CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 77 



masthead reported land ahead, and half an hour later the blue hills of Wrangel Island were in 

 sight from the deck. Soon after ice was sighted ahead on each bow, and at •'! p. in. we came up to 

 heavy ice extending northeast to southwest as far as could be seen from the mast head. Taking 

 in the square sails we headed eastward on the port tack under fore and aft sail, the engine turning 

 over slowly. The wind continued to blow hard during the night from northeast with a heavy sea 

 from about east by south. On the following morning we hauled westward and run in to take a 

 look at the ice, which we sighted from the mast-head at 6.30 a. in., and soon after Herald Island 

 came in sight. The wind continuing to increase we hauled up I'm- the latter, hoping to make an an- 

 chorage there that would afford us shelter until the gale abated. When within about IS miles of 

 the island, the wind having increased to a strong gale with a very heavy sea, we hove to on the 

 port tack and lay over comfortably, making a southeast drift. About 8 p. m. one of t lie guys which 

 held the ice-breaker in place parted and the action of the sea wrenched off one of the wings. As the 

 sea was running so high that it could not be taken on board without great danger to the lives of 

 the crew, and being so badly broken as to be useless for further service as an ice-breaker, it was 

 cut adrift to save the bows of the vessel from the hard knocks which it was getting. During the 

 night of the 31st the gale blew very hard, with snow-squalls and a high sea. This continued until 

 September 2, and we remained hove to, making good weather but rolling heavily, at times dipping 

 the boats in the water. The starboard waist boat and steam cutter were taken in and secured on 

 deck to prevent them from being washed away from the cranes. I expected the heavy lurches the 

 vessel was making would carry away the crippled rudder, but fortunately it held on, nothing more 

 happening to it than a parting of wheel-chains. At meridian the wind began to moderate, and at 

 3 p. m. admitted our steaming ahead. With our ice-breaker gone aud the oak sheathing entirely 

 off around the bows, having nothing more substantial to receive the heavy shocks thau the 3 inch 

 pine planking, the stem already started, and a crippled rudder, I did not consider the vessel in 

 condition for further encounter with the ice, which longer cruising in this region at this season of 

 the year would necessitate. In this connection it may not be out of place to state that the Corwiu 

 was, and is, entirely unfitted for this kind of work. In addition to being built almost entirely of 

 soft wood, and consequently not having even the strength of an ordinary oak built vessel, she was 

 illy fitted tor Arctic work ; with only an inch of oak sheathing, designed merely to prevent the ice 

 from coming in direct contact with the soft pine planking, and an ice-breaker to protect the thin 

 sharp gripe and the stern aud the hood ends from injury. Aside from this she was in all respects 

 the same as when doing duty on the Columbia River. Justice demands that, in making compari- 

 sons of the Corwin's work with that of other vessels, these facts should be considered. 



I wished to revisit Kotzebue Sound before leaving the Arctic for the season. Accordingly a 

 course was shaped for that place and continued during the 3d with moderate wind and thick 

 weather. During the night of the 2d, the bobstay bolt having carried away, a temporary bobstay 

 was provided by taking the end of a hawser through the hawse-pipe and setting it up to the 

 steam windlass. At 8 p. m. on the 3d, the weather being very thick, we came to with the kedge 

 for the night iu 29 fathoms. The current during the night set to the northwest about three- 

 quarters of a knot per hour. On the 4th the weather was still thick, but lighted a little at 

 intervals. We got under way at meridian and steamed slowly along, with the lead going. At 9 

 p. m., the weather being very dark and thick, we came to with the kedge iu 30 fathoms. Since 

 August 31 we had been unable to take observations for latitude or longitude, and in the run from 

 near Herald Island to our present position, which we supposed to lie near the American coast south 

 of Point Hope, the depth of the water had varied lint 3 fathoms. 



The bed of the navigable part of the Arctic Ocean lying north of Bering Straits is a vast plain, 

 with an average depth of less than 30 fathoms. South of Wrangel Island the soundings- are 

 remarkably regular, at 22 fathoms for many miles, but toward the Asiatic side of the strait the 

 water deepens to 27 fathoms at a distance of 20 miles from the coast, gradually shoaling to 

 14 in the next 10 miles. Just east of Herald Island the depth exceeds 30 fathoms, and to the 

 northeast a few miles reaches 40. This is undoubtedly caused by the current which sets north- 

 ward between Herald Island and Herald Shoal. This plain is between the northern and western 

 packs, aud the ice is generally somewhat broken aud open toward the end of the season. It is 



