The West American Scientist. 



Vol. I. San Diego, Calif., November, 1885. No. 11. 



NOTES FROM ALASKA. 



We are permitted to make the following extracts from a private 

 letter received from Chas. H. Townsend, who, it will be remem- 

 bered, was present at- the San Diego society of natural history at 

 its October meeting last year. He was then on his way to Lower 

 California to make collections of the vertebrates of the coast re- 

 gion. After returning to Washington, Professor Baird sent Mr. 

 Townsend to Alaska, there to make collections for the U. S. Nat'l 

 Museum. 



The letter was written at Ounalaska, Aleutian Islands, October 

 20th, 1885. Mr. Townsend says: "I have been a little nearer to 

 the north pole than I expected to be when I left Washington. 

 The U. S. steamer 'Corwin' called at St. Paul Island, June 20th, 

 bound for the Arctic. Receiving a very cordial invitation to join 

 Lieut. Cantwell's Koowak river exploring party as naturalist, I 

 took my luggage aboard and by July 2nd. found myself inside the 

 Arctic Circle. 



Leaving the ship at Kotzebue Sound we started up the un- 

 known river in a steam launch and reached the source in less 

 than a month. Everything was sucessf ul ; exploration, zoological 

 collecting, photography and general dircovery. 



We joined the 'Corwin' Sept. 1st. at Kotzebue sound and start- 

 ed southward again, calling at Cape Prince of Wales, Pt. Clar- 

 ence, Golovin bay, St. Michaels and St. Matthews Islands. At St. 

 Michaels we picked up an English sportsman and his companion, 

 who had arrived overland from Canada via Great Slave Lake, 

 Makenzie river and Yukon river. Their object was musk ox, rein- 

 deer and other large game. They claim to be the first white men 

 to cross British America solely 'for fun.' They have been more 

 than a year on the way. 



The 'Corwin' also took on board there an exploring party con- 

 sisting of Lieut. Allen and Sergt. Robinson, U. S. A., and Sergt. 

 Eickert of the Signal corps. They had entered the mouth of the 

 Copper river near Mt. St. Elias, ascended to its source, crossed 



