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open water.

In places among the islands we found 14 fathoms of water.

We have had continued daylight ever since starting from Markova, at no time being dark enough to distinguish a star, which has been of great assistance to us, since we could not have travelled in the dark and nights were always calm.

Just after passing the islands we speared another deer, which removed all anxiety as to food, as we expected to find some Tchuctchus lower down the river, from whom we could renew our supply.

The left bank of the river is very low, and the prospect to the north, is limited by a rugged range of mountains, about 30 versts distant, and running apparently East and West. While the right or southern bank, is much higher, composed of rolling tunderas, which, as they recede from the river, gradually rise to the magnitude of hills with smooth surfaces and perfectly barren.

From a point about 10 versts above Oochastica to that place, the tunderas disappear, and the hills approach the river, terminating in a bluff, about 20 fathoms high, at the foot of the lower end of which Oochastica stands.