638 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, weather. The next morning, being moderate, afforded us the only 
XVIII. opportunity we had hitherto had of depositing some information for 
Aug. Captain Franklin's party. The boat landed near the cape, and buried 
one bottle for him and another for Lieutenant Belcher, whom we had 
not seen since we parted at Chamisso Island. In the evening we 
stretched toward Point Hope for the purpose of depositing a bottle 
there also, as it was a point which could not escape Captain Franklin’s 
observation in his route along shore ; but the wind increasing from the 
westward occasioned a heavy surf upon the beach, and obhged the ship 
to keep in the offing. 
Seeing that we could not remain sufficiently close in shore to 
be of use to our friends during the westerly winds and thick weather, 
I determined upon the examination of the inlet discovered by Mr. 
Elson to the eastward of Cape Prince of Wales, and made sail for 
Kotzebue Sound, for the purpose of leaving there the necessary in- 
formation for Captain F ranklin and Lieutenant Belcher, in the event of 
either arriving during our absence. 
We passed Cape Krusenstern about sunset on the 25th; and in 
running along shore after dark our attention was directed to a large 
fire, kindled as if for the purpose of attracting our notice. As this 
was the signal agreed upon between Captain Franklin and myself, and 
as we had not before seen a fire in the night on any part of the coast, 
we immediately brought to, and, to our great satisfaction at the mo- 
ment, observed a boat pulling towards the ship. Our anxiety at her 
approach may be imagined, when we thought we could discover with 
our telescopes by the light of the aurora borealis, that she was pro- 
pelled by oars instead of by paddles. But just as our expectation was 
at the highest, we were accosted by the Esquimaux in their usual manner, 
and all our hopes vanished. I fired a gun, however, in case there might 
be any persons on shore who could not come off to us ; but the signal 
not being answered, we pursued our course for Chamisso. 
F or the first time since we entered Beering’s Strait the night was 
clear, and the aurora borealis sweeping across the heavens reminded 
us that it was exactly on that night twelvemonth that we saw this 
beautiful phenomenon for the first time in these seas. A short time 
