TO kotzebue's sound. 199 



consisting of low land, but has a far more pleasing 

 appearance than St. Lawrence Island. The whole 

 low ground is covered with a luxuriant green : 

 there are no trees at all, but some low bushes ; and 

 only a little snow on the summits of the mountains 

 in the interior of the.country. Many habitations, 

 which cover the coast, indicate a numerous popu- 

 lation. A bay dare which we saw under sail, had by 

 no means the intention of approaching the ship, 

 but took its course to the north. I kept as close 

 to the shore as the depth, which was scarcely five 

 fathoms, would permit, and therefore I coidd not 

 have missed any deep bay or opening. The depth 

 increases slowly and regularly, and as the low land 

 is scarcely visible when you are in nine fatlioms' 

 water, it is not to be wondered at, that Cook, who 

 kept in this part at the depth of seventeen 

 fathoms, should not have seen the low land at all. 



July 31st. After we had continued the survey 

 of the coast during the whole night in clear 

 weather, we cast anchor, at three o'clock in the 

 morning, in five fathoms* water, two miles from the 

 shore. It appeared to me, tliat a bay ran here 

 deeper into the land, which I wished to explore. 

 At four o'clock in the morning I left the Rurick, 

 accompanied by our naturalists, in two well-armed 

 boats, and landed opposite our anchoring-plac©, 

 near some habitations, in the hope of having some 

 communication with the inhabitants. We went 

 into the jurtes, which are built iii a straight line 



o 4 



