here. On learning that Kotzebue was the commander, the natives invited him to their tent.

A filthy piece of leather was placed on the ground for me to sit on; and then they came up to me, one after the other each of them embraced me, rubbed his nose hard against mine, and ended his caresses by spitting in his hands and wiping them several times over my face. Though these signs of friendship were not very agreeable to me, I bore all patiently. To suppress their further tenderness, I distributed some tobacco-leaves, which they received with much pleasure, and were going to repeat all their caresses again. I hastily took some knives, scissars, and beads, and thus happily prevented a second attack. An almost still greater misery awaited me; when, in order to refresh me, they brought forth a wooden trough of whale-blubber, (a great delicacy among all the northern inhabitants of the sea-coasts), and I bravely took some of it, sickening and dangerous as this food is to an European stomach. This, and some other presents, which I afterwards made them, sealed the bond of our friendly acquaintance. My host, the proprietor of the tent, and probably the chief of his countrymen present, after our meals ordered a dance; one of them stept forwards, made the most comical motions with his whole body, without stirring from his place, making the most hideous grimaces; the others sung a song, consisting of only two notes, sometimes louder, sometimes lower, and the time was beat on a small tambourine. After I had amused myself, with my friends, in this manner, for two hours, I took a short walk into the interior of the island, but was soon obliged to return on account of the fog. As I feared that it might increase before we reached the ship, I was obliged to quit the island sooner than I should have done, had the weather been fine. The savages appeared affected at our leaving them, and promised to visit us on board.'

pp. 192, 3.

Two days after, they received a visit from a detachment of natives from the northern side of the Islands, where a low tongue of land, extending to the west, has a singular appearance, arising from the subterranean dwellings of the natives, and the number of whale ribs set up perpendicularly between them.

'As soon as they perceived us, they pushed off from shore three baydares) each containing ten men. They left off rowing, when they had approached the Rurick within ten yards: and then, with doleful voices, commenced a mournful song. Upon this, one in the middle arose, holding up a small black dog, and after speaking some words in an expressive manner, drew a knife, with which he gave the dog a mortal wound, and then threw the poor victim into the sea. After the conclusion of this ceremony, during which the deepest silence was observed in the

A baydare is a large open boat, quite flat, made of the skin of the sea-lion. The Kamtschadales use them on shore by way of tents.

baydares, they approached the ship, but only a few ventured on board. 1 found no difference between these and our friends of yesterday. They call themselves, like them, Tschibocko; and the coast of Asia,, oppo site to them, Wemen."

There can be litle doubt, we think, that this was meant as religious rite, either of augury or of propitiation. On the 30th of July, they were off the American shore, between Cape Prince of Wales and Guozdoff's Islands, which were discovered to be four in number, instead of three, as Captain Cook supposed. The habitations which cover this part of the coast, indicate a numerous population. On landing, the voyagers went into the jurtes or subterranean dwellings, which are described as cleanly and convenient.

The entrance at the S.E. side was an opening, three feet high, supported by wood, which on the outside was prolonged on each side by mud walls. We entered, first, into an apartment ten feet long, seven broad, and seven high: the walls and the top were covered with wood. To the left hand, in a pit which extended all along the room, lay pieces of black blubber, about a foot square, and besides these lay sieves with long handles. To the right was a rather narrow pit, two feet and a half deep, and seven long, through the end of which we had to creep to get into an apartment, which was, indeed, six feet high, though not broader than the pit. Now we had a wooden partition before us, in the middle of which was a round opening one foot and a half in diameter, through which we were obliged to creep into a spacious anti-room, the four walls of which were ten feet long, and six feet high; the height increased to wards the middle, and at the top was a small four cornered bole, covered with a bladder, which served for a window. On the wall opposite the entrance, broad boards, fastened one foot and a half above the floor, served for sleeping places, which only took up a third part of the room, and at the side walls they had placed some ladders quite horizontally, to set up their utensils. The walls and top, consisted of small beams, the visible sides of which were made even. All the habitations were built according to this plan, with the exception of one, where a more numerous family appeared to reside, as this had two more small siderooms. Their floors are raised three feet above the earth, under which there are store-rooms, and perhaps dog-kennels, as they are only three feet high; the walls and floors are also made of wood: they have likewise windows, but no sleeping benches. Several utensils, and other very neat work of the inhabitants, lay scattered about in their dwellings. I particularly remarked two very neatly made sledges of morse and whale-bones, which likewise shows, that they are used to be drawn by dogs. pp. 200, 1.

The inhabitants were supposed to have fled at the approach of the strangers, but several dogs came fawning up to them. After exploring this island, (for such it proved to be, and it re

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 Ist 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 impa tience 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 an 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 narrowest 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 scal's flesh. Probably, therefore, the Americans in their hunting parties, have their station here; and to mark the place, have erected a small ittbuilt stone pyramid. The island, which has only a smalt 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 discases 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.