CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWIN. 19 



costing $lj3,000 was erected on St. Paul's Island, a.nd is now almost clear of debt, tlie money 

 having been advanced by the Alaska Commercial Company, 



A doctor is emidoyed on each of the islands of St. Paul and St. Ge(jrg'e, and at Uunalaska, 

 solely for the care of the natives. 



The general air of cleanliness, hapjiiness, comfort, and i)r()si)erity attest in indisinitable 

 terms that the Alaska Commercial Company have and do fullill tlieir ol)ligations towards these 

 peojjle in a most scrupulous and conscientious manner, and the residt might, I am sure, excite 

 the wonder and envy of many missionaries laboring among a similar class. 



THE WHALLXG FLEET. 



The whaling fleet during the past year consisted of forty-two vessels, thirty-thi'ee of which 

 visited Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. Eighteen of the Arctic whalers hailed from New Bed- 

 ford, Mass., and the remainder from San Francisco, Cal. 



Altlnmgh all the vessels met were subjected to a very thorough examination, no evidences of 

 liqucir or (jther commodities intended for illicit traffic were discovered, the reason Ijeing, as has 

 before lieen stated, that all the whalers which did engage in c'ontraband trade had disjjosed of 

 their illegal goods before entering the United States donuiin. A majority of the fleet have been 

 more or less damaged by ice during the ^jresent year, and live vessels suffered total loss. The 

 bark Rainbow was crushed in the ice April 15, and the Gazelle and Najjoleoii met with a sim- 

 ilar fate. The Gazelle was wrecked June 3 about twenty miles SSE. of Southwest Cape, St. 

 Lawrence Island, and her crew and also the crew of the Rainbow were rescued and distril)uted 

 among the vessels of the fleet. The Napoleon was wrecked in latitude 61° 3U' N., longitude 

 177° 40' W., and the first and third niates, with twenty of her crew, were either drowned or 

 frozen to death. The remainder were resciied, and they also were divided among the vessels 

 of the fleet. The l)arks George and Sufiaii and the Mabel were wrecked ofl:" Waiuwright Inlet 

 August 11, a detailed account of which has already been given in this report. Up to date of 

 writing, all the Arctic fleet with the excexrtion of the bark Aniethijst have arrived in San 

 Francisco. 



The catch of the season by vt'ssels of the New Bedford fleet is one hundred and twenty-two 

 Ijowhead and twenty-three right whales, and that of the San Francisco fleet is one hundred 

 bowhead and twelve right whales. Tliis makes a total catch (not including the Ainrihfisi) (if 

 two hundred and fifty-seven whales, which compares very favorably with the woi'k of previ- 

 ous seasons, and is more evenly disti'ibuted than has heretofore been the case. 



Considering the numy dangers to which the Arctic whalers are exposed, it seems almost a 

 miracle that more vessels are not lost each year, and this fact speaks volumes in praise of the 

 skill and professional aljility of the cajitains and officers navigating those vessels. In reality, 

 the captains and officers of the Arctic whaling vessels, as seamen, cannot be excelled, and as 

 a cla.ss are my beau ideal of the American seaman. 



CROWDED CONDITION OF THE VESSEL. 



It is almost impossible to convey'any more than a vague idea of the crowded condition of 

 the vessel before her return to San Francisco. Four i)eoi)le occupied berths on the cabin tran- 

 soms, and in the ward-room all the state-rooms were filled, and three cots suspended from the 

 deck beams. One berth was made in the pilot-house, and two in the steam-launch on deck. 

 The store-room and sail-lockers on the berth-deck were torn down, and berths erected for the 

 accommodati(jn of the officers of the whale ships. The quartermasters bei'thed in the oil-lockers, 

 and the firemen and coal-passers were obliged to sleep in berths erected in the shaft alley. 

 Owing to this crowded condition it was necessary to divide the crews of the wrecked whalers 

 into two watches, and have them perform duty with our own crew. This coui'se was necessary, 

 not only to provide sleeping accommodations for all hands, but also to keep the vessel in a 

 proper sanitary condition. As the men came on board they were mustered on the quarter-deck, 

 and the situation explained to them. Tliey were tolil that they were to work in regular watches, 

 and that they would at all times while on board be subject to the rules governing the discipline of 



