Having plied to windward till two in the afternoon, with little effect, I bore up for the island we had seen to the westward, proposing to come to an anchor under it till the gale should cease. But on getting to this land, we found it composed of two small islands, each not above three or four leagues in circuit, and consequently they could afford us little shelter. Instead of anchoring, therefore, we continued to stretch to the westward; and at eight o'clock, land was seen in that direction, extending from N.N.W. to W. by S., the nearest part six leagues distant. I stood on till ten, and then made a board to the eastward, in order to spend the night.
At day-break in the morning of the 10th, we resumed our course to the west for the land we had seen the preceding evening. At eleven minutes after seven, when the longitude, by the time-keeper, was 189° 24', it extended from S. 72° W. to N. 41° E. Between the S.W. extreme, and a point which bore W., two leagues distant, the shore forms a large bay, in which we anchored at ten o'clock in the forenoon, about two miles from the north shore, in ten fathoms water, over a gravelly bottom. The south part of the bay bore S. 58° W., the north point N. 43° E., the bottom of the bay N. 60° W., two or three leagues distant, and. the two islands we had passed the preceding day, N. 72° E., distant fourteen leagues.
Footnote 1:[ (return) ]
Mr Arrowsmith lays down this river, but without naming it. Mr Coxe does neither. Both of them specify Bristol Bay. Mr A.'s delineation of the coast of the peninsular projection, corresponds extremely well with Captain Cook's description.—E.
Footnote 2:[ (return) ]
Both Round Island and Calm Point are named by Coxe; Arrowsmith marks them, but has omitted the names.—E.
Footnote 3:[ (return) ]
Cape Newenham is mentioned by Arrowsmith, but not by Coxe; both have Shoal Ness, soon to be spoken of.—E.
Footnote 4:[ (return) ]
The opinion here given, we shall find, is afterwards corrected; and the land in question proved to be a discovery unknown to the Russians.—E.
Footnote 5:[ (return) ]
Mr Anderson's Journal seems to have been discontinued for about two months before his death; the last date in his MSS. being of the 3d of June.—D.
The Biographia Britannica informs us, that Mr Anderson left his papers to Sir Joseph Banks; but that the Admiralty took possession of the larger part of them, and, for what reason is not mentioned, retained them. Such parts, however, it is said, as related solely to natural history, were delivered by Captain King to the Baronet, who bears testimony "to the excellence of Mr A.'s character, the utility of his observations, and to the great probability, that, if he had survived, he would have given to the world something which would have done him credit." Much of this commendatory opinion might be inferred from what has been published of Mr A.'s labours, which constitute no inconsiderable portion, either in bulk or value, of Captain Cook's communications.—E.
SECTION IX.
Behaviour of the Natives, the Tschutski, on seeing the Ships.—Interview with some of them.—Their Weapons.—Persons.—Ornaments.—Clothing.—Winter and Summer Habitations.—The Ships cross the Strait, to the Coast of America.—Progress Northward.—Cape Mulgrave.—Appearance of Fields of Ice.—Situation of Icy Cape.—The Sea blocked up with Ice.—Sea-horses killed, and used as Provisions.—These Animals described.—Dimensions of one of them.—Cape Lisburne.—Fruitless Attempt to get through the Ice at a Distance from the Coast.—Observations on the Formation of thin Ice.—Arrival on the Coast of Asia.—Cape North.—The Prosecution of the Voyage deferred to the ensuing Year.
As we were standing into this bay, we perceived on the north shore a village, and some people, whom the sight of the ships seemed to have thrown into confusion or fear. We could plainly see persons running up the country with burdens upon their backs. At these habitations I proposed to land; and accordingly went with three armed boats, accompanied by some of the officers. About thirty or forty men, each armed with a spontoon, a bow, and arrows, stood drawn up on a rising ground close by the village. As we drew near, three of them came down toward the shore, and were so polite as to take off their caps, and to make us low bows. We returned the civility; but this did not inspire them with sufficient confidence to wait for our landing, for the moment we put the boats ashore, they retired. I followed them alone, without any thing in my hand; and by signs and gestures prevailed on them to stop, and to receive some trifling presents. In return for these they gave me two fox-skins, and a couple of sea-horse teeth. I cannot say whether they or I made the first present; for it appeared to me that they had brought down with them these things for this very purpose, and that they would have given them to me, even though I had made no return.