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Unalakhlit  with Messrs O. de Bendeleben, [[marginalia]] 10 [[/marginalia]] Dyer, Cotter and Chappel, and interpreter Hanson.  Mr. L. F Green, who had been ordered to my command, I left at Unalakhlit in charge of our American post.

Accompanying me were four Indians, my outfit consisting of three sleds, 20 dogs, and provisions for two months.  The trip as far as Norton Bay was none of the pleasantest owing to snow storms, snow drifts, bad weather and bad roads generally.  At Norton Bay, I sent Messrs Dyer and Cotter by the Inglulalik route to explore the country lying between the sea and Nulato, on the Kuikhpak river.  These gentlemen were furnished with two Indians - [[marginalia]] + [[/marginalia]] sled of seven dogs, with provisions for thirty days.  My instructions to them were clear and definite, viz:  to notice particularly every point bearing on the facility for transportation;  the fitness of the country for telegraphic purposes;  the amount of provisions to be obtained from the Indians;  and the probable amount of labor to be obtained from them.  To explore first the route known by their Indian guide, and on their return, should a shorter pass become known to survey that, always relying upon the amount of  provisions on hand, and not on the country for subsistence, as I had heard 

Transcription Notes:
On page 11 of 48 the name, introduced here, is spelled "Cotter" but on page 14/48 it is spelled "Coller" here on 15/48 there's one crossed "t" which makes it "Colter" which I have changed to "Cotter" to conform with page 11/48. If the name occurs on future pages suggest edit to conform with whatever selling is correct. Google search indicates name is "Cotter". Changed to Coller transcribe what is there despite mistakes. I believe the line over the "er" is the mark for crossing the two "t's". There are many places in this project and on this page where the "t's" are technically not crossed but the horizontal mark is there...just a bit off the mark. See "facility" "transportation" "country" and others, including another instances of "Coller/Cotter". I don't consider those mistakes, just an aspect of the writer's cursive style.