TO kotzebue's sound. 207 



in the E., and higli mountains showed tliemselves 

 to the N. Here the wind suddenly abated, and 

 w^e were obhged to cast anchor on a clayey bot- 

 tom, in seven fathoms' water : the nearest land lay 

 to the S. E., four miles distant from us, the current 

 running strong into the entrance. 



I cannot describe the strange sensation which I 

 now experienced, at the idea that I perhaps stood 

 at the entrance of the so long sought N. E. pas- 

 sage, and that fate had chosen me to be the dis- 

 coverer. I felt my heart oppressed ; and, at the 

 same time, an impatience, which would not let me 

 rest, and was still increased by the perfect calm. 

 To satisfy myself, at least, by going on shore, and 

 clearly observing, from some eminence, the di- 

 rection of the coast, I had two boats got ready, 

 at which our naturalists were highly delighted. 

 We set out by two o'clock in the afternoon 5 the 

 depth regularly decreased : half a mile from shore 

 we had still five fathoms. We landed wdthout 

 difficulty near a hill, which I immediately as- 

 cended : from the summit I could nowhere per- 

 ceive land in the strait ; the high mountains to the 

 north, either formed islands, or were a coast by 

 themselves ; for that the two coasts could not be 

 connected together, was evident even from the 

 great difference between this very low and that 

 remarkably high land. From the eminence on 

 which I stood, I had a very extensive view into 

 the country, which stretched out in a large plain. 



