PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 261 



necessary information for Captain Franklin and Lieu- 

 tenant Belcher, in the event of either arriving during 

 our absence. 



We passed Cape Krusenstern about sunset on the 

 25th ; and in running along shore after dark our at- 

 tention was directed to a large fire, kindled as if for 

 the purpose of attracting our notice. As this was the 

 signal agreed upon between Captain Franklin and my- 

 self, and as we had not before seen a fire in the night 

 on any part of the coast, we immediately brought to, 

 and, to our great satisfaction at the moment, observed 

 a boat pulling towards the ship. Our anxiety at her 

 approach may be imagined, when we thought we could 

 discover with our telescopes, by the light of the au- 

 rora borealis, that she was propelled by oars instead of 

 by paddles. But just as our expectation was at the 

 highest, we were accosted by the Esquimaux in their 

 usual manner, and all our hopes vanished. I fired a 

 gun, however, in case there might be any persons on 

 shore who could not come ofF to us ; but the signal 

 not being answered, we pursued our course for Cha- 

 misso. 



For the first time since we entered Beering's Strait 

 the night was clear, and the aurora borealis sweeping 

 across the heavens reminded us that it was exactly on 

 that night twelvemonth that w^e saw this beautiful 

 phenomenon for the first time in these seas. A short 

 time before it began, a brilliant meteor fell in the 

 western quarter. The aurora is at all times an object 

 of interest, and seldom appears without some display 

 worthy of admiration, though the expectation is seldom 

 completely gratified. The uncertainty of its move- 

 ments, and of the moment when it may break out into 

 splendour, has, however, the effect of keeping the at- 



