218 OUR ARCTIC PROVINCE. 



unable to hold practicable communication with the people or to 

 discharge. At St. George matters are still worse, for the prevailing 

 northerly, westerly, and easterly winds drive the boats away from 

 the village roadstead, and weeks often pass at either island, but 

 more frequently at the latter, ere a cargo is landed at its destina- 

 tion. Under the very best circumstances, it is both hazardous and 

 trying to unload a ship at any of these places. The approach to St. 

 Paul by water during thick weather is doubtful and dangerous, for 

 the land is mostly low at the coast, and the fogs hang so dense and 

 heavy over and around the hills as to completely obliterate their 

 presence from vision. The captain fairly feels his way in by throw- 

 ing his lead-line and straining his ear to catch the muffled roar of 

 the seal-rookeries, which are easily detected when once understood, 

 high above the booming of the surf. At St. George, however, the 

 bold, abrupt, bluffy coast everywhere all around, with its circling 

 girdle of flying water-birds far out to sea, looms up quite promi- 

 nently, even in the fog ; or, in other words, the navigator can 

 notice it before he is hard aground or struggling to haul to wind- 

 ward from the breakers under his lee. There are no reefs making 

 out from St. George worthy of notice, but there are several very 

 dangerous and extended ones peculiar to St. Paul, which Captain 

 John G. Baker, in command of the vessel* under -my direction, 

 carefully sounded out, and which I have placed upon my chart for 

 the guidance of those who may sail in my wake hereafter. 



When the wind blows from the north, northwest, and west to 

 southwest, the company's steamer drops her anchor in eight fathoms 

 of water abreast of the black bluffs opposite the village, from 

 which anchorage her stores are lightered ashore ; but in the north- 

 easterly, easterly, and southeasterly winds, she hauls around to the 

 lagoon bay west of the village, and there, little less than half a 

 mile from the landing, she drops her anchor in nine fathoms of 

 water, and makes considerable headway at discharging her cargo. 

 Sailing-craft come to both anchorages, but, however, keep still 

 farther out, though they choose relatively the same positions, yet 

 seek deeper water to swing to their cables in : the holding-ground 

 is excellent. At St. George the steamer comes, wind permitting, 

 directly to the village on the north shore, close up, and finds her 

 anchorage in ten fathoms of water, over poor holding-ground ; still 



* United States Revenue-marine cutter Reliance, June to October, 1874. 



