RIVER YUKON— WHALING FLEET. 121 



Colville. They afterwards came on board the Enterprise just as she 

 was on the point of leaving her winter-quarters in Camden Bay in 

 1854. The fort was established in the year 1847. Mr. Whyniper 

 left the fort on his return on July the 8th : the current sometimes 

 carrying him 100 miles in 24 hours, they arrived at Nulato on the 

 loth, and on the 23rd entered the northern mouth of the river (the 

 Aphoon), and reached Behring Sea the same afternoon. 



The Kwipak, or Yukon, empties itself into Behring's Sea through 

 five mouths, all of which are shoal, and extend from lat. 62° to 

 63° 25'. The Bussian boats from Michaelowski usually occupy 

 35 days in ascending the river to Nulato; but that post can be 

 reached in 5 days from the head of Norton Sound by travelling 

 overland. 



Extract from a letter from Captain Long to H. M. "Witney, Esq., 

 dated Honolulu, November 5th, 1867 : — 



" Wrangell Land was first seen on the evening of the 14th of August, 

 and the next day at 9.30 a.m. the ship was 18 miles distant from the 

 west point .... which was found to be in lat. 70° 46' and long. 



178° 30' e The lower parts of the land were entirely free 



from snow, and had a green appearance as if covered with vege- 

 tation Near the centre, or about long. 180°, there is a moun- 

 tain which has the appearance of an extinct volcano : by approxi- 

 mate measurement I found it to be 2480 feet high The 



south-east cape, which he named Cape Hawaii, was found to be in 



lat. 70° 40' n. and long. 178° 51' w From long. 175° to long. 



170° E. there were no indications of animal life in the water. It 

 appeared almost as blue as it does in the middle of the Facifio 

 Ocean, though there was but from 15 to 18 fathoms in any place 

 within 40 miles of the land." 



Captain Long thinks a propeller might readily have steamed up 

 north on the west or east side of this land ; and he believes it to be 

 inhabited. According to his track-chart he made Cape North on 

 August 2nd, sailed along the Asiatic continent, passing close to 

 Cape Iakan on the 4th, and reached Cape Chelagskoi on the 9th. 

 On the 10th the furthermost western point was obtained in long. 

 170° 30' E. and lat. 70° 45' N. 



Captain Bodgers, in 1855, reached the 72° of latitude in long. 

 174° 40' w., afterwards, returning southerly, he passed between 

 Wrangell Land and Capo Jakan, having a depth of 25 fathoms 

 water, and reached long. 176° 40' B. in lat. 70° 45' N. 



Extract of a letter from Captain Craynur to Mr. Witney, dated 

 November 1, 1867 :— 



" On my last cruize I sailed along the south and east side of 



