INTRODUCTION. 25 



On comparing the account of the voyage with 

 the instructions given to Lieutenant Kotzebue, it 

 will be observed that several points in them were 

 not executed. In general those who are commis- 

 sioned to draw up instructions for a voyage of dis- 

 covery, provide for much more employment than 

 is necessary, because they are well aware, that all 

 cannot be performed, and it cannot be foreseen 

 what part of the instructions must remain unexe- 

 cuted. This has also been the case with Lieutenant 

 Kotzebue. But what those who planned the 

 voyage, and still more he who commanded it, re- 

 grets, is, that the examination of the interior of 

 America, to the north and east of Beering's Straits 

 was necessarily abandoned, for very cogent rea- 

 sons, which are stated in the account of the 

 voyage. Such an examination, if it can in fact be 

 made in those icy regions, cannot fail to throw a 

 new light on the internal situation of the country, 

 and on its inhabitants j perhaps, too, it would lead 

 to the wished-for final solution of the problem, of 

 the discovery of a communication between the two 

 oceans. The object of Lieutenant Kotzebue has 

 failed, it is true, in this respect j but from the con- 

 tents of the following pages the reader will be 

 convinced, that the voyage has been as productive 

 of advantages to navigation, natural history, and 

 natural philosophy, as the means employed would 

 permit, and consequently that the highly laudable 

 object of the author of the voyage is fully accom* 



