TO kotzebue's sound. 217 



however, could not get quite close, we were obliged 

 to walk twenty fathoms through the water. Pre- 

 parations were immediately made for a night's 

 lodging ; and a soup made of the English patent 

 meat, w^hich was excellent and comfortable in the 

 cool evening. Chamisso Island lay eighteen miles 

 distant from us, to the south : there was land in 

 all directions, except in the east, where a space 

 still appeared open, and 1 was obliged to give up 

 my fairest hopes of finding a passage. I now 

 thought, as the water was not at all salt in the bay, 

 to find at least a broad river, up which we might 

 penetrate far into the country. The land pleased 

 us but little ; it rises from the shore at once to the 

 height of one hundred and twenty feet, and runs 

 then into an extended plain, covered with moss, as 

 far as the eye can reach; only a little grass grows 

 on the declivity of the bank. We had a storm and 

 rain during the night, but were protected from 

 both by our baydare. 



August the 5th. The weather being bad, I put 

 off the examination in the east, till a more favour- 

 able day, and returned to the Rurick. 



The 6th. To-day, I examined the passage to 



shore by way of tent, which I have often imitated in my excur- 

 sions, and found it a very good way. I had this baydare 

 made in Kamtschatka, with the intention of using it in 

 Beering's Straits. 



