S6il DISCOVERIES OF 1815 tO 



such a great difference between the temperature of 

 the two continents, on the two sides of the strait, 

 that, in standing across, it was like passing instan- 

 taneously from summer to winter, and the contrary. 

 This happened about the end of August, at which 

 time a fair and open passage appeared to lie on the 

 American side, as far to the northward as the 

 eye could reach ; whereas on the Asiatic side the 

 ice seemed to be fixed to the shore, and its outer 

 edo-e to extend in the direction of north-east, which 

 was precisely that of the current. 



The season beino' too far advanced either to at- 

 tempt to carry the Rurick round Icy Cape, Avhich, 

 however, Lieutenant Kotzebue thinks he could 

 have done without any obstruction, or to prosecute 

 the land journey to the eastward ; and fearing if he 

 remained longer in the great inlet the entrance 

 might be closed up with ice, he thought the most 

 prudent step he could take would be that of pro- 

 ceeding to winter and refit in California, and early 

 in the following spring to renew the attempt to 

 penetrate into the interior of America. He ac- 

 cordingly set out again early in March, called at 

 the Sandwich Islands, and reached the Aleutian 

 Islands in June, where the Rurick suffered much 

 from a violent gale of wind, in which Lieutenant 

 Kotzebue unfortunately had his breast bone bro- 

 ken ; this accident threw him into such a state 

 of ill health, that after persevering till they reached 

 Eivoogiena or Clerke's Island, at the mouth of 



