A New Voyage Round the World, in the years 1823, 24, 25, and 26, Vol. 2

NOMAHANNA, QUEEN OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
London. Published by Henry Colburn & Richard Bentley. 1839.
BY OTTO VON KOTZEBUE, POST CAPTAIN IN THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL NAVY.
IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II.
LONDON: HENRY COLBURN AND RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1830.
LONDON: PRINTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEY. Dorset Street, Fleet Street.

KAMTSCHATKA.

The wind, which continued favourable to us as far as the Northern Tropic, was succeeded by a calm that lasted twelve days. The ocean, as far as the eye could reach, was as smooth as a mirror, and the heat almost insupportable. Sailors only can fully understand the disagreeableness of this situation. The activity usual on shipboard gave place to the most wearisome idleness. Every one was impatient; some of the men felt assured that we should never have a wind again, and wished for the most violent storm as a change.
One morning we had the amusement of watching two great sword-fish sunning themselves on the surface of the water. I sent out a boat, in the hope that the powerful creatures would, in complaisance, allow us the sport of harpooning them, but they would not wait; they plunged again into the depths of the sea, and we had disturbed their enjoyments in vain.
Our water-machine was several times let down, even to the depth of a thousand fathoms: on the surface, the temperature was 24°, and at this depth, only 2° of Reaumur.