PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 421 



spect ; but they had not proceeded many miles fur- chap. 

 ther before some bergs were seen in the offing nearly ^>-w 

 in the same parallel in which the margin of the ice Sf 1 * 6 

 had been found by the ship ; and from the number Bar s e - 

 of bergs increasing as they advanced, the sanguine 

 expectations in which they had indulged gradually 

 diminished. These bergs were seen off a point of 

 land to which I gave the name of Smyth, in compli- 

 ment to the officer who accompanied the boat expe- 

 dition, and very deservedly obtained his promotion 

 for that service. In the course of their run they 

 passed a village, where the inhabitants, seeing them 

 so near, came out of their yourts, and men, women, 

 children, and dogs set up a loud hallooing until they 

 were gone. Upon Cape Smyth there was also a vil- 

 lage, the inhabitants of which accosted them with 

 the same hooting noises as before. 



Advancing to the northward with the wind off 

 the land, they saw the main body of ice about seven 

 miles distant to the westward, and were much en- 

 cumbered by the icebergs, which they could only 

 avoid by repeatedly altering the course. The land 

 from Cape Smyth, which was about forty-five feet 

 in height, sloped gradually to the northward, and 

 terminated in a low point which has been named 

 Point Barrow. From the rapidity with which the 

 boat passed the land, there appears to have been a 

 current setting to the north-east. The water, about 

 half a mile from the cape, was between six and 

 seven fathoms deep. 



Wednesday, 23rd Aug. " Arriving about two 

 a. m. off the low point, we found it much encum- 

 bered with ice, and the current setting N.W. (mag.) 

 between three and four miles an hour. Opening 



