PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 443 



large river coming from the southward, and passing C xn P ' 

 between our station and a range of hills. At a few "— ~y^- 

 miles distance the river passed between rocky cliffs, 1826. 

 whence the land on either side became hilly, and 

 interrupted our further view of its course. The 

 width of the river was about a mile and a half; but 

 this space was broken into narrow and intricate 

 channels by banks — some dry, and others partly so. 

 The stream passed rapidly between them, and at an 

 earlier period of the season a considerable body of 

 water must be poured into the sound; though, from 

 the comparative width of the channels, the current 

 in the latter is not much felt. 



The shore around us was flat, broken by several 

 lakes, in which there were a great many wildfowl. 

 The cliff we had ascended was composed of a bluish 

 mud and clay, and was full of deep chasms lying in 

 a direction parallel with the front of the eminence. 

 In appearance this hill was similar to that at Ele- 

 phant Point, which was said to contain fossils ; but 

 there were none seen here, though the earth, in 

 parts, had a disagreeable smell, similar to that which 

 was supposed to proceed from the decayed animal 

 substances in the cliff near Elephant Point. 



Returning from this river, we were joined by three 

 caiacs from some tents near us, and four from the 

 river, who were very troublesome, pestering us for 

 tawack, and receiving the little we had to give them 

 in the most ungracious manner, without offering any 

 return. 



I found Mr. Collie had been successful in his 

 search among the cliffs at Elephant Point, and had 

 discovered several bones and grinders of elephants 

 and other animals in a fossil state, of which a full 



