tached to Marchand's Voyage round the World; but Kotzebue is
certainly the first person who explained it. As it was perfectly calm when
he reached this inlet, he resolved to go on shore, and examine from some
eminence the direction of the coast. "We landed," he observes, "without
difficulty, near a hill, which I immediately ascended; from the summit I
could no where perceive land in the strait: the high mountains to the north
either formed islands, or were a coast by themselves; for that the two
coasts could not be connected together was evident, even from the very
great difference between this very low and that remarkably high land. It
was my intention to continue the survey of the coast in the boats, but a
number of baydares coming to us along the coast from the east, withheld
me." He afterwards had an interview with the Americans who came in these
baydares: he found that they prized tobacco very highly, and that they
received this and other European goods from the natives of the opposite
coast of Asia. It was probably the first time in their lives that these
Americans had seen Europeans. They were of the middle size; robust and
healthy; ugly and dirty; with small eyes, and very high cheek bones: "they
bore holes on each side of their mouths, in which they wear morse bones,
ornamented with blue glass beads, which give them a most frightful
appearance. Their dresses, which are made of skins, are of the same cut as
the Parka, in Kamtschatka; only that there they reach to the feet, and here
hardly cover the knee: besides this, they wear pantaloons, and small half
boots of seal skins."

The latitude of this place, or rather of the ship's anchorage, at the time
this survey was made, was 66 deg. 42' 30", and the longitude 164 deg. 12' 50".
There were several circumstances which induced Kotzebue to hope that he had
at length found the channel which led to the Atlantic: nothing was seen but
sea to the eastward, and a strong current ran to the north-east. Under
these circumstances, thirteen days were occupied in examining the shores of
this opening; but no outlet was discovered, except one to the south-east,
which seemed to communicate with Norton Sound, and a channel on the western
side, which of course could not be the one sought for. Kotzebue, however,
remarks, "I certainly hope that this sound may lead to important
discoveries next year; and though a north-east passage may not with
certainty be depended on, yet I believe I s