During the night we had variable winds and rain; but at four in the morning of the 12th, it began to blow so strong from the N.E., as to oblige us to double reef the top-sails, and make it prudent to stand more off the shore. At six, the weather becoming more moderate and fair, we again made sail, and stood in for the land. At noon, our latitude was 51° 0', longitude 157° 25'. The northernmost land in sight, being the point we have mentioned as first opening with Cape Gavareea, bore N.N.E. A head-land, with a flat top, which is in latitude 51° 27', and makes the south point of an inlet, called Girowara, bore N. 1/4 E.,.and the southernmost land in sight, W.3/4 N., distant six leagues. At this time we could just perceive low land stretching from the southern extreme; but the wind veering round to the N.W., we could not get a nearer view of it. At six in the afternoon we saw, from the mast-head, Cape Lopatka, the southernmost extremity of Kamtschatka. It is a very low flat cape, sloping gradually from the high level land that we saw at noon, and bore W.N., about five leagues distant; and the high land, N.W. by W. 1/2 W. As this point of land forms so marked an object in the geography of the eastern coast of Asia, we were glad to be able, by an accurate observation, and several good angles, to determine its precise situation, which is in latitude 51° 0', longitude 156° 45'. To the N.W. of it we saw a remarkably high mountain, the top of which loses itself in the clouds; and, at the same time, the first of the Kurile Islands, called Shoomska, appeared in sight, bearing W. 1/2 S. The passage between this island and Cape Lopatka, the Russians describe as being three miles broad, and very dangerous on account of the rapidity of the tides, and the sunk rocks that are off the cape. From Cape Gavareea to Lopatka, the coast trends S.E. South of Achachinskoi, the land is not so high and broken as between that bay and the mouth of Awatska, being only of a moderate elevation toward the sea, with hills gradually rising farther back in the country. The coast is steep and bold, and full of white chalky patches.
At noon, the weather falling again to a calm, afforded us an opportunity of catching some fine cod. We were, at this time, in forty fathoms water, and about five or six leagues from Cape Lopatka. Both in the fore and afternoon, we had observations, with different compasses, for the variation, and found it to be 5° 20' E.
We stood on all night, under an easy sail, to the S.S.W., having the wind westerly. At midnight we sounded, and had sixty fathoms; and, at day-break of the 13th, we saw the second of the Kurile Islands, (called by the Russians Paramousir,) extending from N.W. by W. to W. 1/2 S. This land is very high, and almost entirely covered with snow. At noon, the extremes bore from N.N.W. 1/2 W. to W.N.W. 1/2 W.; and a high peaked mountain, from which some thought they saw smoke issuing, N.W. by W. 1/2 W., about twelve or fourteen leagues distant. At this time our latitude, by observation, was 49° 49', and our longitude 157° O'. In the course of the day we saw many gulls and albatrosses, and several whales.
Paramousir is the largest of the Kuriles under the dominion of Russia, and well deserves a more accurate survey, than we were at this time allowed to take. For, in the afternoon, the gale increasing from the W., we were never able to approach it nearer than we had done at noon; and were, therefore, obliged to be contented with endeavouring to ascertain its situation at that distance. We place the S. end of the island in latitude 49° 58', the N. end in latitude 50° 46', and in longitude 10' W. of Lopatka; and as this position is found not to differ materially from that given by the Russians, it is probably very near the truth. Whilst we were abreast of this island, we had a very heavy swell from the N.E., though the wind had, for some time, been from the westward, a circumstance which we have already remarked more than once during the course of our voyage. In the night we tried for soundings, but found no ground with fifty fathoms of line.
On the 14th and 15th, the wind blowing steadily and fresh from the westward, we were obliged to stand to the southward; and consequently hindered from seeing any more of the Kurile Islands. At noon of the 16th, the latitude, by observation, was 45° 27', the longitude, deduced from a number of lunar observations taken during the three days past, 155° 3O'. The variation 4° 30' E. In this situation, we were almost surrounded by the supposed discoveries of former navigators, and uncertain to which we should turn ourselves. To the southward and the S.W. were placed, in the French charts, a group of five islands, called the Three Sisters, Zellany and Kunashir. We were about ten leagues, according to the same maps, to the westward of the land of De Gama, which we had passed to the eastward in April last, at a distance rather less than this, without seeing any appearance of it; from which circumstance we may now conclude, that, if such land exist at all, it must be an island of a very inconsiderable size.[93] On the other hand, if we give credit to the original position of this land, fixed by Texiera, it lay to the W. by S.; and as the Company's Land,[94] Staten Island,[95] and the famous land of Jeso,[96] were also supposed to lie nearly in the same direction, together with the group first mentioned, according to the Russian charts, we thought this course deserved the preference, and accordingly hauled round to the westward, the wind having shifted in the afternoon to the northward. During this day we saw large flocks of gulls, several albatrosses, fulmars, and a number of fish, which our sailors called grampuses; but, as far as we could judge, from the appearance of those that passed close by the ships, we imagined them to be the kasatka, or sword-fish, described by Krascheninnikoff, to whom I refer the reader, for a curious account of the manner in which they attack the whales. In the evening, a visit from a small land-bird, about the size of a goldfinch, and resembling that bird in shape and plumage, made us keep a good look-out for land. However, at midnight, on trying for soundings, we found no ground with forty-five fathoms of line.
[93] From Muller's account of the course steered by Captain Spanberg, in his route from Kamtschatka to Japan, it appears, that he must also undoubtedly have seen De Gama's Land, if it really has the extent given it in Mr D'Anville's maps. Walton, who commanded a vessel in the same expedition, seems also to have looked in vain for this land on his return from Japan; and three years afterward, on account of some doubts that had arisen respecting Spanberg's course, Beering went directly in search of it, as low as the latitude of 46°.--See Voyages et Découvertes, &c. p. 210, et seq.
[94] This land was seen by the Dutchmen who sailed in the Castricom and Breskes, and imagined by them to be part of the continent of America. There now remains scarce any doubt of its being the islands of Ooroop and Nadeegsda. See the journals of the Castricom and Breskes, published by Wetzer.
[95] This land was also discovered by the Castricom; and, from its situation, as described in the journal of that vessel, it appears to be the islands of the Three Sisters.
[96] The country of Jeso, which has so long been a stumbling-block to our modern geographers, was first brought to the knowledge of Europeans by the Dutch vessels mentioned in the preceding notes. The name appears, from the earliest accounts, to have been well known, both to the Japanese and the Kamtschadales; and used by them, indiscriminately, for all the islands lying between Kamtschatka and Japan. It has since been applied to a large imaginary island, or continent, supposed to have been discovered by the Castricom and Breskes; and it may not, therefore, be improper to consider the grounds of this mistake, as far as can be collected from the journals of that expedition. The object of the voyage, in which those ships were engaged, was to explore the eastern shore of Tartary; but, being separated by a storm off the S.E. point of Japan, they sailed in different tracks along the E. side of the island; and, having passed its northern extremity, proceeded singly on their intended expedition.
The Castricom, commanded by De Vries, steering northward, fell in with land on the third day, in latitude 42°. He sailed along the S.E. coast about sixty leagues in a constant fog; and, having anchored in various places, held a friendly intercourse with the inhabitants. Thus far the journal. Now, as the islands of Matimai, Kunashir, and Zellany appear, from Captain Spanberg's discoveries, to lie exactly in this situation, there can be no doubt of their being the same land; and the circumstance of the fog sufficiently accounts for the error of De Vries, imagining them to be one continent; without having recourse to the supposition of an earthquake, by which Mr Muller, from his desire to reconcile the opinion generally received, with the later Russian discoveries, conceives the several parts to have been separated. The journal then proceeds to give an account of the discovery of Staten Island and Company's Land, of which I have already given my opinion, and shall have occasion to speak hereafter. Having passed through the Straits of De Vries, says the journal, they entered a vast, wild, and tempestuous sea, in which they steered, through mists and darkness, to the 48° N. latitude; after which they were driven by contrary winds to the southward, and again fell in with land to the westward, in latitude 45°, which they unaccountably still imagined to be part of the continent of Jeso; whereas, whoever examines Jansen's map of their discoveries, (which appears to be exceedingly accurate, as far as his information went,) will, I believe, have no doubt, that they were, at this time, on the coast of Tartary. Having traced this land four degrees to the northward, they returned to the southward through the Straits they had passed before.
It is not necessary to trouble the reader with the journal of the Breskes, as it contains no new matter, and has been already republished, and very satisfactorily animadverted upon by Mr Muller.-- Voyages from Asia to America, &c. English Translation, p. 78.
On the 17th, at noon, we were in latitude 45° 7', by observation, longitude 154° 0'. The wind now again coming to the westward, obliged us to steer a more southerly course; and, at midnight, it blew from that quarter a fresh gale, accompanied with heavy rain. In the morning, we saw another land- bird, and many flocks of gulls and peterels bending their course to the S.W. The heavy N.E. swell, with which we had constantly laboured since our departure from Lopatka, now ceased, and changed suddenly to the S.E. In the forenoon of the 18th; we passed great quantities of rock-weed, from which, and the flights of birds above-mentioned, we conjectured we were at no great distance from the southernmost of the Kuriles; and, at the same time, the wind coming round to the S., enabled us to stand in for it. At two, we set studding-sails, and steered W.; but the wind increasing to a gale, soon obliged as to double reef the top-sails; and, at midnight, we judged it necessary to try for soundings. Accordingly we hove to; but, finding no bottom at seventy-five fathoms, we were encouraged to persevere, and again bore away W., with the wind at S.E. This course we kept till two in the morning, when the weather becoming thick, we hauled our wind, and steered to the S.W. till five, when a violent storm reduced us to our courses.