P ETCH OR A 421 



ever, that we were over the William Bank, and our course 

 had been taken too far east. 



The lead was kept going all the evening ; the greatest 

 depth was given at 29 English feet, and sometimes we 

 were over the bottom in only 13 feet of water. The 

 steamer drew 6 feet 6 inches of water. The two 

 captains (! !) of the steamer and the captain of the cutter 

 were either aloft or constantly on the outlook from the 

 bridge. 



About 10 p.m. we sighted the low-level sand-bank No. 3 

 of the Golaievski chain (counting that nearest to Russki 

 Zavarot, as on the chart, No. 1). 



Until we landed all failed to recognise it, and could not 

 decide whether it was No. 3 or No. 4. The old beacon 

 was carried away by the ice, and certainly there appeared 

 to be little upon it by which it could be recognised. 



As we approached in the boat we secured a fine speci- 

 men of the Glaucous Gull, and on the island found three 

 young and shot the parents as they swooped at us near 

 the nest. 



The sand-bank is entirely bare of any kind of vegetation, 

 and is almost perfectly level. The tide here only rises, 

 Captain Engel tells us, to the height of 6 inches at 

 the bar it rises 2 feet. 



The nest of the Glaucous Gulls was a heap of sand 

 hollowed slightly at the apex, and a few irregularly- 

 disposed tufts of seaweed were laid in it as a rude lining. 

 Seaweed and driftwood, small and large, are the only 

 materials on the bank the birds could choose from. 



Afterwards Piottuch found another lot of three young, 

 and shot one of the parents. 



A Seal was found stranded with a huge bullet-hole in 

 its side, and in the last stage, apparently, of decom- 

 position. Piottuch did not seem to think that a skeleton 

 could be made of it ! 



VOL. ii. 29 



