The record-union., 1891-10-03
ALASKAN NEWS.
THE SURVEYING PARTY ENCOUN-
TER BAD WEATHER.
The Three Government Schools Have
Prosperous Year-Reindeer Sue
cessfully Introduced.
Special to the REcoRD-UNroN.

'opeClil 10 Ine ElECORD-UNION.
SAN Francisco, Oct. 2.-The United
States revenue cutter Richard Rush ar
rived here from Behring Sea this morn
ing. The Rush left Ounalaska on Sep
tember 22d. Among those brought down
were Special Agent J. Stanley Brown,
from Seal Islands, DR.. Sheldon Jackson,
Government Agent for Education in
Alaska, and Mr.. McGrath, the party who
has been two years in upper Alaska,
about Fort Yukon, surveying the United
States boundary lines.
Sealing schooners had been seen in
Behring Sea for some time before the
Rush left. Many had been warned dur
ing the season, but Ouly one, the British
schooner e. B. Marvin, was seized by the
Rush.
What has been accomplished by the
McGrath Company, further than that the
boundary of Alaska has been determined
at the intersection of the Yukon River
with FOrty-mile Greek, McGrath refused
to say until his report has been made to
Washington. Regarding the experience
of the party, however, he was less con-
servative.
eve left here" said he, con June IA.
1889, and reached our headquarters on the
Yukon River August IS, 1889. Camp
Davidson, as we called our camp, was
located about ] 300 miles from the mouth
of the Yukon. From this point all our
observations were made.
There are no trails and our only mode
OF transit was by river. Every clear
night we took our observations, but the
weather was not favorable and this
necessitated our staying in the river the
second year. We struck camp and left
on June 22d of this year and went to st.
Michael's Island, and after staying there
twelve or thirteen days, were picked up
by the cutter Bear and carried to Ouna-
laska, from where we came here by the
Rush."
Some time after the McGrath party left
here their provisions for the winter were
shipped to Yukon. The goods reached
st. MichaePS all right and were trans
ferred to the Arctic, which was wrecked
near the mouth of the Yukon. The men
secured provisions from q station 600
miles below.
DIR. Jackson reports that the three Gov
ernment schools in the Arctic region had
q prosperous year. DIR. Jackson accom-
panied the revenue cutter Bear on her
Arctic cruise, and made successful COM
mencement in the introduction into
Alaska Of the dOmesticated reindeer of
Siberia, small bands being placed upon
the islands of Amakanak and Ounalaska.
The Bear returned to Ounalaska Septcm-
UeI 1OtH. OWlllS TO unusual llgnG winds
the ice pack had not left shore up 10 the
last of August, consequently the Bear
and the whaling fleet were unable to
reach Point Barrow, but communication
with that station was opened up over
land. Three whaling vessels that win
tered at Herchel's Island, at the mouth
of the Mackenzie River, had secured but
one whale between them. The Point
Barrow Station OF the Pacific Whaling
Company was remarkably successful, Sc
curing 100000 worth of whalebone.
The Inhabitants being found in starv-
ing condition, Captain Healy raised q
sufficient sum from the officers and
others on the Bear to purchase u supply
OF food to sustain the people until the
next season for seal and walrus.
The United States vessels Afohican and
Thetis were still in Behring Sea at the
time the Rush left, and the ship Ericsson
was discharging cargo Of coal ordered
for Government vessels.