Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-10-15
A Visit to Xr2noel Land

Mr.. John MUM, the California geologist. who
is with the exploring steamer communicates
the following account Of visit to Wrangel
Land to the San Francisco Bulletin:
" After cruising along the Siberian coast for a
few days, and calling at the Cape Wankern vii
lage to procure as many as possible of the arti-
Giles taken by the natives from the wreck of one
OF the lost whalers. We found ourselves once
more on the edge of Wrangel ice and once more
in dense fog on the morning Of August g A
huge white bear came swimming through the
dI1ZZle and gloom and black heaving waves to-
ward the ship as We lay at anchor guided
Doubtless. by scent. He was greeted BY a volIey
oil rifle balls. no one of which injured him. how
ever, and fortunately he could not be pursued
The fog lasted in dismal thickness until O'clock
On the morning of the 11th when we once more
saw the hills and dales of Wranrel Land home
fuliy near. We discovered lead that enabled
us TO approach within perhaps fifteen miles of
the nearest portion of the coast At times We
thought ourselves much nearer. when the LIGHT
falling fayorably would bring out MANY of the
smaller features, such as the subordinate RIDGES
on the faces of the mountains and hills and the
small dmplnS hollows with their different
shades of color. burrows that seemed the chan
nels OF small streams. and the peculiar rounded
outlines due to glacial action Then pushing
eagerly through the huge drifting masses TO-
ward the nearest cape, judging by the distinct
ness OF It's features. it would suddenly seem to
! retreat again into the blue distance. and some
other point catching the sunlight would be seen
rising grandE across the Jagged hummocky ice
plain. relieved against the blue shadowy por-
lions to right and left as background. 1t was
not long, however, after tracing one lead after
another, and coming always to standstill with
the ships Prov against ice of enormous thick
ness. before we were forced to the conclusion
that all efforts made hereabouts would now be
vain. The ice did not seem to have been broken
or moved in any way for years.
I'VE turned, therefore. and made our way
yrith eio,,lAx
along the edge of the pack to the northeast
ward. Alter few hours run we found the ice
more promising. showing traces of having been
well crushed and pounded enabling us to bear
gradually i'm toward the land through wedge
| shape lead about twenty miles in length AT
$50 pm. we We're again brought to standstiIl
against heavy ice, but this time within about
five miles of the shore. We now felt pretty
| sure that we would be able to make a landing
here. and the questions that We wanted to put
This is perhaps the most likely place to find
traces of the Jeanette expedition in case any
portion OF this country was reached. Would we
find such traces? Had the country any human
inhabitants? Would we find reindeer or musk
oxen? What birds shall we find. plants. rocks
streams. ETC.? We intended to walk the five
miles of ice, dragging light, skn-covered boat
with us TO cross any open spot that we might
come to. but ere We could set off the fog began
to settle glOOmily down over the land and we
uCtCi " Ndit Until Tile ucXC morning, and
in the mean time steam back out of the narrow.
fce-jammed throat of the lead few miles to a
safer position, in case the ice should close upop
US. Just as we turned from our nearest point
OF approach we fired cannon to stir the
echoes among the hills. and give notice Of our
presence in case anybody was near to listen.
"Next morning steaming ahead once more to
the end OF our water-line, we were rejOiced to
find that though there was now about eight orten
miles OF Ice separating us from the shore it was
1orr L. lya6
way through it without difficulty, until we were
within two miles Of the shore, when we found
the craggy blocks extremely hard and wedped
closely, but patch of open water near the
beach, now plainly in sight, tempted us to con-
wide open the barrier was forced. and by 10
O'Clock am, the COrwin was riding at anchor
less than cables length from dry gravel bar
stretching in front Of the mouth of q river. The
long battle we had fought with the ice was
iairly won, and neither the engine or hull Of the
ship seemed to have suffered any appreciable
damage from the terrible shocks and strains
they had undergone.
"Going inland, along the left bank of the
river, We found it much larger than it at first
appeared to be- There was no snow left ON the
lowlands or any Of the hills or mountains in
sight, excepting the remnants Of heavy drifts;
nevertheless, It was stin about sevenfy-hve
yards wide, twelve feet deep. and was flowing
on with clear, stately current, at speed OF
melting it must be at least two hundred yards
wide and twenty feetdeep, and its sources must
lie well back In the interior Of the country.
SHOT the slightest trace, however, could We |
find along the river, along the shore, or on the |
bluff to the noftheastward, Of the Jeanette |
party, or of any human inhabitaAt. land |
more severely solitary could hardly be found |
anywhere on the face Of the globe. The beach |
was well tracked with polar bears, but none Of |
the party could discover any sign Of reindeer or
musk oxen, though the country seems to |
abound in the kind Of food they require, A |
single fox track was observed. and some Of the |
burrows ola species 0fmGmot, also few birds |
and about twenty species Of plants, most of
them IN bloom The rock Is clay slate, which |
weathers smoothly, and h covered VIII .
sparse growth Of MOSES, hchens and howering
Plants, mot unlike that ofthe adjacent coasts q
6ibaia end Alaska