20 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT (ETH. ANN. 18 
This expedition completed a very successful réconnoissance of a 
region previously almost completely unknown as regards its geographic 
and ethnologic features. A very fine series of ethnologie specimens 
was obtained and many interesting notes on the people were recorded; 
some of their curious winter festivals were wituessed, and several vocab- 
ularies were procured. 
On November 9, 1880, in company with a fur trader and two Eski- 
mo, I again left St Michael on a sledge expedition. We proceeded 
up the coast of Norton sound to the head of Norton bay, where we 
remained for some days. Thence we traveled along the coastline past 
Golofnin bay to Sledge island, south of Bering strait. Owing to the 
fact that the people of this district were on the point of starvation our 
farther advance was prevented and I was forced to give up my contem- 
plated trip to Cape Prince of Wales and the islands of the strait at 
this time. We turned back from Sledge island and reached St Michael 
on April 3, after an extrémely rough journey; but the series of notes 
and ethnologic specimens obtained on this reconnoissance are exten- 
sive and valuable. 
On November 16, 1880, in company with another fur trader, I left St 
Michael and crossed the coast mountains to the head of Anvik river, 
down which we traveled to its junction with the Yukon. At this point 
is located the fur-trading station of Anvik, which was in charge of 
my companion. Bad weather delayed us at this point for some time, 
but we finally set out, traveling up the Yukon, crossing Shageluk 
island, exploring the country to the head of Innoko river, and return. 
ing thence to Anvik. From the latter place I descended the Yukon to 
its mouth and went back to St Michael along the coast. On the way 
down the river I stopped at Razbinsky and witnessed one of the great 
Eskimo festivals in commemoration of the dead. 
As was the case in all my sledge journeys, the main object in view 
“was to obtain as large a series of ethnologic specimens and notes on 
the character and customs of the people as was possible. Unfortu- 
nately my limited time on these trips prevented any extended inves- 
tigation into the customs and beliefs of the people, but the series of 
specimens obtained is unsurpassed in richness and variety. 
At the close of June, 1581, the United States revenue steamer Corwin 
called at St Michael on her way north in search of the missing steamer 
Jeannette. By the courtesy of the Secretary of the Treasury, Captain 
C. L. Hooper was directed to take me on board as naturalist of the 
expedition. During the rest of the season I was the guest of Captain 
Hooper and received many favors at his hands. 
We left St Michael and sailed to St Lawrence island, where the Cap- 
tain had been instructed to land me in order that 1 might investigare 
the villages which had been depopulated by famine and disease during 
the two preceding winters. ‘Che surf was too heavy on the occasion of 
this visit to risk landing at the desired points, so we passed on to Plover 
bay, on the Siberian coast. Thence we coasted the shore of Siberia to 
