20 CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWIN. 



civilization. There is not one cbauce in a thousand of these criminals being brought to justice. 

 The machinery of the hiw in this Territory is not yet iu such working order as to hunt out and 

 arrest persons guilty of such offenses, and it is extremely doubtful if it reaches that perfection for 

 years. That the country is so isolated, so sparsely settled, and the language of the natives so 

 difficult to acquire, are all obstacles that will prevent the enforcement of the marriage laws. 



• WOBK FOR TWO VESSELS. 



The rapidly increasing interests of this portion of the country, in conjunction with the neces- 

 sarily widely spread operations of the service, demand the presence of another vessel in these 

 waters during the summer mouths in order to properly enforce the law and protect Government 

 rights. It is simply impossible for one vessel to prevent illicit trade and succor distressed seamen 

 in the Arctic, and guard the seal islands and stop the illegal taking of otter and introduction of 

 arms on the coast of the Alaskan peninsula and among the adjacent islands. These two theaters 

 of action are a thousand and more miles apart, yet the nature of the duty to be performed in both 

 is such that the same attention is demanded at the same time. 



During the cruise of this year I have not been able to give the attention 1 desired to the 

 southern portion of the cruising ground, and I should not have been able to do so even if our 

 assistance had not beep required by the Bowhead. 



The Department is fully aware that, as nobly as this little vessel has accomidished the work 

 placed upon her, her accommodations are wholly insufficient to meet the requirements of the service, 

 and it did not require the convincing circumstances of this year to demonstrate the necessity 

 of a larger vessel; but that such a vessel, even if she be as large as a man-of-war, can cover tlie 

 whole ground, as seems to be the opinion of some, is an absurdity that only requires a comparison 

 of the duty to be performed with the territory requiring attention to make it manifest. 



It is my judgment that with one vessel to cruise from the seal islands to the northward and 

 in the Arctic, and another to cruise from Sitka to the seal islands, the ground can be covered as 

 it should be, and that the increased efficiency with which Government interests would be guarded 

 would more than justify the additional expense. • 



STEAMLAUNCH. 



The Corwin is entirely too small to carry a steam-launch. It takes up one whole side of the 

 quarter-deck room that is needed in handling the ship— and the usefulness of the one we now have 

 is limited. The boiler and machinery are so heavy that it can not be u.sed in rough water ; if scut 

 on a boat expedition it carries an insufficient supply of fuel and can not be hauled up on the beach, 

 and it can not be lowered or takeu on board in a sea way without great risk of being broken uj). 

 If obliged to desert ship we would have to abandon it, and a well-tittod sail-boat would be, iu 

 every respect, more useful and desirable. 



SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 



During our cruises in these waters many items of general interest and facts that would be of 

 value to the scientific world can undoubtedly bo collected, but some one thoroughly familiar with 

 the subjects to be handled and in collecting and arranging data should accompany the vessel for 

 that purpose. My mind is so occupied and engrossed with the care of the vessel, and my system 

 so burdened by fatigue aud exposure incident to the discharge of my duties, which frequeutly 

 require my presence on deck almost continuously for days, and at times twelve, eighteen, and 

 even twenty-four hours at the masthead, that I am wholly incapacitated for readiug or noticing 

 with proper care events that como under my observation. 



At present I am obliged to assign the various subjects to those of the officers that I deem 

 most competent to handle them. While on watch the attention of the gentlemen must be wholly 

 given to the ship, and when below the performance of their multifarious professional duties 



