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[[preprinted]]WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1865 [[/preprinted]]
In sight of the island of St. Michaels. Long, low, & unpromising. The hills on the opposite shore are somewhat numerous and are mostly quiescent volcanoes. No steamer in sight and our hearts sank within us but our forebodings are soon dispelled by the sight of R.K. in a boat with some Indians. The steamer has passed on to Hantley harbor and Plover bay & left K. Denison & Bendeleben to take command of the R. Am. explorations. Get details for duty and go ashore with K. The redoubt is a strong log house square with six guns in small blockhouses. Gospodar Stepanov commander.

[[preprinted]] THURSDAY 14 [[/preprinted]]
Anna Andreavna of Sitka keeps house for the Commander. Have venison, ducks, salmonberries and samovar tea for grub. The reindeer meat is very good. Get to work on the steamer and find her adrift-having cut her chain. Rains hard. Cotter and Jay Chappel go with K. Get a Russian bath with Charley Pease in the afternoon. It is pleasant and renovating. Take notes for guidance next winter. Sleep on floor in Ks room on reindeer skins with a rabbit skin blanket. Very tired.
         
[[preprinted]] FRIDAY 15 [[/preprinted]]
Get on board the barque early and take out a small SCI. equipment for myself. All the rest will be left with Bannister. Work hard all morning & on shore to dinner. Damned ass Greer has left the exhaust-pipe of the Lizzie Homer on board the Clara Bell. Row to replace it. K  gets a large lot of deficiencies from Capt. S. Walker fumbles
all the arms & cartridges and Indian goods into the bay but they are rescued with damage. Go aboard with K. per orders, consult with Capt. Scannon & ashore again in the dingy. Turn in with Charley Pease in Ks room & bed.
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[[preprinted]] SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1865 [[/preprinted]]
Morning. Up early and go to breakfast with the rest. After breakfast go about making myself as useful as circumstances permit. Get my required letters to Walker and Baird. Act as one of a board of survey on the damaged goods with Wright, Glover & Ennis. Resolutions to Capt. Scammon are read and replied to, and some advice from Dr. Fisher. Go aboard with K. and the Capt. Send books off to Bannister, bid all good bye, get my things aboard and bid my dear brother in arms Robert Kennicott good speed. Anchor low down in the bay all night.
                
[[preprinted]] SUNDAY 17 [[/preprinted]]
Beautiful clean sunshiny day. Sailing slowly away from St. Michaels at about 2 knots an hour, sounding every half hour. Black clayey mud with a Yoldia like limatula. No inspection or muster. Work nearly all day arranging my Sci. outfit under cover. Pack up the omega plants and label them. There were 15 species. We go to Emma Harbor for sounding all the way to see if a cable may be laid on this shallow sea valley. Evening, write up notes and take notes on soundings. The day  has passed so quietly that it seems like the real article.
              
[[preprinted]] MONDAY 18 [[/preprinted]]
Morning blowing a gale from the south west. Wind decreasing but barometer going down. Turn in and read Phillips Metallurgy, which is a very good  index book on the subject. After lunch start on a chart of the sea between Michaelovsky [[strikethrough]] between [[/strikethrough]]and Emma Harbor. Our flour, potatoes, butter, onions, and molasses are now nearly gone. We are gradually coming down to a diet of salt pork, beef, coffee, tea, hardtack and pickles, all except the biscuit of very poor quality, which makes it worse. Write in the evenings.
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