siderable height. It had a greenish
hue, but seemed destitute of wood, and free from snow. While we lay
at anchor, we found that the flood-tide came from the east, and set to
the west, till between ten and eleven o'clock. From that time till two
the next morning, the stream set to the eastward, and the water fell
three feet. The flood ran both stronger and longer than the ebb;
from which I concluded, that, besides the ebb, there was a westerly
current.

At ten in the morning of the 5th, with the wind at S.W., we ran down,
and anchored between the island and the continent, in seven fathoms
water. Soon after I landed upon the island, accompanied by Mr King and
some others of the officers. I hoped to have had from it a view of
the coast and sea to the westward; but the fog was so thick in that
direction, that the prospect was not more extensive than from
the ship. The coast of the continent seemed to take a turn to the
northward, at a low point, named _Point Rodney_, which bore from the
island N.W. 1/2 W., three or four leagues distant; but the high land,
which took a more northerly direction, was seen a great way farther.

This island, which was named _Sledge Island_, and lies in the latitude
of 64 deg. 30', and in the longitude of 193 deg. 57', is about four leagues in
circuit. The surface of the ground is composed chiefly of large
loose stones, that are, in many places, covered with moss and other
vegetables, of which there were above twenty or thirty different
sorts, and most of them in flower. But I saw neither shrub nor tree,
either upon this island or on the continent. On a small low spot, near
the beach where we landed, was a good deal of wild purslain, pease,
long-wort, &c.; some of which we took on board for the pot. We saw one
fox, a few plovers, and some other small birds; and we met with some
decayed huts that were partly built below ground. People had lately
been on the island; and it is pretty clear, that they frequently visit
it for some purpose or other, as there was a beaten path from the
one end to the other. We found, a little way from the shore where
we landed, a sledge, which occasioned this name being given to the
island, it seemed to be such a one as the Russians in Kamtschatka make
use of to convey goods from place to place over the ice or snow. It
was ten feet long, twenty inches broad, and had a kind of rail-work
on each side, and was shod with bone. The construction of it was
admirable, and al