240 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, was the last view we had of Kamschatka, as a thick fog came on, and 
attended us to Beering’s Island. 
.July, At day-light on the 10th a high rock was seen about nine miles 
1826. shortly afterwards Beering’s Island appeared through the fog. 
When we had reached close in with the land the mist partially dis- 
persed, and exposed a moderately high island armed with rocky points 
to our view. The snow rested in ridges upon the hills, but the lower 
parts of the island were quite bare, and pi'esented a green mossy ap- 
pearance, without a single shrub to relieve its monotony. Its dreary 
aspect, associated with the recollection of the catastrophe that befel 
Beering and his shipmates, who were cast upon its shores on the 
approach of winter with their own resources exhausted, produced an 
involuntary shudder. The bay in which this catastrophe occurred is on 
the north side of the island, on a part of the coast which fortunately 
afforded fresh water, and abounded in stone foxes, sea otters, and 
moorhens ; and where there was a quantity of drift wood washed upon 
the shore, which served for the construction of huts ; but notwith- 
standing these resources, the commander, Vitus Beering, and twenty- 
nine of the crew, found graves on this desolate spot. The island is now 
visited occasionally by the Russians for the skins of the sea otter and 
black fox. The highest part of the island wliich we saw was towards 
its N. W. extremity, from whence the shore slopes gradually to the 
coast, and is terminated by cliffs. At the foot of these there are low 
rocky flats, which can only be seen when quite close to them, and out- 
side again are breakers. Off the western point these reefs extend 
about two miles from the shore, and off the northern, about a mile and 
a quarter, so that on the whole it is a dangerous coast to approach in 
thick weather. The rock first seen was situated five miles and a half 
off' shore, and was so crowded with seals basking upon it, that it was 
immediately named Seal Rock*. 
d'o the northward of this there were several small bays in the coast 
which promised anchorage to such ships as should seek it, particularly 
* Kotzebue observes in bis narrative that “ this rock has not been laid down in any 
chart;” I presume he alludes to those which are modern, as on a reference to the map ot 
Captain Krenitzen’s discoveries in 17G8, it will be found occupying its proper place. 
