EXPLORATION OF THE NOATAK RIVER, ALASKA. 



IirSTORICAL. 



Concerning a region so unknown to the world a.stlie interior of Arctic Alaska, there is little 

 to say from a liistorical jioiiit of view. Inasninch as tlie history of any region dates from the 

 earliest exploration of tlu! same, that of Northern Alaska may be said to be in its infancy. All 

 that portion of tin? Territory lying north of the Arctic circle, com^jrising, in ronnd numbers, 

 about one hundred and twenty-five thousand square miles, has been avast geographical blank, 

 the maps of which region are relieved only by vague Jiiii's repi-esentiug the supposed rivers of 

 the country. 



The few writers who revert to the subject generally remain silent concerning it, or at most 

 offer only a few conjcu-tures regarding its probable nature and extent. 



Petrolf, whose exhaustive report on the " Population and Resources of Akuska" is our 

 latest authority, dismisses the subject in a few words, and, sav(^ bare mention of the fact that 

 the Kowak and NoJitak Rivers were known to exist, he says nothing on the suliject. 



The earliest exploration in Northwestern Alaska of which we have any record dates from 

 the year 1815; at that time Lieutenant Kotzebue, of the Russian navy, penetrated the Bering 

 Straits, and exjilored the scnmd which beai's his name, together with all the coast region as 

 far as Cape Lisburne. After his tiine we have no further record until the voyage of Captain 

 Beecbey, R. N., who explored the entire Arctic coast in the yeai- IS-Jf). The surveys and (duirts 

 made by this officer were vei-y comjilete and remain leading authoritiiw at the present day. 

 Petroff is unaccountably silent regarding the work of this famous navig.ator, ;is well as others 

 prominently identifieil with the country, and ajiparently favfirs the woi-k of his own country- 

 men only. 



Although Beechey explored and named Hotham Inlet, it iloes not appear that he discovered 

 either of the large rivers ticjwing into it; at least, he makes no mention of the fact in his report. 

 Since the time of these early explorers the region has been visited by many adventurous 

 whalemen and others, and the entire cf)ast, as far as the mouth of the Mackenzie River, is 

 known to many of them. No ])ortion of tliat iidiosiiitable coast is so little known as Kotzebue 

 Sound; the vast shoals which mark that body of water, together with the lack of commercial 

 incentive, has turned the tide of enterprise in another direction and comparatively few whale- 

 men are acquainted with the region. 



The first attempt to explore the interior of that country dates from the year 1SS:5. During 

 the summer of that yeai' Lieut. G. M. Stoney, U. S. N., then on board the Conriu. on special 

 duty from the Navy Department, was dispatched to tlie head of Hotham Iidet in a boat 

 manned from the cutter. After an absence of ten days he returned with the infoi-mation that 

 a large river, known as the Kowak, was discharged into the head of the estuary. 



Although the existence of this river was undoubtedly known bef(U'e Stoney's visit, there is 

 no record of any attempt at exploration |)revious to his own, and the information he furnished 

 concerning the probable extent of the river was the fii-st authentic account ever given. 



In the following year an expedition under the ctmimand of Lieut. J. C. Cantwell, and to 



which the writer was attached, was dispatched from the Cor win to explore the same river. 



After an absence of six weeks the party retiirned, having penetrated the region about three 



hundred miles. Lieutenant Stoney also explored the river the same distance. The accounts 



H. Ex. 153 S 57 



