The season was now so far advanced, and the time when the frost is expected to set in so near at hand, that I did not think it consistent with prudence, to make any farther attempts to find a passage into the Atlantic this year, in any direction; so little was the prospect of succeeding. My attention was now directed toward finding out some place where we might supply ourselves with wood and water; and the object uppermost in my thoughts was, how I should spend the winter, so as to make some improvements in geography and navigation, and, at the same time, be in a condition to return to the north, in farther search of a passage, the ensuing summer.
CHAP. X.
RETURN FROM CAPE NORTH, ALONG THE COAST OF ASIA.—VIEWS OF THE COUNTRY.—BURNEY’S ISLAND.—CAPE SERDZE KAMEN, THE NORTHERN LIMIT OF BEERING’S VOYAGE.—PASS THE EAST CAPE OF ASIA.—DESCRIPTION AND SITUATION OF IT.—OBSERVATIONS ON MULLER.—THE TSCHUTSKI.—BAY OF ST. LAURENCE.—TWO OTHER BAYS, AND HABITATIONS OF THE NATIVES.—BEERING’S CAPE TSCHUKOTSKOI.—BEERING’S POSITION OF THIS COAST ACCURATE.—ISLAND OF ST. LAURENCE.—PASS TO THE AMERICAN COAST.—CAPE DARBY.—BALD HEAD.—CAPE DENBIGH, ON A PENINSULA.—BESBOROUGH ISLAND.—WOOD AND WATER PROCURED.—VISITS FROM THE NATIVES.—THEIR PERSONS AND HABITATIONS.—PRODUCE OF THE COUNTRY.—MARKS THAT THE PENINSULA HAD FORMERLY BEEN SURROUNDED BY THE SEA.—LIEUTENANT KING’S REPORT.—NORTON SOUND.—LUNAR OBSERVATIONS THERE.—STÆHLIN’S MAP PROVED TO BE ERRONEOUS.—PLAN OF FUTURE OPERATIONS.
After having stood off till we got into eighteen fathoms’ water, I bore up to the eastward, along the coast, which, by this time, it was pretty certain, could only be the continent of Asia. As the wind blew fresh, with a very heavy fall of snow, and a thick mist, it was necessary to proceed with great caution. I therefore brought to for a few hours in the night.
At day-break, on the 30th, we made sail, and steered such a course as I thought would bring us in with the land; being in a great measure guided by the lead; for the weather was as thick as ever, and it snowed incessantly. At ten, we got sight of the coast, bearing south-west, four miles distant; and presently after, having shoaled the water to seven fathoms, we hauled off. At this time, a very low point, or spit, bore south south-west, four miles distant; to the east of which there appeared to be a narrow channel, leading into some water that we saw over the point. Probably, the lake before mentioned communicates here with the sea.
At noon, the mist dispersing for a short interval, we had a tolerably good view of the coast, which extended from south-east to north-west by west. Some parts appeared higher than others; but in general it was very low, with high land farther up the country. The whole was now covered with snow, which had lately fallen, quite down to the sea. I continued to range along the coast, at two leagues’ distance, till ten at night, when we hauled off; but we resumed our course next morning, soon after day-break, when we got sight of the coast again, extending from west to south-east by south. At eight, the eastern part bore south, and proved to be an island; which at noon bore south-west half south, four or fives miles distant. It is about four or five miles in circuit, of a middling height, with a steep, rocky coast, situated about three leagues from the main, in the latitude of 67° 45ʹ, and distinguished in the chart by the name of Burney’s Island.
The inland country hereabout is full of hills; some of which are of a considerable height. The land was covered with snow, except a few spots upon the sea-coast, which still continued low, but less so than farther westward. For the two preceding days, the main height of the mercury in the thermometer had been very little above the freezing point, and often below it; so that the water in the vessels upon the deck was frequently covered with a sheet of ice.
I continued to steer south south-east, nearly in the direction of the coast, till five in the afternoon, when land was seen bearing south, 50° east, which we presently found to be a continuation of the coast, and hauled up for it. Being abreast of the eastern land, at ten at night, and in doubts of weathering it, we tacked and made a board to the westward, till past one the next morning, when we stood again to the east, and found that it was as much as we could do to keep our distance from the coast, the wind being exceedingly unsettled, varying continually from north to north-east. At half an hour past eight, the eastern extreme above mentioned bore south by east, six or seven miles distant. At the same time, a head-land appeared in sight, bearing east by south, half south; and, soon after, we could trace the whole coast lying between them, and a small island at some distance from it.
The coast seemed to form several rocky points, connected by a low shore, without the least appearance of a harbour. At some distance from the sea, the low land appeared to swell into a number of hills. The highest of these were covered with snow; and, in other respects, the whole country seemed naked. At seven in the evening, two points of land, at some distance beyond the eastern head, opened off it in the direction of south, 37° east. I was now well assured of what I had believed before, that this was the country of the Tschutski, or the north-east coast of Asia; and that thus far Beering proceeded in 1728; that is, to this head which Muller says is called Serdze Kamen, on account of a rock upon it, shaped like a heart. But I conceive, that Mr. Muller’s knowledge of the geography of these parts is very imperfect. There are many elevated rocks upon this cape, and possibly some one or other of them may have the shape of a heart. It is a pretty lofty promontory, with a steep rocky cliff facing the sea; and lies in the latitude of 67° 3ʹ, and in the longitude of 188° 11ʹ. To the eastward of it, the coast is high, and bold; but to the westward it is low, and trends north north-west, and north-west by west; which is nearly its direction all the way to Cape North. The soundings are every where the same at the same distance from the shore, which is also the case on the opposite shore of America. The greatest depth we found in ranging along it was twenty-three fathoms. And, in the night, or in foggy weather, the soundings are no bad guide in sailing along either of these shores.
At eight o’clock in the morning of the 2d, the most advanced land to the south-east, bore south, 25° east; and from this point of view had the appearance of being an island. But the thick snow-showers, which succeeded one another pretty fast, and settled upon the land, hid great part of the coast at this time from our sight. Soon after, the sun, whose face we had not seen for near five days, broke out at the intervals between the showers; and, in some measure, freed the coast from the fog, so that we had a sight of it, and found the whole to be connected. The wind still continued at north, the air was cold, and the mercury in the thermometer never rose above 35°, and was sometimes as low as 30°. At noon, the observed latitude was 66° 37ʹ. Cape Serdze Kamen bore north, 52° west, thirteen leagues distant; the southernmost point of land in sight south, 41° east; the nearest part of the coast two leagues distant, and our depth of water twenty-two fathoms.