The New York herald., 1879-08-26
THE AMERICAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

LIEUTENANT DE LONGS LETTER TO SECRETARY
THoMPsoN-BEHglNG STRAIT FREE OF ICE
NEWS OF NoRDENsKJoLD TO BE SOUGHT AT
ST. MIcHAEf's AND ST. LAWRENCE BAY.
WASHINGTON Augusf25. 1879.
The Secretary Of the Navy has received the follow
ing communication from Lieutenant De Long. COM
manding the Arctic steamer Jeanette, dated Oona-
laska Island. August 4. 1870
II have the honor to report the arrival, on tho I'd
inst. at this place of the ship under my command,
and the continued good health of the officers and
crew. l found at anchor here the United States
revenue cutter Rush. the steamer st. Paul and the
schooner st. George. the last two named belonging
to the Alaska Commercial Company. Of San Fran
cisco. This letter is carried to San Francisco by tho
said steamer ST. Paul.
WRECK OF THE TTMANDRA
II learned upon arrival of the wreck Of the brig
Timandra. belonging to J. G. Merrill Il Co.. of San
Francisco. on Nounivak Island. about four hundred
and twenty miles to the northward Of this place.
The second mate and three seamen of said brig
reached here on the S0h of July bringing tidings of
tho disaster to that vessel occurring May rs. The
vessel they report being total wreck, although
no lives were lost, and the cargo nearly all
saved The built boat from portion of the
wreck. Is feet long aud feet beam and partly
decked over, and the four mentioned above.
having volunteered to como here in search OF as
sistance. left Nounivak on the 26th of July. and
reached here on the 30th. The Rush sailed to-day
to the balance OF the crew. eight in number.
THE PRODUCT.
"Tho steamship st. Paul arrived from st. Paul's
Island August /. bringing the entire collection of
furs from the Seal Islands and the northern settle
ments-about ono hundred thousand skins-and
will leave tomorrow morning for San Francisco.
BEHRING STRAIT OPEN
1.-The revenue cutter Rush. during her visit to st.
Mchael's and her cruise to the northward. passed
through Behring Strait, some twenty miles to the
northward and eastward of East Cape Siberia
without having encountered any ice whatsoever.
NO NEWS OF PRorEssoR NoRDENsKJoLp.
'Supposing that Professor Nordenskj0ld had al
ready passed SOUTH no communication was had by
the Rush with St. Lawrence Bay. No communica-
ton from St. Lawrence Bay had been received at st.
Michaes at the date OF sailing of the Rush. July 49,
and consequently there was no knowledge of the
safety or movements of Professor Nordenskj0ld's
party.
NO STOP PAULs ISLAND.
1T my intention originally. as communicated
to you in my letter Of July g. to stop at st. Paus
Island after leaving this place, but the fur clothing
which was to have received at that place. can be
furnished here have concluded to proceed directly
to st. Mchaels, in Alaska. leaving here August G.
PROFESSIONALLY MILD WINTER.
'From all the intelligence received from the north
ward it appears that the last winter has been
ceptionally mild one. and that obstruction to
navigation in the shape of ico has been encountered
but deplore that the necessity of loading thi0
ship SO deeply at San Francisco has made our
progress thus far slow. owing also to head winds
and swell, as to make it doubtful whether shall
be ablo not to profit by tho open water in the
Arctic Sea in our efforts to gam high latitude this
season.
AFTER REACHING ST. MICHAEL's.
"If upon our arrival at st. Michael's nothing has
been heard Of the party under tho command of Pro-
fessor Nordenskjold shall proceed to st. Lawrence
Bay in Siberia to obtain tidings OF them and shall
proceed subsequently in accordance with tho general
plan delineated in my letter Of July 8. We have
been made the vcipients of tho most unbounded
courtesy and assistance Of the Alaska Commercial
Company through its agent at this place."
The report goes to state the necessity for pur
chasing coal. stores. &c. at Oonalaska and con-
cludes a. foliows:-
GOOD CHARTS NEEDED.
sI would respectfully call your attention to the
fact that the charts Of this region very meagrc
The most reliable is published by the Imperial
Russian photographic Office in 1s49 which chart
was furnished mo in San Francisco. The prevalence
of fogs the rapidity and uncertainty of the pre-
valing tides make approach to any Of the passes
between the AleYtian islands hazardous in the ex-
treme."