TO KOTZEBUE*S SOUND. 239 



trade flir to the west of Hudson's Bay. It possesses 

 colonies in the interiorof the country, at a very little 

 distance from the new-discovered sound, and will, 

 without doubt, take the advantage of trading there. 

 The navigation of Beering*s Straits has hitherto 

 been dangerous, because ships, in case of a storm, 

 or other accidents, knew of no port where they 

 could find protection. This difficulty is now re- 

 moved, and ships which in future intend to visit 

 Beering*s Straits, will find the essential benefit of 

 this discovery. The inhabitants of this country, 

 who have all a very healthy appearance, seem to 

 subsist entirely on the flesh of marine animals, 

 which they, for the most part, eat raw. We saw 

 no fish on all the American coasts ; we often threw 

 out our lines, but all in vain ; I believe, therefore, 

 either that there are no fish here at all, or that they 

 do not resort here at this time of the year. These 

 people are exceedingly fond of tobacco : they chew, 

 snuff, smoke, and even swallow the smoke. 



Doctor Eschscholtz, who daily observed the water 

 in the sound with his areometer, found it very 

 sweet, which probably arises from the melting ice j 

 but perhaps there is a considerable river in its 

 vicinity which escaped our search ; upon the whole, 

 we found that the water on the American coast 

 contains much less salt than that on the Asiatic. 

 The prevailing wind this month, which is always 

 violent at the rising of the sun, but abates at its 

 setting, was S.E. ; the weather, for the most part, 



