KOTZEBUE, Otto von, Russian explorer, born in Revel, Russia, 30 December, 1787; died there, 15 February, 1846. His father was the celebrated dramatist. The son was educated at the Academy of St. Petersburg, and entered the Russian navy. In 1815 he commanded an expedition that was equipped and sent out at the expense of Count Rumiantzeff, chancellor of the empire, to explore the South sea and Bering strait, in search of a northeast passage to the Atlantic. After exploring the South sea islands they steered toward Kamtchatka, and discovered, on 20 April, an island to which they gave the name of their patron, Rumiantzeff. Kotzebue also discovered several islands and bays and a sound northeast of Bering strait, which he called Kotzebue sound. He arrived in Russia, 23 July, 1818, and in 1823 was appointed by Alexander I. to command the "Predpriatic," and ordered to the west coast of North America to protect the Russian American company from the smuggling of foreign traders. In 1829 he retired from active service and spent the rest of his life with his family in Esthonia. He was the author of "Travels through Italy, 1804-'5" (4 vols., London, 1807); "Journey in Persia" (English translation, Philadelphia, 1820); "A Voyage of Discovery into the South Sea and Bering Strait in the Years 1815-'18" (3 vols., Weimar, St. Petersburg, and London, 1821); and " A New Voyage Round the World in the Years 1823-'6" (2 vols., Weimar and London, 1830).