496 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. IV., No. 95. 



deduce valuable facts with regard to Mexican history 

 from the stone; but for further details we must refer 

 to the lecture of Dr. Valentini, published by the 

 American antiquarian society. 



The first book printed in Cambridge, Mass., was 

 an almanac, that the wise men of New England 

 might not lead unguided lives; but no copy of the 

 book is known to exist. We give, however, the title- 

 page of an almanac published in 1785 in Boston, which 

 shows the maker taking the altitude of a star with a 

 cross-stick, which is nothing more than a cross-piece 

 sliding upon a graduated stick, the observer bringing 

 one end of the cross-piece on a line with his eye and 

 the horizon, and the other end on a line with his eye 

 and the star. 



Almanacs contained considerable trashy informa- 

 tion up to the early part of this century, when the 

 British almanac and companion were published in 

 1827. The British almanac aimed to give a reliable 

 calendar, and a vast amount of information which 

 is generally hidden in census reports. It has been 

 followed by Whitaker, giving similar information for 

 the whole world, and by the American almanac, 

 more especially devoted to American affairs. So it 

 will be seen that the almanac first gave rules by 

 which one might know every thing, and ended by 

 telling us every thing we know. 



EXPLORATION OF PUTNAM RIVER, 

 ALASKA. 



The Ounalaska (Lieut. G-. M. Stoney, U.S.N., 

 commanding) arrived in San Francisco, Oct. 25, hav- 

 ing completed the exploration of Putnam River so 

 far as the time allotted would permit. The river 

 was explored by a steam-launch three hundred miles, 

 when rapids were encountered ; then a canoe was 

 taken, and towed by hand about eighty miles far- 

 ther; and from this point a short portage brought a 

 portion of the party to the head waters of one of 

 the northern tributaries, which was fed by two large 

 lakes. A mountain near one of these lakes furnished 

 a view far to the eastward, up the main valley of 

 Putnam River, and showed it flowing in undiminished 

 volume as far as the eye could reach. The natives 

 reported, that seven days' journey farther up the river 

 there was a great lake, looking like a sea; and it is 

 thought that this is the source of the river. There 

 is little doubt that the river has its origin as far east 

 as the British possessions, and probably near to the 

 Mackenzie. 



Putnam River empties into Hotham Inlet just north 

 of Selawik Lake and to the south-east of Kunatuk 

 River. There is a large delta at its mouth stretching 

 back about forty miles, which is pierced by over one 

 hundred channels, one of which is about one mile 

 in width. The river is navigable to boats drawing 

 from five to six feet of water, up to the rapids. Here 

 the water flows at about ten knots per hour. The 

 river and most of its tributaries lie within the arc- 

 tic circle. Most of the tributaries are from the north, 

 and they are generally shallow but rapid-flowing, 



while the water is very cold; in some instances the 

 observed temperature being 38°, while in one case it 

 was 33°. Only one considerable branch was found 

 flowing from the southward. This is called the Pah 

 River by the natives, and it is used by them in jour- 

 neying to the south ; for a very short portage from its 

 source enables them to reach one of the northern 

 tributaries of the Yukon River, and they are thus 

 brought in easy communication with the trading- 

 posts. It is believed that like easy portage can be 

 made from the Putnam to the river discovered by 

 Lieut. Ray near Point Barrow, and which empties 

 into the Arctic Ocean. 



The country about the Putnam is mountainous. 

 Long ranges extend along either side; but they are 

 peculiar in existing in small, detached groups, each of 

 which possesses distinguishing characteristics, some 

 being clearly defined, sharp, rocky peaks, while 

 others are smoothly rounded. The higher ones are 

 estimated at about three thousand feet. From the 

 tops of those which were ascended, the whole coun- 

 try to the north appeared to be a confused mass of 

 mountain peaks, and the natives stated that the coun- 

 try was of the same character to the Arctic Ocean. 



The country explored was found to possess a warm 

 and agreeable summer climate, the thermometer 

 having reached 115° in the sun, while the nights were 

 cool. The valley of the Putnam is heavily timbered 

 with spruce, birch, cotton wood, larch, and willow; 

 while flowers were in abundance, roses being seen in 

 large numbers. Cuttings of these latter, together 

 with specimens of coal, gold, and copper, and a huge 

 fossil trunk, form a part of the material collected for 

 the Smithsonian institution. 



While Lieut. Stoney was absent, Ensign Purcell 

 remained with two men in charge of the schooner, 

 and made a survey of Hotham Inlet and the Sela- 

 wik. He found that the Selawik River represented 

 on the charts has no existence; but there is a channel, 

 six miles in length, connecting Selawik Lake with a 

 chain of three lakes to the eastward. He also found 

 a five-fathom channel over the Hotham-inlet bar. 



The Ounalaska is a fifty-four ton schooner, and 

 Lieut. Stoney was provided with two officers and a 

 crew of eight men. There were no naturalists with 

 the expedition. 



While returning from his expedition, Lieut. Stoney 

 encountered several severe gales. During one of the 

 most severe he employed oil for stilling the waves, 

 with marked success. The oil was rigged upon a spar 

 to which a drag was attached, and the vessel was 

 so manoeuvred that the drag stood off the weather- 

 bow. The vessel holding the oil was so constructed 

 that the oil was forced out in portions by each advan- 

 cing wave. All the waves were affected by the oily 

 but the great foaming combers most markedly. 



THE BIRD-COLLECTION OF THE U. S. 

 NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Iisr the register of specimens belonging to the bird 

 department of the National museum, which records 



