PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
321 
us to the last. The wind strengthened to a gale, and raised a short, high, CHAP, 
dangerous sea. We hauled in for the land as much as it would allow. 
At nine a. m. it blew extremely hard ; and, considering it dangerous to Narrative 
scud, rounded to on the larboard tack, took in the foresail, and set balance- Barge, 
reefed mainsail and storm-jib. F ound the boat behave uncommonly well 
and continue tolerably dry. At noon our latitude was 67 " 19' Ff. In the 
afternoon it moderated, and we made sail in for the land. At four p. m. 
saw Cape Mulgrave on the weatherbow, and altered our course for 
Kotzebue Sound. The wind dying away left us at midnight becalmed a 
few miles from Cape Krusenstern. 
F riday, 8th. After a few hours’ calm, a breeze came from the S. E., 
and we worked along shore. In the forenoon several baidars came off 
to us. We procured, in exchange for a few beads, a large quantity of 
salmon, in hopes we should be able to keep enough to supply the ship. 
While sailing along the land, many more of these boats came off ; but 
on waving them to return, they left us unmolested. W e saw immense 
quantities of fish drying on shore, and concluded that the natives 
assembled at this inlet to lay in their winter stock. 
Saturday, 9th. Owing to the light winds, we made but small pro- 
gress during the night, and this morning were ofFHotham Inlet. At 
eleven anchored. Sent the boat on shore to obtain wood and water. 
Noon, the latitude observed (with false horizon) was 66° 58' N. The 
spot abreast where we anchored had, when Mr. Elson visited this inlet 
before, been the site of an Esquimaux village; but there was not a 
single tent left. In the evening we weighed from here, and the next 
morning had the pleasure of seeing the ship at anchor off Chamisso 
Island, and the gratification to find all on board of her well. 
(Signed) WILLIAM SMYTH, 
Mate of H. M. S. Blossom. 
By this expedition about seventy miles of coast have been added Sept. 
to the geography of the polar regions, and the distance between 
Captain Franklin’s discoveries and our own has been brought within 
so small a compass as to leave very little room for further speculation 
on the northern limits of the continent of America. The actual distance 
T T 
