1 882.] Geography and Travels. 165 



lime, and that there is no such mineral as cryptolite. The rare 

 earths were recognized by means of spectral analysis and are 

 present in all apatite. Their presence in the Canadian apatite has 

 also been proved by chemical analysis. 



GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVELS. 1 



The Jeannette and the Search Expeditions. — A portion of 

 the crew of the Jeannette arrived in two boats at the mouth of 

 the Lena about the 17th of September last. They report that 

 their vessel was crushed in the ice on June 23, 188 1, in N. lat. 

 77° 15' E. long. 1 5 7 , about one hundred and fifty miles north- 

 east of the New Siberian Islands. It appears that the Jeannette 

 was caught in the pack on October 1, 1879, and drifted with the 

 winds and currents up to the time she was abandoned. 



From the ReDort of Captain C. L. Hooper we learn that the 

 U. S. revenue steamer CorwU? sailed from St. Michaels on July 

 9th 1 88 1. She reached Herald Island on July 30th, and, a land- 

 ing being effected, a thorough exploration of the island was made. 

 The cliffs which render it almost inaccessible are about 1200 feet 

 high. After much difficulty with the ice Capt. Hooper succeeded 

 in reaching Wrangell Land, off the mouth of a river. The land- 

 ing was made at about the locality where the supposed Plover 

 Island has generally been designated on the maps and is in 

 latitude 71 ° 4' N. and longitude 177° 4©' W. and is the most 

 eastern part of Wrangell Land. It is forty-five miles from Herald 

 Island and in clear weather is in plain sight from it. Wrangell 

 Land was taken possession of in the name of the United States 

 and re-named " New Columbia." No snow was found in the 

 lowlands or hills though remains of very heavy drifts were ob- 

 served on the distant mountain?. The river was named Clark ; 

 it was seventy-five yardfc broad and twelve feet deep. The party 

 proceeded four miles inland and from a high hill traced the course 

 of the river northwards for about forty miles. Over twenty species 

 of Arctic plants were found in bloom. Capt. Hooper believes 

 that the sea between Herald Island and Wrangell Land is almost 

 always closed ; the water is shallow and solid ice appears to re- 

 main constantly frozen to the bottom. The Convin next visited 

 Point Barrow which was found to be clear of ice. She arrived at 

 Plover Bay on August 4 th, finding the Golden Fleece there. After 

 an unsuccessful attempt to revisit Herald Island and Wrangel 

 Land the Convin left the Arctic Sea on September 14th, and 

 reached San Francisco on the 22d of October. 



The U. S. steamer Rodgers reached Plover Bay about August 

 Hth and arrived at Herald Island on August 24th, where a 

 landing was made. The south coast of Wrangell Land was 

 reached after passing throught about twelve miles of loose ice on 





t Thom.i< Coins 



