The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-10-27
NUMBER 35.
A Fruitful Expedition.

q ~ 1tsStlActfION.s OctODer l0.--M. -.
Healy captain Of the United States
revenue marine cutter Corwin ,shas
submitted to- Major Clarke, chief of
the revenue marine, Treasury De-
partment, q report from ST. Michael's
a. 4. covering in detailthe last cruise
OF that vessel to the Arctic regions. in
which he says s'Being DESTROYS of
obtaining the exact locality and ex-
tent of alarge river reported by the
natives to debanch 10 Hotharn Inlet,
I ayailed myself of Ensign e.. Nj.
Storey United States navy) better
sknoWled ge of surveying, and his de-
Esire to make such examination, with
Eayiewto Interior explorations, should
the result Of a preliminary expedition
warrant them. placed the dingey,
with two men, armed and equipped,
WITH ten days ratiohs. under his COM
mand ana landed him at Hotham
Inlet July %, with instructions to re-
port on board at the expiration of ten
days. = The result of his ex-
petition, considering the limited
means and time, is highly gratifying,
and well worthy the attention of the
government,
"1e reports that after leaving the
native village on Hotham Inlet UNI
der the guidance of native from the
interior, and well acquainted on the
river, he made for the river marked
on the chart arriving there. he found
it to be small and very shallow-not
worth exploring; thence he proceed
ed some % miles along the northeast
ern shore of Hotham Inlet. Here he
struck the mouth of another river of
considerable size, which the natives
said was one of the outlets of larger
river. Ascending this branch in a
southeasterly direction for two days,
he struck the main stream, which
proves to be river fully three.quar-
tiers Of mile in width, having no.
where less than two and one-half
fathoms of water, deepening at times
to seven fathoms. He assembled the
river distance of fifty miles from
its mouth, The banks were generally
steep, and thickly covered with birchr
alder and spruce, some of the trees
attaining height of forty feet, with
, twelve inches diameter at the base.
Back from the river banks the under
growth formed an impossible Jungle,
: particularly where the banks were
low. The current was strong, at the
bend reaching the rate of two knots
per hour. The natives reported that
the river held its depth of not less
than two fathoms and it's width OF
, half mile for not less than three
hundred miles beyond where Mr..
/ Storey turned back. 1t was further
, stated by the natives that by making
small portage near the head of this
J river they could reach another stream
flowing nOrthward into the Polar sea.
Mr.. Storey having gone as far as time
permitted, retraced his steps to the
mouth of the main stream, which,
with two other branches, form the
delta on the north side of Hotham
Inlet. Everywhere the natives were
kind, harmless and hospitable, many
: of them evidently having never seen
, white man before. The heat was
: intense, vegetation rank and the ma
, tives scantily clad"
Captain Healy also says, "Thus far
on our cruise nothing has been seen
to show that either liquor or breech-
loading arms have been landed on the
American side by traders or others,
f while the reverse is the case on the
, Siberian Shores" Captain Healy also
submits a report by Lieutenant w.
, E. Reynold. who hastily explored
the large lagoon that lies back from
the beach south of Cape Seppings.
. The lagoon has an average width of
7 two miles, though the flats on the
) eastern side are exposed in many
places at low tide. Striking right
across from the mouth of the lagoon
the explorers found an entrance to a
small river, up which they proceeded
: about five miles, when the current
became SO strong that they could not
, stem it without using the oars. With
their limited time they were unable
to follow the stream but two miles
further. The tracks of foxes and deer
were numerous. Lieut.. Reynolds con-
, cludes his report by saying that were
J it not for the shoal water at the en-
trance the lagoon would furnish an
excellent harbor for small ships. such
as visit the Arctic regions, and rec
, ommends that the lagoon be named
after the steamer Corwin.