The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-11-16

the shore in enc place l found twelve fathoms two
miles from the land.
The sea to the westward of Cape Kekuonoi was
free from ice, except occasional foes, at great dis
tances apart and forty miles north A. Of Cape SchelAg-
skoi. in latitude 709 - north, and Long. l7Oo 10
east, there was no ice to De seen from north to west !;
the weather was clear at the time, snd the SKY had
a dark blue appearance, with no indications Of ice in
that direction. At this time (AucUst 9th) the wind
was blowing n strong breeze from the westward, and
as there were no whales or any kind Of animal life
in this vicinity mot even a sea-fowl Of any kind was
to be SEEM, l concluded TO return TO the eastward
again.
WrsngeIl says that whales are never seen west Of
Cape Schelagskoi, and that the natives west Of ko-
iutSchin Island seldom attempt TO capture them, but
live upon seals, walrus, reindeer and fish. We must
the reforeconclude that themeridian of l-Oe east is
the extreme western limit Of the Arctic whaling
ground.
With regard to the probability Of wrangeIl's Land
being inhabited, l will take a short extract from his
work. He says;
There are traditions that two centuries ago (this
Was in 1921 the Onkilon occupied the whole coast
from Cape Schelagskoi TO Bhering's Straits; and it is
certain that there are everywhere along this tract
the remains OF huts constructed a. of earth and the bones
Of whales, quite different from the present dwellings
Of the TschukiSchi.
"a disagreement between Krachoi, the principal
chief II the Asiatic Esquimaux, and an Errim or
head Of a tribe of reindeer TschuktSchi. broke out
into open hostilities; Krachoi was defeated and forced
to dee, his people migrated and the coast was de-
serted.
1.-The inhabitants of Irkaipii relate, that Krachoi
having killed a TSchuktschi, Errim was closely pur-
sued by his son, and that after some time he retreated
TO the rock Of Cape North, where he intrenched him.
self behind a kind Of natural rampant, which still
exists.
The young Errim followed him thither, and sue
ceeded in killing Krachoi's son, by which. according
10 the ideas Of this people, the debt OF blood was
paid. Krachoi let himself down from the cliff dur
ing the night, by means Of thongs, and got into 4
boat which was waiting for him II the foot OF the
rock.
He at first steered toward the East, TO mislead
his pursuerS, but the following night he turned west
ward and reached Schalauruw Island, where he built
the earthen huts Of which we had seen the remains.
He was gradually joined by his kinsmen, and
others Of his own tribe, and they all finally fed to-
gether IN fifteen 6ai.GrS 10 the northern country. the
mountains Of which are said to be sometimes visible
from Cape Jakan
In the course Of the winter a Tschuktschi. who
was allied 10 krachoi, disappeared with his family
and reindeer, and it Is supposed that he too had gone
10 this northern land"
Several shipmasters have complained Of great diff
fculty in taking correct observations Of the sun on
account Of the great refraction at times in the high
ATTITUDES Of the Arctic Ocean. Sometimes there viii
be several horizons visible, in which distant objects
VIII be seen, one above the other and as the lower
one is most clearly defined, it is generally used in
taking attitudes Of the sun, which always prove too
great.
Now, from a great number Of observations which
l have taken, both in the ochotsk Sea and Arctic
Ocean, l have found that by using the upper visible
horizon my observations have invariably proved cor
rest. The cause of this refracticn | think Is owing
to the variable temperature of different strata of the
atmosphere. Often times when cruising near the
land and surrounded by bod Of ice, the tempera-
ture on deck would be 50 low as to require a thick
coat to keep warm by ascending towards the mast
head the temperature Is found much higher, and in
some instances, l have found a difference Of 20o
between the temperature on deck and at the mast
head. l have never seen in any nautical or scien-
tihc work any rules given TO obyiate the difficulty Of
this excessive refraction- l have therefore stated the
result of my own observation and experience.
Yours, very truly, THos. LONG.