TO OONWLASHKA. 257 



creases to eight flitlioms, over a bottom of clayey 

 eartli, and here the water is perfectly calm ; ships 

 are able to lie close to the shore, which is very ad- 

 ^'antageous in case of any repairs, as no storm can 

 do them any damage. Having sailed seven miles 

 and a half since noon, we reached the end of the 

 bay, which closes with a ronnd shallow creek, 

 fonr miles in circumference. Two small rivers of 

 very fine water, which have their source in the high 

 mountains, and fall down in several cascades, 

 empty themselves here. We were obliged to land 

 on the southern promontory, at the entrance of this 

 bay, on account of the shallow water, for which 

 reason I resolved to pass the night here. The sun 

 was still high; our naturalists made use of the op- 

 portunity, and I took a promenade on the shore to 

 satisfy my curiosity. I found it here more dismal 

 than in Beering's Straits, though we were there in 

 a higher latitude. A few miserable willows, here 

 and there a stunted plant, scarcely ""any where a 

 flower ; the whole surrounded by high mountains 

 whose summits were covered with snow, and which 

 rose steep out of the water. The rocks consist of 

 granite, which is decompounded by the air, among 

 which I found several pieces of beautiful white mar- 

 ble. I observed in the sand on the sho]*e the fresh 

 footsteps of an uncommonly large bear. 



On the QSd of August, at five o'clock in the 

 morning, we left our night's lodging with fine wea- 

 ther, and fair wind, but were obliged to leave our 



VOL. I. s 



