262 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP. 
XI. 
August, 
182C. 
direction, and at midnight passed a range of hills terminating about four 
miles from the sea, which must be the Cape Mulgrave of Captain Cook, 
who navigated this part of the coast at too great a distance to see the 
land in front of the hills, which is extremely low, and after passing the 
Mulgrave Range, forms an extensive plain intersected by lakes near 
the beach ; these lakes are situated so close together that by transport- 
ing a small boat from one to the other, a very good inland navigation, if 
necessary, might be performed. They are supplied by the draining of 
the land and the melting snow, and discharge their water through small 
openings in the shingly beach, too shallow to be entered by any thing 
larger than a baidar, one of them excepted, through which the current 
ran too strong for soundings to be taken. 
On the 1st of August we did little more than drift along the coast 
with the current — which was repeatedly tried, and always found setting 
to the north-west — from half a mile to a mile and a half per hour. 
The Esquimaux, taking advantage of the calm, came otf to the ship in 
three baidar s, and added to our stock of curiosities by exchanging their 
manufactures for beads, knives, and tobacco. 
On the 2d, being favoured with a breeze, we closed with a high cape, 
which I named after Mr. Deas Thomson, one of the commissioners of 
the navy*. It is a bold promontory 450 feet in height, and marked with 
differently coloured strata, of which there is a representation in the 
geological memorandum. As this was a fit place to erect a signal-post 
for Captain Franklin, we landed, and were met upon the beach by some 
Esquimaux, who eagerly sought an exchange of goods. Very few of 
their tribe understood better how to drive a bargain than these people ; 
and it was not until they had sold almost all they could spare, that we 
had any peace. We found them very honest, extremely good natured, 
and friendly. Their features, dress, and weapons were the same as before 
described in Kotzebue Sound, with the exception of some broad-headed 
spears, which they had probably obtained from the Tschutschi. They 
had more curiosity than our former visiters, and examined very minutely 
every part of our dress ; from which circumstance, and their being 
* A cape close to this has been named Cape Ricord by the Russians. 
