J818. LIEUTENANT KOTZEBUE, 363 



Behring's Strait, the surgeon declared that nothing 

 but a warmer climate would save his life. The 

 ice had but just left the southern shores of this 

 island and was gradually moving to the northward, 

 which it appears is its usual course every year, 

 but is hastened or delayed in its progress more or 

 less according to the prevailing winds and the 

 strength with which they blow. Being thus 

 nearly a month too soon to afford any prospect of 

 immediate access to the inlet on the northern side 

 of Cape Prince of Wales, and his health daily 

 getting worse, he was reluctantly compelled to 

 return with his little bark, and to make the best 

 of his way home round the Cape of Good Hope. 



In the course of his circumnavigation, Lieu- 

 tenant Kotzebue has made several interesting 

 discoveries of new groups of islands in the 

 Pacific ; and he has done that which for the first 

 time has been effected, namely, taking the tempe- 

 rature of the sea at the surface and at a certain 

 depth at a particular hour every day, both on the 

 outward and homeward voyage. 



It is greatly to the credit of Lieutenant Kot- 

 zebue that, after a voyage of three years, in every 

 variety of climate, he has brought back again 

 every man of his little crew, with the exception of 

 one who embarked in a sickly state.* 



* From personal conversation with Lieutenant Kotzebue. 



