PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 383 



CHAP. 

 XI. 



one immense flock was run completely over by her. 

 They, however, were more wary when the boats 

 were lowered, and successfully avoided our attempts SV 

 to shoot them, by diving. At the place where we 

 landed, there was a long lake between us and the 

 main land ; and our walk was confined to a strip of 

 shingle and sand, about 150 yards wide, and about 

 six feet above the level of the sea. In the sheltered 

 parts of it there were a few flowers, but no new 

 species. The lake was connected with the sea at 

 high tide, and was consequently salt ; but we ob- 

 tained some water sufficiently fresh to drink by dig- 

 ging at a distance of less than a yard from its mar- 

 gin, a resource of which the natives appeared to be 

 well aware. 



An abundance of drift wood was heaped upon the 

 upper part of the shingle. The trees were torn up 

 by the roots, and some were worm-eaten ; but the 

 greater part appeared to have been only a short time 

 at sea, and all of it, that I examined, was pine. 



From the desolate appearance of the coast where 

 we landed, I scarcely expected to find a human be- 

 ing, but we had no sooner put our foot ashore than 

 a baidar full of people landed a short distance from 

 us. Her crew consisted of three grown-up males 

 and four females, besides two infants. They were 

 as ready as their neighbours to part with what they 

 had in exchange for trifles ; esteeming our old brass 

 buttons above all other articles, excepting knives. 

 There was a blear-eyed old hag of the party, who 

 separated from her companions, and seated herself 

 upon a piece of drift wood at a little distance from 

 the baidar, and continued there, muttering an unin- 

 telligible language, and apparently believing herself 



