THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
35* 
grow down clofe to the entrance, but only to about half 
way up the higher or middle part of the illand. The woody 
part alfo begins, every where, immediately above the cliffs, 
and is continued to the fame height with the former; fo 
that the ifland is covered, as it were, with a broad girdle of 
wood, fpread upon its fide, included between the top of the 
cliffy fhore, and the higher parts in the centre. The trees, 
however, are far from being of an uncommon growth; 
few appearing to be larger than one might grafp round 
w r ith his arms, and about forty or fifty feet high; fo that 
the only purpofe they could anfwer for fhipping, would be 
to make top-gallant-mafts, and other fmall things. How 
far we may judge of the fize of the trees which grow on 
the neighbouring continent, it may be difficult to deter¬ 
mine. But it was obferved, that none larger than thofe we 
faw growing, lay upon the beach amongft the drift-wood. 
The pine-trees feemed all of one fort; and there was 
neither the Canadian pine, nor cyprefs to be feen. But 
there were a few which appeared to be the alder, that were 
but fmall, and had not yet fhot forth their leaves. Upon 
the edges of the cliffs, and on fome Hoping ground, the 
furface was covered with a kind of turf, about half a foot 
thick; which feemed compofed of the common mofs; and 
the top, or upper part of the ifland had almoft the fame 
appearance as to colour; but whatever covered it feemed 
to be thicker. I found amongft the trees fome currant and 
hawberry bufhes; a fmall yellow-flowered violet; and the 
leaves of fome other plants not yet in flower, particularly 
one which Mr. Anderfon fuppofed to be the heracleum- of 
Linnaeus, the fweet herb, which Steller, who attended 
Beering, imagined the Americans here drefs for food, in the 
fame manner as the natives of Kamtfchatka *. 
* See Muller, p. 256. 
1778. 
May. 
We 
