white sand drifting about with the wind like snow. The next day a
schooner arrived with the contractor's supplies and lumber for a
dwelling and a scow, the latter to be used by the divers in their
outside work. There also arrived, towards night, a strong gale. It
blew so hard that with both anchors down the engines had to be worked
constantly to prevent drifting either on the island or the reef.

During the month of April work both afloat and ashore was steadily
pushed. The contractor's house was set up and the divers' scow
completed and launched. In addition, a thorough survey of the entire
reef and bar was completed.

Our several trips between the Midways and Honolulu need but brief
mention. They were slow and monotonous, being made mostly under sail.
The Saginaw was not built for that purpose. On one occasion, on
account of head winds, we made but twenty miles on our course in two
days.

The last return to the Midways came on October 12, and the
appropriation of $50,000 having been expended, our captain proceeded
to carry out his orders directing him to take on board the
contractor's workmen with their tools and stores and transport them to
San Francisco.

We found the shore party all well and looking forward with pleasure to
the closing day of their contract. They certainly have had the
monotonous and irksome end of the business, although we have not been
able to derive much pleasure from our sailings to and fro.

A brief resume of the work performed during their seven months'
imprisonment I have compiled from the journal of Passed Assistant
Engineer Blye, who remained upon the island during our absences.

Their first attempt at dislodging the coral rock on the bar was made
by the diver with two canisters of powder, and about five tons of
rock were dislodged and well broken up. Thereafter the work was
intermittently carried on, as weather permitted. During September and
October there were frequent strong gales from the west, and on such
occasions the mouth of the harbor, being on that side, was dangerous
to approach.

[Illustration: THE LANDING AT MIDWAY ISLANDS]

[Illustration: THE MIDWAY ISLANDS AS WE LEFT THEM]

After toiling laboriously and constantly for six months, using large
quantities of powder and fuse, the result now is a passage through the
bar fifteen feet in width and four hundred feet in length, whereas one
hundred and seventy feet in width is estimated as essential. A proper
comp