The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-27
Pointers for Prospectors from the
Geological Survey.
Low AND ROCKY SHORES.
Al old silver Mine on Fish River
That Had to he Abandoned by It's
Owners, who Lost Two ships En-
gagged I'm Transporting the Ore to
San NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of Mis-
stems and Places OF Rcfuge.

inr the northern trip. The data was
compiled by j. Il. Spur, under direction
of the United States geological survey.
In the vicinity of st. Michael the coun-
trv consists of low, bare mountains of
volcanic origin. These same hills run
northward parallel with the coast, being
usually of only trifling height, although
ut a distance some inland peaks become
probably 1000 or 1900 feet high. Golovin
bay, on the north side of Norton sound
Is shut In by two high promontories,
Cape Derby and Stony cape. The head
of Goiovin bay is low, and from here
portage extends, by lakes and riyes, to
Grantley harbor. This Is the best har-
Dor in northern waters and has been long
used by the whaling fleet. The whole
coast from here to Cape Prince OF wales
is ordinarily low and rocky. and the
shore from Cape Prince of Wales to Cape
Espenberg. on the southern side OF kotze-
hue sound, Is sandy. On kotZebue
sound the mountains at times come quite
down to the shore, especially the Null
grave hills at the mouth OF the Soatak
From Cape Krusenstern. OF the north
shore of Kotzebue sound, to Cape Lis
burne, the coast is generally low and
rocky, with sandy intervals Point Hope
is a long, sandy tongue of land, backed
by steep cliffs at its landward end. From
Cape Lisburne to Point Barrow the coast
Is also low and rocky. with many sandy
stretches.
Herring straits Pioneers.
The Boring straits were first passed by
the Russians in 164S, and again by Vitus
Bering, in the Russian service. In IT'S
Neither saw America. Capt. Cook, in
l77S discovered Cape Prince of Wales,
and pushed long distance northward
along the coast. In 1916 Won Kotzebue,
German in a Russian ship, discovered
the sound which bears his name. Since
Ia hov cui
along these shores, especially such as in
the early days were seeking a northwest
passage, or those which later were en-
gagged in Arctic exploration. For many
years this whole coast has been known
to whalers and to government revenue
cutters In the winter of 1897 Lieuts.
Jarvis and Bercholf and DR.. Call. of
the revenue marine service, made
remarkable trip with dogs and reindeer
from Cape Vancouver to Point Barrow,
while two mates Of whalers in distress at
Point Barrow Tilton and Walker, made
long overland trips-the former reaching Ing
latter. by way of the Arctic coast and
the Mackenzie mouth. reaching Edmon-
ton, on the Canadian Pacific. Last sum
mer many prospectors were in kotzebue
and Norton sounds.
Norton sound.
st. Michael is an ancient and we'll
known trading post. The country within
been reserved for military purposes by
the government.
There is a trading post of the. Alaska
there are missions Of the Swedish Evan
gelical church at Unalaklik, at Range
kosook and at Golovin bay.
river. which heads in Golovin bay, but
no mining was attempted. On the same
river, thirty miles above the mouth, the
Oonilak mine of siver-bearing galena
was discovered long ago, and the Golovin
Bay Mining Company. of San Francisco,
formed to work 1t. There was difficulty,
shallow river to the vessel which took it
to San Francisco; and in addition to this,
two vessels, with all on board were lost
1880 operations were suspended. owing
to the report of experts that there was no
continuous vein, but in 1891 work was
rush turned prospectors into Golovin bay,
and in the summer of 1898 many claims
were located on the Fish river and other
streams in the district; The gold is said
to be fine, but of high grade, and to be
easy of access, and it is reported that
there is plenty of water for sluicing.
ton sound, south of Boring strait. 1t
is comparatively barren. and is inhabited
only by natives, with the exception of a
few Presbyterian missionaries
Cape Prince of Wales and Vicinity.
At Port Clarence, already mentioned
on account Of its splendid harbor is the
Teller reindeer station GOO established by
lam A. Kjellman is the principal superin-
tendent. and there are a number Of herd
ers imported from Lapand, There is
on Norton sound. The herd increases
very slowly, and large part of it was
driven to Point Barrow in 1897 to relieve
the distressed whalers Cape Prince of
American mainland Is a bold promon-
tory. Here Is the Congregational mis-
in charge of w. n. Lopp, and village Of
500 or 600 EslSimos.
Kotxebue Sound.
At Kiktarak, north of Cape Blossom.
on Kotzebue sound. there Is a Quaker
on the maps does not exist and never
has existed. Near chamisso island, on
the. mainland. there IS small trading
already noted, was early visited by ex-
plorers, and the ice cliffs, especially those
~ the vie,n,'y ~ r-h@"n, p9nL T@ Fo.
nation. nave been described by many
writers. The resion has a fairly numer-
Eskimo tongue. On the north shore.
however. between Cape Krusenstern and
Cane Sepping, there are, no natives In
Esohscholtz bay there are also no inhab-
ftants although a village-Attemut-ha
been represented on maps.
During the summer Of lSS discourage
ing reports from the Klondlte reaching
the west coast many prospectors turned
their attention TO unknown parts of the
territory, and large number poured into
Kotzebue sound Probably 1000 men
prospected there during the summer, as
cendinG also the various rivers which
empty into the sound.
Point Hope to Point Barrow.
At Point Hope there is an Episcopal
mission. and between Point Hope and
Point Barrow are several whaling sta
lions, the principal one fifteen miles east
of Point Hope. Between Cape Iisburne
and Cane Sepping there are occasionally
small villages. and around the mission at
Point Hope there is q large village. Be-
tween Icy cape and Cape Lisburne there
are no natives. and very few between Icy
cape and Point Barrow At Cape Reau-
fort, and in many places thence north
ward 70 Point Belcher, coal Of good quail