ceived the name of Saritscheff Island,) they were, on their return to the ship, pursued by two baydares, each containing ten men, whose savage cries and many weapons gave their haste a suspicious appearance. They overtook the boats of the Rurick, and were proceeding to board, evidently ignorant of the nature of fire-arms, when the bright sabres of the Europeans made them draw back, and assume a submissive and amicable appearance. Nothing could induce them to trust themselves on board the Rurick. These American savages were far more filthy and more ferocious than the St. Lawrence islanders. Their dress consisted of a short shirt of rein-deer or dog-skin, and they wore morse-bones under their lips, which gave them a most disgusting appearance.

The Voyagers proceeded in a northerly direction till the 1st of August; the land which had trended to the Eastward, vanished in that direction, while high mountains appeared to the North: they were at the entrance of a broad inlet, the current running strong into it, perhaps at the entrance of the long sought North-east passage! Lieut. Kotzebue felt, he says, his heart oppressed with this idea, and, at the same time, an impatience which would not let him rest. The latitude of the ship's anchorage was 66° 42′ 30′′. As they sailed up this inlet, they continued to see the open sea before them in the East; and their hopes of discovering a passage into the Frozen Ocean were wrought up to the highest pitch of expectation. The weather was delightful. Towards noon on the 3d, however, they found themselves compelled to anchor in seven fathoms, off a high rocky island which lay to their right, and which received the name of their naturalist, Chamisso. Here they landed, and obtained van extensive prospect from the high ground.

The land to the South seemed to join every where. In the North, nothing was to be seen but the open sea. On the East, Chamisso Island is separated from the continent by a channel five miles broad in the nar rowest part. The surrounding land was high and rocky. Snow was no where to be seen the mountains were covered with moss, and the shore was clothed with luxuriant verdure. Chamisso Island was of the same nature, where we had now chosen a green spot on which we intended to drink tea. I readily confess that I have seldom felt myself happier than on this spot, to which the idea of being the first European that ever put his foot on this land, may have greatly contributed. The weather was at 12° heat, (a height which the thermometer never arrived at without the Sound,) and extremely fine. We found, on our tongue of land, under ground, several store-rooms lined with leaves, and filled with seal's flesh. Probably, therefore, the Americans in their hunting parties, have their station here; and to mark the place, have erected a small illbuilt stone pyramid, The island, which has only a small landing place,

rises almost perpendicularly out of the sea. The rocks round about, and the islands to the West of it, are inhabited by numerous puffins, and the many egg-shells which we found in our way, were an indication that foxes destroyed the nests. Hares and partridges were here in plenty, and cranes, on their passage, rested on this island. On places protected against the North wind, grow willows from two to three feet high, and these are the only trees that we saw in Beering's Straits.'

,,,

Thirteen days were devoted to exploring the shores of this inlet, which received with great propriety the name of the Commander of the Expedition. Its discovery is at all events an important extension of our knowledge, and on account of the safe anchoring places which it affords, may be of service to future voyagers. No outlet could, however, be found, except a broad arm to the West, which ran into the land, but which the boats of the Rurick were prevented from exploring by shoals. According to the testimony of a native, it communicates with the sea, and is supposed to extend either to Norton's Sound or Schischmareff's Bay.

They had several encounters with the Americans, who had a healthy appearance; it should seem, therefore, that their diet agrees with them. They are said to subsist entirely on the flesh of marine animals, which they eat for the most part raw. They are excessively fond of tobacco, which they chew, snuff, and smoke. We transcribe an account of their manner of performing dinner.

'It was now their time for dinner. A seal which had just been killed, was put in the middle; they cut open its belly, and one after the other put in his head, and sucked out the blood. After they had sufficiently drunk in this manner, each cut himself off a piece of flesh, which they devoured with the greatest appetite, and it may easily be imagined how their naturally frightful countenances looked after such a repast.'

We have also a description of a social smoking party. It was, says Lieut. Kotzebue, a curious sight to see this savage horde sitting in a circle, smoking out of white stone pipes, with wooden tubes.' They obtain tobacco, as well as European goods, from the Tschukutskoi, who obtain them from the Russians, in exchange for skins. Their iron lances were recognised to be of Siberian manufacture, and the glass beads with which they adorn themselves, are of the same kind as those worn in Asia. Their language appeared to resemble, in the words which the voyagers could make out, that of the inhabitants of Norton Sound. Their nasal mode of salutation answers to the account given by Capt. Ross of the Esquimaux he fell in with. Their countenances are described as having an expression of wantonness, but not of stupidity; they have small eyes

and very high cheek bones; but their natural beauty is considerably heightened by holes on each side of the mouth, in which are worn morse-bones, ornamented with blue glass beads. Their heads and ears are also adorned with beads, in addition to which, some of the women had iron and copper rings on their arms. Their skin-dresses are of the same cut as those worn in Kamschatka; besides which they sport pantaloons and small half boots of seal-skin. They are expert traders, especially the women, who excel in haggling, and are exceedingly amused when they fancy they have succeeded in cheating. They are, moreover, from their military weapons, supposed to be engaged in continual wars. How many things have these poor Americans in common with the civilized world!

Lieutenant Kotzebue, a little elated perhaps with the discovery of this Sound, now that he had found a place of refuge for the next year, thought it wisest to defer any attempt to push further Northward, and therefore steered across for the Asiatic coast; wishing, he says, to become acquainted with its inhabitants, and to compare them with the Americans.' We suspect that all his reasons for this singular determination are not before the public. Possibly he was anxious not to risk the loss to science, of the discoveries he had already made, by encountering the perils of a higher latitude. His curiosity to make acquaintance with the Tschukutskoi, was certainly a very insufficient reason for departing from his instructions. These people are stated to differ little in their appearance from the Americans, their boats and their arms being similar only the Asiatics have not adopted the graceful appendage of the morsebone below the under lip.

'As far as I am acquainted with the Tschukutskoi, I cannot agree in the general opinion, that they have longer faces, and, in general, nothing Asiatic about them. High cheek-bones, and small Chinese-eyes, are seen in all; and if the heads of some have less of an Asiatic form, it may, perhaps, arise from their proximity to the Russians. The beard is universally wanting, as on the American coast. On the whole, I find so imperceptible a difference between these two nations, that I am inclined to believe that they are descended from one stock. The Tschukutskoi whom I saw here are of a robust make, and above the middle size, an observation which I likewise made there. The dresses in both countries are the same; only the Americans are more cleanly, and their work appeared to me to be executed with more skill and taste. Their arms consist of bows, arrows, knives, and lances. The latter are entirely made of iron, with copper ornaments. Their women tattoo their arms and faces. We observed here, as well as on the opposite coast, that diseases of the eye are very frequent; which may, perhaps, be occasioned by the long winter, as the snow dazzles their eyes in the open air, and in the jurtes they are affected by the exhalations of the oil." Vol. I. p. 252.

The rubbing of the nose in saluting' is not customary here; moreover, the Tschukutskoi live in eternal enmity with the Americans. One of them, on beholding a portrait of a morsebone chief, which had been taken by the Russian artist, exclaimed, flourishing his knife, If I meet such a fellow with two bones, I shall run him through.' Except in the point of their alleged superior cultivation and more European features, Lieutenant Kotzebue confirms the account given of this people by Cook and Billing. They acknowledge the Russian supremacy. Chamisso, the Naturalist who accompanied the expedition, is of opinion, that the Tschukutskoi, the inha-bitants of St. Lawrence's Island, which forms a connecting link and medium between the two continents, and all the inhabitants of the Northern coasts of America, belong to one and the same race; a race of a decidedly Mongol physiognomy, that of the Esquimaux, whose Asiatic origin is evident, and whose wandering may easily be followed over the East cape "of Asia, and along the coasts of America.' The Aleutians he thinks clearly referrible to the same race; and Dr. Eschscholtz is stated to have ascertained the essential coincidence of their peculiar dialect with the common language. That language, the Greenland language of the Danish missionaries, is remarkable for its artificial construction; and what is very singular, and to us inexplicable, it is stated by Chamisso, that in the Aleutian as well as in the Greenland dialects, there is a remarkable difference in the language of the men and of the women.' The Kamtschadales are a distinct branch of the same great Mongol family: they, as well as the Aleutians, are rapidly sinking into extinction under a foreign yoke, which has degraded them, according to Lieut. Kotzebue's honest and indignant admission, to the level of brutes. At Oonalashka, a number of these poor creatures were assembled to dance in honour of St. Alexander's day. The scene described by Lieut. K. was, he says, any thing but diverting.

The orchestra consisted of three Aleutians, with tambourines, with which they accompanied a simple, melancholy tune, consisting of only three notes. Only one female dancer appeared at a time, who made a few springs, without any expression, and then vanished among the spectators. The sight of these people, who, with mournful countenances, were obliged to dance before me, gave me pain; and my sailors, who also felt themselves uncomfortable, commenced, in order to cheer themselves, a joyful song, and two of them placing themselves in the middle of the circle, executed a national dance. This sudden transition pleased us all; and a ray of pleasure beamed even in the eyes of the Aleutians, who, till now, had stood with their heads bowed down. A servant of the American Company, who had left his native Russia a robust youth, and had here grown old and grey, now suddenly rushed in at the door, and

cried, with his folded hands raised to Heaven, "They are Russians! they are Russians ! Oh dear, beloved, native land. His venerable countenance expressed his delight; tears of joy ran down his pale, emaciated cheeks, and he concealed himself to indulge in his feelings. The scene deeply affected me! I placed myself in the situation of this old man, while the remembrance of his happy youth, passed in his native country, now pressed with sorrow on his soul. He had come hither, with the hope of passing a comfortable old age in the bosom of his family, and was now obliged, like so many others, to end his days in this desert. Vol. I. pp. 273, 4.

From Oonalashka, the Rurick sailed for the coast of California, and after undergoing some repairs at St. Francisco, made for the Sandwich Islands. A very interesting account is given of the noble-minded Tamaahmaah,' the present sovereign, who, though he had recently been very ill used by some Russians from Sitka, treated Lieut. Kotzebue and his crew in the most friendly manner. Through the medium of a white, a favourite with the king, who acted as interpreter, Tamaahmaah thus addressed him.

"I learn that you are the commander of a ship of war, and are engaged in a voyage similar to those of Cook and Vancouver, and consequently do not engage in trade; it is therefore my intention not to carry on any with you, but to provide you gratis with every thing that my islands produce. This affair is now settled, and no further mention need be made of it. I shall now beg you to inform me, whether it is with the consent of your Emperor that his subjects begin to disturb me in my old age? Since Tamaahmaah has been king of these islands, no European has had cause to complain of having suffered injustice here. I have made my islands an asylum for all nations, and honestly supplied with provisions every ship that desired them. Some time ago there came from the American settlement of Sitka some Russians, a nation with whom I never had any intercourse before; they were kindly received, and supplied with every thing necessary; but they have ill-rewarded me, for they behaved in a hostile manner to my subjects in the island of Woahoo, and threatened us with ships of war, which were to conquer these islands; but this shall not happen as long as Tamaahmaah lives! A Russian physician, of the name of Scheffer, who came here some months ago, pretended that he had been sent by the Emperor Alexander to botanize on my islands; as I had heard much good of the Emperor Alexander, and was particularly pleased with his bravery, I not only permitted M. Scheffer to botanize, but also promised him every assistance; made him a present of a piece of land, with peasants, so that he could never want for provisions; in short I tried to make his stay as agreeable as possible, and to refuse none of his demands. But what was the consequence of my hospitality? Even before he left Owhyee, he repaid my kindness with ingratitude, which I bore patiently. Upon this, according to his own desire, he travelled from one island to another; and, at last, settled in the fruitful island of Woahoo, where