MISCELLANEOUS * CORRESPONDENCE. 



EXPLORATIONS ON THE WESTERN COAST OF NORTH AMERICA. 



By William H. Dall, 



Of the United States Coast Survey. 



I am glad to be able to announce that we have returned safely froin 

 a six months' cruise in the Aleutian Islands, after a satisfactory season's 

 work. We have chiefly been employed in the determination of astro- 

 nomical positions, the magnetic declination, deep-sea soundings, the 

 survey of a harbor for the landing-place of the Japanese cable, if it 

 shoul'd be determined to take it via the Aleutian Islands, hydrographic 

 notes of various importance, and the continuation of our meteorological, 

 current, and sea-temperature observations of previous years. Our field 

 of work has been between Attoo, the most western island and point of 

 the United States possessions, from island to island, through the chain,, 

 to the Shumagins. 



Many of the islands were found to be several miles in error in their 

 position, and the magnetic declination had decreased without exceptiouj 

 in its amount of easting, since the last observations were taken, from 

 twenty to thirty years ago. The difference averages 2° 30', but in some 

 cases amounts to 6°. Our current and temperature observations con- 

 firmed those of previous years. We succeeded in finding a good harbor 

 for the cable on the island of Kyska, and thoroughly surveyed it. Our 

 soundings put an entirely new complexion on the western half of Behring 

 Sea, where we obtained no bottom with a mile of line, quite close to the 

 islands. We found the deposition of " recent chalk " mud going on at 

 a depth of 800 fathoms — a fact of some importance, as it has not pre- 

 viously been reported on the Pacific side of the continent. We deter- 

 mined the boundaries of the Saunakh reefs, and the non-existence of 

 the Bogostoff reef, both of which were of considerable importance to 

 navigators. 



In our leisure, the work of collecting specimens of pr^istoric remains 

 and objects of natural history was energetically prosecuted, resulting 

 in the accumulation of eighteen boxes of specimens, which will be for- 

 warded to the National Museum at the earliest opportunity. In pre- 

 historic specimens, our results were of the greatest interest, and I feel" 

 assured of more value than any ever obtained in this region before. We 

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