THE CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWIN IN ARCTIC WATERS. 417 
orable consideration upon his arrival in Canada, as the Canadians took a great 
interest in the enterprise. Moreover, Commander Cheyne 1s prepared, in the 
event of necessity, to reduce his estimate to £20,000, which could be accom 
plished by taking a smaller vessel, with a reduced complement of thirty officers 
and crew. With this end in view the Arctic Committee will endeavor to charter 
from Dr. Oscar Dickson the Vega, lately returned from a successful accomplish- 
ment of the northeast passage, under Professor Nordenskjold. This vessel has 
just been put into thorough repair, and may now have an opportunity of doub- 
ling her fame by the circumnavigation of Greenland, in addition to carrying the 
Union Jack for a contemplated installation at the Pole. 
THE CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWIN IN ARCTIC WATERS. 
The following is the text of a letter received at the Treasury Department 
from Captain Hooper, of the Corwin: 
“U.S. Revenue Marine, U. S. Steamer Corwin, St. Michael’s, Norton Sound, 
Alaska Territory, July 10, 1880.—Hon. John Sherman, Secretary of the Treas- 
ury, Washington, D. C.—Sir: I have the honor to report our arrival at this port 
on the 7th inst., after a short cruise in the Arctic ocean. We sailed from here 
on the 23d of June, and on account of large quantities of ice in the sound to the 
northward, worked out through the southward and crossed over Behring sea, 
along the north side of St. Lawrence Island, touching at several places on the 
Island to inquire into the condition of the natives, and at Plover Bay, Asia, 
where we took on board about twenty-five tons of coal belonging to the Russian 
Government. From there we proceeded north,.touching at several places on 
our way, and entered the Arctic ocean on the 28th of June. We have com- 
municated with the natives on the east and west side of Behring’s Straits, and as 
far north as Point Hope, on the American side, and Cape Serdze Kaman, on the 
Asiatic side. | We have also communicated with most of the Whalers now in the 
Arctic, but can get no tidings of the. missing ships. The whalers, without an 
exception, give as their opinion that nothing will ever be heard of them. We 
have followed the ice-pack around from Cape Serdze Kaman across the Arctic 
to Point Hope, and down to Cape Prince of Wales, getting as far north as sixty- 
nine degrees. The past winter, although very severe south of the straits, appears 
to have been comparatively mild within the Arctic circle. The whalers all pro- 
nounce the ice as unusually light. After following the ice-pack around and find- 
ing it impossible to get further north or approach the land near enough to find a 
harbor, we returned to this place on the 7th for the purpose of filling up with 
‘coal, cleaning boiler, etc. This*vork has been completed and we sail at me- 
ridian for the Arctic wa places on the north side of the sound, which we could 
not visit before on account of the ice. Kotzebue Sound was full of ice when we 
came out, but I hope to find it clear on our return. As soon as we can get in 
there I shall detail an officer, with an armed boat crew, to keep a sharp look out 
IV—27 
