INTRODUCTION. S3 



rtiaii can form a clear notion of the exertions which 

 an officer must make, who, for three successive 

 years, has to share with his captain only the liard- 

 ships of a navigation, often dangerous, always 

 difficult, now in the stormy seas of Kamtschatka, 

 now in the icy regions of Beering's Straits, now 

 among the coral chains of the islands of the South 

 Sea. The two mates, Petroff and Cramtschenko, 

 were young men from the pilots* school, who have 

 acquired great skill in their department, and with 

 whom M. Von Kotzebue was perfectly satisfied. 

 It was the business of the latter, in particular, to 

 draw the charts. 



Dr. Ledebour, professor of natural history in the 

 university of Dorpat, was chosen for naturalist to 

 the expedition, and he had proposed for his assist- 

 ant Dr. Eschholz, who was to be also the ship's 

 physician ; an office which, on board so small a 

 ship, with a crew of twenty men, among M'hom 

 much sickness was not to be expected, might be 

 easily made compatible with the employment of a 

 naturalist. Dr. Ledebour's health did not allow 

 him to realize his wish, and M. A. Von Chamisso, 

 of Berlin, accompanied the expedition as naturalist 

 in his stead. He was recommended to the chan- 

 cellor, by Professors Rudolph and Lichtenstein, as 

 a thoroughly well-informed man, })assionately de- 

 voted to his department of science ; how well 

 merited this recommendation was, and how for- 

 tunate the choice proved for Lieutenant Kotzebue 



c 4< 



