PACIFIC AND BEEPING’S STRAIT. 
327 
thus far bound the horizon of the sound to the southward here branch off CHAP, 
inland, and a distant range of a totally different character rises over the 
vast plain that extends to Cape Espenburg, and forms the whole of the Sept, 
western side of the sound. In the angle which it makes, we discovered 
a river, which, as we were informed by a few natives who came off to us 
in a miserable baidar, with dogs looking as unhappy as themselves, 
extended inland five days’ journey for their baidars ; but on examination 
it proved so shallow at the mouth, that even the gig could not enter it. 
A few miles to the north-westward of this river, we arrived off’ the inlet 
which Captain Kotzebue meditated to explore in baidars, and was very 
sanguine that it would lead to some great inland discovery. We con- 
sequently approached the spot with interest ; and as soon as the low 
mud capes through which the river has made its way to the ocean 
opened to our view, bore up, with the intention of sailing into the inlet, 
which runs in a westerly direction ; but we were here again obliged to 
desist, in consequence of the shallowness of the water. At two miles 
and more from the shore, we had less than a fathom water ; and we 
observed the sea breaking heavily upon a bank which extended from 
shore to shore across the mouth of the inlet. Thinking, however, these 
breakers might be occasioned by the overfall of the tide, the gig was 
despatched to endeavour to effect a passage through them ; but the 
water shoaling gradually, she could not approach within even a cable’s 
length of the breakers. At the top of the tide, probably, when the 
w'ater is smooth, small boats may enter the inlet ; but if the bar is 
attempted under other circumstances, the crew will probably be sub- 
jected to a similar ducking to that which Captain Kotzebue himself 
experienced in repassing it. Seeing these difficulties, I did not deem 
any further examination necessary ; and as it could never lead to any 
useful purpose of navigation, I did not even contemplate a return to it 
under more favourable circumstances. The inlet occurs in a vast plain 
of low ground, bounded on the north by Cape Espenburg, on the east 
by the Bay of Good Hope, on the west by Beering’s Strait, and on the 
south by ranges of mountains. There are also several lakes and creeks 
in the plain, some of wEich may probably communicate with the inlet ; 
or they may all, Schismareff Inlet included, be the mouths of a large 
