The Sun.
London, England, 1818-11-04 00:00:00

LIEUTENANT KOTZEBUE. 1815 to 1818.

" The long protracted war, in which all the
nations of Europe were at different times involv-
ed, suspended all attempts at northern discovery ;
but no sooner did the European world begin to
feet the blessings of peace, than the spirit of dis-
covery revived. Expeditions ‘...ere 5....nt forth to
every quarter of the globe ; and to the honour of
an individual it might to be mentioned, that at
his own cost, a ship was fitted out for the pur-
pose of ascertaining when her the sea, on the nor-
t hero coast of America, afforded a navigable pas-
sage between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans :
thnt individual is the Russian Count Romanzoff.
The vessel prepared for this undertaking was
called the Borick, and Lieut. Kotzebue, son of
the celebrated writer of that name, was appoint-
ed to command her. She was of small tonnage,
not exceeding one hundred, and manned with 22
men, officers included, a surgeon and botanist.
His instructions were to proceed round Cape
Horn, and make the best of his tray to the north-
west coast of America, pass Ilehring's Strait, and
endeavour to find some bay or inlet on the Ame-
rican side to lay up his vessel in safety, while,
with a certain number of his crew, he should pe-
netrate the American Continent by land, first to
the northward, to ascertain if Icy Cape be an
island, as is supposed, and then to the eastward,
keeping the hyperborean sea on their left, and
carrying with them light skin boats or baidars to
enable them to pass such lakes or rivers as might
intervene.

" At one of the Aleutian Islands he observed
a vast quantity of drift•wood thrown upon the
shore, and, among other species of wood, picked
up a log of the camphor tree. In the midst of
Bel/ring's Strait, between East Cape and Cape
Prince of Wales, he found the current setting
strongly to the north-east, at the rate, as he
thought, of twu miles and a half an hour, which
is at least twice the velocity observed by Cook.
In this particular place also the depth of the
water was considerably more than the soundings
mentioned in Cook's voyage.

" Having passed the Cape Prince of Wales
early in August, witho►►t any obstruction from
ice, and as it would appear without seeing any,
an opening was observed in the line of the Ame-
rican coast, in latitude about 671° to 68°. Into
this inlet the ltnrick entered. Across the mouth
was a small island, the shores of which were
covered with drift-wood ; and among it were oh-
served trees of an enormous size. The tide regu-
larly ebbed and flowed through the passages on
each side of the island. Within the entrance,
the great bay or inlet spread ont to the north
and, south, and had several coves or sounds on
each shore. its extent to the eastward was not
determined, but the Rurick proceeded as far in
that direction as the meridian of 160°, which cor-
responds with that of the bottom of Norton
Sound,

" The shores of this great inlet, and more par-
the northern one, were well peopled
with Indians of a large size ; the men were well
armed with bows, arrows, and spears. They
wore skin clothing, and leather boots, neatly
made and ornamented ; their huts were comfort-
able and sunk deep into the earth ; their furni-
ture and implements neatly made ; they had
sledges drawn apparently by dogs, though the
skulls and skins of rein-deer indicated the presence
of that animal in the country. The description
given by Lieut. Kotzebue of these people corres-
ponds almost exactly with that of the Tschutski
by Cook on, the opposite Continent, with whom
they sometimes trade and are sometimes at war.
They are the same race of people as those on the
Continent of America lower down and about the
Russian settlement of Kodiack, as appeared from
a native of that place being able to understand
their language.
" From these Indians Lieut. Kotzebue learned,
that at the bottom of the inlet was a strait
through which there was a passage into the great
sea, and that it required nine days rowing with
one of their boats to reach this sea. This Kot-
zebue thinks trust be the Great Northern Ocean,
and that the whole of the land to the northward
of the inlet must either be an island or an archi-
pelago of islands.
At the bottom of a cove on the northern
shore of the inlet was an extensive perpendicular
cliff, apparently of chalk, of the height of six or
seven hundred feet, the summit of which was en-
tirely covered with vegetation ; between the font
of this cliff and the shore was a slip of land, in
Nvidth about five or six hundred yards, covered
also with plants, which were afterwards found to
be of the same kind as those on the summit. But
the astonishment of the travellers may readily be
conceived, when they discovered, on their approach
to this extensive cliff, that it was actually a moun-
tain of solid ice, down the sides ofwhich • the water
was trickling by. the heat of the sun. At the foot
of the cliff several, elephants' teeth were picked up,

sinii!Fir to those which have been found in euct
ua cluanriiiiS in Siberia and the islands

ihe Tartariati Sea;* these teeth iLey cottcluata
to have fallen out of the mass.of ice as its surface
melted, though no other part of the animal was
discovered by them. There was, however, a most
oppressive and offensive smell of animal matter,
not unlike that of burnt bones, so that it was
almost impossible to remain near those I►a►ts of
the face of the mountain where the water was
trickling down. By the gradual slope of the side
of this enormous ice-berg which faced the interior
they were able to ascend to its summit, and to make
a collection of the plants that were growing upon
it, The stratum of soil which covered it was not

deep, and the Lieutenant describes it as being
.of
a calcareous nature. The slip of land at the foot
of the mountain was probably formed of the soil
and plants which had fallen down from the sum-
mit as the ice melted, and which, in fact, while

there, they had the opportunity of observing to
fall.
" Besides this mountain of ice, there was no ap-
pearance of ice or snow on the land or the water
in this part of America, and the weather was
exceedingly clear and mild, and even warm,; but
on the oppo,ite coast of Asia the weather at the
same time was cold, and the atmosphere almost
constantly loaded with fogs. There was in fact
such a great difference between the temperature of
the two continents, on the two sides of the strait,
that, in standing across, it was Ike passiitg instan-
t aneonsly from sunimer to winter, and the con-
trary. This happened about the end of August,
at which time a fair and open passage appeared to
lie on the American side, as far to the northward
as the eye could reach ; whereas on the Asiatic
side the ice seemed to be fixed to the shore, and
its outer edge to extend in the direction of north-
east, which was precisely that of the current.
" The season being too far advanced either to
attempt to carry the It nrick round Icy Care,
which, however, Lieut. Kotzebue thinks he,conld
have done without any obstruction, or to prosecute
the land journey to the eastward ; and fettling if he
remained longer in the great inlet, the entrance
might he closed up with ice, lie thought the most
prudent step he could take would he that of pro-
ceeding to winter and refit in California, and early
in the following Sprihg to renew the attempt to
penetrate into the interior of America. lie ac-
cordingly set out again early in March, called at
the Sandwich Islands, awl reached the Aleutian
Islands in June, where the Rurick suffered much
from a violent gale of wind, in which Lieutenant
Kotzebue unfortunately had his breast bone bro-
ken; this accident threw him into such.a state of
ill health, that after persevering till they reached
liivoogiena or Clerke's Island, at the mouth of
Behring's Strait, the Surgeon declared that nothing
but a warmer climate would save his life. The
ice had but just left the southern shores of this
island, and was gradually moving to the northward,

which it appears is its usual course every year,
but is hastened or delayed in its progress more or
less, according to the prevailing winds, and the
strength with which they blow. Being thus
nearly a month too soon to afford any prospect of
immediate access to the inlet on the northern side
of Cape Prince of Wales, and his health daily
getting worse, he was reluctantly compelled to
return with his little bark, and to make the best

of his way home round the Cape of Good Hope,
" In the course of his circumnavigation, Lieu-
tenant Kotzebue has made several interesting dis-
coveries of new groupes of islands in the Pacific ;
and he has done that which for the first time has
been effected, namely, taking the temperature of
the sea, at the surface and at a eel taro depth, at a
particular hour every day, both on the outward and
homeward voyage.
" It is greatly to the credit of Lieutenant Kot-
zebue that, after a voyage of three years, in every
variety of climate, he has brought back again
every man of his little crew, with the exception of
one who embarked in a sickly state." f

* Lieutenant Kotzebue called them mammoths' teeth (mas-
todontes) ; hut from a drawing made by the Naturalist, they
were evidently the teeth of elephants:- which is the more ex-
traordinary, as bring the first remains of this quadruped
found in the New World. . .

t From personal conversation with Lieutenant Kotzebue.

LONDON JOURNALS.

[FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.]

[Morning Herald.]
THE QUEEN.

"kew, Eight o'Clork, Roll. S.

" The QUEEN still continues to labour under
the most distressing debility, brit in other re•
spects she has been somewhat more at ease
to-day than she was yesterday. The cough,
and other more violent symptoms, subsided very
materially towards morning, and her Majesty
appeared to sleep composedly for several hours.
The Prince Regent arrived at the Palace,
about noon, from Carlton House ;. and having
taken a slight refreshment, his Royal Highness
went on to Windsor Castle, accompanied by the
Duchess of Gloucester. Their Royal Highnesses
returned at half-past five o'clock this evening ;
and the Prince remains to dinner with his Royal
Sisters.—His horses are ordered to be ready' to
return to town at ten o'clock."

his Ins; duty—his parents; Cue secorlti for or
The lady knew how to appreciate his merit
and his MOi veq, and their vows were mu-
tually pledged to each other. lie entered upon
his career of proSt and honour with that assi-
duous energy tvhich forms a 'chief feature of ge-
nuine talent. In a comparatively short period he
realized a considerable sum, and with it purchased
an annuity for his parents. Having put them in
possession of this provision for their lives, he for-
mally declared to them, that his obligations to them
were now fulfilled, and lie was about to enter into
other relatious_,‘v_hielt. must exclusively govern
him in their turn. He began a second time
with fresh spirit—acquired " tz second for-
tune "—all within a very few years—settled it
upon her on whom he had betowed his heart,
and married her. To lose Lady Romilly after
an attachment so formed, and after years flown
away in the tranquillity of domestic joy, disturb-
ed only by the splendid pursuits of an ambition,
sytionimous with virtue, wan one of those shocks
which must he left, undefined, to the imagination
of such as know what it is to feel. History will
say of Sir. Samuel Romilly, that be died uncor-
rupted by wealth—undazzled by rank—imble-
mis bed by ambition—unvulgarised by popularity
—admired by his adversaries—and even unvilified
by the base. His place at the Bar—in the Senate
—in the Country, is vacant, and it will remain
so.—(Lid.)

[The Times
In a private letter from Paris it is said, that the
King of France, at a recent conference With some
of the Foreign Ambassadors, cont!ratulated their
Sovereigns and himself on the Convention of Aix-
la Cl►apelle. i‘lajesty, it is added, appeared to
distinguish in a particular manner Baron Vincent,
the Aus t rian inister, partly in consideration ,as has
been supposed, of the friendly conduct observed
by Austria towards France, throughout the dis-
cu.,,sious of the Congress. The election of cer-
tain c4nditiates front among the Libereanx for La
Vendee, seems to have excited less pleasure than
surprise in the Ultra-Royalist party, as %Yell as in
that of the Ministers.

We have received The Bombay Gazette of the
10th of .1 tine :—The accounts from Bengal
mention, that there has been a great fall in tire
price of cotton in the Agra and M rzapure mar-
kets, of nearly two rupees a maund ; this is attri-
buted to the difficulty of negotiating bills, in
consequence of the temporary scarcity of cash.
The fort of Chandah has been taken by storm,
by tire division wider Col. Adams. The fort of
nllligatun has not yet surrendered, but is stilt be-
sieged by the detachment under tie command of
Cu!. Macriowal : in the last attack, the loss was
severe, amofinting to three Officers killed and two
wounded, with about 80 rank and file. Trim-
buckjee Danglia, we are informed, is still alive,
and that the report of his death originated in. a
misapprehension of the import of a Persian ad-
jective, which, though frequently used for dead,
also signifies much butt, or wounded.-,—(lbid)
r.re

THEATRICAL REGISTER.
Perliaineti Lag( Night.
THEATRE ROYAL,DRURY-LANE.—The Culliltry Girl : Sparkish,
Mr. Penley; Peggy, Mrs. Mardyn. After which (Ist thile),
Bannecide.
THEATRE ROYAL, CBvENT-GARDEN.—She Would and She
Would Not: Dun Manuel, Mr. W. Farrerv; Mrs.'
T. Hill. After which, Love, Law, and Physic.

MAILS.
ARRIVED-1 Waterford. Due—t Sweden, 2 liamlrargh.

KING W/I.LTAM LANDED.—Holiday at the Bank,•Excbequei,
East India, and South Selt Horts,es, this day.

[-UGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE To•MORRO\V.
Morning, 10 minutes after S. I Evening, 35 minutes after B.