PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 291 



In passing Cape Krusenstern we perceived a blink in 

 the N.W. direction, similar to that over ice, and it is 

 not unlikely that the westerly winds which were so 

 prevalent all the summer had drifted it from the Asia- 

 tic shore, where it rests against the land in a much 

 lower parallel than u])on the American coast. 



As we receded from the sound the wind freshened 

 from the N.W. with every appearance of a gale ; we 

 kept at a reasonable distance from the land until day 

 light, and then steered towards Cape Prince of Wales, 

 with a view of passing Beering's Strait. Our depth of 

 water thus far had been about fifteen fathoms, but at 

 eleven o'clock in the forenoon it began to diminish, 

 and the sea being high, the course was altered, to in- 

 crease our distance from the coast : we had scarcely 

 done this when the water shoaled still more, and a 

 long line of breakers was observed stretching from the 

 land, crossing our course, and extending several miles 

 to windward. The weather was so hazv that we could 

 scarcely see the land ; but it was evident that we had 

 run down between the coast and a shoal, and as there 

 was no prospect of being able to weather the land on 

 the opposite tack, the only alternative was to force 

 the ship through the breakers ; we accordingly steered 

 for those parts where the sea broke the least, and kept 

 the ship going at the rate of seven knots, in order, as 

 the shoal appeared to be very narrow, that she might 

 not hang, in the event of touching the ground. 



The sea ran very high, and we entered the broken 

 water in breathless suspense, as there was very little 

 prospect of saving the ship, in the event of her be- 

 coming fixed upon the shoal. Four fathoms and a 

 half was communicated from the channels, a depth in 



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