108 RUSSIAN EXPLORATIONS EAST OF THE KOLYMA. 



so the Discovery was beset in the ice in lat. 69°, when she was 

 drifted to the north-east at the rate of half a mile per hour, and 

 was so much damaged, that after in vain attempting to get to the 

 north between the ice and the land, Captain Clerke, on July 23rd, 

 determined to proceed to the southward, and reached the harbour 

 of St. Peter and St. Paul on August 24th. 



Bussian Explorations East of the Biver Kolyma. — In the year 1762- 

 the Eiver Kolyma was descended by Schalarov, and the coast ex- 

 plored as far as Cape Chelagskoi. In the same year Sergeant- 

 Andrejew discovered the Bear Islands. 



Hedenstrom, who explored the coast of Siberia between the years 

 1808 and "1811, makes the following remarks :—" The shores of the 

 Polar Ocean from the Lena to Behring Strait are, for the most 

 part, low and flat, rising but little above the level of the sea, that 

 in winter it is difficult to tell where the land terminates. A few 

 wersts, however, inland a line of high ground runs parallel with 

 the present coast, and formerly, no doubt, constituted the boundary 

 of the ocean. This belief is strengthened by the quantity of 

 decayed wood found on the upper level, and also by the shoals 

 which run out far to sea, and are probably destined at some 

 future period to become dry land. On these shoals during the 

 winter lofty hummocks of ice fix themselves, forming a kind of 

 bulwark along the coast, and often remaining there during the 

 whole summer without melting. The nearer the Arctic shore is 

 approached, the more scanty and diminutive the trees become. 

 Beyond 70° neither trees nor shrubs are met with. 



In tho year 1786 Billings built two boats— one 45 feet and the 

 other 28 feet long— at Jassaschnaon the Kolyma, and left the 

 entrance of the river in them on June 27th. The ice frequently com- 

 pelled them to run into bays, and take shelter under headlands. On 

 July 1st they attempted to sail to the north, and were not able to 

 get more than 20 miles from the shore when " the whole sea, as far 

 as the eye could reach, being covered with immense masses of ice, on 

 which the waves broke with tremendous violence," they were obliged 

 to turn back. Constant ice and frequent fogs impeded them so 

 much, that they did not pass the Great Baranov Bock before July 

 19th. Eleven miles further they came to ice hummocks aground in 

 16 fathoms water, when, it being impossible to go further, they 

 returned to the mouth of the Kolyma on July 26th. 



In 1788 Billings sailed from Avatska and put into St. Lawrence 

 Bay, where the Tchutskis told him the sea was covered with such 

 quantities of ice that its navigation was impracticable. He there- 



