EXPEDITION TO POINT 15AKKO\V, ALASKA. ;j ) 



with little or no wind when we started, so we steamed along short- about one fourth mile from il, 

 keeping inside the ground ice. At S p. in. a strong brce/.e came out from the no; ilieasl. when all 

 .sail was set, and \ve made great speed, so that by midnight \ve were oil' !Sea Iloi.-e Islands; by 

 this time there was a heavy sea running, and the wind had increased to a i;alc. and \ve \ 

 running before it under close reeled mainsail and all steam, to avoid being pooped and swamped, 

 as the sea was breaking heavily on the shoals oil' Point Fnuiklin. The hca\\ pack was jigroiinil 

 on the outer bar, but there was room for a vessel to pass between it and the shoals. 



After rounding Point Franklin we headed for Point lieleht -r, and at L' a. m. sighted scvcial 

 vessels at anchor off the point, apparently making very bad weather of il, as there was no shelter 

 here from the wind and .sea. As we neared them we were able in the dim twilight to make out 

 the Leo by her peculiar rig, she being a topsail schoonor, and we bore up to her and succeeded in 

 getting a line on board as we swept past, and with considerable ditlieulty were taken on beard. 

 The gale increased in fury, and before we could hoist in the launch the Leo dragged her anchor 

 and drifted rapidly to the leeward. The captain ordered the cable to be slipped, and tin- v< 

 got under way, and I requested him to keep her on a northwest course until lie came up with the 

 ice. While the vessel was being got under way, Mr. Rogers, who saw his launch was in danger of 

 being swamped, sprang into her with his crew, cut the painter, and they disappeared from our 

 sight in the storm. We were extremely anxious for his safety, and we had seen that all of tho 

 whalers had been obliged to put to sea at the same time we did, and that it would be impossible 

 for him to land north of Waimvright's Inlet without losing the boat, and it was doubtful if ho 

 could keep her alloat until he reached that point. At t a. m. we came up with the main pack, and 

 the vessel was hove to under the lee of a large field of ice that seemed to be nearly stationary. 

 Here she safely rode out the gale, which abated during the night, so that on the morning of the 

 21st we were able to stand in toward the land, which we sighted at 7 a. m., and stood in in search 

 of the launch and the anchor which had been slipped and buoyed the day before. At 10 a. m. 

 the, captain recovered his anchor, and we stood to the southwest along shore in search of the 

 launch, but were unable to find any trace of her that day. 



The next morning, when oil' Wainright's Inlet, we spoke (lie bark Helen Mar, and found she 

 had the boat and party safe on board, having picked them up that morning. We then learned 

 that Mr. Rogers had succeeded in making Wainright's Inlet after he, went adrift from the ! 

 and had ridden out the gale at anchor there, and, sighting the Helen .Mar before lie did the Led, 

 had gone on board of her. The wind being southwest, strong and favorable. 1 directed Captain 

 Jacobson to put the Leo on her course for Uglaamic, which he did, and we came to anchora.ui 

 the station at 7 p. m., on the 2i!d, passing through and past considerable pack on our way. I at 

 once landed Mr. Marr. an assistant of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey who had 

 been sent up to make a scries of pendulum observations, with a part of his instruments; gave 

 them all the assistance 1 could. At the same time 1 pushed the preparations for embarking, as the 

 ice was liable to close in at any moment. We suspended work at 10 p.m. It came on to blow 

 heavily from the southwest during the night, sending the pack in. The Leo slipped her cable. 

 and escaped around the Point to avoid being crushed or forced ashore. We could see her spar.-; 

 above the ice to the eastward of the Point when we got out in the morning. Private Clarke, ol 

 the Signal Corps, and Mr. Sehindler (Mr. Marr's assistant . who remained on the Leo, came down 

 to the station overland during the day, and reported the Leo uninjured. During the night of the 

 U3d the wind came, out from the northeast and blew heavily, setting the ice about one and one- 

 half miles off the western shore, allowing the Leo to work around to the westward of the Point 

 during the following day. where she came to anchor at 10 p. in., the wind being too light for her 

 to stem the strong northeast current that was setting along the shore. The wind hauled to 

 the southeast and freshened during the uiuht of the iM-th. so that she was enabled to get under 

 way and reach the, station, anchoring then- ai 7 a. m. 1 at once caused the balance of Mr. Marr's 

 instruments and material (o be landed, but was unable to embark any stores, as Captain .iacobson 

 in his efforts to recover his cable and anchor which he had slipped on the -M, had gotten so far 

 off shore that, we were unable to run a line to the vessel lor the pmpose of warping our boats to 

 and fro. This was necessary, as I had not sittlicient men to fully man the boats and handle the 

 stores, and the natives' boats could not be with safety used in the sharp ice that was running 



