NARRATIVE. 



On the 18th day of July, 1881, ut ten o'clock in the forenoon, \ve sailed from San Franciaeo, 

 Ca)., on board the .schooner (iolden Fleece, a, staunch little schooner of one hundred and fifty fonn 

 burden, and, being lowed outside the heads, we began our voyage in (he leetli of a strong nortlr 

 gale; and it was three days before the reefs were shaken out of our sails. 



The expedition, on the day of sailing, was organi/ed as follows : First Lieut. I'. II. Hay, Kighth 

 Infantry, commanding; Act. Asst. Surg. (leorge S. Oldmixon, I . S. Army, surgeon ; !:. I'. lleivn- 

 deen, interpreter: Scrgt. .Tames Cassidy, Signal Corps. U. S. Army, observer: Ser^t. John Murdoch, 

 Signal Corps. I'. S. Army, observer: Sergt. Middleton Smith, U. S. Army., oliserver: Mi. A. < '. 

 Dark, astronomer; Vincent I'andit, carpenter: Albert Wright, cook : Frank Peterson, laborer. 

 With one exception, all were strangers to me, and 1 subsequently had occasion to regret that more 

 time was not given and care exercised in selecting the i>rrxt>iin<'l. especially those intended for the 

 scientific work. For even with experienced observers it is very difficult to do accurate work in 

 this high latitude. 



The voyage was uneventful. Owing to adverse winds and calms, it was not until August '.) 

 that we raised the high lands of the Aleutian peninsula to the eastward of Onnimak Pass. A 

 succession of calm days left us at the mercy of the currents, which here are strong to the cast ward, 

 and carried us in sight of Kadiak. before a bree/e sprung up that would enable us to bear ug> for 

 the pass. We entered it on the afternoon of the l.",tli. when the wind fell, but the tide serving. \\e 

 drifted through during the night. After entering P.elmng Sea we had stronger winds, and after 

 clearing the pass we were enabled to stand ou our course, which carried us about sixty miles to 

 the, eastward of the Pribyloff Islands. 



On the morning of the l!>th we sighted the island of Saint ,Mathews, passing three miles to 

 the eastward of it. its highest peaks only showing above the fog. We were favored with fair, 

 strong winds from this time on until we arrived at Plover Hay, Siberia, where we anchored at i! p. m. 

 August I'l. The weather being stormy, we were unable to get a" sight of the sun until the 1'lth, 

 when a series oi' excellent observations were obtained. This delay proved fortunate for us. for on 

 the -'-M the I". S. revenue steamer Corwin came into the harbor for coal. I ler mastei . Captain 

 Hooper, reported the ice very light in the lower latitudes of the Arctic Ocean : so mm -h ^> that 

 he had been enabled to reach Wrangel Land, a point never heretofore attained. To him we became, 

 indebted for a tine supply of reindeer clothing and tents, which he had collected in view of a 

 possibility of his wintering in the Arctic. The supply came very opportunely, as \\ c had been 

 unable, to obtain any deer-skins at San Francisco and were depending upon sheep skins for our 

 winter clothing. 



We found that our chronometer* were rnnniny steadily and well, and, after laying in a supply 

 of fresh water, were lowed outside the harbor by the < 'orwin on the morning of the l'.">th. The wind 

 lying away suddenly, left, us at the mercy of Ihe current, which was setting strong to the north- 

 ward, and during the night we drifted through the straits, getting only a glimpse of the Itiomed.- 

 Islands and Fast Cape as we passed, as we were enveloped in a dense fog the most of the time. 

 While at Plover I Jay we obtained from the natives a (juanlity of most excellent trout, which ]uv\< d 

 an agreeable addition to our sea fare. 



