Year: 1879

NoRToN's SOUND. July II, 1879.


brief summer trip into the Arctic O;ean, meet
ing nothing more serious than fogs rains and heavy
swes. without gales OF wind packed ice is apt to
give the idea that stories of the suiferings Of
northern navigators have been greatly exaggerated
in the telling. Continuous daylight during tho
twenty-four hours. open and a thermom-
eter that does not fall below freezing are
not suggestive of cold. The Rush has
returned from the Arctic. having, according to the
latest charts been within about three hundred miles
of the much-talked-of Wrangel Land. and it seemed
from the most northerly position reached by her
THAI run to the Pole would not have been impos
sible very difficult In point of fact tho steamer
might not have been ablo to run 200 miles further
toward the Pole being then north Of the sxty-sxth
parallel; but with fair southwesterly wind prevail
ing for two three days moro we had 1t for two
dsys before. and with two-knot current seething
up through Bchring Strait. the idea OF cruise
to tn, unknown regions beyond would appear most
attractive But we did not go. Such voyage was
not what the Rush after.


THICK WEATHER.


reports of violations Of revenue laws along
behring Stfsits, in wholesale way. induced Cap
tain Bailey tomake run to the northward with
view OF ascertaning if possible, the exact condi-
ton OF AFFAIRS IA that region Starting out July 10
from OunalSska, in the Aleutian Archipelago, to
which place tho RNeh had returned from the west
ward for coaling andrctting fair breeze and clear
weather were had on uae rst day. but the second
and third days the Weather thickened so that.
shortly after passee st Lawrence Island. on
the 18TH we were obliged to ue to for twenty.
four hours under single r,efed mansai for on the
evening OF that day tho wind came on to blow
pretty stifiy On tho afternoon Of the I4th a
cleared up somewhat. that Iy six O'Clock we were
again under way. headed for lehrng Straits Wo
views
length but We continued northwaN until seven in
the the morning when. being abreast o. Cape Prince Of
Wales, according to dead reckoning the vessel was
once more hove to and began to drift iapdy TO- the
northward. as was easily determined b. the dredre
which was scraping the bottom of the sea in tRa
interest Of science at thirty-two fs.homsdeDth.


DREDGING AND DRITrINa.


Dredging and drifting continued till evening
when, about five o'clock the fog Lifted and we maSe
position in the Arctic almost directly birth Of
the Diomed Islands, which stand side by sido at the
head of the strait and nearly midway bowoen
Siberia and Alaska East Cape, the Asiatic side
sharply on our starboard side, and the outlines
of tho coast, extending northwestwardly from tlAt
point could be seen for fifty or sixty miles, To thu
northward all was clear. but the American land
shut out from Wow by the thick fog which had OBJ
scured it during passage through the strait on
the previous night subsequently. however. the fog
lifted. and before we started southward for the
strait again Cape Prince Of Wales showed few
prominent snow capped peaks. and as point after
point came out We had Wow of the two continents
containing tho oldest and tho youngest nations
known to tho civilized world.


We were in the Arctic dredging the bottom. from





crabs specimens of sponge and coral. imperfect.
Tho air was COOL but the evening was bright and
pleasant, and the night promised to DO free from
fog Not having any business northward exccpt to
ascertain, If possible tho facts in relation to the
ported illicit traffic on the part Of free traders deal
Ing out by tho barrel to Indians. Captain Bailey
headed the steamer southward fcr the purpose Of
looking into harbors aud anckoraecs on the Amsri-
can side of Behring Strait. lie intended to look
along under the southern sh@re OF Cape Prince Of
Wales. the point where some fourteen Indians wore
reported to have been kil!od by tho crew OF San





1t was beautiful nitht. and as we stood down
SeInS tn' o the With the sum 'Sa
around above the horizen in the northwest and the
picturesque mountains OF siberia and Alaska on
prove delightful summer recreation. As the night
advanced flock after flock and thousands upon thou
above tho surface of the water seeking their homes.
probably the Dlomeds, toward which they all
s though S
generally clear, and 1t soemed that we wcro out
OF the fog at last Soon after eleven however, sns
from view though the southeastern sky ct once
took on wonderful amount OF crimson, % blush
ing at what it ovcr tho curtain In tho opposite


NIGHT WITHOUT DARKNESS.


We not permitted to witness either the close
of one day or the beginning Of another. ~ marked
by the at the Arctic Circle in the middle of July.
@ head remained ANA blue and stariess. There were no
Clouds nothing but tho vaulted blue OF daylight all
night. At one O'Clock. although the northern
horizon was obscured by clouds, tho crimson ana
gold appearing above indicated that tho sun was up
and another day was at hand. All that night 1t was
read easily as noon. Not lamp was Lighted on
the ship. either in tho binnaco. pilot house or en-
gne room and none was needed.


For days and nights We have had such brightness
ut night that lamps we're useless, but this was the
most ngn, ot a was n no to
squander in sleep. This is what would make one
envy the Northern explorer in the summer. Os
course. when you como to have six months OF total
darkness with the thermometer 100 dcgress below
that is another thing and altogether too great
price TO pay for three months Of sun. There may
bo trouble up here in the winter. but for summer
trip 1t is not bad. SO far as we went.


The night delightful, but tho fog fell upon Us
again at half past thrce in tho morning and tho
steamer, which had been headed in for the south
side OF Cape Prince of Walos was obliged to stand
exist. but which cannot DO seen in thick weather.
We had pilot board for this part OF the coast
and general charts furnished no Information OF
anchorage or channels close to the land. So We
drew out and headed for Port Clarence. an
But tho land could not bo maae out
here, although we were in close enough
soundings. With this shoal and thick weather pro-
vailing, such had found for almost week,
with the wind still from the southwest creating the
fog and bringing with it strong current against our
progress, compelled TO give up all hopes OF
fnding out anything about the Illicit traffic and


Tho Rush carries only an exceedingly limited
amount of coal Had she been we'll supplied with
fuel so as to have admitted Of running up to Kotzc-
bue Sound, the traders headquarters. and OF safely
waiting for tho weather to clear up, no doubt the
trip would havo resulted In some interesting tnfor-
nation.


"RUM" STORY.


July 1S.-Indian accounts. which are the only
sources OF Information outside OF the ''traders
themselves, who not very communicative on tho
subject of operations in the North are doubtless OK
aggertod. Indian reports ko the once much greater
estimates of the strength and position OF the enemy
by the intelligent contraband. may generally DO sos
down as unreliable to u certain extont. When IN
Indian says 100 BARRELS no means twenty-five kogss
but there is usually basis or foundation OF some
sort for tho statement.


Indians employed traders TO the northwerd
from st. Mchards report that thirteen vessels with
rum visited Kotxebuo Sound last summer, and ~
one time the beach was covered with barrels. Ac.
cordng to these authorities one vessol landed ffty
barrels, and afterward set up still and commenced
20 man,,facturo liquor on board which delighted
some of the Indians that they ordered botler Of
that sort be brought up this year: Another vcs.
sol In to have loaded thirty barrels OF rum
near Port Clarence and the very latest reports
brought down arc TO the offect that one Indian at
Kotzobue Sound has forty-ono Ave gallon kegs oi
rum this year. -