PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 403 



they so nearly resemble those already described as to 

 render it unnecessary. These two persons, in the 

 tattooing of the face, and in features, which more S. 

 nearly resembled those of the Tschutschi, seemed to 

 be allied to the tribes on the Asiatic coast, with 

 whom they no doubt have an occasional intercourse. 



On the first of September our sportsmen succeeded 

 in bagging several braces of ptarmigan and wild 

 ducks ; but game was not so plentiful as might have 

 been expected at this season of the year, in a country 

 so abundantly provided with berries and so scantily 

 inhabited. It was a pleasure to find that we could 

 now pursue this and other occupations free from the 

 annoyance of moskitos ; a nuisance which, what- 

 ever it may appear at first, is in reality not trifling. 

 Dr. Richardson fixes the departure of these insects 

 from Fort Franklin on the 11th of September: 

 here, however, it takes place at least a fortnight 

 earlier. 



On the 5th I visited the northern side of Escholtz 

 Bay, and found the country almost impassable from 

 swamp, notwithstanding the season was so far ad- 

 vanced. It seemed as if the peaty nature of the 

 covering obstructed the drainage of the water, which 

 the power of the sun had let loose during the sum- 

 mer, and that the frozen state of the ground beneath 

 prevented its escape in that direction. The power 

 of the sun's rays upon the surface was still great, 

 and large stones and fragments of rock that had been 

 split by the frost were momentarily relinquishing 

 their hold and falling down upon the beach. A 

 thermometer exposed upon a piece of black cloth 

 rose to 112°, and in the shade stood at 62°. On the 

 side of the hill that sloped to the southward the 



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