206 PROM KAMTSCHATKA 



drift-wood on Saritscheff Island, and among it, 

 stems, which were so thick that we could not span 

 them with our arms. We observed at our anchor- 

 ing-place, which is astronomically determined, that 

 the current constantly runs along the coast to the 

 N.E. ; most probably, therefore, the drift-wood 

 comes from the south into Beering*s Straits. Fa- 

 voured by a fair wind and fine weather, we now 

 w^eighed anchor, and sailed all the night along the 

 coast, at so small a distance, that we could discern 

 every thing there quite distinctly, and could not 

 miss any bending of the land, so that the accuracy 

 of the chart w^e made here may be relied upon. 

 At the distance of a mile from shore, on a sandy 

 bottom, the depth was regularly from seven to 

 eight fathoms. The land itself was every where 

 the same ; it was low, and covered with grass, 

 here and there a little round hill, and, at the dis- 

 tance of fifteen miles, a high mountain, but not 

 covered with snow. 



The coast appeared to us to be very much in- 

 habited, as we discovered numbers of subterraneous 

 dwellings. 



Longitude, according to the chronometer, 166° 

 24'; observed latitude of our anchoring-place 

 66'' 14/. 



August 1st. We perceived to-day, that the 

 coast took a direction very much to the E. ; the 

 land continuing low. At eleven o'clock, we were 

 at the entrance of a broad inlet : the coast vanished 



