60 CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWIN. 



everything in readinoss, I took Icavo of the cajjtjiin and offifers, and, accompanieil liy Pilot 

 Don j;l ass and Surj^eon YfMiians. starto<l for ilie native rendezvous at Hotliani Inlil, l|ion 

 arrival there we joined Lieutenant Cantwell's party, which liad preceded ns in llir niomiui;-: 

 but, havin.i^ nothing to d(4ain us, we determined to start for tiie I'iver witliout delay. The 

 moment of our final i)artint;- had now come, and, under the circiimstance, knowing notliing of 

 the dangers before us, it was nol a pleasant one. With the ajjpeai-ance of cheerfulness, liow- 

 ever, we bade tlieni fari^weli, and I'esolutcly turned the canoe towards tlie north. 



The scene wliich |>i-cscnled itself on tliat beautiful afternoon was one to be renienil)ered. 

 On the oi)posite sliori' of Ilir inli-(. directly ahead of us, lay tlie dark and grim-looking "Hills;"' 

 on our riglit hand, stictching away toward the south and fading in the distance, lay the unruf- 

 fled waters of ITotham Inlet, while on our left, where the sea and sky seemed to meet, lay the 

 equally calm waters of the Arctic Ocean. 



Afti'r following the shore-line for about three miles, I determined to land on the head- 

 land which uiai-ks the entrance to the inlet and obtain l)ea-rings of the month of the Noatak. 

 According to the \iew ]iresented tlie river enters the estuary thiough two large branches of 

 about et|ual size, and after taking the bearing of the outlet on the extn^nie riglit, we I'esumeil 

 oui- paddles, hoping to gain the entra-nce before nightfall. 



In its ])assage across the inlet the rivei' channel is well detined, and frenuent soundings 

 developed from two to three fathoms of water the entire distance. On either side, however, 

 it was very shallow, and nt a, low stage of water the sand-bars are frequently exposed. At 

 this place the estuary is about five miles in width, and as we neared the entrance to the river, 

 long sand-spits, coxcred with the di'bris of the si)ring freshets, extended fully a mile on eitlier 

 side of the channel. 



The shoi-e on both sides is very low and marshy, and during extreme high water the 

 entire delta is submerged. A scattered growth of Arctic willows, extending to the water's 

 edge, and an occasional spruce were the only visible suggestions of timber. 



Aliout four miles al)ove the mouth the banks became somewhat higher and the timber 

 more plentiful, althougli the latter was of a very stunted growth. 



The day was now far spent and we were commencing to feel the fatigue attendant upon 

 our new duties. At !i ]>. m. we halted foi- the night, and pitched our tent upon the bank of the 

 river. Heiv we were greeted effusively l)y our old friends, the mo.squitoes, that swai'uied 

 around in jirodigious numbers, and the warmth of their greeting was such as to detract con- 

 sidei'aldy from our liodily comfoi-t. Former experience, however, had taught me how to deal 

 with tliem, so that we suffered lint little from their attacks. 



Thus the first day of the journey passed, and, encouraged by the prospect, we awaited the 

 coming dawn to jilnnge dee])er into the wilderness and uneai'th, if possible, some of the secrets 

 wdiich natuiM^ had guarded sf) well. 



The residt of oui- exertions was not felt until the next morning, when our stiffened limbs, 

 unaccustomed to the work, wei'e lirought ]iainfidly into notice. The labor of lireaking camp 

 and preparing for the day's journey was sutliinent to relax oui' muscles, and we were soon 

 vigorously at work with oui- ]iaddles. 



As we advaiic(^d the banks became^ much higher and were <piite thickly timbered with 

 spruce. After gaining the head of the delta, the Noiitak is l)road and stately, and has from 

 three to five fathoms of water throughout the channel. There is no current of any importance 

 ill this ])ortion of the river, and in ronsequence our progress was (piite ra])id. 



For the first eight miles of its length the No-Uak has a northerly trend. The surroundiiig 

 country gradually risers and finally breaks into tlL(M"ugged coast mountains. About noon we 

 gained a point where the river turns abruptly to the southwest, and I landed u])oii a large 

 island to olitain a meridian altitude. One of the most remarkable features of the scene is the 

 two isolated mountains off the right bank of the river, tlu^ bases of which are about three 

 miles distant. The jieculiar lo(%-ition of these ])eaks, their lofty summits and iireci])itous sides, 

 form one of the most, int.(n'esting sights in the region. 



After obtaining an altitude and halting sulTicieiitly long to boil cotfee, we resumed (uir 

 journey. We now entered the foothills of the range, and having no opj[)osing current, made 



