TO kotzebue's sound. 197 



we were again enveloped in thick fog. We took 

 a trigonometrical survey of the west coast of this 

 island, as well as circumstances would allow ; but 

 no point has been astronomically determined, as 

 the sun did not give us an opportunity to make 

 any observations. On account of the constant damp 

 weather, part of my crew, notwithstanding all the 

 care I had taken to prevent this disorder, suffered 

 from cold and coughs. They had tea twice a-day; 

 and a constant fire was kept in the hold, to keep 

 them botli warm and dry j and they were never 

 allowed to keep on their wet clothes, but obliged 

 to change them, as soon as they were relieved from 

 the watch. Our Russian sailor will never use such 

 precaution of his own accord ; he lets his clothes 

 dry unconcernedly on his body, without fearing 

 the dangerous consequences. I had much trouble 

 in accustoming my people to this order j they could 

 never perceive the necessity of it, and it appeared 

 to them, on the contrary, as if they were treated 

 like children. 



At four o'clock in the morning, the fog dis- 

 persed ; King's Island lay at tlie distance of eight 

 miles before us. Four hours afterwards we could 

 plainly discern Cape Prince of Wales, also the 

 islands of Gwozdeff, and even the Asiatic coast ; 

 for, probably, no voyager ever had a clearer hori- 

 zon than we. The sun now appeared for the first 

 time since we had left Beering's Island, and per- 

 mitted us to take some altitudes lor the chrono- 



o 3 



