ARCTIC CRUISE OF THE REVENUE CUTTER ^HEAPU' 
31 
in the lee of Chamisso island. On the 31st, while the vessel was 
lying windbound, Dr Sharp and Mr Justice, of the Philadelphia 
Academy of Sciences, and Mr William Hamilton, of the Bureau 
of Education, together with a party of officers, made an excur- 
sion to Choris peninsula. On August 5 the steamer left for point 
Hope, where it arrived next day. Here the school and whaling- 
stations were visited, and Dr Driggs. one of the teachers, who 
had been in that country for five years, was taken on board to 
return to the states for a vacation. 
On August 7 the Bear started up the coast for point Barrow, 
wending its way through large packs of floating ice, and on the 
following day caught up with the whaling fleet at anchor near 
Icy cape, at the southern edge of the great Arctic ice pack. The 
whaling fleet had been at anchor for 19 days, waiting lor the ice 
to open. The Bear lay there for 14 days longer, waiting for an 
opportunity to get farther north. Parties from point Barrow, 
who came down the coast for their mail, reported that the past 
■wdnter had not been very cold, the lowest temperature being 30° 
below zero. Giving up all expectation of getting farther north, 
young ice forming oil the sea and on the rigging of the vessel, 
the captain concluded to turn southward, which he did on 
August 22. The following day a shoal of walrus was sighted 
several miles away, and hunting parties were sent out and secured 
10 of them. Picking up the walrus, the vessel continued south- 
i\'ard, calling at point Hope the next day and reaching the rein- 
deer station August 27. Two days were spent in securing requisi- 
tions and finishing up the business of the year. On September 
1 the steamer, while near St. Michael, took on board 16 desti- 
tute miners from the Yukon region. On the evening of Septem- 
ber 4 the vessel anchored off the St. Lawrence island village. 
The evening was spent in closing up the season’s business at the 
station. Requisitions were made out for another year’s supplies, 
last letters were received, urewells were spoken, and Mr and 
Mrs Gamlffe were again cut off from all communication with the 
outside world for another year. At 4 a. m. on September 5 tlie 
Bear was again under way. September 6 St. Matthew and 
Hall islands were }>assed, and on the 7th anclior was droi>ped 
at St. Paul island, where on the 8th a landing was made for a 
few hours. On Sei)tember 9 a similar landing was made at St. 
George island, and at noon on September 11 anchor was dropped 
in Dutch harbor, Unalaska, closing the Arctic cruise of 1895. 
