90 CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



by the northwest and west to southwest or south, very little rise in the temperature, if any, may 

 follow, and the rain, if in summer, will be eold and disagreeable, and in winter the sky may clear 

 with a falling temperature or an intensely cold wind and snow storm may follow. 



In spring and summer southwest and west winds are almost invariably raw and cold, and 

 accompanied by fog and mist. In winter a west wind frequently clears the sky. Northeast winds 

 are equally cold with those from the north, and the months with the lowest average temperature 

 have the prevailing wiud from this quarter. Strange as it appears, however, the months of 

 highest average temperature appear to have the prevailing wind indifferently from various quar- 

 ters, but as often from the north as from any other. A part of these north winds, especially in 

 summer, results in the following curious manner: The relative position of the low range of coast 

 hills across the bay on the mainland has been given. These hills are so placed, extending about 

 northeast by southwest, that they frequently deflect a south wind either to the right and northeast 

 along the flank of the hills, or the wind strikes the hills, and, being forced up, glances over their 

 tops and becomes a low upper current. The statiou at Saint Michael's is about 8 miles from 

 these hills, yet it is a commou occurrence in summer to see the heavy masses of vapor-like leaden 

 clouds pass over at a few hundred feet elevation from south to north, while the wind-vane points 

 to the north and a brisk breeze blows thence. In a short time the north wind may be seen bring- 

 ing back a layer of clouds, which discharge misty showers on the land as they pass until they 

 glide up the hilltops and rejoin their fellows. At times this return current may be blowing a 

 gale from the north at this place, while a few miles out at sea, and what appears to be directly in 

 the wind's eye, the ice may be broken up and driven off shore by a heavy gale from the south. A 

 north wind is frequently observed to blow steadily in this return current from twelve to twenty- 

 four hours before being succeeded by the wiud from its normal quarter. In the spring violent 

 flurries of snow often occur with this return wiud. As will be noticed, this current produces au 

 aerial eddy, with the plane of the revolutions vertical iu place of horizontal, as in ordinary 

 cyelo"ic movements of air or water. "When the wiud is deflected laterally, as it often is, either in 

 conjunction with or independent ot the upper current just described, it passes along the inland 

 face of the hills to the northeast until, about 10 to 12 miles up the coast, the hills become 

 very much lower, when the wind, released, goes on its course, and if blowiug strongly produces 

 an eddy and an insetting current toward shore to the left of its path. In summer striking exam- 

 ples of this have been seen when observing the arrival or departure of the fur-traders' boats. It 

 is by no means an uncommon occurrence to see one of these boats sailing rapidly along with a fair 

 wind a few miles away, while at the station a stiff breeze was blowing exactly in the opposite 

 direction. Upon one occasion a boat was seen apparently sailing against the wiud with such a 

 heavy breeze that a reef was required iu the sail. It is very curious to watch a boat approaching 

 thus. It sails easily along until within two or three miles, and perhaps a little further, and appar- 

 ently has nothing to do but sail directly to its destination, when suddenly it reaches a calm, and 

 after a moment's hesitation the oars are put out aud they row for a time, with the sail still up, 

 hoping to have the breeze renewed, when the sail is taken back by a head wiud, and after it is 

 lowered the crew have a hard pull to the shore. This latter incoming current has the ordiuary 

 cyclonic movement, and may attain the velocity of a strong gale, and be accompanied by the 

 precipitation of rain or snow. Fogs are sometimes produced iu summer aud fall by r this northerly 

 current. 



On one occasion the cloud-laden southerly current was seen meeting aud mingling with the 

 foggy and somewhat lower current from the north ; this was followed by a calm of about two 

 hours' duration, when the wiud arose again from the south stronger than before aud prevailed the 

 rest of the day. The intermingling of the two currents Avas well seen, as the clouds from the 

 south were darker colored than those from the north. 



