1827. 



292 VOYAGE TO THE 



CHAP, which it may be recollected we disturbed the bottom 



VII. . . 



. ' t in crossing the bar of San Francisco ; the same 



Oct. depth was again reported, and we pursued our course 

 momentarily expecting to strike. Fortunately this 

 was the least depth of water, and before long our 

 soundings increased to twenty fathoms, when having 

 escaped the danger, we resumed our course for the 

 strait. 



This shoal, which appears to extend from Cape 

 Prince of Wales, taking the direction of the current 

 through the strait, is extremely dangerous, in conse- 

 quence of the water shoaling so suddenly, and having 

 deep water within it, by which a ship coming from the 

 northward may be led down between the shoal and 

 the land, without any suspicion of her danger. 

 Though we had nothing less than twenty-seven feet 

 water, as near as the soundings could be ascertained 

 in so high a sea, yet, from the appearance of the 

 breakers outside the place where the ship crossed, the 

 depth is probably less. It is remarkable that this spit 

 of sand, extending so far as it does from the land, 

 should have hitherto escaped the observation of the 

 Russians, as well as of our countrymen. Cook, in his 

 chart, marks five fathoms close off the cape, and Kot- 

 zebue three, but this spit appeared to extend six or 

 seven miles from it. It is true that the weather was 

 very hazy, and we might have been deceived in our dis- 

 tance from the shore : but it is also probable that the 

 spit may be extending itself rapidly. 



We passed Beering's Strait about one o'clock, as 

 usual with a close reefed topsail breeze, and afterwards 

 ran with a fresh gale until midnight, when, as I wished 

 to see the eastern end of St. Lawrence Island, we 



