PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 359 



necessary, might be performed. They are supplied CI ^ P - 

 by the draining* of the land and the melting snow, •—■•v-*-' 

 and discharge their water through small openings in A ^6.' 

 the shingly beach, too shallow to be entered by any 

 tiling larger than a baidar, one of them excepted, 

 through which the current ran too strong for sound- 

 ings to be taken. 



On the 1st of August we did little more than drift 

 along the coast with the current — which was re- 

 peatedly tried, and always found setting to the 

 north-west — from half a mile to a mile and a half 

 per hour. The Esquimaux, taking advantage of the 

 calm, came off to the ship in three baidars, and add- 

 ed to our stock of curiosities by exchanging their 

 manufactures for beads, knives, and tobacco. 



On the 2d, being favoured with a breeze, we closed 

 with a high cape, which I named after Mr. Deas 

 Thomson, one of the commissioners of the navy.* 

 It is a bold promontory 450 feet in height, and 

 marked with differently coloured strata, of which 

 there is a representation in the geological memoran- 

 dum. As this was a fit place to erect a signal-post 

 for Captain Franklin, we landed, and were met upon 

 the beach by some Esquimaux, who eagerly sought 

 an exchange of goods. Very few of their tribe un- 

 derstood better how to drive a bargain than these 

 people ; and it was not until they had sold almost 

 all they could spare, that we had any peace. We 

 found them very honest, extremely good natured," 

 and friendly. Their features, dress, and weapons 

 were the same as before described in Kotzebue 

 Sound, with the exception of some broad-headed 



* A cape close to this has been named Cape Ricord by the 

 Russians. 



