SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS. 17 



of the Koynkuk, John River," to its headwaters, thence by a 5-mile portage via 

 Anaktuvuk Pass through the mountains to the upper waters of Anaktuvuk River, 

 the large east fork of the Colville, which flows northward to the Arctic coast. 

 These rivers were descended by canoe and the coast was reached August 15. The 

 ice on the Colville is reported to have broken up July 16. 



After mapping a considerable portion of the Colville delta, the work was con- 

 tinued by canoe 100 miles northwestward along the coast to Smith Bay. Here, 

 owing to the lateness of the season, the stormy weather, and heavy surf incident 

 thereto, the plane-table work was dropped and the journey was continued with 

 Eskimos, who, traveling in walrus-skin boats of native make, were encountered on 

 the journey to Point Barrow. These skin boats were found to be more seaworthy 

 and to sail better than our Peterborough canoes. 



September 3 Point Barrow was reached, where it was hoped that passage to the 

 States might be procured on a vessel of the United States Revenue-Marine Service 

 or some whaler; but when it was learned that all such vessels had gone, and that the 

 ice on the ocean was expected to close within a week (September 10 being the 

 usual date), supplies and an open whaleboat were hastily procured and the party 

 proceeded southwestward along the coast, hoping to make connection with a whaler 

 several hundred miles farther south, at Point Hope, where one was expected to touch 

 to leave her native crew. By exceptional good fortune, however, on September 18, 

 at the Corwin coal fields, SO miles above Point Hope, the steamer Arctic was met, 

 which carried the party to Nome, where it landed on September 26. From here 

 passage to Seattle was readity obtained on one of the numerous Alaskan steamers. 



Methods of scientific vjork. — As the Koyukuk did not break up until June, and 

 the expedition, to be successful, was obliged to reach Point Barrow early in Sep- 

 tember, the season of work was necessarily limited to a period of less than three 

 months, during which 500 miles had to be traveled. Since it was impossible to make 

 more than from 3 to 7 miles a day up the swift waters of John River — and to accom- 

 plish even this required the united efforts of the entire party — it became necessary 

 to make almost daily advances, and therefore many mountains could not be climbed 

 that might have afforded more extensive opportunity for observation. 



The topographic work was carried on by a combination of the plane table, 

 triangulation, and tachometry, of which an account is given by Mr. Peters on pages 

 24-25. An independent traverse was carried on by the geologist \>y means of compass 

 and aneroid to serve as an immediate base for locations in the geologic notes. In this 

 traverse the distances were paced or estimated, and the work was daily connected 

 with the more accurate surveys of the topographer, while from the topographic 

 stations and other established points panoramic photographs with recorded bearings 



a Named for John Bremner, pioneer prospector and explorer, who was killed and robbed by a native in the Koyukuk 

 region in 1888. Its native name is Alchichna, meaning wind river, so named on account of the fierce wintry blasts that 

 sweep down it from the Arctic side of the divide, through Anaktuvuk Pass. See also note on p. 68. 



189— No. 20—04 2 



