Of the tides it was observed, that the night-flood rose about two or three feet, and that the day-flood was hardly perceivable.
Having now fully satisfied myself that Mr. Stæhlin’s map must be erroneous; and, having restored the American continent to that space which he had occupied with his imaginary island of Alaschka, it was high time to think of leaving these northern regions, and to retire to some place during the winter, where I might procure refreshments for my people, and a small supply of provisions. Petropaulowska, or the harbour of St. Peter and St. Paul, in Kamtschatka, did not appear likely to furnish either the one or the other, for so large a number of men. I had, besides, other reasons for not repairing thither at this time. The first, and on which all the others depended, was the great dislike I had to lie inactive for six or seven months; which would have been the necessary consequence of wintering in any of these northern parts. No place was so conveniently within our reach, where we could expect to have our wants supplied, as the Sandwich Islands. To them, therefore, I determined to proceed. But before this could be carried into execution, a supply of water was necessary. With this view, I resolved to search the American coast for a harbour, by proceeding along it to the southward, and thus endeavour to connect the survey of this part of it, with that lying immediately to the north of Cape Newenham. If I failed in finding a harbour there, my plan was then to proceed to Samganoodha, which was fixed upon as our place of rendezvous, in case of separation.
CHAP. XI.
DISCOVERIES AFTER LEAVING NORTON SOUND.—STUART’S ISLAND.—CAPE STEPHENS.—POINT SHALLOW-WATER.—SHOALS ON THE AMERICAN COAST.—CLERKE’S ISLAND.—GORE’S ISLAND.—PINNACLE ISLAND.—ARRIVAL AT OONALASHKA.—INTERCOURSE WITH THE NATIVES AND RUSSIAN TRADERS.—CHARTS OF THE RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES, COMMUNICATED BY MR. ISMYLOFF.—THEIR ERRORS POINTED OUT.—SITUATION OF THE ISLANDS VISITED BY THE RUSSIANS.—ACCOUNT OF THEIR SETTLEMENT AT OONALASHKA.—OF THE NATIVES OF THE ISLAND.—THEIR PERSONS.—DRESS.—ORNAMENTS.—FOOD.—HOUSES, AND DOMESTIC UTENSILS.—MANUFACTURES.—MANNER OF PRODUCING FIRE.—CANOES.—FISHING AND HUNTING IMPLEMENTS.—FISHES AND SEA ANIMALS.—SEA AND WATER FOWLS, AND LAND BIRDS.—LAND ANIMALS AND VEGETABLES.—MANNER OF BURYING THEIR DEAD.—RESEMBLANCE OF THE NATIVES ON THIS SIDE OF AMERICA TO THE GREENLANDERS AND ESQUIMAUX.—TIDES.—OBSERVATIONS FOR DETERMINING THE LONGITUDE OF OONALASHKA.
Having weighed, on the 17th, in the morning, with a light breeze at east, we steered to the southward, and attempted to pass within Besborough Island; but though it lies six or seven miles from the continent, were prevented by meeting with shoal water. As we had but little wind all the day, it was dark before we passed the island; and the night was spent under an easy sail.
We resumed our course, at day-break on the 18th, along the coast. At noon we had no more than five fathoms’ water. At this time the latitude was 63° 37ʹ. Besborough Island now bore N. 42° E.; the southernmost land in sight, which proved also to be an island, S. 66° W.; the passage between it and the main S. 40° W.; and the nearest land about two miles distant. I continued to steer for this passage, until the boats, which were ahead, made the signal for having no more than three fathoms’ water. On this we hauled without the island; and made the signal for the Resolution’s boat to keep between the ships and the shore.
This island, which obtained the name of Stuart’s Island, lies in the latitude of 63° 35ʹ, and seventeen leagues from Cape Denbigh, in the direction of S., 27° W. It is six or seven leagues in circuit. Some parts of it are of a middling height, but in general it is low, with some rocks lying off the western part. The coast of the continent is, for the most part, low land; but we saw high land up the country. It forms a point opposite the island, which was named Cape Stephens, and lies in latitude 63° 33ʹ, and in longitude 197° 41ʹ. Some drift-wood was seen upon the shores, both of the island and of the continent; but not a tree was perceived growing upon either. One might anchor, upon occasion, between the N. E. side of this island and the continent, in the depth of five fathoms, sheltered from westerly, southerly, and easterly winds. But this station would be wholly exposed to the northerly winds, the land, in that direction, being at too great a distance to afford any security. Before we reached Stuart’s Island, we passed two small islands, lying between us and the main; and as we ranged along the coast, several people appeared upon the shore, and, by signs, seemed to invite us to approach them.
As soon as we were without the island, we steered S. by W., for the southernmost point of the continent in sight, till eight o’clock in the evening, when, having shoaled the water from six fathoms to less than four, I tacked, and stood to the northward, into five fathoms, and then spent the night lying off and on. At the time we tacked, the southernmost point of land, the same which is mentioned above, and was named Point Shallow Water, bore S. 1⁄2 E., seven leagues distant.
We resumed our course to the southward at day-break next morning; but shoal water obliged us to haul more to the westward. At length we got so far advanced upon the bank that we could not hold a N. N. W. course, meeting sometimes with only four fathoms. The wind blowing fresh at E. N. E., it was high time to look for deep water, and to quit a coast upon which we could no longer navigate with any degree of safety. I therefore hauled the wind to the northward, and gradually deepened the water to eight fathoms. At the time we hauled the wind, we were at least twelve leagues from the continent, and nine to the westward of Stuart’s Island. No land was seen to the southward of Point Shallow-Water, which I judge to lie in the latitude of 63°. So that between this latitude and Shoal Ness, in latitude 60°, the coast is entirely unexplored. Probably it is accessible only to boats or very small vessels; or, at least, if there be channels for larger vessels, it would require some time to find them; and I am of opinion that they must be looked for near the coast. From the mast head, the sea within us appeared to be chequered with shoals; the water was very much discoloured and muddy, and considerably fresher than at any of the places where we had lately anchored. From this I inferred that a considerable river runs into the sea in this unknown part.
As soon as we got into eight fathoms’ water, I steered to the westward, and afterward more southerly, for the land discovered on the 5th, which, at noon the next day, bore S. W. by W., ten or eleven leagues distant. At this time we had a fresh gale at N., with showers of hail and snow at intervals, and a pretty high sea, so that we got clear of the shoals but just in time. As I now found that the land before us lay too far to the westward to be Anderson’s Island, I named it Clerke’s Island. It lies in the latitude of 63° 15ʹ, and in the longitude of 190° 30ʹ. It seemed to be a pretty large island, in which are four or more hills, all connected by low ground; so that at a distance it looks like a group of islands. Near its east part lies a small island, remarkable by having upon it three elevated rocks. Not only the greater island, but this small spot was inhabited.