Abstract
Science announces that Lieut. Schwatka, accompanied by Assistant-Surgeon Wilson, C. A. Homan, U.S. Engineer Corps, and three private soldiers, left for Chilkat, Alaska, May 22, from Portland, Or., on the steamer Victoria. They are provisioned for a six months' cruise, will employ Indians for packers, &c., and intend to ascend the Chilkat River to its head, make the passage to the head waters of the Lewis River, and descend the same to its junction with the Yukon, and descend the Yukon River to its mouth. It is said to be their intention to survey the course of these rivers; and there is no doubt that a properly qualified and equipped party would find abundance of useful work ready to their hands. The whole route has been, travelled before, but not by persons in search of and qualified to obtain geographical information, except in very small part. The explorations of the Krause brothers on the Chilkat and vicinity have been alluded to before. The Yukon has been superficially examined by McMurray, Ketchum, Zagoskin, Ball, Whymper, Raymond, Nelson, and others, and a few points have been astronomically determined; but nothing like an exact map has been attempted, nor do the data for it exist. Astronomical and magnetic observations anywhere along its banks, and especially any data for a map of the Lewis River and its feeders (which are only known from the reports of prospectors and natives), would be of the highest interest.
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Geographical Notes . Nature 28, 209 (1883). https://doi.org/10.1038/028209a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/028209a0