672                 -WBANaELL's  LAST  JOURNEY.
cracks, that Wrangell supposed the open sea must be at hand, and deemed it prudent to return, when one hundred and seventy miles from the land. On this journey he traveled over nine hundred miles.
Wrangell's fourth and last journey was commenced March 14th, 1823, and Cape Chelagskoi was reached on the 18th. A Tuski chief here informed him that, from an adjacent part of the coast, on a clear summer's day, snow-covered mountains might be descried at a great distance to the north, and that herds of reindeer sometimes came across the ice of the sea, probably from thence. The natives concur in stating that Cape Jakan is the nearest point to this northern land. The party struck off across the ice to the northward when they had gone a little beyond Cape Chelagskoi; but a violent gale of wind cracked and broke up the ice, which was only three feet thick, placing them in considerable danger. As they advanced it became thinner, and they only succeeded in crossing the cracks, just frozen over, in safety, owing to the incredibly swift running of the dogs. Wran. gell was obliged to turn back at a distance of seventy miles from the land, and in reaching it they had to ferry themselves across many cracks, on pieces of ice, the dogs swimming and towing. To the west the sea appeared completely open, with floating ice, and dark vapors ascending from it obscured the horizon. Lanes of water were opening in all directions, and, without a boat, the little party was placed in a position of extreme danger. A gale of wind dashed the pieces of ice against each other with a loud, crashing noise, and split many of the floes into fragments. The dogs saved them. They dashed wildly and swiftly towards the land, and reached it on the 27th.