254 A P P E N D I X I. 



that it is very uncommon to have dear weather for five 

 ' days together, even during fummer. 



winters at 

 Alaxa, 



Krcnitzm fhc St. Catherine wintered in the ftraits of Alaxa, 



where they hauled her into fhoal water. The inflru(ftions 

 given to the captain fet forth, that a private lliip had 

 in 1762 found there a commodious haven; but he 

 looked for it in vain. The entrance of this ftrait from 

 the N. E. was extremely difficult on account of flats, and 

 ilrong currents both flood and ebb : the entrance however 

 from the S. E. w^as afterwards found to be much eafier 

 with not lels than 5^ fathoms water. Upon furvey- 

 ing this ftrait, and the coaft of Alaxa, many fun- 

 nels were obferved in the low grounds clofe to the 

 fliore, and the foil produced few plants. May not 

 this allow one to fiippoie that the coaft had fuffered 

 confiderable changes fince the year 1762? Ftw of 

 the iilands produce wood, and that only in the val- 

 lies by the rivulets. Unalga and Alaxa contain the 

 moft ; they abound with frefli water ftreams, and even 

 rivers ; from which we may infer that they are exten- 

 live. The foil is in general boggy, and covered with 

 mofs ; but Alaxa has more foil and produces much grafs. 



LcvaftiefF The St. Paul wintered in Unahiftika. This wintering 



winters upon 



unaiaihka. pjace was obfcrvcd to lie in 53° 29' North latitude, and 

 Its longitude from tlie nKJulh of Kamtchatka river, 



com- 



