^i

I

Marine Biological Laboratory

FEB 2^J 1956
WUOUS HOLE, MASS.

OCCASIONAL PAPERS

OF THE

CALIFORNIA
ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

No. XXIV

The Discovery of
Wrangel Island

By SAMUEL L. HOOPER

SAN FRANCISCO

PUBLISHED BY THE ACADEMY • 1956

OCCASIONAL PAPERS NO. XXIV
OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Issued February 21, 1953

COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION

Dr. Robert C. Miller, CJuiinnan
Dr. George F. Papenfuss Dr. Edward L. Kessel, Editor

The Discovery of
Wrangel Island

BY

SAMUEL L. HOOPER

SAN FRANCISCO
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

1956

t - - ■ '

*J B E R I S G

£ /» \

iCM- I9M

CWonlcerem - Herald

St. Matthew I

Marcu

« 2» « CHVK<iHt 3^ ^,

CSerdz

tSE>l ■

\:

5^6**^

^?

39

St. Paul I -^-^^'-^ "■
"''Wbilo* l» J\ e '

35 lt(

" St. Lawrence I ^ 1 Diomedes =°?1>°P*

VV^ t> 'T^C.Lisborr»e

Icy Cape

The Discovery of Wrangel Island

THE DISCOVERER .

Captain Calvin L. Hooper, U.S.R.C.S. \^ lUO^'

1842-1900 "^ — ^ ^-^'

A century lias passed since that day when a twelve-year-old boy
resolutely turned his Ijack on the warmth and security of a New Eng-
land farm home, determined to seek fame and fortune on the seven
seas. The exact manner of his going is not recorded, and certain it is
that the path on which he set foot that day led through hardships
and dangers, but by following it he gained recognition and fame and
the esteem of men.

That boy was Calvin Leighton Hooper, born in Boston on July 7,
1842, the son of Samuel and Mary Leighton Hooper. Calvin's father
did not live many years after his son was born. A few years later his
widow remarried. Calvin never accepted the change. No doubt jealous
of his mother's affections and resentful of what he considered an in-
truder in the family, he quickly reached the decision to follow the call
of the sea.

We know little about liim as a boy but it must be clear that Calvin
was possessed of great strength of character and determination. Al-
most without formal education he made himself a very competent
navigator and thereby a mathematician. In his mature years he sought
his friends among men of education and refinement. His reports to
the Congress were outstanding examples of excellent diction and tem-
perate but forceful expression. Dr. David Starr Jordan, beloved chan-
cellor of Stanford University, in writing of the discussion between the
United States, Canada, and Great Britain over the operation of the
Bering Sea Patrol, which had been authorized by the Paris Tribunal
of 1893, an operation which Canada deeply resented, said: "During
these delicate and complicated matters, Captain Hooper was always
patient, considerate, and just, and his decisions, rendered as a sort
of court of appeals at Unalaska, won the respect of all concerned
in the acrid controversy."

It is difficult to write objectively of the life of Calvin Hooper, be-
cause the boy that we are discussing was to become my father, and
any attempts to array the facts in an orderly manner bring a flood
of memories that crowd the statistics into the background.

Best of all I remember climbing into his lap during those rare in-
tervals when he was home with us between voyages. I remember the
warm comfortable smell of the heavy wool broadcloth of which his suits

[1]

O iH: O '"^

b ^ - ^

^

2 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

were always made; a sense of comfort and security is still associated
with that smell. My recollections of him are of unfailing gentleness
and affection, but it is recorded that he could be a strict and sometimes
stern disciplinarian.

The period from his going to sea as a cabin boy until the time when
he got his first mate's papers at the age of twenty-one, the youngest
ever recorded, is almost a blank. My impression of it comes from the
stories he used to tell as I lay curled up in his arms. These, however,
were never in the first person. He would tell of the wonders of the
Sargasso Sea, the graveyard of lost ships, or the myth of the Flying
Dutchman, or the strange natives of far away places, but never of
his own experiences. It was not that he was morose or taciturn; he
loved people and was a brilliant conversationalist, but he simply did
not like to talk about himself.

At the close of the Civil War competent officers were needed for
the United States Revenue Cutter Service and having at that time
no academy to draw from, certain young officers were selected from
the merchant service. Calvin Hooper was one of the appointees and
on June 4, 1866, he was made a third lieutenant by President Andrew
Johnson, who had been Vice-President under Lincoln. From this point
on his career became a matter of record.

Lieutenant Hooper's first assignment was to the cutter Lane at San
Francisco. For the next few years he sailed out of that port and
cruised mostly in northern waters where he gained the understanding
of Arctic conditions that was to serve him so well in later experiences.

The young lieutenant did not spend all his time in the cold of the
Arctic, however, and in those intervals when he was in port at San
Francisco he became popular at social functions in the bay cities. At
one of these gatherings he met a beautiful and talented young lady,
Carlotta Elizabeth Hoag, daughter of a well-to-do family in Oakland.
Lottie Hoag was a graduate of a popular finishing school where she
acquired the graces of those days. She played the pianoforte, she wrote
better than average poetry, and had real skill as an artist wntli oils or
water colors. Added to these gracious talents Lottie won fame as a
horsewoman, no mean feat in those days when custom demanded that
a lady must use the dangerous and awkward side-saddle.

The liandsome young officer and tlie beautiful society girl were
immediately attracted to each other, and one evening at the old Cliff
House he proposed marriage and was accepted. Unfortunately for the
course of true love, just at this time Calvin, who was now a first lieu-
tenant, was ordered to the cutter Fessenden at Detroit. The move came
suddenly and arrangements could not be completed for their wedding

No. 24 J

HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRANGEL ISLAND

before his departine. Lottie Iloajj,-, however, proved her fitness to be
the bride of a sea ca])tain; she followed hiiu by train to Chicago and
llicy were married in llie old Sherman House in 1872. Such a trip
by a young girl alone was almost unlieard of in those days.

My father and mother were an outstanding couple in appearance,
and in my home life I nevei' detected the slightest hint of quarreling
or unkindness ])etween tliem. There now followed a pci'iod of about

Figure 1. Captain Calvin Leighton Hooper, U.S.R.C.S.

4 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

eight years that was typical in the life of a young officer and his
family. In that time they were stationed at Detroit, Philadelphia, Bos-
ton, Erie, Baltimore, and Port Townsend, Washington. During this
period three children were born, a son at Baltimore, a daughter at
Erie, and anotiier daughter at Port Townsend. Some years later an-
other son was born at Oakland, California.

In 1880 Captain Hooper was placed in command of the cutter Cor-
ivin at San Francisco. This was like returning home again, which in
fact it was for Lottie. Here for the first time they could begin the
establishment of a real home and in the Convin Captain Hooper began
to shape the career which was to make him famous.

In 1880 he took the Convin into the far north and found that the
natives on Saint Lawrence Island and some of the other islands nearby
had perished by hundreds during the previous winter; whole families
and even the inhabitants of entire villages were found dead in their
huts. Investigation proved that the disaster had been due to the
severity of the winter which had prevented the usual hunting during
the time that game was plentiful, and the deaths had been due to
starvation. Captain Hooper's report to Congress on these conditions
established him as a competent and able Arctic hand.

In 1881 the New York Herald was demanding that efforts be made
to locate a polar expedition under the command of George Washington
Do Long, U.S.N., an experienced and capable officer, who was en-
deavoring to reach the North Pole by forcing his way into the Arctic
ice and counting on the drift to carry him close to the Pole. The
De Long party had been out over two years and no word had been
received from them for a long time. As a result of the hue and cry
that was raised, two relief parties were organi.zed. The Navy sent
Lieutenant Berry in the Rogers and the Revenue Cutter Service in-
structed Captain Hooper of the Corwin to make search for De Long's
ship, the Jeannette, along with his usual duties as a unit of the Ber-
ing Sea Patrol.

Captain Hooper's sailing instructions, his preparations, and the
details of the voyage wliich led to the discovery of new land in the
Arctic and its claiming for the United States are all set fortli in tlie
following account.

Upon his return from this voyage in 1881 Captain Hooper found
liimself famous. Shi])s reaching San Francisco after contacting the
whaling fleet brought reports of the discovery of Wrangel and of the
voyage of the Corwin. These reports found their way into the press
and a pamphlet describing the voyage was published ])y the Geo-
graphic Society of the Pacific. Jolin ]\[uii-, the gi'cat geologist, who

No. 24] HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRANGEL ISLAND 5

was a mom])er of the Conrin ])ai'ty to study the <j;laeiation of the
Arctic, wrote letters lioine and these were eagerly sought after by
the then current pu])lications. The result was tliat even before the
return of the Corivin to her home port the fame of the voyage had
spread.

As a result of tliis voyage Captain Hooper was now permanently
assigned to the Bering Sea Patrol, he served in command of both the
Rush and the Convin at various times. For two years during this
period the Patrol was handled by the Navy, and Captain Hooper
served under the famous Admiral Robly D. (Fighting Bob) Evans.
The two became fast friends. In his autobiography, The Log of a
Sailor, m describing an assignment given to the Corwin, Fighting
Bob wrote, "The captain was an able and fearless man and I knew he
would carry out my orders . . . Captain Hooper of the Convin car-
ried out my instructions carefully and the result was a happy one."
After the Navy turned the operation back to the Treasury Depart-
ment, Captain Hooper himself was put in full command of the Bering
Sea Patrol and was extended the thanks of the Department for co-
ordinating its activities. During this period also Captain Hooper was
given the responsil)ility of the office of superintendent of construction
and repairs for the Revenue Cutter Service on the Pacific Coast. This
was welcome as it gave him full activity in those months that had to
elapse between Arctic voyages.

Captain and Mrs. Hooper had long planned on a home where he
could settle when his days at sea were over, and in 1896 they purchased
a spacious and beautiful home at 202 Santa Rosa Avenue in the Linda
Vista District of Oakland. In the fall of that year Captain Hooper re-
quested to be relieved of active sea duty in order to devote his time to
his shore responsibilities. Tliis was granted and he was assigned offices
in the old Appraisers Building in San Francisco. It looked now as
though he might enjoy his home and family in peace. Such, however,
was not to be.

In 1898 war was declared against Spain and immediately Captain
Hooper requested active duty again. The Secretary of the Treasury
wired him that for the moment he was needed where he was, but
thanked him for the prompt offer. Just at this time a new cutter was
launched in New York and was named, as was and is the custom, after
a Secretary of the Treasury. It was Hugh McCulloch whose signa-
ture appeared along with that of the President on Captain Hooper's
first commission, and it was his name which was given to the new
cutter.

The McCuUoch was launched just at the outbreak of the war and

6 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

was placed under the command of Captain Daniel B. Hodgsdon with
orders to report to Admiral Dewey's Asiatic Squadron. These orders
were carried out and the McCuUoch accompanied Dewey's fleet to
Manila and took an active part in the destruction of the Spanish fleet
on May 1, 1898. In June of that year Captain Hodgsdon was relieved
of command and ordered home; he had passed the retirement age and
his health had suffered in the service in the tropics.

Captain Hooper was ordered to leave San Francisco on the trans-
port taking the troops to the Philippines and to take command of the
McCuUoch on arrival. He reached Manila on July 13, 1898, and took
over his new duties at once. On August 16 of that year word was re-
ceived of the cessation of hostilities and shortly thereafter Captain
Hooper was ordered to carry the official news of the victory to San
Francisco and to "show the flag" in Hong Kong and Yokohama
en route.

At the conclusion of the voyage he retained command of the
McCiiUock until failing health forced a change. His hopes and plans
for a quiet home life were not to be realized. The hard duty in the
tropics had taken its toll. After a severe illness he died at his home
on April 7, 1900.

Again memories flood my thoughts. I remember well the solemn
services at the crowded Masonic Ilall and the slow ride out Broadway
in Oakland, made even slower than was usual even in those days by
the fact that the casket went ahead mounted on a gun-carriage and
on either side marched an honor guard from the McCuUoch. As we
passed the old Grant School at Twenty-ninth and Broadway I could
not refrain from peeking out and seeing all my schoolmates standing
spellbound at the spectacle.

Finally the casket was lowered into a grave on a sunny California
hillside, a final salute was fired, and taps were sounded for the little
boy who had so resolutely turned his back on comfort and security
in order to seek fame and fortune.

THE VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

Surrounded by polar ice and shrouded in the chill mists of the
Arctic, lying close to the forbidding coasts of Siberia, is desolate
^Vrangel Island, a ])leak and barren region claimed by the Soviets but
actually discovered in tlie name of the United States by an American
over seventy years ago.

Outside of the Soviet Union geographers and historians agree that
an American, Captain Calvin U. Hooper, commanding the U.S. reve-
nue cutter Coririn, was the first to set foot on this Arctic wasteland

No. 24]

HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRANOEL ISLAND

and to claim it in the name of liis country. The United States has
never seriously disputed Ilussia's sovereignty over it, probahly because
at the time of its discovery it was so inaccessible and desolate that it
seemed of little or no value. AVlio in those days would have dared to
dream of transpolar aviation?

The story of Cai)tain Hooper's discovery of Wrangel opened early
in the afternoon of Wednesday, May 4, 1881, when the Corwin, under
his command, passed through the narrow channel of the Golden Gate
outward bound on a voyage that was to cover well over fifteen thou-
sand miles of cruising in the then little-known waters of the far north.
She was about to engage in a relentless warfare with those implacable
foes of Arctic navigation, gales, ice, and fog, which would have daunted
any less-hardy ships or men. However, on that pleasant spring day,
with the Marin County hills blanketed in green, patched here and
there with great masses of gold where clusters of California poppies
grew in profusion, all of this Arctic adventure was hidden in the fu-
ture. It must have been a splendid sight as the Corwin, her colors
snapping in the breeze, escorted by the cutters Rush and Hartley, and
the vachts of the San Francisco Yacht Club under Commodore Harri-

Figure 2. The Voncin outward bound from San Francisco.

8 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

son, passed beneath the grim guns of Fort Scott and dipped her bow
to the long swell of the Pacific.

Captain Hooper's ol)jectives in undertaking this difficult and haz-
ardous journey into the frozen North were threefold :

First, was the regular summer assignment of the Corwin as a unit
of the Bering Sea Patrol. The duties called for under this assignment
were of such a nature as to require extreme delicacy in handling, if
serious international complications were to be avoided.

The clearest understanding of these unusual operations may be
obtained from an account written a few years later by Professor David
Starr Jordan, widely known educator and beloved chancellor of Stan-
ford University, in his autobiography. Days of a Man. In recounting
his own experiences in Alaska he writes, "Captain C. L. Hooper, a
brave and loyal officer, was then commander of the Bering Sea Patrol
composed of three revenue cutters, Rush, Perry, and Corivin. The
duty of this little flotilla was to see that the Canadian sealing fleet
broke none of the provisions of the Paris Tribunal. ... To this end they
were directed by our government to overhaul schooners at sea and open
up the barrels of salted skins to find out if they l)ore evidence of having
been put down before the end of the closed season. Such inspections,
carried out hastily in rough weather, were irksome to both parties,
and the unavoidable scattering of the sealskins about the deck natu-
rally made the operation doubly distasteful to the Canadians. Further-
more, I believe the whole operation to have been contrary to inter-
national law." Professor Jordan then proceeds to emphasize the pa-
tience, the consideration, and the justness which Captain Hooper al-
wavs demonstrated while acting in the difficult role of enforcement
agent in carrying out these complex and delicate diplomatic assign-
ments.

The second objective of the voyage was a direct result of the report
of the cruise of the previous year. Captain Hooper had taken the
Corwin into the far north in 1880 and had brought back reports of
starvation and death among the natives of Saint Lawrence Island due
to a very severe winter. His instructions for the cruise of 1881, there-
fore, included these specific orders, ". . . you will in your cruise touch
at such places on the mainland or islands where there are settlements
of natives and examine into and report upon their condition."

The third and most important objective, which necessitated a pene-
tration into the Arctic ice far deeper than the Corwin had ever be-
fore attempted and which required that a landing be effected on
an luiknown land where none had ever set foot, requires a word of
explanation.

No. 24] HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRANGEL ISLAND 9

For many years legends had come down from the Chuekchis living
along tlie shore of the north coast of Sil)eria, of a land mass lying far
to the nortli amidst the ])olar ice. In 1820 Lieutenant Ferdinand
Wrangel of the Tsarist navy, made the first of several attempts to
reach it; he was later to gain fame as admiral and baron and finally
to become governor of Alaska under the Tsars, but it is a matter of
record that he never saw any land located where we now know
Wrangel Island to be.

The first actual sight of the mysterious land was made by Captain
Henry Kellett of the H.M.S. Herald. In the summer of 1849, while
conducting a search for the Sir John Franklin Expedition which had
been lost in tlie Arctic, Captain Kellett discovered an island lying
north of the Asiatic continent. He landed and claimed it in the name
of Her Britannic Majesty, Queen Victoria, and he named it Herald
Island in honor of his ship. From the summit of its highest peak
(1200 feet) the tops of mountains could plainly be seen bearing due
west. Kellett surmised this to be the legendary land and he named
it Kellett 's Land. Although Kellett only saw it from a great distance
and never got any nearer than the top of Herald Island, his name
is still used on some of the British Admiralty charts.

Kellett, of course, proved the existence of land in that part of the
Arctic Ocean, but the various ideas regarding its size and shape dif-
fered widely. Many supposed it to be an Arctic continent which,
starting at a point less than two hundred miles from the Siberian main-
land, extended far to the north, possibly even to the Polar regions.
Its eastern shoreline was assumed to run roughly north and south.
This conception of an Arctic continent was so generally accepted that
the land became known as AVrangel Land, in honor of Baron "Wrangel
who was among the first to be identified with the search for the phan-
tom continent.

While much of this was pure guesswork and had no foundation
in fact, the supposed existence of this land barrier exerted a tre-
mendous influence on the thoughts and plans of those interested in
Arctic exploration. Outstanding among these at that time was Lieu-
tenant Commander George Washington De Long, U.S.N., who, with
the backing of the New York Herald had organized an expedition to
attempt to reach the North Pole, which expedition sailed from San
Francisco, July 8, 1879. It was Commander De Long's plan to touch
at Herald Island, and after leaving markers there, to proceed along
the coast of Wrangel Land leaving records about every twenty-five
miles. He planned to steer boldly into the polar ice pack and, hoped
to be carried by the current to the area of the Pole if not directly

10 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

over it. He presumed that the supposed Arctic continent would bar
or direct his drift.

Such planning required high courage and the fact that he put it into
effect exactly as contemplated speaks well for Commander De Long's
determination and bravery. The story of the fateful voyage of his
ship, the Jeannette, and the heroic struggles of the little handful of
those who survived, has been splendidly told by Commander, now Cap-
tain, Edward Ellsberg in his book, Hell on Ice. We know now that
De Long in the Jearmette never reached either Herald or Wrangel
Island and that the Arctic current carried him directly across the
area where he supposed the "continent" to exist and far to the north
and west. The Jeannette was crushed in the ice and sank on June 11,
1881. While the Corwin and others were searching for signs of her,
the survivors of that ill-fated expedition were making their way over
frozen seas in an attempt to reach the north coast of Siberia. A few
gained the Siberian shore and with the aid of friendly natives finally
reached Alaska. Commander De Long, and a small group of his crew,
reached the delta of the Lena River in northern Silieria only to lose
their lives there after terrible hardships.

By 1881 the newspapers, led by the New York Herald, were de-
manding that rescue expeditions be sent out to search for the De Long
party, now unheard from for nearly two years. Two such expeditions
were undertaken, one by the Navy under Lieutenant Berry in com-
mand of the Rodgers and the second by the revenue cutter Corwin
commanded by Captain Hooper, who was instructed to make such a
search in addition to liis usual assignment. His sailing orders read
in part : "No information having been received concerning the whalers
Mount Wallaston and Vigilant, you will bear in mind the instructions
for your cruise of last year, and it is hoped that you may bring back
some tidings of the missing vessels. You will also make careful inquiry
in the Arctic regarding the progress and whereabouts of the steamer
Jeannette, engaged in Arctic explorations under the command of
Lieutenant Commander De Long, U.S.N., and will if practicable,
communicate with and extend any needed assistance to that vessel."

Aboard tlu; Corwin on this voyage were two well-known scientists
whose work added much to its importance. Professor John Muir, who
was to identify the great Alaskan glacier which now bears his name,
and Dr. Iv W. Nelson, who joined the ship at Saint Michaels and was
later to become chief of the U.S. Biological Surve>-. It was Professor
Muir's desire to study the glaciation of the Arctic and Dr. Nelson's to
study and rei)ort on its plant and animal life.

No. 24] HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRANGEL ISLAND 11

No discussion of llic personnel of the party would he complete,
however, without a word ahout Captain Hooper himself.

Boni in Boston in 1842, he was thirty-nine years old at the time
of this \oyage. Like so many boys from New England seaports, salt
water had gotten into his veins at an early age. When only twenty-one
he was first mate on one of the famous American clii)])er ships, and
early photogra})hs show him wearing a very formidable looking set
of dundrearies in order to hide his age, or lack of it.

In 1866, just at the close of the Civil War, young Calvin Hooper was
commissioned a third lieutenant in the Revenue Cutter Service, now
the United States Coast Guard. AVith that was begun a career which
spanned thirty-four years of devoted and loyal service to his country.
This was climaxed ])y his eonnnand of the revenue cutter McCuUoch
operating as a unit of Admiral Dewey's fleet in the Spanish-American
War.

In addition to the glowing reference to his tact and judgment ac-
corded by Dr. Jordan in his book, we have a splendid tribute to his
character and ability in the published autobiography of Admiral
"Fighting Bob" Evans, A Sailoi-'s Log. He describes a dangerous and
critical operation which he entrusted to Captain Hooper and goes on
to comment on the ability and fearlessness of the captain. Admiral
Evans found that in every situation Captain Hooper could be relied
upon to carry out his instructions carefully and intelligently and with
happy results.

The captain's report to Congress of the voyage of 1881 was pub-
lished as Senate Executi\'e Document No. 204. Also Professor Muir
wrote a S]ilendid account of the same trip in his book. The Cruise of
the Conrin. These two complete the published record of the journey.

In addition to these sources, much of the information regarding
the details of the voyage comes from an hitherto unpublished personal
diary meticulously maintained by Captain Hooper. Each day in the
privacy of his cabin, he carefully began with a description of the
weather and often a statement of their position, then followed a brief
statement of the day's events. Sometimes the writing was hardly de-
cipherable as the little vessel struggled against heavy seas, often it
must have been written by the light of the ship's lantern as they rode
out a gale in the lee of an Arctic island. This personal diary must
not be confused with the ship's log, which, of course, was carefully
kept and was the basis of the report to Congress. This record was
truly personal, as for example when he wantes on May 4, the day of
departure :
May 4, 1881. Weather fine, said goodbye and God bless you to my darlings and

12 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

went to the vessel — made all ready and started at 1:00 p.m., accompanied by
the cutters "Rush" and "Hartley" and the yachts. Got well clear of the land
before dark. Am feeling blue enough about leaving home.

Or this choice entry of March 8, 1881, during the preparations for
the cruise.

Weather fine. Stayed on board all day. Lieut. B called on board to see

me. Received him as he deserves, would like to kick him over the side.

As the Corivin headed into the north Pacific lier log shows fair
winds and a following sea, and aided by these she made splendid time.
On May 7, three days out, the captain wrote :

We are doing well. At noon we were as far along as we were at noon on
the fourth day out last year.

However, the favorable weather was not to continue. On May 13, the
wind was rising and on tlie following day the entry was:

Still blowing from the southward. Thick and raining. Bar. very low (29.40).
Heavy sea, carrying sail and steam, hard in hopes of getting in tomorrow
night.

May 15, 1881. Wind blowing a gale N.W. with a heavy head sea. Within fifty
miles of Onalga Pass at meridian. If this gale had not come on we would
have reached Ounalaska today and made the passage in eleven days.

The state of the weather forced the Corwin to seek shelter in Beaver
Harl)or which they reached "barely escaping the loss of our boats."
After the storm had blown itself out they reached Unalaska on May 17
and immediately hauled the Corivin on the beach to repair the oak
sheathing which had been torn away by the force of the waves. After
the repairs were completed they took on coal and water and nine
months' extra provisions whicli they arranged to return to the Alaska
Commercial Company without loss to the government if they were
not needed on the voyage.

The Corwin cleared from I^nalaska on May 22 and shaped a course
for the Pribilof Group whei'c the gi-eat fur-seal rookeries are located.
Saint George Island was reached in a fog so thick that they found
their way only 1)\" llie great flocks of sea birds that filled llic air. No
attempt was made to land here but they proceeded on to Saint Paul
Island where a landing was effected.

It was too earlv for the main l)()dv of the seal herds, onlv a few

No. 24J HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRAN(;EL ISLAND 13

old bulls had arrived so far to take possession of the ground upon
whieh, on the arrival of the cows, they would establish their harems.
Only a short stop was intended here and as soon as they had rigged a
''crow's nest" at the nuisthead and had secured their icel)reaker in
position and made other necessary preparations a course was laid for
Saint Matthew Island. The entry reads:

May 23 — At 8:00 p.m. got underway, shaped course for St. Matthews to have
a bear hunt.

May 24 — Wind S.W. and cloudy — steering for St. Lawrence Island. At 1:00
p.m. made the ice and hauled off to the westward and shaped a course for
Cape Thaddeus, Siberia. Will have to defer the bear hunt.

Having encountered the ice pack as far south as latitude 58° 42',
the only course open to the Corwin was to work her way back and
forth seeking to penetrate the pack where possible and to follow the
ice as it receded to its summer limits. In the official report the cap-
tain stated, "Remembering our rough experience of last year in trying
to get north along the east side of Bering Sea, we determined to keep,
if possible, to the westward of the pack, and, if necessary, follow the
land water along the Siberian coast, proceeding no faster than the ice
should leave the shore. According to my experience, the west shore
is navigable much earlier than the east."

Accordingly they steered for the Siberian coast, using both sail and
steam and keeping a sharp lookout for the whaling fleet which could
be expected heading for Bering Strait. They worked their way north
and west keeping the ice pack always in sight on their starboard beam
and making slow headway through the loose drift ice. Only logging
about five knots against a strong current and an east wind of gale
force and in a blinding snowstorm, it was not until May 28 that they
reached a native settlement on the northeast end of Saint Lawrence
Island.

The arrival of the Convin was hailed with joy by the natives who
came aboard in large numbers. It had been noted that an American
flag was flying from one of the native huts. It turned out to be the
property of the schooner Lolita which had been wrecked on the north
coast of the island in the fall of 1880 while on her way to San Fran-
cisco under seizure by the Convin for a violation of law in Alaskan
waters.

Some trading was done with the natives but they had little of value
and could furnish no authentic information about any of the vessels
for which the Corwin was searching. After a short stay a course was

14 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

laid for Plover Bay on the Siberian coast, taking along two families
of natives who were anxious to reach the mainland.

Finding Plover Bay icebound they headed for Marcus Bay a few
miles farther south and on the way there they spoke the whaling bark
Rainhoir, Captain Lapham, and delivered to him the mail for the whal-
ing fleet, which the Convin had brought from San Francisco.

Captain Lapham had learned from the natives that a party of seal
hunters had discovered a wreck near Cape Serdz which was believed
to l)e one of the missing whalers. Considering this report to ])e of
sufficient importance, and because it would still be some weeks before
the Convin could make her way north along the coast. Captain Hooper
determined to put a sledge party ashore to attempt to learn the facts.

It was proposed that this ]iarty proceed along the Siberian coast,
contacting the natives and making thorough inquiry in order to deter-
mine, if i^ossible, the exact location of the wreck and at the same time
to secure any information regarding the JeanneUe.

Ste])s were immediately taken. At Marcus Bay a native known as
"Chuckchi Joe" was engaged as a dog-team driver and guide and one
team of fine dogs was secured. No other supplies were available so a
course was laid for Saint Lawrence Bay farther north. The l)ay was
choked with ice 1)ut an anchorage was found off a small settlement on
the south side of the bay. No dogs were to be had either for ]nir-
chase or hire.

However, when questioned about the wrecks, one old native became
a self-appointed spokesman and after asking for a glass of water he
wax<Yl quite eloquent. With a wealth of appropriate gestures he re-
lated in detail the position of the wrecks and described the corpses
lying around on the ice, one of which he readily identified as that of
Captain Nye of the Vigihnil. Captain Hooper says, "It would be dif-
ficult for anyone unacquainted with Chuckchi character to realize that
most of til is was manufactured on the sjiot for the sake of the reward
which was expected to follow." After making allowances in full for
native imagination there seemed to be some foundation for the story
and the captain was moi-c determined than ever to proceed with the
sledge party.

Ijcnving Saint Lawrence Bay the Conci)i headed for the Diomedes,
a pail- of small islands lying directly in the middle of Bering Strait.
The international date line which also marks llie Ixmndary between
Kussia and the United States passes between these hvo islands, with
the result that when it is Saturday on Tiiltle I)i()iii0(h\ which is United
States territory, it is Sunday on Big Diomede, which is Russian teri-i-
tory although they are oiil>- tlii'oo inilos apnr1 and each can l)e ])lainly

No. 24] HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRANGEL ISLAND 15

seen from the other when the weather is elear. The entry in the cap-
tain's private notes for the day reads:

Monday, May 30. ISSl. Weather stormy and disaffreoable. Snowing hard all
day — anchored at Diomede, bought boots, lur clotliing and . . . also bought
19 dogs and two dogsleds. Paid one sack of flour each. Lett in the evening
for Cape Serdz to land the shore party.

Cape Serdz Kamen, to give it the full name on current charts, lies
on the northern coast of Siberia about one hundred miles west of East
Cape, which is the most easterly point of the Asiatic continent. This
promised to be a difficult objective to reach but on the way there they
spoke the bark Helen Mar, Captain Beaudry, wdio reported the ice well
broken to the north. As the Corwin followed the coast they encoun-
tered a rim of ice ranging from five to thirty-five feet high and extend-
ing from two to ten miles offshore. They follow^cd this shore ice west-
ward with the "blink" of the pack always in sight to the north although
the pack itself w^as lielow the horizon. An ice l)link is simply the light
reflected into the sky by the sun's rays shining on an ice field and it
often serves to locate the ice floes before they are actually in sight.

The next day, June 1, the Corwin encountered solid-pack ice show-
ing that the end of the open lead had been reached. Although the
captain was anxious to put the sledge party ashore he did not feel it
prudent to embark them on the ice until the land could be plainly seen.

While waiting for a change in the weather, which was blowing a
moderate gale, or a change in ice conditions which would enable them
to approach nearer the land, the Corwin cruised under sail in the open
lead. Shortly after midnight the ice closed in on them and it became
necessary to use the engines to work out of it. In endeavoring to free
themselves the rudder was broken and unshipped, every ]untle being
carried away. The official report reads, "The situation was anything
but pleasant, caught in the end of a rapidly closing lead, 120 miles
from open w^ater in a howling gale and driving snow-storm and without
a rudder. It at first appeared as if the destruction of the vessel was
inevitable."

Describing the experience in The Cruise of the Corwin, Professor
j\Iuir w^rites, "The situation w'as sufficiently grave and exciting, dark
w^eather, the wind from the north and freshening every minute, and
the vast polar pack pushing steadily shoreward. It was a bleak stormy
morning with a close sweeping fall of snow% that encumbered the deck
and ropes and nearly blinded anyone compelled to look to windward.
Our twenty-five dogs made an effective addition to the general uproar,
howling as only Eskimo dogs can howl. They were in the w^ay, of

16 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

course, and were heartily kicked hither and thither. The necessary
orders were promptly given and obeyed. Soon the broken rudder was
secured on deck, four long spars were nailed and lashed firmly to-
gether, fastened astern and weighted to keep them in place at the right
depth in the water. This made a capital jury rudder. It was worked
by ropes attached on either side and to the steam windlass. The whole
was brought into complete working order in a few hours, nearly every-
body rendering service, notwithstanding the blinding snowstorm and
peril, as if jury-rudder making under just these circumstances were
an every-day employment."

When the jury rig was all ready the bell was rung to go ahead
and the captain waited with some anxiety to test the Corivin's response
to the makeshift rudder. To everyone's great relief it was found to
answer admirably and the vessel controlled without difficulty.

The captain now planned to work his ship toward the open end of
the lead as there was danger that the northerly wind would close it
entirely, and to be caught between the pack and the shore ice would
mean certain destruction. In the afternoon the snow let up for a brief
period and they clearly saw Koliatchin Island which lies very close
to the mainland, and having determined from the native guide that
the condition of the ice was "pretty good," preparations were made to
land the shore party. They were embarked on the ice and a party of
native seal hunters rendered them invaluable aid in getting their
heavily loaded sleds over the rough spots.

The little party struggling over the hummocks and pressure ridges
of the shore ice consisted of First Lieutenant Herring, Third Lieu-
tenant Reynolds, Coxswain ( Jessler, and two natives. They had twenty-
five dogs, four sleds, and one skin boat, together with provisions, arms,
ammunition, and the necessary navigation instruments. They also car-
ried a supply of trade goods as gifts and rewards for the natives they
expected to encounter.

Instructions were given Lieutenant Herring to proceed along the
coast as far as practicable, communicating with the natives at each
settlement and if possible to find the parties who were said to have
discovered the wreck and to gather all facts in connection with it that
could in any way throw light on the fate of the missing whalers or
the Jcannette. As regards rejoining the Conrin, wiien this task was
completed they were instructed as follows: "The Corwin will be at
Ta])kan June 15, June 20, and July 15. If you do not meet the vessel
at any of tiiese dates proceed to East Cape, leave letters at all settle-
ments stopped at l)otli going and coming. In case the vessel does not
reach East Cape l)y Ihc fifteenth of August, go to Plover Bay, on the

No. 24] HOOPER: niSCOVERY OF WRANGEL ISLAND 17

way stoi) at Saint Lawrence Ba\- and leave letters with the natives to
be put on board whalin<^' vessels or to l)e delivered to the Corwin, giv-
ing information of date of passing, etc. Inform all natives met with
of the object of your visit, and request them to assist any parties of
white men that may at any time appear on their coast, and assure them
that any services rendered will be well rewarded."

Little is known today of the previous ice experience of Lieutenants
Herring and Reynolds, but it took plenty of courage to start out over
the rough ice on a journey of over two hundred miles in a thoroughly
inhospitable land. The feelings of the little party may well be imagined
as, looking back over the pressure ridges of the shore ice, they saw
the masts of the Corwin gradually disappear as she worked her way
to clear water.

As soon as the sledge party was safe ashore, the Corwin made haste
to escape from the rapidly closing lead. When she reached open water,
expecting to head for Plover Bay to effect repairs, she found Bering
Strait to be filled with ice, probably driven in from the Bering Sea by
the same storm that had set the pack on shore. The route to Plover
Bay being closed, a course was shaped for Saint Lawrence Island
which was reached at midnight and an anchorage was found near the
northeast point.

The following day was spent in searching for the wreck of the
Lolita w^hich was known to be on the north shore of the island. The
captain hoped to be able to use her rudder pintles in making the
needed repairs to their rudder. The wreck was found but her pintles
were already broken; how'ever, they did secure some material which
was useful to them w^hen the opportunity came finally to complete
the repairs.

The next day, June 10, the wind was still southwest, the weather
very thick and snowing hard. The Corwin was lying close in under
the shelter of the towering cliffs of the island. Because of the uncer-
tainty of the weather and the somewhat precarious situation which
they were in, a sharp lookout was maintained, the fires heavily banked
so that steam could be gotten up quickly, and chains on the windlass
made ready to get away on short notice. This alertness was well repaid.

About 4:00 a.m. the lookout reported a large field of ice moving
toward the ship; this proved to extend as far as they could discern
in either direction and was high enough to endanger the boats hanging
in the davits. This probably represented fifteen to twenty feet of ice
above the surface of the water and a total depth of sixt.y to eighty
feet and this tremendous mass was moving inexorablv toward the

18 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

sliore, with the Corwin anchored in the rapidly closing area of open
water between.

The official report reads, "It came in like a solid wall, drifting
directly towards the shore and extended each way as far as we could
see and looming np through the blinding snowstorm, growing higher
ajid more distinct as it came nearer until it seemed all ready to fall
on and crush us. On the other side the perpendicular cliffs of the
island seemed directly overhead and the discordant notes of the sea
birds perched on the rocks were becoming more and more distinct each
moment as the narrow belt of water between the boulder-lined shore
and the incoming wall of ice grew gradually less. To be caught under
such circumstances meant certain destruction, and but one way of
escape seemed possible, namely, to force the vessel into the floe and
take the chances of a nip in the ice, which was sure to follow."

Such a floe always presents some cracks or leads and the captain
now proposed to force the ship into one of these in hopes of entering
far enough so that when the ice crushed against the shore she would
be out of the pressure area. This was certainly not a comfortable spot
to be in and to make matters worse in attempting to find such a lead
in which to escape, their jui-y rudder was broken and had to be triced
up under the stern to prevent it from fouling the propeller. Finally by
backing full speed the Corwin was forced several lengths into the ice.

Then followed a period of tense anxiety on the part of everyone on
board. "Would the pressure of the oncoming ice continue until they
were crushed against the shore? Would the offshore movement of the
floe close the lead into which the Corivin had been forced? No action
on the part of the crew of the Corwin could in any way alter the situa-
tion, but they at once prepared to take advantage of any opportunity
for escape that might present itself, by making temporary repairs
to their rudder.

After several anxious hours the lookout from the masthead re-
l)orted that the ice was again setting offshore and soon open water
appeared once more between the pack and the land. Some fortunate
change in wind or current liad reversed the movement of the floe and
the Corivin was quick to take advantage of the situation, to free her-
self from danger.

A course was shaped for Plover Bay but because of loose drift ice
in the strait it was a slow and hazardous journey. On June 13 they
anchored in the bay and pT-oceedcd to coal ship from an open coal mine
on the Siberian shore. This was not a coal mine in the commercial
sen.se, but simply a surface dei)osit of coal so much exposed that it
was possible to dig it and load it onto sleds without tiie need of any

No. 24J HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRANGEL ISLAND 19

e(iui|)iiuMit except pieks ami slio\els. It was well known to all Arctic
vessels and was availal)lc to any who needed it. The report says, "On
the inorninj^' ol the tini'teenth all hands were turned to coalinof ship.
We had constructed two large sleds which would carry about half a
ton each, and dividing the crew into three parts, one was put at the
coal ])ile to fill coal into sacks, while the other two were drawing it
to tlie ship on the sleds. The distance from the coal pile to the vessel
in a direct line was about a mile and a half, and the rapidly melting
ice was very soft on the surface and covered with deep pools of water.
Notwithstanding the long distance and the unfavorable conditions,
with the assistance of the natives we succeeded in taking on about
nine tons a day."

Late in the afternoon the whaling bark Thomas Pope, Captain
M. V. B. Milliard, came in and made fast to the ice in order to take
on fresh water and fuel for lier galley ranges. Some of the whalers
were away from their ports two years or more and the matter of get-
ting such supplies was a serious one. Coaling continued until late on
the fourteenth when a movement of the ice indicated that it was break-
ing up. The Corivin took the Thomas Pope in tow and made her way
through broken ice to clear water.

The weather clearing somewhat, the Convin now shaped a course
for Norton Sound directly across Bering Sea on the Alaskan side. The
move from the Siberian mainland to Alaska brought about a remark-
able change. The short Alaskan summer was at its height, the weather
was beautiful, the fields were bright with wild flowers, and the abrupt
contrast between these beauties and the gales and fogs they had been
experiencing seemed almost miraculous.

Several days were required for repairs to the rudder and boilers
and then the Convin sailed again for Saint Lawrence Island and
from there to Plover Bay to complete the coaling which had been in-
terrupted by the breaking up of the ice. Full bunkers were needed
because ahead of them lay a long journey with no further supplies
available for some time. Taking on board fifty-four additional tons of
coal they shaped a course for Tapkan to learn whether the sledge party
had reached there. The Convin had been forced to miss the first two
of the assigned dates for meeting the shore party and there was
anxiety to make contact as soon a*s possible.

As the Convin nudged and buff^eted her way through heavj^ drift
ice toward Tapkan village on Koliatchin Island, the little group in her
pilot house were deeply concerned. Had the shore party arrived?
Were they all right? Had they suffered any accidents? These ques-
tions filled their thoughts.

20 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OP SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

Finally, through the glasses they made out something moving on
top of one of the native huts. It soon proved to be an American flag
and they wondered if it indicated the presence of the shore party.
They recalled the flag flying on Saint Lawrence Island which had been
taken from the wreck of the LoJita and were not sure. Soon, however,
they were able to identify Lieutenant Herring and the rest of the party
as they hastened preparations for joining the ship over the ice. Word
was now passed that the shore party were safe and waiting, and imme-
diately all was excitement on board. Had they found the Jeannettef
Had they learned anything definite about the missing whalers ? These
and hundreds of other questions awaited an answer. The sledge party
in their eagerness to return to the Corwin were now making their way
out over the ice, and two small boats were at once dispatched to pick
them up. The swell of the sea was keeping the ice in so much motion
that it was only with greatest difficulty and considerable danger to all
concerned that the operation was successfully completed.

All the men were warmly welcomed on board, including the Tapkan
dog driver, who came aboard to receive his pay. By the time this was
attended to the wind had increased so that he could not be put on
shore. On being asked if he could get back from East Cape he assured
the captain that he could walk back in only three days, so the Corwin
proceeded toward the strait.

The sledge party under Lieutenant Herring had reached Cape
Wankerem, about one hundred miles west along the Siberian coast.
They had found the actual discoverers of the wreck and had secured a
number of articles from the lost vessel, for which they amply reim-
bursed the natives. From the markings on some of the items, as well
as from the description by the natives of a wreck having a pair of
deer antlers made fast to the bowsprit, the wreck was established as
that of the Vigilant. The party also received definite word that the
Jecmnette had contacted some natives in the fall of 1879, and while this
was already known, having been received from the whalers, it showed
that the statements of the natives could sometimes be depended on.
The results obtained by the shore party had been most successful. In
return for liardships and difficulties undergone, they had fully estab-
lished some of tiie facts wliich were the o])jectives of the voyage.

With her full crew again on l)oard the Corwin was now free to make
further search to the north, and the strait being free of ice, they
headed for the Diomedes and then touched at Saint Lawrence Island
and from there crossed over to Norton Sound on the Alaskan shore.
Everywhere they went native settlements were contacted wherever

No. 24] HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRANGEL ISLAND 21

they were known to exist and at the same time a clioek was made on
any stvanpe vessels that tlie Concin eneoiintoi-ed.

After anchoring a tew (hiys at Saint ^Michaels, and taking on fur-
ther supplies, a course was laid for Kot/.ebiie Sound on the north side
of the Seward Peninsula and they finally worked their way around
Point Hope where they had to anchor and ride out a full gale that
lasted four days. July 22 found the Convin again under steam and
sail and headed north and east along the top of Alaska hoping to
reach Point Barrow where there was a large settlement. At Icy Cape,
however, the pack was encountered and further progress in that direc-
tion was out of the question for an indefinite period, since the ice
showed no signs of breaking up.

Under these conditions Captain Hooper decided to make a deter-
mined attempt to accomplish his principal objective, to land on Herald
and AVrangel islands in order to determine whether the Jemmette had
touched there and left a record. In putting this plan into effect the
Corwm was, first of all, headed for Cape Lisburne on the north coast
where, during the previous summer, they had discovered an open coal
mine whose product was fully equal in quality to the Siberian mine
at Plover Bay.

Upon arriving at the mine they found almost the entire whaling
fleet lying at anchor waiting for the ice to move offshore and open the
way to Point Barrow. From them it was learned that the bark Daniel
Webster had been seen entering the ice, and no further word having
been received from her there was considerable anxiety as to her fate.
However, no action could be taken until the ice opened up, so the Cor-
win was headed for Herald Island as planned. Before sailing they
took on about twenty tons of coal and cleared at 4 :00 p.m. on July 28.

The Corwin was now far north of the Arctic Circle and headed
almost due west across the length of the Arctic Ocean. Her course lay
almost exactly on the seventy-first parallel and while they had clear
sailing the Polar pack was always in plain sight to the north.

The weather held clear and on July 30 at 5 :45 p.m. they entered
the ice which surrounded Herald Island, still some twelve miles away.
The stanch little vessel worked her way through the ice and at 10 :00
p.m. reached the island and made fast to the grounded ice on shore.
Wrangel Island was now in ])lain sight to the west. All hands that
could be spared went on shore to conduct a careful search for any
records or other evidence that the island had been visited. There were
no signs of anyone having been there. Tliey weighed anchor on July
31 and worked their way to clear water. The captain writes in his notes :

22 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

I begin to feel as if there is some hope of our getting on W. L. now that we
have reached Herald Island.

Now the final dash to their goal was about to start. A course was
set for Wrangel Island but they soon encountered heavy ice and were
forced to cruise along its edge while keeping a sharp lookout for an
open lead. On August 4 they sighted Cape North on the Siberian
coast but were unable to land. On the fifth, however, they hauled in
for Cape Wankerem and were greeted by two large skin boats loaded
with natives who swarmed aboard. The natives immediately recog-
nized and greeted Lieutenants Herring and Reynolds from having
seen them with the sledge party and some of the women caused a
good deal of merriment by imitating Lieutenant Reynolds as a dog-
team driver.

Several days were spent visiting the native settlements, making in-
quiries regarding the missing whalers and trading with the natives,
always with a weather eye to the ice conditions in order to make a
quick start as soon as a favorable opportunity presented itself. Con-
ditions turning favorable on the eiglith, the Concin got under way
again and worked her way along the coast through the lieavy sea ice
to Cape North. Leaving the coastline there she headed out through the
broken ice of the pack and in a few hours was able to reach open water
and set a course for Wrangel.

On August 11 the report reads: "By 1 :00 a.m. the atmosphere was
perfectly clear and Wrangel Island in plain sight about 30 miles dis-
tant. . . . The ice pack, which was within half a mile, surrounded us
on all sides except between south and southeast by east, in which direc-
tion there was open water. A narrow lead of open water also showed
toward the northwest as far as we could see from the masthead. We
got under way immediately, and, entering this lead steamed in towards
the land until 2 :30 a.m., when we came to the end of the lead, but the
drift ice still being open, we continued on until 4:00 a.m., when the
ice, w^hich had been gradually getting closer as we approached the
land, became so densely packed that it was found to be impossible to
force the vessel any farther. . . . After making several ineffectual at-
tempts to force our way in closer to the land, and finding it impossible,
we reluctantly turned our l)acks on it and puslied out for clear water
to wait for a more favorable chance. The ice was so closely packed
aroiuid the vessel that the o])eration of turning around, assisted by
.steam and sail, ])olcs, and small s])ars to i)ush against the ice, and all
means at our command, occu})ied just one hour. . . . Although sadly
disappointed at the failure of this third attempt this season to reach

No. 24] HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRANGEL ISLAND

23

Figure 3. The original account of tiie discovery of Wrangel Island in the
captain's own handwriting. This entry in his diary was written at the scene
on the very day of the landing.

24 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

the land, I felt relieved to be in clear water, and did not despair of
ultimate success."

The movement of the ice due to the set of the currents made it
necessary to change positions several times during the night. At 4 :30
a.m. the Convin again entered the ice and this time with all prepara-
tions made to reach the land by crossing the ice if necessary, using the
sledges and taking along the skin boat for crossing any open leads
that might be encountered. However, as they fought their way closer
to the land ice conditions improved. Inside the ten-fathom curve they
found much of the ice aground while the floating portion was drifting
past and occasionally shooting up over the top of the grounded pieces.
Navigation under these conditions was neither comfortable nor safe,
but they all felt that the land was now actually within reach and they
pushed on. The captain's notes for that important day (see figure 3)
read:

Friday, August 12. 1881. Lat. 71-04 Long. 177-40 off Wrangle [sic] Land.
Got under way at 4:00 a.m. and steamed in toward the end of tlie lead and
into the ice at 7:00 a.m. After a good deal of bumping and squeezing we
reached the land and anchored in a small clear space off the mouth of a
small river. Went on shore and took possession in the name of the U.S.

This landing unquestionably established a valid claim to the area
on the part of the United States. Muir in his text says, "A notable ad-
dition was made to the national domain when Captain Calvin L.
Hooper landed on Wrangell Land and took formal possession in the
name of the United States." Later the great Arctic explorer Vilhjal-
mur Steffansson in his book. The Adventure of Wrangel Island, describ-
ing an expedition undertaken in 1921 wrote, "... following 1881 . . .
the island was United States territory."

Many years later the Soviet claimed that Lieutenant Wrangel had
actually discovered the island but unfortunately for their claim, Wran-
gel himself in his book, The Narrative of a Voyage to the Polar Seas
in the Years 1821, 1822, and 1823, which was written long enough after
his experiences so that he had plenty of time to make any changes or
corrections, wrote "with a painful feeling of tlic impossibility of over-
coming the obstacles with which nature had ()])])()sod us, our last hope
vanished of discovering the land which we yet believe to exist ... we
had done what duty and honor demanded, further attempts would
have ])een absolutely hopeless and I decided to return." Wrangel lo-
cated on his chart "from native report" the hind whicli "we believe to
exist" but he ])laced it some distance west of where it actually turned
out to be located.

No. 24] HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRANGEL ISLAND 25

As soon as the officijil slu*i-e i)ai'ty liad C()ini)leted the formalities
of discovery, a careful search was iiuule al()ni>' Ihe shore in each direc-
tion for evidences of a landiiiii' of any kind. After several hours of
searching ir became impossible to remain at anchor any longer and a
gun was tired to recall all shore parties. Leaving an American flag
flying and a comjilete record of their visit the Concin now worked
her way out to the lead.

She was soon in ojxmi water and making all speed with steam and
sail across the Arctic Ocean but this time with the Polar ice on her
port beam. Having found no records of the Jeannette on either Herald
Island or AVrangel Island, for the very good reasons as we now know
that the De Long party had never touched on either of them, the
Corwin was hastening to Point Barrow in hopes of rendering assist-
ance to the Daniel Wehster in case she w^as still in the ice. On the
way, however, they spoke the whalers Iloirland and Rainlwiv and
learned from them that the Daniel Webster had been crushed in the
ice and that part of her crew had reached Point Barrow. The remain-
der were supposed to still be on the pack. Upon learning this the Cor-
win skirted the Alaskan coast line closely and kept a careful watch
for signs of any who might luive reached the land before the ice went
offshore. Constant contact was also made with the native villages
along the way and many reports of the wreck were received, all of
which were in some agreement.

Point Barrow was reached on August 16 and several whalers, which
had arrived only a few hours earlier, were found at anchor there, the
ice having gone offshore the previous evening. The crew of the Daniel
Webster were all at Point Barrow and every man accounted for. They
were divided up among the whalers except for nine men who had their
fill of whaling and "wanted out." These were taken on board the Cor-
win to be returned to civilization and extra supplies were distributed
to the other ships to allow for the extra hands taken aboard.

While the Corwin was at Barrow the bark Legal Tender arrived,
bringing the first mail they had received since leaving San Francisco;
the Legal Tender had sailed from there on June 11. Since she was leav-
ing at once, loaded with surjilus bone and oil from the whaling fleet, the
crew^ of the Corwin sent mail sacks aljoard for their dear ones at home.

On August 19 the Corivin sailed for Cape Lisburne hoping to again
take coal from the mine, but a strong northeast w4nd had kicked up
such a sea that boating coal was out of the question. The night of the
nineteenth was the first night tliat could be called dark; until then
the nights had merely been long twdlights. On August 22 they passed
close to the Diomedes Init never saw any part of them on account of

26 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

the thick fog that lay on the water; their presence was well announced,
however, by the screaming of the thousands of sea birds that inliabit
the rocky cliffs of tlie islands.

The Convin headed for Plover Bay sometimes under steam and
sail and sometimes under sail alone, as they had only about enough
coal for one night's run; in fact, when she reached the bay there was
only one ton left in her bunkers. While there they took on coal and
water and completed minor repairs to their rudder. They got under
way on August 27 and headed again for Cape Serdz in order to pick
up the dogs and other property left earlier in care of the natives.

On the way the Corwin encountered a full gale which broke the
fastenings of the icebreaker. Since the seas were running so high
that it could not be taken aboard without great danger to the crew,
orders were given to cut it adrift to save the bow from being battered
by it in the heavy seas. All day on the twenty-eighth both Herald Island
and Wrangel Island were in plain sight, but the pack had closed
around them.

A course was now laid for Saint Michaels where coal and water

were taken on and some of the extra supplies were returned to the

Alaska Commercial Company. The Convin set sail on September 17

and reached Unalaska on the twenty-third, the entrj^ for the day reads :

Friday, September 23. Ounalaska — Weather fine — landed all extra rations re-
ceived from the A. C. Co. at St. Michaels, cabin and wardroom stores. Also
sold a lot of extra cabin stores. All hands at work stripping off the remainder
of the sheathing, and cleaning ship generally.

Several days were spent cleaning and painting and finally at noon
on October 4, the Corwin, with a homeward-bound pennant long
enough to reach from the masthead to the water, floating in the Arctic
breeze, took tlie schooner Kodiak in tow and made her way through
the pass before releasing her tow and finally starting the long voyage
home.

After five months of continuous battle witli the elements it would
seem fitting that this last two-thousand-mile leg of her journey sliould
be smooth sailing. Such, however, was not to be the case for the sea
was to make one last attempt to gain a victory. On October 5 the
wind increased to a strong gale from the northeast, the seas ran very
high, and in her struggles the Corwin's bobstay parted and her bow-
sprit was carried away. All hands were put to clearing away the
wreckage and as soon as the storm abated somewhat a small spar was
rigged as a temporary l)owsprit so that she could carry her headsails
and make a i)i'()per appearance on reaching her home port. The Corwin
had to buck strong head winds and foul weather until the nineteenth.

No. 24] HOOPER: DISCOVERY OF WRANGEL ISLAND 27

On October 20 we come to a significant entry in the captain's

private notes. This record had been faithfully kejit every day since

the first of the year. All through the period of anticipation wondering

whether the Corwin would be given the assignment, through the time

of preparation, and finally on the entire voyage in fair weather and

foul, not a single day had been missed. Now the Corwiri had rounded

Cape Mendocino on the California coast and was feeling her way

toward San Francisco Bay in a dense fog. All hands on deck were

straining ears and eyes to locate a bearing, if only the low moan of the

giant foghorn guarding the entrance to the bay. The entry for the

day reads:

Thursday, October 20. Still trying to get into S.F., thick all day, caught a
glimpse of the hills . . . also saw a number of vessels.

Here the record ends; there is no further entry of any kind. To one
who is familiar with the fogs that blanket the Bay Region at certain
seasons the picture is plain enough. After being enveloped in an im-
penetrable mist and not caring to risk the dangerous channel by com-
pass alone, suddenly as though some gigantic door had opened, the
Corwin emerged from the fog and before her, warm in the golden Cali-
fornia sunshine lay the brown hills of Marin County and the Golden
Gate with welcoming arms outstretched. Beyond lay homes and loved
ones and surcease from the relentless battles against the Arctic. No
further entries were needed.

No more fitting close to the account of the cruise of the Corwin
could be made than to quote from Captain Hooper's report his re-
marks about the fate of the Jeannette.

"In closing my report of the cruise of the Corwin I cannot refrain
from making brief reference to the fate of one of the objectives of our
search . . . the Jeannette and her officers and crew ... I desire to
express my unbounded admiration for their fortitude and their heroic
exertions in making the most remarkable retreat over the ice ever made
by man, from where their vessel sank to the Lena Delta, for their brave
struggle for existence after reaching land, and their cheerful resigna-
tion to fate when death in its most awful form stared them in the
face and claimed them one by one."

More than seventy years have passed since the little shore party
from the Corwin effected the first landing on Wrangel Island and took
possession in the name of the United States. Blasted by Arctic gales
and scarred by the polar pack it still lies surrounded by frozen seas, a
land which at the time of its discovery seemed inaccessible and value-
less, it now lies directly across the most direct air routes between the
capitals of Europe and those of the Western Hemisphere.