PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 349 



feet above the sea, is steep, except to the eastward, 

 where it ends in a low sandy point, upon which are 

 the remains of some Esquimaux habitations ; it has Jjj.^ 

 the same swampy covering as the land just described, 

 from which, until late in the summer, several streams 

 descend, and are very convenient for procuring water. 

 Detached from Chamisso, there is a steep rock which 

 by way of distinction we named Puffin Island, com- 

 posed of mouldering granite, which has broken away 

 in such a manner that the remaining part assumes 

 the form of a tower. During the period of incuba- 

 tion of the aquatic birds, every hole and projecting 

 crag on the sides of this rock is occupied by them. 

 Its shores resound with the chorus of thousands of 

 the feathery tribe ; and its surface presents a curi- 

 ously mottled carpet of brown, black, and white. 



In a sandy bay upon the western side of the pen- 

 insula we found a few Esquimaux who had hauled 

 up their baidars, and erected a temporary hut ; they 

 were inferior in every respect to those we had seen 

 before, and furnished us with nothing new. In this 

 bay we caught enough salmon, and other fish, to give 

 a meal to the whole of the ship's company, which 

 was highly acceptable ; but we had to regret that 

 similar success did not attend our subsequent trials. 



By my instructions, I was desired to await the 

 arrival of Captain Franklin at this anchorage ; but 

 in a memoir drawn up by that officer and myself, to 

 which my attention was directed by the Admiralty, 

 it was arranged that the ship should proceed to the 

 northward, and survey the coast, keeping the barge 

 in shore to look out for the land party, and to erect 

 posts as signals of her having been there, and also to 

 leave directions where to find the ship. 



