THIRD VOYAGE 351 



Asiatic coast, which in every respect is like the opposite one 

 of America ; that is, low land next the sea with elevated 

 land farther back. It was perfectly destitute of wood and 

 even snow, but was probably covered with a mossy sub- 

 stance that gave it a brownish cast. In the low ground, 

 lying between the high land and the sea, was a lake ex- 

 tending to the south-east farther than we could see. 



" The season was now so far advanced, and the time when 

 the frost was expected to set in so near at hand, that I did 

 not think it consistent with prudence to make any farther 

 attempts to find a passage into the Atlantic this year in any 

 direction, so little was the prospect of succeeding. My 

 attention was now directed toward finding out some place 

 where we might supply ourselves with wood and water ; and 

 the object uppermost in my thoughts was, how I should 

 spend the winter so as to make some improvements in 

 geography and navigation, and at the same time be in a 

 condition to return to the north in farther search of a 

 passage the ensuing summer. 



" After standing off till we got into eighteen fathoms 

 water, I bore up to the eastward along the coast of Asia. 

 At daybreak on the 30th we made sail, and steered such a 

 course as I thought would bring us in with the land ; for 

 the weather was as thick as ever, and it snowed incessantly. 

 At ten we got sight of the coast, bearing south-west, four 

 miles distant. 



" The inland country hereabout is full of hills, some of 

 which are of a considerable height. The land was covered 

 with snow. 



" September 2nd, we had now fair weather and sunshine ; 

 and as we ranged along the coast at the distance of four 

 miles, we saw several of the inhabitants, and some of their 

 habitations, which looked like little hillocks of earth. None 

 of them, however, attempted to come off to us, which 

 seemed a little extraordinary. These people must be the 

 Tschutski, a nation that, at the time Mr. Muller wrote, 

 the Russians had not been able to conquer. 



" The more I was convinced of my being now upon the 

 coast of Asia, the more I was at a loss to reconcile Mr. 

 Staehlin's map of the New Northern Archipelago with my 

 observations, and I had no way to account for the great 

 difference, but by supposing that I had mistaken some part 

 of what he calls the Island of Alaschka for the American 

 continent, and had missed the channel that separates them. 

 Admitting even this, there would still have been a consider- 

 able difference. It was with me a matter of some conse- 

 quence to clear up this point the present season, that I 

 might have but one object in view the next. And as the 



