INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. Zk 
imposed upon him the additional burden of caring for his invalids. 
The necessity of landing the party among natives was too apparent to 
require second thought. The Kuskokwim is considered the most diffi- 
cult and dangerous to navigate of any of the streams visited by the 
vessels of the Alaska Commercial Company in Bering Sea. We had no 
knowledge of the region, and our charts were not only inaccurate, but 
misleading; hence, I looked upon a trip up the river with no little 
anxiety. Getting under way at 9:15 a.m. on the 11th, we entered 
the Kuskokwim and reached a point 10. or 15 miles above Goodnews 
Bay without accident or detention, and were then supposed to be near 
a native village at whieh the party wished to land. Shoal water had 
already driven us so far from the low, monotonous coast that it was dif- 
fieult to distinguish objects on the beach, and, fearing we might pass 
the settlement without recognizing it, we came to anchor and the party, 
with their baggage and kaiaks, was landed in boats at a camp of 
native beluga-hunters, about 10 miles from our own anchorage. These 
people received the party very kindly, assisted in pitching their tents, 
built a large fire, etc., and promised to see them safely to the village. 
They agreed also to furnish new men in place of those who were dis- 
abled. Having seen the party comfortably provided for, the officer in 
charge of the boats returned to the ship. We furnished Mr. Petrottf 
with everything he wished or would accept, and, landing him among 
friendly natives, left him to prosecute his difficult and dangerous task. 
Getting under way as soon as the boats were hoisted, we steamed 
down the river, but soon found shoal water where our chart gave from 
10 to 15 fathoms. We followed the bank or shoal several miles with- 
out result, then anchored in 10 fathoms, as night was approaching and 
the tide falling. Another trial was made at daylight, but the same 
impassable barrier was found to seaward. The channel was open in 
the direction of Goodnews Bay, however, and we availed ourselves of 
it, but were soon enveloped in a dense fog and forced to anchor. We 
were under way again at 2:50 a.m. on the 13th, and steamed to Cape 
Newenham without difficulty or delay, but found a gale blowing out- 
side and were glad to seek shelter under the lee of the land near our 
old anchorage. Thick misty weather prevented our obtaining obser- 
vations, but we took such angles as we could to correct the chart in 
our immediate vicinity, for it was woefully out. 
Cape Newenham to Unalaska,—The gale subsided about noon, and 
at 2p.im. we got under way and commenced a line of dredging and 
fishing stations in the direction of Northwest Cape of Unimak, the lack 
of fuel preventing the extension of our investigations farther north. 
The beam trawl showed a rich and varied fauna, but no codfish were 
taken with the trial lines until we were about 30 miles from Cape New- 
enham, the great body of fresh water flowing from the Kuskokwim 
being sufficient, probably, to account for their absence. Soundings 
were continued throughout the short night, the beam trawl and trial 
