Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-01-12
on Wrangell Land.

Il writer says after cruising along the
Siberian coast for few days and calling
at the Cape Wankern village 10 procure af
many as possible Of the articles taken by
the natives from the wreck of one OF the
lost whalers, we found ourselves once more
on the edge of the Wrangell ice, and once
more in dense fog on the morning OF
August 9. Il huge white bear came swim
ming through the 'lrizzle and gloom and
black heaving waves toward the ship as
we lay at anchor, guided, doubtless, by
scent. He was greeted by volley of rifle
balls, no one of which injured him, how
ever, and fortunately he could not be pur-
sued. The fog lasted in dismal thickness
until O'Clock on the morning of the 18th,
when we once more saw the hills and dales
OF Wrangell Land hopefully near. We dis
covered lead that enabled MS To approach
within perhaps fifteen miles Of the nearest
portion Of the coast. AT times we thought
ourselves much nearer, when tile light fall
ing favorably would bring out many of the
smaller features, such as the subordinate
ridges on the faces of the mountains and
hills, and the small dImpling hollows with
their different shades of color, furrows that
seemed the channels of small streams and
the peculiar rounded outlines due 10 the
glacial action. Then pushing eagerly
through the huge. drifting masses toward
the nearest cape, judging by the distinct
ness of its features, it would suddenly seem
10 retreat again into the blue distance, and
some other point catching the sunlight
would be seen rising grandly across the
jagged hummocky ice plain, relieved
against the blue shadowy portions 10 the
right and left as a background. 1t was
not long, however. tracing one lead after
another, and coming 10 stand-stiIl with
the ships prov against ice of enormous
thickness, before we were forced TO the
conclusion that all efforts made hereabout
would now be in VAN. The ice did not
seem 10 have been broken Or moved IN any
way for years, We turned, therefore, and
made our way back 10 open water with
difficulty and steamed along the edge OF
the pack To the northeastward. After few
hours run we found the ice more prom
ising, showing traces of having been well
crushed and pounded, enabling US to bear
gradually in toward the land through a
wedge-shaped ledge about twenty miles in
length.
Next morning, steaming aheadonce more
TO the end of our wafer lane, we were re-
joiced to lind though there was now about
eight or ten miles of Ice separating us from
the shore 1t was less firmly packed, and our
little vessel made a way through it without
difficulty until we were within two miles
of the shore, when we found the craggy
blocks extremely hard and wedged closely,
but patch of open water near the beach,
now plainly In sight, tempted us to con-
tinue the struggle, and with the throttle
WIDE open, the barrier was forced and by
10 O'clock A. nj. the Corwin was riding at
anchor less than a cables length from
dry gravel bar stretching in front of the
mouth of river. The long battle we had
fought with the ice was now fairly won,
and neither the en- Inc nor the hull seemed
10 have suffered any apprecisble damage
from the terrible shocks and strains they
had undergone. Going inland, along the
left bank of the river, we found 1t much
larger than 1t first appeared TO be. There
was no snow left on the lowlands or auy OF
the hills or mountains in sight, excepting
the remains of heavy drifts nevertheless
it was still about seventy-ive yards wide,
twelve feet deep and was flowing on with
clear, stately current at a speed of three
miles an hour. While the snow is melting
1t must be at least two hundred yards wide
and twenty feet deep, and its sources lie
well back in the interior of the country.
Not the slightest trace, however. could we
find along the river, along the shore or on
the bluff TO the northeastward of the Jean
nette party or of any human inhabitants
A land more severely solitary could hardly
be found anywhere on the face of the
globe.