PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
325 
westward ; passing close along the beach, anchoring at night, and landing CHAP, 
occasionally during the day for observations, and to obtain information 
of the nature of the country. Sept. 
1 82G 
This part of the sound appeared to have so few temptations to the 
Esquimaux, that we saw only two parties upon it ; and one of these, by 
having their dogs harnessed in the boat, appeared to be only on an ex- 
cursion : the other was upon Cape Deceit, a bold promontory, with a 
conspicuous rock off it, so named by Captain Kotzebue. At two places 
where we landed there were some deserted yourts, not worthy of de- 
scription ; and at the mouth of two rivers in the first and second bays 
to the eastward of Cape Deceit there were several spars and logs of 
driftwood placed erect, which showed that the natives had occupied 
these stations in the summer for the purpose of catching fish, but they 
were now all deserted. Both these rivers had bars across the entrances, 
upon which the sea broke, so as to prevent a boat from entering them. 
The land on the south side of the sound, as far as the Bay of Good 
Hope, is higher, more rocky, and of a bolder character than the opposite 
shore, though it still resembles it in its swampy superficial covering, 
and in the occurrence of lakes wherever the land is flat. Under water, 
also, it has a bolder character than the northern side, and has generally 
soundings of four and five fathoms quite close to the promontories. 
There are two or three places under these headlands which in case of 
necessity will afford shelter to boats, but each with a particular wind 
only ; and in resorting thither the direction of the wind and the side of 
the promontory must be taken into consideration. 
In a geological point of view this part of the coast is interesting, 
as being the only place in the sound where volcanic rocks occurred. 
Near the second promontory to the eastward of Cape Deceit we found 
slaty limestone, having scales of talc between the layers ; and in those 
parts of the cliff which were most fallen down a talcaceous slate, 
wdth thin layers of limestone, and where the rocks were more abrupt, 
limestone of a more compact nature. In this cliff' there was also 
an alum slate of a dark-bluish colour. We could not land at the next 
cliff, but on a close view of the rock conjectured it to consist of compact 
limestone, dipping to the E. N.E. at an angle of 30°. Cape Deceit, the 
