap- 

 pearance of coal veins, but no coal was to be found. At meridian, when nearly off the coal mine, 

 the wind suddenly changed to northwest aud blowing fresh soon raised such a sea that boating 

 coal was entirely out of the question; so we kept on past Cape Lisburne, which was reached about 

 5 p. m., and shaped a course for Point Hope, passing it, inside the shoal, about 9.30 p. m. The 

 loug daylight had now given place to a decidedly dark night. Although we passed within half a 

 mile of the point it was with difficulty that we could make it out with night glasses. The long 

 twilight which had lasted throughout the night had been gradually growing fainter until it had 

 finally left us, and the first night which could be called dark was more than six hours in length. 

 During the uight of the -0th the wind changed to the southward again aud became light and 

 baffling, aud continued so the following day with occasional fog banks. Dunug the afternoon of 

 the 21st we caught glimpses from time to time of the tops of the high hills on each side of the 

 straits, but towards evening the fog became very thick, and during the uight the wind freshened 

 from southeast with no signs of clearing. 



At 4 a. m., August 22, we passed the Diomedes very close. Although we could see nothing the 

 vessel's length away, we had no difficulty -in knowing when we approached the islands by the baf- 

 fling of the wind and the sound of the thousands of birds on the cliffs. Throughout that day and 

 S. Ex. 204 10 



