i;xi'i;i)iTiON TO POINT I:AI;I;O\V. ALASKA. 33 



the same lime v.c did. The wind came out from the westward during the night, and tin- c.ip: 

 got underway; stood oil' and came up with the pack about six md-s from tlic laud, when lie 

 tacl.cd and stood in toward;- laud; but again the current was setting so strong to the northi 

 that wo could not make any headway ou our course, and we were very ylad to get back to our 

 our anchorage under the lee of Poiut Franklin, where we lay until the next day, when we again 

 gol under way with a light southeast breeze, which let go after we had gotten around the Point, 

 and \ve were again obliged to anchor at 10 a. in., to prevent being carried oil' to the northeast by 

 the strong ''nrrent .setting along shore here. 



Sailing- vessels navigating this sea should never allow themselves to get off sounding.; north 

 of Point IJelcher. except in a strong, steady wind, uor allow the vessel to drift during thick, calm 

 weather, if it is possible Co get an anchor down. The- needle is useless here; the land or lead lino 

 is the only safe guide, for, should a sailing-vessel be carried off soundings oil' Point Harrow with 

 light winds or calm, she runs great danger of being lost; this has been the fate of nearly all 

 vessels so caught, especially late in the season. 



At 4 p. ui., the breeze freshening, we got under way again and stood on our course along tbo 

 coast and about four miles from it. We experienced light, battling winds, making but little 

 headway from that lime until the afternoon of September 2, when the wind came out strong and 

 steady from the northeast. \Ve sighted and passed Cape Lisburne that day and sighted the 

 Diomedc Island;; at noon on the .'!d. During the day {he wind increased to a gale and the weather 



w thick and cold, with considerable snow; sail was shortened, and at .'5 p. in. we passed Cape 

 Prineeof Wales, running at great speed before the wind ; after passing through the straits the 

 vessel was ];-;:, led for Norton Sound, it being necessary that 1 should go to Sainl Michael's to land 

 Private E. Clarke, Of the Signal Corps, who had been sent out to relieve Sergeant Leaviif, an 

 (a that station. As soon as we. hauled under the high land to the, south and east of Capo 

 Prince of Wales we ran out of the wind, and our progress was slow. 



On the 4th of September the fosr lifted and we sighted Kings Island and Capo York, and on 

 the 0th ! to the southward of Sledge Island, but, owing to a head wind, did not sight the 



!i land near Sai-nt Michael's until the Sth. We stood in towards it aad came to anchor oil' the 

 fort at noon on that day, where we were received by a salute lired from a couple, of old ship guns. 



! ii after a Iu at came oft' to us bringing, very' much to our surprise, Lieut, i'rei 1 'iwatka, 



Third Cavalry, who reported that ho had made the passage of the Yukon on a raft, exploring its 



"se. from its sourte to its mouth, making 01. aiarkab: .rd. 



lie had been at Saint Michael's since, the last of August, and was e\rr"iue!y anxi- 

 with his party. Though we were, very much crowded on the Leo 1 did not think it would be right 

 to refuse him passage, as there would be no opportunity for him to return to the United Stai 

 another year, this station being visited only by vessel.-; of the Alaska Commercial Company, and 

 there would be none due before the following Jane. So I directed him to hold his parly in readi 

 to come on board as soon as we were ready to sail. We were short of fresh water and had to lay 

 in a supply before again putting to sea. For the first two days we were in port it blew a gale 

 from the southeast, so it was impossible to get any wafer oil' to the ship; on Ihe afternoon oft ho 

 IGth the captain reported ho had succeeded in getting enough on board to last us until we could 

 reach Uualaska or Plover Lay, whichever place I should conclude to go to, so at daylight on the 

 lith Lieutenant Schwatka and his party weie taken on board and we put to sea at lo a. m. 

 Found it was blowing a galo from the northwest when we . and after making a few 



tacks under close-reeled sails, found we were making no headwa;. ;;Iad to run back into 



the harbor, where we came to anchor at ." p. in. 



The following morning, the wind having hauled more to the north, we again put to sea. and 



the next morning sighted Cape Darby, a high headland on the northern sin-: , ton Sound. 



We were obliged to make, this northing to avoid * dangerous shoal that makes out from the mouth 



i f the Yukon : in running out of Norton Sound it is not sate to run \\e.-t. south of til Lat. Dur- 



at'teriK.on of the l.'Jth the wind settled in the northwest and blew hard and steadily all 



that night, and we found it would be slow work beating up to Plover l>a\. Tin- ship was leaking 



so badly that the pumps were kept going one third of the time and the slightot accident to them 



would soon send her to the bottom; and as 1 knew that the meridian of Cnaiaska had been as well, 



11. Ex. .11 1 



