U. S. ARCTIC COLONIZATION AND EXPLORATION IN 1881. 'Ill 



essary appliances, such as sledges, with twenty-five dogs in all, with natives to 

 drive them. 



The " Mary and Helen" is new, strong, and has a speed of eight knots 

 under steam and is faster under canvas. It is believed that the "Mary and 

 Helen" is the only fit vessel which could be procured in time for the search after 

 the appropriation was made. 



It would have been better, perhaps, had the propeller been made to hoist 

 and the rudder to unship readily, but special provision had been made for strength- 

 ening these parts, so that in practice the " Mary and Helen" is the very best 

 means within reach of the Government. She was specially built for Arctic navi- 

 gation. 



Third, "The details of the search expedition." 



The details have been carefully considei-ed and will be found in the appendix, 

 giving ample clothing lists, the Navy ration for two years, with other food added, 

 amounting in all to supplies which can be made to last three years, with sugges- 

 tions from the Surgeon-General of the Navy in regard to scurvy, snow-blindness 

 and such other matters as occur to him as useful. 



Suggestions are added by the Board to guide the shipping officer in the 

 physical selection of fit men for the peculiar service. 



A list of medical supplies, a list of articles for trade with the natives, an officer 

 list and a crew list are also included. 



It would be advantageous, probably necessary, to have coal (say 200 tons) 

 landed at St. Michaels to fill up the vessel previous to entering the Arctic circle. 

 At St. Michaels the Signal Service will have a meteorologist stationed, and the 

 Alaska Fur Company have there a trading station. 



A letter should be obtained from the Russian government, either through the 

 Russian minister at Washington or through our minister at St. Petersburg, so that 

 the necessary facilities may be extended from the commanding officer in Petropaul- 

 ovsky to the captain of the " Mary and Helen," the better to enable him to make 

 such purchases as he may desire for the purposes of the expedition. 



Dogs and sledges have been mentioned in the outfit, with a couple of drivers 

 from Petropaulovsky and some natives from the Tchuktchis as drivers, as hunters 

 and as men experienced in traveling over ice. 



The drawing made by Captain Thomas Long, of the bark "Nile," of Cape 

 Hawaii, on the coast of Wrangel Land, indicates a formation of outlying islands, 

 making fiords inside of them. Captain Cogan speaks of " quite a harbor on the 

 southeast end. Whether this southeast end is an island or a deep bay, like St. 

 Lawrence Bay, I am not sure." 



Accordingly, some harbor on the southern or southeastern end of Wrangel 

 Land has been selected as offering far greater advantages than any other for ex- 

 amining the locality where the people of the " Jeannette " and of the missing 

 whalers are to be sought if their. vessels have been abandoned." But faiUng in 

 this purpose of getting into such harbor, the "Mary and Helen" should find 

 some secure place in Siberia for wintering as near to Wrangel Land as is possi- 



