PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
247 
the Russian Admiral Krusenstern ; and to the north-western island I CHAP, 
transferred the name of Ratmanoff, which had been bestowed upon the 
supposed discovery of Kotzebue. We remarked that the Asiatic shore J«iy. 
Was more buried in snow than the American. The mountains in the 
one were entirely covered ; in the other, they were streaked and partly 
exposed. The low land of both on the coast was nearly bare. 
Near the Asiatic shore we had a sandy bottom, but on crossing 
over the strait, it changed to mud, until well over on the American 
side, where we passed a tongue of sand and stones in twelve fathoms, 
which in all probability was the extremity of a shoal, on which the 
ship was nearly lost the succeeding year. After crossing it the water 
deepened, and the bottom again changed to mud, and we had ten and 
a half fathoms within two and a half miles of the coast. 
We closed with the American shore, a few miles to the northward 
of Cape Prince of Wales, and found the coast low wdth a ridge of sand 
extending along it, on which we noticed several Esquimaux habitations. 
Steering along this shore to the northward, in ten and eight fathoms 
Water, a little before noon we were within four and a half miles of 
Schismareff Inlet. Here we were becalmed, and had leisure to observe 
the broad sheet of water that extends inland in an E. S. E, direction 
beyond the reach of the eye *. The width of the inlet between the 
two capes is ten miles ; but Saritcheff Island lies immediately before the 
opening, and we are informed by Kotzebue, that the channel, which is 
on the northern side of it, is extremely intricate and narrow, and that 
the space is strewed with shoals. The island is low and sandy, and is 
9^pparently joined under water, to the southward, to the strip of sand 
before mentioned as extending along the coast : we noticed upon it 
^ considerable village of yourts, the largest of any that had as yet 
been seen. The natives appear to prefer having their dwellings upon 
this sandy foundation to the main land, probably on account of the 
Matter being swampy, which is the case every where in the vicinity 
this inlet and Kotzebue Sound. Several of them taking advan- 
tage of the calm came off in baidars, similar to those used by the 
* Mountains were seen at the back of it, but the coast was not visible — probably it is 
low. ^ ' 
