s escape from the perilous situation in which he was left, and of
the sufferings he endured, and the expedients to which he was obliged to
resort, is peculiarly and highly interesting. With the aid of a partial
map of Kamtchatka, and a pocket compass, he set out to regain the sea
coast, from which they were, as he supposed, not very far distant.
Leaving all their clothes, and every article with which they could
possibly dispense, they put the rest of their baggage on two sleds,
which they dragged with them. They limited their nourishment to the
least possible quantity of food, drinking tea, of which they had a small
supply, twice in twenty-four hours, and in the morning taking some thin
rice water, with a small lump of chocolate each, to make it palatable.
They were obliged to construct bridges of logs over numerous rivulets,
swelled with the snows, which crossed their path, and they were exposed
to a succession of furious storms. On the twentieth day they arrived at
what they supposed a long narrow lake, and determined there to pass the
night. Having left his companions to make what preparations for so doing
their wretched situation afforded, Mr. Dobell went to examine the lake.
On approaching the bank, he discovered two small ducks, quite near the
shore, and had the good fortune to shoot them both at one shot. "Running
to the water to pick them up," he says, "God only knows the
inexpressible joy that filled my heart, at beholding the water move, and
finding that we were on the banks of a large river." They all set to
work actively the next day, and had soon completed a raft on which they
embarked, and trusted themselves to the current to reach the ocean, so
long and eagerly desired.

"We had" says Mr. Dobell, "a most unpleasant time, but anxious
to arrive at the ocean, would not lie by--particularly as the
stream increased greatly in rapidity, and hurried us along with
considerable swiftness. About one o'clock on the 10th of June,
although we were nearly in the middle of the river, which was
here upwards of a verst wide, we were suddenly seized by a
whirlpool, and in spite of our utmost efforts, having nothing
but poles to guide the raft, were drawn violently towards the
left bank, and forced under some large trees which had been
undermined by the water and hung over the surface of the
stream, the roots still holding them fast to the shore. I
perceived the da