Progress Northward, after leaving Oonalashka.—The Islands Oonella and Acootan.—Ooneemak.—Shallowness of the Water along the Coast—Bristol Bay.—Round Island.—Calm Point.—Cape Newenham.—Lieutenant Williamson lands, and his Report.—Bristol Bay, and its Extent.—The Ships obliged to return on account of Shoals.—Natives come off to the Ships.—Death of Mr Anderson; his Character; and Island named after him.—Point Rodney.—Sledge Island, and Remarks on Landing there.—King's Island.—Cape Prince of Wales, the Western Extreme of America. Course Westward.—Anchor in a Bay on the Coast of Asia.
Having put to sea with a light breeze, at S.S.E., we steered to the N., meeting with nothing to obstruct us in this course. For, as I observed before, the island of Oonalashka on the one side, trended S.W., and on the other, no land was to be seen in a direction more northerly than N.E., the whole of which laud was a continuation of the same group of islands which we had fallen in with on the 25th of June. That which lies before Samganoodha, and forms the N.E. side of the passage through which we came, is called Oonella, and is about seven leagues in circumference. Another island to the N.E. of it, is called Acootan, which is considerably larger than Oonella, and hath in it some very high mountains which were covered with snow. It appeared, that we might have gone very safely between, these two islands and the continent, the S.W. point of which opened off the N.E. point of Acootan, in the direction of N. 60° E.; and which proved to be the same point of land we had seen when we quitted the coast of the continent, on the 25th of June, to go without the islands. It is called by the people of these parts Ooneemak, and lies in the latitude of 54° 30', and in the longitude of 192° 30'. Over the cape, which of itself is high land, is a round elevated mountain, at this time entirely covered with snow.
At six in the evening, this mountain bore E. 2° N., and at eight we had no land in sight. Concluding, therefore, that the coast of the continent had now taken a north-easterly direction, I ventured to steer the same course till one o'clock the next morning, when the watch on deck thought they saw land a-head. Upon this we wore, and stood to the S.W. for two hours, and then resumed our course to the E.N.E.
At six o'clock, land was seen a-head, bearing S.E., about five leagues distant. As we advanced, we raised more and more land, all connected, and seemingly in the direction of our course. At noon, it extended from S.S.W. to E., the nearest part five or six leagues distant; Our latitude at this time was 55° 21', and our longitude 195° 18'. This coast is on the N.W. side of the volcano mountain, so that we must have seen it, if the weather had been tolerably clear.
At six in the evening, after having run eight leagues upon an E. by N. course from noon, we sounded, and found forty-eight fathoms, over a bottom of black sand. Being at this time four leagues from the land, the eastern part in sight bore E.S.E., and appeared as a high round hummock, seemingly detached from the main.
Having continued to steer E.N.E. all night, at eight in the morning of the 4th, the coast was seen from S.S.W. to E. by S.; and at times we could see high land, covered with snow behind it. Soon after it fell calm, and being in thirty fathoms water, we put over hooks and lines, and caught a good number of cod-fish. At noon, having now a breeze from the east, and the weather being clear, we found ourselves six leagues from the land, which extended from S. by W. to E. by S. The hummock, seen the preceding evening, bore S.W. by S. ten leagues distant. Our latitude was now 55° 50', and our longitude 197° 3'. A great hollow swell, from W.S.W., assured us that there was no main land near in that direction. I stood to the N. till six in the afternoon, when the wind having veered to S.E., enabled us to steer E.N.E. The coast lay in this direction, and at noon, the next day, was about four leagues distant.
On the 6th and 7th, the wind being northerly, we made but little progress. At eight in the evening of the latter, we were in nineteen fathoms water, and about three or four leagues from the coast, which, on the 8th, extended from S.S.W. to E. by N., and was all low land, with a ridge of mountains behind it, covered with snow. It is probable, that this low coast extends, some distance, to the S.W.; and that such places as we sometimes, took for inlets or bays, are only valleys between the mountains.
On the morning of the 9th, with a breeze at N.W., we steered E. by N., to get nearer the coast. At noon, we were in the latitude of 57° 49', and in the longitude of 201° 33', and about two leagues from the land, which extended from S. by E. to E.N.E.; being all a low coast, with points shooting out in some places, which, from the deck, appeared like islands; but, from the mast-head, low land was seen to connect them. In this situation, the depth of water was fifteen fathoms, the bottom a fine black sand.
As we had advanced to the N.E., we had found the depth of water gradually decreasing, and the coast trending more and more northerly. But the ridge of mountains behind it continued to lie in the same direction as those more westerly; so that the extent of the low land, between the foot of the mountains and the sea-coast, insensibly increased. Both high and low grounds were perfectly destitute of wood; but seemed to be covered with a green turf, except the mountains, which were covered with snow. Continuing to steer along the coast, with a gentle breeze, westerly, the water gradually shoaled from fifteen to ten fathoms, though we were at the distance of eight or ten miles from the shore. At eight in the evening, an elevated mountain, which had been in sight for some time, bore S.E. by E., twenty-one leagues distant. Some other mountains, belonging to the same chain, and much farther distant, bore E. 3° N. The coast extended as far as N.E. 1/2 N., where it seemed to terminate in a point, beyond which we hoped and expected, that it would take a more easterly direction. But, soon after, we discovered low land, extending from behind this point, as far as N.W. by W., where it was lost in the horizon; and behind it was high land, that appeared in detached hills.