A voyage of discovery, into the South Sea and Beering's straits, for the purpose of exploring a north-east passage, undertaken in the years 1815-1818, at the expense of His Highness ... Count Romanzoff, in the ship Rurick, under the command of the lieutenant in the Russian imperial navy, Otto von Kotzebue

:■ %i

•J

^^-^

-Mj

( • • .. ••*

-"r-.^ ^^.

:i^\-^

THE UNIVERSITY

OF ILLINOIS

LIBRARY

910,4
K84pEe

VI

IIUHOIS HlSTORICll SUIIVIY

nilNOIS

tit^

1

V

I

VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY,

INTO THE

SOUTH SEA

AND

BEERING'S STRAITS,

FOR THE PURPOSE Of

EXPLORING A NORTH-EAST PASSAGE,

UNDERTAKEN

IN THE YEARS 1815 1818,

AT THE EXPENSE OF HIS HIGHNESS THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EMPIRE,

COUNT ROMANZOFF,
IX THE SHIP RURICK,

UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE LIEUTENANT IN THE
RUSSIAN IMPERIAL NAVY,

OTTO VON KOTZEBUE.

ILLUSTRATED If'LTII SUMEROUS PLATES AND MAPS.

IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. I.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR

I.ONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN,

PATERNOSTER-ROW.
1821.

^ TRANSLATOR S PREFACE.

In laying before the public a work of such
general interest, as Kotzebue's Voyage Round
the World, the translator does not feel him-
self called upon to preface it with any laboured
recommendation. The circumstances relative
to the origin and progress of the undertaking,
which have from time to time transpired,
through the public journals, have excited a
great desire for the publication of these
volumes, not merely in Germany, but in
England and France. The expedition was
known to have originated in the enlarged
views of that great patron of the sciences.
His Highness Count RomanzofF, Grand
Chancellor of the Russian empire, and to
have been fitted out with princely munifi--
cence at his sole expense. The conductor of
the expedition was known to have already made
a voyage round the world, with Conunodore
A 3

J

VI TRANSLATOR .S PREFACE.

Krusenstern, and to have been recommended
by him to Count Romanzoff, as eminently quah-
fied for the command of such an undertaking.
Extracts from many of the letters that Lieu-
tenant Kotzebue wrote to his father, during
his voyage, were published in Germany, and
even in England ; which not only made the
public familiar with the expedition and its
objects, but also excited expectations in its
favour, which the translator ventures to affirm
will be fully satisfied by a perusal of these
volumes.

A few words respecting the translation it-
self may, perhaps, be required.

The first object of the translator has been
fidelity to his original : he has not sought to
embellish, by superadded ornaments of style
and colouring, the unaffected language of a
plain, though well educated and accomplished
seaman ; he has merely endeavoured to put
it into such natural and manly language as it
would become an English naval officer to
write, and as an intelligent reader may
peruse with satisfaction.

The scientific parts of a work of this kind
being of so great importance to geography
and navigation, for the benefit of which
sciences such expeditions are expressly un-

TRANSLATOR S TREFACE. Vll

dertakcn, tlie most scrupulous attention has
been paid to avoid even the smallest error, in
the latitudes and longitudes ; the bearings of
points of the coasts ; the measurements of
the depths of the sea, of the strength of the
currents ; and, in short, of every thing ex-
pressed in figures. The figures have been
most attentively twice collated with the ori-
ginal ; and it is hoped that there is not, in
this respect, a single erratum. It is judged
particularly necessary to impress this point,
because the translator has in a few instances
been induced to suspect a mistake in the ori-
ginal, which he could not venture to correct.
The usual method of marking the degrees of
latitude and longitude is, he believes, always
to mark the degrees, minutes, and seconds ;
and if there should be no minutes, but se-
conds, to put 00' for the minutes, as 15" 00' 38",
and this is the method of notation which
sometimes occurs in this work : but there are
in the first volume several instances where it
is not observed: for instance, page 104., line
8., where we find latitude 30° 36", longitude
15" 20"; which the translator apprehends
should be, 30° 36', and 15" 20'; and though
he has thought it his duty to copy them, he,
A 4

Vm TRANSLATOR S PREFACE.

however, judges it proper to give this notice.
Though the miles mentioned appear to be
generally geographical miles, of sixty to a de-
gree, and are sometimes stated to be such, it
seems as if, in one or two solitary instances,
German miles, fifteen to a degree, should be
understood ; this refers to the statement of
the size of some of the small islands, one of
which is spoken of as being a quarter of a
mile in circumference, and yet to contain
woods into which the author took a walk. If
this island were only a quarter of an English
mile in circumference, the walk must have
been rather short ; and it should probably be a
German mile (four miles and a half English).
In the orthography of proper names of
persons and places, the Edinburgh Gazetteer
has been followed for the geographical part ;
and for the names of Lieutenant Kotzebue's
new discoveries, and of the persons whom he
has occasion to mention, his own ortho-
graphy has been preserved, as an attempt to
accommodate them to English pronunciation
would probably have produced combinations
of letters very different from those which an
Englishman would form, from hearing them
pronounced by the natives themselves. The

TRANSLATOR S PREFACE. IX

translator begs leave to refer to his note,
vol. ii. page 410., to which he will merely
add here, that ei m German is invariably pro-
nounced as i long in English ; and ic as Eng-
lish cc. It may, likewise, be proper to observe,
that Lieutenant Kotzebue and Mr. Chamisso
differ in some instances in their orthography
of proper names, for which the latter, indeed,
apologises in his postscript ; but it has been
thought the best to retain the orthography
of each.

In some few instances, doubts have arisen
respecting the true translation of scientific
terms. This has been particularly the case in
what relates to mineralogy, which is partly
caused by the different names given by the
German mineralogists and geologists to the
same mineral or earth, a discrepancy which
is equally found among English writers on
the same subject. It is, however, hoped, that
the terms employed, if not always strictly and
technically correct, will be perfectly intelli-
gible to those readers who are interested in
those parts of the work. The translator has,
however, much pleasure in stating, that the
list of minerals brought home by the expedi-

X TRANSLATOR S PREFACE.

tioiij as given by M. Moriz Von Engelhardt,
in tlie third volume, has been revised by an
eminent member of the Geological Society.

H. E. LLOYD.

London, Oct. 16. 1821.

CONTENTS.

FIRST VOLUME.

Introduction, by Krusenstern Page 1

Instructions for the Astronomical Observations on

this voyage, by Dr. Horner 41

Preface by Otto Von Kotzebue 85

Preparations 87

Journal of the Voyage.

Chap. I. From Cronstadt to Copenhagen 93

II. From Copenhagen to England 97

III. From Plymouth to Teneriffe 103

IV. From Teneriffe to Brazil. St Catherine ... 107
V. From St. Cnthcrine to the Coast of Chili.

Conception 119

VI. From the Bay of Conception to Kamt-

schatka 133

VII. From Kamtschatka to the newly discovered
Kotzebue's Sound, behind Beering's

Stiaits 187

VIII. From Kotzebue's Sound to Oonalashka ... 241

IX. From Oonalashka to California 245

X. From the Coast of California to the Sand-
wich islands 291

XII CONTENTS.

SECOND VOLUME.

Journal of the Voyage — continued.

Chap. XI. From the Sandwich islands to the newly

discovered Radack Chain Page 1

XII. From Radack to the St. Lawrence islands 88

XIII. From St. Lawrence islands to Radack

and Guahon 178

XIV. From Guahon to St. Helena 254

XV. From St. Helena to Revel 286

Analysis of the Islands discovered by the Rurick in the
Great Ocean, by Krusenstern 291

On the Diseases of the Crew, during the three years'
Voyage, by the physician of the ship, Dr. Eschscholtz 317

Remarks and Opinions of the Naturalist of the
Expedition, Adelbert Von Chamisso.

Preface, by Adelbert Von Chamisso 351

View of the Great Ocean, its Islands, and its Coasts 353

The Tagalese Alphabet 406

Vocabulary of the Dialects of Chamori (Mariana

islands), and of Eap, Ulea, and Radack 409

Songs of Radack 433

CONTENTS. XIII

THIRD VOLUME.

Remarks and Opinions or the Nati'hat.ist of iiie
Expedition — continued.

Teneriffe Page 1

Brazil 5

Chili, with notices from Father Alday, and a tabular

view of the Missions 1.5

California 38

The Philippine Islands .., 52

The Mariana Islands. Guahon 7G

Extract from the Archives of San Yjjnacio de Ajrana 90
On our knowledge of the First Province of the Great

Ocean. New sources. Kadu, Don Luis de Torres.

Geographical View, with a Chart 92

Radack, llalick, Repith-Urur, Bogha, the Cornwallis

Islands 140

The Caroline islands 181

The Penrhyn islands 217

The Low islands 15" south latitude, and 138° to 14.9°

west longitude. RomanzoflP Island 220

Waihu, or Easter Island. Sala y Gomez 224

The Sandwich Islands. Johnstone Island 229

Methods of kindling fire 259

Kamtschatka. The Aleutian Islands and Beering's

Straits 2GI

Meteorology. The magnet 318

XV CONTENTS.

Appendix by other Authors.

General remarks on the voyage Page 321

On the Coral islands, their origin, and farther form-
ation 331

On the nature of the Rocks on the coast of New Ca-
lifornia, the Island of Oonalashka, and the coasts
of Beering's Straits, according to observations
made, and Minerals collected, by Dr. Eschscholtz,
by Moritz Von Engelhardt 337

List of Minerals collected by Dr. Eschscholtz 346

Description of a new species of Monkey, by Dr.
Eschscholtz, with a drawing 353

Observations on the Physiology and Natural History
of the Medusae, Velellae, and Porpitae, by Dr.
Eschscholtz 357

Description of new Foreign Buttei*flies, by Dr. Esch-
scholtz 365

Aerometi'ical Observations, from 18th of July, 1816, to
the 13th of April 1818 403

Temperature of the Sea-water at different depths in
the years 1815, 1816, 1817,1818 417

Remarks on the Observations on the specific gi'avity
of the Sea-water in different latitudes, and on the
temperature of the Ocean at different depths, by
J. C. Horner 425

Postscript, by Adelbert Von Chamisso 436

Corrections and Remarks, by Adelbert Von Chamisso 439

LIST OF THE PLATES AND CHARTS.

Vol. L

Portrait of the Inhabitants of Kotzebiie's Soimd

to face the title

Tamaahmaah, Kingof the Sandwich islands Pa<j^e 1

View of the Ice Bergs of Kotzebue's Sound 219

View of the Royal Morai in the Bay of Ti-utatoo, on

the Island of Owyhee 311

Chart, from 14-° to 16° south latitude, and from n.
137° to 14-9° west longitude of Greenwich;
the Course of the Rurick, the Direction and v
Strength of the Currents, and Variation of /

the Compass

Chart of Beerinff's Straits

to he jilaced
at the end
of Vol. 1.

Vol. II.

Rarick, Chief of the Island of Otdia to face the title

View of the Interior of a House on the Radack Islands 63
View of the Island of Airick belonging to the Groupe

ofKawen, in the Radack Chain 110

Plan of the Island-groupe of Romanzoff j

(Otdia) \to be placed

Chartof the new discovered Islands — Chains \ at the end

of Radack and Ralick of Vol. 11.

Chart of the Carolinas, accordmg to Edock J

Vol. III.

Kadu, a Native of Ulea to face the title

Drawing of a new Species of Monkey 353

Two Charts of the Carolinas, accordmg to f ^o be placed

r> 1 TV T • 1 T' < at the end

Cantova and Don Luis ue i orres ^^ y , tjt

Zmtdon^TabUthtd. ly Li7nf'nan..Ifta-st,2Uej:0''mt i-37v»n,MZI .

A

VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY-

INTRODUCTION. *

1 wo problems liave engaged, for some centuries,
the attention of the geographer, and still more of
the navigator j the discovery of a Southern Con-
tinent ; and that of a Northern Passage from the
Atlantic to the Southern Ocean, or, vice versa,
from the South Sea into the Atlantic. The first
problem was solved by the immortal Cook ; who,
in his second voyage, exploded the notion of a
Southern Continent, the existence of which was
thought to be necessary to preserve the balance
between the two hemispheres, and in which the

* In compliance with the wish of the autlior, a pupil of wlioni
I am proud, I prefix some observations to his account of his
voya'^e. Tliis was also the wish of his unfortunate father, my
lamented friend, with whom I lived for thirty years together
in the most cordial intimacy ; whom I loved as my brother,
and whose death I shall never cease to deplore, in tonmion cer-
tainly with his numuroub friends and all impartial persons ti»
whom he was known.

VOL. I. * B

2 INTRODUCTION.

most celebrated geographers of the middie of the
last century, for instance, De Brosses and Dalrym-
ple, firmly believed, even assigning its limits and
probable population. Before Cook, it sunk to the
bottom of the ocean, " and, like the baseless fabric
of a vision, left not a rack behind !'* * The second
problem remains, to this day, the subject of hypo-
thetical theories and practical researches. For three
successive centuries the connection between the
tvi^o oceans has been sought in vain ; the greatest
navigators of all nations have participated in the
attempt to solve this difficult problem, but in this,
as in all other maritime enterprizes, the English
were they who chiefly distinguished themselves.
To them we are indebted for the first attempt ;
with the most laudable perseverance they have
continued their exertions, without intermission, up
to the present time j and to them we shall, in all
probability, be obliged for finally and satisfactorily
ascertaining the existence or non-existence of this
remarkable passage. Had Cook's life been spared,
this object would, perhaps, have been attained ;
since, if the passage had not been explored by him,
he would at least have demonstrated the im-

♦ Cook, indeed, thought it possible that a continent might
exist near the South Pole, because it was his opinion that ice
cannot be formed except in the neighbourhood of land, and
that, consequently, the immense masses of ice which we meet
with in the south polar regions, must originate from a large
continent near the South Pole ; but he was equally convinced
that this south polar continent would never be discovered.

INTRODUCTION. 3

possibility of exploring it ; for that wliich was im-
possible to Cook could hardly be possible for
another

Russia, too, which, since the time of Peter the
Great, has possessed a navy, and never was in-
different to any thing that might tend to the im-
provement of science, would not be behind other
nations in endeavourino; to solve this interesting
problem; and during two successive years, three
vessels, commanded by the late Admiral Tschits-
chagoff, father of the present admiral, were em-
ployed to search for the passage, exactly in the
North, between Greenland and Spitzbergen. This
expedition shared the fate of all preceding attempts
of the kind, without any blame being attributable
to the admiral, any more than to Lord Midgrave,
who was sent from England seven years later, in
the same direction, and proceeded only twelve
minutes farther to the North than the Russian
commander. Cook*s third voyage, though not
finished by himself, seemed to have put an end to
all doubts respecting the possibility of a Northern
Passage ; but we do not know whether the great
man himself really despaired of it. His researches
in Beering's Straits brought him, the first year, to
the 70th degree, where the ice hindered him from
proceeding ; yet he resolved to renew his researches
there the succeeding year; this design was frustra-
ted by his untimely end, but the resolution he had
taken proves that he did not doubt the possibility,

VOL. I. * B 2

4 INTRODUCTION'.

if not of complete success, yet of })enetrating
farther to the North and East than he had done
the year before. Cook's third voyage may be
considered as the last attempt made in the eigh-
teenth century to solve the celebrated problem ;
for the object of Captain Vancouver's voyage was
not to look for a Northern Passage, as the title of
his work might lead one to suppose, but to under-
take an accurate examination of the whole coast
of America, from the 30th degree of latitude to
Cook's Inlet. If, during this examination, any
connection had been found between some deep
inlet, and Baffin's or Hudson's Bay, it would of
course have been explored by Vancouver. But
it was more than probable that no such connection
would be found to the South of Cook's Inlet;
for, at the time Cook was sent out, it had been
recognised that a connection, if it does exist, is
not to be found to the south of 65°; the accurate
researches of Captain Middleton, and of Captains
Smith and Moore, having proved that a connection
with the South Sea from Hudson's Bay was im-
possible. The extremely careful survey of the
west coast of America, by Vancouver, proved that
those who drew up Cook's instructions had good
grounds for assuming that the passage must be
sought to the north of the 65th degree.

Only a few^ years after the termination of Cook's
voyage, a state of things commenced in Europe,
w^hich was highly unfavourable to such under-
takings. The French revolution brouolit such a

1NTJU)[)1 CTJON.

mass of misery on all the countries of Europe, that
they had more urgent wants to attend to, than the
undertaking of enterprises, the success of whicli
was so problematical ; nay, even in those under-
taken during this period, which promised a more
certain acquisition to the sciences, the consequences
of the all-destroying spirit of the revolution were
but too evident. This was the case at least with
the voyages of discovery undertaken from France ;
the expedition, for example, sent in search of La
Peyrouse, under the command of one of the ablest
officers of the French navy, having dissolved itself
before its completion, and that fitted out some years
later having likewise failed ; at least, the results
were not so brilliant as might have been justly
expected, from an expedition amply supplied with
every requisite: the reason, doubtless, was, that the
imperial French marine had not yet returned to
the ancient s})irit of order. Nay, if we would at-
tribute its failure only to the ignorance of the
commander*, who was not at all animated with the
spirit of discovery and science, still it may be easily
imagined that, under a different order of things,
no such choice would have been made. And, then,

* It is remarkable, that in the journal of the voyage of
the Geographe and Naiuraliste, edited by Perron, the name
of the commander is not once mentioned, as if it had been
feared that the name of a man should go down to posterity,
whom fate had so undeservedly favoured, as to place him at the
head of a voyage of discovery.

B 3

6 INTRODUCTION'.

what shall we say to the treatment of Captain
Flinders ? Confiding in the inviolability of the
passports given him, not conceiving it possible to
disgrace the French government, by the seizure of
a ship engaged in a voyage of discovery, Captain
Flinders placed himself, and his small vessel, which
was in a sinking state, under the protection of the
governor, who not only detained him and his ship,
but even seized his journals. To deprive a man
like Flinders, the greatest seaman that has appeared
since Cook, of his liberty at such a time, was
equivalent to killing him ; in fact, he survived but
a short time the cruel inactivity of his imprison-
ment, in which he was condemned to languish
above six years. There are doubtless more dreadful
facts to be met with in the records of naval history,
but I know of no one that excites more indigna-
tion than this treatment of the unhappy Flinders.

The almost uninterrupted wars in which Europe
was engaged, and partly, too, the certainty which
the last attempts of the English were supposed to
have afforded, that a northern passage was impossi-
ble, were the causes that this problem had been
laid aside as insoluble; and it is a question, whether
anotlier attempt would ever have been made, had
not Count Romanzoff, who is distinguished for
elevated views, and for whom bold enterprises have
a particular charm, given the first impulse. He
frequently conversed with me on the subject, and
expressed his wish to see such an attempt again

INTHODUCTIOX. 7

niiule. The political situation of Russia, even })re-
vious to the dreadful war of 181^2, 1813, rendered
it indeed quite impossible, even for the govern-
ment, to undertake such an enterprise: the Count,
however, did not give up the idea of it, and, in or-
der to obtain for himself more information on the
subject, as well as to acquaint the captain, to whom
the command of the projected expedition should be
confided, with all the attempts of preceding navi-
gators, to find a northern passage, as well as with
the opinions of those who had particularly studied
the subject, I undertook, according to his wish, to
draw up a view of all the Polar Voyages since the
first attempt of the celebrated Sebastian Cabot, in
the year l^O?* to the last voyage of Cook. From
this view it was evident, that a passage in the
north was more than doubtful, but that another
attempt, either from the west to the east, or from
the east to the west, might perhaps not be a vain
enterprize. As soon, therefore, as the war with
England was concluded, Count RomanzofT resolved
to proceed to the execution of the plan at his own
expense.

With respect to the possibility of the success of
such an enterprise, so much has been said both for
and against it, on occasion of the expedition to
the North Pole made by order of the English
government, that it seemed unnecessary for me to
repeat the arguments. According to my view of
the matter, a passage to the north seems impossi-

B 4

o INTUODLXTION.

ble ; so many attempts to approach the pole have
been made by the most intrepid navigators of
EngUmd and Holland, and not one has been able
to penetrate to 81°. It is said, indeed, that since
the east coast of Greenland has been free from
ice, ships have reached 83^ but these rare in-
stances, connected, too, as they are, with a pheno-
menon, whicli, in all probability, will be of short
duration, namely, the clearing of the coast of
Greenland from ice, do not prove the possibility
of reaching the pole itself. The case is different
with a north-west passage, which seems to be less
decidedly impossible. In order to go on sure
grounds, it was requisite to seek for this passage
as well from west to east, as from east to west; the
first way had the advantage, that the western
boundaries of Baffin's Bay, and the countries to the
north of Hudson's Bay might be explored; which,
not much to the credit of the nineteenth century,
were still quite unknown : the other, on the con-
trary, had the advantage, that it included a voyage
through the South Sea, and that the examination
of the northern coast of America might be of
advantage to our possessions in those countries.
Count Romanzoff resolved to make both attempts
at the same time, only with this difference, that
the attempt from west to east should be made by
a ship (but not of too large a size), to be dis-
patched from Russia, and that the other should be
undertaken from America, also at his expense.

TXTUODUCTIOX.

under the direction of some enterprising American
captain, for wliich purpose the Count had ah'cady
o})ened a correspondence with America. This
latter attempt, however, was not made j because
it was my opinion, tliat it sliould not be com-
menced till the first expedition had returned : it
might then have the advantage of being under-
taken from Russia ; and not by Americans, but by
Russians. The expedition fitted out from England
two years later, of course rendered the execution
of this second part of the plan quite unnecessary.
With regard to the attempt to find a passage from
the sea of Kamtschatka to the Atlantic Ocean, or
from west to east, the endeavours of Captains Cook
and Clerke in Beering's Straits, left but little hope
of penetrating farther to the north than they had
done ; but there were parts of the coast of Ame-
rica, both to the north and south of Beering's
Straits, which those celebrated navigators could not
explore ; a circumstance which, at least, lefl a
spark of hope that some inlet might be found in
those parts, connected, if not directly with Baffin's
Bay, yet with some river fldling into the Frozen
Sea, (of which we already know two, the Copper-
mine River and Mackenzie River), from which it
would be easier to penetrate into the Atlantic
Ocean than through Beering's Straits and round
Icy Cape. However little jjrobability there might
appear of finding a passage just here, its existence
cannot be positively denied, till this part of the

10 INTRODUCTION.

coast, particularly that to the south of Beeriiig's
Straits, which is 100 miles in extent, shall have
been explored. But supposing that the wished-for
discovery of a connection between the two seas
should not be made in the intended voyage, yet
many important advantages would accrue from it
to the sciences, and especially to navigation. —
1. The conviction obtained by a new attempt, that it
is impossible to penetrate farther to the north from
Beering's Straits than Cook and Gierke have done,
and consequently that no passage to the Atlantic
Ocean can exist there. 2. The examination of
the coast of America, which was not seen by the
celebrated English navigator, on account of the
shallowness of the water, which was now to be
done, as well by water in Baidares, as by land.*
3. In case the examination of the coast of Ame-
rica northward of Beering's Straits could not be
continued as far as Icy Cape, w^hich, considering
the small size of the vessel, was not possible, ex-
cept under very favourable circumstances, it w^as
intended to prosecute the examination by land, in
order to learn how far the coast extends to the
north, and under what degree of latitude it begins
to decline towards the east. This land journey
could not fail to afford important information

* Captain Golownin was charged, in 1811, to examine this
part of America, between Shoal Ness and Point Shallow ; but
before he could execute this part of his instructions, he was
taken prisoner by the Japanese.

INTRODUCTION. 11

respecting the internal state of this wholly un-
known part of America, if the inhosi)itable regions
in which it was to be made would allow of its
execution. 4. The crossing of the whole South
Sea twice, in quite different directions, would cer-
tainly not a little contribute to enlarge our know-
ledge of this great ocean, as well as of the inhabit-
ants of the very numerous islands scattered over
it ; and a rich hanest of objects of natural history
was to be expected, as the Count had appointed,
besides the ship's surgeon, an able naturalist to
accompany the expedition. The projected under-
taking was therefore of the highest importance to
science ; and, to speak without partiality, worthy
of the greatest praise, because it is without a
parallel. In the centuries immediately succeeding
Vasco de Gama's doubling the Cape of Good
Hope, and Magellan's voyage to the South Sea,
there were indeed rich individuals who fitted out
vessels at their own expense, to make discoveries
in the seas so lately made known ; but this zeal
has long since expired, and besides, the voyages
of discovery in early times were not undertaken
with such liberal motives as those w^iicli inspired
the author of this expedition.

It was natural that an individual could not ex-
pend any very considerable sum on such an enter-
prize, and this could least of all be expected from
Count Romanzoff, because he already dedicates
the greater part of his revenues to the most ex-

1*2 INTRODUCTION.

pensive scientific and many patriotic undertakings :
it was therefore, perhaps, as difficult a problem as
the north passage itself, properly to plan such an
undertaking, without its exceeding the abiUty of
the Count. It was first resolved to send the tim-
ber for a small vessel of 25 or 30 tons on board
one of the ships belonging to the American Com-
pany, to the north-west coast of America : the
officer to whom the undertaking was to be confided,
was to embark at the same time with his pilot and
some cliosen men, and have the vessel put toge-
ther at Oonalashka or Kodiak. This plan, which
would have been the cheapest, was given up, be-
cause the frame of the vessel would have taken up
too much room on board one of the Company's
sliips, which are but small vessels. It was then
resolved to have a vessel of 70 or 80 tons, with
moveable keels, on the plan of the EngUsh Cap-
tain Shank, built of oak in the imperial dock-yard,
by the able ship-builder Rasumoff ; this plan, how-
ever, could not be executed, and as there is no
private dock-yard in St. Petersburg, and the oak
timber is exclusively in possession of the admiralty,
the only alternative was either to purchase abroad
a ship built of oak timber, which would have been
too expensive, or to have one built of fir ; and as
very durable ships are built of this timber in Fin-
land, it was determined to have such a one built
at Abo, or Wasa, thougli it seemed a hazardous
ex})erimcut, to undertake a voyage which might

INTRODUCTION. 13

last three or four years, on board a ship built of
fir. It was Ukewise determined to build this ship
laro-er than was at tirst intended, not onlv because,
for the money destined for the purchase of the
vessel, one of double the size might be built of fir;
but because another circumstance was to be parti-
cularly considered, to which, if it had been built
of oak, as at first intended, no regard could have
been paid. It was now decided that it should tra-
verse the great ocean, and would therefore often
come in contact with the inhabitants of the islands
already known, as well as of those that might be
discovered. Were the ship small, the crew must be
small in })roportion, and be therefore in danger of
being attacked by the savages, of which there have
been instances in the South Sea. The size of the
ship was fixed at 180 tons instead of 80, with a
crew of 20 sailors. Even a ship of 180 tons is
certainly small for such a voyage, not from any
danger of being swallowed up by the waves in a
violent storm, as some readers, who are not seamen,
might believe, but from the want of accommoda-
tion for officers and men, as well for their repose
as for their scientific labours ; no trifling consider-
ation on a long and fatiguing voyage ; and like-
wise from want of room for the collections of natu-
ral history. On the other hand, the smallnessofa
vessel designed for a voyage of discovery has ad-
vantages which are useful even to the sciences ; a
small ship, for instance, can approach much nearer

14 INTRODUCTION.

to the shore, and can therefore examme, and more
accurately determine many things than it is pos-
sible to do on board a large vessel. Thus, for ex-
ample, in the present voyage, the Coral islands were
more accurately and closely examined than was
ever done before ; and the discovery of the great
bav on the coast of America, to the north of Beer-
ing*s Straits, which escaped Captains Cook and
Gierke, would not have been made with a larger
vessel than the Rurick.

As conductor of this expedition, I proposed
Lieutenant Kotzebue, of the navy, son of the cele-
brated writer : he had accompanied me when very
young, that is, as cadet on board the Nadeshda in
my voyage, and had laid a good foundation for the
service to which he had resolved to dedicate him-
self; I had especially remarked that he used to
exercise himself in astronomical observ^ations, and
in drawing charts, and never failed to take part in
the trigonometrical operations, which was of great
advantage to him, because he could have no op-
portunity after the voyage was ended of improving
himself in this part of the naval duties ; whereas
he could annually improve in practical seamanship,
as far as may be done by the navigation of the Baltic :
he had also the good fortune, when he sailed, in
1812, under the command of Admiral Crown and
Captain Hamilton, from Archangel to the Baltic,
to gain, in a high degree, the approbation of both
those officers. He had long cherished a wish to

INTRODUCTION. l5

revisit those seas which had first given him a taste
for the sea-service : he offered himself to the
American Company, to conduct their ship Suwa-
roff, which sailed for their colonies in 1813. The
directors of the Company however declined his
offer, because they feared that he was too young.
Count Romanzoff, on the contrary, was so taken
at the first acquaintance, with the enthusiastic zeal
of this young man in his profession, that he did not
hesitate to confide to him the command of the
expedition to Beering's Straits, not doubting that
his zeal was accompanied with the qualifications
and knowledge requisite for such an undertaking.
Having obtained, at the beginning of 1814, per-
mission from His Majesty the Emperor, to make a
journey to England, I resolved to go by way of
Sweden, in order to bespeak the ship at Abo, to be
built after a design of Mr. Rasumoff. Lieutenant
Kotzebue accompanied me to Abo, and at the
latter end of May, I contracted with a ship-builder,
named Erick Malm, to build us, for the sum of
30,000 roubles, a vessel of 180 tons burthen ; which
should be launched at the beginning of May in
the following year. According to the wish of
Count Romanzoff) it was to be called the Rurick.
It is but justice to Mr. Malm, to say, that he
neglected nothing on his part, to build the vessel
with a degree of durability, that could hardly be
expected from a fir ship ; and no greater proof can
be given of the excellence of the workmanship.

16 INTRODUCTION.

and the care with which the timber had been pre-
pared, than that, upon an accurate survey after its
return, it was found so good, that the purchasers*
resolved to send it on another voyage to the South
Sea.

I bespoke the astronomical and physical instru-
ments in England of the justly celebrated Trough-
ton ; they consisted of several sextants, compasses,
two marine barometers, a dipping-needle, an aero-
meter, several thermometers, hygrometers, &c. ; to
these I added the log and sounding-machine in-
vented by Massey, a Six-thermometer, a mountain
barometer, a camera lucida ; the last articles by
the ingenious artist, Thomas Jones, a pupil of the
celebrated Ramsden, and two telescopes by Tully.
1 bespoke two chronometers ; a pocket chrono-
meter by Barraud, who makes more chronometers
than any other artist, and for this reason alone
deserves the greatest confidence j the instrument
which he furnished was in fact excellent, and very
much better than another, which I had bespoke of
him at the same price for the Admiralty, which
stopped soon after my arrival at St. Petersburg,
and was obliged to be given to Mr. Wenham, the
partner of Breguel, to be repaired. Each of these
chronometers cost 50 guineas. The other chro-

* As Count Romanzoff had no farther use for the ship, he
disposed of it to the American Company, with all its tackling,
&c., even including the chronometers and astronomical instru-
ments.

INTRODUCTION. 17

nometer I had made by Hardy, who had acquired
great reputation by a very fine astronomical clock,
wliich he had made for the Observatory at Green-
wicli, and by some new inventions, of which I will
only mention a new compensatorium. He had, it
is true, made only one chronometer in his life ; no
account of the going of which ever reached
England, the sliip being lost in her voyage to the
AVest Indies ; and for this reason he could not be
recommended to me ; but I had so high aii opi-
nion of the skill of this indeftitigable artist, that
I got him to make me one. The event proved
that I had done right in placing great confidence
in his ability ; the instrument (a box chronometer)
was excellent, as will appear by the account of the
voyage. The price was eighty guineas.

Besides the astronomical and physical instru-
ments, and an extensive collection of maps by
Horsburgh, Arrowsmith and Pardy, I had the ship
provided with numerous other articles indispensa-
bly necessary in such a voyage, which are no where
to be had better and cheaper than in London ;
such as surgical instrnments, medicines, spices,
clothing, &c. The ship was likewise provided with
a life, or safety boat, vvhich the English Admiralty
had ordered to be built for the Rurick, at my re-
quest. During my stay in England I had ^•isited
the harbour of Plymouth, and there seen a life-boat
of the invention of Mr. Fincham, a master ship-
builder. The judicious contrivance, and the small

VOL. I. c

Ig Introduction.

size of this boat, which was provided with air-chests,
made me anxious of having such a one for Lieu-
tenant Kotzebue's expedition ; Mr. Fincham, how-
ever, being in the service of the Government, the
strictness of the EngUsh regulations did not allow
him to execute such a commission without the per-
mission of the Admiralty. On my return to Lon-
don, therefore, I made an application, in writing, to
the Admiralty, and received on the same day, an
answer from the secretary, Mr. Barrow, who enjoys
a most honorable reputation both as a traveller and
a writer, stating, that the Lords of the Admiralty
had immediately issued an order to build such a
boat for Count RomanzofF's expedition, according
to the dimensions given by me. This was done,
and when the Rurick put into Plymouth on her
voyage, the boat was delivered to Lieutenant Kot-
zebue, without any payment whatever being asked
for it : the expences of it amounted to 1000
roubles.

A discovery lately made in England, seemed to
me too important not to be made use of for the ex-
pedition. This discovery, made by Mr. Donkin,
consists in preserving fresh meat, vegetables, soup,
milk, in short eatables of every kind, for years
together, in a perfectly fresh state j and, what may
be thought an exaggeration, but is not so, the
meat is better than when fresh, because the tin
boxes, in which it is preserved, are filled with
strong gravy, which penetrates the meat. I caused

INTRODUCTION. 19

the ship to be supphed with a considerable quan-
tity of these provisions, and they were of the
greatest use to Lieutenant Kotzebue and his com-
panions ; this meat being often the only refresh-
ment that he had to give to the sick. Mr. Donkin*s
discovery, though it may not seem important, is
undoubtedly one of the greatest use to navigators.
Not taking into account the importance of being
provided, even for the longest voyages, wdth fresh
provisions, without requiring much room, which
could formerly be done, and that for a com-
paratively short time, only by taking on board a
number of living animals, which in ships of war
are always in the way, and for which a large stock of
food, hay, and water must likewise be taken on
board* ; andw^hich, in spite of every precaution, may
be suddenly lost, for instance, in a storm ; passing
over these great advantages, the discovery is of the
liighest importance to the sick, taking it for granted
that the preservation of the health of the crew is
of importance. Some strong soup, or nourishing
diet, can often save the hfe of a patient, where
medicine is no longer of any avail ; this is espe-
cially the case in scorbutic patients, of whom, in-

* That such a stock may prove dangerous appears from the
dreadful example of the Queen Charlotte, of 120 guns, which
was burnt in the roads of Leghorn, in 1805. The cause of the
misfortune was, that the hay on board, not having been imme-
diately cleared away, was set fire to by a candle carelessly
brought near it.

c 2

20 INTRODUCTION.

deed, there are now but few on board ships, smee
it has been found that it is not the living on salt
meat, or the sea air, which produces the scurvy,
but the want of wholesome provisions, of linen
and of clothing, which make it impossible for the
people to change their clothes though often wet
through ; the want of cleanliness, and fresh air in
their births ; and, above all, the want of due care
and attention, which always causes a desponding
spirit among the men ; whence it results that an
opposite mode of treatment is the best preventative
of the scurvy. But the measures above enumerated
are not yet every _ where applied to a sufficient
extent ; and thus we have, even now, dreadful
instances of the ravages which this disorder causes
on board of ships. In such, the use of Donkin's
prepared meat cannot be sufficiently recommended,
and is indeed of the highest importance. Could
Lord Anson, in his voyage round Cape Horn, in
174<0 ; could our ships in their passage from Arcli-
angel to the Baltic, in the years 1812 and 1813,
have had a stock of this meat on board, so many
men would not have fallen in the prime of life
victims to this cruel disease. * Important improv6-

* Fresh provisions being extremely dear in the West Indies,
the EngHsh Admiralty has found it less expensive to supply the
hospitals vi^th Donkin's meat from England, than to purchase
it fresh on the spot; and when I was in England, in the years
1814 and 1815, a great supply of Donkin's meat was sent to
the fleet of Admiral Cochrane, on the coast of America.

INTRODUCTION. 21

ments having been also made in the distillation of
sea water *, want of fresh provisions, and sweet
water, or fear of the scurvy, can never afford pre-
texts for delays in port, which are often injurious
to the object of the voyage. I cannot help men-
tioning here the fine discovery of the eminent
natural philosopher, Mr. Leslie, to produce ice
by means of evaporation, even in the hottest room ;
by which it is possible to have, even under the
equator, the luxury of a cool beverage, which
cannot but have a very beneficial influence on the
health, particularly in regions where calms prevail,
where one longs in vain for a breath of air to
assuage the heat, which debilitates the whole frame.
This invention has also been applied to the use of
the English navy. All the hospitals in the tropical
countries are already provided with extensive ap-
paratus for the production of ice.

With respect to the preservation of the health of
the crew during the expedition of Lieutenant
Kotzebue, we must do him and Dr. Eschholz,
the ship's physician, the justice to say, that they
made this an object of their peculiar care, as the
result has proved. Notwithstanding a three years'
navigation, during which they were comparatively

* Lieutenant Kotzebue saw such an apparatus on board the
ship of Captain Freycinet, whom he met with at the Cape of
Good Hope on a voyage of discovery. This apparatus supplied
in one day sufficient for three days' consumption for the wliolq
crew.

c 3

S2 INTRODUCTION,

but a short time on shore ; notwithstanding a long
abode in the stormy and humid regions of the
Kamtschatka seas ; notwithstanding the scanty
accommodation which a ship of 180 tons afforded,
only one man died during the whole time, and
that at the beginning of the voyage : he was in a
consumption, and could not have lived long had
he remained on shore. The rest all returned home
well and hearty, it may be said better, and more
hearty than at the time of their departure, blessing
their commander and the officers for their attentive
and paternal treatment.

Besides tlie captain, there were on board the
Rurick, a lieutenant of the navy, two naturalists, a
physician, a painter, and two second mates. Lieu-
tenant vSchischmareff was an old comrade and friend
of M. Von Kotzebue, and though his senior in the
service, he willingly submitted to obey his orders
on this voyage. The perfect harmony that pre-
vailed between them during the whole voyage, is
honourable to both ; and we owe the successful
termination of the expedition equally to Lieutenant
Kotzebue for his direction, and to Lieutenant
Schischmareff for the support which his captain
found in him. During almost the whole voyage.
Lieutenant Schischmareff was the only naval offi-
cer on board the Rurick*, and none but a sea-

* His comrade fell sick in England, and left the ship at
Kamtschatka.

INTRODUCTION. S3

rtiaii can form a clear notion of the exertions which
an officer must make, who, for three successive
years, has to share with his captain only the liard-
ships of a navigation, often dangerous, always
difficult, now in the stormy seas of Kamtschatka,
now in the icy regions of Beering's Straits, now
among the coral chains of the islands of the South
Sea. The two mates, Petroff and Cramtschenko,
were young men from the pilots* school, who have
acquired great skill in their department, and with
whom M. Von Kotzebue was perfectly satisfied.
It was the business of the latter, in particular, to
draw the charts.

Dr. Ledebour, professor of natural history in the
university of Dorpat, was chosen for naturalist to
the expedition, and he had proposed for his assist-
ant Dr. Eschholz, who was to be also the ship's
physician ; an office which, on board so small a
ship, with a crew of twenty men, among M'hom
much sickness was not to be expected, might be
easily made compatible with the employment of a
naturalist. Dr. Ledebour's health did not allow
him to realize his wish, and M. A. Von Chamisso,
of Berlin, accompanied the expedition as naturalist
in his stead. He was recommended to the chan-
cellor, by Professors Rudolph and Lichtenstein, as
a thoroughly well-informed man, })assionately de-
voted to his department of science ; how well
merited this recommendation was, and how for-
tunate the choice proved for Lieutenant Kotzebue

c 4<

24 INTRODUCTION,

and for the sciences, is manifest from the work
before us. Though want of room made it impossi-
ble to engage another scientific person for the
expedition, Count Romanzoff could not resist the
wishes of a learned Dane, M. Von Wormskiold,
to accompany the expedition as naturahst ; he de-
sired no salary, if only the expences of his main-
tenance were allowed him. As M. Von Worms-
Mold had made several voyages in the north, as in
Norway and Iceland, the expedition might expect
the most important advantages from the part he
would take in it. M. Von Kotzebue also engaged
to obviate the difficulties respecting want of room,
and M. Von Wormskiold embarked at Copen-
hagen on board the Rurick. On the arrival of
the ship at Kamtschatka, he, however, remained
there, in order to make himself acquainted with
that country, which has been hitherto but imper-
fectly explored by naturalists.

A young man, of the name of Choris, who had
accompanied the well-known naturalist, Marshall
Von Biberstein, as painter, in his tour to Mount
Caucasus, offered himself as painter to the expedi-
tion. The richness of the portfolio which he has
brought home, of which but a few specimens could
be given to the public, and the praise which has
been bestowed upon him by the most celebrated
artists of St. Petersburg, as well as by the president
of the Petersburg Academy, fully justify the choice
of this young and deserving artist,

INTRODUCTION. 25

On comparing the account of the voyage with
the instructions given to Lieutenant Kotzebue, it
will be observed that several points in them were
not executed. In general those who are commis-
sioned to draw up instructions for a voyage of dis-
covery, provide for much more employment than
is necessary, because they are well aware, that all
cannot be performed, and it cannot be foreseen
what part of the instructions must remain unexe-
cuted. This has also been the case with Lieutenant
Kotzebue. But what those who planned the
voyage, and still more he who commanded it, re-
grets, is, that the examination of the interior of
America, to the north and east of Beering's Straits
was necessarily abandoned, for very cogent rea-
sons, which are stated in the account of the
voyage. Such an examination, if it can in fact be
made in those icy regions, cannot fail to throw a
new light on the internal situation of the country,
and on its inhabitants j perhaps, too, it would lead
to the wished-for final solution of the problem, of
the discovery of a communication between the two
oceans. The object of Lieutenant Kotzebue has
failed, it is true, in this respect j but from the con-
tents of the following pages the reader will be
convinced, that the voyage has been as productive
of advantages to navigation, natural history, and
natural philosophy, as the means employed would
permit, and consequently that the highly laudable
object of the author of the voyage is fully accom*

g6 INTRODUCTION.

plished. If this truly patriotic man were not
otherwise known than by the princely enter-
prise, the history of which is here to be related,
he would even by this alone be entitled to the re-
gard of posterity, with as much right as his father,
who has obtained, as a general, immortal honour in
the military history of Russia. *

It might perhaps not be beside the purpose to
prefix to the account of Lieutenant Kotzebue's
voyage the View which, as mentioned in the be-
p-inning of the Introduction, I have drawn up of
all the voyages towards the north pole, undertaken
solely with a view to the discovery of a shorter
way to the Chinese and Indian seas. I have
judged it best to make but short mention of most
of these voyages ; but, in the three centuries
during which this object has been pursued, so
many voyages have been undertaken for the pur-
pose, by English, Portuguese, Spaniards, and
Dutch, and some of them are so peculiarly inte-
resting to Russia, that, in spite of all my endea-
vours at brevity, this View has taken up more
space than I thought I could allow it. The his-
tory of the voyages towards the north pole makes
a distinct branch of the history of navigation and
discovery in the north, upon whicli the elder

* " "Whose liberal and patriotic spirit is worthy of the high-
est admiration," says a celebrated English writer, speaking of
the manifold efforts of Count Romanzoff to extend our know-
ledge of the north polar regions.

INTRODUCTION. 27

Forster has given us an excellent work. Without
exclusively following him, I have scarcely been
able to make more than a mere extract from these
voyages, and must be satisfied with having called
the attention of the reader to them. I must also
mention here, that the Introduction which I had
drawn up to this View of the Voyages towards the
North Pole, and which contained, in a few words,
the causes which led to these imdertakings, and
some remarks on the state of navigation and com-
merce during the hundred years immediately pre-
ceding that period, did not satisfy me at the time.
I had commenced with the age of the Infant Don
Henry of Portugal, and passed over in silence the
earlier history of voyages and discoveries. Yet, in
my opinion, a short review of those times ought
not to be wanting. This vacuum was filled up by
my very worthy friend M. Lehrberg, member of
our Academy of Sciences, a man profoundly versed
in the early histoiy and geography of the north,
who, unfortunately for science, has been snatched
from us by a premature death. *

* I have just received Barrow's History of Voyages, which
was published last year. Barrow's work is, of course, infinitely
more complete than mine, not only with respect to the style,
and because what I give is but a short view, Barrow's, on the
contrary, a complete history of those voyages, but also, be-
cause he had at his command the ample collections of voyages
published in England, and, as secretary to the Admiralty, all
the MS. journals, whereas I was confined to the limited stores
of my own library. (Note in 1819.)

28 INTRODUCTION.

Before I conclude, I may be allowed to express
a wish, which, in me at least, will be found ex-
cusable * ; setting aside the predilection for voy-
ages of discovery which is so natural in me, it
may be safely affirmed that the bounds of human
knowledge are more effectually extended by them
than by other enterprizes which have science for
their object. When it is considered what the sci-
ences have gained by the voyages of Cook and his
successors, my assertion will not be thought exag-
gerated. Russia, too, has begun to cultivate this
productive field, but only under the reign of
Alexander. It was at the very commencement of
his auspicious and glorious reign, that the Russians
opened the way to distant seas, which they had
never before navigated, and so performed their
first voyage round the world, t Since that time

* What I here say of a new voyage of discovery is so far
useless, as, since I wrote this, (Nov. 1818,) such a one has, in
fact, been undertaken by us ; but as we have no further ac-
count of this voyage, than that two ships are gone towards the
north pole, and two towards the south pole, what I have here
said of such a scientific voyage may still be not misplaced ; and
the less so, as the main object of the expedition in question
may, perhaps, make it impossible for the commander to pay
attention to all that must still be done, to complete the geography
of the South Sea, and of the northern coasts of that ocean, of
which I have here given a slight sketch. (Note in 1819.)

■f It has lately been attempted to deny to the expedition of
the Nadeshda and the Newa, the honour of having been the
first Russian voyage round the world ; and this because the
ships were not built in Russia, and because a commercial com-
pany obtained permission to take part in it. I think it scarcely
necessary to refute so strange an assertion,

INTRODUCTION. 29

many similar voyages have been successfully ac-
complished, and though their object was chiefly
mercantile, yet none of them has been wholly un-
productive in a scientific point of view. A voyage
of discovery, however, on a grand scale, exclusively
dedicated to the extension of our knowledge of
natural history, pliysics, and geography, is still a
desideratum among us ; and what moment could
be more flivourable than the present ? At a time
when, thanks to the generous sentiments of Alex-
ander, Russia will enjoy the blessings of a durable
peace, how could our sailors be better employed
than in the prosecution of enterprizes, which must
be as honourable to the navy as advantageous to
the sciences? We have no want of excellent officers
to conduct such enterprizes; only two of my com-
panions on board the Nadeshda, besides the com-
mander of the Rurick, are now employed, though
they possess all the requisite qualifications to be at
the head of a voyage of discovery ; and when sucli
undertakings are spoken oi] who does not think on
the enterprizing officer, whose first voyage to the
South Sea, and the remarkable occurrences in it,
have become so interesting to all well-informed
persons in Europe, and whose return from a second
voyage to the same seas is now so ardently ex-
pected ? * It is well known that our sailors are the
best in the world when they liave an opportunity

'* Captain Golownin returned from his voyage in Sept. 1819.

so INTRODUCTION.

to devote themselves exclusively to their profes-
sion ; they are nov/ise inferior in courage, perse-
verance, and skill, even to the hardy Britons, and
in docility and attachment to their officers they far
surpass them. I speak from experience. Highly
as I admire the courage and the skill of the
English seamen, with which I have become ac-
quainted during six years' service, I would still,
for a dangerous enterprize, choose only Russian
sailors.

No objection can well be made against the utility
of a voyage of discovery to the South Sea, as far
as the sciences connected with natural history are
concerned. Every voyage to distant countries
offer's a rich harvest of new facts. If this assertion
required proof, we need only quote the names of
the most celebrated modern travellers, each of
whom has contributed to enrich science. Who is un-
acquainted with the colossal labours of a Humboldt?
But I cannot refrain from mentioning another in^
stance. The unfortunate expedition of Captain
Tuckey to explore the river Congo, lasted but a
few months, and yet it gave occasion to one of the
most valuable works on natural history that have
appeared in our times. With respect to the geo-
graphical part of a voyage of discovery, many per-
sons may be of opinion, that but a poor harvest
can be expected. This is partly true j important
discoveries cannot now be made ; here and there
an island, or group of islands, which is unexpect-

INTRODUCTION, 31

edly met with, is all that the most fortunate dis-
coverer can now hope for ; yet still a new voyage to
the South Sea appears to me to be important ;
there are still so many deficiences to fill up, so
many errors to correct. Such a voyage must be
considered as the concluding expedition to the
South Sea, for the revision of all preceding dis-
coveries. It therefore cannot fail to be important
to geography and nautical science : and either the
English or the French will certainly soon under-
take such a voyage. The coasts of all the conti-
nents bordering on that sea, and of all the large
islands in it, having been surveyed and laid down
with admirable accuracy, nothing now remains but
to go into the details, that the South Sea may be
as accurately known, as the other oceans nearer to
us, and in fact there is employment for several
years. Thus, for instance, with the exception of
some islands accidentally discovered here and there,
we know nothing at all of the great Archipelago of
the Caroline islands : the Archipelago of Solomon's
islands is in like manner, but very imperfectly ex-
plored, notwithstanding the valuable labours of
D'Entre Casteaux : this is also the case with Louisi-
ade, respecting which we are still ignorant whether
it is joined to New Guinea or not. Through Lieu-
tenant Kotzebue, we have become acquainted with
some groups only of an archipelago, wliicli occu-
pies an extent of twelve degrees of latitude, and
from the knowledge we have acquired through

32 INTRODUCTION.

him, of the northern inhabitants of those islands,
they are highly deserving of a farther acquaintance,
since a degree of civilization is found among them
which would be in vain sought even in the natives
of the Society or Friendly islands. The accurate
investigation of this great archipelago alone, is the
work of a year at least : but besides the great
operations in the South Sea, which we have just
enumerated, there are various other parts to be
examined that are important, to navigation, at
least, as the reader may convince himself by refer-
ring to my hydrographical contributions, lately
published. There is also no want of investigations
which concern Russia more nearly than other na-
tions, who have a right to ask from Russia a more
accurate knowledge of these parts. Among these,
is first, the examination of the basin formed by
the coast of Tartary, and that of Saghalien, and
which I have called the " Liman" of the Amur ;
then the survey of the coast of Tartary from the
mouth of the Amur, to Udskoy Ostrog ; but espe-
cially the investigation of the Shan tar islands, of
which we know little more than their number, and
that perhaps incorrectly. In the same manner we
have but a dubious knowledge of the northern
coast of the sea of Okhotzk, from Okhotzk to the
eastward, with its bays such as Ishiginsk, Penshinsk
and Taunsk: in the new Russian charts, the first are
placed r more to the south, without however being
certain that the last determination is right j even

INTRODUCTION. 33

the west coast of Kamtschatka requires a new
survey, or at least the astronomical determination
of some points : our knowledge of tlie east coast
of Kamtschatka is still more imperfect ; from Cape
Shipunskoy to Beering*s Straits, excepting some
capes seen by Captain Clerke, we know neither tlie
latitude nor the longitude of any point on the
whole coast. As little are we able to state accu-
rately the extent and situation of the bays of Olu-
tora or Anadyr. We know, indeed, the grand
outlines of the coast of Kamtschatka, but the de-
tails are wholly unknown to us, except from the
bay of Awatska, to the south point of the peninsula ;
and as we are acquainted with the smallest inlet of
the coasts of America, inhabited by savages, of
New Holland, New Zealand, and New Caledonia,
it seems to be a duty to obtain an equally accurate
knowledge of the coasts of north-eastern Asia, in-
habited by Russian subjects. We have further no
survey, that can be depended upon, of the Aleutian
islands : the position of only a few islands of this
extensive archipelago is accurately known. An
exact acquaintance with these islands, such as we
have obtained of the Kurile isles, by the operations
of the Nadeshda and the Diana, would require alone
the labours of a whole summer : and then, would
it not be desirable to make another attempt to
penetrate further into Beering's Straits than has
yet been done, in order to double Cook's ley
Cape ? and to try whether the projected examiii-

VOL. I. D

S4f INTRODUCTION.

ation of the interior of America is to be effected
to the east of Beering's Straits.

Doubts have been entertained of the passage of
the Cossack Deschneff, through Beering's Straits,
certainly without reason, as may be easily proved,
from the existing accounts of Deschneff's voyage :
yet it would be desirable to proceed from Beering's
Straits, to look for Cape Shalatzkoy, which was dou-
bled by Deschneff, but respecting the situation of
which we are wholly in the dark. Captain Cook
reached, without difficulty. Cape North, though it
is nearly 10° to the west of Beering's Straits; and it
is a question whether Cape Shalatzkoy is more than
10° to the west of Cape North. It was not at all
Captain Cook's design to examine the coast of
Asia ; an accident brought him thither : the ice
preventing him from getting so near to the coast
of America as he wished, he steered more to the
west, in hopes of doubling the ice, and then again
steering his course to the east ; and thus he pro-
ceeded so far to the west, that he got in sight of
the coast of Asia. The nearness of Cape North,
which, according to his observations, lies in 68° 56'
north latitude, excited in him a wish to sail round
it, in order to cast a view on the more remote
coast lying to the east : (q. west ?) but a strong
contrary wind obliged him to give up his plan.
Had this not happened, we should perhaps not be
now disputing about the situation of the north-east
point of Asia. Cook, however, observed no far-

INTRODUCTION. 35

projecting point to the west of Cape North, and he
concluded that, at the beguining, at least, the di-
rection of the coast must be quite westerly : it
may therefore be inferred, with great probability,
that the north-east point of Asia, whether it be
called Cape Shalatzkoy, or Shalaginskoy, does not
lie in more than the 70th degree of latitude, though
in some maps it is laid down two degrees farther
north. Can the doubling of a cape, which was
effected I70 years ago by a Cossack in a small
boat, be thought insuperable by navigators in our
times ? Certainly not. It is, however, strange that
the attempt has never been made. Something
quite similar has happened to the English. They
considered the sailing round Baffin's Bay as im-
possible f doubts were thrown on the credibility of
Baffin, whose account very precisely points out the
boundaries of the bay ; even ingenious geogra-
phers effaced the bay on their charts, without a
single attempt having been made since its discovery,
i. e. 200 years ago, to ascertain the correctness of
Baffin's assertions ; till, at length, on the search for
a north-west passage, they were examined in the
minutest manner, and found exactly as Baffin had
described them, with the exception of the longi-
tudes, which could not be accurately determined
200 years ago.

Now, that I am speaking of the labours which we
have still to perform, before we obtain a proper
knowledge of the coasts of Asia, i. e. such as is

D 2

36 INTRODUCTION.

commensurate with the present state of the
sciences, I cannot help repeating, that on the whole
coast of Siberia, from Waygatz' Straits to Beering's
Straits, that is, a tract of 130 degrees of longitude,
we have not a single point, the longitude and lati-
tude of which is determined by astronomical ob-
servations, and that we absolutely do not know how
far the northern point of Asia extends, and conse-
quently cannot accurately state the superficial ex-
tent of Siberia. I have shown, in another place
(Naval Chronicle, October 1814,) what great
differences in the latitude are to be found in the
newest charts; at which indeed we cannot wonder,
since none can be shown to be in the wrong j and
how important it therefore is to determine, by astro-
nomical observations, the geographical positions of
the principal points of the coast, and the most
remarkable capes ; but especially the mouths of
the rivers flowing into the icy sea. * We are
equally deficient in accurate knowledge of the

* The public will be happy to learn, that this wish, publicly
expressed six years ago, is at length in the way of being ful-
filled. In the month of March this year (1820), Baron Wran-
gel and M. Von Anjon, lieutenants of the fleet, set out from St.
Petersburg; the first to the mouth of the river Kolyma, to
determine astronomically the coast to the east and west of that
river, and to make an attempt to reach the north-east point of
Asia, and, if possible, to double it. The destination of Lieut.
Anjon is the mouth of the river Jana; to proceed from thence
to survey, in the most accurate manner, tlie islands to the north
of that river, to which group New Siberia, as it is called, be-
longs.

INTRODUCTION. 37

coasts westward of Waygatz' Straits, to the White
Sea, and from the North Cape to that sea.

I think I have now sufficiently proved that a
new voyage of discovery to the South Sea promises
an ample harvest. What an instructive school, too,
would it be for young people who have already
dedicated themselves to the sciences, to make such
a voyage under the guidance of men of reputation !
Almost every country takes advantage of the pre-
sent happy season of peace, and sends men of
learning to remote countries. The English have
sent out this year (1818,) two expeditions, each
consisting of two ships, in search of a northern
passage, which have lately returned : one to sur-
vey the coasts of the Mediterranean ; three expe-
ditions are sent to explore the interior of Africa :
the chief object of which, however, is to find the end
of the Niger, which is still veiled in obscurity ;
notwithstanding the failure of so many attempts
to solve this problem, though it is important
only in a geographical point of view, this does not
deter them from making fresh trials. An expedi.
tion is engaged in completing the labours of
Flinders, and finishing the survey of the north-west
coast of New Holland. In the Chinese seas two
ships have been constantly employed for these ten
years past, at the expence of the East India Com-
pany, in improving the hydrography of that, and
the adjacent seas j and not a year passes without
new discoveries of importance to the navigation of

D 3

38 INTRODUCTION.

those seas. The French also have sent a ship to
the South Sea, and an expedition to the interior of
Africa; and if no scientific enterprizes are now un-
dertaken by Spain, it is probably owing more to
the present disturbed political state of that king-
dom, than to any want of zeal and knowledge in a
nation which may be but too proud of such seamen
as Malespina, Espinosa, Bauza, Tofino, and Cisneros
Ciscar. It is not impossible but the question may
be asked, what advantage can arise to Russia from
such enquiries? whether it is not indifferent to
know if Cape Shalutzkoy Ues in latitude 70° or 72°?
or, whether it is possible to double Icy Cape or not ?
There are persons who ridicule the attempt to find
a northern passage, and consider it as evidently
absurd to think of examining into the errors com-
mitted by Mendana, Schouten and Roggewein : in
short, who think every thing useless which does not
immediately promote an increase of power, and
tend to enlarge the political influence of their
country. It would not be easy to make a better
and more suitable answer to these objections, than
by repeating what Barrow has said on occasion of
the English North Pole expedition*, since even in
England there were persons, who, partly from igno-
rance, partly from prejudice, or even from ill will
towards the persons who had the honour of propos-
ing such an enterprize, expressed their dissatisfac-

* Quarterly Ilevievv> vol. xviii. p. 4:57.

INTRODUCTION. 39

tion at the expedition, in no very liberal manner ;
and had even made attempts, though in vain, to
induce the sailors who had volunteered for the voy-
age, to desist from their purpose.

" With equal contempt we notice insinuations
of the inutility of the measure. A philosopher
should despise the narrow-minded notions enter-
tained by those who, viewing the subject as merely
one of profit and loss, are unable to form any other
notion of its inutility ; and just have sagacity
enough to discover, that, if a passage should be
found one year, it may happen to be closed the
next. AVe can well imagine that many such
sinister bodings were heard when Bartholomew
Diaz returned without doubling the Cape of Good
Hope, and when Magelhaens had effected a
southern passage into the Pacific. Briefly, then,
we shall not degrade the noblest and most disin-
terested enterprize that was undertaken in ancient
and modern times, by condescending to justify it
to the selfish and calculating horde, whose cavils
we have recorded ; but to the honourable and libe-
ral mind that thinks the pursuit of science worthy
of a great, a prosperous, and an enlightened nation
like England, we would say that the point in ques-
tion involves an infinity of results of the utmost
importance to the perfection of science j that tlie
benefits of science are not to be calculated, and
that no guess can be formed to what extent they
may be carried. Who could have imagined that

40 INTRODUCTION.

the polarity of the magnet, which lay hid for ages
after its attractive virtue was known, would lead to
a discovery of the New World ? And who can tell
what further advantage mankind may derive from
the magnetical influence so very remarkable, yet
so very little understood, or pretend to limit the
discoveries to which electricity and galvanism may
yet open the way ? Had any one, thirty years ago,
been bold enough to assert that he would light up
our shops and houses, and theatres and streets, with
a more brilliant fire than yet had been produced ;
that this flame should be extracted from common
fuel, and carried for miles, if necessary, under
ground in iron pipes, he would at once have been
set down as little better than a madman or an im-
postor. Both expeditions may fail in the main
object of the arduous enterprize ; but they can
scarcely fail in being the means of extending the
sphere of human knowledge ; and if they bring
back an accession of it, they cannot be said to
have been sent out in vain.**

Note in 1820. — The accounts published of the
results of these expeditions, give the most satis-
factory proof that this object has been accom-
plished, though the northern passage was not
found. Krusenstern.

INTRODUCTION. 41

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE ASTRONOMICAL AND PHYSICAL OPERATIONS ON THE
VOYAGE TO THE NORTH POLE, UNDER THE COMMAND OF
M. VON KOTZEBUE.

Considering the rare occurrence of scientific
voyages to distant climates, it is of great import-
ance, especially in expeditions, which, by the spirit
of their equipment, and of their conductor, promise
unusual acquisitions to geography and the natural
sciences in general, that nothing relative to theory
be neglected, which may facilitate the labours of
the navigator, who is occupied with other cares,
and hindered by various difficulties, and may di-
rect his attention to the most useful operations.
In itself, indeed, it is difficult to give beforehand
any complete indication of the infinitude of diver-
sified forms, under which Nature develops her
powers in the production of the actual pheno-
mena ; and the instructions for the physical
operations of the navigator might be much more
conveniently comprised in the simple and never
enough to be recommended rule, " attentively to
observe, and circumstantially to describe, every
unusual appearance," and especially to measure
every thing mensurable. Notwithstanding this, an
imperfect attempt to class the labours of the navi-
gator in this respect, and to guide his efforts to
the most important objects, cannot be without
advantage to the success of his endeavours.

42 INTRODUCTION.

The labours of the scientific navigator for the
promotion of physics in general, come under two
principal divisions : " Astronomical Observations,"
and " Physical Experiments and Remarks." Not
only are such expeditions distinguished from ordi-
nary voyages by a more complete and more care-
ful astronomical determination of the daily latitude
and longitude of the ship, according to the best
methods; but it is in such voyages alone that
those observations are possible, which may be of
advantage to the sciences. Among the first are
comprehended, not only those observations by
which the daily place of the ship, or the position
of the coasts is determined, but such, also, as,
though they properly belong to physics, yet have
a particular appUcation in astronomy : the latter,
on the contrary, relate more to the natural history
of our globe itself, and to the phenomena to be
observed upon its surface.

ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS.

I. DETERMINATION OF THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE.

Sufficient instructions are given in the general
elementary treatises on navigation, respecting the
determination of these essential parts of naviga-
tion by the ship's reckoning. We merely observe,
that such voyages would be precisely the best cal-
culated to make a trial of new proposals, to supply
the place of the common logs. The simplicity of

INTRODUCTION. 43

this universally employed instrument will long
secure it a place among the first instruments of
navigators ; and the defects it may have, cannot be
much lessened, but by more frequently heaving, by
oftener measuring the log-line, (duly stretching it),
and by the use of sand-glasses going longer than the
usual half-minute glasses. The glasses themselves
must be compared occasionally with a good chro-
nometer, and particularly when they are not such
as, by being hermetically sealed, secure the sand
from the influence of moisture. The v^arious me-
thods of deducing the latitude from astronomical
observations are likewise known. On a voyage
to the north pole, observations on the large fixed
stars, and on the planets during the long twilight,
might be particularly advisable. The determin-
ation of the latitude by lunar altitudes, may, on
account of the uncertainty of the time of the
greatest altitude, be sometimes wrong by some
minutes, even with a good observation, when the
moon is near the equator, and her motion in de-
clination consequently considerable. It need not
be mentioned, that besides the observation at noon,
there cannot be too many observations of the lati-
tude, as well for the purpose of determining the
currents, as for laying down the coast. On shore
it is advisable to take the solar altitudes, as well for
determining the time as for the latitude, with the
artificial horizon, complete directions for which are
found in many works, for instance in " Bohnen-

44 INTRODUCTION.

berger's Introduction to the Geographical Deter-
mination of Places." The determination of the
longitude is made partly by chronometers, and
partly by lunar distances ; with respect to the
first, it is well known that the best instruments of
this kind, when they are exposed to a considerable
and continued change of temperature, gradually
alter their rate of going, and it seems too as if the
effects of the cold or heat upon the watches do
not become observable, till after some days have
elapsed, which is probably to be ascribed to a gra-
dual coagulation, or an incre..sed fluidity of the
very small portion of oil which these instruments
still require, even when the friction is diminished
by means of diamonds. When there are two or
more good time-keepers, a daily comparison of
them is very advisable, partly to determine the
longitude by each of them, and particularly be-
cause, from the change of their daily difference,
the time may be discovered at which they began to
alter their rate of going. By degrees one is able
to fix in each of them the direction, and in some
measure the amount, of the change of their daily
going, for a certain increase or decrease of the
temperature of the air ; and, hence, to deduce the
most probable correction of a longitude found.
Lunar distances, however, are still the best
means of determining the longitude ; only they
must be observed in considerable numbers, and,
if possible, with instruments that magnify power-

INTRODUCTION. 45

fully. In this difficult observation, time must
be taken to give the body as firm a position
as possible. It is generally advised, in taking
the distances from the sun, to look directly
at the moon, and to let the sun be reflected ; but,
with a good sextant, provided with proper tele-
scopes, it is better not to make any particular rule,
but only to consult the convenient position of the
body, and never to neglect the indication of the
index correction, on the sextant : the observer must
take particular care to bring the edges of the sun
and moon in contact, without allowing either an
interval or a coincidence ; for which purpose the
powerful magnifiers are very serviceable. It is a
considerable aid to the observer, if the solar and
lunar altitudes are measured at the same time with
the distances. For making the calculations, Men-
doza's tables are to be preferred to all other aids
and methods.

Next to the determination of the latitude and
longitude, the variation of the magnetic needle
calls for the attention of the navigator. Without
going into the methods of observing and calcu-
lating the azimuth, we merely observe that the
local influence of the larger or smaller masses of
iron on board the ship cannot be avoided, but by
the great number of observations in different parts
of the ship ; that the point of the pin which carries
the needle, must be now and then examined and
sharpened j and sometimes, to increase the magnet-
ism of the needle, it must be rubbed on a powerful

46 IN'TRODUCTrON.

artificial magnet from the middle to the end, so
that the south end of the magnet be applied to the
north half of the needle, and the contrary. Flat,
broad needles seem to be preferable to the thin and
light ones ; and hard brass caps, to those of agate,
which soon destroy the point of the pin that bears
them.

2. SURVEYING AND PLANNING THE COASTS.

Without entering upon full instructions on this
important subject, we shall only point out, in gene-
ral, that mode of proceeding which we have found
to be the shortest and most profitable.

The whole operation of surveying coasts depends
on the determination of the distances of the prin-
cipal points of a coast, such as the capes, tops of
mountains, and the extreme ends of the land seen.
In general, observers content themselves with
determining the direction of such points by an
approximation to the true bearing by the com-
pass, and noting their distances by the eye ; but
this method will always be rather uncertain, on
account of the unequal transparency of the air.
Sometimes, however, it is the only means 5 and it is
not to be denied, that, by practice, a tolerable de-
gree of readiness in such estimations may be ob-
tained, especially for objects not far ofTj but the
method of triangulation always deserves the pre-
ference, when it can be employed. The ship's way
along the coast serves as the basis of the triangle.

INTRODUCTION. 47

First, then, if possible, let the ship's place, for a
fixed time, be determined by astronomical observ-
ations. Then sketch immediately, and rapidly,
as correct a profile as possible of the coast,
(properly speaking, it is better to make this drawing
a little before, that it may be ready at the moment
of the astronomical determination of the place,)
and note down upon it the more important and
elevated points, with the letters of the alphabet.
Then, with one or two good compasses, determine,
by repeated observation, the precise bearing of
some remarkable object, which we will call a^ at
the left end of the drawing, and in the same man-
ner, that of the extreme object on the right. With
the octant, or a box sextant, measure quickly, one
after the other, the angles, «/;, «c, ad^ &c., which the
next marked objects, hy c, d^ and so on, to the right,
make with the point «, which an assistant imme-
diately writes down. (N. B. It is more convenient,
and quite sufficient, to make these observations
with the naked eye, and to read off the angles
accurately within a few minutes. The bearing of
the compass must be divided into degrees and
parts.) When this is done, the bearing of the first
and last points on the profile of the coast are again
taken with the compass. The mean of this and
the first determination gives the position of these
for the time of measuring the angles. All these
operations must, if possible, be completed within a
quarter of an hour.

48 INTRODUCTION.

After some time is elapsed, for instance, one or
two hours, according to the quickness of the ship*s
going, and the apparent change of place of the
objects, the same operation is repeated in all its
parts; in which, however, if the appearance of the
coast has not much changed, the same profile may
be used. The rapidity with which a number of
points may be determined, by measuring the angles
with a sextant, and the accuracy with which the
situation of the end points, and, consequently, of
those lying between, may be determined by re-
peated observations, constitute the essential advan-
tage of this mode of proceeding, which the follow-
ing remarks may serve to make more complete.

1. As, especially near the coasts, the currents are
often considerable, it is of the greatest importance
to determine the ship's place as far as possible, by
astronomical observations, which, when the weather
i3 clear, may be done for the longitude at least, by
repeated solar altitudes with help of the chrono-
meter. Sometimes, too, the latitude can be deter-
mined for some other time, besides noon, either
by Douwe*s well-known method, for which Mendo-
za's tables afford the best calculations, or by a cul-
mination of the moon, or in the evening and morn-
ing twilight with stars ; this will likewise afford a
means of correcting the ship's reckoning.

2. Take careful note of the changes in the ex-
ternal appearance of the coasts, and the relative
alterations in the positions of the more remarkable

16

l^JTPtODUCTION'. 4.9

objects. Above all, do not fail to seize the moment
when a new cape projects from behind another, or
retires behind another point of land. While tiiis
is doing, you must endeavour, by setting the com-
pass as accurately as possible, to determine the
direction of both capes, not forgetting to note also
the time of this observation. The results thus
obtained have the great advantage, that they are
independent of all errors in the determination of
the ship's place.

3. It is of equal importance to observe the mo-
ment, when one of the objects to be determined
appears in one of the four cardinal points, — east
or west, south or north. In the first case, if a de-
termination of the latitude can be combined with
this observation, the latitude of that point, at least,
is secured. Or, if an object passes through the true
north or south point, you must not neglect, if the
weather is clear, to take solar altitudes to deter-
mine the longitude by the chronometer. Neither
must it be forgotten, that, in fixing the cardinal
points, regard must be had to the variation of the
magnetic needle ; and it is advisable to note the
time by the time-keeper.

4. It must not be neglected, on the succeeding
stations, to measure angles by objects, the position
of which has been previously determined by the
intersection of the angles. It is not only useful
to confirm, or to correct the situation of a point
by a new line of intersection j but such angles,

VOL. I. E

50 INTRODUCTION.

from objects already determined, perform the im-
portant service, that the place of the ship itself
may, on a subsequent measurement of angles,
be deduced from them with great accuracy. This
advantage is of peculiar value, on occasions when,
after irregularly tacking or lying-to during the
night, it is required to renew the connection with
the points of the day before, and to determine the
place of the ship, which is often carried away by
currents.

The first thing to be done in entering the data
thus obtained in a chart, is the division of the
geographical net to which they are to be trans-
ferred : for this purpose, it is best, in all cases, to
use Mercator's projection, in which both the meri-
dians and parallels of latitude are parallel strait
lines, intersecting each other at right angles. The
scale on which the chart is to be made is arbitrary,
and is partly determined by the accuracy of the
measurements, and the number of details to be in-
serted ; but, in most cases, it is to be taken so that
the space of one minute of a degree may be so
large, as to be very perceptible on the paper, so
that a degree of longitude may be half a foot or
more ; an extent which must be increased in the
planning of creeks, harbours &c. ; but in copying,
the chart may be easily reduced to a smaller scale.
First, therefore, let a scale of a degree of longitude
be made, and, by this, mark the division of the
degrees of longitude on the horizontal edge of the

INTRODUCTION. 51

plan. The extension necessary for any degree of
latitude, is found, in the tables of increasing lati-
tudes, (Mendoza's tables, p. 651. et seq. Meri-
dional Parts,) expressed in minutes of longitude,
whence the magnitudes of the single degrees, or of
half and quarter degrees, are obtained by an easy
subtraction.

The degrees of latitude having been inserted
and divided, the first thing is, to mark upon the
chart the complete course of the ship, laying down,
as fundamental points, those which have been as-
tronomically determined, and then marking the
ship's way between them, according to the log-
book. At every corner point of this broken line,
the time is to be noted at which the ship was in
that station.

You then set out (from the first station) the
rhumb, given in degrees, of the first object to the
left, and from this line, by means of a good pro-
tractor, all the other angles that have been mea-
sured. To every line of sight the letters marked
in the sketch of the coast are annexed. Then you
proceed to the second station, and lay down from
that, in the same manner, the angles measured.
The intersection of the corresponding lines of
sight gives the point where each object is. The
angles at the third station give partly new deter-
minations, partly confirmations and corrections of
the points fixed by the two preceding measure-
ments. Meantime, the remarks are inserted where

E %

52 INTRODUCTION.

an object appeared in the magnetical or in the
true meridian of the ship, or in the east and west
points, which may serve either to determine the
point itself, or, if its situation be ah'eady made out,
to correct the ship*s route as laid down. Of the
same use are the angles, measured according to
known objects ; of which there must be, at least,
two. To make use of them for determining the
place of the ship, draw, on very transparent paper,
from a point, the three lines that inclose these
angles, and move the paper about upon the plan
till the three lines of sight intersect the three
points in question at once. The centre of these
angles is the ship's place. Instead of two angles,
more may be employed with advantage in the same
manner. This method is more accurate, in pro-
portion as the objects are correctly determined,
from which the angles are measured, and the
nearer the angles themselves are to right angles.

After a sufficient number of points is deter-
mined in the chart, the sketch of the coast, and
the direction and distribution of the mountains are
inserted by the eye ; in doing which, the profile-
drawings, mentioned above, are a great help to the
memory, which is confused by the continually new
forms of the land. It is also advisable, even before
the plan is made, which must often be deferred, on
account of the rapid increase of the labours of sur-
veying, to make a slight stereographic sketch of
the bendings of the coast, and of the ramifications

INTRODUCTION. 53

of the mountains, in the manner of engineers.
Many works that treat on surveying, give sufficient
information respecting the representation and cha-
racteristic indication of the single parts, as trees,
woods, rocks, and the best mode of etching
mountains.

To avoid confusion, it is more convenient, in
the whole drawing, to pay no regard to the vari-
ation of the compass, but to lay down all the
rhumbs, according to the uncorrected compass ;
when the work is finished, the meridians and pa-
rallels, beginning at the centre, are turned as
much as the angle of the variation at that part
amounts to.

The survey of bays, roads, and harbours, differs
from the general business of surveying a coast,
so far only, that the method of land-surveyors may
be more applied, and sometimes a base line be
measured on shore, from the ends of which the
angles to tlie most important points are in like
manner taken with sextants.

Sometimes, too, the distance of a ship lying at
anchor, from an object on shore, may be taken as
the basis of tlie triangles ; but in this case attention
must be paid to the changes which currents and
winds produce in the ship's place.

The above described method of determining the

o

situation of the observer, by two or more angles,
taken from objects whose position is determined,
may be employed with peculiar advantage, when

E 3

54f INTRODUCTION,

it is required to take soundings, or to determine
the extent of sand banks that He below water.

An object that deserves the attention of the
navigator, is the measuring of remarkable, and
lofty mountains. The knowledge of their ele-
vation is not only important to physical geo-
graphy, but it may serve future navigators to
learn, from the measured angle of elevation of the
mountain, their distance from it.

There are two principal methods of determining
the heights of mountains ; the one by the height of
the mercury in the barometer, the other by the
trigonometrical calculation of the right-angled tri-
angle, in which the horizontal distance of the ob-
server from the mountain, and the angle of ele-
vation under which it appears to him, are given.
The barometrical method, even if we leave out of
the account the defects inherent in the instrument
itself, and the variable elements of the calculation,
is not easily applicable in such voyages, because
in unknown, thinly peopled, and mostly savage
countries, a path is scarcely to be found upon the
plain ground, much less over rocks and forests, on
the top of a high mountain, never before visited.
Only the trigonometrical method, therefore, is left
us, and this in but an imperfect degree. Not only
is the horizontal distance but approximately deter-
mined, but the angles of elevation also cannot be
measured at sea with the utmost precision. Still
an approximation to an accurate determination is a

INTRODUCTION. 55

gain to science, which is worth the pains of the na-
vigator. First, therefore, let a chart, on Mercator's
projection, of the country surrounding a mountain,
be made by the above-mentioned method, accu-
rately determining the various stations in which
the angles of elevation are measured. The dis-
tance of these stations from the point where the
summit of the mountain lies, are measured on the
scale of degrees of latitude lying on the side, and
the minutes (or Italian miles) found, multiplied by
951', b, to reduce them to French toises. The mea-
sured angle of elevation, if it was taken on board
the ship, is to be corrected for the dip of the hori-
zon, and in all cases deduct the twelfth part of the
distance given in minutes of a degree, from the
angle of elevation, as the amount of the terrestrial
refraction. If, then, the distance is not consider-
able, and the angle of elevation pretty large, we
have h = D X tang, e'; t^; w^here h represents
the height of the mountain, D the distance mea-
sured, (both in toises,) and e' the angle of elevation,
rectified by index correction, the dip of the hori-
zon, and terrestrial refraction. But if the distance
of the mountain is considerable, regard must like-
wise be had to the convexity of the earth, and the
formula for the calculation of the elevation will
then be h' = D x sin, (e' + j- c) where c represents

cos. (e' + s)
the measured distance of the mountain, in minutes

E 4

56 INTRODUCTIOX.

of a degree and tenth parts. An example will
sufficiently explain this :

On the 1st of July, 1805, the height of the
Pico, in the island of Matana, was measured off
the Kurile islands, in latitude 18° & north,
and longitude 206° 50' west from Greenwich.
The angle of elevation, after deducting the index
correction, and the dip of the marine horizon, was
3° Q6\ The horizontal distance of the ship from
the middle of the mountain =: e was on the chart
that was made = 12', 4 minutes. We have then
^c= 1.0 min. and hence e' = (3° 26' - l' 0) =
3° 25'j (e' + i c) = 3° 31', 2, and (e' + c) = 3°
37', 4 ; the distance of tlie mountain in toises =
951, 6 X 12 toises, 4 min. = 11800 toises = D.
The calculation is, therefore, according to the first
formula,

log. D = 4,07188

log. tg e' = 8,77600

log. h = 2,84788

therefore h = 704,5 toises.

According to the second formula, we have,

log. D = 4,07188

log. sin. (e + i c) = 8,78815

2,86003
log. cos. (e + c) = 9,99913

log. h' = 2,86090

therefore h = 725,9 or 726 toises ;

SO that the neglecting of the convexity of the earth

has here made the height too small by twenty-two

toises.

INTRODUCTION'. 57

II. ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS

TO DETERMINE THE HORIZONTAL REFRACTION.

The inquiries into refraction are, it is true, pro-
perly of such a nature, tliat they appear to be
more accurate and more dehcate observations than
seamen are generally supposed to make. Two
advantages, however, concur here, which may ren-
der the endeavours of the seaman useful to this
important element of practical astronomy. On
the one hand the effects of refraction are precisely
the strongest in those observations, for which the
seaman has the best opportunity, and requires such
simple arrangements ; and, on the other hand, his
chief instrument, the reflecting sextant, both by the
excellence of tlie theoretical contrivance, and the
perfection in which it is now manufactured by
good artists, is peculiarly adapted to measure even
small magnitudes with sufficient accuracy, as is
proved by the lunar distances and the measurement
of the sun's diameter. The increase of refraction
by cold affords an additional motive for examining
its effects on a voyage to the north pole.

The chief observations which the navigator may
make on the effects of refraction, are enumerated
in the following instructions :

Let him accurately observe the true time at
which the upper and lower limb of the sun, at his
rising or setting, touch and quit the horizon, and

58 INTRODUCTION.

compare it with that which may be calculated from
the latitude and longitude of the ship at the time,
aided by the determination of the time which has
resulted from solar altitudes of above ten degrees.
He must likewise not neglect to notice the time by
the chronometer when the sun has reached the
altitudes of 0° 30', 1°, IF, 2°, in which, as in greater
solar altitudes, he must not be satisfied with a
single observation, but repeat the determination of
the altitudes every 5 or 2i minutes the sight vanes,
being previously adjusted accordingly. The ob-
servation is susceptible of still greater accuracy if
the observer is on shore, and can determine the
true time by the corresponding altitudes.

When the sun is near the horizon, let his hori-
zontal and vertical diameter be repeatedly mea-
sured : at every measurement note the time by the
time-keeper, and let an assistant take, at the same
time, the sun's altitude. These observations can-
not be made on the moon, except when it is at the
full.

All these observations must be made with the
best sextants, and with good chronometers, and
the angles read off with all possible exactness : in
fixing the time, even parts of seconds are to be
taken into the account. It is also essential, accu-
rately to observe the height of the barometer and
of a thermometer freely suspended.

The observation of the rising and setting of the
sun and moon may serve for the examination of a

INTRODUCTION. 69

problem which occurs in nautical astronomy, but is
seldom applied. " From the time which the dia-
meter of the sun takes to ascend or descend the
horizon, to determine the latitude of the ship."
The slow motion in ascension of the constellations
in high latitudes appears to make this method ap-
plicable, at the most, for those regions.

Lastly, let attention be paid to any instances
which may happen to occur of an irregular refrac-
tion ; for instance, that of a double horizon, by
endeavouring to determine the distance between
the false image and the true line of the horizon,
wJiich are often visible at the same time, one above
the other. These phenomena are usually attended
with an unequal temperature of the air at various
altitudes, and on the surface of the water, so that
it must not be forgotten to examine the temper-
ature of the air near the water, and at a greater
elevation, on the top-mast for instance, and also
that of the water. Similar phenomena, for instance,
what is called the Fata Morgana, (French, Mileage,')
an unusual elevation of sea coasts that are remote,
or even below the horizon, likewise deserve the
attention of the navigator, who has to take draw-
ings of them, and, if possible, to determine them
more precisely by measurements.

Go INTRODUCTION.

III. PHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS.

One of the most interesting physical inqui-
ries relates to an object, which is not only im-
portant with a view to the knowledge of our globe,
but the more accurate investigation of which may,
under certain circumstances, become useful to
navigation. This is the remarkable property of the
magnetic needle, in the northern half of our globe,
to incline its northern end, and, in the southern
hemisphere, its southern end. As this inclination
increases with the distance from the equator, en-
deavours have long since been made to measure it
in different parts of the earth by means of an in-
strument called the dipping needle. Ill calculated
as the mobility of a ship appears to be for such
observations, yet, on the other hand, the advantage
possessed by the navigator of visiting the remotest
parts of the earth is so great, in respect to this
subject, that even imperfect observations are a
gain to science. The unsteadiness of the ship is,
how ever, not the only obstacle to obtaining a true
knowledge of the dip. A much more important
obstacle is the difficulty of making dipping-needles,
which, in a not magnetic state, shall remain in
exact equilibrium, however turned, be moved by
no power but that of magnetism, and be sensible
to the smallest gradations of that power. The
latter has been attempted to be effected by making
14

INTRODUCTION. 61

the axis of the needle turn on friction-wheels ; a
contrivance which, however, has been rejected, as
useless, by the latest observers, Humboldt, Biot,
and Tobias Mayer, and exchanged for very fine
axes running in agate holes. In order to remove
the influence of an imperfect balancing of the
needles, Cavendish recommended to furnish them
with moveable weights, by the due distance of
which from the centre, the needle, merely by the
effect of gravity, would repose pretty nearly in the
inclination which would be produced by the mag-
netic power in that latitude, that magnetism might
the more easily conquer the other obstacles. But
not to mention that, by such a contrivance, we are
exposed to the suspicion of having ourselves pro-
duced the phenomenon which we mean to observe,
the balancing of those weights at every consider-
able change of latitude is no business for the sea-
man J and, in particular, the careless manner in
which those weights are fastened, and exposed to
every accidental disturbance, is objectionable.
Under these circumstances, there is no general
and certain method of finding the true dip of the
magnetic needle, but to turn the needle round,
and then, by the help of a strong magnet, to re-
verse its poles, and so to observe the dip in four
different positions. The first two observations give
the place of the point of gravity of the needle in
the vertical direction (in the breadth of the
needle) ; the two last, its distance from the centre

6g INTRODUCTION.

in the horizontal direction (according to the length
of the needle). If the artist has so accurately
balanced the needle that the centre of gravity is
in every direction but very little distant from the
centre, which is found by the near coincidence of
the four observations, it is sufficient, especially
when the dip is small, to take the mean as the true
dip. But if there are considerable differences, it
is necessary to make a particular allowance for the
false position of the point of gravity. The mode
of proceeding is as follows :

1. On days when the motion of the ship is
small, place the dipping needle on a separate
stand upon the deck, as far as possible from the
considerable masses of iron on board; (for ob-
servations on board ship, it is not a bad way to
suspend the instrument in the manner of a com-
pass, between moveable rings;) then turn the instru-
ment, according to the compass, into the direction
of the magnetic meridian ; put the needle in, and
observe the different degrees to which the extremes
of its vibrations fall. The mean of these vibrations,
if they are not altered during the observation by an
accidental motion of the vessel affecting them,
gives the first observation, in which we suppose the
division to turn to the east : we will call it A.
Now, turn the instrument round its vertical axis
180 degrees, so that the circle of division may
point to the west ; the needle will then turn, and

INTRODUCTION. 63

its lower side come to lie uppermost : the mean of
its vibrations in this situation gives the second
observation, which we will call a.

2. After this, take out the needle, lay it on a
board, in which it is exactly fitted in a groove,
which shall protect the axis of the needle. Place
the north pole of a strong magnet on the middle
of the needle, and, with a pretty strong pressure,
pass it in a straight direction over the north end
of the needle : (not to get out of the straight di-
rection, it is advisable to fasten a ruler on the
board by the side of the needle :) this is repeated
several times, care being taken never to rub back-
wards from the ends of the needle to the centre,
or to slip beyond the axis to the other half of the
needle. In the same mannei', rub with the south
pole of the magnet, the south end of the needle ;
the poles will then be reversed. Whether it is
sufficiently magnetised appears, if, when it is laid
in the instrument, it assumes an inclination, which
cannot be increased by subsequent repeated rub-
bing.

3. Repeat, with the needle magnetised to satu-
ration, and with the poles reversed, the experiment
described in N° 1, turning the graduated circle of
the instrument once to the east, and the other
time to the west. Let the mean of the one ob-
servation be called B, and of the other, b ; then,
if the four observations differ from each other
only a few degrees, the true dip is = I = A 4- a

64 INTRODUCTION.

+ B + b ; but if they differ considerably, we must
seek the true dip by the follov/ing formula.*

Let cotg. A + cotg. a = M J cotg. A — cotg. a
= m

Then let cotg. B + cotg. b = N; cotg. B —
cotg. b =: n ; then

2 cotg. 1 = M. n N. m.
m + n ' m + n

It is taken for granted that, by the dip of the
needle is understood its distance from the nearest
horizontal point, so that the dip is = 0° when the
needle lies horizontally, and, on the other hand,
has attained the maximum, or 90°, when it stands
vertically.

EXAMPLE.

In the harbour of St. Peter and St. Paul, in
Kamtschatka, the following observations were
made with a dipping-needle, from which the
balance balls, (applied on the plan of Cavendish,)
were taken off.

The division turned towards the east = 46° 20'
= A.

The division turned towards the west — 82° 30'
= a.

After the poles of the magnetic needle were
turned, it gave

The division turned towards the east = 66° 28'
= B.

* By Professor Tobias Mayer, in the Comment. Societatis
Reg. Scient. Goett. Math. torn. iii.

INTRODUCTION". 65

The division turned towards tlie west =: 79° 10'
= b.

We have, therefore,
cotg. A = 0,9545 cotg. B =i 0,4355

<:otg.a = 0,5269 cotg. b = 0,1914

M = 1,4814 N = 0,6269

ra = 0,4276 a = 0,2441

m -f- 11 = 0,6717

log. M = 0,17068 log, N = 9,79720

log. n r= 9,S8757 log. m = 9,63104

9,55825 19,42824

log.{m + n) = 9,82718 log. (m + n) 9,82718

log. = 9,73107 log. 9,60106

Mura. 0,53836 num, 0,39908

0,39908 +

f 0,93744

cotg. t = 2 ( 1 = 64° 53'

^ 0,46872

The arithmetical mean of the four observations
gives (33° m'..

Though this method so certainly attains the ob-
ject, yet the complete application of it at every
new determination of the dip, would be by no
means advisable, since the frequent reversing of
tlie poles would not only be troublesome to the
navigator, but, probably, detrimental to the needle.
It is better to use a needle which is so accurately
balanced, that its centre of gravity may coincide,
if not precisely, yet as nearly as possible, M'ith the
middle of the axis. This operation, therefore, is
properly the business of the artist, who, without it,

VOL. I. F

66 INTRODUCTION.

can scarcely balance his needle, because tlie effects
of gravity always mingle with those of a weak
magnetism, which inheres in every piece of
wrought iron. On long voyages, it might be use-
ful to reverse the poles at every change of 10° or
20° of latitude, and to correct in proportion the
intervening observations. On a voyage to the
north pole it will suffice to perform this operation,
if possible, at the commencement of the voyage,
and at the most northerly observation. It is, like-
wise, a very good way to take two or more needles,
and make with each of them the two observations
mentioned under N° 1.

There is another method of determining the dip
of the magnetic needle, by the estimation of the
magnetic power of the earth, in different latitudes,
by the dipping needle, that is, by counting the vi-
brations which the needle makes, first, in the mag-
netic meridian, and then, in the direction from
east to west, in a given time ; for instance, in ten
minutes. Let the number of the first be M, that
of the latter, P ; then, according to Laplace, Sin. I
= Ll. vSupposing we had found in Kamtschatka
the number of vibrations which the dipping needle
makes in the direction of the magnetic meridian,
or M, in ten minutes, to be = 250, and the num-
ber of vibrations which it makes in a direction per-
pendicular to the magnetic meridian, or P = 238,
then we have the Sine of the dip I = — ', and the
calculation is as follows :

IXTRODUCTION". 67

log. OS8 =z o 37G58 X -^ = 4J5310
log. 230 = 2,39794. X -^ = 4,79588

log. sill. 1 = 9,95728. I = 65° 0'
Among the general observations, which are no
less imjDortant to nautical than to physical science,
may be especially reckoned the investigations of
the atmosphere, with respect to its weight and
temperature ; the very great simplicity, precision,
and commodiousness of the two instruments re-
quired for this purpose, the barometer and tlie
thermometer, render them perfectly adapted to be
used by sea, and the observations made by their
means, serve the attentive seaman to fbretel the
weather, besides furnishing the meteorologer and
natural philosopher with a closer acquaintance
with the course of the changes of the weather in
general, and with the properties of the atmo-
sphere depending on geograpliical position.

With respect to the barometer, the observation of
it is much facilitated by hanging it judiciously,
and lessening the motion of the quicksilver. Yet
it requires considerable practice to recognize its
real height. It is not sufficient to observe only
the maxima and minima of the oscillations of the
mercury, but one must often stand for minutes
together before the barometer, in order to catch a
moment, when the irrational oscillations of the
ship and of the instrument, mutually destroy each
other, and the mercury becomes, for a moment,

F 2

68 Introduction.

stationary. The number of observations is arbi-
trary, but three or four at least should be made
daily ; for instance, at six or eight o'clock in the
morning, at noon, and about four or six ; and, if it
can be, also at ten in the evening. The observ-
ation at noon is the most important. It must not
be forgotten to compare, before or after the
voyage, the height of the marine barometer with a
good portable barometer, because, without this
comparison, a chief result of the barometrical ob-
servations, the determination of the absolute height
of the barometer in high latitudes would be lost.
It is likewise requisite to notice, at every observ-
ation, the warmth of the barometer, by a thermo-
meter fixed to it, or at least hanging near it in the
room, and also the temperature of the external air.
With regard to the latter, it is to be observed, that
the thermometer must be suspended in a place
perfectly accessible to the external air, but not ex-
posed to either the direct or the reflected rays of
the sun, and in case these conditions cannot be
combined, it might be better to have two hanging
in different places. On such voyages it is proper
to take several thermometers, not only in case of
accidents by breaking, but also to have an oppor-
tunity of putting into the hands of a diligent ob-
server in remote places, one of these instruments,
the observation of which is so easy, and yet at-
tended with such profit to climatology.

Connected with the changes of the atmosphere,
is the moving power of all navigation, the winds.

INTRODUCTION. f>9

As the observation of them is tlie hourly occu-
pation of the navigator, it is unnecessary to call it
to mind ; yet it would not be beside the purpose
to pay attention to the direction of the winds in a
vertical sense, in order to learn whether, as some
persons pretend to have observed, certain winds
blow more from below, and others more from
above. The strength of the wind, too, should be
more frequently measured, which may be done by
means of a wind-gage, on the plan of Bouguer or
Woltmann.

The proper theatre, however, of the physical
labours of the navigator, is the element itself which
he navigates. Notwithstanding the thousands of
ships that have traversed the ocean in all direc-
tions, far and near, we still know so little of the
numerous interesting phenomena of this immense
mass of water, which covers two-thirds of the sur-
face of our globe, that this is precisely a main object
of every voyage undertaken for the improvement
of science. It is, therefore, worth the while to
recite in order, the single remarkable properties
of it, and to recommend them to the attention of
the navigator.

We begin with those phenomena which are of
the highest importance, not only to geology, but
to navigation — the great mechanical phenomena
of the tides and the currents.

The ebb and flood cannot, indeed, be observed
on board the ship, for even in a ship lying at

r 3

70 INTRODUCTION*

anchor, the constant turnings and changes of place
which it experiences, admit of no accurate observ-
ation with the lead. But the more do these risings
of the sea deserve to be carefully observed upon
the coasts. The simplest mode is, to fix up, at a
part of the coast, where the water is as quiet as
possible, and no surf, an upright pole, divided (best
painted) into feet and inches, so that the foot of it
may never be dry, even when the water is at the
lowest. Sometimes it may be so placed, that the
height of the water may be seen from the ship by
means of a telescope. With respect to the observ-
ations themselves, it is not easy to make too many,
particularly at the beginning. (During the high
tides in Japan, they were sometimes noted down
every ten minutes, and oftener.*) Let the true time
be observed, with the force of the prevailing wind,
and, as much as possible, the direction of the ebb
and flood tides. The observations at the time of
new and full moon deserve especial attention. The
assertion, often controverted, and partly confirmed,
of a decrease, or progressive increase of the mean
elevation of the sea, in different parts of the earth,
is so very remarkable a fact, that the navigator is
lU'gently requested to pay particular attention to
any observations, which may serve to confirm the
one or the other assertion.

The second great motion of the sea, viz. the
currents, has a most important influence on navi-

* Krusenstern'is Voyage, vol. iii.

INTRODUCTIOX. 71

gation itself, and is no less interesting in a physical
point of view. These currents are either local
and partial, either constant, or periodical and irre-
gular. The first de})end either on local circum-
stances, contractions of the coast, or the ebb and
flood, sometimes on unknown natural causes ; the
latter are rather parts of the economy of nature
in general, and are partly consequences of prevail-
ing winds, perhaps also of the rotation of the
earth, of the alternations of cold and heat, of eva-
poration, and other causes still unknown. Acci-
dental currents may also be caused by storms in
the vicinity. The currents in the sea, like those
in the atmosphere, seem sometimes to run above
each other, for the most part, in opposite directions.
On shore they may be easily perceived by their
accelerated motion on the coast. It is more diffi-
cult to investigate them on board the ship, which
is itself carried away by them. There is no fixed
point from which to measure this motion, and the
usual means by which the seaman determines
his change of place, the log, is uninfluenced by
the currents in the sea. It is only by combin-
ing the astronomical determination of the ship's
place with the ordinary ship's reckoning, that
it can be discovered how far the ship has been
driven from the shore, how far it has been carried
by the current. A daily comparison of the results
of both methods is, therefore, a necessary occupa-
tion for every mariner, who is provided with the

F 4

72 ixTRODtJCTro.Nr.

requisite means for astronomical determinatiotrs
of place, that is, good sextants and chronometers^
and skill to use them. The method which has
been formerly proposed to lay a boat, as it were, at
anchor, to a lead let down to a great depth, is
partly troublesome, not always applicable, and,
above all, uncertain, because only a very small
part of the effect of the current is thereby dis^
covered, and even that not completely^ because it
is highly improbable that the motion of the sea
should take place only at a small depth.

Count Rumford has, by theoretical arguments^
rendered it probable that there are in the ocean
two main currents, one of which flows on the sur-
face from the equator to tlie poles, and the other
at the bottom from the poles to the equator. It
is worth the attention of the mariner to notice all
such phenomena as may serve to confirm or to con-
fute this conjecture, as well as to lay hold of those
facts that are connnected with the motions of the
sea, which every where lays the ice to the eastern
coasts.

A method which has not yet been sufficiently
practised, to get acquainted with the great ocean
currents, is the throwing out of well corked bottles,
containing a note marking the date, and the ship's
latitude and longitude ; some of those dispatches
have made voyages so remarkable for rapidity and
for distance, that frequent repetitions of the ex-
periment are higlily desirable, and the mariner

INTRODUCTIOX. 73

should have many bottles expressly ready, and
throw one or two of them overboard ; for instance,
at every fifth degree of latitude.

The waves are another phenomenon of the mo-
tion of the sea ; the theory of this motion is still
so imperfect, the object itself so fleeting and diffi-
cult to lay hold of, that even general data of the
length, breadth, height, and quickness of those
masses of water, which assume besides different
foims, would be a useful contribution towards the
mathematical part of natural philosophy.

Connected with other nautical operations, and
of the utmost consequence to physical geography,
is the examination of the depth of the sea. The
usual maximum of the soundings of navigators
(200 fathoms) is very insufficient, it is true, for
such investigations j and hitherto we know of only
two instances of measurements of several hundred
fathoms, (Phipps Lord Mulgrave, and Peron).
The rarity of these experiments seems to arise
from the difficulties in performing them ; one of
the principal is the uncommonly strong friction
which the sounding line experiences on being
drawn through the water for such a length, which
greatly increases the labour of drawing it up. As
it is chiefly the friction of water against water, and
not that on the solid body, which is considerable, a
thinner, but strong and smooth line, which, to pre-
serve it from becoming wet, might be thoroughly
imbued with oil, tallow, wax, or a mixture of this

74 INTRODUCTION.

nature, would perhaps be advantageous ; perhaps
a brass wire might be used for the purpose, such as
is employed in some places, as at TenerifFe, for
instance, in fishing. A more convenient contriv-
ance for drawing up the line, such as a kind of
windlass of considerable diameter, might contri-
bute to facilitate this very interesting experiment.

To remedy this and other difficulties, in measur-
ing the depth of the sea, instruments have long
since been contrived, which are known by the
name of bathometers. Most of these are, at the
bottom, no more than repetitions of the proposal of
Dr. Hooke, which chiefly consists in the following
contrivance. To a long pole of liglit wood, a
heavy w^eight, for instance a cannon ball, is fast-
ened in such a manner, that, in sinking, it carries the
pole with it ; but when it strikes the bottom, re-
leases the pole by the knocking out of a hook ; so
that the pole rises to the surface by its specific
lightness. At, first it was attempted to deduce
from the time the pole remained under water, the
depth which it had reached, but as this implied
difficult experiments, and the moment M^hen the
pole re-appeared might be easily missed, it was
afterwards found better to fasten to it a kind of
hodometer (or way-measurer,) such as had been
proposed, instead of the common logs, the wheel-
work of which was immediately stopped on taking
it off. To this, in itself, ingenious idea, nothing is
to be objected, but the difficulty of immediately

INTRODUCTIOX. 7^

recognising the pole on its rising again to the sur-
face of the ocean, as it may easily be carried to a
great distance by currents ; but this objection has
been attempted to be obviated by means of flags
fastened to it, {Jiamme de rec'oimoissance.^ How-
ever, no experiment, at least none that is satisfac-
tory, has hitherto been made with such a machine.
AVe refer the reader to the proposals of Greenstreet,
in the Repository of Arts and Manufactures, and
to an essay on the subject, by Ciprian Luiscius.

Among the peculiar properties of the sea, is,
above all, its saltness. It might be inconvenient
to examine this by chemical analyses on board a
ship ; but as the strength of the solution of salt in
water increases exactly with its weight, the deter-
mination of the specific gravity of the sea-water
affords a convenient means of finding the re-
lative quantity of sea-salt contained in it. For
this purpose, it is the best way to employ an are-
ometer, which is plunged in sea-water in a vessel.
Such an instrument is best for use, when it is so
contrived, that with a constant weiglit fastened to it,
it sinks, at a certain temperature, in pure, distilled
water to the mark : the weights to be added must
be exact aliquot parts of the weights of the whole
areometer. We have then only to count at each
observation, the value of the weights added, to ob-
tain the specific graA'ity of the sea-water. As,
however, the sea-water becomes 0,00034 = ^^
lighter for every degree of heat, by Reaumur's

76

INTUODUCTIOX.

lerm.

Correction.

Therm.

—

+

10°

0,00000

10°

11

0,00034

9

12

0,00069

8

13

0,00103

7

14-

0,00137

6

15

0,00172

5

16

0,00206

4

17

0,00240

3

18

0,00275

2

19

0,00309

1

20

0,00343

0

thermometer, it must not be forgotten to put into
the water a good thermometer, graduated by Reau-
mur's scale, to correct the specific gravity observed,
by the annexed table.*

* Care must be taken
during the observation, that
no considerable bubbles of
air hang to the areometer,
and they must be removed,
either by taking out the in-
strument, or by clearing
them away with a hair-pen-
cil.

Supposing now, that, in order to sink the are-
ometer to the mark, it has been necessary to add
1^ i^ n^ the specific gravity of the water ==1,023.5,
if the temperature of the water at the time was +
14°, 5 R, we have to add to the value found
0,00137, + 0,00017 = 0,00154, by which we have
(1,023.5 + 0,00154) = 0,02504; if the temperature
had been -1-7" 3 R, we should have had 1,0235 —
0,00113=1,02237 for the specific weight of the sea-
water of 10° R. This examination of the sea-water
to discover the quantity of salt contained in it, may
be of advantage to navigation, as it indicates the
influence of large rivers, at a great distance from
land ; on a voyage to the north, this examination
is especially to be made in the vicinity of large
masses of ice, to determine whether the water

INTRODUCTION. 77

which is not frozen has taken up the salt which
has been precipitated by the ice. As the sea-water
has other ingredients besides salt mixed with it,
which only chemical analysis can discover, it can
do no harm to give some bottles of" it to a good
chemist.

The very important question of the daily eva-
poration of the immense surface of the ocean, is
connected, in a manner, not yet sufficiently investi-
gated, with the saltness of the sea-water. The
investigations into this point are most easily made
with the areometer, by suspending in the open air,
a cylindrical vessel containing a portion of water,
the specific gravity of which is to be deter-
mined from time to time. The surface of the
water must also be known, and the temperature of
the water and the air be frequently examined be-
tween the measuring. But the same water must
not be used for several days together, because the
evaporation decreases in proportion, as the solution
becomes stronger, so that no inference on the
evaporation of the sea could be drawn from it.

Another important point towards the general
climatology of our globe, is the investigation of the
temperature of the sea, both on the surface and be-
low it. A connected series of observations on the
temperature of the sea made at the same season of
the year, and at the same deptli, at the distance of
every 5° of latitude from the equator to the pole,
would procure us much sooner, and more certainly.

78 INTRODUCTION.

general data on the mean warmth of the earth,
than the most ingenious theoretical speculations,
and the most laborious and tedious thermometrical
observations on shore, where the mean temper-
ature is clianged by so many contingent causes.*
The temperature of the water at the surface is
easily found, by a common thermometer let down
a few feet, and immediately drawn up again. To
discover the temperature far below the surface,
many methods have been proposed ; the chief fea-
ture in most of which is to use the thermometer
with large balls, which are but slowly affected by
a change of temperature, and which may be sur-
rounded with wooden caps, and other substances
that are bad conductors of heat j and also to leave
the instrument a long time below the surface. But
the thermometographs are much more convenient
for these experiments, especially that which is
called from its iventor. Six-thermometer, and in-
dicates the maximum of a preceding change of
the temperature. It is to be wished, that a navi-
gator who is provided with such an instrument,
would not suffer any calm to pass over, without
letting down this instrument to various great
depths. Particular pains should be taken to find
out that depth at which, as preceding observ-

* We except experiments on the temperature of springs
on land, which, when opportunity offers, are never to be
neglected, for the purpose of determining the temperature of
the earth.

INTRODUCTIO>f. 79

ations give ground to conjecture, the constant

temperature of 1°, 7 R., which precedes the

freezing of the sea-water, begins, and then con-
tinues to uncertain depths.

Celebrated natural philosopliers, (Franklin and
Humboldt,) have affirmed, building partly on ex-
periments, that in the vicinity of sand banks and
shoals, the sea is colder than where there are none
such, and that consequently the thermometer may
serve as a warning to mariners. The property of
the water to propagate warmth from above, quicker
and deeper, and the slowness with which the earth
is influenced by external warmth, seem to favour
this assertion, at least for the spring and summer
months ; but, in winter, the contrary is probably
the case ; at all events, it deserves to be accurately
examined by as frequent observations as possible,
for which we possess in the Six-thermometer so
convenient an instrument.

One of the facts respecting the temperature of the
ocean, is the phenomenon of the formation of ice
in the sea, on a large scale. The first business of
the navigator here, is to determine, by every pos-
sible means, the magnitude of the floating masses of
ice ; respecting the extent of which, the accounts
of preceding navigators have given us the grandest
ideas. For this end it is necessary to determine
by experiments made on the spot the specific gra-
vity of this ice compared with the sea-water ; the
best way is, to get a largish piece of ice of a pris-

so INtRODUCTIOK.

matical or cylindrical form, which is to be put into a
vessel, filled with sea- water : the length of the piece
immersed, compared with that of the part above
the water, gives the proportion in which the visible
mass of ice must be magnified, in order to obtain
the probable amount of the whole. Faithful draw-
ings of such ice-bergs, which have been formed, by
masses of ice piled upon, each other, are also de-
sirable, as well as measurements of the thickness
of flakes of ice, which seem to have been produced
by a single frost. We have already spoken of the
areometrical experiments in the vicinity of the
new-formed ice. As the meritorious naturalist,
Higgins, and, in these latter times. Parrot, induced
by experiments on a small scale, have disputed the
assertion of navigators, from Forbisher and Davis
down to the time of Cook, that the sea-ice con-
tains no salt, a new investigation of this subject on
the spot is desirable, which may be made by taking
a sufficient quantity of solid sea-ice, and, after
washing it, melting it in fresh water, and then
examining the specific gravity with the areometer.
To obtain further certainty, it might be proper to
fill some bottles with such ice, that the water may
be chemically analysed.

Lastly, the external visible properties of the sea-
water, merit the attention of the navigator : its
colour, its transparency, and then the shining of
the sea at night. With regard to the first, it is to
be observed, how far the visible or altered colour

INTRODUCTION. 81

of the water proceeds from a change of depth,
from the colour of the bottom, from that of the
sky and clouds, from the light of the sun, or from
foreign substances swimming on the surface of tlie
water. The transparency of the sea water would
be easiest measured by letting down a flat surface,
fastened to the plumb line, painted white, with
stripes, or letters of black, or other colour, on it.
For want of tliis, a white earthen plate, or a board
covered witli white stuff, might be used. The
depth at which the board became invisible, or
the marks upon it undistinguishable in different
waters, would show their relative transparency.

The opinions respecting the shining of the sea
are so very various, that it is well worth the while
to acquire more accurate knowledge of the subject
by continued researches ; for some persons attri-
bute it to the effects of electricity ; others to phos-
phoric matter, developed from substances in a state
of putrefaction ; others to living, and, for the
most part, microscopic animals ; and others, to
till these causes together. The fainter shining of
the sea most deserves to be enquired into, it having
been considered as an electrical or phosphoric de-
velopment of light from the water itself ; and it is
especially to be examined whether living lumi-
nous animalculas, only perhaps of a smaller species,
or in less numbers, may not be there and cause
the light. Perhaps the best way of doing this,
would be to filter a sufficient quantity of sucli

VOL. I. c

82 INTRODUCTION.

faintly shining water, because, if the light is in the
water itself, it must shine afterwards ; but if it
comes from animalculge, these will shine in the
strainer, if slightly shaken. Whether the light
which is observed on dead fish before the com-
mencement of putrefaction, likewise comes from
living animals (as is highly probable) is for the
natural philosopher to examine in his study with
the microscope. It is rather the business of the
physiological naturalist, and the chemist, than of
the mariner, to analyze the nature of the (often
strongly luminous) molluscae, the medusae, &c.
concerning which Mitchell has published such in-
teresting observations, in the Medical Repository
ofNew York, Vol. IV.

We have yet to mention the luminous pheno-
mena that are observed in the air ; these are, the
Aurora Borealis, the fire-balls, and the falling
stars. In the first, the observer has to determine
the height of the arc bounding it, either by the
sextant, or, when the darkness of the horizon
does not admit of this, by means of the stars which
shine through it, also noting the true time. The
extent of it on the horizon, the quickness with
which it rises above the horizon to different
heights, are likewise objects for his observation. A
circumstantial description of them, and even a
drawing, which looks very well, when done on dark
blue paper, with black and white chalk, are contri-
butions to the history of meteors, not to be despised.

INTRODUCTION, 83

The influences which this phenomenon may have on
the magnetic needle, as well as its connection with
the prevailing weather, are likewise to be attended
to. The long-since refuted notion, that a hissing
and crackling is heard in the northern lights, hardly
deserves to be mentioned. With respect to fire-
balls and falling stars, endeavour to mark, on a
celestial atlas, the place where such a meteor bursts
and disappears, and, when it can be done, its ap-
parent course ; from which, by means of the true
time, and the latitude of the place of observation,
the apparent elevation and azimuth may be de-
duced, and thence, combined perhaps with an ob-
servation made in another place, its distance from
the earth may be computed.

These are, in general, the objects to which the
navigator has to direct his attention ; the methods
by which he has to observe them. For many ob-
servations the necessary conveniencLes will be
wanting, and, on the other hand, many phenomena
will occur, which are here either passed over, or
but slightly touched upon. The navigator's own
zeal for enquiry must do the most j his own know-
ledge, his inventiveness, and a laudable endeavour
to make all his efforts useful to the sciences, will
be better guides to him than any instructions.

HORNER.
Zurich, 20th June, 1815.

G 2

PREFACE.

I PRESENT to the Public the History of my
Voyage, with much timidity ; tor I am sensible
that few persons will be satisfied with the plain
style of a seaman, who, ever since he was thirteen
years of age, has lived only in the service to which
he has devoted himself. It was, indeed, my inten-
tion, to give my observations a value, with respect
to the style of the narration, to which they could
otherwise make no claim. My good father would
have taken upon him the trouble of arranging
them. With this hope I hastened to Mannheim.
The reader knows what a dreadful catastrophe met
me there.

What now supports and raises me amidst the
painful feelings which crowd upon me, is the man
whose name I pronounce with gratitude and reve-
rence— Count Romanzoff. He needs not his
titles and dignities to gain esteem j for the noble

G 3

86 PREFACE.

zeal with which he endeavours to extend in every
manner the dominions of science, excites respect
for him in every heart that knows him. He was
the Author of this Voyage, and spared neither
pains nor expense to render it beneficial to
science. It was he who kindly selected me to
execute this honourable undertaking, and it is he
to whom I dedicate this Book, and whose in-
dulgence I implore.

KOTZEBUE.

Maks in Esthonia, April 17th, 1820.

PREPARATIONS.

January 22. 1815. This afternoon I bid adieu
to Reva], my native town ; and, accompanied by
my crew, consisting of a young and able officer of
the name of KordiukofF, and twenty sailors, set out
on my march to Abo. The government had given
me permission to pick out the best men, and more
volunteers had offered than I wanted, who, with
real ardour, were willing to venture every thing
with me. Such heroes were, of course, very wel«
come to me, and inspired me with cheerful hopes
for the success of my intended enterprize. We
marched away with our baggage, and my heart was
light when I was out of the town, for the first step
to the honourable undertaking was made. A ge-
neral joy prevailed among the sailors, who sung
and played till they reached their quarters for the
night.

January 31. About four in the afternoon we
reached St. Petersburg, where I gave the men some
days rest. We were here joined by Lieutenant
Schischmareff ; I had myself chosen him for this
expedition, because I had been on terms of inti-
mate friendship with him for many years, and
knew him to be a very able officer. I waited on

G 4

88 PREPARATIONS.

Count Romanzoff, the author of the wliole enter-
prize, who treated me with so much goodness and
distinction, that he infinitely heightened ,my cou-
rage to meet all the hardships that awaited me.

We left St. Petersburg on the 17th of February ;
and, after a pretty fatiguing march, arrived, on the
19th, at Abo. It seemed to me that we had
already given a little specimen of our persever-
ance and fortitude j for, in truth, a journey on
foot from Reval to Abo, by way of St. Petersburg,
at this season, would be very unpalatable to many
persons. Our joy at the sight of the town was
great, and every one longed for the warm stoves;
but how were we disappointed ! for I myself, with
my officers, and my poor sailors, were all put into
wretched dilapidated huts, about nine feet square,
which were not heated all the winter, and might
probably have served as stalls for geese or fowls.
I exerted all my eloquence to point out to my
landlord that he had quartered us in styes: in vain;
he shrugged his shoulders, and said, "that is good
enough for Russians.'* After we had been con-
fined for a fortnight in these wretched cold holes,
we obtained better quarters.

The keel of our new ship, the Rurick, was laid
down ; the workmen proceeded diligently, and our
daily occupation was to see how they went on.

March 16. By this day's post, the ship-builder
received from Count Romanzoff a gold watch, as
an acknowledgement for his indefatigable zeal in

PREPARATIONS. 89

building the Rurick with extraordinary care. I
consider it as my particular duty publicly to express
my thanks to Count Haiden, the chief commander
here, for the extraordinary interest which he took
in the expedition, and for the advice and assistance
with which he kindly favoured us.

May 11. To our great joy the ship is ready,
and has been launched to-day. At four o'clock in
the afternoon we had divine service, and the
Rurick was consecrated by Russian clergy ; here-
upon the imperial flag was brought amidst a
flourish of drums and trumpets, and, with a thou-
sand huzzas, dipped in the river. I must observe
that the Emperor, at my request, had had the
goodness to allow me the imperial flag (that car-
ried by the ships of war), because it appeared to
me that a voyage of discovery, under the mercan-
tile flag, might be exposed to many inconveniences,
and even obstacles. I was on board the Rurick
when she was launched, delighted with the idea
that I might consider myself as the master of her.
During divine service we had had a warm rain,
which suddenly held up when the ship was being
launched, and the sun shone forth in all his
splendour ; a circumstance which was considered
by the spectators as a good omen for the whole
voyage. AVhile the ship was on the stocks we had
been employed in preparing sails, cordage, &c. :
all was now ready, and we exerted our utmost
diligence to put the Rurick in a condition to

90 PREPARATIONS.

leave Abo as soon as possible ; for, as I wished to
sail from Cronstadt in July, and we had first to go
to Reval to take in provisions for this long voyage,
we had really not a moment to lose.

On the 23d we left Abo, and arrived at Reval
on the 26th, where the stock of brandy was ready
for us, and was immediately got on board. Here,
too, I received from Captain Krusenstern the ne-
cessary astronomical instruments, and two chrono-
meters, which had been bespoken in England, and
brought by himself to Reval ; the goodness of
them was therefore to be depended upon, as the
sequel proved.

On the l6th of June, we sailed from Reval, cast
anchor on the 18th, in the road of Cronstadt, and
then carried the Rurick into the harbour, to equip
her completely for the approaching voyage.

July 27th. The ship is at length quite in order,
and furnished with provisions for two years ; and
w^e leave the harbour to-day, to begin our voyage
in a few days. Count Romanzoffhas promised me to
honour the ship to-morrow with his presence ; and
Dr. Eschscholz, and M. Choris, the painter, who
are to accompany us, has sent word that they will
be on board to-morrow. Our whole crew now con-
sists of two lieutenants, (M. Kordiukoft' having re-
mained at Reval, on account of illness. Lieutenant
Zacharin, has taken his place,) three second-mates,
two subaltern officers, twenty sailors, the physician,
and the painter. At Copenhagen, we expect to

PREPARATIONS. 91

take on board Messrs. Chamisso and Wormskloid,
both of whom accompany the expedition as na-
turalists.

July 29th. The bad weather having hindered
Count RomanzofF from coming on board yester-
day; he came to day, accompanied by Captain
Krusenstern, and soon after came Admiral Moller,
chief commander at Cronstadt, and Admiral
Korobka. To these two gentlemen also, I here
publicly return my thanks ; for, without their very
effective assistance, it would not have been possible
for me to equip the Rurick so speedily, and so
well. Count Romanzoff was much pleased with
the ship, only she appeared to him rather too small,
in which he was not quite wrong, as she is only
180 tons burden ; however, so small a vessel has
the advantage that we may venture very near
to the coast, and may thus give a much more
accurate survey of it. The internal arrangement
is very convenient, as well for the officers, as for
the sailors ; for I have given them much room,
being convinced that the health of the whole crew
greatly depends on it. The Rurick has two masts,
and mounts eight guns ; viz. two three-pounders,
two eight-pounders, and four twelve-pounders.
When Count Romanzoff had very kindly taken leave
of us, and left the ship, we saluted him with thir-
teen guns, and gave him three cheers.

93

CHAPTER I.

FROM CRONSTADT TO COPENHAGEN.

J ULY SOth. At five o'clock in the morning we
ieft Cronstadt, favoured by a fresli N. E. wind,
and passed by the island of Hochland, at eight
o'clock in the evening. Towards noon, on the
31 St, we descried the towers of the city of Reval,
and I bid adieu to my native land for many years,
and perhaps for ever. The wind soon became un-
favourable, and remained so till the 3d of August ;
the island of Gothland lay at our side, and a
violent storm from S. W. detained us here. On
the following day the wind abated, and turning to
the S., permitted us to continue our voyage under
full sail. On the 7th, towards noon, we discerned
the island of Bornholm ; and about four o'clock in
the afternoon, sailed past the island of Christiansoe,
at the distance of two sea-miles. The fortress
hoisted its colours ; we saluted with seven guns ;
which were answered with the same number. The
island of Christiansoe is only a naked rock, which
the fortress entirely occupies, but yet it presents a
very pleasing prospect, as all the buildings seem to
rise directly out of the sea.

August 9th. At nine o'clock in the morning.

9'Jj FROM CRONSTADT TO COPENHAGEN.

we cast anchor in the road of Copenhagen, oppo-
site to the fortress. The Rurick saluted with
seven guns, and was answered with the same num-
ber. To-day, too, I had the pleasure of becoming
acquainted with our two companions, M. Worms-
kloid, and M. Von Chamisso, whom I requested to
come on board with their things as soon as possible,
as the lateness of the season would not permit a long
delay. On the 10th, 1 had the pleasure of becoming
acquainted with the worthy Admiral Lowenor,
who has merited the gratitude of navigators, by
his valuable chart of the North Sea, to which so
many ships owe their safety. I presented myself
to the Russian minister, M. Lisankewitsch, who
received me with the greatest politeness; and in
whose company, 1 paid a visit to Count Schim-
melmann, at his beautiful country seat, near the
city.

On the 13th, Count Dohna, the Prussian am-
bassador, Count Boribell (Bombelles,) the Aus-
trian ambassador. Admiral Lowenor, M. Van
Brien, secretary to the Prussian legation, and Ge-
neral Tawast, the Swedish ambassador, favoured
me with the honour of a visit. The interior ar-
rangement of the ship, pleased my guests exceed-
ingly, at which I felt myself much flattered, as the
whole had been fitted up according to my direc-
tions. When they were leaving the ship, we fired
thirteen guns, and gave them a loud cheer, which

FROM CRONSTADT TO COPENHAGEN. 95

they returned. Count Bonnet, the French am-
bassador, had also had the intention of inspect-
ing the ship, but was prevented by an attack of
the gout ; and, on the other hand, I was obhged
to refuse his invitation to dinner, as necessary
business detained me on board the Rurick.
Having learned from former experience, how
difficult the business of a ship's cook is in hot
climates, and how injurious the climate is to such
persons, if they have not had an opportunity to
accustom themselves to it before ; I took much
trouble in procuring a cook, at Copenhagen, who,
had already made a voyage to the East Indies.
We met with a West Indian, whom I engaged for
the Rurick, and who bore the whole voyage ex-
tremely well, notwithstanding he was always before
the fire, even under the equator.

August 17th. At four o'clock this morning, we
left Copenhagen with a fresh S.S. W. wind, but were
obliged to relinquish the hope of passing the sound
to day, as the wind turned to the W., and obliged
us to cast anchor, at eight o'clock A. M. at Elsi-
nore. In Copenhagen, I perceived that the going
of my chromometers had much changed, since we
came from Cronstadt. They were examined at
St. Petersburg by the astronomer, M. Schubert,
who observed that Hardy's chronometer, on the
20th July, was, by mean time, 2h. 8m. 39s, 54-
too slow; the daily loss of time 2,18s. Barraud's
chronometer, by mean time, 3h. 20m. 31s, G too

96 FROM CRONSTADT TO COPENHAGEN.

fast ; gained daily 0,86s. I perceived that in
Copenhagen, Barraud's lost 18s, and Hardy's 21s.
Such a change in the going of the chronometers
made me doubtful as to their goodness ; but, in the
sequel, I had no reason to complain of them.

97

CHAPTER 11.

FROM COPENHAGEN TO ENGLAND (PLYMOUTH).

August 18th. We had a violent storm from
the N.W. all the night, which became more furious
at break of day ; it abated towards evening, and
our officers were able to send some letters for
Cronstadt, on board the Russian frigate, Cola,
which was then sailing past us.

On the 19th, at ten o'clock in the morning, the
wind rose from the south, and we immediately
got under sail, in company with a great number of
merchantmen. We saluted the fortress of Kron-
berg, in the Sound, with seven guns, which was
answered with the same number, and as the wind
blew a fresh gale, we very soon passed the Sound.
GUI' passage to Plymouth was tedious ; we very
seldom had fair wind, and nothing whatever hap-
pened that could be interesting to my reader ; he
will, therefore, permit me to land in England at
once.

On the 1st of September we sailed through the
Straits of Dover, and cast anchor ontheyth, at noon,
in the Catwater, before the town of Plymouth. I
chose this port, because it has the advantage that,
by a brisk gale, you may reach the ocean in one
day.

VOL. I. H

98 FROM COPENHAGEN TO ENGLAND.

As soon as we had cast anchor here, I waited
upon Admiral Manley, principal commander of
this port : he received me very politely, and offered
to give us every assistance in his power. Neither
did I neglect to announce myself to-day at the
Russian consul's, Mr. Hawker, and to give him a
written account of all our wants, begging him to
take the necessary steps for having them supplied.
I am greatly indebted to the active assistance of
this gentleman. After I had concluded this busi-
ness, I paid a visit to Mr. Whidbey, a friend of
Captain Krusenstern. This well-informed and
very amiable man had made the voyage with Van-
couver as chief mate. I recollect with plea-
sure the days that 1 spent with him, because his
company was equally agreeable and instructive,
Mr. Whidbey is now constructing the Break-
water at Plymouth, a work that does him much
credit.

On the 8th of September I received permission
of Admiral Manley to bring my instruments to
Mount-Batton, a small, uninhabited spot, only fifty
fathoms from our ship. On the following day a
tent was erected ; I brought my chronometers on
shore, and we were able to correct them with all
possible convenience.

The 11th. I was invited this evening to a ball
at Lord Berington*s, whose country seat is two
English miles from the town ; the road is
through a fine cultivated country, and, near the

FROM COPENHAGEN TO ENGLAND, 99

seat, through a park laid out with a great deal of
taste. The company consisted of the principal
persons in the neighbourhood ; the conversation
was unconstrained and agreeable.

The 15th. To-day I received the life-boat, which
the English government had ordered for the Ru-
rick : by means of air-chests, which are introduced
inside, a boat made in this manner can never sink.
This boat was 30 feet long, and rather too large
for our ship, our whole crew being scarcely able
to lift it into the Rurick, those boats being heavier
than others of the same size ; and for this rea-
son I was obliged, in the sequel, to leave it at
Kamtschatka.

The 20th. To-day I visited the Marine Hos-
pital, and was highly pleased at the order that
prevailed there, and the careful attendance of the
sick. I was invited to dine with the officers of
the 43d regiment ; and this mess, of all the officers
of the same regiment, from which the Colonel
does not exclude himself, appears to me a very
excellent arrangement.

The Rurick is now quite ready to leave England,
and only waits for a favourable wind.

On the 25th, at 5 A.M., the wind arose from the
N.E., when we instantly set all our sails ; but we
had scarcely left the bay, when the wind changed
to the S.W. and became quite unfavourable. In
the hope that it would soon change, we plied
out of the bay ; it w^as, however, stronger towards

H 2

100 FROM COPENHAGEN TO ENGLAND.

noon, and not more favourable, and at 5 P.M., in-
creased to a violent storm. I only had the top-
sails reefed, though the wind was so strong that
they ought to have been taken in; but as the
storm was blowing directly to the land, we dared
not carry too little sail, as the danger of ship-
wreck would then be inevitable. The dark
autumnal night had already set in, when we
found ourselves between Eddystone light-house,
and the entrance of Plymouth harbour. The
storm continued to rage, the waves rose in moun-
tains, and the Rurick, which could no longer keep
her place, drove slowly back towards the shore.
It was so uncommonly dark that there was as
much danger in sailing back to the harbour as in
staying in the channel ; I chose the latter, in the
hope of keeping the ship off shore till day-break.
We exerted all our skill, and tried to keep up our
courage. The thought of shipwreck, almost at
the first step towards our remote destination, was
intolerable. The storm continued without abate-
ment all the night ; I tried to keep the ship as
close to the Eddystone light-house as possible,
but we were always driven further from it to the
shore; at last we had only a glimpse of it now and
then through the intense darkness, which was a
sign that we must be near the shore. On the 26th,
at 5 A.M., as the violence of the storm was still in-
creasing, the ship was put about; a furious squall of
wind broke our wing-transom, (a beam which holds

FROM COPENHAGEN TO ENGLAND. 101

the mizen-sail,) which put it out of our power to
keep the ship by the wind, and we could no longer
maintain our place. One of our best sailors was
so bruised on this occasion, that, notwithstanding,
the greatest attention, it was three weeks before
he could render us any service. Shortly after this
accident, the day began to dawn faintly through
the thick fog, and at least enabled us to become
acquainted with our situation. To our no little
joy, we discovered that we were in the entrance of
Plymouth Bay, and, though it was still pretty
dark, we immediately directed our course thither,
as the only possible means of saving ourselves.
We succeeded, in spite of the bad weather,
in reaching the harbour without a pilot, and
dropped anchor at 8 A. M. at the same place in the
Catvvater as we had previously done. Both the
officers and the crew were quite exhausted by their
great fatigue. Whoever is acquainted with the
navigation of the Channel, can form an idea of the
danger in which we were all the night. The pilots
were astonished that we were able to keep at sea
without being wrecked. The only reason I can
assign for this is, that the water, driven, indeed,
by the storm into the narrow bay, but forced back
by the violence of the current, kept our ship from
the shore. Our first business was now to put the
ship to rights again, as she had suffered much during
the storm. A new wing-transom was ready in a
few days j and, as the wind began to blow from

H 3

102 FROM COPENHAGEN TO ENGLAND.

the north, on the morning of the 30th, we imme-
diately weighed anchor, and sailed, in the hopes
of getting better out of the bay the second time
than we had done the first. But we had scarcely got
out when the wind turned to the S.W. and put an
end to all our hopes. I could not, however, pre-
vail upon myself to put back immediately into the
harbour, and I resolved to brave the unfavourable
wind J but, as it soon changed to a storm, pru-
dence and duty obliged me to persist no longer,
and at 6 o'clock, P. M. we dropped anchor in the
bay, behind the new breakwater. The storm and
rain continued the whole of this night, and our only
consolation in this disappointment, was the similar
fate of a Danish brig of war, which had likewise
been obliged to put back into the harbour. This
ship, which was going to the Mediterranean, had
already been several days in the Channel, and had
reached Cape Finisterre, when, being very much
damaged by the heavy storm, she was obliged to
return to England, and to undergo the necessary
repairs. At last, on the 4th of October, a steady
north wind arose, and we did not delay imme-
diately taking advantage of it : at ten o'clock in
the morning we were under full sail. Barraud's
chronometer loses 2s, 5, and Hardy's 49s, 0.

103

CHAPTER III.

FROM PLYMOUTH TO TENERIFFE.

October the 5th. We had scarcely passed
Cape Lawrence, when the wind rose from the west,
and became very strong, and remained so the
whole of the day. On the 6th, it settled in the
north, and permitted us to make our entrance into
the Atlantic Ocean. The voyage seemed to me
to be now properly begun, and the most cheerful
thoughts were excited by this idea ; all our pre-
ceding misfortunes were forgotten in a moment,
and I found within myself spirits and strength for
the undertaking before me.

October the 9tb. We w^ere this day at noon in
latitude 44° 49' 31'', and longitude 11° 38'. To-
wards evening a storm arose, with a violent wind
from the N.W. which carried us, the following:
afternoon, at four o'clock, past the latitude of Cape
Finisterre. In the night we observed a mast pass-
ing by our ship, probably belonging to some un-
fortunate vessel that had perished in the late
storm. On the 12th, we again had to contend with
a very furious storm from S.W., which lasted to the
13th, and drove us back several miles. On the
14th, the wind changed to the north, with very

H 4

104 FROM PLYMOUTH TO TENERIFFE.

fine weather, and we were at noon in latitude
SQ"" 32', longitude 13° 3\ We found a great dif-
ference in the temperature of the air, and had 19°
heat, according to Reaumer's thermometer. On
the 21st we passed the latitude of Gibraltar, when
we perceived that the current had carried us in two
days twenty miles to the E.S.E. At noon, on the
23d, we were in latitude 30^ 3&\ longitude 15° 20''.
We had a perfect calm, and the sea was co-
vered with red locusts, two inches long, of which
we caught a great number. Our naturalists af-
firmed that they came from Africa, and were pro-
bably driven from the coasts by a storm, and pe-
rished in the sea J for as we were 600 sea miles from
tliat continent, it could scarcely be supposed that
they could have taken so long a flight. On the 25th,
at noon, we observed, from the mast-head, the
Salvages, which lay in a W.S.W. direction. The
chronometers, to my no little joy, gave their longi-
tude accurately, which spoke in favour ^f their
goodness. On the 27th, at noon, we descried the
Peak of Teneriffe, which lay 100 sea miles distant
from us. A fresh north wind inspired us with the
hopes of reaching our intended object on the fol-
lowing day ; and, in fact, on the 28th, at eleven
o'clock, we cast anchor at the town of Santa Cruz.
I immediately received a visit from Don Carlos.
Adan, the captain of the port, who had filled that
office when Captain Krusenstern made his voyage,
and was likewise very serviceable to him.. He has

15

FROM PLYMOUTH TO TENERIFFE. 105

also done all that was in his power for the Ru-
rick, and I consider it my duty to thank him pub-
licly for it. My first visit was to the Governor
(w^hose name I have, unfortunately, not noted),
who received me very politely, and offered to lend
me all the assistance he was able. This gentleman
was long in Russia, and seems to be partial to the
Russians ; he fought under Prince Nassau, as Spa-
nish colonel, in tlie galley fleet at Biorko, against the
Swedes, and received, as a reward for his courage,
the Order of St. George of the fourth class, with
which, he says, the Empress Catherine decorated
him herself. The Governor then invited me for
the following day, and I hastened to M. Colu-
guan, to whom my credentials were addressed.
This hospitable man, of whom so many travellers
speak with the warmest praise, was at Oratava ; his
secretary charged himself with my commissions
with the greatest readiness ; they consisted chiefly
in purchasing a sufficient quantity of wine for my
officers and crew, which he promised me should all
be executed in two days. In the mean time, the
worthy M. Coluguan, with the assistance of his
men and boats, brought my provisions on board j
and I was in hopes of leaving TenerifFe in three
days, though I should have much liked to have
made a longer stay ; but the recollection of Cape
Horn deterred me from it, on account of the late-
ness of the season. M. VonChamisso and Dr. Esch-
scholtz made use of these few days for a journey

106 FROM PLYMOUTH TO TENERIFFE.

to Oratava, where they hoped to reap a good har-
vest in theii- department. On the 29th I dined at
the Governor's, where there was a large party ; I
presented him with Krusenstern's finely-executed
atlas, with the copper-plates, which received gene-
ral approbation, and excited much wonder, when
I informed them that it was engraved in Russia.
The Governor resolved to send this splendid work
as a present to his sovereign. On the oOth, we
were supplied with every thing. We had two
kinds of wine, the one at 38/. and the other 30/.
sterling per pipe ; the former is said to be the best
that the island produces. Our naturalists returned
from their journey tolerably satisfied, and I re-
solved to quit Teneriffe next day. Our crew had
eaten much fruit and vegetables during our stay,
and we supplied ourselves with a plentiful stock of
them for the voyage.

107

CHAPTER IV.

FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL. ST. CATHERINE'S.

oo many travellers have visited TenerifFe, that, to
give a description of it, would only be a repetition
of what others have said j and besides our stay
was too short to make any interesting observ-
ations.

On the 1st of November we left the town
of St. Cruz, with a fresh N. E. wind, and flattered
ourselves with the hopes, that we should soon lose
sight of the Canaries ; but we were scarcely ten
miles from the shore, when there fell a dead calm,
and we beheld the Pico unclouded in all its ma-
jesty. After several hours, a faint S. W. wind
suffered us to tack between the islands of Teneriffe
and Canaria, which we continued to do during the
night. On the following morning, we found our-
selves at the point, where there is supposed to be
a rock, between the two islands ; but as we sailed
between them several times, I am inclined to be-
lieve that it does not exist.

On the 3d, we had already fallen in with the
monsoon ; and at noon the Pico was scarcely visi-
ble. In the neighbourhood of the Cape Verd
islands, our crew were seized with a violent colic.

108 FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL.

and head ache ; the air was extremely sultry ; and
our thermometer was never below 20° Reaum.
These sicknesses soon yielded to the skill of our
surgeon, without leaving any bad consequences,
and were entirely over when we had got to some
distance from the Cape Verd islands. At noon
we passed the latitude of the island of St. Antonio,
at the distance of thirty-five miles, without seeing
it. During the night twenty-five flying-fish fell
on our deck, which appeared on our table at din-
ner, as a great rarity, and were found excellent.
These fish frequently fall into small ships, which,
like our Rurick, do not rise higher above the
water, than they usually fly, when pursued by an
enemy j sometimes they strike with violence against
the ship's sides, and then fall stunned into the
water. As I had not seen the island of St. An-
tonio, I directed my course so as to come in sight
of Brava, the southernmost of the Cape Verd
islands, to try the going of my chronometers. A
fresh trade wind carried us rapidly forward.

At ten o'clock, at noon, we discerned the island
of Brava, rising above misty clouds, at the dis-
tance of twenty miles. My chronometers gave
the longitude of this island, 10' more to the east
than marked in Horsburg's chart ; and I have rea-
son to believe my statement to be the more
correct, because numerous astronomical observ-
ations, which were made before and after we saw
this island, always gave the same longitude as the

FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL. 109

chronometers, so that their goodness is not to be
doubted. At four o'clock, we passed the island
of Brava, at the distance of five miles, without
losing the trade wind. The island is high, and,
on the west, rises almost perpendicular out of the
sea ; it is covered with luxuriant verdure, and
affords a very inviting prospect to the navigator.
We observed, near the land, in calm water, large
and small fish, which leaped sportively into the
air : this island, therefore, must abound with fish.
Flying-fish are also in abundance, and these have
been our constant companions since we have left
Cape Verd islands, falling daily on the ship, or
flying over it ; one of them flew so close past the
officer of the watch, that it hit him on the nose
with its fin.

November the 13th. To-day we lost the trade-
wind, in latitude 9° 52'', and longitude ^0° 5^",
overpowered by very violent gusts of wind, from
S. W., and we were now under the influence of
variable winds, which, with calm, rain, and storm,
and very violent squalls, plagued us for several days.
Our crew, however, were all well, and we had no
sick. On the l6th, in latitude 7° 31", longitude
20° 28", three cranes flew round the Rurick : one
of them fell into the water from exertion ; the two
others flew round their unfortunate companion, and
thus got distant from the ship. On the same day,
we saw a small land-bird, which settled on the deck.
The land near to us was 5J° distant, and it is sur-

110 FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL.

prising how so small a bird could make such a long
journey ; whence it may be inferred, that we must
not always take it for granted that land is near,
when we see such a bird. On the 18th, in latitude
6" 48'; longitude 20° 28", we had the true S. E.
trade-wind ; but it was so south, that we were con-
strained to keep a very westerly course. *

Since we had left the Cape Verd islands, the
current had driven us daily several miles to the
S. E. ; but to day it changed its course, and began
to drive the ship considerably to the west. We
sailed to-day over the point where Warleys-bank
is said to He, without seeing it ; its existence, there-
fore, appears very doubtful to me. On the 21st, at
noon, in latitude 3° 37", longitude 22° 44'', we
observed a large ship which sailed directly up to
us from the south ; she hoisted English colours,
and seemed as if she wished to speak to us ; the
Rurick lay to, and immediately a boat approached
us with two officers, and asked for news from Eu-
rope. This ship, which is called the Bombay, is
an East Indiaman, and was bound from Bombay
to England. We compared the longitude with our
chronometers, and found only 2' difference ; the
Englishman had begun his reckoning at the island
. of St. Helena, and, consequently, it could not vary
much from the truth.

On the 23d, at eight o'clock in the evening, we
crossed the line, in longitude 26° 26''. I had de-
termined to keep this day as a holiday, for which

FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL. Ill

purpose preparations were made in the morn-
ing ; towards evening, when the ship was washed,
and every thing put into order, it was brilhantly
illuminated, the officers and crew being in their
best clothes, the passing from one hemisphere into
the other was expected in profound and solemn
silence ; at the stroke of eight the flag was hoisted,
and we saluted the southern hemisphere with eight
guns, and drank to each other in our best wine;
the sailors had excellent punch. Upon this Nep-
tune appeared, and bid us welcome to the south :
he baptized every one that had not passed the line
before, and I was the only one that had not to un-
dergo that ceremony. The rejoicing was general,
and continued the whole evening and part of the
night. Half a degree more to the north, and
under the equator itself, we found the current
N.W. 86° 47 miles in twenty-four hours.

On the 1st of December, in latitude 14° 40' ,5'',
longitude 33" 30", the S.E. trade-wind left us, and
a fresh north wind set in with rain and frequent
squalls. Our second-lieutenant, Zacharin, has been
indisposed ever since we left TenerifFe, of an old
complaint, and I fear that his health, as well as
that of the smith, who, when on board a man of
war, fell from the yard-arm to the deck and hurt
his breast, will be injured by the voyage.

On the 3d, we were in latitude 18° 10'", and lon-
gitude 35° 22". We caught three bonetos to-day
with a harpoon, which were very welcome to us, as

112 FROM TENERTFFE TO BRAZIL.

we had been a considerable time deprived of fresh
provisions, because our Rurick was so small that she
could not contain a large quantity. To make the
feast complete, I had a tub of sour-krout opened,
which was furnished us at St. Petersburg by the
American Company, and was very excellent. In
the evening we had a play, of which we gave
notice at noon by a play-bill put up at the mast,
announcing the Peasant's Marriage, The sailors
had composed the piece themselves, and acted
it to the entire satisfaction of the spectators ;
the whole concluded with a ballet, and the actors
received the applause they merited. Such amuse-
ments, on board a ship destined for discovery,
may appear foolish to many persons ; but, in my
opinion, every thing must be done to keep up the
spirits of the crew, and to make them less sen-
sible to the hardships of so tedious an enterprize j
besides, the disposition of the mind has a material
influence on the state of the body, and a cheerful-
minded man is in general the more healthy. On
Sundays, in particular, I usually undertook some-
thing new ; the sailors amused themselves several
days beforehand with their plans and preparations,
and afterwards they had ample matter for convers-
ation and joke. Besides this, we always had our
table better supplied on this day ; and likewise gave
out a double portion of brandy.

The 6th. We were to-day in the neighbourhood
of Cape Frio, the latitude of which I was directed

FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL. 113

by my instructions to determine ; but as the con-
tinued bad weather rendered this impossible, I
directed my course to the island of St. Catherine's.
On the following day we observed on the surface
of the sea, a serpentine streak, about two fathoms
broad, of a dark brown colour, which extended as
far as the eye could reach. At first sight I took
it for a shoal, but when we had let down a boat,
and Mr. Wormskloid had examined it, and brought
some of the water on board, we found that it was
formed of an innumerable number of small crabs,
and the seeds of a plant, which, according to the
affirmation of our naturalists, grows at the bottom
of the sea.

On the 10th, when near the island of St. Cathe-
rine's, we were overtaken by a violent storm,
which did not abate till the following day ; at
three o'clock in the afternoon we descried the con-
tinent to the north of the island, and having tacked,
during the night, under few sails, on the 12th
stood in to the shore. At noon we were between
the islands of Alvaredo and Gal ; the weather was
uncommonly fine. We sailed by Alvaredo, which
lies very high, at the distance of two miles, and
were refreshed by the perfume which the wind
blew to us from this island, which is beautifully
covered with palm-trees, and luxuriant verdure.
It is only inhabited by crocodiles, numbers of which
swam round the Rurick as we passed it. I fired a
gun as a signal for a pilot ; but as none appeared,

VOL. I. I

114 FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL.

we sailed onwards, and at four o'clock in the after-
noon cast anchor in the neighbourhood of the
island of Santa Cruz, at about the same place as
the Nadeshda had done twelve years before. We
had scarcely anchored, when the serjeant of the
fortress of Santa Cruz came on board, and asked
the usual questions in the name of the commander,
who excused his not appearing on the score of ill-
ness. On the 13th I repaired to the town of Nos-
tra-Sennora-Dudesterro, which was only a few
leagues distant from the place of our anchorage, to
pay a visit to the Governor, Major Louis Mauricia
de Silveira. He received me coolly, and did not
seem disposed to comply with the orders from Rio
Janeiro, to afford every possible assistance to the
Rurick. The captain of the port of St. Pinto, a
most obliging man, assisted me in this embarrass-
ment, and promised to supply my wants as soon as
possible. M. Von Chamisso and myself dined
at St. Pintos, a country seat, situated in a most
agreeable spot ; the table was laid out in the open
air, under orange-trees ; the humming-bird, and
others unknown to us, fluttered round the orange
blossoms ; and, after the monotonous view of the
stormy sea, we doubly revelled in this paradise.
The Governor, from whom the officers of the Na-
deshda experienced so much friendship, was now
at the Rio de la Plata. In the evening 1 was again
on board the Rurick, and made preparations to
hg^ve my tent erected, on the following day, in the

FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL. 115

neighbourhood of Santa Cruz, into which all the
astronomical instruments were to be brought. It
was put up on a small elevation, under' palm and
banana-trees, from which we could see the Rurick;
behind us arose a high woody mountain : we could
likewise take long walks ti'om thence, in the shade
of orange and lemon-trees, which sheltered us
from the rays of the sun, and often gave too
aromatic an odour. The coimtry about the shore
was inhabited by the soldiers of the militia, who
only render their services in times of danger ; at
other seasons they employ themselves on tlieir rice
and sugar plantations. Their houses are at some
distance from each other, and their principal riches
consist in the number of their negro slaves, who,
like members of the family, work with their
masters, and enjoy with him all that his house
affords. The negroes in the town, on the con-
trary, are very unhappy ; tliey are used for the
most laborious works, like beasts of burthen ; and
are particularly employed to beat the rice out of
the husks, for which such heavy clubs are giveji
them, that it is with the greatest difficulty that
tliey are able to wield them : they are driven to
their work with a whip when their strength fails
them ; and, besides this, they have very miserable
food. By this inhuman treatment, these unfortu-
nate people are degraded to the lev^el of brutes :
they seem incapable of reflection or feeling; the
sight is dreadful, and inspires commiseration. The

I 2

116 FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL,

most opprobrious term of abuse, among the Por-
tuguese, is negro ! The slaves of the soldiers are
quite different men ; they enjoy their existence as
such, and we had every reason to be satisfied with
our neighbours ; they behaved very friendly to us,
and practised towards us all the virtues of hospi-
tality. The soldiers consider themselves very poor,
because it is several years since they have received
their pay; it is true they have no money, but
they are never in want of the necessaries of life
which the island produces ; and, therefore, I con-
sidered them as very rich and fortunate people. I
took up my quarters in a small house near the
tent, belonging to the widow of a soldier, and con-
tinued to remain on shore, occupying myself with
m}^ chronometers. We devoted the evenings to
recreation ; the good-natured inhabitants usually
collected round our tent, and a couple of violins
and flutes, which heightened our pleasure, invited
them to dance and sing, and gave us an opportu-
nity of observing the grace with which the girls
danced the fandango. Immediately after sun-set
the air is filled with an innumerable number of
fire-flies, which shine in the air like burning points ;
the large locusts began already to chirp, and frogs
of the size of hedge-hogs came out of their lurk-
ing places, and may be said to bark like middle-
sized dogs. On those who visit this place for the
first time, this animation by day and by night, the
many beautiful birds and butterflies, and this

FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL. 117

luxuriant vegetation, must make a very lively im-
pression. Near our tent flows a small rivulet of
very good M^ater, where we could fill our casks
with the greatest convenience. We also tried to
fish on the sea shore, and always drew up a full
net. We found among the fish a number of very
remarkable sea-animals, which were welcome to our
naturalists, as indeed the country in general afforded
them a rich harvest. Ships which intend to sail
round Cape Horn, do well to touch at this island,
and not at Rio Janeiro; provisions are here cheaper j
you enjoy a far better climate; and, above all, have
the advantage of being nearer to Cape Horn. The
best coffee grows here in abundance, every inha-
bitant having his plantation close to his dwelling j
but the trade, though now allowed, is not consider-
able, as only few ships come here. The slave trade
with the coast of Africa is said to be only per-
mitted to the south of the equator.

While we staid on shore. Lieutenant Schisch-
mareff had the ship put in perfect order for
doubling Cape Horn, where many storms un-
doubtedly awaited us.

On the 26th of December we had all our instru-
ments brought on board, where we found every
thing in order, likewise the provisions with which
we were provided by the kindness of Mi Pinto.
On the 27th, he came from the town to wish us
farewell: but my intention to leave Brazil to-day was
prevented by a great storm. On the 28th, at five

I 3

118 FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL.

o'clock, A. M. we got under sail, with a very faint
land wind. M. Pinto, who had passed the night
on board the Rurick, received our hearty thanks
for his kindness, and thus we parted from him, and
from the shore, where we had passed several very
happy days. It was with pleasure that we saw the
inhabitants sorry to part with us. My crew, whom
I had daily sent on shore to strengthen them for
the approaching voyage, gratefully acknowledged
the friendly reception of the people, and behaved
with propriety, by which they inspired a very fa-
vourable opinion of the Russian character. At
the house where I had lived, I had a copper-plate
put up, on which was inscribed the name of the
ship, and the date of the year j by which our
hostess felt herself much flattered. Barraud's chro-
nometer now lost in 24 hours 4% 4, and Hardy's
49% 5,

Lieutenant Zacharin, who, during our stay in
Brazil, had lived constantly on shore, was now so
far recovered, that his services could be of use to
us. The whole crew were now in excellent health,
except our smith, who, in spite of all that the phy-
sicians did for him, could not recover his health.

119

CHAPTER V.

«

FROM ST. Catherine's to the coast of chili. —

CONCEPTION.

On the 31st of December we were in latitude
3^i" 10' south, and longitude 48^ 3' west. We here
perceived three large turtles, the appearance of
which surprised me very much, as we were at a
very great distance from land. Till the 10th of
January, 1816, in latitude 45° 56'\ longitude 57° 2',
nothing worth noticing occurred ; both wind
and weather were favourable, and we were quite
rejoiced at our rapid progress, until heavy storms
announced our nearness to Cape Horn ; we were
exposed to these for six days ; the storm was,
however, uncommonly furious to-day, raising the
waves to a great height, and tossing our little ship
from one side to the other. One of the weaves,
which dashed in from behind, did a great deal of
damage, and nearly cost me my life : I was lying
on a hen-coop, the storm raging round me, with-
out suspecting any danger, when this wave sud-
denly seized me and my couch, and swept us
together overboard. 1 must li„ve been inevitably
lost, had not some ropes, which were fastened to

I 4

120 FROM ST. Catherine's to

the ship, fallen down with me, and caught ine as
it were in a net. I was stunned, and did not re-
cover my senses till the cable threatened to break,
and just gave me time to swing myself on the deck.
The coop, with forty fowls, on which I had been
lying, together with my pillow, swam in the sea
past the ship : I thanked God for my safe deliver-
ance, and patiently bore the loss of the roast fowls,
upon which we had all reckoned, for those that were
in both the other coops also perished by the vio-
lence of the waves. It was not till after I had re-
covered from my fright, that I discovered the
ravages which this unhappy wave had occasioned ;
the whole railing against which I had been lying
was dashed to pieces, and even the strong timbers
of the gallery were broken, and the cannon thrown
to the other side ; happily none of the people were
in the way, or they would certainly have been
killed. With a sorrowful heart I looked around
me, the top of my cabin was torn off, and part of
the wave had rushed in. I trembled for my instru-
ments and books, the loss of which would have
been irreparable. Before I ventured down, I
ordered the opening to be nailed up with boards,
to preserve the cabin from a second wave. We
found the rudder unserviceable for the present,
but happily it would bear repairing. Several of the
sailors had suffered slight contusions, particularly
the man who sat at the helm. I now descended
into my cabin to examine into my loss, but, to my

THE COAST OF CHILI. 121

great joy, found that the water had not reached
my instruments, which were on a high place ; it
found its way into the hold, and there had done
great damage. After the storm had abated a
little, a very considerable quantity of our best bis-
cuit was taken out quite reduced to a pap. This
was a very great loss for us, which we could not
repair. The water had likewise forced its way
into the powder-room, and damaged a considerable
quantity of powder.

The l6th of January in latitude 49° 5\ longitude
63° 31", a fresh north wind, with beautiful wea-
ther, brought us nearer to Cape Horn ; at noon
we sounded, and found 60 fathoms' water, over a
bottom of grey sand. On the 19th, at eight o'clock,
A. M. we descried Cape St. John, at the distance
of forty miles ; at noon, the weather being very
fine, the frightful country of Staatenland appeared.
Cape St. John lay S.W. 12°, 25 miles distant; the
current set strong to the E.N.E. Towards mid-
night we had doubled Staatenland ; the wind blew
strong from the north. I bent my course to the
S.S.W., in order, for security, to keep distant from
the shore J and, contrary to the custom of other
navigators, I took then a more westerly course, to
double Cape Horn as sharp as possible. On the
22d, at four o'clock, A. M. we crossed the me-
ridian of Cape Horn, in 57° SS' south latitude,
which was evidently a great advantage to us ; as
we had not gone so far to the south as others used

122 FROM ST. Catherine's to

to do. We were surrounded by wliales, dolphins',
and albatrosses. While we were doubling Cape
Horn we were encountered by high storms from
S.W., which continued several days, and it was
not till the 1st of February, that we succeeded
in passing the latitude of Cape Victoria. We
triumphed : for now we had no fear of being
driven back by westerly storms. On the 11th, at
ten o'clock, P. M. we discovered land by moon-
light; this was the coast of Conception, in the
neighbourhood of the island of St, Mary. We lay-
to till day-break, and then stood in for the bay. I
give no description of the appearance of the coast,
nor of the entrance to the bay ; La Peyrouse has
said sufficient on the subject in his voyage. The
navigator may be confident of always finding, at
this season of the year, at a distance of two de-
grees from the coast, as well in this latitude as
also one degree more to the south, beautiful and
serene weather, and south wind ; but, on the con-
trary, if he go more to the west, he may expect to
find gloomy weather, and a north wind. It would,
therefore, be advisable for ships that intend sailing
up the coast, to approach it at once at 42", as they
will certainly accelerate their passage. But this
applies only to the summer ; because in winter
gloomy weather and north winds prevail. At noon
we found ourselves already at the entrance of Con-
ception Bay ; the wind blew from the south, on

THE COAST OF CHILI. 123

which account we could not reach Talcaguano
without tacking.

At three o'clock, P. M. we could see the place
very distinctly, where three merchantmen lay at
anchor. We hoisted our flag, and by another,
which was accompanied by a gun, demanded a
pilot ; soon after, a boat appeared from Talca-
guano, but did not venture near enough to our
ship for us to hear any thing that they said.
They made all kinds of signs, which we understood
as little ; and at night-fall they returned to the
shore. This distrust surprised us ; but we after-
wards learnt that it was for fear of pirates, many
of which come here from Buenos Ayres, and do
great damage on the coast. We tacked till even-
ing, and at eight o'clock, when it had got dark, we
cast anchor 30 miles from Talcaguano, in a clayey
bottom 12 fathoms deep. On the 13th, at break
of day, our sentinels saw a boat near the ship,
which hailed us ; but we could not understand
them: we called to them, '' Russians, friends of the
Spaniards !" The people at length resolved to
come on board, and were much surprised to find
us to be Russians, no ship of that nation having
ever yet visited this place.

There are numbers of whales in Conception Bay,
which spouted out the water ; one of them had
the boldness to come up about one foot under the
siu'face of the water, and to rest against the Ru-
rick ; thus, we had an opportunity of observing him

1^4} FROM ST. Catherine's to

very closely, and even heard him breathe. It is
probably very seldom that they venture so near,
that their wonderful magnitude can be contemp-
lated at leisure.

As we had now a pilot, we weighed anchor, and
arrived in a couple of hours at the anchoring-place
of Talcaguano, about a quarter of a mile from
shore, in four fathoms and a half water, on a clayey
bottom. We had scarcely cast anchor, when the
commander of the place, Don Miguel de Rivas,
lieutenant-colonel of the Spanish infantry, and
his aide-de-camp, came on board ^ and, after the
first salutation, asked to what nation we belonged ?
(the Russian imperial flag being quite unknown
here.) When he learnt that we were Russians, his
surprise was evident, but he was soon very friendly,
and said, " As long as the world has stood, no Rus-
sian vessel ever showed its flag in this harbour :
you are the first ! We rejoice in saluting a na-
tion which has sacrificed itself, and, under the
Great Alexander, has conquered for the liberties
of Europe !" After I had shown him a written
recommendation from the Spanish minister, at
London, to make him acquainted with the object
of our voyage, he immediately offered his services
to assist us in every thing, and requested me to
acquaint him with my wants. He likewise pro-
mised instantly to dispatch a courier to the town
of Conception, which is only two leagues distant
from Talcaguano, to inform the Governor of my

THE COAST OF CHILI. 125

arrival. My first request was, that lie would as-
sign me a place on shore, where I might bring my
instruments, that I might try my chronometers.
The commander left us, promising to send us an
answer to-day, and invited us all for the evening.
We obeyed the invitation, and found a very nu-
merous and elegant company of ladies and gentle-
men J where we had music and dancing ; and
where, after the fatigues of the voyage, and the dan-
ger of perishing in the waves, near the stormy Cape
Horn, we were doubly sensible of the distinguished
hospitality of the inhabitants of this beautiful
country, which was known to us only by descrip-
tion ; and spent a very agreeable evening. Ex-
perience alone can give an idea of the feelings
which a navigator experiences on such changes of
scene.

I must here remark several customs which sur-
prised me very much, and might certainly bring a
foreigner into embarrassment. There are in the
ball room, on an elevation of two steps, benches
covered with red cloth ; on these sat the gentle-
men and elderly ladies j the young ones had their
places on the steps at our feet, and I was quite
confused when I observed a handsome young girl,
dressed in satin, and diamonds, sit at my feet ; but
as I soon perceived, that all the gentlemen shared
this distinction with me, I took courage, and raised
my eyes again. The herb of Paraguay, or rather
the leaves of the lau-tree, is known in all the

126

Spanish settlements, and generally used, instead of
tea ; (the herb of Paraguay is used in Chili, to
the amount of 1,000,000 dollars annually ;) but
the custom is perhaps not so well known of pre-
senting this tea in a silver vessel, with a pipe to it,
out of which every one in the company takes a few
sips, and hands it to his neighbour. When my turn
came round, I considered it a duty due to pro-
priety, to imitate those who preceded me, though 1
found it difficult to suppress a certain dislike, as I was
about the twentieth that was to suck at this pipe ;
but I had scarcely put my lips to it, when I drew
them back burnt. I therefore advise every one, to
whom tea is presented in this manner, to take
hold of the pipe with his teeth. However, the taste
of the herb of Paraguay is not bad ; it is boiled
with sugar, and then kept hot in this vessel over
charcoal ; it is a sweet aromatic juice which one
sips. The inhabitants of Chili are fond of pre-
served fruits, which are handed about in every
company, and always with glasses of water, be-
cause it is the custom to drink after taking sweet-
meats.

February 14th. The governor, who intended
to pay us a visit on board, on the following day,
«ent his aide-de-camp to welcome us in his name,
and to offer us his assistance : the order to give
up to me the best house in Talcaguano was already
issued. In this he executed the orders of his king,
in which he had been commanded to receive the

THE COAST OF CHILI. 1^7

Rurick well. On the 15th, at ten o'clock, A. M.
the guns of the fortress announced the arrival of
the Governor, Don Miguel Maria d'Attero, and
he soon appeared on board the Rurick, with several
inquisitive ladies from the town. I received him
with all the honours due to his rank, and he ex-
pressed his satisfaction in the most obliging terms ;
saying, how happy he was in being able to serve us,
who belonged to a nation whom he loved and ho-
noured. He likewise requestedme to makemy wants
known to him, that he might issue orders imme-
diately to supply me with every thing I desired.
When the Governor left the ship, we saluted him
with eight guns.

February l6th. The chronometers and instru-
ments w^ere brought to-day on shore. A handsome
house, with a pretty garden, was assigned me ;
where I could try my chronometers without in-
terruption. Lieutenant Schischmareff, in the
meantime, undertook the repairs of the ship : our
scientific gentlemen, were, likewise, not in want of
employment in this beautiful country.

On the 25th we were invited to a fete at the
Governor's, which he had prepared in our honour.
To avoid the heat, we rode from Talcaguano early
in the morning, in company with the commandant,
and several officers. We had an opportunity, in
this short toiir, to admire the rich and luxuriant
nature of this country ; the inhabitants, notwith-
standing the negligent manner in which they cul-

l^B FROM ST. Catherine's to

tivate it, reap an hundred-fold. We often rode
through the most beautiful orchards, which, with-
out the assistance of culture, produced the finest
tropical fruits. When we appeared on the parade,
eight cannon were fired, the military drawn up
in parade : the Governor received us in full
uniform, and conducted us into the fort. The
company consisted of the principal persons in the
place, among whom was the Bishop. We drank
the health of Alexander I. and Ferdinand Vll.
with a salute of artillery and flourish of trumpets.
The table was laid out in the same manner as at
grand entertainments in Europe ; ice was brought
up in great abundance, which the Governor had
the politeness to send for from the lofty Cordil-
leras, where it was procured with difficulty and
danger ; it was very refreshing to us natives of the
north in the great heat. In the evening there was
a ball, which was crowded with elegantly-dressed
ladies, of whom there is generally a greater num-
ber tlian of gentlemen. The Chilians receive their
fashions from Paris. The tone of society is be-
coming, and unconstrained. Upon the invitation
of Count Reyes, we remained another day at Con-
ception, to be present at a ball at his house. We
in the mean time visited the town, of which we
have nothing remarkable to say ; it is built on a
regular plan, yet very deficient in handsome
houses, but the number o£ churches and convents
is very great. The size of the town may pretty

17

THE COAST OF CHILI. 129

well be calculated, according to the number of its
inhabitants, which is said to be 10,000 ; the broad
river Biobio, on which it is situated, adds much to
its beauty. There are now no more Spanish settle-
ments on the other side of the river ; the land is
inhabited by Araucanas. Before I left the town,
I requested the Governor to honour with his pre-
sence a ball which I intended to give at Talca-
guano to the principal inhabitants, on the 3d of
March.

29th February. Our smith, ZiganzofF, died to-
day, after a very lingering illness, in spite of all the
attention of our able physician. In the choice of
my sailors I had taken particular care to select
healthy and naturally robust men ; I had suc-
ceeded in all of them, except the smith, who had
concealed his illness for fear of not being taken
with us. Soon after we had left England he fell
into a consumption ; he was not able to leave his
bed during our voyage from Brazil to Chili, and
died on shore, where he was decently buried, and
followed to the grave by Spanish soldiers.

I think it not superfluous to advise every navi-
gator that visits this place, to caution his people
in the use of wine. In some of the numerous pub-
lic-houses at Talcaguano, they mix with the wine
the juice of an herb unknown to us, which pro-
duces the most horrid effect ; for it throws people
into a state bordering on frenzy, which is followed
by a general relaxation of the nerves. Several of

VOL. I. K

130 FROM ST. Catherine's to

the sailors of the Rurick have experienced this.
Probably this beverage is calculated to plunder
foreigners, as this generally follows the drinking
of it. Talcaguano is, for the most part, inhabited
by a mixed race of Spaniards and Araucanas, who
have no mind for work, and therefore try to get
their bread by dishonourable means.

On the 3d of March I had the pleasure of
entertaining a numerous company from Conception.
Early in the morning, when the heat was still sup-
portable, we saw our guests arrive at Talcaguano ;
most of them were on horseback, which is the
usual mode of travelling ; even the ladies mounted
spirited horses. Others drove in little huts, placed
on two-wheeled carts, drawn by two oxen,
guided by an Araucana sitting on the roof of the
hut. The handsome and elegant ladies, who got
out of these ludicrous vehicles, formed a very in-
teresting contrast with their equipages. As early
as three o'clock in the afternoon, my boat was in
full employment to bring my guests on board the
Rurick. They were very much pleased with their
reception, and thought the ship very pretty, but
surprisingly small. In the evening, I gave the
company a ball. As the house assigned to me was
too small, I had a magazine near it changed into a^
ball-room, as well as I could. To two rows of pil-
lars on each side of the building, which served to
support it, were tied trees, the tops of which
formed a green roof. The garden and the ball-room

THE COAST OF CHILI. 131

were illuminated with lamps, and, at the entrance
of the ball-room, was exhibited a transparency.
The cypher of Alexander I. appeared in the
middle, over which a flying genius held a crown
of laurel ; in the back-ground a second transpa-
rency represented the alliance of the two monarchs,
by a pair of clasped hands, over which were the
cyphers of Alexander and Ferdinand. The way
to the house where we supped, led through the
garden, where I had fireworks displayed as we
passed, which gave great pleasure to our guests, to
whom this was quite a new sight : the illumination
also excited universal wonder, as they generally
burn no more than five or six lights at their
most splendid balls. At table, amidst a salute of
artillery, the health of both the monarchs was
drunk, and then that of the author of the expe-
dition. The company remained till sunrise, the
Governor not retiring till that time.

March 8th. The examination of the South Sea,
prescribed by my instructions, would not permit a
longer stay in this convenient bay ; all the ship's
repairs being finished, the instruments were
brought on board, and I took advantage of the
favourable wind to reach the sea. The com-
mandant of Talcaguano, Don Miguel de Privas,
who had been daily in our company, and had
taken a liking to the Russians, staid with us to-
day, on board the Rurick, till the moment of our
departure, when he took leave of us with tears. I

K 2

132 FROM ST. Catherine's to chili.

rejoiced heartily when we were again under sail,
and I now thought that the more important part
of the voyage was beginning, and what had hitherto
been done only a prelude.

La Peyrouse, in his voyage, has said so much
about Conception Bay, that I could only make
repetitions ; the bay, however, as a place of re-
freshment, is to be recommended to navigators, as
provisions and fruits of all sorts are in abundance.
Chili is an extremely pleasant country, and enjoys
an almost uninterrupted spring ; during our whole
stay we had the most beautiful weather: what sur-
prised me much was a bright lightning, which I
observed every evening after sunset in the N.E.
over the lofty mountains. Chili produces a plea-
sant wine ; and it is only to be regretted that the
Spaniards do not apply more to the cultivation of
the country ; their absurd jealousy likewise pro-
hibits all trade, except with their own colonies,
though they might carry on a flourishing com-
merce.

133

CHAPTER VI.

FROM CONCEPTION BAY TO KAMTSCHATKA.

The fine weather which we enjoyed at Concep-
tion, did not yet forsake us. I endeavoured to
steer my course so as to sail to the windward of
Juan Fernandez, in order, according to my instruc-
tions, to reach latitude 27°, and there look for
Davis* Land, where Captain Krusenstern supposed
it to be. On the 9th,. in latitude 36" 22\ longitude
74° 4', we perceived a bloody colour on tlie sur^
face of the water, an appearance wdiich was caused
by a dead whale, on which a number of sea-swal-
lows were making a repast. On the following day,
in 34" 27' south latitude, and longitude 74°, at six
o'clock in the evening we experienced a strange
commotion in the air, which made the ship seem to
tremble; the noise, which resembled distant thunder,
was renewed every three minutes, and continued only
half a minute each time. In the space of an hour
we observed it no longer ; it is probable that an
earthquake happened in America at this moment,
as our distance from the shore was two degrees,
and we only heard the noise from the east.

On the iGth, at noon, in 27° 20' south latitude,
longitude 88° 4V we were in the neighbourhood

K 3

134) FROM CONCEPTION BAY

where Davis' Land is supposed to lie, on which
account I steered directly westward. For several
days we had a steady S. E. wind, which blew very
fresh; on which account the current drove us
daily from eighteen to twenty miles to the north.
On the 20th, as we had already reached longitude
95° 35\ I gave up all further looking for Davis*
Land, and directed my course rather more to the
south, in the hopes of being more fortunate in
latitude 26° 30' south, in finding Wareham's rocks.
We could depend on the certainty of our longitude,
as it had been for several days calculated accord-
ing to the distances of the sun and moon, and
agreed with the longitude by the chronometers
within a few minutes. It was here we threw a
well-corked bottle into the sea, into which a paper
was put, with the latitude and longitude of the
ship, the date of the year and month, and the
intelligence that the Rurick had looked here in
vain for Davis' Land, On the 24th, at five o'clock
in the afternoon, in latitude 26° 29' south, longi-
tude 100° 27' we passed the place where Wareham's
rocks are marked on Arrowsmith's chart. Tropical
birds and fishes we saw here in numbers ; the
horizon was clear, but the sailor who sat constantly
at the mast-head, declared that he could perceive
no rocks. In the evening, during the finest wea-
ther, we had bright lightning, which continued for
several hours, and sometimes illuminated the whole
horizon. With a star-light sky, and fiesh east wind.

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 135

we continued our course to the west, to discover the
island of Sales. Towards morning we observed seve-
ral sea-fowls, whose numbers increased as we sailed
rapidly forward. Soon afterwards, so many pelicans
and frigate birds appeared, and fluttered, as if curi-
ous, round the ship, that we could no longer doubt
the vicinity of land, and in reality the sailor at the
mast-head gave us the agreeable news that he des-
cried land. At noon we could plainly see from the
quarter-deck, to the S.W. 66°y a small rocky island
at the distance of ten miles, and though the longi-
tude differed rather from that given, I could enter-
tain no doubt but that it was the island of Sales,
The greatest distance at which this island may be
seen is fifteen miles, and then it has the appear-
ance of two groups of rocks lying near each other;
but as you come nearer, the low land which unites
them becomes visible ; its length is about a
mile from N.W.W. to S.E.E. j its breadth is not
considerable. We very soon approached the island
to the south, within three-quarters of a mile, when
we could plainly discern with our telescopes all
the objects on shore, the sight of which was not
very delightful to us, as no friendly green covers
the grey rocks, which lie scattered in large masses,
and give the island the appearance of a melancholy
ruin, inhabited only by sea-fowls. On the N.E.
and S.W. points are reefs, against which the surf
dashes with violence, and where we looked in vain
for the remains of a wrecked ship, probably be-

K 4

136 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

cause it had been swallowed up by the waves. We
found the island of Sales in 26° 36' 15" south lati-
tude, and longitude, according to the chronometers,
which were regulated on Easter Island, 105° 34' 28''
W. I am almost convinced that Wareham's rocks
do not exist at all, but have hitherto been con-
founded with Sales Island. To be quite certain
that there was no other island in this neighbour-
hood, I sailed again to the west, and did not direct
my course to Easter Island till after having sailed
some degrees without perceiving any thing. We had
reached this island on the 28th of March, at three
o'clock, A.M., within fifteen miles, and, at day-
break, we saw it distinctly before us. After having
doubled the south point, we directed our course
along the west coast, at a small distance, to Cook's
Bay, where we observed columns of smoke ascend-
ing, which was probably a signal to the inhabitants
of the interior of the country that a ship was
approaching. At noon, when we were quite near to
Cook's Bay, we observed two boats, each manned
with only two islanders, who rowed up to us. I
was in great hopes that these people, who had placed
so much confidence in La Peyrouse, would give us
likewise the same hearty welcome, which, to my
great astonishment, w^as by no means the case. They
approached us with fear and distrust, within gun-
shot ; showed us some roots at a distance, but
could by no means be persuaded to approach nearer
to the ship. The structure of the canoes, of which

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 137

we saw several, and which contain only two per-
sons each, correspond exactly with those mentioned
by La Peyrouse ; they are from five to six feet long,
and about one foot in breadth, made of narrow
boards joined together, and furnished on both sides
with an outrigger. La Peyrouse's opinion is, that the
islanders, for want of wood, will soon be quite at a
loss for boats ; but he is mistaken : it is true we
did not discover a single tree on this island, but
they build their canoes of drift-wood, which
the current brings in great quantities from the
coast of America. The bottom being very bad in
many places in Cook's Bay, T sent Lieutenant
SchischmarefF to find out, by means of the lead, a
more convenient anchoring-place, during which
time I kept the Rurick under sail. The islanders,
who had hitherto always followed the ship, con-
versing aloud, and seeming to be very good-
humoured, hastened on shore when they saw our
boat put out, which surprised me the more as the
inhabitants of Easter Island had previously placed
so much confidence in navigators. However, the
ship only appeared dangerous to them, for as soon
as our boat approached the shore, a number of
savages swam up to it, laden with taro roots, yams,
and banana fruits, which they readily exclianged
for little pieces of old iron hoops. Some dealt
very honestly, otiiers cunningly, and one even at-
tempted to obtain something by force. To deter
the others from being infected by his bad example.

138 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

we fired some small shot at him, which, how-
ever, did not prevent them from practising their
thievish arts. On a signal given by our boat,
that they had found a good anchoring-place, I
made a couple of tacks to reach the point, and
cast anchor in twenty-two fathoms, on a fine
sandy bottom. The Sand-bay lay S. E. 45° of us ;
the two rocks were hidden behind the southern
point. Our boat now returned, without the
islanders venturing to follow it. As it was my in-
tention to land, I had two boats manned for the
purpose, and we left the Rurick, seventeen in num-
ber, at three o'clock in the afternoon. A great
number of savages had assembled on the beach ;
they cried, and capered, and made the most singu-
lar motions, and seemed to wait our arrival with
impatience ; but as they had chosen for their ren-
dezvous the only place where the surf would permit
our landing, we could not venture to leave xDur
boats, before they had made room, which they
could in no wise be persuaded to do. Amidst
laughing and joking they obliged us to put off
from the shore, and even pursued us in the water ;
but this did not seem dangerous, as they were all
unarmed. We had scarcely left the shore, when
hundreds swam round our boats, who exchanged
banana-fruits and sugar-cane, for old iron ; at the
same time making an intolerable noise, as they all
spoke with great vivacity at once ; some of them
appeared to be very witty, as at times a gene-

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 139

ral and loud laughter arose. The spectators on
shore, who at last got tired of this scene, amused
themselves with pelting us with stones, to which I
soon put an end by a few musket-shots. By this I
also lost my cheerful company in the water, gained
the landing-place, and hastily put some of my
sailors on shore. Scarcely had the savages per-
ceived this, when they surrounded us with still
more importunity. They had painted their faces
red, white, and black, which gave them a terrific
appearance, danced with the most ridiculous mo-
tions, and contortions of the body, making such a
terrible noise, that we were obliged to halloo in each
other's ears to understand what we said. I can
imagine the impression which this made on Lieu-
tenant SchischmarefF, who saw these people for
the first time, and thought himself surrounded by
so many monkeys ; for this new scene surpassed
even my ideas, though I was previously acquainted
with the inhabitants of the South Sea. In order
to disperse them, and to get some room, I had
knives thrown among them ; but, notwithstanding
this, I felt a stone strike my hat. I gave or-
ders again to fire, and this at length enabled me
to get on shore. My first business here was to
look for the large and remarkable statues on the
beach, which were seen there by Cook and La Pey-
rouse ; but, notwithstanding all my research, 1 only
found a broken heap of stones, which lay near an
uninjured pedestal ; of all the others not a trace

140 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

remained. The distrustful behaviour of the
islanders, led me to think that some Europeans
had had a quarrel with them, and revenged them-
selves by destroying the statues. It struck me, as
something very singular, that in all this bustle on
shore, and in the water, we did not see a single
woman, of whose importunity preceding voyagers
have so often complained. This observation con-
firmed me in my opinion, that the Europeans must
lately have committed many excesses here. After
I had fully convinced myself, that these islanders
would not allow us to enter their country,
we tried to retreat to our boats, which, besides,
were insecure in the surf; but even now we were
obliged to protect ourselves from their importunity
by several musket-shots ; and it was not till they
heard the balls hiss about their ears that they left
us at peace. We gave them some more iron, and
then hastened back to the Rurick, as our stay, un-
der such circumstances, would only be loss of time,
and every hour was valuable to me. The inha-
bitants seem to be all of a middle stature, but well
made ; mostly of a copper colour, very few being
tolerably white. They are all tattooed ; and those
who are so over the whole body, have the appear-
ance of chiefs. We saw here the stuff made of
the bark of trees, which is manufactured in most
of the South Sea islands, for some of the men wear
short cloaks of it ; and the women, who stood at a
great distance, were entirely wrapped in it. To

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 141

judge by the vivacity of these people, they seem
perfectly contented with their situation ; they are
probably not in want of provisions, as they brought
us a considerable abundance of banana-fruit, yams,
sugar-cane, and potatoes ; and do not neglect
cultivation, as we saw the hills near the bay en-
tirely covered with fields, which, by their various
green, afford a very agreeable prospect. The
seeds which La Peyrouse gave the islanders have
probably not succeeded, as they did not bring us
any of their fruits ; we also looked in vain for the
sheep and hogs which he left there : a fowl was
offered us for a large knife, but was taken away
again when we refused the bargain ; a proof how
much they value these animals, and how few they
have of them. Their habitations are exactly the
same as described by La Peyrouse, and the long
house, as marked in his map, still stands, as well as
the stone-hut on the shore. In general, I believe,
that since the time he was there, with the ex-
ception of the disappearance of the remarkable
statues, no change has taken place ; and of these
we saw two, after we had doubled the south-point,
but they were of little consequence. At our depar-
ture from Easter Island, the inhabitants again
pelted us with stones, which they threw after us
with the loudest cries, and I was very glad to
find ourselves, at seven o'clock, with no bones
broken, on board the Rurick, and under full sail.
A piece of intelligence, which explains the hos-

142 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

tile behaviour of the islanders, and which was given
me in the sequel at the Sandwich islands, by
Alexander Adams, I will now communicate to the
reader. This Adams, an Englishman by birth,
commanded, in the year 1816, the brig Ka-
humanna, belonging to the king of the Sandwich
islands, and had before served on board the same
brig when it was called the Forrester, of London,
as second in command to Captain Piccort, (Piggot,)
who sold it to the king. The captain of the
schooner, Nancy, from New London, in America,
whose name Adams did not mention to me, em-
ployed himself, in the year 1805, in the island of
Massafuero, in catching a kind of seal, which we
call in Russia, Jcotick (sea-cat). The skin of this
animal is sold at a high price in the markets of
China, and therefore the Americans try to find out
their haunts in all parts of the world. This animal
was accidentally discovered, and immediately hunt-
ed in the hitherto uninhabited island of Massafuero,
which lies west of Juan Fernandez, where criminals
are sent from Chili. But as this island afforded
no safe anchoring-place, the ship was obliged to
remain under sail ; and as he had not men enough
to employ part of them for the chase, he resolved
to sail to Easter Island, and to steal some men
and women, to bring them to Massafuero, there
to establish a colony, which should regularly carry
on the seal fishery. In pursuance of this wicked
design, he landed at Cook's Bay, where he en-

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 143

deavoured to seize upon a number of the inha-
bitants.

The combat is said to have been bloody, as the
brave islanders defended themselves with intre-
pidity; but they were obliged to yield to the terrible
arms of the Europeans; and twelve men, and ten
women, fell into the merciless hands of the Ameri-
cans. Upon this, the poor creatures were carried
on board, fettered for the first three days, and not
released till they were out of sight of land. Tlie
first use they made of their recovered liberty, was,
that the men jumped over board ; and the women,
who attempted to follow them, were prevented only
by force. The captain made the ship lie to, in
hopes that they w^oidd return on board for refuge,
when they were threatened by the waves. He,
however, soon perceived how much he had been
mistaken ; for the savages, used to the water from
their infancy, thought it not impossible, notwith-
standing the distance of three days* voyage, to
reach their native country ; and at all events they
preferred perishing in the waves, to leading a
miserable life in captivity. After they had dis-
puted for some time, as to the direction they should
take, they separated ; some took the direct way to
Easter Island, and the others to the north. The
captain, extremely enraged at this unexpected
heroism, sent a boat after them, which returned
after many fruitless efforts, as they always dived at
the approach of the boat, and the sea compassion-

144 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

atelj received them in its bosom. At last the captain
left the men to their fate, and brought the women to
Massafuero ; and is said to have afterwards made
many attempts to steal some of the people from
Easter Island. Adams had heard this story from
the Captain himself, which was probably the reason
he did not wish to mention his name : he assured me
that he had been to Easter Island, in 1806, but
was not able to land, on account of the hostile
behaviour of the inhabitants : he said, that the
ship Albatross, under the command of Captain
Winship, had met with the same fate in 1809.

According to my instructions, I ought to have
visited Pitcairn's Island, and thence to have pro-
ceeded westward to 137° ; but as our voyage from
Cronstadt to Chili had lasted longer than was
calculated in our plans, I was obliged to take the
shortest course to Kamtschatka, in order to reach
Beering's Straits in time.

April the 8th, latitude 18° 6', longitude 125° 16'.
We observed, to-day, several kinds of sea-fowl,
some of which are not accustomed to fly far
from land ; besides, we were in a part where I
might expect to make new discoveries. I con-
stantly had a sailor at the mast-head, to whom I
promised a reward for every new discovery. The
cry of Land ! threw us all into the most eager ex-
pectations ; the telescopes could not be brought
quick enough ; each wanted to see it first, because

it must be something new, and I was thinking

15

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 14*5

already what name I was to give my island, when,
behold, the supposed land rose in the form of a
black cloud, passed away over the horizon, and
carried my flattering hope with it ! Only a sea-
man, who, like me, has new discoveries for the end
of his endeavours, and. the object of his voyage,
can feel how much pain such a mistake must
have cost me.

The 10th : latitude 16° 39' south, longitude 130°
18'. It is very remarkable, that since we left Easter
Island, the wind blows principally from the N. and
N.«E., and the usual S.E. monsoon has not blown
at all ; the weather is always fine, and uniformly
after sunset, there is bright lightning in the north.
The nights being warm, we always sleep on deck,
to recover ourselves from the heat of the day, a
circumstance which occasioned me one night a very
unexpected visit. I was awakened by the constant
motion of a very cold animal at my side, which,
when it writhed in my hand, I first took to be a
lizard. This might perhaps have been brought on
board at Chili, with the wood. But, on examining,
I found that it was a flying-fish, that I had in my
hands ; and 1 am probably the first that has caught
such a one in bed.

The 13th : in latitude 15° 26' S., longitude 133°
66\ At six o'clock this afternoon, we were in the
place, where the island of St. Pablo is marked in
Arrowsmith's chart, without perceiving the least
trace of land j and at eight o'clock in the evening,

VOL. I. L

146 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

I steered my course due west, to follow, according
to my instructions, the parallel of 15°. Schouten
and Lemaire have several islands, that have never
since been seen.

The 15th: in latitude 14° 41', longitude 13?" 00'.
We observed different kinds of sea-fowl all the
day, particularly man-of-war birds and pelicans ;
and, at five o'clock in the afternoon, were over-
taken by heavy rains and gusts of wind from the
N.W., which continued for several hours. Such a
singular change of wind, in a place where it in
general never blows but from the east or S.E.,
could, in my opinion, be caused only by the vici-
nity of land. I therefore resolved to sail no fur-
ther that night. The sky was enveloped in dark-
ness, and it lightened in all parts of the horizon,
during which it continued to pour of rain.

Thel6th: latitude 14° 51', longitude 138° 4'.
At day -break we continued our course to the west,
a high wind from E.N.E. blowing the Rurick
briskly forward. At three o'clock in the afternoon,
the sailor at the mast-head cried, " Land !" a word
which struck me like lightning ; at which hope
and fear for a new illusion alternated in my mind.
But this anxiety did not last long, for I soon had
the inexpressible joy of beholding, with my own
eyes, the object of my most ardent wish. The
land was discovered to the N.N.W., in a W.S.W.
course, and we directly steered towards it. The
island seemed to us so small and low, that the

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 147

grove, which we could plainly discern, seemed to
us to rise from the surface of the water. The
greatest distance at which this island can be seen
from the mast-head is ten miles ; and, as we had
always been accustomed to see nothing but high
land, this contrast made a very singular impression
on us. We now doubled the north point, at the
distance of a mile and a half; we found the whole
island covered with thick bushes, in the middle of
which a small lake had a pleasing effect ; the shore
was surrounded with coral reefs, and the surf ap-
peared so violent, that it seemed impossible to
effect a landing. As soon as the sun had disap-
peared, we quitted this lovely island, which is
seven miles long, from N.W. to S.E., and tacked
during the whole night under few sails, in order to
look at it once more at day-break. The wind
varied from N. to N.E., and it is difficult to ascer-
tain why the trade-wind changes its general
direction here, as no high land is near. All the
sea-fowl went to the island at sunset, and returned
again at the morning twilight. I believe that I
may affirm, from my repeated experience, that
navigators may conclude the nearness of an unin-
habited island, when many sea-fowl, particularly
pelicans, are seen fluttering about; which, how-
ever, only holds good between the tropics. It may
likewise be remarked, that at sunset they all go in
the same direction, (except those which remain all
night at sea,) and, consequently, one might follow

L 2

148 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

these birds, and discover their home. At day-
break we drew nearer again to the island, and
doubled the north and west points, at the distance
of a mile and a half, and employed ourselves in
taking sketches of it. No place of landing was
visible, except at the N.W. point, where it might
perhaps have been possible to effect a landing, if
the waves had not caused too great a surf, by the
violent wind from the north. The middle of the
island, where the lake is, is very low : the extreme
points at the north and south lie higher. It was
in vain that we looked for a palm-tree, but the
bushes relieved the eye by their luxuriant green.
The description of this island corresponds with the
Dog Island of Schouten, but it is not certain that
it is the same, as our latitude differs by twenty-two
minutes ; a mistake which, even at that time,
could hardly have taken place. I pay no attention
to the difference of longitude, as it was, of course,
some degrees wrong at that time. Undoubtedly,
several such islands must be near this place, as is
proved by the innumerable sea-fowl that we have
seen for the last two days, which could not possi-
bly all find room in this one. I therefore called it
the Doubtful Island. We found its latitude, calcu-
lated from two observations at noon, 14° 15' 11'^
south, and its longitude, by the chronometers,
138" 47' 1" ; the declination of the magnetic
needle 5° east. Schouten, the day before he dis-
covered the Dog Island, had no declination, and

TO KAMTSCHAT.KA. 14-9

found the island in latitude 15° 12' 3''. At eleven
o'clock, our survey was finished; and we were
now fully convinced that no landing could be
effected without imminent danger, and that the
island was only the retreat of sea-fowl. As, ac-
cording to Schouten, the Dog Island Kes more to
the south, I immediately steered my course thither,
and, after looking an hour in vain for it, again
steered to the west. Since we had been in parallel
15° we had continual wind from the E.N.E. and
N.E., but in the night accompanied with rain and
heavy squalls from the N.W.

On the 19th and 20th of April we made excel-
lent observations between the sun and moon, and
I had the extreme pleasure of finding that the
longitude by my chronometers agreed so exactly
with our observations ; but how much was my joy
increased, when the cry of " Land," from the mast-
head, struck my ear. It was discovered to the
S.W., and at noon we could see, at a little distance,
a small island, three miles long, which differed
fi'om the Doubtful Island, as no lake was visible
in it, but a number of cocoa-trees rose majestically
above the others. This time I was quite certain,
that I could with justice call it a new discovery.
We all had a wish to land, and unanimously re-
solved to satisfy it, in spite of every danger. The
ship was immediately brought under the lee, and
Lieutenant Zacharin was dispatched to examine
what measure we ought to take to satisfy our

L 3

150 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

wishes, because we soon saw that a boat could not
pass through the surf.

This supposition was confirmed by Zacharin on
his return ; but two sailors, resolved not to leave the
new discovery unexplored, swam through the surf j
a courage which made me wonder the more, as they
had not, like the South Sea islanders, the faculty of
living constantly in the sea. They landed safely, but
did not venture far, as there were many traces of
the island being inhabited; to prove, however,
that they had really been on shore, they brought
us several cocoa shells, and also a braided cord,
which was tied to a pole. I was now seized with
a greater desire than ever to land, and resolved, as
it was too late to-day, to satisfy it to-morrow, at all
events. A pram seemed to me the most convenient
for this purpose ; in a moment all the boards and
poles on board the Rurick were collected together ;
we worked the whole of the night, and at day-
break, on the 21st, to my great joy, our pram,
which was made large enough to carry one person
with ease, was finished. We had tacked, during
the night, with a north wind and rain, and as soon
as it began to dawn, we approached the shore with-
in half a mile ; two boats were instantly put into the
water, and Lieutenant SchischmarefF, myself, and
our scientific gentlemen, left the Rurick, with our
newly-made pram, at seven o'clock, A.M. About
forty fathoms from the shore, we anchored our
boats, on a bottom of hard coral, in ten fathoms

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 151

water, and my two sailors repeated their hazardous
attempt, by taking hold of one end of a rope, tlie
other end of which was fastened to the boats, and
so effecting a communication with the shore. One
now placed himself upon the pram, drew himself
along the rope towards the surf, and left it to a
rising wave to throw him on shore j the pram was
drawn back as soon as the man who had passed
over had got firm footing on the beach, and then
another began the unsteady passage. At length we
were all on shore, except two sailors, who had re-
mained in the boats, all of us more or less hurt,
as we could not reach the shore without being
washed by the surf over a sharp coral bank. That
we were all, of course, wet to the skin, is of no
consequence in the tropics. We now went, well
armed, into the interior of the island, finding traces
of men at every step we proceeded ; at length we
came to a well trodden foot-path, which fully con-
vinced us that the island was inhabited. Looking
around on all sides for fear of a surprise, we con-
tinued our way, which led us into a grove, the
aromatic odours of which refreshed us, and atlength
reached a flat spot shaded by palm-trees, where we
found a small boat which resembled tliose in the
South Sea, being furnished with an outrigger on both
sides. We now found ourselves in a most delight-
ful spot, about the middle of the island, and being
overcome by the heat, sat down under some cocoa-
trees, and, for the first time in our voyage, refreshed .

L 4

152 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

ourselves with the milk of this fruit. I felt inex-
pressibly happy in this small spot ; inconsiderable
as the discovery might be in itself, yet I would not
have resigned the pure and heartfelt joy which it
gave me, for the treasures of a world. After we
had refreshed ourselves a little, we began our
journey again, and found some uninhabited huts, in
which there were several articles, the workmanship
of the savages ; and left European goods instead.
We no where found fresh traces of men ; and some
poles, with fishing-nets hanging on them, confirmed
me in my conjectures, that the islanders came here
at a certain season of the year, for the sake of the
fishery. We had traversed the island from north
to south in four hours, and, on our return, met with
several well-made reservoirs, in which was water of
a good taste. It is well known that there are no
springs in the coral islands, on which account the
inhabitants must content themselves with rain-
water, which they collect in large pits dug for the
purpose. When we had arrived at our landing-
place, I had a bottle of wine opened ; which we
drank, with loud cheers, to the health of Count
RomanzofF, and called the island by his name.
Our boats adorned themselves with flags, and fired
several guns, and the Rurick, expecting this signal,
hoisted the imperial flag, and fired her guns, during
which we drank to the health of our beloved Em-
peror. We reached our boats with the same diffi-
culty as we had landed, and at two o'clock in the

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 153

afternoon were safe on board the Rurick, where I
distributed the cocoa-nuts which we had brought
from Romanzoft' Island among those who had re-
mained behind. The whole crew received their
double rations, and the sailor who had first des-
cried the island, had six piasters for his reward.
We tacked during the whole night under few sails,
for we might expect more islands in this part, upon
which the ship might be wrecked in the dark, on
account of their low situation, and at day-break we
continued our course to the west. The latitude of
the middle of RomanzofTs Island, by a good me-
ridional observation, with three sextants, is 14° 57'
20'' south; longitude, according to the chrono-
meters, which coincide with the observation, 144°
28' 30" west. The variation of the magnetic needle
5° 3& east.

On the 22d of April, at nine o'clock in the
morning, land was descried from the mast-head in
the N.N.W., to which we immediately steered.
This island, with a lake in the middle, above the
surface of which many large stones rise, is of the
same nature as the other islands ; its length from
N.N.E. to S.S.W. is eleven, and its breadth only
three miles. We doubled the north point at the
distance of half a mile, without perceiving any
traces of inhabitants, and not a single cocoa-tree.
At noon the south point lay east of us ; we had an
excellent observation, from which we found the
latitude of its centre to be 14° 41' south ; longi-

154 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

tilde, according to the chronometers, 144° 59' 20"
west. I could not doubt but this was also a new
discovery. I named it after my former commander
Admiral Spiridof. As the island did not appear
to me to be inhabited, and as a landing could not
be effected but with the same difficulties as at Ro-
manzoff*s Island, I determined to lose no time, but
to steer to the W.S.W., with the intention of look-
ing at Cook's Palliser's islands, to compare my
longitude with his. A fresh east wind carried us
quickly towards our object; and, directly after sun-
set, I lay-to to keep the ship in a spot where I found
the sea extremely calm and even ; a proof that a
number of islands must be in our neighbourhood.
But we found the current in this place so extremely
strong, that on the following day at noon, the ship
had been driven twenty-eight miles to N.W. 82°.

On the 23d of April, at dawn, we sailed further,
and ought, according to my calculation, to be, at ten
o'clock, near the meridian of Palliser's islands, but
rather more to the north ; in the hope, therefore,
of soon finding the islands, we steered to the S. S. W.
In fact, at about half past ten o'clock, land was
announced at the right and left. I now steered
from the south to the east, a course which must lead
me direct into the passage. The land on our
right, which consisted of a number of small coral
islands, covered with wood, and joined by coral
reefs, I declared to be a new discovery. This

situation was more to the north than the Paliisers,

18

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 155

which we saw distinctly on the left, and whose
meridian we had already passed, which, accord-
ing to our ship's reckoning, could not be. I again
doubted the goodness of my chronometers, when
I was comforted by an excellent meridional observ-
ation, by which I perceived that the current had
played us this trick, and driven us thirty miles
to the west. My calculation of the longitude of
the Pallisers, agreed with that of Cook, within
three minutes. Between our latitude and Cook's
there was no difference ; I therefore had no reason
to complain of my time-keepers. Being fully con-
vinced, that the islands to the S. E. were the
Pallisers, and did not need to be inspected, we
turned to those newly discovered, which extend in
a chain to the S. W., as far as the eye can reach.
I shall not speak at length of their situation, be-
cause a single look at the chart, which is drawn
with great care, explains it better than any words.
I am inclined to take those islands for uninhabited,
as we saw neither traces of people, nor any cocoa-
trees, though we sailed along the whole chain, from
the south-west part, at the distance of half a mile
from the shore. We enjoyed, during this run, a
very pleasant prospect, as we could even clearly
see the trees agitated by the wind. The length of
the most considerable of these islands, lying at in-
tervals of from one hundred to two hundred fathoms,
and united by small coral reefs, is about two miles;
the breadth from about a quarter to half a mile ;

156 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

and all of them, even the smallest, which are per-
haps no more than one hundred fathoms long, are
thickly covered with the finest trees. It maybe con-
jectured, that these islands form a circle, because,
from the mast-head, where we could see the hori-
zon beyond the chain, the sea appeared quite calm,
whereas on this side there was a high surf. At
noon, we sailed past a small reef, where we could
take the altitude of the sun beyond the land ; upon
this we sailed along the serpentine chain to S.W., till
three o'clock in the afternoon, when we again met
with a long reef, which forms the southern point,
and suddenly runs to the west. At this instant land
to the S. S. E. was heard from the mast-head, and I
found, on further examining the chain, continuing
my course to the N. W., that this long reef was
united at the N. W. with other islands. At six
o'clock, P. M., we reached the most westerly
island of the chain ; the length, without reckoning
its bendings, is forty miles to this point. Here the
land suddenly turned to the N. E., and vanished
in the N. As the sun was now setting, we were
obliged to leave off surveying for to-day, and
tacked during the night under few sails, to con-
tinue our work on the morrow. As soon as it
dawned, we perceived that the current had carried
us far from the land in the E., and brought us to
new islands in the west.

On the ^^4th of April, the islands of yesterday
lay to the windward of us, and after tacking for

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 157

many hours, all that we gained, was, tliat we could
just see land in the east, from the mast-head. I
was therefore obliged, as every minute was pre-
cious, to relinquish all further inspection, and
called this new discovery, Rurick's Chain. It is
really to be lamented, that we were not able to
examine the island, which we saw from the point
of Rurick's Chain, in the S. S. E. ; but it is suffi-
cient, it exists ; and a navigator, who tries his
fortune between these dangerous groups of islands,
may perhaps finish what circumstances forbid me
to inquire into.

Points, astronomically determined, near Rurick's
Chain.
Latitude of the N.

point - - 15° 10' 00" S.
Longitude - - 146 34 00 W.
Latitude of the E.

point - - 15 21 00 S.
Longitude - - 146 46 00 W. 146° 31' 00'' W.
Latitude of the S. point, where

we ended our survey - - 15 30 00 S.
Longitude - - . . us 46 00 W.

Declination of the magnetic

needle 6 16 00 E.

As soon as I had resolved to give up all farther
examination of Rurick's Chain, I directed my
course to the west, to the land which we descried,
at day-break. We soon perceived that it was simi-
lar to Rurick's Chain, and seemed to lie from east

158 l^ROM CONCEPTtOK BAV

to west. When we had run along the south side,
at the distance of half a mile from the shore j I
was convinced, that it could be no other than
Dean's Island, as marked on Arrowsmith*s chart ;
the eastern point of which coincides with ours,
both in latitude and longitude. We sailed quickly
onwards, with the assistance of a fresh easterly wind,
but could not reach before sun-set the chain of
islands, which hitherto always ran in a western
direction. Here, also, we observed neither cocoa-
trees, nor traces of inhabitants ; yet it is scarcely
to be supposed, that so great an extent of land,
should be uninhabited. We tacked during the
night, and on the following day, resumed our sur-
vey at the point we left off on the evening before.
On the 25th of April, when we had nearly reached
the southernmost point of Dean's Island, and clearly
distinguished that the chain took a N. E. direction,
land was descried in the W. N. W. As Dean's
Island lay to the windward, I gave up the further
examination of it, and directed my course to the
land which was seen in the west, and which ap-
peared to me to be a new discovery. The situation
of Dean's Island on Arrowsmith's chart is in-
correct ; and, besides, it does not appear to have
been observed, that this island is composed of a
number of smaller ones, joined together by coral
reefs. I have so often, in my voyage, found that
other groups of coral islands form a circle, that I
am inclined to think that it is the same with these.

15°

1&

30" S.

147

72

00 W.

15

22

30 S.

147

19

SO W.

15

00

00 S.

148

22

00 W.

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 159

The direction and extent of Dean's Island, accord-
ing to our survey, which is principally founded on
points astronomically determined, is N. W. 7(J° and
S. E. 7G°, and occupies, in this direction, an inter-
val of 72 i- miles.
Latitude of the E. point of Dean's

Island - - -
Longitude of the same
Latitude of the S. W. point -
Longitude of ditto
Latitude of the W. point
Longitude of ditto

We soon arrived at the land in the west, which
likewise consisted of a group of small coral islands,
connected by reefs, which extended thirteen miles
from N. N. E. to S. S. W. ; this also was the
greatest length of the group, which formed a close
circle ; in the middle of which, a large lake, with
a thickly-wooded island in it, renders this group
very easily to be recognized. To this group, which
without doubt was a new discovery, I gave the
name of the man with whom I made my first
voyage round the world : I called it Krusenstern.
We had an excellent meridional observation : the
N. W. point of Krusenstern's islands lay west of us.
We saw Dean's Island in the east, where it took
its direction to the N. E., and there vanished in
the horizon. We sailed between both, taking our
course to the north, and were very glad to have
escaped all the dangers of the coral labyrinth.

160 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

which have cost many a navigator his life. If the
weather had not favoured us in every respect,
during our stay among them, the Rurick would
undoubtedly have been exposed to many dan-
gers ; and, besides, our astronomical observations
would have deserved little credit, had not the sun
always favoured them. A storm in gloomy weather
in these parts would be the inevitable destruction
of the ship ; and even the possession of an accu-
rate chart of all these groups of islands could not
insure its safety, because the current is strong,
the land low, and the wind too violent to ply back,
if you are so unfortunate as to come too close to a
reef. At the distance of a couple of hundred fa-
thoms, the sea has no bottom, consequently the
lead cannot give timely notice of the danger.
After such a description, every one may conceive
our joy, when we again beheld the open sea before
us. Notwithstanding all this, and in spite of all
these dangers, J. w^ould willingly have staid here
some days longer, to finish the survey of the several
islands, had not the necessity of being at Beering's
Straits, at a certain time, made every moment
valuable to me ; and I therefore, according to my
instructions, steered my course to the N. W., where
Baumann's islands were supposed to lie.
Latitude of the middle of Krusen-

stern's islands - . - - 15° 00' 00'' S.
Longitude -. - - - 148 41 00 W.

TO KAMTSCHATKA. l6i

Declination of the magnetic

needle - - - - .5" 37' 00" E.

During the night we had rain and violent wind
from the N.E., and considered ourselves very
happy in being out of the coral islands ; notwith-
standing the impetuous wind, the sea was ex-
tremely smooth, v/hicli made us suppose land to be
near us in the N.E., on which account we could
only venture to put up a few sails.

I add no proofs that the discoveries are new ;
the greater part of my readers will not dispute my
assertion, and Captain Krusenstern will have the
g:oodness to convince the others, by giving a short
view of this, as well as the subsequent discoveries.

April the 28th : latitude 12° 2', longitude 154° 38'.
At six o'clock in the evening, we were in the
place where Baumann's Islands are supposed to
lie, without perceiving any land j we then steered
to the N.W., to follow the line where the islands
of Roggenwein and Penhoven are supposed to be
situated, but, on the following day, we had passed
through this part also, without having discovered
any thing, which makes me suppose that these
islands, w^hose existence has hitherto been doubted,
do not exist at all. I then directed my course to
Penrhyn's islands, which were only seen at a dis-
tance by their discoverer, and never afterwards
explored ; but as this was a longer voyage, and
would greatly diminish our stock of water, from
this day none of us had more than one bottle daily.

VOL. I. M

162 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

On the 30th, at three o'clock in the afternoon,
we observed Penrhyn's islands, the nature of which
appeared to us to correspond with the other coral
islands. At five o'clock, when we were still three
miles distant from the southern part of this group of
islands, we could plainly distinguish that it was also
connected by coral reefs, and formed a circle with
a lake in the middle, from which many rocks arose.
We were very much astonished to find these
islands covered with a thick wood of cocoa-trees ;
but we were agreeably surprized to see columns of
smoke ascending, which indicated to us that this
little, and very remote group of islands was inha-
bited. With the assistance of our telescopes, which
we directed to the shore, we soon discovered
people running about, and only the setting sun
induced us to postpone our examination till the
following morning. We tacked near the land in
the most delicious weather, and rejoiced at the in-
numerable bonetos which surrounded the Rurick.
On the 1st of May we tried to get under the lee
of the group, and, if possible, to effect a landing in
a calm sea. Already, at eight o'clock, we found
ourselves in still water, only a couple of miles from
the shore ; and now we could see plainly many
people running about, others hastily pushing their
boats from the shore, while others, from the more
distant islands, were already making their way to-
wards us. The population appeared to me so nu-
merous, in proportion to the island, that I cannot,

17

TO KAMTSCHATKA. l63

even now, think how so many can find subsistence.
When I saw the great number of boats coming to-
wards us, I lay to, and we expected, with impa-
tience, to get acquainted with the savages, and
Hkewise to obtain fresh provisions from them in
exchange for other articles. Some of the boats,
which had from twelve to fifteen men on board,
had sails ; in each of these was an old man, who
was probably the commander of the rowers, who
had his neck adorned with a palm-wreath, and was
sitting, with much gravity, holding up a palm-
branch in his left hand (the emblem of peace
among the South Sea islanders). When the boats
had approached the Rurick, within twenty fathoms,
they stopped, commenced a song, with quite a
sorrowful melody, and, after the conclusion of this
ceremony, approached nearer, without venturing
to come on board. We now found our hopes of
fresh provisions disappointed, as, instead of them,
the savages only gave us unripe cocoa-nuts for nails,
and pieces of old iron, and I therefore, to reap at
least some advantage, revoked my former order to
take nothing in exchange but provisions, and permit-
ted everybody to provide himself as he pleased with
articles of the workmanship of the savages. The
Rurick was soon surrounded by twenty-six boats, all
of which, however, were forced to keep on one side,
because my crew was not strong enough to defend
the whole ship against the rapacity of three hun-
dred savages. The trade was now carried on

M '2

164 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

briskly, and with prodigious uproar j many boats
upset in the eagerness to be the first with their
goods ; the most violent disputes, however, always
ended with laughing and joking. Those who, on
account of the press, could not yet get near to the
Rurick, amused themselves in their boats with
singing and dancing, and their extremely comic
motions, as well as their great dexterity in gri-
macing, highly diverted us.

As they could not be induced to come on board,
the barter was carried on by means of a rope,
which was thrown to them, and to which they
fastened their goods without distrust, pa-
tiently waiting for their pay, which was given to
them in the same manner. One of the chiefs, who,
at last, ventured so high up the side-ladder of the
Rurick, that he could see the quarter-deck, while
looking, full of admiration and curiosity, at
every new object, v/as pulled back by the legs by
his companions, with loud cries of fear. They
all surrounded him when he had got again into his
boat ; he had much to tell them, making lively
gesticulations, and showing them the presents we
had made him, to reward his courage. By degrees
the boldness of the islanders increased ; they stole
all they were able, without paying the least regard
to our representations, which they only laughed
at, and, at length, carried their boldness to such a
degree, as to threaten us. Their ignorance of Eu-
ropean fire-arms, and their numbers far exceeding

TO KAMTSCHATKA. l65

ours, and their being armed with lances, gave them
this courage, which they tried to express by their
savage cries. As I, at last, was not able to do any
thing, I ordered a musket to be fired, and this had
its effect ; for, in a moment, they all sprung out of
tlieir boats, and dived into the sea. The rapidity
with which all this was done had a most singular
effect ; a dead silence immediately succeeded the
most terrible noise, and a vast grave seemed to
have swallowed them all, till, by degrees, one head
after the other became visible on the surface.
Terror and astonishment were expressed in every
face. They first carefully looked about to see what
damage this loud report had done, and it was not
till they saw there was none, that they got into
their boats again. Their importunity had now
changed into modesty : of all our things, nothing
pleased them so much as the large nails, and it
was only with these that we were able to obtain
from them several very neatly-made lances of
black wood, and some other arms.

I may compare these islanders, for size and
strength, with the inliabitants of the Marquesas ;
their countenances may also be similar, though
the people of the Marquesas islands appeared to
me handsomer, and of a lighter colour. I cannot
judge of the women, as I only saw two of them,
and they were old and very ugly. They are of the
same happy and childish disposition as the other
South Sea islanders, only their behaviour is more

M S

166 FROM CONCEPTION RAY

savage than I have met with in the others. It is
very surprising and remarkable, that the inhabit-
ants of the Penrhyns do not tattoo themselves, in
which they differ entirely from the customs of the
other South Sea islanders j and particularly as they
lie so near to the Friendly islands, that they have
either their origin from them, or have been driven
hither from Washington's islands. But, not to be
quite unornamented, most of them have inflicted
bloody stripes on their breast and back, which,
with their long hair hanging in disorder over them,
gives them a very disagreeable appearance. They
are all naked ; a few excepted, who wear a girdle
of badly-worked stuff. They wear the nails very
long ; and this is probably a principal ornament of
the chief people, as I observed several, who let
them grow to the length of three inches. That the
Penrhyns do not possess the tree, of which most
of the South Sea islanders make the well-known
cloth, proves that they have no intercourse with
the Friendly islands. However, they understood
some words of their language, borrowed from Cook*s
Voyages, which we addressed to them. Their boats,
which are badly constructed, resemble those of
the Marquesas, being furnished with an outrigger
on each side, and carry twelve men conveniently ;
the sails, of a coarsely woven mat, are adapted only
to sail with the wind. I cannot tell whether the
island produces any thing besides cocoa-nuts, but
these must be in great abundance to judge by the

TO KAMTSCHATKA, 1G7

number of the trees. We observed many women,
through the telescopes, who w^re w'alking about,
and admiring the ship, at a great distance ; we
did not see a single house, but saw a brick-wall,
pretty well joined together. All the fresh provi-
sions, which we had taken with us from Concep-
tion, were consumed, with the exception of a small
hog, which we had preserved for a feast ; this we
showed to the savages, who seemed to know it,
and very much wished to possess it. We, at last,
counted thirty-six boats, with three hundred and
sixty men, wliose numbers would have encreased,
if we had remained any longer, as we already saw
several canoes coming up to us. I should have
very much liked to undertake a landing, but did
not dare to venture, on account of the smallness
of our crew, as the number of the savages was so
considerable, and their behaviour so forward.

Towards noon we had a terrible thunder-storm,
accompanied with rain and squalls of wind ; the
gloomy atmosphere announced a continuance of
bad weather, and I resolved to leave the islands ;
but the savages, fearless of the thunder, had
fastened their boats to the Rurick, forcibly to
obtain, by this opportunity, some nails, which they
tried to pull out of the ship, making such a noise,
that it was impossible to hear the word of com-
mand. Not to frighten them with a second shot,
I ordered all the sails to be set, and the unex-
pectedly quick motion of the ship, by which

M 4

168 rR03I CONCEPTION BAY

several boats were upset, induced them, at last,
to leave us ; but they rowed after us for a long
time, and, by all manner of signs, gave us to
understand that they wished for our return. The
numerous population of this small group of islands,
the bold spirit of the savages, and their numerous
arms, indicated that there must be islands in their
neighbourhood with which they had intercourse,
and, perhaps, carried on war.
We found the latitude in the

middle of this group '- - 9° 1' 35'' S.
The mean between the chrono-
meter and the observed lon-
gitude, which nearly agreed 157 34 32 W.
Variation of the magnetic needle 8 28 00 E.

On leaving the Penrhyn islands, I attempted
to cross the equator, in longitude 180°, a way that
was never taken by any navigator, and where new
discoveries might be presumed; but this plan I was
obliged to give up in the sequel, as the frequent
calms delayed my voyage too long, and the intense
heat had a very bad effect on our health.

May the 4th : latitude 7° 31' 39'' S., longi-
tude 162° 7' 19". We had such a heavy rain to-
day, that we were able to catch twelve butts of
water, a piece of good fortune, which, considering
our small stock, and the dreadful heat, was to us
invaluable, and made this rainy-day a festival.
For these two last days, we had squalls from all

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 169

points of the compass ; the current had carried us
thirty-two miles and a half to the S. W. in the last
twenty-four hours ; and we did not fall in, till now,
with the true N. E. trade-wind.

May tlie 8th : latitude 3° 14' 34'' S., longitude
168° 2^33" W. Yesterday, and still more to-day,
we observed a number of sea-fowls, of different
J^inds, which, after sun-set, directed their flight
to the S.W. In the evening, tw^o of them came
on board, and suffered themselves to be caught ;
and a third had the boldness to fly directly
into my hands. After having tied to the neck
of the two first a piece of parclmient, with the
name of the ship and the date of the year marked
on it, we set them at liberty ; the third was sacri-
ficed for our collection of natural history. These
birds are of the species of sea-swallows j they are
about the size of pigeons, and entirely black, with
the exception of a white spot on the head. I
did not doubt, from the great numbers of sea-
fowls, but we were in the neighbourhood of
many uninhabited islands and rocks ; and, if
time had permitted, I should have followed the
flight of these fow'ls, and steered S. W. ; but the
current, which set N. W., carried us in that
direction, daily, from thirty-three to forty-five
miles, and continued so till we had crossed the
equator, on the 11th, in longitude 175° 27' 55".
After several observations, we found the variation
of the magnetic needle 8" 4' E. On the 12th of

170 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

May, in latitude 1° 1/46" N., longitude 177" 5\
besides numerous sea-fowls, we observed one land-
bird ; but as land could not even be descried
from the mast-head, it is to be presumed, that it
must lie very low. The thermometer stood, for
several days and nights, at 23° ; a heat which is
very oppressive, particularly in a calm. I con-
sidered myself very fortunate in not having one
man sick on board. In the night, a dolphin, seven
feet long, the first on our voyage, was harpooned.
We made a trial to eat its flesh, which we found to
be very well tasted, much resembling beef, and
relished it the more, as we had had nothing but
salt-meat on our table for a long time.

May 19th: latitude 8° 42' north, longitude 187°
19'. I had calculated my course to Kamtschatka, so
as to cross the northern part of Mulgrave islands,
as they were scarcely known at all, and appeared
to me worth an examination. To be certain of not
missing them, we sailed two days between the pa-
rallels of 8° and 9°, as, according to Arrowsmith's *
chart, we could not, in this latitude, pass through
the chain without seeing land. At three o'clock
in the afternoon, we crossed the chain, according
to our calculation, in latitude 8° 45' 59," north,

* On my return, I became acquainted in London with this
celebrated geographer, who assured me, that he had laid
Mulo-rave's chain down in his chart, after some very uncertain
statements of several merchantmen. Even Captain Gilbert's
map contains nothing particular.

TO KAMTSCIIATKA. 17 1

without perceiving the least spot of land. Our
longitude, by our clu'onometer, which was com-
pared with observations only the day before,
and whose accuracy we could not doubt, amounted
to 187° 47' iV. After we had in vain looked
round for land, I steered directly to the west, sup-
posing that the longitude of the island was, per-
haps, incorrect on the map ; but when we had
sailed fifteen miles in this direction also, without
seeing land, I turned the ship towards the north,
for fear of losing the chain entirely, if we pro-
ceeded further. On another very accurate inves-
tigation of the chart, it appeared to me very little
to be depended upon ; the opening between 8°
and 9° must be larger than is marked on it, as we
could otherwise in no case cross the chain without
seeing land. We sailed towards the nortli till sunset,
and tacked during the night, that we might not be
wrecked in the dark on the coral reefs. The night
was uncommonly gloomy, violent gusts of wind
incommoded us ; and one of them, while the N.E.
monsoon was blowing, struck the Rurick so vio-
lently on the opposite side, that all the sails, which
could not be shifted quick enough, w^ere dashed
against the masts. This accident, which might
easily prove dangerous, had no worse effect for us,
than to tear some of the sails, and one of the ropes,
broken by the fury of the wind, gave me a blow
on the forehead, which struck me senseless to the
ground j in a quarter of an hour, I indeed came

172 FROM CONCEPTIOK BAY

to myself, but remained for a whole hour after in
a state bordering on madness, and it was only to-
wards morning that I entirely recovered by the
assistance of our skilful physician.

May 20th. We continued our course to the
N.N.W. with a faint N.E. wind, and found by a
good meridional observation, the latitude to be
9° 26' 21" north, longitude 180° 19' &' west. I
now gave up sailing further to the north, and
steered directly to the west ; because, to judge by
the chart, it still appeared probable that the islands
might be found in this parallel. I persevered in
this course till six o'clock in the evening, when
we had made thirty-five miles, but again to no pur-
pose ; we discovered nothing. As time would not
permit me to remain here any longer, I now bent
my course to Kamtschatka, and put off my further
examination of these parts till my return from
Beering's Straits. In spite of the dangers of these
parts, and the very dark night, I resolved, in order
to lose no time to hasten forwards, and steered to
the N.W.N, under full sail. It was not till the
following year that we discovered the dangers
which we so wonderfully escaped in this night,
having happily passed between low groups of
islands at a very small distance.

On the 21st, land to the N.W. was descried
from the mast-head, which consisted of several
coral islands, and resembled Rurick's chain. At
two o'clock, when we were still a mile and a

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 173

half distant from the south point, we saw, to our
great joy, columns of smoke rise between the cocoa-
trees ; and as we sailed northward, round the N.E.
side of the chain, we observed a number of people
on the shore, who were admiring the llurick with
the greatest astonishment. The sailor at the mast-
head observed breakers, and I found a long and
dangerous coral reef, which was connected with
the islands, and stretched far into the sea. If
we had had the misfortune to run in the night
upon this reef, which is scarcely visible above
the surface, our destruction would have been in-
evitable. We now doubled the N.E. point, and
were soon in the high sea, and calm water, and
sailed up to the small island in the S.W., while,
though only two hundred fathoms from the reef,
we tried in vain to reach the bottom with our lead.
It was already getting dark, when we were near
the small island, and observed people there also.
We were obliged to postpone till the morning the
examination of this, as well as of a second group of
islands in the south, which was just descried from
the mast-head. The situation of all these islands
is correctly stated in our map. On the 22d of
May, at day-break, we continued our course to
the shore, but were not able to reach the point at
which we were yesterday, till nine o'clock, the
current having carried us far to the west in the
nighti On the island, at the north of which there
is a charming grove of cocoa-trees, we observed

174< FROM CONCEPTION BAY

people, and a large boat on the beach, which we
soon after saw advancing towards us under full
sail. I immediately ordered to lay-to, admired
the ingenious construction of it; and the surprising
skill with which it was managed, increased our
curiosity still more, and made us believe that we
had to do wdth a people only half savage. The
boat approached the Rurick within a hundred
fathoms, where it remained stationary. We counted
nine islanders, who showed us fruit, and called
aloud to us, and gave us to understand, by signs,
that we might follow them to the shore, where
they would provide us with fruit. The modest
and agreeable manners of these islanders, which
differed so entirely from the savage behaviour of
those of the Penrhyns, astonished us greatly, as
we could not expect to find this in the South Sea,
in an island that had never been visited. They
were all unarmed, and the strictest subordination
was evident : the chief sat on the leftside with his
legs under him, on an elevation, placed on the out-
rigger, which was ornamented with coloured mats,
having his head adorned with flowers and shell-
wreaths. They admired the ship with curiosity
and astonishment, pointing with their fingers at
objects which struck them particularly, and
talking with great eagerness. As I perceived
that all my endeavours to entice them on
board were useless, I ordered the boat to be
launched, in the hope that they would be less

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 175

fearful of a small vessel ; and, observing . every
motion of ours, they loudly expressed their sur-
prise, when they saw the boat hauled out of the
Rurick. I dispatched Lieutenant Schischmareff)
M. Von Chamisso, and M. Choris, the artist, in
order to gain the confidence of our savages by pre-
sents. They, however, were thrown into the greatest
alarm by the arrival of the boat, and, while they
were warmly debating whether they should remain,
or fly, our people had already come up to them,
and tried to insinuate themselves into their favour
by friendly gestures and small presents, which the
savages readily accepted. Lieutenant Schischma-
reff, who thought he had already established a
friendly intercourse, attempted to get into their
boat, to admire the neat work closer ; an attempt
which quite confounded them ; they hastily threw
some pandanus fruit, and a handsome mat, which
was probably intended as a present in return, into
our boat, and then sailed off as quick as possible.
We did not succeed in having any further inter-
course with them, though they always sailed about
the ship, making many signs to invite us to come
on shore. But I could not venture to accept their
invitation, the island being entirely surrounded by
coral reefs, which occasioned a violent surf, and it
would have cost me too much time to look for a
tolerable landing-place. We admired the rapidity
with which their boats sailed close to the wind :
it had only one disproportionably large sail, of fine

176 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

woven mats, which was in the shape of an acute-
angled triangle, the acute angle being undermost.
The skill and quickness with which they put about
their boat in tacking, deserved the admiration of
every seaman.

These islanders were of a black colour, pretty
tall, and slender; their straight black hair was
tastefully interwoven with wreaths of flowers ; their
neck and ears singularly ornamented. Their
clothing consisted of two curiously-woven coloured
mats, tied to the waist ; one before, and the other
behind, descending to the knee : the other part of
the body was naked. One could read the expres-
sion of obligingness and good-nature on their
countenance ; and yet they have some resemblance
to the Malays.

Having stayed here till noon, finished the siu'-
vey of the islands, and had a good observation, I
had the sails hoisted, and turned to the south, to
examine the second group of islands, which ap-
peared in that direction. The savages sailed
round us, and called to us, beckoning us with both
hands, and holding fruits up in the air. I lay-to a
second time, in the hope that they might, perhaps,
pay us a visit now, but was again deceived in my ex-
pectation. They lay still, and rejoiced at every
movement on board the ship ; but the loudest,
when suddenly a large sail was shifted, which pro-
bably appeared to them a work of magic, as they
could not see the ropes by which the sails were

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 177

managed. We made them friendly signs to come
on board ; but as they only answered by pointing
to the land, I gave up all my attempts to open an
intercourse with them, and proceeded on my
voyage.

We soon had a very clear view of tlie second,
group, which likewise consisted of small islands,
joined together by coral reefs, and seemed to con-
tain deep water in the middle. This group is
separated from the other, by a channel of three
miles and a half in length, through which I
determined to sail ; a mate, furnished with a good
telescope, was to sit at the mast-head, to warn us
in time of every danger. We found the channel
free from rocks, and of unfathomable depth. At
four o'clock in the afternoon we had already sailed
round the south point of the group, and had
reached the N. W. part, which ended with a long
and dangerous reef. This island appears unin-
habited ; and though it is thickly covered with
trees, not a single palm-tree w^as to be seen. The
population of the other group too, cannot be
numerous, as we saw only two boats, and very few
people on the shore ; at least it cannot be compared
to the numerous population of the Penrhyns. I
called the first group Kutusoff, and the second
Suwaroff, and I felt myself inexpressibly happy, in
bein«: the first who had erected an eternal monument
in the South Sea to these two men, who had so highly
deserved of their country. Both these groups

VOL. I. N

178 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

together, took up a space of twenty-five miles and a
half from north to south : their situation is marked
on the chart. By a very good observation, we
found the latitude of the channel 11° 11' 20" N. ;
longitude, according to the chronometer, which
exactly agreed with that lately observed by us,
190° 9' ^S", The variation of the magnetic needle,
11" 18' east. At six o'clock in the evening, we
were again in the open sea ; and, with the intention
of revisiting these parts in the following year, I
now directed my course to the N. N. W. to go to
Kamtschatka. It would, indeed, have been more
prudent not to have sailed during the night, in this
quite unknovvn sea ; but as the necessity of
reaching Kamtschatka as soon as possible, obliged
us to hasten, we sailed rapidly forwards, under the
protection of God. A sailor was constantly obliged
to keep watch at the mast-head, who was relieved
every hour, and punislied severely if another dis-
covered a dangerous object before him. In the
night, the watch was removed from the mast-head,
to the bowsprit. By these regulations, we could
indeed prevent the Rurick from running upon a
high-land in the dark ; but rocks, lying under the
water, or rising a little above it, could not be
avoided, as may be seen by Captain Flinders* voy-
age, unless heaven itself graciously watched over
us.

May 29th: latitude 24° 28', longitude 197° ^J9'.
Tlie Economical Society, at St. Petersburg, had
given me three little boxes of dried meat (called

TO KAMTSCIIATKA. 179

meat-biscuit,) and one of dried cabbage. This dis-
covery, which had been found useful on shore, was
now to be tried at sea, and I was therefore com-
missioned to open one of the boxes of meat, at the
first crossing of the northern tropic ; a second, as
also the box of cabbage, at the second crossing of
the same tropic, and to bring the tliird back to
St. Petersburg. The boxes, which were made of
thin wood, were joined together in such a manner,
that the air could conveniently penetrate j a mode
of proceeding which does not appear to me, well
calculated for the sea. And this may be the reason
that both the meat and the cabbage were spoilt.
When we crossed the northern tropic the first time,
we had a box of meat opened ; but, on account of
its disagreeable smell, it was immediately thrown
over-board. Crossing the same circle to-day, the
second time, I had a second box of meat, as also
the one of cabbage opened, and as they smelt
musty, a soup was made of both, which a})peared
on the officers' table for judgment. We all found
it eatable in case of need, but its taste was ex-
tremely unpleasant ; and the physician affirmed,
that it was unwholesome, on account of the half-
spoiled ingredients of which it was composed,
particularly the cabbage, which contains a certain
oil, that had become rancid, and dangerous to
health. The meat, which had the taste of spoiled
stock-fish, was entirely without strength, and can
therefore never be used as a nourishing food at sea.

N 2

180 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

To take away the bad taste of the soup, I had two
tin boxes of Enghsh patent meat opened ; these
contain fresh meat boiled in steam, and are
soldered together with so much care, that not the
least air can penetrate; on which account, the
meat, even after years, cannot be distinguished
from quite fresh. Even an epicure would have
been satisfied with the dish, which now stood on
our table ; and how much more we, who had tasted
nothing but salt meat, for a length of time.

July 3d. At four o'clock, A.M., when we were
in latitude 31° 49', longitude 200° 15', both reduced
from the observations made yesterday, according
to the ship's reckoning, we caught a land-bird,
which, in a few hours, after having eaten with great
appetite some mill beetles which we gave it, was set
at liberty. Large flocks of sea-fowls, among which
were numbers of tropical birds, passed us inces-
santly. The colour of the water had changed
surprisingly since noon, and at 4 o'clock, P.M., it
was so dirty, that, in the supposition of being near
a shoal, I ordered the bottom to be examined with
the lead ; but it did not reach it, even at the depth
of 100 fathoms. Dr. Eschscholtz, who had, regularly
every day at noon, examined the temperature on
the surface of the sea by the thermometer, found
it at this moment 2^ degrees colder, a proof that
the depth of the sea had considerably decreased
since noon, and that we were probably in the neigh-
bourhood of an unknown land, which was hid by

17

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 181

the thick fog that surrounded us. The water re-
sumed its natural colour during the night, and I
hoped to be able to make a closer examination of
these parts in the following year.

On the 13th, when we had reached latitude 47',
we were overtaken by a violent storm from the
N.AV., which continued for twelve hours, with such
a degree of cold, that lumps of ice fell from the
sails on the deck ; w^e perceived this sudden change
of the temperature the more, as we had for several
months had 21° heat, both day and night. We had
been enveloped in an incessant fog ever since we
left parallel 33\

On the 18th, we ought, according to our calcu-
lation, to be in the neighbourhood of Kamtschatka,
and when the fog dispersed at 4 P.M., we observed
the coast in its winter-dress. We were now at some
distance from the coast of Poworotuoi ; and as
the weather was entirely clearing up, I was in
hopes of reaching the harbour of St. Peter and
St. Paul the following day.

On the 19th, at day-break, we took our course,
with a favourable w ind, to Avatscha Bay ; the day
was serene, and the high coast of Kamtschatka af-
forded us a magnificent prospect; its conical moun-
tains rising into the clouds, the sun shining on their
snow-covered summits, lay in friendly majesty be-
fore us. Towards noon, as we approachetl Avats-
cha Bay, we observed, on the high rocks which
form the northern part of it, a telegraph in full
work ; a sight which surprised us, as such useful

N 3

182 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

arrangements had never been previously thought
of at Kamtschatka. The commander of the har-
bour of St. Peter and St. Paul is informed by the
telegraph of the arrival of ships, which can be seen
while yet at a great distance, and he tluis has time
to send boats with anchors and ropes to meet them,
which are of very great service in the iiarrow passage
at the entrance of Avatscha Bay. We, in fact, saw
the safety-boat coming, but reached the bay with
the wind : it, however, suddenly fell, and we were
towed slowly into the harbour, where we cast
anchor at midnight. Lieutenant Rudokof, who
has filled the office of governor for the last two
years, had previously come to us in his boat, and
politely promised to supply all our wants. Every
thing looked quite winterly in the bay, as well as
in the harbour, and we looked in vain for a green
spot ; but the winter is said to have been uncom-
monly long this year. TJie day after I arrived
there, 1 found the longitude of the harbour, ac-
cording to the chronometers, 201° 15' 30'': the
true longitude, according to tlie observations of
Mr. Horn, the astronomer, is ^01° 16' 40". The
trifling difference of my chronometers, speaks
to their goodness, and proves that all the longi-
tudes, determined in this voyage by the chrono-
meters, may be depended upon as accurate.

I shall enter into no description of Kamtschatka,
as so many travellers before me have done that
already, but merely speak as to our stay there.
My first care w^as to repair the Rurick, wliich had

TO KAMTSCHATKA. 183

suffered much duriug the storms, the copper, in
particuhir, being much damaged ; for which pur-
pose we received, through Lieutenant Rudokof,
the still serviceable copper-sheathing of the old ship
Diana. * The copper of our ship would certainly
not have spoiled so soon, if more care had been
bestowed upon it at the iitting-out in Abo. It is
to the activity of Lieutenant Rudokof we are
obliged, that our ship was ready in so short a time
for sailing. Since the time that I was here with
Captain Krusenstern, many things have been
changed for the better at Kamtschatka. This, also,
is principally ascribed to the arrangements of Lieu-
tenant Rudokof, who has done more for the bene-
fit of this country than all his predecessors.

On the 15th of July the ship was ready to leave
the harbour, and we only waited for a favourable
wind ; the whole crew was in perfect health, ex-
cept my second-lieutenant, Zacharin, who had
been ill during the whole of the voyage. I felt the
want of officers very much, as I was constantly
obliged to keep watch by turns with Lieutenant
Schischmareff, and this personal fatiguing exertion
in doing the duty of the ship is not to be ex-
pected from the commander of such an expedition,
as he can never be in want of employment. This
is certainly the first voyage of discovery that has

* The same ship in which Golownin undertook his voyage to
Japan; but on account of its ruinous condition, he was obhged
to leave it at Kamtschatka, and continue his journey to Russia
by land.

184 FROM CONCEPTION BAY

been happily concluded by only two officers. The
illness of Lieutenant Zacharin obliged him to
remain at Kamtschatka ; and now I had to make
the dangerous voyage to Beering's Straits, with
only one officer ; yet this did not make me irreso-
lute, as Schischmareff's eagerness, like my own,
w^as undiminished. Only the impossibility of pur-
suing my previous plan, which had so agreeably
occupied my fancy for a long time, excited my
regret ; for what could we execute in Beering's
Straits, as one of us would constantly be obliged
to remain on board.

M. Wormskloid, the naturalist, whom we had
brought with us from Copenhagen, also expressed
a wish to remain here, with the intention of making
discoveries in natural history on the high moun-
tains of Kamtschatka ; I therefore recommended
him to Lieutenant Rudokof, who readily promised
to assist him in his scientific researches, as much
as lay in his power.

As my crew consisted of only twenty sailors,
which was not sufficient for the undertaking in
Beering's Straits, I obtained, at my request, from
the commandant, six more sailors, whom I pro-
mised to bring back the following year ; because
it was my intention, after finishing the examination
of Beering's Straits, to return to the harbour of
St. Peter and St. Paul. The Russian American
Company gave me an Aleutian, and tliis addition
of seven men was of very great assistance to me in
the sequel.

TO KAMTSCIIATKA.

185

For such of my readers as are fond of the
sciences, I have added, at the conchision of my
first year's voyage, a table, containing the temper-
ature of the sea at different depths. I have made
the observations myself, with a good Six-thermo-
meter, and can answer for their accuracy. The-gra-
duation, both of the thermometer, and of the Six-
thermometer, is according to Fahrenheit. As these
observations can only be made in a perfect calm,
and that in a boat, so that the sea must also be
tranquil, they are among those which are the most
rarely made by navigators.

Degree

OF Heat

The Smr

's Place.

&* C

I

r '

' ^ '

>

Years and
Days.

on the sur-
face of the
sea.

at the bot-
tom of the
sea.

Depths
in fa-
thoms.

Tempera-
ture of
the air.

Latitude.

Longi.
tude.

c — ,

'_- o

1815.

T

he Atlantic Ocean

North

West

Oct. 15

+ 68,5

+ 5s'- 7

100

+ 71,1

39s", 27

12", 5 7'

10

16

69- 1

+ 5s°0

138

72,5

39,4

13°, 8

10

—

56,0

96

—

—

—

—

1816.

Cape Horn.

South

West

Jan. 8

54,9

38,8 1 196

57,6

44 , 17

57,31

8

April 7

South Sea.

Morning.

78,5

68,5

125

79,2

18,17

124,56

13

__ .

57,5

175

—

—

—

—

Noon.

79,6

68,0

125

80,0

—

—

—

April 13

80,0

79,0

10

79,8

15°, 2 6'

133,42

13

—

79,0

20

—

—

—

—

78,8

50

—

—

—

—

80,0

72,0

iOO

79,8

15,26

133,42

13

56,0

200

—

—

—

—

At the Equator.

May 12

82,5

55,0 1 300
North Ocean.

83,0

0
North

177,5
South

14

June 1

74,0

62,0

100

75,0

29,24

199,26

10

52,5

SCO

—

—

—

—

6

G1,0

59,5

10

63,0

37,3

199,17

2

56,8

25

—

—

—

— •

52,7

100

—

— .

—

—

—

43,0

300

—

—

—

—

186 FROM CONCEPTION BAY, &C.

After we had sent a courier to the chancellor,
with our despatches, and all our journals for our
first year's voyage, and waited in vain for the post
from St. Petersburg, which usually arrives here at
this time of the year, we succeeded, in spite of the
contrary wind, in leaving Avatscha Bay.

187

CHAPTER VII.

FROM KAMTSCHATKA TO THE NEWLY-DISCOVERED
KOTZEBUe's SOUND, BEYOND BEERING's STRAITS.

June 20th. At nine o'clock in the morning we
descried Beering*s Island ; this high, rocky land,
covered with snow, affords a most ungenial pros-
pect, and strongly called to my mind our re-
nowned, but unfortunate, navigator, Beering, who
found his grave here. We sailed at a little dis-
tance from the shore, along the southern part of
the island, and afterwards doubled its north-
ern point. On the S.W. side is a small rocky
island, which, as yet, has never been marked
on any chart. An excellent observation of both
the latitude and the longitude, gave us for the
northern point, latitude 55° 22' 17'', longitude, by
the chronometers, 194° 4' 7''. The S.W. point,
latitude 55° IT 18'', longitude 194° 67' 3'\
On leaving Beering's Island, I directed my
course to tlie western part of St. Lawrence Island.

June 26: latitude 63° 0', longitude 171° 43''.
Being favoured by a very good wind, we made
rapid progress ; but the fine weather left us
as soon as we had lost sight of Beering's Island,
and a thick fog, with an incessant drizzling rain,
were now our constant attendants.

As we had made no observations since we left

188 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

Beering's Island, our situation was uncertain, ac-
cording to the chart ; but, according to the ship's
reckoning, we were twenty miles from the S.W.
point of St. Lawrence Island. At three o'clock,
when the fog dispersed for a moment in the north,
we observed the summit of a high mountain to the
N.E. G" ; but, directly after its appearance, the fog
became again impenetrable, and we were obliged
to remain in this vexatious situation, plying the
whole day and night off the coast: the lead showed
us the way. The barometer, though the weather
was so bad, remained very high.

In spite of all the care that w^as taken in the
building of the Rurick, to prevent the entrance of
rats, which occasion so much damage in a sea
voyage, I was informed to-day, that one of these
guests had made its appearance on deck. A chase
was immediately commenced, and we killed three
of them, which had probably found their way into
the ship in the harbour of St. Peter and St. Paul,
which is over-run by these vermin. As such ani-
mals were' never seen there before the arrival of
the Nadeshda, I have, probably, had the successors
of my former trav^elling-companions destroyed.

June 27th. The fog continued undiminished :
my patience was put to a hard trial. I had several
times observed, that when the barometer stands
high, there is the finest weather on shore ; while,
about a mile from the coast, the thickest fog pre-
vails. I therefore resolved to steer directly up to
the shore, and the attempt succeeded. The lead

TO kotzebue's sound. 189

showing ten fathoms' water, soon announced that
it was near at hand: the thick fog dispersed, the
sun shone, the weather was serene, and a ridge of
high mountains, covered with snow, appeared be-
fore us. The nearest distance from sliore was two
miles ; the direction of the country, E. and W.,
was hid by the fog ; and the Rurick lay secure in
a small open bay. We observed people and tents
on the shore ; and the wish of becoming acquainted
with the inhabitants of this island, who had never
been visited by any navigator, and also to give our
naturalists an opportunity of examining this un-
known country, induced me to pay it a visit.
Two of our four-oared boats were directly put into
the water, and we set out, well armed with pistols,
sabres, and guns. As the consequences might
have proved dangerous, if we had cast anchor in
this open bay, the Rurick remained under sail, and
Lieutenant Schischmareff took the command. The
wind blew faintly from the S. W. ; the Rurick was
obliged to stand off a little from the shore, and
was soon enveloped in fog. At a small distance
from the shore, we were met by a baydare, (boat,)
with ten islanders, w^ho approached us without fear,
calling aloud to us, and making the most singular
motions, holding fox-skins in the air, with which
they eagerly beckoned us. We easily perceived
their arms hidden in tlieir baydare, and therefore
observed the greatest caution. After some salu-
tations, according to their custom, which consisted

190 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

in stroking themselves several times with both their
hands, from the face to the belly, their first word
was Tobacco ! — of which I had some leaves,
handed to them, which they immediately put into
their mouths. I afterwards saw them smoking out of
small stone pipes, about the size of a thimble : they
repaid my presents with different articles of their
workmanship. After this friendly barter, I con-
tinued my way to the shore, which seemed to
frighten them very much, as they ran anxiously
to and fro, and some, probably only women, fled
into the mountains. Some of them came up to
us bravely enough ; but their fear, which they in
vain strove to hide under the mask of friendship,
was visible. At every thing we did they laughed
without bounds ; but as soon as any of our motions
excited the least suspicion of hostility, they assumed
a fierce look ; they prepared themselves partly for
flight and partly for resistance. Their friendship,
however, returned when they perceived their error,
and this sudden change from laughing to serious-
ness, gave their faces, which were smeared with
train-oil, an extremely comical appearance. We
landed opposite to the tents, followed by the
islanders ; ten or fifteen of whom assisted us, with
great readiness, to draw our boats on shore. This
place appeared to us to be visited only in the sum-
mer, when the islanders employ themselves in the
whale, morse, and seal fishery, as we perceived no
settled dweUings, only several small tents, built of

TO kotzebue's sound. 191

the ribs of* whales, and covered with the skin of
the morse, whicli indicate only a short stay. A deep
cellar dug in the earth, filled with train-oil, blubber,
dried seals' flesh, and morses* teeth, likewise shows
that they only collect their winter provisions here.
They gave us to understand, by signs, that their
real abode was behind the promontory, in the W.,
whither they invited us. A second boat, coming
from the quarter pointed out, in which two women,
dressed like men, looked frightfully witli their
tattooed faces, confirmed this assertion. How
much did I regret not understanding their lan-
guage, as I should then have been able to relate
many interesting things concerning these people.
In many respects they resemble the inhabitants
of Norton Sound, described by Captain Cook;
they are of a middle stature, robust make, and
healthy appearance : their clothing, which consists
of skins, is filthy to the highest degree. My
Aleutian, who has passed several years in the
peninsula of Alashka, affirms, that there is very
little difference between these two people, as well
in their language as in other respects. We ob-
served several European utensils of iron and cop-
per. Every islander is armed with a knife, an ell
(two feet) long, and adorned with large blue and
white glass beads.

While our naturalists were strolling about the
mountains, I entertained myself with my new ac-
quaintance, who, as soon as they learnt that I was

192 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

the commander, invited me to their tent. A filthy
piece of leather was spread on the floor for me to
sit on ; and -then they came up to me one after the
other — each of them embraced me, rubbed his
nose hard against mine, and ended his caresses
by spitting in his hands and wiping them several
times over my face. Though these signs of friend-
ship were not very agreeable to me, I bore all
patiently. To suppress their further tenderness, I
distributed some tobacco-leaves, which they re-
ceived with much pleasure, and were going to
repeat all their caresses again. I hastily took some
knives, scissars, and beads, and thus happily pre-
vented a second attack. An almost still greater
misery awaited me ; v/hen, in order to refresh me,
they brought forth a wooden trough of whale blub-
ber, (a great delicacy among all the northern in-
habitants of the sea coasts), and I bravely took
some of it, sickening and dangerous as' this food is
to an European stomach. This, and some other
presents, which I afterwards made them, sealed
the bond of our friendly acquaintance. My host,
the proprietor of the tent, and probably the chief
of his countrymen present, after our meals ordered
a dance ; one of them stept forwards, made the
most comical motions with his whole body, without
stirring from his place, making the most hideous
grimaces ; the others sung a song, consisting of
only two notes, sometimes louder, sometimes lower,
and the time was beat on a small tambourine.

TO kotzebue's sound. 193

After I had amused myself, with my friends, in
this manner, for two hours, I took a short walk
into the interior of the island, but was soon obliged
to return on account of the fog. As I feared that
it might increase before we reached the ship, I was
obliged to quit the island sooner than I should
have done had the weather been fine. The savages
appeared affected at our leaving them, and promised
to visit us on board. The island is called by the
inhabitants^ Tschibocki ; and the country to the
east (America) Kililack. That part which we saw
had a most dismal appearance ; it consists of pretty
high mountains, covered with snow. Not a single
tree, not even a small bush, adorns the grey rocks,
only short grass sprouts up here and there between
the moss, only a few stinted plants rise above the
ground, and yet many a flower blows here. The
arms of the islanders, which they use for the chace
as well as war, consist of bows, arrows, and lances ;
the two latter are furnished with a broad, well-
wrought iron head : these, as well as their other
European utensils, we afterwards learnt they re-
ceived from the Tschukutskoi. They do not ap-
pear ever to have seen any European, to judge by
the amazement with which they beheld us. Nothing
attracted their attention so much as my telescope;
and when I showed them its properties, and they
really saw quite distant objects close before their
eyes, they were seized with the most extravagant
joy. At two o'clock in the afternoon, we arrived

VOL. I. o

ig4f FROM KAMTSCHATKA

safe at our ship. We were all satisfied ; the natu-
ralist with his collected treasures, the artist with his
likenesses of several islanders, and I with my dis-
covery. During the rest of the day we plied to
and fro, with a faint S. S. W. wind, without per-
ceiving land, though we were in its neighbourhood ;
but as the coast declines very regularly, one may
approach it with safety, within ten or twelve
fathoms, by the assistance of the lead. The bottom
is of fine sand and small stones. My intention was
to remain till the fog had dispersed, to find the
situation of our ship, and then to proceed between
St. Lawrence islands and the coast of Asia.

In the evening of the 28th of July, the fog dis-
persed, we had a serene horizon, and fine weather,
but no sun. The west coast of St. Lawrence
islands, which extends from S. by E. to N. by
W., lay only three miles before us, and we re-
cognized the bay where we had landed yesterday.
This lies on the south-western part of St. Law-
rence, and is particularly to be distinguished by
the small rocky island in its western part. I
directed my course along the shore to the north ;
and we proceeded but slowly, as the S. W. wind
was very faint. At ten o'clock in the evening,
when it was rather dark, three bay dares approached
us, each manned by eight or ten men ; the ship
immediately lay-to, and we soon had many guests on
board. The anxiety and astonishment with which
they gazed around, clearly proved that it was the

TO KOTZEBUE*S SOUND. 195

first time that they had been on board an European
ship. The first that came up, I recognized to be
my friendly host, who hastened to meet me with
open arms, rubbing his nose violently against mine,
and often passing his greasy hand over my face.
For various trifles which I gave my friends, I was
obliged to receive some present in return. In fact,
we had now a very lively barter ; in half an hour, my
sailors had obtained above two hundred kamlaikas
(a name which is derived from Kamtschatka, de-
noting a garment, which is of the cut of a shirt,
skilfully sewed together, with the entrails of
seals, sea-lions, and morse) for buttons and similar
things. This garment, which is put on over the
other clothes, keeps off the rain and wet, and is
very useful in this climate. I have remarked, that
all the people of this region put on their kamlaikas
over their warm clothes, in damp weather ; and I
myself have often experienced the benefit of it in
these northern latitudes.

July 29. A fresh S. W. wind separated us,
yesterday, from our islanders. We sailed along
the west coast during the night ; and at daybreak
saw the northern point of St. Lawrence islands,
which, at eight o'clock, lay at the distance of one
mile south of us. The promontory is distinguished
by a high rock, rising perpendicularly out of the
sea ; a little more to the south, a low tongue of
land extends to the west, and has a very singular ap-

o 2

196 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

pearance arising from several juries* j and a number
of whale-ribs, which the islanders have set up per-
pendicularly in the ground, between their dwellhigs.
As soon as they perceived us, they pushed three
baydares, each containing ten men, from the shore;
left off rowing, when they had approached the
Rurick within ten yards ; and then, with doleful
voices, commenced a mournful song. Upon this,
one in the middle arose, holding up a small black
dog, and after speaking some words, in an expres-
sive manner, drew a knife, with which he gave the
dog a mortal wound, and then threw the poor
victim into the sea. After the conclusion of this
ceremony, during which the deepest silence was
observed in the baydares, they approached the
ship, but only a few ventured on board. I found
no difference between these, and our friends of
yesterday. They call themselves, like them, Tschi-
bocko ; and the coast of Asia, opposite to them,
they call Wemen. An hour afterwards, we letl
St. Lawrence islands, and then steered to Beering*s
Straits. According to my instructions, I ought to
have first sailed to Norton Sound ; but as this time
of the year appeared to me too early, I was in
hopes, after the examination of Beering's Straits, to
be able to be in proper time in Norton Sound.

July 30th. As soon as we had quitted St. Law-
rence islands, the fine weather was at an end, and

* Subterraneous dwellings.

TO kotzebue's sound. 197

we were again enveloped in thick fog. We took
a trigonometrical survey of the west coast of this
island, as well as circumstances would allow ; but
no point has been astronomically determined, as
the sun did not give us an opportunity to make
any observations. On account of the constant damp
weather, part of my crew, notwithstanding all the
care I had taken to prevent this disorder, suffered
from cold and coughs. They had tea twice a-day;
and a constant fire was kept in the hold, to keep
them botli warm and dry j and they were never
allowed to keep on their wet clothes, but obliged
to change them, as soon as they were relieved from
the watch. Our Russian sailor will never use such
precaution of his own accord ; he lets his clothes
dry unconcernedly on his body, without fearing
the dangerous consequences. I had much trouble
in accustoming my people to this order j they could
never perceive the necessity of it, and it appeared
to them, on the contrary, as if they were treated
like children.

At four o'clock in the morning, the fog dis-
persed ; King's Island lay at tlie distance of eight
miles before us. Four hours afterwards we could
plainly discern Cape Prince of Wales, also the
islands of Gwozdeff, and even the Asiatic coast ;
for, probably, no voyager ever had a clearer hori-
zon than we. The sun now appeared for the first
time since we had left Beering's Island, and per-
mitted us to take some altitudes lor the chrono-

o 3

198 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

meters, whose going I found, on close examination,
to be unaltered. They gave the longitude of
King's Island, only a few minutes different from
Cook's determination j we found its height to be
586 feet.

With the assistance of a fresh south wind, we
were already, at two o'clock in the afternoon, be-
tween Cape Prince of Wales, and Gwozdeff's
islands, of which there are, according to Cook's
chart, as well as others, only three. The fine
weather gave me the pleasure of discovering a
fourth, which is considerably larger than the others ;
and, as I took it for a new discovery, I called it
Ratmanof}'. This gentleman, who is now a cap-
tain of the first rank, was lieutenant in our voyage
with Krusenstern, and I was under his command.
It is very surprising, that neither Cook nor Clerke
should have seen this island, as both their courses
led them close by it ; and it has occurred to me,
that it may have since risen from the sea. From
Cape Prince of Wales extends a low land to the
west, on which we observed many jurtes and frames
built with whalebones, to dry fish on. As we were
only three miles from the shore, we could plainly dis-
cern a number of people standing together in groups,
to admire the wonderful large ship, but without
making the least preparation for coming on board.
I therefore took advantage of the wind, and fair
weather, and sailed along the coast, vvliich takes an
E. N. E. direction- from Cape Prince of Wales,

IS

TO kotzebue's sound. 199

consisting of low land, but has a far more pleasing
appearance than St. Lawrence Island. The whole
low ground is covered with a luxuriant green :
there are no trees at all, but some low bushes ; and
only a little snow on the summits of the mountains
in the interior of the.country. Many habitations,
which cover the coast, indicate a numerous popu-
lation. A bay dare which we saw under sail, had by
no means the intention of approaching the ship,
but took its course to the north. I kept as close
to the shore as the depth, which was scarcely five
fathoms, would permit, and therefore I coidd not
have missed any deep bay or opening. The depth
increases slowly and regularly, and as the low land
is scarcely visible when you are in nine fatlioms'
water, it is not to be wondered at, that Cook, who
kept in this part at the depth of seventeen
fathoms, should not have seen the low land at all.

July 31st. After we had continued the survey
of the coast during the whole night in clear
weather, we cast anchor, at three o'clock in the
morning, in five fathoms* water, two miles from the
shore. It appeared to me, tliat a bay ran here
deeper into the land, which I wished to explore.
At four o'clock in the morning I left the Rurick,
accompanied by our naturalists, in two well-armed
boats, and landed opposite our anchoring-plac©,
near some habitations, in the hope of having some
communication with the inhabitants. We went
into the jurtes, which are built iii a straight line

o 4

200 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

along the coast, but were at first only welcomed
by dogs, which were not at all discomposed by our
presence, but came fawning up to us ; they ap-
peared to me to be of the same race as those used
in Kamtschatka, for drawing sledges. We had
already got upon the roof of the jurtes, without
meeting with any people ; fresh traces, however,
which we saw every where showed us, that they
were more fearful than their dogs, and had fled nt
our approach. We now examined the interior of
their dwelHngs, and found them cleanly and con-
venient. The entrance at the S.E. side was an
opening, three feet high, supported by wood,
which on the outside was prolonged on each side
by mud walls. We entered, first, into an apart-
ment ten feet long, seven broad, and seven high :
the walls and tlie top were covered with wood.
To the left-hand, in a pit which extended all along
the room, lay pieces of black blubber, about a foot
square, and beside these lay sieves with long
handles. To the right was a rather narrow pit,
two feet and a half deep, and seven long, through
the end of which we had to creep to get into an
apartment, which was, indeed, six feet high, though
not broader than the pit. Now we had a wooden par-
tition before us, in the middle of which was a round
opening one foot and a half in diameter, through
which we were obliged to creep into a spacious
anti-room, the four walls of which were ten feet
long, and six feet high j the height increased to-

TO KOTZEBUE*S SOUND. 201

wards tlie middle, and at the top was a small four-
cornered hole, covered with a bladder, which
served for a window. On the wall opposite the
entrance, broad boards, fastened one foot and a
half above the floor, served for sleeping places,
which only took up a third part of the room, and
at the side walls they had placed small ladders
quite horizontally, to set up their utensils. The
walls, and top, consisted of small beams, the visible
sides of which were made even. All the habit-
ations were built according to this plan, with the
exception of one, where a more numerous family
appeared to reside, as this had two more small
side-rooms. Their floors are raised three feet
above the earth, under which there are store-rooms,
and perhaps dog-kennels, as they are only three
feet high ; the walls and floors are also made of
wood : they have likewise windows, but no sleep-
ing benches. Several utensils, and other very
neat work of the inhabitants, lay scattered about
in their dwellings. I particularly remarked two
very neatly made sledges of morse and whale-
bones, which likewise shows that they are used to
be drawn by dogs. After we had looked about a
little, we found that we were on an island seven
miles long, and, in the widest place, a mile broad.
We took a walk across it, from north to south, and
saw clearly, when we were on the opposite coast,
that the continent in the east forms a deep bay,
where, on three points, the connection of the land

202 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

is not to be seen. We were all rejoiced at this dis-
covery, for though we could not expect an imme-
diate passage into the Icy Sea, we had the liope of
penetrating far into the country, and there to
make important remarks. This island, which lies
directly before the bay, forms with the continent
in the N.E. and S.W. a narrow passage, and we
observed, at this moment, a large and, probably, a
leathern boat, with black sails, run into tlie S.W.
entrance of the bay, and then vanish in the east,
under the horizon. This event, which greatly in-
creased my pleasure, determined me immediately
to sail into the bay, through tlie N.E. passage,
which appeared to me to be broader than the S.W.
We hastened to our boats, and took the way to the
N.E., along the island. I shall not give a descrip-
tion of the coasts, islands, and bays, discovered by
us, as a single glimpse on the very accurate charts
belonging to this work, gives a very clear idea of
them. After a tour of an hour and a half, we
reached the N.E. passage, which we found to be a
mile and a half in breadth j the depth in the
middle of the channel was eight fathoms; the tide
was rising, and the current set into the bay, at the
rate of three miles an hour. It was already past
noon, and the sailors, who had been incessantly
employed ever since four o'clock in the morning,
were in want of refreshment ; we therefore landed
at the N.E. point, where a fire was lighted, and in
half an hour an excellentsoup was made of English

TO kotzebue's sound. 203

patent meat. This meat is well adapted for ex-
cursions in a boat, as it is contained in tin boxes,
and therefore extremely portable. After we had
sufficiently refreshed ourselves, we observed two
boats, of the same kind as those in the Aleu-
tian islands, each with one man in it, approach us
with the greatest rapidity from the opposite shore.
They came within fifty paces, when they left
off rowing, observing us with attention, commu-
nicating all their remarks to each other, and at
last began to count us. All our endeavours to en-
tice the Americans, by friendship, and by things
which we showed them, to come on shore, were
useless ; they hit their heads with both their
hands, and then fell down, as if dead, probably, to
give us to understand, that their lives were not
safe in our vicinity. It should seem that they are
not acquainted with fire-arms, because they did not
keep out of gun-shot, though a number of muskets
were standing near us. The clothing of the Ame-
ricans consisted of the entrails of whales, their
appearance was extremely filthy, and their counte-
nances had an expression of cruelty. After they
had observed us for a long time, and with much
distrust, they threw two darts towards their habit-
ations, probably a signal agreed upon ; but we
continued our course to the east. The many sand-
banks, wliich are formed by the current, and the
current itself, hindered us much in our researches,
as we could proceed only one mile in three hours ;

204 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

I therefore gave up my plan for this year, and re-
solved to proceed in the following year to a more
complete examination in little baydares, which I
intended to bring with me from the Aleutian
islands. At present the loss of time was of too
much consequence to me, as the navigation of
Beering's Straits continues only for a short time.
This bay received the name of Schischmareff, after
the only officer that served under me. I will not,
however, say that this inlet forms a bay, because,
perhaps, it only divides the foreland into several
islands. I called the narrow island after our wor-
thy vice- admiral, SaritschefF. After having
doubled the northern point of SaritschefF Island,
on our return to the ship, we perceived two boats,
each with ten men, which rowed with all their
might, to overtake us, and evidently came from
the same place whence the two single baydares
had been sent before to reconnoitre our force. One
of our boats had got on before, and in the one
behind was myself. Lieutenant Schischmareft) and
four sailors ; and the Americans, with their light
boats soon came up with us. Their savage cries, and
many weapons, made their haste look suspicious ;
and, in fact, we could scarcely take up our arms,
before one of their boats was at our side, and two
Americans furiously seized upon ours. With the
most piercing cries, and hideous grimaces, they
threatened us with their lances, while their second
boat was exerting all their strengtii to come to the

TO kotzebue's sound. 205

assistance of their comrades. My sailors, who
were armed with muskets, waited for the com-
mand to fire. I myself threatened them with my
gun, pointing it sometimes at one, and sometimes
at another ; but this had no effect on them ; they
laughed heartily, and only waited for more troops
to attempt a serious attack upon us. As our tire-
arms, with which they were wholly unacquainted,
gave us the superiority, and protected us from
every danger, we patiently bore all their pro-
vocations, and contented ourselves with drawing
our sabres ; this bright, murderous weapon, with
which they had been made acquainted by the
Tschukutskoi, had the wished-for effect ; they
drew back, and contented themselves with follow-
ing us to the Rurick. On our invitation, they
ventured pretty near, behaving submissively
and amicably ; but, notwithstanding all the pre-
sents which we offered them, they refused to
come on board. Their dress consists of a short
shirt, made of rein-deer and dog-skins. Some of
them are even half-naked, as a summer-heat, even
of 10°, is insupportable to them. Their hair is cut
short, and the head always uncovered, which I
remarked every where on this coast. They wear
morse-bones under their lips, which give their
already disagreeable countenances a disgusting
appearance : upon the whole, they have a far more
savage and ferocious expression than the inhabit-
ants of St. Lawrence islands. We observed much

206 PROM KAMTSCHATKA

drift-wood on Saritscheff Island, and among it,
stems, which were so thick that we could not span
them with our arms. We observed at our anchor-
ing-place, which is astronomically determined, that
the current constantly runs along the coast to the
N.E. ; most probably, therefore, the drift-wood
comes from the south into Beering*s Straits. Fa-
voured by a fair wind and fine weather, we now
w^eighed anchor, and sailed all the night along the
coast, at so small a distance, that we could discern
every thing there quite distinctly, and could not
miss any bending of the land, so that the accuracy
of the chart w^e made here may be relied upon.
At the distance of a mile from shore, on a sandy
bottom, the depth was regularly from seven to
eight fathoms. The land itself was every where
the same ; it was low, and covered with grass,
here and there a little round hill, and, at the dis-
tance of fifteen miles, a high mountain, but not
covered with snow.

The coast appeared to us to be very much in-
habited, as we discovered numbers of subterraneous
dwellings.

Longitude, according to the chronometer, 166°
24'; observed latitude of our anchoring-place
66'' 14/.

August 1st. We perceived to-day, that the
coast took a direction very much to the E. ; the
land continuing low. At eleven o'clock, we were
at the entrance of a broad inlet : the coast vanished

TO kotzebue's sound. 207

in the E., and higli mountains showed tliemselves
to the N. Here the wind suddenly abated, and
w^e were obhged to cast anchor on a clayey bot-
tom, in seven fathoms' water : the nearest land lay
to the S. E., four miles distant from us, the current
running strong into the entrance.

I cannot describe the strange sensation which I
now experienced, at the idea that I perhaps stood
at the entrance of the so long sought N. E. pas-
sage, and that fate had chosen me to be the dis-
coverer. I felt my heart oppressed ; and, at the
same time, an impatience, which would not let me
rest, and was still increased by the perfect calm.
To satisfy myself, at least, by going on shore, and
clearly observing, from some eminence, the di-
rection of the coast, I had two boats got ready,
at which our naturalists were highly delighted.
We set out by two o'clock in the afternoon 5 the
depth regularly decreased : half a mile from shore
we had still five fathoms. We landed wdthout
difficulty near a hill, which I immediately as-
cended : from the summit I could nowhere per-
ceive land in the strait ; the high mountains to the
north, either formed islands, or were a coast by
themselves ; for that the two coasts could not be
connected together, was evident even from the
great difference between this very low and that
remarkably high land. From the eminence on
which I stood, I had a very extensive view into
the country, which stretched out in a large plain.

^8 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

here and there interrupted by marshes, small lakes,
and a river, which flowed, with numerous wind-
*ings, and the mouth of which was not far from us.
As far as the eye could reach, every thing was
green ; here and there were flowers in blossom,
and no snow was seen but on the tops of the
mountains at a great distance 5 yet one had to dig
but half a foot deep to find nothing but frost and
ice under this verdant carpet. It was my intention
to continue my survey of the coast in the boats ;
but a number of baydares, coming to us along the
coast from the east, withheld me. Five of them,
each with eight to ten men, all armed with lances
and bows, soon landed near us. At the head of
each boat was a fox-skin, on a high pole, with
which they beckoned to us, uttering, at the same
time, the loudest cries. I ordered my crew to be
prepared for defence ; and went myself, with our
gentlemen, to meet the Americans, who, on seeing
us approach, sat down, like Turks, in a large circle
on the ground, by which they meant to manifest
their friendly intentions : two chiefs had seated
themselves apart from the rest. We entered this
circle well armed, and perceived that they had
left most of their arms in their boats, but had long
knives concealed in their sleeves. Distrust, cu-
riosity, and astonishment, were painted on their
countenances j they spoke very much, but, un-
fortunately, we did not understand a word. To
give them a proof of my friendly sentiments, I dis-

TO kotzebue's sound, 209

tributed tobacco ; the two chiefs received a double
portion ; and they were all evidently delighted at
this valuable present. Those who had received
tobacco first were cunning enough, secretly, to
change their places, in the hopes of receiving a
second portion. They prize tobacco highly, and
are as fond of chewing as of smoking it. It was a
curious sight to see this savage horde sitting in a
circle, smoking out of white stone pipes, with
wooden tubes. It is very remarkable that the use
of tobacco should already have penetrated into
these parts which no European has ever visited.
The Americans receive this as well as other Eu-
ropean goods from the Tschukutskoi. To the two
chiefs I gave knives and scissars ; the latter, with
which they seemed to be quite unacquainted, gave
them particular pleasure, when they remarked that
they could cut their hair with them ; and immedi-
ately they went from hand to hand round the whole
circle, each trying their sharpness on his hair. It
was probably the first time in their lives that these
Americans had seen Europeans ; and we recipro-
cally regarded each other. They are of a middle
size, robust make, and healthy appearance ; their
motions are lively, and they seemed much inclined
to sportiveness : their countenances, which have
an expression of wantonness, but not of stu-
pidity, are ugly and dirty, characterised by small
eyes and very high cheek-bones ; they have holes
on each side of the mouth, in which they wear

VOL. I. p

210 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

morse-bones, ornamented with blue glass beads,
which gives them a most f Vightftd appearance. Their
hair hangs down long, but is cut quite short on the
crown of the head. Their head and ears are also
adorned with beads. Their dresses, which are
made of skins, are of the same cut as the Parka in
Kamtschatka ; only that there it reaches to the
feet, and here hardly covers the knee ; besides this,
they wear pantaloons, and small half-boots, of
seal- skin.

Though the thermometer was only eight degrees
heat at noon, it was now summer with the Indians,
and they went barefoot and almost without clothing.
They collected in troops ; and, as I saw more bay-
dares coming from the W., I thought it more pru-
dent, lest I should have to contend with fifteen men
against some hundred of Americans, to go on
board, whither we were followed by our new ac-
quaintance, loudly rejoicing at the superior celerity
of their boats. On the shore, we observed a round
tower, built of stone, from three to four fathoms
high, and one in diameter ; and I very much
regret that I was not able to examine it more
closely. The Indians would not venture on board,
but kept at a little distance from the ship, and sold
us many trifles of their workmanship for knives,
looking-glasses, tobacco, &c. They would not sell
the skins, of which they had many, as we had no
long knives to give them in exchange, for which
alone they would part with their black fox-skins.

TO kotzebue's sound. 211

They are very expert traders, liaggle obstinately,
always consult together, and are infinitely happy
when they fancy they have cheated any body.
Some old women, who were in their baydares,
understood bargaining still better. There was so
much laugliing and joking during the trading, that
it appeared as if we were surrounded by the lively
South Sea islanders, instead of the serious inhabit-
ants of the north. Their arms consist of lances,
bows, arrows, and a knife, two feet long, in a
sheath ; this military equipment, which they never
lay aside, proves that they are in constant wars
with other nations. Their lances, which are of
iron, very well wrought, resemble those which the
Russians have sold to the Tschukutskoi ; the glass
beads, also, with which they adorn themselves, are
of the same kind as those worn in Asia, which
proves that they must be in commercial intercourse
with that continent.

At seven o'clock, a faint wind arose from the
south, of which 1 immediately took advantage,
weighed anchor, and steered up to the strait. The
Americans, who had followed us in their baydares,
pointed to their skins, giving us to understand by
signs, that we should find plenty of them at the
place where we were now going ; one of them fre-
quently repeating the words Janni-o-d ! and point-
ing sometimes to the ship, and sometimes to the
entrance. The latitude of our anchoring-place,
according to the ship's reckoning, was 66° 42' 30'\

p 2

<il2 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

longitude, according to the chronometers, l64° W
50'\ While we lay at anchor, the current always
ran a mile and a half in an hour, to the N. E.
The Americans left us with the setting of the sun.
We sailed during the night in an easterly direction,
while the increasing depth augmented our hopes.
I did not stir from deck during the whole night,
and awaited the dawn of morning with impa-
tience.

August 2d. At day-break, our expectations
were at the highest pitch. I sent a sailor to the
mast-head, and he announced, that there was still
nothing but open sea to the east. We saw high
land in the north, which took its direction to the
east, and was a continuation of that which we ob-
served yesterday, to the north of our anchoring-
place.

As we now saw low land in the south, the direc-
tion of which was likewise to the east, we could no
longer doubt, that we were really in a broad chan-
nel, at which our joy was indescribable, as we always
continued to see the open sea in the east before us.
We were obliged to tack, as the wind now turned
to the S. E. The weather was delightful, and at
noon we were in latitude 66° 35' 18", longitude
162° 19'. At five o'clock in the evening, we saw
land in several places, and our hopes rested now
on an open space, between high mountains.

August the 3d. During the night, we reached
this place ; but, on account of the gloomy w^eather.

TO kotzebue's sound. 213

we were obliged to cast aiiclior, on ji clayey bottom
in eight fathoms' water. When it cleared up, to-
wards noon, we found that we were at an opening
rive miles broad ; the shores of which consisted of
a high rocky country. We still cherished the
hope of discovering a passage into the Frozen
Ocean, more particularly as the strait appeared to
run without impediment to the horizon. The ebb
and tide changed regularly, and the current ran
out with more violence than in. The anchor
was weighed ; we sailed up to the strait, and when
we had passed the narrow part, we again cast an-
chor in seven fathoms. I foundan anchoring-place,
on a clayey bottom, extremely secure. The reader
will find it accurately marked in our atlas. The
land that lay to our right in sailing up, was an
island, seven miles in circumference. The open
sea, indeed, lay before us; but my hope of penetrat-
ing far in that direction was diminished, when the
boat that was sent out to sound, nowhere found
the depth above five or six fathoms. I resolved to
let my crew rest themselves for to-day, to be able
to undertake an examination of the strait or bay, on
the morrow, with fresh strength ; and while prepar-
ations were making to this effect, we took an excur-
sion to the island, which I called after our naturalist,
Chamisso. I did not neglect to take my chronometer,
artificial horizon, and azimuth compass, with me.
As to the variation of the magnetic needle, we
obtained false results. On the eastern part of the

p 3

214 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

island, extends a low tongue of land, on which we
found the variation to be 1° east j the opposite ob-
servations with the compass, made from the point
of the island to the ship, and from thence to the
island, gave for the variation on the point 26" west;
the variation on the ship after repeated observ-
ations, gave 31° 9' east ; and as this coincides with
that which we observed out of the bay, it may be
presumed to be the most correct. Without doubt
Chamisso Island contains much iron, and that
is the occasion of the false result. We had an ex-
tensive prospect from the point of this very high
island j the land to the south seemed to join every
where ; in the north, nothing was to be seen
but the open sea : on the east, Chamisso Island
is separated from the continent by a channel,
which is five miles broad in the narrowest part.
The surrounding land was high and rocky. Snow
was no where to be seen ; the mountains were
covered with moss ; and the shore was clothed in
luxuriant verdure. Chamisso Island was of the
same nature, where we had had now chosen a green
spot, on which we intended to drink tea. I readily
confess, that I seldom felt myself happier, than
on this spot ; to which the idea of being the first
European that ever put his foot on this land, may
have greatly contributed. The weather was at
12° heat, (a height that the thermometer never
arrived at without the sound,) and extremely fine.
We found on our tongue of land, under ground.

TO kotzebue's sound. 215

several store-rooms, lined with leaves, and filled
with seals* flesh. Probably, therefore, the Ame-
ricans in their hunting parties, have their station
here ; and to mark the place, have erected a
small ill-built stone pyramid. The island, which
has only a small landing place, rises almost perpen-
dicularly out of the sea ; the rocks round about,
and the islands to its west, are inhabited by nu-
merous puffins ; and the n)any egg-shells which we
found on our way, were an indication that foxes de-
stroyed the nests : hares and partridges were here
in plenty ; and cranes, on their passage, rested on
tliis island. On places protected against the north
wind, grow willows from two to three feet high,
and these are the only trees that we saw in Beer-
ing's Straits. We perceived also seals as we re-
turned to our ship, which had taken their station
on some large stones on the west side of the
island.

On the 4th of August, at six o'clock in the
morning, I left the Rurick, in company with our
scientific gentlemen, and Lieutenant Schischmareft)
in two boats, provided with arms, and provisions
for several days. I had previously taken some alti-
tudes for the chronometer, and found the longitude
of our anchoring-place l6l° 42' 20''^; latitude, after
several observations, 66° 13' 2.5". The weather was
dehghtful ; the wind blew faintly from the south ;
we spread all our sails, doubled the cape, lying to
the N. W., and then keeping always close to the

p 4

^IC FROM KAMTSCHATKA

land, directed our course northwards along the
coast. We found, at fifty fathoms from shore, from
two and a half to three fathoms depth, on a very
good bottom. Ships may lie at anchor, and under-
take repairs as safe here as in the best harbour,
particularly as the depth in many places permits
them to lie almost close to the shore. We had
proceeded about fourteen miles, towards noon,
when I landed to take the meridian altitude. The
land was high and rocky ; on the summit of a
small mountain, which we ascended, we discovered
that we were on a narrow tongue of land, and that
the land in the north seemed to join that in the
east, a most disagreeable surprise to us. However,
we had still a spark of hope remaining, as the
whole junction was not visible. After having
taken the necessary angles and observations, for
planning the coast, we steered eastward to the op-
posite side. In the middle of the channel, it was
from five to six fathoms ; but it decreased so much
as we approached the land, that I was afraid of run-
ning a-ground, I turned to the north directly to
the land, that we had seen at noon, from the sum-
mit of the mountain ; and when we had approached
this within a hundred fathoms, we had only one fa-
thom water. It was already late, and my people were
tired ; I therefore made the long-boat cast anchor,
and we went on shore with the baydare * j as it,

* A large open boat, quite flat, made of sea-lions' skins. The
Kamtschadales, and all the North Americans, use them on

TO kotzebue's sound. 217

however, could not get quite close, we were obliged
to walk twenty fathoms through the water. Pre-
parations were immediately made for a night's
lodging ; and a soup made of the English patent
meat, w^hich was excellent and comfortable in the
cool evening. Chamisso Island lay eighteen miles
distant from us, to the south : there was land in
all directions, except in the east, where a space
still appeared open, and 1 was obliged to give up
my fairest hopes of finding a passage. I now
thought, as the water was not at all salt in the bay,
to find at least a broad river, up which we might
penetrate far into the country. The land pleased
us but little ; it rises from the shore at once to the
height of one hundred and twenty feet, and runs
then into an extended plain, covered with moss, as
far as the eye can reach; only a little grass grows
on the declivity of the bank. We had a storm and
rain during the night, but were protected from
both by our baydare.

August the 5th. The weather being bad, I put
off the examination in the east, till a more favour-
able day, and returned to the Rurick.

The 6th. To-day, I examined the passage to

shore by way of tent, which I have often imitated in my excur-
sions, and found it a very good way. I had this baydare
made in Kamtschatka, with the intention of using it in
Beering's Straits.

^18 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

the east of Chamisso Island, and did not find the
channel above five fathoms deep.

Onthe7th, at eight o*clock in the morning, were
left the Rurick, with a fresh south-east wind, to
explore the eastern part of the bay. We had already
advanced so far at noon, that we could distinctly
observe, that the land was united every where :
at the distance of a full mile from the shore, the
water had decreased to five feet ; and the hope of
discovering a river also vanished. Happily we
found a convenient place for landing; the cur-
rent having formed a small tongue of land, where
there was depth enough for us to approach with
our long-boat, and I resolved to remain there for
the night. There were two small huts, near our
landing-place, which were raised several feet, sup-
ported by four pillars, and covered with morse-skin.
These huts did not seem constructed so much for
continual residence, as for magazines for their in-
struments, and hunting utensils. We here found
very elegantly-made arms. I took several arrows,
and put in their stead knives, and a hatchet, on
the handle of which, Rurick and the date of the
year was carved. Probably the Americans visit
this place, at the hunting time. They perhaps
also keep rein-deer ; as we saw many horns of these
useful animals lying on the shore. The land rises
a little from the coast, but reaches to a con-
siderable height ; and is only covered below with
beautiful green, and above with moss.

TO kotzebue's sound. ^19

August the 8th. We had passed a very unplea-
sant night, for it was stormy and rainy ; and as
the morning promised no better weather, I re-
solved to sail back to the ship ; but scarcely had
we gone half way, when we were overtaken by a
violent storm from the south-east : the long-boat
drew much water, and we were obliged to return
to the landing-place we had just quitted. Being
wet through, 1 had a fire made of drift-wood, which
we found every where in plenty j we dried our
clothes, and prepared a refreshing soup. It seemed
as if fortune had sent this storm, to enable us to
make a very remarkable discovery, which we owe
to Dr. Eschscholtz. We had climbed much about
during our stay, without discovering that we were
on real ice-bergs. The doctor, who had extended
his excursions, found part of the bank broken
down, and saw, to his astonishment, that the in-
terior of the mountain, consisted of pure ice.
At this news, we all went, provided with shovels
and crows, to examine this phenomenon more
closely, and soon arrived at a place where the
back rises almost perpendicularly out of the sea, to
the height of a hundred feet ; and then runs off,
rising still higher. We saw masses of the purest
ice, of the height of an hundred feet, which are
under a cover of moss and grass j and could not
have been produced, but by some terrible revolu-
tion. The place which, by some accident, had
fallen in, and is now exposed to the sun and air,

220 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

melts away, and a good deal of water flows into
the sea. An indisputable proof that what we saw
was real ice, is the quantity of mammoths' teeth
and bones, which were exposed to view by the
melting, and among which I myself found a very
fine tooth. We could not assign any reason, for a
strong smell, like that of burnt horn, which we per-
ceived in this place. The covering of these moun-
tains, on which the most luxuriant grass grows to
a certain height, is only half a foot thick, and con-
sists of a mixture of clay, sand, and earth ; below
which the ice gradually melts away, the green cover
sinks with it, and continues to grow ; and thus it
may be foreseen, that in a long series of years, the
movmtain will vanish, and a green valley be formed
in its stead. By a good observation, we found the
latitude of the tongue of land (56° 15' 3&\ north.
Here, too, we obtained for the variation of the
magnetic needle a false result, 13° west.

August 9th. We left this place at six o'clock
in the morning, with beautiful weather ; and I
learnt on my arrival on board, that during our ab-
sence two baydares had approached the Rurick,
but were frightened away by a gun-shot, as I had
given orders to let no Americans come near, be-
cause so few people had remained on board. I
called the bay after our physician, Eschscholtz, as
it was he that made the remarkable discovery there.
It seemed to be uninhabited, and only visited at a
certain time of the year, on account of the hunt-

TO kotzebue's sound. 2'21

ing. I do not doubt, that there was a river
between the high mountains, which the shoals,
however, would not permit us to investigate. In
the back ground of the eastern part of Eschscholtz
Bay, a ridge of high mountains rises. The ebb
continues only seven, and the flood five hours ;
the water rises to six feet at full moon, is at the
highest at six o'clock in the afternoon; and the cur-
rent runs a mile and three quarters during the ebb,
and during the flood, one mile and a quarter in an
hour ; a difference which is probably occasioned by
the melting ice. The ebb and flood change regu-
larly. The current sets with more violence out tlian
in, and sometimes runs two knots. During the
high storm from the south-east, on the 8th of Au-
gust, the barometer stood at 30.00 inches.

August 10th. My intention of leaving the bay at
day-break was disappointed by the rain, and so
gloomy an atmosphere that no land was to be
seen. At four o'clock in the afternoon, it was
clearer, and we left Eschscholtz Bay with a fresh S.
S.E. wind. I now wished to examine the land in the
south ; we therefore directed our course thither, and
cast anchor when it grew dark, partly not to miss
any bending of the coast, and partly to continue the
survey the next morning. The land in the S. lay at
a distance of seven miles before us : the depth was
seven fathoms over a clayey bottom. Chamisso
Island lay to the N.E. 41°, eighteen miles and a
half. A high and remarkable mountain, the sum-

ggg FROM KAMTSCHATKA

mit of which was in the form of a cap, lay to the
N.E. 82°.

We were visited by a baydare with eight people,
among whom was one whom we thought we had
seen before ; but the Americans treated us very
contemptuously, offering us little rags of rats' and
dogs' skins in exchange ; but wiien they observed
that we laughed at their goods, they also joined
heartily in the laugh, talking much to each other,
and at last advised us to put the rags in our noses
and ears. These also did not venture on board,
but constantly prepared for flight, w^atched all our
motions, and left us very well contented after we
had given them several knives.

August 11th. At four o'clock A. M. w^e went
under sail in very fine weather. 1 steered along
the coast W. S. W., because I considered the exa-
mination of the east unnecessary, as I had distinctly
seen the connection of the land from the point of
Chamisso Island. We soon arrived at a ridge of
mountains, the entrance of w^hich seemed to form
a bay ; but when 1 perceived my error on doubling
it, I called it Cape Deceit. This promontory,
which consists of a lofty round rock, rising perpen-
dicularly out of the sea, is very distinguishable.
On the shore was a number of baydares, some of
which approached us to barter for trifles j and, by
the readiness of the Americans in cheating, I saw
that I had double reason to call it Cape Deceit.
This time there were two young girls with them,

TO kotzebue's sound. 223

who wore blue glass beads in their ears, and did
not look amiss, though their dress is but little dis-
tinguished from that of the men : they wore thick
rings of iron or copper on their arms, and their
long hair w^as fastened in a braid round their head.
As soon as we had doubled Cape Deceit, the land
became low, and vanished in the south. There arose
high mountains at a considerable distance, and I
directed my course thither in the hope of finding
a large river ; but as the depth gradually de-
creased, we were obliged to cast anchor at two
o'clock in the afternoon in five fathoms water. To
the west, at a distance of six miles, lay low land
which takes its direction to the north, and then to
the N. E. To the south-east we saw the high land
in the neighbourhood of Cape Deceit, which from
thence extends to the west, where it gets quite low ;
to the S. W. was nothing but the open sea. I must
here mention two mountains, which served me in
my survey as fixed points, they being every where
higher tlian the others. The one lay south-east
14°, and cannot be mistaken on account of its sum-
mit, which is in the form of two asses' ears, for which
reason we gave it the name of Asses' Ears ; the
second, the summit of which is of considerable ex-
tent, lay to the S. W. 47° ; it continues to run in
an horizontal direction, and looks as if the frag-
ments of a ruined castle stood on it, of which some
towers were still remaining. ■ These, however, I
afterwards recognized to be stone pillars, resembling

224 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

those which SaritschefF found on the coast of the
Icy Sea. I called this mountain, Devil's Mountain.
Every moment being valuable to me in fine weather,
I had two boats equipped, and commenced my
voyage, with all my company, to the place w^iere
there appeared an opening in the sea. I was in-
deed too late to examine any thing to-day, but we
intended, after passing the night on-shore, to pro-
ceed at day-break j but scarcely had we got 200
fathoms from the ship, when we were overtaken
by a thick fog, which obliged us to return. We
observed the current, which, with a rapidity that
amounts to one knot and a quarter, ran seven
hours out of the opening, and four hours in.

On the 12th, at four o'clock in the morning, we
undertook a second tour to the opening in fair
weather ; but as the depth greatly decreased, we
were obliged to take another way, which led us to
land in the W., six miles distant from our ship.
We landed near a small river, which seemed to
have its source from the sea : the land, though it
lay pretty high, was marshy. Here our company
separated. I, with Lieutenant Schischmareff, fol-
lowed the coast to the S., to penetrate, if possible,
into the opening ; our naturalists went into the
country to botanize ; and the sailors, who remained
behind, in the meantime prepared dinner. After
proceeding about four miles, we arrived at a cape,
where the land suddenly took its direction from S.
to W,, and became considerably higher j from a hill

TO kotzebue's sound. £25

I observed a broad arm in the W., which ran from
the sea into the land, and tliere wandered in seve-
ral windings between the mountains, which gave
me the hope of navigating in boats, and penetra-
ting far into the country. We likewise observed
that the depth, which seemed to increase in the
middle, was already, at the shore, deep enough for
our boats. Its breadth was between a mile and a
mile and a half: the current changed regularly, and
ran in many parts at least two knots. We discovered
a hut at the distance of 300 paces, from which two
Americans, the one an elderly man, and the other
a boy of sixteen, both armed with bows, arrows,
and lances, approached us. After they had come
about half way from their hut, they ascended a hill,
where they took their stand ; they then drew their
bows, and directed their arrows to us, while the old
man called out something to us in a roaring voice.
As we had still three sailors with us, and this supe-
rior force perhaps terrified them, I commanded
the others to remain behind, put down my arms,
went alone up to the warrior. Scarcely did they
see me unarmed, when they also threw down their
weapons. We cordially embraced j rubbed our
noses frequently together, and I evidently showed
them my friendly intentions by giving them knives
and looking-glasses. Yet still they could not help
conceiving a secret fear, and when I afterwards
called my people, their distrust rose to the highest
degree ; they immediately directed their bows

VOL. I. Q

226 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

against my companions, and roared as before. I
sent the sailors back, and gave Lieutenant Schisch-
mareft* a sign to come to me unarmed. He was
received in the same manner as myself, and they
then invited us to their hut. We entered a small
tent of morse-skins, made in the form of a canoe,
where the wife and two children were sitting in a
corner. On one side of this habitation were two
boats ; one was quite a small one, like those used
by the Aleutians, and the other a larger one, for
ten persons, which serves to transport their tent,
together with all their household, from one place
to another. That they are employed in the chase,
was proved by the various skins which lay about
in heaps. The elder boy, with a lively and ani-
mated countenance that expressed much curiosity,
was particularly attentive ; when he observed that
we noted down the names of different objects, he
took a pleasure in telling us various things, and
looked eagerly when we put his words on paper.
The wife of the American seemed to have a mind
for nothing but my bright buttons, wliich she
strove secretly to twist off"; but as she did not suc-
ceed in this, she sent her two children, who were
entirely wrapped in fur, and crawled about me
like two young bears, to try to bite them off;
To save my buttons, I gave her a looking-glass ;
but this occasioned a great dispute, as all the
family wanted to look at themselves at once, and
for that it was clearly too small. I at length in-

TO kotzebue's sound. ^27

lerfered, and made one after the other look at his
face, and eacli of them tried to find the stranger
behind the glass, as he did not know himself. The
host now spread a morse-skin outside of the tent,
on which he invited us to sit, and made each of us
a present of a martin's skin, for which he received
presents in return, among which the tobacco was
particularly welcomcc The woman was adorned
in the same manner as we have seen some before,
with iron and copper rings on the arms, and glass
beads in the hair. I took much trouble to make
my American comprehend that I wished to know
how far this branch might extend. He at last
comprehended me, and made me understand his
answer by the following pantomime : he seated
himself on the ground, and rowed eagei'ly with his
arms ; this business he interrupted nine times,
closing his eyes as many times, and resting his
liead on his hand. I learnt by this, that it Avould
take nine days to get to the open sea through this
branch. I was so rejoiced, that I gave them more
knives, and then hastened to our boats, accompa-
nied by the father and son, who, on my invitation,
both went with us. The old man was of a middle
stature, robust make, and healthy appearance ;
like all the other inhabitants, he had high cheek-
bones, and very small eyes, as also the two holes
below the under-lip, ornamented with morse-
bones ; these give a particularly disgusting look,
when the bones are taken out, as the saliva con=

0, 2

2^28 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

tintially runs over tlie chin. They both accom-
panied us in Hght skin frocks ; their hair was cut
close, their heads uncovered, and they went bare-
foot. Tlie father might be about forty. We
talked a great deal on the way, and picked up
many of their words, which have much resem-
blance with those collected by Cook in Norton
Sound. On my questioning whence he had the
blue glass beads, an old knife, and the like Eu-
ropean goods, he pointed to the entrance of the
sound, where people came to them in boats, who
gave them the beads, tobacco, and also w^ood for
making their bows and arrows, in exchange for
furs and ready-made articles of dress. He knew
very well how to instruct me in their manner of
dealing : the stranger first comes, and lays some
goods on the shore, and then retires j the Ameri-
can comes, looks at the things, puts as many skins
near them as he thinks proper to give, and then also
goes away. Upon this the stranger approaches,
and examines what is offered him ; if he is satisfied
with it, he takes the skins, and leaves his goods
instead ; but, if not, then he lets all the things lie,
retires a second time, and expects an addition from
the buyer. In this manner the dealing seems to
me to continue without speaking, and there is no
doubt but the Tschukutskoi obtain here the skins
for the Russian trade. My three sailors now came
up to us, to the great terror of the Americans, who
immediiitely wanted to fly. Their friendly beha-

TO kotzebue's sound. ^J

vioLir, however, soon conciliutetl them so much,
that we walked arm-in-arm, laughhig and joking :
this cheerfulness appeared to me to be rather
forced, on the part of the savages. Our discourse
was interrupted by the appearance of an animal,
in many respects isimilar to the squirrel ; but it is
much larger, and lives in the earth : it is called
in Siberia, Gewraschka. The Americans, who make
very neat summer-dresses of the skins of this ani-
mal, of which there are great numbers here, call it
Tschikschi. We tried to catch it for our collec-
tion J but, without the assistance of our friends,
who are very expert in rinming, would scarcely
have succeeded. They brought it triumphantly to
us, and laughed heartily at our unskilfulness. As
we were proceeding farther, I observed a snipe,
and wishing to know if my companions were ac-
quainted with fire-arms, and what impression a
shot would make on them, I was induced to
shoot it. The sound occasioned the greatest fright,
they looked at each other, not knowing whether
to stay or fly ; but, when they perceived that
nothing had happened to them, they tooiv courage,
and cautiously looked round at my fowling-piece ;
the old man, who had carried one, without suspect-
ing what he had in his hand, quickly returned the
gun to the owner. The dead snipe, which he
would not venture to touch, had inspired him with
the greatest respect for the terrible instrument,
and they could not get over their astonishment at

Q o

230 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

this extraordinary circumstance. We had iiear/y
reached our quarters when we met M. Choris with
his book, in which he liad drawn several of the
Americans of this part. Our friends were very
much pleased at it, and were quite beside them-
selves, when Mo Choris, in walking, sketched the
features of the old man hastily on paper, and the
son held his sides with laughter when he saw his
father's face drawn in the book. We arrived at
our quarters, found the soup ready, and cheer-
fully took our meal without loss of time, while our
friends admired the many strange things which
met their eyes : they were particularly struck with
the use of knives, forks, and plates. They did not
eat the meat and biscuit which we gave them, but
saved it. As soon as we had finished our meal,
every thing was packed up, and we sailed to the
opening with a favourable wind. The Americans,
who remained on shore, staid a long time in the
place where we had dined, and we saw them busily
looking about, in the hope of finding something
that we might have left that could be of any value
to them.

We doubled the promontory, which forms the
entrance of the arm, and where the land suddenly
takes its direction to the west. But all our en-
deavours to penetrate far into it were in vain, as
we every moment ran upon shoals. Yet I am con-
vinced that there must be a channel, as the depth
in many places was from two to tliree fathoms.

TO KOTZEBUE*S SOUND. 231

close to a shoal, and the current running two
knots. Even the many shoals have been formed
by the violence of the current, and this could not
possibly exist, if the arm closed soon. The ac
count given by the American may, therefore, be
correct ; and this branch either extends to Norton
Sound, or joins Schischmareflf's Bay. After we
had wearied ourselves in vain, for several hours, in
looking for a passage, we landed near tlie hut of
our friend. I resolved to stop, that my people,
who w^ere extremely fatigued, might have some
rest : the baydare, which was dragged on shore,
was turned upside down, and served us for shelter,
and a cup of tea was a real refreshment to us all.
Our American seemed rather terrified at his neigh-
bours ; he immediately packed up his house and
household in the large boat, and, with his family,
silently left our side of the shore. I observed how
he sometimes rowed with the left, and sometimes
with the right arm, probably to avoid the shoals
known to him, and how he at last, after many turn-
ings, reached the opposite shore, where our fugi-
tive friend put up his tent.

The water in the arm, which we frequently ex-
amined, was saltish. It is impossible to imagine
finer weather than we enjoyed to-day j not a cloud
obscured the sky, which was of a most beautiful
blue, such as is only seen in high latitudes, and the
inhabitant of Beering's Straits may also say, nature
is beautiful ! Towards evening our agreeable re-

Q 4

232 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

pose was interrupted by the call of the senti.net
announcing eight bay dares under sail. This visit
was meant for us ; we had already seen them from
an eminence getting under sail in the neighbour-
hood of Cape Deceit *, but as our arms were in the
o-reatest order, we could await their arrival with
composure. The baydares, each with twelve men,
landed at the south cape of the arm, directly oppo-
site us, at a distance of a short mile, where they
were drawn on shore, and, like ours, served as tents.
The Americans made several fires, round which
they placed themselves, and their dogs, of which
they had many, ran about the shore. Such neigh-
bours might really prove dangerous to us, as my
whole company on this excursion consisted of only
fourteen men, and the loss of some of my sailors
would have made it impossible for me to complete
the expedition : yet we had need of some hours' re-
pose. I therefore placed the sentinels with theii'
pieces loaded, and orders to fire on the slightest
suspicion, and the rest of us lay down on the
m-ound, each with a loaded musket at his side.
The savages sat round their fire crying out and
beating their drum.

I gave up for the present the farther examina-
tion of this arm, as it would cost me too much
time on account of the shoals, and put it off till
next year, when I might continue it by means of
very small baydares from Qonalashka. 1 called
this bay, the Bay of Good Hope, as I might really

TO kotzebue's sound. 233

hope to make a very remarkable discovery here.
The coasts on the nortliern part of the arm rise
to a considerable height, but gradually become
lower the farther one penetrates to the N., where
there are many small lakes and rivers. The southern
coast of the arm is low, and continues so as far as
the 6ye can reach. It is only in the vicinity of
the DeviFs mountain, which is fifteen miles from
here, that it becomes mountainous. The land is
every where green, but has not a single bush on it.
We set out on our voyage at one o'clock in the
morning ; the fire of the savages was burning ; we
still heard their songs, accompanied by the hollow
drum ; and this, united with the darkness of the
night, concealed our departure from them. After
we had worked ourselves out of the channel, we
took our way to the ship, and as we could see
nothing, were obliged to direct our course by the
situation of the land. We had scarcely rowed half
an hour, when we struck upon a shoal ; it was the
time of ebb, and all the places which we had pre-
viously navigated with ease, were now changed into
sand banks, and we heard the breakers roaring round
us. We therefore rowed in another direction ; but
it was not long before we were again on a shoal,
where the breakers threatened to swallow us up.
A violent wind rendered our situation still more
dangerous, our boat drew much water, we were all
exhausted by labour, and I saw no means of escap-
ing death, as we iiad every moment to expect that

234 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

the boat would be seized by the breakers and over-
turned. The baydare in which our scientific
gentlemen were, had got on before us, and some
shots as signals of distress which proceeded from
them rendered our situation horible. We answered
them with a musket shot, but were not able to
go to their assistance. At last the .dawning day
relieved us all, we could observe the way we had
to take to avoid the breakers, and the baydare, also
contending against them, was near us. The sailors
exerted their last strength to push rapidly through
the surf, (the only means of passing without being
overturned,) and we were saved. The baydare,
which was made of leather, and consequently
lighter, got through with less trouble. We could
now see the ship distinctly, but the distance was
still two miles, and my exhausted sailors had
scarcely strength enough to row against the violent
contrary wind ; but at last this abated also, and
after inconceivable difficulties, we reached the
Rurick on the morning of the 13th. It is to the
courage of the sailors alone that we owe our escape,
and 1 am rejoiced in being able to declare publicly,
that during the whole voyage I have had reason to
be satisfied in the highest degree with the conduct
of all my crew. Their undaunted courage and
perseverance in the service has always rejoiced me.
Their behaviour was exemplary, and they evi-
dently strove, in known as well as in unknown
countries, to leave nowhere a bad impression. In

TO kotzebue's sound. 235

this manner an arduons enterprize may be under-
taken with Russian sailors with pleasure. At five
o'clock, A. M., when the wind had quite abated,
we received a visit from the Americans in two
baydares, who tried to cheat us every way in the
sale of some of their small works, and laughed
heartily when they could not succeed. They have
probably learnt the common rule in trade, to show
the worst goods first, from the Tschukutskoi, as the
latter from the Russian merchants. As we would
liave nothing more from them, they took from the
lower part of their boats some black fox-skins, but
these we could not obtain, as we had no large
knives. One of them, a robust young man, whom
I took to be the chief, as all his commands were
•punctually obeyed, ventured on deck, after we had
invited him and given him many presents. He was
the only one of the inhabitants of the sound that
shewed this courage. His astonishment at the
sight of so many foreign objects was inconceivable ;
he looked around on all sides without speaking,
and went away in a quarter of an hour to entertain
his attentive companions with all the w^onders he
had seen. We gave him a slate, making him com-
prehend that we wished him to draw the direction
of the cape ; he took the pencil, and really drew
the cape at the southern entrance of the sound,
which he represented as a bending point of land.
Upon this he drew a number of habitations, which
he called Kegi, whither he, in a friendly manner.

236 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

invited us. We observed an iron lance in his Iray,
dare, which we recognized, by the make, to be of
Siberian manuflicture, where they are only made
for the trade with the Tschiikiitskoi. It was now
their time for dinner. A seal which had just been
killed was put in the middle ; they cut open its
belly, and one after the other put in his head and
sucked out the blood. After they had sufficiently
drunk in this manner, each cut himself off a piece
of flesh, which they devoured with the greatest
appetite, and it may easily be imagined how their
naturally frightful countenance looked after such
a repast.

At nine o'clock in the morning we had clear
weather, and a moderate east wind, when we im-
mediately weighed anchor, to follow the coast to
the north. The latitude of our anchoring-place,
by observation, was 66° 16' 39", longitude 163° 41'.
Variation of the compass 27° east. We observed
the falling of the water on the coast, which takes a
northern direction from the Bay of Good Hope,
which we could not approach on account of the
shallowness, but only observed it from the mast-
head. At ten o'clock we saw the extreme point
of the land in the S.W. 85°. This cape was six
miles from us, and forms the southern entrance of
the sound. I called it after my friend Dr. Espen-
berg, who made the voyage round the world with
me under Captain Krusenstern. From this place I
steered, during the night, to the N.£. coast. On the

TO kotzebuf/s sound. 237

14th of August, at eiglit A.M., we reached the pro-
moutory, wliich forms the northern entrance of the
sound, which received the name of Krusenstern.
What I had taken, on entering the sound, for
islands in the nortli, was very liigh land ; on a low
tongue of land which extends from it to the west,
were many habitations, and we saw not only people
running to and fro on the shore, but also two bay-
dares, which sought in vain to come up with us,
as the wind, which blew briskly, had given the
Rurick wings. We observed a building on an
elevation, resembling a European magazine j the
habitations on the tongue of land, which are under
ground, appeared like little round hills, with fences
of whalebones. From Cape Krusenstern, the
land forms a bend to the N.E., and then takes its
direction to the N.W., where it ends in a very high
promontory, which I take to be Cape Mulgrave ;
according to our determination it lies in 67° 30'.
Cook, who had no observation on that day, found
by estimation the latitude of Cape Mulgrave to be
67° 45'. This, it is true, is a difference of 15' j
but if it is considered that we, being at a distance
of thirty-five miles from the promontory, may easily
have made a small mistake in the latitude, and that
Cook having had no observation, a trifling error
might also have crept into his reckoning ; the
mean of our two latitudes, which is 67° 37' 30",
may be pretty near the truth. Our longitude of

^38 FROM KAMTSCHATKA

Cape Mulgrave coincides very accurately with
Cook's.

According to my instructions, I was to have
looked for a safe anchoring-place in Norton Sound,
and from thence to proceed next year further to
examine the coast ; but as fortune directed me to
a hitherto unknown sound, which affords the safest
anchoring-places, and where an expedition by land
must be far more interesting than in Norton Sound,
I consider a voyage thither as quite unnecessary.
In compliance with the general wish of my com-
panions, I called this newly-discovered sound by my
own name, Kotzebue's Sound. Inconsiderable as the
discovery of this sound may be, it is an acquisition
to geography, and may serve the world as a proof
of my zeal; for, in truth, even fook has treated
this coast rather negligently. I certainly hope
that this sound may lead to important discoveries
next year, and though a north-east passage, may
not with certainty be depended upon, yet I believe
I shall be able to penetrate much further to the
east, as the land has very deep indentures. This
sound must in time afford essential advantage to the
trade in furs, as they are in abundance ; we our-
selves should have returned home with a rich cargo,
if trade had been part of our plan. In my opinion,
our government might establish several settlements
on the coast of Beering's Straits to the north, like the
English Hudson's Bay Company, which extends its

TO KOTZEBUE*S SOUND. 239

trade flir to the west of Hudson's Bay. It possesses
colonies in the interiorof the country, at a very little
distance from the new-discovered sound, and will,
without doubt, take the advantage of trading there.
The navigation of Beering*s Straits has hitherto
been dangerous, because ships, in case of a storm,
or other accidents, knew of no port where they
could find protection. This difficulty is now re-
moved, and ships which in future intend to visit
Beering*s Straits, will find the essential benefit of
this discovery. The inhabitants of this country,
who have all a very healthy appearance, seem to
subsist entirely on the flesh of marine animals,
which they, for the most part, eat raw. We saw
no fish on all the American coasts ; we often threw
out our lines, but all in vain ; I believe, therefore,
either that there are no fish here at all, or that they
do not resort here at this time of the year. These
people are exceedingly fond of tobacco : they chew,
snuff, smoke, and even swallow the smoke.

Doctor Eschscholtz, who daily observed the water
in the sound with his areometer, found it very
sweet, which probably arises from the melting ice j
but perhaps there is a considerable river in its
vicinity which escaped our search ; upon the whole,
we found that the water on the American coast
contains much less salt than that on the Asiatic.
The prevailing wind this month, which is always
violent at the rising of the sun, but abates at its
setting, was S.E. ; the weather, for the most part,

240 FROM KAMTSCHATKA, &C.

was serene. I conjecture that, in a S.E. wind,
Cape Prince of Wales keeps off the fog from this
coast, as you have only to go a few miles out to
sea to be involved in the thickest fog. The baro-
meter regularly stands higher in a S.E. than in any
other wind, without reference to the weather, of
which I will only give one example : during a S.E.
wind, and gloomy weather, the barometer stood at
30. 20. J with a N.E. wind, and most serene wea-
ther, it stood at 29. 50. The mean' height of the
thermometer, out of the sound, was 9° heat, and
in it + 1 1°. All this is to be understood of the
American coast.

\>hl

CHAP. VIII.

PROM KOTZEBUE's SOUND TO OOXALASHKA.

JN ow that we had found a place of refuge for the
next year, I wished to pass the few days which
this sea allowed for navigation, on the Asiatic
coast, in order to become acquainted with its inha-
bitants, and to compare them with the Americans.
I therefore steered my course to the south, on a
morning when the wind was E.N.E., to see the land
in the neighbourhood of Cape Espenberg. At noon
our latitude, by observation, was 66'' 48' 47". Near
Cape Espenberg two remarkable hills lay S.E. 18°,
and Cape Krusenstern N.E. '22°. The wind ceased,
and as we had a perfect calm on the 15th of
August, I succeeded in taking several distances
between the sun and moon, the longitude calculated
from which, and reduced to noon was l65° 15' 30" ;
that given by the chronometer differed only a few mi-
nutes. My intention was to pass near the E. coast
of Asia, and from thence to St. Lawrence Bay j but
as we had gloomy w^eather on the l6th and 17th,
and a high wind from the S. and S. S. W., we were
able to make but little progress.

August 18th. The wind still continued to blow
violently from the S., with such a thick fog as we

VOL. I. K

2'i2 FROM kotzebue's sound

never had on the American coast with this wind.
During the night we had approached the Asiatic
coast ; the depth had regularly increased to 31
fathoms, and the temperature of the air had changed
to such a degree, that it seemed as if we were sud-
denly removed from a warm climate into a cold
one. The thermometer, which, on the American
coast, had stood from nine to ten degrees at noon,
stood here only at + 5° j the water was also sensibly
colder, which probably arises from the high icy
country : we always found the barometer lower
here than in America. The direction of the cur-
rent was always N. E. in Beering*s Straits, and
stronger on the Asiatic coast than on the Ameri-
can. A number of whales and morse, which played
about us, afforded us a sight that we never had
there. The latter have a very singular appearance
in the water ; as they hold their heads perpendicu-
larly above the surface, their disproportionably long
teeth stand quite horizontal. In the morning I
observed very dark blue spots, which were distin-
guished from the colour of the water. For fear of
running on a shoal, I had the lead heaved, and we
found this spot was occasioned by an innumerable
multitude of small marine animals. At three o'clock
P. M. the fog dispersed, and East Cape lay at a
distance of twelve miles before us to the S. W. 45°.
Though the south wind obliged us to tack, yet we
hoped to make good way, as the sea was calm. At
seven o'clock P. M., East Cape was S. W. 17°,

17

TO OONALASHKA. 213

and Ratmanof Island S. E. 39° : the weather was
gloomy, and the wind fresh.

August 19th. After we had passed a rainy and
stormy night in continual tacking, I hoped by our
ship's reckoning to be near St. Lawrence Bay. A
thick fog which had hitherto concealed tlie coast,
dispersed a little towards noon, and we saw the
summit of a mountain at a small distance to the
S.S.W. ; but how were we astonished, when, on
the horizon clearing up, we perceived that this
mountain formed East Cape, and thus we had not
advanced a step since yesterday. The current,
according to our calculation, had carried us fifty
miles to N.N.E. in 24 hours, i.e. above two miles an
hour. I estimate the current on the Asiatic coast in
the channel, at the greatest depth, to be three miles
an hour when the wind blew fresh from the S. The
constant N.E. direction of the current in Beering's
Strait proves that the water meets with no opposi-
tion, and consequently a passage must exist, though
perhaps not adapted to navigation. Observations
have long been made, that the current in Baffin's
Bay runs to the S., and thus no doubt can remain
that the mass of water which flows into Beering*s
Straits, takes its course round America, and returns
through Baffin's Bay into the ocean.

As it seemed to be the will of fate that we should
visit East Cape, I steered thither, and kept to the
north side, to be protected from the south wind.
It consists of very high land, and in many places

E 2

24'4 FROM kotzebue's sound

is covered with eternal ice, which appears to the
navigator, at a small distance, to be only a narrow
neck of land, which stretches far into the sea ;
this is probably the reason that Cook has drawn it
in this form in his chart. But at the distance of five
or six miles it appears as very low land which unites
to the mountain, and deprives the promontory of
the form of a tongue of land. At the extreme
points of the Cape, in the low land, there is a
conical mountain, which rises perpendicularly out
of the sea, the summit of which has fallen in, and is
open to the sea-side. The black rocks, which are
confusedly fallen together, one of which quite in
the form of a pyramid, is particularly distinguished,
give to this place a frightful appearance. These
ruined rocks indicate the revolution which once
took place here ; for the situation, as well as the
appearance of the coast, makes it probable that
•America was once united to Asia, and that Gwoz-
def islands are the remains of the connection be-
tween Cape East and Cape Prince of Wales. The
low land to the W. forms a bend, on which we ob-
served a number of subterraneous dwellings in the
form of little round hills, about which were placed
a numlDer of whale-ribs. We sailed in that direc-
tion, and cast anchor at noon, in 18^- fathoms' water
on a clayey bottom : the Jurtes lay to the S.E. 4°,
a couple of miles distant ; the pyramidical rock
S.E. 64". As soon as we lay at anchor, a baydare
with ejeveu men approached the Rurick ; they

TO OONALASHKA. '213

rowed several times round the ship without speak-
ing a word, observing it with great attention, but
were by no means to be prevailed upon to come on
board, though they very well understood our signs ;
after they had pointed first to some fur and then
to their habitations, whither they invited us, they
took the way thither ; probably therefore they were
sent to reconnoitre us. Among their arms we also
observed a musket ; if the Russian merchants often
take the liberty to sell them muskets, it may have
very bad consequences for the Russian colony in
Kamtschatka, because if such a warlike nation as
the Tschukutskoi are furnished with fire-arms,
the inhabitants of Kamtschatka must tremble at
their attacks.

I immediately gave orders to put out two boats,
and at two o'clock wc commenced our tour to shore.
Their reception of us seemed friendly, though not
without distrust, for they would not allow us to
go up to their habitations. Fifty men, armed with
long knives, came to meet us, and invited us to sit
down on skins spread out on the beach, while they
formed a circle round us ; the other lialf seemed
to be placed as sentinels behind their habitations.
This superiority deprived me of the pleasure of
examining their huts, and besides made our stay
on shore not quite safe ; we conversed as well as
we were able, and 1 made a present to the two
chiefs, who were apart from the rest, and were
sitting near me, of different trifles, and hung a

K o

^46 riio.M kotzebue's sound

medal round the neck of each. Their very un-
cleanly dress, their dirty, savage countenances, and
the long knives, gave this group the appearance of
banditti ; and by their conduct, which by degrees
became intruding, I concluded that they had fre-
quent intercourse with the Russians. These people
differ little in their appearance from the Americans ;
their boats and arms are the same, their lances are
also furnished with a broad piece of iron like those
on the American coast ; they likewise wear beads,
but only of a smaller kind. The principal distinc-
tion between these two people is the morse-bone
below the under lip, which the Tschukutskoi do
not wear ; they may perhaps also be something taller
and stouter. The women had probably fled, for
we did not see a single one. In an hour we re-
turned again to our ship, accompanied by three
baydares, in which were the two chiefs; before these
came on board, each of them made me a present
of a fox-skin, upon which they came on deck with
their attendants without the least fear. They re-
lished our biscuits, with which they drank brandy
with great eagerness. They did not smoke to-
bacco, but took it as snuff, and chewed it.
On my invitation, the chiefs, with some others
came into the cabin, where every thing seemed in-
different to them, except the large looking-glass,
before which they stood as if enchanted.- With
serious countenance and fixed looks, they contem-
plated their images, and as one of them moved, and

TO OONALASHKA. 247

saw his motion represented in the glass, they were
all seized with a shuddering, and, without speak-
ing a word, hastily left the cabin. Another of
those on deck was rendered curious by the account
of the others ; 1 took him down, he would not ven-
ture quite in, but only put his head in at the door,
and having perceived himself at first sight, sud-
denly ran up again. I have often had the opportu-
nity of observing in my voyage, that the northern
nations are afraid of a looking-glass, and the south-
ern, on the contrarv, behold themselves in it with
pleasure.

A light N.E. wind arising in the afternoon, I
immediately took advantage of it, and got under
sail. We observed at our anchoring-place, that
the cm-rent ran one mile an hour to the N.E. ;
it was so inconsiderable, because East Cape
covered this part from the south. We had not
advanced far when the wind abated, and it carried
us gradually to the N.E. Thousands of morse
played round the ship, and roared like oxen ;
among them appeared several whales, which
spouted the water high into the air : they all came
as close to the Rurick as possible, and did not
seem to be in the least afraid of it. An enormous
one, covered with shells and sea-weed, spouted
the water so high, that the spray came into our
faces, a circumstance that was not at all agreeable,
as the water had a very offensive smell ; and he
remained so long above the surface, that a whale-

R i-

248 FROINJ KOTZEBUE S SOUND

fisher would have had time enough to have thrown
twenty harpoons into his body.

August 20th. We had a faint wind during the
night, which became brisk at day-break, and steady
in the N.E. We ran, by the log, seven knots ;
but, according to the compass, advanced very
slowly J so that, even with a fresh north wind, the
current runs equally strong from the south. We
had heavy rain and fog till noon, but sailed directly
towards St. Lawrence Bay, and, just when clear
weather was absolutely necessary, the rain and fog
vanished, and the bay lay before us.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, we turned
round the small sandy island, which forms what is
properly the. harbour, and cast anchor in ten
fathoms' water, on a clayey bottom. We observed
in the N.E., on an elevation, several tents of the
Tschukutskoi ; the western point of the low island
lay to the S.W. 30°. Two baydares, with twenty
men, soon approached us, wlio were singing very
loud, but cautiously kept at a distance, till I
beckoned to them in a friendly manner, when they
came on board witliout any fear. I had two boats
equipped, to visit them in their habitations, and
likewise to Ull some of our water-butts ; our
Tschukutskoi followed us, having received liberal
presents, and were highly satisfied. Before we
arrived at their habitations, we were obhged to
ascend an eminence, where tlie .very fatiguing way
througli this summer landscape led us over ice

TO OONALASHKA. 249

and fields of snow, and tlirough a marshy moor.
Ice and snow have maintained their rule here since
last year, and in this state we find the whole coast;
while, in America, even the summits of the
highest mountains are free from snow ; there the
navigator sees the coast covered with a green car-
pet J while here, black, mossy rocks frown upon
him, with snow and icicles.

It is really a frightful thought to pass one's life
here, and yet the inhabitants feel themselves happy
and contented, even on this soil, which is deserted
by nature. AVe found twelve summer-habitations,
which consist of frames, of long poles fastened to-
gether at the top, and covered with the skins of
several sea-animals ; the fire is made in the middle,
and at the top is an opening to let out the smoke.
These dwellings were larger than those we had
previously seen j they were twelve paces in diame-
ter, and' from two to three fathoms high ; the
inhabitants seemed to belong to a roving tribe, as
I inferred, by a number of sledges, in which they
had come to collect, during the summer, their
stock of whale-blubber, and other marine animals,
for the winter. When this business is finished,
they return to their herds of rein-deer, in the
interior. The huts stood all in a row, and the
middle one belonged to the chief, a venerable old
man, of a very good appearance, but- who had
lost the use of his legs. They had, probably out
of fear, all retired to their dwellings, where they
appeared to me to keep their arms in readiness j

^50 rKo:\i kotzebue's sound

and only the old man sat, a few paces from his
tent, with two young men, on a piece of leather
spread out, and invited me to sit on his right, as
soon as he learnt that I was the commander. His
first care was to make me comprehend his ques-
tion, if I had any one with me that understood his
language ? But of this I was in want ; and only
one sailor, whom I brought with me from Kamt-
schatka, who could understand the language of
Kariak, was able to comprehend some of their
words, and, by this, he- rendered himself pretty
useful to me, miserably as he acted the part of an
interpreter. They did not understand a single
word out of Krusenstern's Vocabulary, which I
had with me. I now had the old man informed
that we were Russians, and their friends, who had
only come for some fresh water, and asked him
for some rein-deer. It was very long before my
interpreter could translate these words ; at length
the old man comprehended him, and promised to
provide us with rein-deer ; but gave us to under-
stand, that it would cost two days, as they had to
be driven from the interior. Highly gratified at
this assurance, as my. crew had tasted little fresh
meat since we left Chili, I made the old man
several presents ; who, though he took every
thing readily, expressed his regret that it was not
in his power to make us a worthy present in re-
turn. On my assuring him, that I wished for
nothing, but that he should accept my presents,
he shook his head, dissatisfied, and gave orders to

TO OONALASHKA. 251

one of his men, who ran into the hut, and soon
returned with a fur-dress, which he laid at my feet.
But I remained faithful to my resolution, not to
accept any thing, and gained his confidence en-
tirely when I presented him with a m.edal, with
the effigy of our emperor, of whose worth I had
him informed by our interpreter* ; but he seemed
to know him already, as he was extremely glad.
The other Tchukutskoi now crept out of their
tents-, the men, as well as the women, coming in
a circle round us, and looking with great curiosity.
A young woman, at the command of the old
man, placed before us a dish of whale-blubber ;
which I could not prevail upon myself to taste,
because the first repast of this kind had given me
an invincible dislike to this food. I gained the
confidence and favour of the women, to the ut-
most, when I liberally distributed beads and
needles among them : the latter they called Te-
tita. On the repeated invitation of the old man, I
entered his tent, where every thing was in the
most uncleanly state : a very large copper-kettle
stood on the fire. The dwelling was divided by
skins, behind which were their warm beds, made
of skins ; a tea-kettle, and other iron goods, which
they receive from Colima, convince me that a
brisk trade is carried on with the Russians. It
was pretty late when we left their tent j when they

* At East Cape one of the Tchukutskoi shewed wie a
copper snuff-box with the effigy of Catherine II.

Qd'^ I'llOM KOTiJEBUE'S fiOUNO

frequently repeated the word Taroma, which is
used, as well to welcome, as on taking leave.

As far as I am acquainted with the Tschukutskoi,
I cannot agree in the general opinion, that they
have longer faces, and, in general, nothing Asiatic
about them ; high cheek-bones and small Chinese
eyes are seen in all; and if the heads of some have
less of an Asiatic form, it may, perhaps, arise
from their proximity to the Russians. The
beard is universally wanting, as on the American
coast : on the whole, I find so imperceptible a
difference between these two nations, that I am
inclined to believe that they are descended from
one stock. The Tschukutskoi whom I saw here
are of a robust make, and above the middle size,
an observation which I likewise made there ; the
dresses in both countries is the same, only the
Americans are more cleanly ; and their work ap-
peared to me to be executed with more skill and
taste. The costume of these people is accurately
drawn by our artist ; their arms consist of bows,
arrows, knives and lances : the latter are entirely
made of iron, with copper ornaments. Their
knives are of three different kinds ; the first,
M^hich is an ell (two feet) long, is worn in a
sheath on the left side ; the second, a little
shorter, is kept under the dress on the back, so
that the handle projects an inch above the left
shoulder; the third knife, which is but half a
foot long, is concealed in their sleeve, and

TO OONALASIIKA. 253

is used only for work. The women tattoo their
arms and faces. We observed here, as w^ell as on
the opposite coast, that diseases of the eye are
very frequent, which may, perhaps, be occasioned
by the long winter, as the snow^ dazzles their eyes
in the open air, and in the Jurtes they are affected
by the exhalations of the oil.

August 2 1 St. I had all the necessary prepara-
tions made for a voyage, w^hich I intended to
undertake to-day, to make myself acquainted with
the bay, and to examine how far it extended to
the w^est. The weather was too bad in the morning,
and when it was clearing up, towards noon we were
visited by the inhabitants of the village of Nuni-
agmo, (where Cook once landed,) with their wives,
in six baydares. Before they came on board, they
rowed several times slowly round the ship, con-
stantly singing ; in each baydare was one beating
the tambourine, while a second danced to it, making,
at the same time, the most ludicrous motions with
the hand, and the whole body. They all came on
board the Rurick, (except the women, of whom
only one ventured, and of her we took a drawing j)
they conducted themselves without showing the
slightest distrust ; were uncommonly friendly ; em-
braced the sailors ; sang and danced with them ; and
a dram which I gave them increased the already
high spirits of the Tschukutskoi. One among them
had quite a Russian physiognomy, on which ac-
count he was called by the others, the Russian :

5

2,54 FROM KOTZEBUE S SOUND

some of us were of my opinion, that he was such,
and would not acknowledge it : he was dis-
tinguished from the others by a thick beard, which,
without any fear, he suffered one of the sailors to
^have off. I told my guests, that I wished to see
their dance on shore, because there was not room
enough on board the ship ; this was immediately
made known to those in the boats, who left the
Rurick with the loudest expressions of joy, to
make the necessary preparations on shore. . I must
obseiTe, that the Tschukutskoi and Americans
whom we saw were distinguished from all the
northern people, by their invariable cheerfulness.

At three o'clock, P. M., we went on shore in
three boats, well armed. The inhabitants of Nu-
niagmo had bivouacked on a low spot near the tent
of my old friend ; their baydares were drawn on
shore, and quite in a line, so that they might serve
in some respect as a defence in case of attack ; be-
hind this line were all their arms, in the best order.
Probably this precaution has become a rule, on
account of the perpetual w^ars which they wage
among themselves and with the Americans ; and
they did not even neglect it here, though they
behaved to us with so much confidence in other
respects. They came in a friendly manner to
meet us, and invited us to sit down on some skins,
which were spread out opposite the baydares.
Before the dance began, I gave the women some
needles and beads, and the men tobacco-leaves,

TO OOXALASHKA. Q55

and the general joy was much increased by tlie
importance of these presents. The ball now com-
menced with a solo dance : an old dirty, frightful,
ugly woman stept forward, making the most
curious, and certainly most fatiguing, motions
with the whole body, without sth'ring from
her position ; she distorted her eyes, and made
such strange grimaces as excited general laughter.
The music consisted of a tambourine, and a
chorus of many voices, but had few charms for
an European ear. After this followed several men
and women, who exhibited themselves separately ;
but none could equal the skill of the old woman.
The conclusion of the ball was distinguished by a
very particular dance ; twelve women placed them-
selves close to each other in a half circle, turning
their backs upon each other ; the whole group
sang, and tried to express the contents of their
song by motions of the hands and body. After
the conclusion of this dance we returned to our
ship.

August 22d. We left the Rurick at eight o'clock
in the morning, with clear weather, and a moderate
S. E. wind, in the long-boat and the bay dare, and
towards noon, having proceeded twelve miles and a
half, we reached the promontory on the south
coast of St. Lawrence Island, where M. Saritscheff *s
survey ends. I resolved to stop here to take the
meridian altitude and some angles.

We found the latitude ^5° 43' 11''. The varia-
tion of the magnetic needle '2f^ east.

956 FROM kotzeeuk's sound

We found several people on the promontory
who were on the point of running away ; we
hastened to detain them by some presents, and
gained the confidence of these timid people, to
such a degree, that, to our great joy, they made
us in return a present of sixteen wild geese and
two fresh-killed seals. We did not loose a mo-
ment ; every one of the sailors now turned
cook 5 five geese were sufficient to satisfy us, and
the others were saved for the llurick. The
bay is not inhabited, and only visited by the
Tschukutskoi on account of the chase ; the geese
appeared to have been caught in nooses, and the
seals killed with arrows. After these good people
had satisfied their curiosity, they continued their
way to the east, to the mouth of the bay, and we,
being strengthened by the nourishing meal, con-
tinued our way to the N. W., where the bay takes
its direction between the high mountains. As we
could not take the seals into our heavily loaded
boat, we left them on shore till our return. We
had proceeded three miles when we reached two
tolerably high and rocky mountains, inhabited only
by sea fowls. I called the one to the east, which is
about three miles in circumference, after my first
mate Chramtschenko ; and the westerly one, which
is a little smaller, received the name of Petrof, my
second mate. The depth was here above twenty,
and between the islands only twelve fathoms. As
soon as you have passed the islands, the depth de-

TO OONWLASHKA. 257

creases to eight flitlioms, over a bottom of clayey
eartli, and here the water is perfectly calm ; ships
are able to lie close to the shore, which is very ad-
^'antageous in case of any repairs, as no storm can
do them any damage. Having sailed seven miles
and a half since noon, we reached the end of the
bay, which closes with a ronnd shallow creek,
fonr miles in circumference. Two small rivers of
very fine water, which have their source in the high
mountains, and fall down in several cascades,
empty themselves here. We were obliged to land
on the southern promontory, at the entrance of this
bay, on account of the shallow water, for which
reason I resolved to pass the night here. The sun
was still high; our naturalists made use of the op-
portunity, and I took a promenade on the shore to
satisfy my curiosity. I found it here more dismal
than in Beering's Straits, though we were there in
a higher latitude. A few miserable willows, here
and there a stunted plant, scarcely ""any where a
flower ; the whole surrounded by high mountains
whose summits were covered with snow, and which
rose steep out of the water. The rocks consist of
granite, which is decompounded by the air, among
which I found several pieces of beautiful white mar-
ble. I observed in the sand on the sho]*e the fresh
footsteps of an uncommonly large bear.

On the QSd of August, at five o'clock in the
morning, we left our night's lodging with fine wea-
ther, and fair wind, but were obliged to leave our

VOL. I. s

-)5S FROM KOTZEBUE S SOUND

seals behind, which were half devoured, probably by
the foxes and fowls. The Tschukutskoi, who had
killed a whale in the meantime, and dragged it on
the sand island, were just employed in dividing it.
They gave us also some of its blubber, and could
not conceive liow we were able to refuse such a
delicacy. On our arrival on board the Rurick, at
eleven o'clock, I received from a deputy of my old
friend, the news that three killed, and four living
rein-deer had arrived, and he begged that I would
accept them as a present from him, and his subjects,
and come myself on shore to receive them. We
set out soon after dinner, found the Nuniagmos
still there, and also the old man and his suite, who
was drawn about in a sledge. They first delivered
the dead, and then the living rein-deer, beautiful
and spirited animals, which, as they were led by
long thongs, threw their leaders on the ground, by
making high leaps. They became still wilder when
they perceived by their smell that strangers were
near, and we were obliged to be much on our
guard, as they butted furiously with their horns.
The old man asked me if they had not better be
killed ? And scarcely had I given my consent, when
in a moment, all four were struck to the heart by
their owners, at the first blow, and sunk dead to the
ground. 1 tried to evince my gratitude by several
presents, and left the old man and his subjects
highly pleased at my liberality.

We were to-day visited by several Tschukutskoi,

TO OOMALASHKA. 259

who tried to dispose of their goods amidst constant
singing and capering. A boy in particular distin-
guished himself by his lively dancing; and when I
gave him several tobacco-leaves for some hazardous
leaps, he repeated them again, for which he also
demanded to be paid, and made the most frightful
grimaces when he was refused. Several of them
ventured into the cabin, where tlie looking-glass fill-
ed them with terror: they considered the portrait of
my father as the image of a saint, bowing and cross-
ing themselves before it like the Russians. One
of them wore apiece of gold-embroidery, which he
affirmed to have received from a friend at Colima.

August 25th. My intention of leaving St, Law-
rence Bay to-day was disappointed by a south wind;
the barometer also fell, and indicated continual bad
weather. We received many visits during the day,
and, towardsevening, five more baydares came down
the bay from the south, which we afterwards learnt
came from Metschigmenski Bay; these were also
with us, and promised, as they only meant to pass
the night on shore, to repeat their visit in the
morning. They had women, children, and their
whole household with them; their chief j an elderly
man, had a gun, but it was in a miserable con-
dition. We found the flesh of the rein-deer ex-
tremely good.

The Tschukutskoi brought us several times a
kind of Sarana, resembling that of Kamtschatka,
only it is larger, and has quite the taste of good

s 2

!2()0 TROM KOTZKBUE's SeUNO

potatoes. TliOLigh we gave a very good price foi'
it, we were able to obtain but little ; from which
I conclude, that there is much difficulty in collect-
ing it.

We had a perfect calm on the 26th, which con-
tinued till the 27th at noon, when a fliint wind
arose from the 8. E., which, however, increased
violently, and, at two o'clock, suddenly broke out
in a storm, which raged so furiously, tliat I was
afraid for my cable, and thanked heaven for the
safe place in which I lay. It continued till mid-
night, and then gradually fell : the lowest state
of the barometer during this time was 28,70.

On the 28th, towards evening, the weather
cleared uj), but a fresh S. E. wind did not prevent
us from going under sail ; tlie barometer rose to
29,44. In the afternoon, I went on shore, to in-
vite my old friend to come on board. The
Tschukutskoi from Metschigmenski Bay bivou-
acked on the sliore. I chd not stay with them long,
but went to the old man, who was much rejoiced
at my visit, but was not to be persuaded, till after a '
great deal of trouble, to come on board. It was not
so much his age, as his fear, that I would take him
entirely away with me, that made it so difficult for
him to be persuaded. When I wanted to tran-
quillize him, and make him comprehend, that we
had quite contrary wind, he said : *' No wind can
prevent you, because you sail against the wind !"
The Tschukutskoi liad been led to this couvic-

TO OOiNALASllKA. 26l

Hon by our boats sailing so close to tlie wind ; and
eveiy time when we put in with contrary wind,
they collected on the shore in groups, to admire
this phenomenon. The sails of their baydares
consist of a square })iece of leather, and this,
together with the flat construction of their boats,
is the reason they are not able to sail, but with a
v^ery good wind. He at length resolved to come
to the ship. A young, robust Tschukutskoi took
him on his shoulders, and carried him with ease up
and down hill. While my attention was engaged
with inviting the old man, one of the Tschukutskoi
of Metschigmenski Bay had taken a pair of scis-
sars by force from one of my people, and drew
his knife to secure his booty. This circumstance
would certainly have ended in bloodshed, had not
chance brought one of the party of my friend,
who darted upon the criminal like an arrow, and
thus wrested his booty from him. His chief
also ran up to restore order ; and when I com-
plained to him, that his people behaved very badly,
he led me, instead of giving me any answer, to a
circle drawn on the ground, about a fathom in
diameter ; here the criminal is compelled to run,
at a short trot, always one way. This punishment
is as painful as it is singular ; and I do not believe
that any body could run long in that manner with-
out flilling down. The old man followed me in his
baydare, wa^ lifted on board, and accompanied by
two distinguished Tschukutskoi, was carried into the

s 3

262 FROM KOTZEBUE's SOUND

cabin, where they all three behaved so decorously,
that they would have served as an example to many
Europeans who have visited our ship. The many
different objects attracted their attention, and
awakened in them, as it appeared to me, very seri-
ous reflections. I gave my guests some tea, with
the use of which they were not acquainted. They
waited to see what 1 would do with my cup, then
followed my example ; and the taste of the sweet
tea pleased them very much. The Tschukutskoi
live in eternal enmity with the Americans ; and my
venerable guest, without hesitation, declared them
all to be bad men. As a proof of his assertion, he
said, that they behaved friendly as long as they
considered themselves weaker ; but robbed and
murdered strangers without hesitation, if they were
strong enough, and were able to do it without dan-
ger ; and, for this reason, he thought they wore
knives in their sleeves, and use their wives to entice
them. Tliey immediately recognized several por-
traits, which M. Choris had taken on the American
coast, by the bones below the under lip ; and one
of my guests cried with vivacity, drawing his knife,
" If I meet such a fellow with two bones, I shall
pierce him through." When I asked them where
the Americans received their iron, he answered,
from Colima. They spoke much upon the sub-
ject, and all our interpreter was able to make
out, was, that the Americans came by water to
the north, near Colima, but we were not able to

TO OONALASHKA. 263

make out whether they traded with the Tschii-
kutskoi or the Russians. I very much regretted
the want of a good interpeter. In half an hour
my old friend left the ship ; he took my presents
with reluctance, because he thought he should not
be able to make me a worthy return. I saw no
such delicacy in the rest, to prevent them from
readily accepting every thing that was offered
them. I gave the old man a sheet of paper, on
which I had expressed my gratitude for his kind
reception ; he seemed to comprehend it, after some
explanation, and carefully preserved it. I also beg-
ged him to have some rein-deer ready for me
against next year ; which he readily promised, add-
ing, that he then hoped to furnish me with a more
abundant supply.

This day, our abode in St. Lawrence Bay ended,
and I will conclude with some remarks and observ-
ations made here. I consider it as superfluous to
give a detailed description of this bay, as it is suf-
ficiently known from Belling*s and SaritschefF's
Voyages. The country, unfruitful and miserable
as it is, appears to me to be rich in fur, of which
we saw a great quantity ; though the Tschukutskoi
would never let us tiade for it. We particularly
often met with the gewratschka, an animal which
builds its habitation (which has two openings) un-
der ground, and is generally sitting before one of
them, and whistling. Its skin makes a light summer
dress ; and the Tschukutskoi, when he wants to

. s 4

264 FROM KOTZEBUE*S SOUND

catch it, obliges it, by pouring water into one of the
openings, to come out of the other. We also met
with a particular kind of mice, which live under
ground. There appear to be no land-birds, as
we did not see a single one.

When a Tschukutskoi admires any thing, he
several times repeats the word, Mezenld ; when he
calls any body, he says, Tumutum, Our vene-
rable friend informed us, that the time of violent
storms was near ; and that the last had only been
a faint wind. He gave us to understand, that in
a real storm, no body w^as able to stand on their
legs, but that they were obliged to lay themselves
flat on the ground.

The rubbing of the nose in saluting is not cus-
tomary here. The whale which had been lately
caught, was washed from the shore by the high
water, in the late storm, and ran a-ground not far
from land, in our neighbourhood ; and as they had
cut much flesh and blubber from the head, the back
part had the preponderance, and sunktothe bottom.
It was there about seven fathoms deep, which was
about two-thirds of the length of the fish. To me
it appeared enormously large ; but I was informed
at Oonalashka that they were sometimes thirty
fathoms long. They are called there, Aliamak; and
I was told, that the people engaged at the opposite
ends of the fish must halloo very loud, to be able to
understand each other.

The latitude of our anchoring-place, according

TO OONALASHKA. 265

to the mean of several observations, was 65° 39'
33". Variation of the magnetic needle, 24° 45' 0".
Latitude of the western point of the low island,
65" 37' 38". Longitude, according to the chrono-
meters, 171° 12' 30".

On the morning of the 29th of August, a faint
north wind arose, of which we immediately took
advantage. At noon we doubled the low island,
when we had a steady N. N. E. wind, and 1 di-
rected my course to the eastern part of St. Law-
rence Bay, to examine it ; after this I intended to
steer to Slioal Ness, to ascertain the extreme navi-
gable edge of it. Towards evening, we lost sight
of land, the wind became violent, and every indi-
cation of a storm, which soon commenced in the
N. E. It raged the most violent at midnight ; and
though our top-sails were close-reefed, yet I feared
that the heavy squalls of wind, caused by the vici-
nity of land, might tear them down ; but I was
obliged to carry sails to avoid the danger of run-
ning on shore. On account of the strong current
in this sea, the waves towered high and pointed,
and quickly succeeding each other, resembled
raging breakers. The little Ilurick was never
tossed about so violently. She was scarcely laid
with one side in the sea, when a second wave laid
her on the other ; and I cannot conceive how the
masts were able to endure such violent motions.
It poured of lain, and a darkness, which obliged
us to grope at random, together with the cur-

260 FROM kotzebue's sound

rent and our nearness to land, rendered our situ-
ation still more dangerous.

On the 30th of August, at seven o'clock in the
morning, the storm abated, and the weather
became serene. Towards noon, the wind, which
was fresh, changed to the N., and, at eight o'clock
in the evening, blew strong from the W. The
waves ran high, but regularly. As I supposed we
M^ere in the neighbourhood of St. Lawrence Island,
I lay to, as 1 could not depend on our ship's reckon-
ing, on account of the current, and might easily
run foul of the island. On the 31st, at four
o'clock in the morning, we continued our course
to the S. S. E., witli a moderate W. wind. The
horizon was covered with thick impenetrable fog j
and, as the determination of the eastern side of St.
Lawrence Island was impossible without consider-
able loss of time, I resolved to sail past it. It was
too important for me to arrive in time at Oona-
lashka, as I should be obliged to send from thence
a messenger to Kodiac, for an interpreter for the
next year. Such a messenger goes in a baydare,
for three persons, along the southern coast from
Alashka. It is impossible to undertake this voy-
age at a later season of the year ; which, even in
summer; may be called a hazardous undertaking,
as it is not seldom that these boats, or posts, as they
are called at Oonalashka, are lost.

At noon we had a glimpse of the sun j and
found the latitude dS"" 13', longitude, by the chro-

TO OONALASHKA. 267

nometers, according to' the ship's reckoning,
167° 54'. From here I directed my course
S. by S. ^ E., to examine Shoal Ness. The depth
decreased by midnight from nineteen fathoms to
fifteen and a half: the bottom consisted of clayey
earth. The wind varied from N. W. to N. E. ; the
weather was dull and rainy.

September 1st. At nine o'clock the wind blew
strong from the N. W. The depth was only thir-
teen fathoms and a half, over a bottom of grey sand.
The wind was so violent, that w^e were obliged to
reef all our sails; the barometer announced a ter-
rible storm ; all this induced me to give up the
examination of Shoal Ness. We were already in
a dangerous situation, as the north-westerly storm
would not permit us to proceed to the W., the only
direction in which we were secure from the shoals.
I steered to the S.W. by W. ^ W., with the top-sails
reefed, which ought properly to have been taken
entirely in, on account of the storm. At eleven
o'clock, the depth had already decreased to nine
fathoms : my anxiety was great, because our situ-
ation was getting worse. Towards noon, we were
suddenly again in fifteen fathoms ; this depth con-
tinued till six o'clock, and increased towards even-
ing ; and we escaped from the threatening danger,
as the wand also fell, and the sky cleared up during
the night.

September 2d. The cheerful rising sun, a sight
of which we had long been deprived, announced a

qQs from kotzebue's sound

fine day ; the wind blew briskly from the W., and
I steered S. by E. to Oonalashka. A little before
noon, I took some altitudes ; and the latitude, cal-
culated from them, was 59° 42' j longitude, accord-
ins: to the chronometers, 1G9° 53'. The depth was
Iwenty-six fathoms, over fine white sand.

The 3d of September. At six o'clock in the
afternoon, the island of St. Paul was descried from
the crow's nest, to S. W., at a distance of twenty
miles ; only three hills were visible, which scarcely
rose above the horizon, probably the highest parts
of the island, which is said to consist of low land.
Many water-fowls fluttered round the ship, and so
fearless, that some of them suffered themselves to
be caught. On the following day, we sailed past
St. George's Island, at a distance of eighteen miles.
It lay to the AV. of us, and the scarcely dawning
day did not allow us to see it more distinctly.

A high N. N. W. wind carried us briskly to
Oonalashka. At eight o'clock in the morning, we
observed a ship in the S., which was hardly visible
in the distance. It was the first we had met since
we left Brazil, and we least of all expected it in
this sea. When we came up with it, at noon, I
hoisted my flag, and the schooner, having done the
same, I perceived that it belonged to the Russian
American Company. I learnt, by a short con-
versation, that it had a cargo of skins from the
islands of St. Paul and St. George, and was bound
with them, to the island of Sitka.

TO OONALASHKA. ^GO

September 5th. After having passed a stormy
night, we were, according to the ship's reckoning,
twenty miles from Oonalashka ; a thick fog, which
concealed the land, deprived us of the hope of
reaching the harbour to-day : it dispersed a little
at five o'clock in the afternoon. We now descried
high land at a very little distance, which I took to
be the N. E. point of the island of Oonalashka ;
but, as it immediately hid the land again, we were
obliged to stand out to sea, and ply, during the
whole night, with a faint N. E. wind, and drizzling
rain.

On the Gth, at day-break, the fog dispersed, and
the N. E. point of the island, which now lay dis-
tinctly before us, was only six miles distant. The
navigator seldom has such a frightful and deso-
late prospect as this island affords, particularly
at its N. E. point. Black masses of lava rise per-
pendicularly out of the sea, to a great elevation,
which is covered with eternal ice. The whole
island seems to consist of nothing but pointed
mountains, lying close to each other ; some of
which are so high, that their tops rise above the
clouds. To-day the prospect was less desolate, as
even the highest summits were cloudless, and the
sun had painted their icy covers with a beautiful
rose-colour. At six o'clock, a faint S. E. wind
arose, which, being contrary, obliged us to tack
during the day, and the whole of the night, in the
vicinity of Oonalashka.

QiyO FROM KOTZEBUE's SOUND

On the 7th of September, a faint, but favourable
N. E. wind arose, of which we directly took advan-
tage, steering to IlliuliukHarbour, where the Ameri-
can Company has a settlement ; but we had scarcely
approached the entrance of the harbour, which is
surrounded by high mountains, when the wind en-
tirely fell. To cast anchor before the entrance is
impossible, as no bottom is found at a hundred
fathoms ; and the momentary gusts of wind, from
different directions, render it dangerous to run in,
as we might easily be driven on shore. In the mean
time, the news of the arrival of a ship in the har-
bour was made known, and the agent of the
American Company, M. Kriukof, approached us
with five large four-and-twenty-oared baydares,
to tow us into the harbour ; an attention which
we all gratefully acknowledged, as we should
otherwise not have been able to reach it to-day.
A great number of Aleutians, in their small single-
oared baydares, whom curiosity had attracted,
were to us a very singular sight. At one o'clock
in the afternoon we cast anchor in the eastern part
of Captain's Harbour, opposite to the village of
Illiuliuk. A ship lies here extremely secure, and
no better harbour could be found in the world, if
it were not for the difficulty of getting in and out.
M, Kriukof had a bath prepared after the Rus-
sian manner, in order to refresh us j and this na-
tional bath, which is indispensably necessary for
the Russians, after so long a voyage, was the more

18

TO OONALASHKA. 271

agreeable, as it reminded us ot" our dear native
country.

Though there are but twelve oxen at Oona-
lashka, and the other Aleutian islands, and these
belonging to the American Company, yet M. Kriu-
kof had one of them killed to-day, and daily sup-
plied my whole crew with fi'esh meat ; he also
furnished us with potatoes, turnips, and radishes,
which are the only kinds of vegetables that thrive
here, from his own garden. These fresh provisions
gave us all new strength, and I had the happiness
of seeing my whole crew in perfectly good health.
On the 8th of September, in the morning, the small
vessel, Tschirik, which we had seen between
Oonalashka and St. Paul, ran into the harbour. I
learnt from M. Binzeman *, the captain of the
vessel, that in very clear weather, an island was to
be seen in the S.W. to west, from the island of St.
Paul, which he had just left : and that he had made
an attempt to find it, but was prevented by the thick
fog. M. Kriukof, who lived some years ago at St.
Paul, also assured me he had seen land from thence
in very clear weather. I have resolved strictly to
examine that part in my voyage to Beering's
Straits next year ; and if this island really exists, I
hope I shall be able to find it.

* A Prussian by birth, who has spent tlie greater part of his
life at sea, where he commanded several merchantmen, and is
now in the service of the American Company.

27^ FROM KOTZEBUK S SOUND

According to my instructions, I was to go from
Oonalashka to the Sandwich islands, that my crew
might liave some time to recover themselves from
their previous hardships, and that I might supply
myself with fresh provision for the approaching
voyage to the South Sea. This plan v/ould certainly
have been good, if I could with confidence depend
on getting them there ; but, according to the news
which all the American captains gave me of the
Sandwich islands, this was not to be hoped for.
Not to come into any embarrassment of this kind,
I resolved to sail to California, to give my crew
some weeks* rest at tlie beautiful harbour of
St. Francisco, while the ship was being repaired,
and supplied with provisions and wood, and from
thence to make only a short visit to the Sandwich
islands.

I could not stay long at Oonalashka, as the na-
vigation is very dangerous at a later season of the
year, on account of the violent storms. I there-
fore ordered that our stock of water should be
taken in as speedily as possible, that we might con-
tinue our voyage. In the mean time, I had drawn
up a list of all I should want the next year, which
I delivered to the agent of the American Com-
pany, who, by the command of the directors at
St. Petersburg, was bound to supply them. They
were as follows :

1st. One baydare of twenty-four oars; two for
one person, and two for three persons. '2. To

TO OOXALASHKA. ^3

have ready fifteen strong and healthy Aleutians,
with their entire equipment, who were skilled in
the management of baydares. 3. To have kalmaicas
of sea-lions' skin ready for the whole crew, whicli
protect the wearer from the rain, and are impene-
trable ; and, 4. To send somebody immediately to
the island of Kodiak, to procure an interpreter,
tln'ongh the agent of the American Company.
This last order was the most difficult, as the season
was already far advanced, and threatened with
constant storms, which expose the small vessel to
the greatest danger, as the landing in the open sea
is very difficult, and often impossible. However, an
interpreter for Beering's Straits was indispensable ;
the expedition was obliged to be undertaken, and
we found three resolute Aleutians, who offered
themselves to undertake this voyage.

September 11th. Yesterday, M. Kriukof gave
the whole crew a dinner on shore, in honour of
St. Alexander's Day ; and, in the afternoon, we
went to a large subterranean dwelling, where a
number of Aleutians had assembled to dance. I
readily believe that their dances and sports in
former times, when they were still in possession of
their liberty, were very different from what they
are now, when slavery has nearly degraded them
to the level of brutes, and when this spectacle is
neither pleasing nor diverting. The orchestra
consisted of three Aleutians, with tambourines,
with which they accompanied a simple, melan-

VOL. I. T

274? FROM kotzebue's sound, kc.

cboly, tune, consisting of only tliree notes Only
one female-dancer appeared at a time, who made
a few springs, without any expression, and then
vanished among the spectators. The sight of these
people, who, with mournful countenances, were
obliged to dance before me, gave me pain ; and
my sailors, who also felt themselves uncomfortable,
commenced, in order to cheer themselves, a joyful
song ; and two of them, placing themselves in the
middle of the circle, executed a national dance.
This sudden transition pleased us all ; and a ray
of pleasure beamed even in the eyes of the Aleu-
tians, who, till now, had. stood with their heads
bowed down. A servant of the American Com-
pany, who had left his native Russia a robust
youth, and had here grown old and grey, now
suddenly rushed in at the door, and cried, with his
folded hands raised to Heaven, " They are Rus-
sians ! they are Russians ! Oh, dear, beloved, na-
tive land !'* His venerable countenance expressed
his delight; tears of joy ran down his pale, emaciated
cheeks, and he concealed himself to indulge in his
feelings. The scene deeply affected me ; I placed
myself in the situation of this old man, while the
remembrance of his happy youth, passed in his
native country, now pressed with sorrow on his
soul. He had come hither, with the hope of pass-
ing a comfortable old age in the bosom of his
family, and was now obliged, like so many others,
to end his days in this desert.

•i7.

CHAP. IX.

FROM OONALASIIKA TO CALIFORNIA.

SEPTEMBER 14th. The preparations on board the
Rurick were complete, the water taken in, and we
were all ready to leave Oonalashka at day-break j
but Dr. Eschscholtz, who had gone out the pre-
ceding evening to botanize, had not yet returned.
At my request, M. Kriukof sent a number of people,
with lanterns, into the mountains, who were fortu-
nate enough to find him before sun-rise. Night
having overtaken him in his excursion, he would
not venture to descend the steep rocks, but re-
solved patiently to await the break of day, on the
elevated spot which he had attained. Our joy
was boundless on the happy return of our amiable
and skilful physician ; and he had scarcely joined
us, when we weighed anchor, and a favourable
wind carried us out of the harbour. The weather
had been pretty warm during our stay at Oona-
lashka ; the snow, which covered the summits of
the mountains, being the only indication of winter.
While I was at Oonalashka, the passage between
the islands of Akun and Oonemak had been re-
commended to me as the safest way into the
ocean, and I directed my course thither.

T '2

276 FROM OONALASIIKA

On the 15th, at day-break, we sailed round the
northern point of the island of Akun, and found
ourselves in the strait, which appeared clear and
free from danger. . The island of Oonemak was
directly before us ; its majestic, lofty, and conical
peak, which occupies the middle of the island, was
free from clouds, and we estimated its height at
five thousand five hundred and twenty -five English
feet. A contrary wind detained us in these parts,
and the weather being fine, gave us an opportunity
of taking latitudes and longitudes, and enabled us
to make a good chart. This strait appears to me
so safe, and spacious, that I can recommend it to
all navigators. On the l6th, at eight o'clock in
the morning, we were in the open sea.

October the 1st. Favoured by a strong wind
from N. andN.W., which sometimes blew a storm,
we made the voyage from Oonalashka to California
in a very short time. At midnight we saw by moon-
light the Cap de los Reyes, and at four o'clock in
the afternoon dropped anchor in Port St. Fran-
cisco, opposite the Presidio. Our little Rurick
seemed to throw the Presidio into no small alarm,
for as we approached the fortress of St. Toaquin,
which lies on a tongue of land, consisting of high
rocks, and forming the southern entrance, we saw
many soldiers on foot and on horseback, and in the
fortress itself they were employed in loading the
cannon. The entrance of the harbour is so narrow,
that you are obliged to pass the fortress within mus-

TO CALIFORNIA. 277

ket-shot. As we drew near, they enquired through
a speaking trumpet, to what nation we belonged,
the Russian Imperial flag not being known here.
Having answered that we were Russians,and friends,
1 fired a salute of five guns, which were answered
by as many from the fort. A full hour elapsed after
we had cast anchor before they troubled themselves
about us; the soldiers had all left the fort, and
posted themselves on the shore opposite our ship.
It at last occured to me, that Vancouver had not
met with any boats here; I therefore sent Lieu-
tenant SchischmareflT, accompanied by M.Chamisso,
on shore, to announce our arrival to the comman-
dant, Don Louis d'Arguello, who received the two
gentlemen very politely, and promised to supply
the Rurick daily with fresh provisions. He im-
mediately sent me a basket of fruit, which was a
welcome present, after we had been so long de-
prived of it. As he had already received from his
government orders respecting us, he likewise des-
patched the same day a courier to Monterey, to
acquaint the Governor of California of our arrival.

October the 3d. Early this morning I was
visited by an artillery-officer, belonging to the Pre-
sidio, sent by the commandant, accompanied by a
priest of the Mission. The former offered us, in
the name of the commandant, all possible accom-
modation ; the priest did the same in the name of
the Mission : gratefully accepting these obliging
offers, I merely expressed a wish to be supplied daily

T 3

27S FROM OONALASIIKA

with fresh provisions for my whole crew. They
found my request extremely moderate, renewed their
promise of supplying us with all the refreshments
the country produced, and already on the same
afternoon sent us a fat ox, two sheep, cabbage,
gourds, and a great quantity of fi uit. After long
abstinence we now enjoyed superfluity, and I con-
gratulated myself on the wholsome diet which
would give my crew new vigour for the long voyage
they were i bout to undertake. It is true, that they
all appeared to enjoy the most robust health, yet
the germ of the scurvy might be already in some
of them, because the hardships which they had en-
dured in Beering's Straits, the total want of fresh
provision, and the damp weather, were well cal-
culated to lay the foundation of that disorder. To
guard as far as possible against this evil, I caused
water-melons, and apples, which were here remark-
ably excellent, to be distributed to them every day
in large quantities.

The following day the festival of St. Francisco
was to be celebrated in the mission, and the priest
invited us all to dinner. This afternoon, accom-
panied by all our gentlemen, I took a walk into-
the Presidio, where we were received at the gate
by the commandant, Don Louis d'Arguello, and
saluted with eight guns, and then conducted to his
residence. I found the Presidio as described by
Vancouver ; the garrison consists of a company of
cavalrv, of which the commandant is chief, and

TO CALIFORNIA. 279

has only one officer of the artiMery under his com-
mand.

The 4th, at eight o'clock in the morning, we all
rowed to shore, and went into the Presidio to ride
to the Mission, according to our promise, in com-
pany with the commandant. The horses were
already saddled, and we began our journey, ac-
companied by ten horsemen, all very fine and ex-
pert men, who manage their carbines and lances
with the dexterity of our Cossacks. They owe
their skill to constant practice, for it is well known,
that the military in California serve only to pro-
tect the Mission against the incursions of the sa-
vages ; besides, they assist the clergy to make
converts among these tribes, and to keep those
already converted in the new faith. The weather
was extremely fine, and an hour's ride brought us
to our journey's end, though above half of the
road was sandy and mountainous. Only a few small
shrubs here and there diversified the barren hills ;
and it was not till we arrived in the neighbourhood
of the Mission, that we met with a pleasant country
and recognized the luxuriant scenery of California.
After passing through a street inhabited by Indians,
which is the name given by the Spaniards here to
the savage tribes, we stopped before a large build-
ing, adjoining the church, the residence of the
missionaries, and were received by five priests, of
whom three belonged to this Mission, and the two
others had come from St. Clara to be present at the

T i

280 FROM OONALASIfKA

celebration of the festival ; they conducted us to
a large, dirty room, plainly furnished, where we
were received with mucli respect. Precisely at
ten we entered the church, which is spacious,
built of stone, and handsomely fitted up, where we
already found several hundred half-naked Indians
kneeling, who, though they understand neither
Spanish nor Latin, are never permitted after their
conversion to absent themselves from mass. As
the missionaries do not trouble themselves to learn
the lanffuao-e of the Indians, I cannot conceive in
what manner they have been instructed in the
Christian religion ; and there is probably but little
light in the heads and hearts of these poor creatures,
who can do nothing but imitate the external cere-
monies which they observe by the eye. The rage
for converting savage nations is now spreading
over the whole South Sea, and causes much mischief,
because the missionaries do not take pains to make
men of them before they make them Christians^
and thus, what should bring them happiness and
tranquillity, becomes the source of bloody wars ; as
for example, in the Friendly Islands, where the
Christians and heathens reciprocally try to exter-
minate each other. I was surprised at observing,
that those who were not baptized were not suffered
to rise from their knees during the whole ceremony ;
they were afterwards indemnified for this exertion
by the church-music, which seemed to afford them
much pleasure, and which was probably the only

TO CALIFORNIA. 281

part they comprehended during the whole service*
Theorchestraconsistedofa violoncello, a violin, and
two flutes ; these instruments were played by little
half-naked Indians, and were very often out of
tune. From the church w^e went to dinner, where
there was abundance of dishes, and wine, which is
made by tlie missionaries themselves. After din-
ner they showed us the habitations of the Indians,
consisting of long, low houses, built of bricks, and
forming several streets. The uncleanliness in these
barracks baffles description, and this is perhaps tlie
cause of the great mortality ; for of a 1000 In-
dians at St. Francisco, 300 die every year. The
Indian girls, of whom 400 are in the mission, live
separate from the men, likewise in such barracks :
both sexes are obliged to labour hard. The men
cultivate the ground ; the harvest is delivered to tlie
missionaries, and stored in magazines; from which
the Indians receive only so much as is necessary
for their support. It serves also for the mainte-
nance of the soldiers of the Presidio ; but they are
obliged to pay a very high price for the flour. The
women spin wool, and weave a coarse stuff, which is
used partly for their ordinary clothing, and partly
exported to Mexico, and exchanged for other ne-
cessary goods. The costume of the Indians is
faithfully represented in the drawings made by
M. Choris. This being a holiday, the Indians
did no w^ork, but, divided into groups, amused
themselves with various pastimes, one of which

28'I FRQM OONALASHKA

requires particular dexterity. Two sit on the
ground opposite each other, holding in their hands
a number of thin sticks, and these being thrown
up at the same time with great rapidity, they im-
mediately guess whether the number is odd or
even ; at the side of each of the players, a per-
son sits, who scores the gain and loss. As
they always play for something, and yet possess
nothing but their clothing, which they are not
allowed to stake, they employ much pains and skill
on little white shells, which serve instead of money.
The coast of California is inhabited by so many
tribes, that there are frequently in the Mission,
Indians of more than ten different races, each of
which has its own language. As we were leaving
the Mission, we were surprised by two groups of
Indians, which were also composed of different
nations. They came in military array ; that is, quite
naked, and painted with gay colours: the heads of
the most were adorned with feathers, and other
finery ; some of them however had their long
disordered hair covered with down, and their faces
daubed in the most frightful manner. There is
nothing remarkable in their war-dance, and I only
regretted that 1 did not understand the words of
their song. The physiognomy of these Indians is
ugly, stupid, and savage, otherwise they are well
formed, tolerably tall, and of a dark brown com-
plexion: the women are short, and very ugly; they
have much of the negro in their countenance, only

17

TO CALIFORNIA. 2^83

that a negro-head may be called handsome in
comparison with theirs: they are principally dis-
tinguished from the negroes by their very long,
smooth, and coal-black hair. Ihe missionaries
assured us that it was difficult to instruct them, on
account of their stupidity ; but I believe that these
gentlemen do not give themselves much trouble
about it. They also told us, that the Indians came
far from tlie interior of tlie country, and voluntarily
submitted to them, (which we likewise doubted,)
that their instruction in religion immediately com-
menced, and that they were baptized sooner or
later, according to their abilities. California is a
great expence to the Spanish government, which
derives no other advantage from it, than that every
year a couple of hundred heathens are converted
to Christianity, who however die very soon in their
new faith, as they cannot accustom themselves to
the different mode of life. Twice in the year they
receive permission to return to their native homes.
This short time is the happiest period of their ex-
istence; and I myself have seen them going home
in crowds, with loud rejoicings. The sick, who
cannot undertake the journey, at least accompany
their happy countrymen to the shore where they
embark, and there sit for days together, mournfully
ffazino; on the distant summits of the mountains
which surround their homes; they often sit in this
situation for several days, without taking any food,
so much does the sight of tlieir lost home affect

284 FROM OONALASHKA

these new Christians. Every time some of those
who have the permission, run away; and they would
probably all do it, were they not deterred by their
fears of the soldiers, who catch them, and bring
them back to the Mission as criminals; this fear is
so great, that seven or eight dragoons are sufficient
to overpower several hundred Indians.

Two large rivers flow into the bay of St. Francis-
co, of which tlie northern is the most considerable,
and is called by the Spaniards Rio-grande. This,
according to the account of the missionaiies, has
not its equal in the world, and is navigable for
the largest vessels ; its banks are fertile, the climate
mild, and the population numerous. The mission-
aries often make excursions on this river, in large
and well-armed boats, to procure proselytes to their
faith, in which, however, they seldom succeed, as the
Indians there are valiant and well-armed. After
taking another cup of chocolate, and thanking
the missionaries for their kind attention, we rode
away, and reached the Rurick in the evening just
as a courier had arrived from Monterey, despatched
by Don Paulo Vicente de Sola, governor of Old
California. He gave me a very polite letter from
the Governor, in which he assured me of his joy at
my safe arrival, and promised to come himself to
Francisco, as soon as his business permitted him,
to convince himself that all my wishes were com-
plied with. At the same time the commandant had
obtained leave at my request, to despatch a messen-

TO CALIFORNIA. QS5

ger to M. Kuskof *, to whom I immediately wrote
to procure me some necessary articles, which he
could easily do, as he traded with tlic American
ships.

October the 5th. The Rurick was obliged to be
caulked, the sails to be repaired, and much rotten
rope to be changed: the necessary w^orks were
favoured by the fine weather. While SchischmarefF
superintended these, I employed myself with the
instruments, which I caused to be brought into a tent
erected on shore, where I observed the daily going
of the chronometers. Our naturalists were also em-
ployed, as there was much room for new discoveries
in this country, so seldom visited by learned men.
M. Choris was busily occupied in painting ; and
when the day had thus quickly passed over in
various kinds of employment, we' assembled in the
evening to enjoy the repose of the beautiful climate,
in which we were joined by the officers of the Pre-
sidio. The soldiers seem as dissatisfied with the
government as with the Mission j and this is not
surprising, as it is already seven years since they
have received any pay, and are destitute of

* M. Kuskof, agent to the Russian American Company, has
settled at Bodega, by the command of M. Baranof, who is at
the head of all the settlements in America; to supply the
possessions of the colony with provisions from thence.
Bodega lies half a day's journey by water to the north of St.
Francisco, and is called by the Spaniards Port Bodega. The
harbour is only for small ships. Kuskof's larger settlement
lies a little north of Port Bodega.

'-28() FROM OOXAT.ASIIKA

almost every article of clothing; besides this, the
inhabitants are entirely without European goods,
as no trading vessel is allowed to enter any harbour
in California ; and it is to be regretted, that this
fine and fruitful country should thus lie entirely
useless.

On the l6th, at five o'clock in the evening,
seven guns from the fortress announced the ap-
proach of the Governor ; and soon after, eight guns
from the Presidio, his arrival there.

The 17th. To-day, to our great joy, a large bay-
dare arrived from M. Kuskof with all the articles
we had asked for. We had the pleasure to entertain
the Governor and his suite, at dinner, in our tent.
His polite and open behaviour pleased us much and
made us very desirous of his acquaintance ; and as
he also seemed to take pleasure in our company,
we saw each other daily either in the Presidio, or
with me. He kindly compHed with all our wishes,
and we were indebted to him, for many agreeable
days.

The 18th. Through the bay dare, which re-
turned to-day, I made known to M. Kuskof, the
wish of the Governor to see him here, to speak to
him respecting his settlements in Bodega. I was
astonished on hearing from the Governor, that
there were many Russian prisoners in California ;
a ship belonging to the Company had ventured on
the coast for the purpose of trading ; and as this
is contrary to the Spanish law, a part of the crew,

TO CALIFORXIA. "28/

who, not suspecting any evil, had ventured on
shore, were seized by the soldiers, and dragged to
prison. By the express orders of the Viceroy of
Mexico, the Governor was not permitted to de-
liver them up to M. Kuskof j but he would give
them up to me, if I would take them away. Un-
fortunately I was unable to accept this offer, on
account of the smallness of the ship ; I could only
take three men, and therefore chose three Russians,
who had suffered for another's fault, and had long
been in the service of the American Company.
Besides these, I also took Mr. Elliot on board, to
leave him, according to his request, at the Sandwich
Islands, from whence he might easily get to M.
Baranof, at Sitka, by a North American ship.
John Elliot de Castro, a native of Portugal, had
come to Sitka, on board an American ship, and
was there engaged by M. Baranof, to go as super-
cargo with the trading ship, bound for California,
where he was made prisoner with the rest of the
crew.

October 23d. To-day, the Governor had pre-
pared us an interesting spectacle, in a fight between
a bull and a bear ; the latter are here so numerous,
that you have only to go a mile from the habit-
ations into the woods, to meet them in great num-
hers. The species is distinguished from ours, by
its pointed head, and its ash-grey colour ; they are
likewise bolder and more lively than ours. Not-
withstanding this, the dragoons here are so active,

288 FROM OONALASHKA

and courageous, that they are sent on horseback
into the forests for a bear as we would order a cook
to bring a goose from the pen. Three dragoons
on horseback, provided only with a noose, are suf-
ficient to overpower a bear ; in this kind of chase,
they endeavour always to keep him in the middle,
and to provoke him. As soon as the furious ani-
mal is going to rush on one of the horsemen, the
other throws the noose, which is fastened to the
saddle by strong thongs, round his fore-leg, and
spurs his horse, by which the bear is thrown down j
the other takes advantage of this moment, and
throws the noose round his hind-leg, and while he
lies without being able to move, the third ties all
his four feet together, and he is thus carried home
without any danger. In this manner, the dragoons
had brought a bear to-day, while others had caught
a wild bull in the same mode. The cattle, which
are left the whole year in the pasture, become wild ;
and when one is to be killed, it is caught in the
same manner, by a couple of horsemen, with
nooses. The combat between these two animals
was remarkable, and though the bull often tossed
his raging antagonist on his horns into the air, he
was at last obliged to yield.

The 29th. After the Governor had had a con-
versation with M. Kuskof, who was come accord-
ing to his request, had satisfied all our wishes, and
saw the Rurick ready to sail, he departed for
Monterey, accompanied by our sincerest thanks.

TO CALIFORNIA. 289

Iwan Strogonof, one of the Russians, wliom I had
taken here on board, liad been so much hurt on
the chace by his powder-horn taking fire, that he
expired in spite of the skill and careful attention
of our surgeon.

November the 1 st. The Rurick was now again
(juite in order ; the going of the chronometers had
been carefully determined, and all the instruments
brought on board. We had been abundantly sup-
plied with provisions by the inhabitants ; my crew
were all in good health, and, favoured by the tide,
and a N. E. wind, we quitted our anchoring-place
at nine o'clock, saluted the fortress, and at ten
o'clock were out of the bay. When we were two
miles out at sea, we could still hear the loud
howhngs of the sea-lions, which were lying on the
shore on the stones. Sea-otters are found in great
numbers on the coast of California, and as they
had never been seen there in former times, it
is probable they have come from the Aleutian
islands, and the northern part of America, to
escape the pursuit to which they are there ex-
posed.

After repeated observations on shore, I obtained
the following result.
Latitude 37° 48' 33" north ; longi-
tude, calculated according to
the distances of the sun and
moon, of which 125 were taken
on difl[erent days - - - 1'22° 12' 30" W.

VOL. I. V

290 FROM OONALASHKA TO CALIFORNIA.

The dip of the magnetic needle - 62° 46' 00''
The variation of the magnetic

needle - - - - 16 5 00 E.

The mean of our observations in St. Francisco,
gave, for the time of high water, at new and full
moon, one hour and fifty minutes. The greatest
difference in the height of the water, was near seven
feet.

After we had gone some distance from land, we
had a strong N. W. wind, which is usual on these
coasts, and sailed briskly forwards.

5^91

CHAP. X.

FROM THE COAST OF CAL-IFORNIA TO THE SAND-
WICH ISLANDS.

November the 11th: latitude 25° 5' 55" -, longi-
tilde 138" 1' 16' . A favourable wind from N.N. W.
and N. E., which had hitherto accompanied us,
left us in the preceding night. Violent gusts
from the S.W. continued, united with rain, and the
sky totally covered. At eight o'clock in the even-
ing, when it was already quite dark, we observed
the sky, in the zenith, for fifteen seconds, so strongly
illuminated, that objects on the quaiter-deek were
as distinguishable as by day -light.

On the 13th, we were already in latitude 23°
46', without having yet met with the monsoon ; on
the contrary, the S.W. wind was still more constant,
and at last so violent, that we w^ere obliged to take
in a couple of reefs. A constant S.W. wind at this
distance from the land, between the tropics, is a
phenomenon quite new to me, which is worthy of
notice.

The I6th : latitude 22° 34' ; longitude 140° 25'.
At last, after a calm, a wind arose from the N.E.,
and we had the trade-wind, which we had so long
expected j a change which was probably caused by

u 2

292 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

the eclipse of the sun. As long as the wind con-
tinued S. W., we remarked every evening much
liglitning in the south.

The society of Mr. EUiot de Castro, who possess-
ed much natural understanding, was very agree-
able to us. Impelled by a desire to become suddenly
rich, he had tried his fortune in all parts of the
world J but as soon as he had acquired a little
fortune, he lost it again by ill-judged speculations,
and was even once imprisoned inBuenos-Ayres, and
afterwards in California. I was very much pleased
on hearing that Mr. Elliot had, two years before,
resided some time in the Sandwich Islands, as
physician and chief favourite of the king, Tamaah-
maah. The king had made him a present of much
land, (which he still considered as his property,)
and he succeeded very well ; but still striving at
wealth, the hope of gain induced him to go to
Sitka, to M. Baranofl^ where he expected to grow
suddenly rich ; and in consequence of which, he
got acquainted with the prison of California, as
my readers already know. Mr. Elliot possesses a
real knowledge of medicine, and was for several
years surgeon to the hospital at Rio Janeiro. His
acquaintance with King Tamaahmaah was after-
wards of great service to us.

November the 21st. At one o'clock in the
afternoon, we w^ere distant only fitly miles from
Owhyee, and were in sight of the mountain,
Mouna lloa. By Elliott advice, I determined

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 293

first to sail round tlie north side of Owhycc, in
order to obtain, in Tocaliai Bay, where the Englisli-
man, Yonng, lived, information respecting l)otli
the situation of the island, and the present resi-
dence of tiic king. This precaution seemed to me
to be tlie more necessary, because, in case Ta-
maahmaah should happen to be dead, we ought to
know how the people were disposed tow^ards tlie
Europeans. Besides this, the king often lives on
the island of Woahoo, and j^ou save a considerable
distance by avoiding the soutliern point of Owhyee,
where the lofty MounaRoa detains the navigator by
calms. According to Elliot's assurance, provisions
could not be obtained, but by bargaining with the
king himself; because the inhabitants have not
the liberty of supplying the ships. At sunset, we
were near the island ; sailed along the north part,
kept to the east side during the niglit, and, at day-
break, steered towards the northern point, which,
on the 22d, at noon, lay S.W., at the distance of
eleven miles. The north-east side of Owhyee
affords to the mariner a picturesque, but not in-
viting prospect. The land rises regularly and
gradually to an elevation, which loses itself in the
clouds. It is said that the island is not fruitful on
this side; but, to judge from the number of
columns of smoke which we saw rise, it must be
very populous. Elliot assured us, that the piece
of ground which he possessed on this side, could
only be used as a pasture for his hogs. A canoe,

u 3

294> FROM CALIFORNIA TO

with two men, rowed towards us ; and as I lay-to,
in hopes of obtaining some information here, one
of the islanders immediately came on board, who
offered to sell iis a fowl, and some ropes of his own
manufacture. Elliot, who understood his lan-
guage, was directly recognized by him as the Naja
(so the king called him), and with much trouble
drew from him the intelligence that the king was
in the bay of Karakakooa, and Young (Old Hanna)
in the island of Woahoo. The reserved and sus-
picious manner of the savage made us doubt the
truth of his statement ; and Elliot was of opinion,
that some disagreeable circumstance had occurred
on the island, which required the greatest precau-
tion. While we were engaged with the islander,
the boat, which was fastened with a rope to the
ship, was upset, and the man sitting in it fell out,
but he immediately seized the rope, and suffered
himself to be dragged behind the ship, though we
were sailing very fast. We were astonished at the
strength of this man ; we lay-to, and our dealer
leaped into the sea to untie the boat ; hereupon
both the men had mucli trouble to right it, and to
bale out the water, as the high waves contimially
dashed over it. As all this was done swimming,
the reader may form some notion of their expert-
ness in this art. They w^ere at last seated, but they
had no oars, having lost them when the boat upset.
An European would not have known how to help
himself; they were, however, not at all embar-

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. ^95

rassed, for they found their safety In their strength,
and rowed with their hands, briskly forwards. At
two o'clock in the afternoon, we doubled the
north point, and sailed, at a distance of three quar-
ters of a mile, along the shore, to Tocahai Bay.
Ships, which double the north point of Woahoo,
must be very careful not to lose the oars, as sud-
den gusts of wind generally come from shore :
some Americans, who were negligent, have lost
theirs in this place. We now plainly distin-
guished the objects on shore, and enjoyed a
very pleasing prospect of green fields, and many
dwellings, shaded by bananas and palm-trees. We
saw here several morals, whicli belong to the chiefs
of these parts, and may be recognized by the stone
fence, and the idols placed in them. Several ca-
noes, filled with girls, rowed up to us ; but as I had
no time to show the politeness due to the fair sex,
1 sailed quickly on, in order to reach Karakakooa
Bay as soon as possible, where I hoped to find Ta-
maahmaah. The north point of Owhyee consists
of low land, which rises in a strait line under an
acute angle, into the region of tlie clouds. As
soon as you reach these parts, the monsoon has no
longer any effect, and you may expect sea and
land winds, frequently interrupted by total calms,
and light breezes from every point of the compass ;
this was our case near Tocahai Bay, where the
wind entirely died away. We now saw Young's
settlement of several houses built of white stone,

u 4

29C FROM CALIFORNIA TO

after the European fashion, surrounded by pahii
and banana trees ; the land has a barren appear-
ance, and is said to be httle adapted to agriculture,
as it consists, for the most part, of masses of lava.
A canoe, with six people, took advantage of the
calm to come on board ; and, being the king's
subjects, (Kanakas, a name given to the lower
class in the Sandwich islands,) they all recognized
Mr. Elliot as the Naja; one of them, who had been
a sailor on board an American ship in Boston,
spoke a little English, and was a clever fellow ; he
remained on board, at ElUot's request, to pilot our
ship. He was of opinion that the king was in Ka-
rakakooa, and that Young had been sent on busi-
ness to Woahoo ; he farther told us, that there
were lying at anchor two ships at Woahoo, and
one at Karakakooa, all with the American flag, of
which the latter had lost all her masts in a violent
storm near the Sandwich islands. When our
pilot learned that he was on board a Russian
ship, he became very uneasy ; and, on Mr. Elliot's
questioning him about the ground of his appre-
hension, he stated as follows : Five months since,
two Russian ships, belonging to the American
Company, (the Elemenia and the Discovery,) had
stopped here ; there had been some disputes be-
tween the Russians and the natives, in which the
latter, according to the account of the relater, ap-
peared in a very favourable liglit. When the ships
left the Sandwich islands, tliev had threatened to

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 297

return v^ery soon witli a strong force, and had like-
wise mentioned a ship of war, whose views were
also hostile to the inhabitants. We now under-
stood the uneasiness shown by the first islander,
and it w'as with much difficulty that Mr. Elliot
prevented our savage, who wanted to escape us by
jumping into the sea ; while we assured him tliat
w^e had come solely for the piu'pose of repairing
the injury done by our countrymen to his people.
I was very ghid to have received all this inform-
ation before my interview with Tamaahmaah, who,
being incensed against the Russians, might easily
take our ship for the expected hostile man-of-war.
I now doubly felt how useful Elliot was to us, as
he might become here, in some measure, our
guardian genius. A perfect calm detained us
this day on the same spot.

November the 23d. We made but little pro-
gress all this day for want of wind. Early in the
morning we were visited by a canoe, for the ])ur-
pose of enquiring what our vessel was. They
brought us news, at the same time, that the king
had left Karakakooa, and had gone to Ti-utatua, a
small bay a few miles to the north, where he would
only remain for the night, and in the morning
proceed farther northward along the coast to tlie
boneto fishery. I therefore immediately dispatched
the canoe to the king with the information, that a
Russian ship of war had come with friendly inten-
tions, the commander of which wished to speak

13

298 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

with his Majesty, and therefore requested him not
to leave Ti-utatua, where he hoped to arrive to-
morrow: the Naja also announced his arrival to
the king. During the night a fresh breeze carried
us near to Ti-utatua. The current set by day
towards the south, and at night towards the north,
parallel with the coast, which is a consequence of
the land and sea winds.

November the 24th. At day-break we ap-
proached the bay ; several boats, sent by the king,
came to meet us, and I embraced this opportunity
of sending Elliot and our gentlemen on shore, to
acquaint the king with the object of our voyage.
As the island of Owhyee does not aiford a conve-
nient harbour, I had determined as soon as I had
settled with the king respecting the delivery of the
provisions, to sail to the island of Woahoo, where
Elliot assured me there was a very safe harbour,
not mentioned by any preceding navigator. 1 left
the Rurick, got under sail, and made short tacks
close in shore. We saw the American ship which
had been lying at Karakakooa, sailing to Ti-utatua,
where she cast anchor, though the bay is not secure,
being open, and the bottom consisting of corals.
At eight o'clock in the morning Elliot had happily
executed his commission advantageously for us,
and came on board with two of the most distin-
guished chiefs of the country, of whom one was
the queen's brother ; and these welcomed us in
the name of the king. They were two extremely

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 299

tall Herculean figures, whose dress, in the newest
fashion of Owhyee, struck us very much, as it
merely consisted of a black frock, and a small white
straw hat. 1 learnt from Elliot that the king had
really expected the hostile ship of war, and had
immediately given orders to station soldiers all
along the coast ; they were all prepared, and con-
sisted already of 400 men, armed with muskets.
The king sent me word that he was very sorry not
to be able to visit me on board my ship, as his mis-
trustful people would not suffer him, but for his
own part he had a better opinion of us, after his
Naja had acquainted him with the object of our
voyage ; and, as a proof of his friendly intentions,
he invited me to his camp, where he would enter-
tain me with a pig baked in the ground. He had
ordered, for my security, that one of the chiefs
should remain on board as long as I stayed on
shore, and accordingly I rowed on shore at ten
o'clock, accompanied by Messrs. Elliot and Schisch-
marefF, and a chief named John Adams.* The
view of the king's camp was concealed only by a
narrow tongue of land, consisting of naked rocks,
but when w^e had sailed round we were surprised
at the sight of the most beautiful landscape. We
found ourselves in a small sandy bay of the
smoothest water, protected against the waves of
the sea j on the bank was a pleasant wood of pal m-

• It is the custom here to take the names of the Europeans
with whom a friendship has been contracted.

SOO FROM CALIFOUKIA TO

trees, under whose sliade were built several straw
houses ; to the right, between the green leaves of
the banana-trees, peeped two snow-white houses,
built of stone, after the European fashion, on which
account this place has the mixed appearance of an
European and Owhyee village, which afforded us
a new, but charming prospect ; to the left, close
to the water, on an artificial elevation, stood the
Moral of the king, surrounded by large wooden
statues of his gods, representing caricatures of the
human figure. The back-ground of this valley is
formed by the high, majestic Mouna Wororay, the
height of which, according to my estimation, is
1687 toises ; it rises on this side pretty steep ; its
ascent is varied by green fields and vales, with
beautiful woods, between which you frequently
perceive very large and overhanging rocks of lava,
which give the whole landscape, by this mixture
of wnldness and cultivation, a most picturesque
appearance. A number of islanders, armed with
muskets stood on the shore ; the king came to
meet us as far as the landing-place, with some of
his most distinguished warriors, and when we got
out of the boat he came up to me, and cordially
shook me by the hand. Curiosity brought the
people from all sides, but the greatest order pre-
vailed, and no noise or importunity was permitted.
I now stood at the side of the celebrated Tamaah-
maah, who had attracted the attention of all Eu-
I'ope, and who inspired me wath the greatest con-

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. .'30l

tidence by his unreserved and friendly behaviour.
He conducted me to his straw palace, which, ac-
cording to the custom of the country, consisted
only of one spacious apartment, and, like all the
houses here, afforded a free draught both to the
land and sea breezes, which alleviates the oppres-
sive heat. They offered us European chairs, very
neatly made, placed a mahogany table before us,
and we were then in possession of all the furniture
of the palace. Though the king has houses built
of stone in the European fashion, he prefers this
simple dwelling, not to forsake the customs of his
country ; he imitates every thing he knows to be
useful, and tries to introduce it among his people ;
palaces built of stone appeared to him superfluous,
as the straw houses are convenient, and as he only
wishes to increase the happiness, and not the wants
of his subjects. Tamaahmaah's dress, which con-
sisted of a white shirt, blue pantaloons, a red
waistcoat, and a coloured neckcloth, surprised me
very much, for I had formed very different notions
of the royal attire. He, however, sometimes
dresses very splendidly, having several embroidered
uniforms, and other articles of dress. The distin-
guished personages present at our audience, who
had all seated themselves on the ground, wore a still
more singular costume than the king ; for the
black frocks look very ludicrous on the naked
body ; add to this, that they seldom fit, being
purchased of American ships, where the people

SO'2 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

are not always so tall and so robust as the chiefs of
the Sandwich Islands. One of the ministers had
the waist half way up his back ; the coat had been
buttoned with the greatest difficulty ; he perspired
in his tight state dress ; his distress was very evi-
dent, but fashion would not suffer him to relieve
himself of this inconvenience. It is very singular
that the savages should surpass the Europeans in
bearing the inconveniencies which the power of
fashion imposes on them. The sentinels at the door
were quite naked j a cartridge-box and a pair of
pistols were tied round their waist, and they held
a musket in their hand. Afler the king had
poured out some very good wine, and had him-
self drunk to our health, I made him acquainted
with my intention of taking in fresh provisions,
water, and wood. A young man of the name of
Cook, the only white whom the king had about
him, was quick, not without education, and spoke
fluently the language of the country ; he had for-
merly served as pilot on board a ship, but had been
settled on the island for several years. He was a
favourite with the king, and was in possession of a
considerable portion of land ; he acted as inter-
preter between us. Tamaahmaah desired him to
say to me as follows : — " I learn that you are the
commander of a ship of war, and are engaged in a
voyage similar to those of Cook and Vancouver,
and consequently do not engage in trade ; it is
therefore my intention not to carry on any with

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 303

you, but to provide you gratis with every thing
that my islands produce. This affair is now set-
tled, and no further mention need be made of it.
I shall now beg you to inform me, whether it is
with the consent of your emperor that his subjects
begin to disturb me in my old age ? Since Ta-
maahmaah has been king of these islands, no
European has had cause to complain of having
suffered injustice here. 1 have made my islands
an asylum for all nations, and honestly supplied
with provisions every ship that desired them.
Some time ago there came from the American
settlement of Sitka some Russians, a nation with
whom I never had any intercourse before ; they
were kindly received, and supplied with every
thing necessary ; but they have ill-rewarded me,
for they behaved in a hostile manner to my sub-
jects in the island of Woahoo, and threatened us
with ships of w^ar, which were to conquer these
islands ; but this shall not happen as long as
Tamaahmaah lives ! A Russian physician, of the
name of Scheffer, who cam^ here some months ago,
pretended that he had been sent by the Emperor
Alexander to botanize on my islands ; as I had
lieard much good of the Emperor Alexander, and
was particularly pleased with his bravery, I not
only permitted M. Scheffer to botanize, but also
promised him every assistance j made him a pre-
sent of a piece of land, with peasants, so that he
could never want for provisions 5 in short I tried

304 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

to make liis .stay as agreeable as possible, and to
refuse none of his demands. But what was the
consequence of my hospitality ? Even before he
left Owhyee, he repaid my kindness with ingrati-
tude, which I bore patiently. Upon this, according
to his own desire, he travelled from one island to
another ; and, at last, settled in the fruitful island
of Woahoo, where he proved himself to be my
most inveterate enemy ; destroying our sanctuary,
the Moral ; and exciting against me, in the island
of Atooi, King Tamary, who had submitted to my
power years before. SchefFer is there at this very
moment, and threatens my islands." Such was the
account given by the king ; for the truth of
which I can only say, that Tamaahmaah highly
distinguishes every European who settles in his
islands, if his conduct be good ; and that he is
generally known to be an upright and honest man.
I am not personally acquainted with M. Scheffer,
but have since learnt the manner in which he came
to the Sandwich Islands. He had served as phy-
sician on board the Suwaroff, belonging to the
Russian American Company, which went, in 1814,
from Cronstadt to Sitka, under the command of
Lieutenant Lasaref. From motives unknown to
me, Lieutenant Lasaref left Dr. SchefFer, in 1815,
at Sitka, and returned to Europe without a phy-
sician. M. Baranof, who generally resides at
Sitka, as director of all the Russian American
colonies, and whose character is but indifferent,

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 305

took him under his protection, and sent him to the
Sandwich Islands ; with what intention is not
known. How he conducted himself there, the
reader has been informed.

I assured Tamaahmaah that the bad conduct of
the Russians here must not be ascribed to the will of
our emperor, who never commanded his subjects to
do an unjust act; but that the extent of his empire
prevented him from being immediately informed
of bad actions, which, however, never remained
unpunished, when they came to his knowledge.
The king seemed very much pleased on my assuring
him, that our emperor never intended to conquer
his islands; the glasses were immediately filled, to
drink the health of the emperor; he was even more
cordial than before, and we could not have desired
a more agreeable and obliging host. He conversed
with a vivacity surprising at his age, asked us vari-
ous, questions respecting Russia, and made observ-
ations. Cook was not always able to translate the
w^ords that the king used, which were peculiar
to the Owhyee language, and so witty, that his
ministers often laughed aloud. One of Tamaah-
maah*s wives passed by our house, and in a friendly
manner, wished me a good morning through the
door, but she was not allowed to enter, it being the
king's eating-house. With the king's permission,
we took a walk, accompanied by Cook, and a guard
of honour of five naked soldiers. We visited the
favourite queen Kahumanna, mentioned by Van-

VOL. I. X

S06 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

couven we found her with the two other wives, and
were very poUtely received by all. The house
which Kahumanna inhabits, is built very neatly,
and is very cleanly in the interior 5 the entrance-hall,
in which the three wives were seated, according to
the Asiatic fashion, was covered with fine and ele-
gant mats, and she herself was pretty closely wrapped
up in the finest cloth of the country. Kahumanna
was seated in the middle, and the two other ladies
on either side; and I had the honour to be invited
to sitdown opposite to them, likewise on theground.
They put to me several questions, which I answered
to their satisfaction through Cook. Water-melons
were brought, and Kahumanna was polite enough
to cut one, and hand me a piece. The chief em-
ployment of the royal ladies consists in smoking to-
bacco, combing their hair, driving away the flies with
a fan, and eating. Tamaahmaah himself does not
smoke, otherwise this custom has become so general
in the Sandwich Islands, within these few years,
that young children smoke before they learn to walk,
and grown-up people have carried it to such an ex*
cess, that they have fallen down senseless, and often
died in consequence.* They do not want pipe tubes,
but the pipe heads, which, according to the custom
of the country, they have always hanging at their
side, constitute a part of the royal ornaments;

* The tobacco plant, which has been introduced by Eu-
ropeans, is carefully cultivated, and has become indigenous :
the smell is very agreeable, but the tobacco extremely strong-

THE SAXDWICII ISLANDS. 307

these were of the size of the largest German pipes,
made of dark wood, and mounted with brass, but
which only rich people can procure. Kahumanna
took a few whiffs with evident pleasure ; she then
swallowed a part of the smoke, and emitted the
rest through her nostrils. Half dizzy she gave me
the pipe, and as I declined, she, astonished at my
European stupidity, gave it to her neighbour, who,
after a short enjoyment of it, gave it to the third
wife. As soon as the pipe was emptied, a fresh one
was filled, and went round in the same manner.
The second employment of the ladies is to dress
their hair, which is cut short after their fashion ;
only over the forehead they let it grow a couple of
inches long, smear it with a white sticky substance,
and comb it back ; the snow white streaks which
by this mode rise above the dark brown counte-
nance, give it a ludicrous appearance. All the
three queens were very large, corpulent women,
who had lived to above half a century, and did not
look as if they had ever been handsome. Their
dress was distinguished from that of the other
ladies by various silk handkerchiefs. Before the
door, on a mat, was seated the king's daughter, a
tolerably handsome girl ; behind her stood a little
negro boy, holding a silk umbrella over her head
to protect her from the rays of the sun ; two other
boys, with tufts of red feathers, drove away the flies
from her : the whole group had a pleasing effect.
When I was about to rise, Kuhumanna held me

X 2

308 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

back to inquire with much kindness after Van-
couver, who, during his stay there, had found
Tamaahmaah at variance with Kahumanna, and
had reconciled them. She seemed much affected
at the news of his death. After we had left the
king's wives, we visited his son. Cook informed
me that this prince, as successor to the throne, had
already begun to exercise the rights of his father,
which consist in the fulfilling of the most import-
ant taboos.* Tamaahmaah has ordered this from
political motives, that no revolution may arise after
his death ; for as soon as the son fulfils the most im-
portant taboo, he is sacred, is associated with the
priests, and nobody dare dispute the throne with
him. The prince, as soon as he is admitted into the
rights of his father, receives the name of Lio-Lio,
that is, dog of all dogs ; and such we really found
him. We entered a neat and small house, in which
Lio-Lio, a tall, corpulent, and naked figure, was
stretched out on his stomach, and just indolently
raised his head to look at his guests ; near him sat se-
veral naked soldiers armed with muskets, who guard-
ed the monster ; a handsome young native, with a
tuft of red feathers, drove away the flies from him,
and from his interesting countenance and becoming
behaviour, I should rather have taken him for the
king's son. Tamaahmaah, who, by his wise govern-

* The first taboo of the king's son consists in this, that no-
body is allowed to see him by day ; if any person is so unfor-
tunate, he must expiate his transgression by death.

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 309

nient, has acquired permanent glory, and has laid
the foundation for the civilization and improve-
ment of his people, ought to have a successor
capable of prosecuting with zeal and judgment
the work which he has begun. It would be very
important for navigation, if the Sandwich Islands
were on a level with Europe in civilization j and
the English, who have taken these islands under
their protection, should take care that, after Ta-
maahmaah's death, a sensible man may succeed,
and every revolution be avoided. Tamaahmaah
deserves to have a monument erected to him. The
dog of all dogs at last rose very lazily, and gaped
upon us with a stupid vacant countenance My
embroidered uniform seemed to meet his approba-
tion, for he held a long conversation about it with
a couple of naked chamberlains. I could not
learn his age, as no account is kept of it. I guess
it may be about twenty-two years, and am of
opinion, that his enormous corpulency is occasioned
by his constant lying on the ground.

At dinner time, we returned to Tamaahmaah's
residence, where I was surprised to see on the shore
barges, sixty or seventy feet long, built quite in
the European fashion, which are employed to con-
vey provisions from one island to another. Tamaah-
maah exerts himself to draw European ship-wriglits
to his country, and pays them liberally for their in-
struction. During our walk, we were always ac-
companied by a number of men and women, joking

X 3

310 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

and making much noise, but at the same time be-
having with great propriety. We were veiy kindly
received by Tamaahmaah, who, after inquiring
how I Uked the place, ordered wine to be brought,
and conducted us to a neat house, built near the
moral, where we found the table already laid out,
after the European fashion. He pretended, that
no pork was allowed to be eaten, in the house in
which we had first been, because his wives lived
near it ; but Young, who was perfectly acquainted
with the king's character, gave me a very different
reason : he was of opinion, that the king had
chosen the house near the moral, in which he ge-
nerally holds his sacrificial repasts, for our house
of entertainment, because he desired to offer the
hog baked for our repast to his gods, out of grati-
tude for the reconciliation with the Russians.
The women dare not be present at the meals of the
men, on pain of death ; for which reason every
family, besides their dwelling house, has two others,
one for the repasts of the men, and one for those
of the women. The table was laid only for us
Europeans, and the king and his ministers partook
of nothing, though they were present ; because, he
said, that pork was tabooed (forbidden) to-day.
The hog, which was laid on a palm branch, on the
middle of the table, was cut up by one of the min-
isters, with various ceremonies ; and besides this
dish, we had sweet potatoes, yams, and baked taro-
roots. The king was very talkative during the

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 311

entertainment ; he sometimes conversed with me,
and then with his ministers, who could not refrain
from laughing at his conceits. He is fond of wine,
but does not indulge in it to excess ; and was al-
ways anxious to fill our glasses. After having
severally drank the health of all his guests, after
the English fashion ; he desired us to drink the
health of our emperor in a bumper ; and when
this was done, one of his ministers presented me
with a collar of coloured feathers, of admirable
workmanship, which the king had worn himself
on solemn days ; as, for example, in time of war.
He then said to me, through Cook, though he
speaks tolerably good English himself^ " I have
heard that your monarch is a great hero ; I love
him for it, because I am one myself; and I send
him this collar, as a testimony of my regard." After
we had dined, and left the house, the king was
very anxious tliat my rowers should be well enter-
tained ; he gave orders to this effect, to one of the
chiefs, and the table was immediately laid out
again. They were obliged to sit down, and were
served with the same attention as had been shown
us. The sailors were certainly never in their lives
treated with so much ceremony ; for each of them
had, like us, a Kanaka standing behind him, with a
tuft of feathers to drive away the flies. Tamaah-
maah*s first walk was to the moral ; he embraced
one of the statues, which was hung round more
than the others, with fruits and pieces of a sacri-

X 4

312 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

ficed hog, saying, " These are our gods, whom I
worship ; whether I do right or w^rong, I do not
know; but I follow my faith, which cannot be
wicked, as it commands me never to do wrong."
This declaration from a savage, who had raised
himself by his own native strength of mind to this
degree of civilization, indicated much sound sense,
and inspired me with a certain emotion. While
the king is gone into the morai, nobody is allowed
to enter ; and during that time we admired the
Colossal idols, cut in wood, and representing the
most hideous caricatures. Tamaahmaah soon re-
turned, conducted us to the house in which he had
first received us ; and w^e took our place as before,
on chairs, while the distinguished personages seated
themselves on the ground. It was now near the time
in which Tamaahmaah was accustomed to dinej
he made an apology for eating in our presence,
and said, " I have seen how the Russians eat ; now
you may satisfy your curiosity, and see how Ta-
maahmaah eats." The table w^as not set out ; but
the dinner was ready placed in a distant corner,
on banana leaves, which served instead of dishes ;
particular attendants, bending very low, brought it
near to the king, where it was received by a chief,
and placed on the table. The repast consisted of
boiled fish, yams, taro-roots, and a roasted bird, a
little larger than a sparrow, which lives on the
summits of the mountains. It is very rare, and is a
dish only for the royal table. The king ate very

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 313

quick, and with a good appetite, conversing, how-
ever, all the time. Instead of bread, he ate the
taro-doiigh, which, when diluted with water, be-
comes a soft pap ; and, though the king posses-
ses very handsome table-utensils, it stands in a
gourd-shell at his right hand, in which he dips his
forefinger when he eats fish or flesh, and dexter-
ously stuffs a good portion of it in his mouth ; and
this slovenly way of eating is observed from the
king down to the lowest menial. Tamaahmaah,
who, during the whole repast, had made use only of
his fingers, perceived very well that I attentively
observed his motions, and said to me, " This is the
custom in my country, and I will not depart from
it!"

The bearer of his spitting-tray does not quit
him a moment, as he always holds the tray ready,
which is made of wood, in the form of a snuff-box,
and provided with a lid, which is opened when the
kins: intends to make use of it, and then imme-
diately closed. This careful preservation of the royal
saliva, is in consequence of a superstition, that so
long as they are in possession of this treasure their
enemies are not able to send him any sickness by
conjuration. After the king had dined, it was at last
agreed what provisions I was to receive from Woa-
hoo; theyconsisted of forty-three hogs, a proportion-
ate number of fowls, and geese, every kind of fruit
which the island produces, and as much wood as 1
wished to have. Tamaahmaah told me that he had

3li> FROM CALIFORNIA TO

sent for a confidential friend, who should accompany
ine to Woahoo, and see that his orders were punctu-
ally obeyed j besides this, that I must have a compa-
nion to be able to put into the harbour of Woahoo,
this not being permitted to any Russian ship. This
highly generous conduct of a half savage monarch
exceeded my expectations, and I was now more fully
convinced that, as a king, Tamaahmaah will not be
easily replaced, his government being so greatly
distinguished for justice, the instruction of his sub-
jects, and the introduction of useful arts. To give
him some testimony of my gratitude, I presented
him, in the name of the emperor, with two brass
mortars (eight pounders) with all their appendages,
on the carriages of which the name Rurick, was
carved ; a present which seemed to give him great
pleasure. Besides this, I presented him with a
quarter of a pipe of wine, as his stock was exhausted,
and promised to send him some iron bars, from
Woahoo, which were necessary to build boats. I
was very happy in being able to return his presents
with articles useful to him. Some very fine large ap-
ples, which I had brought with me from California,
were quite new to the king. He immediately shared
them with his ministers, and, as every body found
them very agreeable, the pips were preserved to
make a trial, whether these trees would thrive here,
of which I make no doubt. The skill of our painter
was much admired, he having, with great rapidity,
taken portraits of some of the chiefs, which were

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 315

extraordinary likenesses. Even Tamaalunaah look-
ed with surprise at the work of M. Choris, but long
resisted my entreaties to suffer himself, as they here
express it, to be transferred to paper: probably,
because he connected some idea of magic with
this art. It was not till I had represented to him,
how happy our emperor would be to possess his
likeness, that he consented, and, to my great as-
tonishment, M. Choris succeeded in taking a very
good likeness of him, though Tamaahmaah, in
order to embarrass him, did not sit still a moment,
and made all kinds of faces, in spite of my en-
treaties. At five o'clock in the afternoon, we took
leave of the king, who again repeated that we should
want for nothing in the island of Woahoo. As our
companion had not yet arrived, I promised to lay-
to, near the coast, to wait for him. He considered
as a great rarity, a handsome tame horse, which
the king had received from America, by an Ameri-
can ship, and which he suffered to run about un-
restrained. A number of little boys had trodden
the sand on the shore quite smooth, and with the
assistance of a stick, had with much skill drawn
the Rurick under sail. I was obliged, though with
great regret, to part from Elliot de Castro, who
had promised to accompany me to Woahoo; but
the king wished to have his physician and Naja
again about him, and tliis request I could not refuse.
Without the presence of Mr. Elliot, we should
probably have fallen victims to the faults of others j

3i6 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

and we indisputably owe to him the friendly recep-
tion that we met with here. We had been cruizing
a couple of hours, and our companion did not yet
appear; the sun set, and as our nearness to the coast
might be dangerous in the dark, I fired some guns
to put the king in mind of us. At eight o'clock,
Mr. Cook at length appeared, with our companion,
who had been unable to come before, as he lived
far in the interior of the island; he was a lively man,
endowed with natural understanding, of the name of
Manuja, who, though he was not one of the chief
people of the country, was, however, honoured in
the highest degree with the confidence of the king,
which was especially evinced by his entrusting to
his care the most valuable European goods, from
his store. Cook told us, that Tamaahmaah never
regarded the rank of his subjects; that he generally
chose his confidants from the lower classes, and
was seldom deceived in his choice. He behaves to
his great men with justice indeed, but with rigour,
and as he places little confidence in them, they are
obliged to accompany him on his journeys, by which
he deprives them of the opportunity to throw off
his authority by a conspiracy. They have not
forgotten that Tamaahmaah is the conqueror of
their lands, and is now sole monarch, and they
would certainly attempt to conquer their property,
if he did not know so well how to keep them in
his power.

With the assistance of a faint breeze from the

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 317

land, whicli always prevails some hours after sun-
set, we began our voyage to Woahoo. 1 ad-
vise every navigator who sails from Owhyee
to Woahoo, to keep near the coast, where the
land and sea-winds blow the freshest ; whereas
at a distance of several miles from land, calms
prevail, which are caused by the Mouna Roa.
As soon as you have reached the channel between
Owhyee and Mowee, the real monsoon begins,
and you may then safely take the course to
Woahoo, without being afraid of Mouna Roa. For
such of my readers as are not mariners, and who
do not know what I mean by land and sea-winds,
a short explanation will not be useless. In all high
islands, which are exposed between the tropics to
the constant monsoon, the coast under the wind,
that is, opposite to that exposed to the monsoon,
produces, by day, a wind blowing from the sea to
the shore ; but just the contrary during the night.
This phenomenon is easily explained ; during the
day the land is so heated by the scorching sun,
that it is hotter than the sea j hence the air blows
from the colder region into the warmer, and causes
what is called the sea-wind. In the night it is the
reverse ; the sea is warmer than the land, and
hence arises the land-wind.

On the 25th of November we had a calm the
whole day ; we could clearly see the islands of
Owhyee and Mowee, both of which aftbrd the na-
vigator a majestic prospect, by their gigantic

318 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

height: the tliree high mountains on Owhyee, as
well as those on Mowee, rise proudly into the
clouds. I had the best opportunity, as well now,
as in the second visit which I paid the Sandwich
islands, of measuring their height, for I often saw
them free from clouds, and give the following
mean result of my measurements :
Island of Owhyee, Mouna Roa, 2482,4 toises ;
Mouna Kaah, 2180,1
Mouna Wororai, 1687,1
Island of Mowee, highest peak, 1669,1
During the night we fell into the trade-wind,
and sailed so close by the island of Tahoorowa,
that we saw a number of fires along the shore. On
the 26th, near day-break, we were near the island
of Ranai ; but the wind died away now so much
that we did not descry the S.W. point of the island
ofWoahoo till the afternoon, and were five miles
distant from it in the evening. As I could not
expect to reach the harbour to-day, 1 resolved to
remain during the night in the neighbourhood of
Wahititi Bay, with which Vancouver has made us
sufficiently acquainted, and in which the new har-
bour is said to be. They said, in Owhyee, that
the current at Woahoo sets so strong to the west,
that care must be taken not to get under the wind
of the island. But I found it the reverse j for I
discovered, at day-break, that the current had car-
ried us eight miles to the S.E., though the wind

18

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 319

blew very fresh from that quarter, and very liigli
waves agitated the ship.

My companion, Mannja, had become sea-sick
during the night, and his servant, a young islander,
fourteen years of age, was unable to move. I had
taken Manuja to our table, as he always behaved
with great propriety, and seemed acquainted witli
the use of spoons, and knives and forks ; and he ate
what was given him with a good appetite, was fond
of drinking several glasses of wine, and upon the
whole behaved so, that it seemed he had often been
on board European ships.

Early on the 27th of November, I took the
course to the west point of Wahititi Bay, which is
not to be mistaken, on account of the conical
mountain * there ; but the wdnd was so faint, that
we did not double it till near noon. Woahoo is
acknowledged, both by Europeans and by the na-
tives, to be the most fruitful of the whole group ;
it is called the garden of the Sandwich islands, and
it has a right to this name, on account of its extra-
ordinary high state of cultivation, united with the
greatest natural beauties. The rugged, pointed

* The English call this mountain the Diamond Hill, an appel-
lation derived from the crystals found there, which were taken
for diamonds. An opinion still prevails, that this mountain
contains diamonds, for which reason the inhabitants are for-
bidden to visit it. Young gave me one of these crystals, and
was of opinion, that even if it were not a diamond it might still
be a precious stone.

320 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

rocks, wliich form the south-east part of the island,
and rise 529 toises above the level of the sea, take
away from those who approach it the belief in the
great fertility of the island ; but you have scarcely
sailed round the Yellow Diamond Hill, when you
are surprised by the most beautiful landscape.
Close to the shore you see verdant vallies adorned
with palm and banana-trees, under which the
habitations of the savages lie scattered ; behind
this, the land gradually rises, all the hills are
covered with a smiling verdure, and bear the stamp
of industry. You have here the southern part of
the island before you, which runs in a strait line
of twenty miles in length, from cast to west, with-
out any difference in the state of the country. The
highest mountain of Woahoo is seen towering in
the north-west part, the height of which, accord-
ing to my measurement, is 631,9, toises. We sailed
past the village of Wahititi, near which Vancouver
cast anchor in a very dangerous situation, not
knowing that he was in the vicinity of a most com-
modious harbour, and saw through our telescopes
the village of Hana-rura, close to which is the har-
bour of the same name. A canoe, with three men,
rowed up to us. Manuja called to the people,
jumped into the water, and being an expert
swimmer, soon reached the boat, with which he
went on shore to announce our arrival to the chieis,
and to send us a pilot, on account of the difficult
entrance into the harbour. We were near Hana-

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. «J^l

ruia, and saw several houses built in the European
"fashion, which made a singular contrast with the
huts of the natives. The environs of Hana-
rma are very beautiful j in the harbour was
a fort from which Tamaahmaah's flag was dis-
played. Near it several ships were lying at an-
chor, and the whole would have an European air,
if the palms and bananas did not remind us of a
another quarter of the globe. At two o'clock in
the afternoon, the Governor sent us a pilot. He
was an Englishman of the name of Hebottel in
the king's service ; and it was his business to
conduct into the harbour all ships which arrived
there. We had now come to the entrance, and were
obliged to drop anchor according to his desire.
The depth was eight fathoms, over a bottom of
coral and sand. The situation of the shore causes
the wind to blow all day from the harbour, for which
reason ships are obliged to wait till the morning,
as a calm prevails just before the rising of sun, of
which advantage is taken to tow them into the
harbour. It was very disagreeable to me to lie here
at anchor, as vessels are sometimes inevitably lost in
a violent south wind, which is frequent at Woa-
hoo. A reef, against which the surge broke vio-
lentia^, \\^^ distant from us only a hundred fathoms,
and yet^ t^^,is the only place where you can lie at
anchor, because a little farther the depth becomes
unfathomable. Besides this, the state of the bottom
was so bad, that our cables suffered very much in

VOL. 1. Y

322 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

the twelve hours that we lay there. The whole
coast is surrounded by coral reefs, which in many
places extend for a mile or more into the sea*; and,
behind these, nature has formed the beautiful har-
bour of Hana-rura, which is protected by reefs on
the sea side against the fury of the waves, and
might be called the first in the world, if the en-
trance were not too shallow for large ships. As
soon as we had cast anchor, I went on shore to pay
my respects to Kareimoku, the governor j but
though Manuja had arrived there before us, had
declared our friendly intentions, and made the
king's commands known, all the inhabitants were
terrified and under arms at the sight of a Russian
ship of war. At the landing place I was received
by Mr. Young,* amidst the most frightful cries of
the armed islanders ; and when I hesitated coming
out of the boat. Young told me that I had nothing
to fear, and assisted me himself to come on shore.
Accompanied by a number of soldiers, to prevent
the importunity of the people, we went to a very
neat and pretty house, where Kareimoku and the
principal nobility soon after appeared. He, as well as
his suite, was dressed in the costume of the country,
consisting of a full white di'ess of a stuff made of
the bark of trees, and hung, after the Roman fashion,

* Young, one of the principal confidants of the king, has
resided upwards of twenty years on these islands, and was
now sent to Woahoo to build the fort. His adventures are
well known from Vancouver's voyages.

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 32^

over tlie right shoulder ; besides this, they have
a cartridge-box and a pair of pistols buckled round
their naked waist. The whole train came out of
the fort, where, in case of an attack, every thing
had been prepared for defence. Kareimoku's Her-
culean figure, united with polished and dignified
manners, appeared to great advantage in, the Ro-
man costume ; his countenance indicated good
sense, and as he really possessed a large share of
it, the English living here have surnamed him
Pitt. He saluted me in the European fashion,
shaking me by the hand, and after he had invited
me to take a seat, and had also seated himself with
his suite, my first care w^as to remove his mistrust
against us. Young made him acquainted with the
object of our voyage ; his gloomy countenance
brightened up a little, and he desired Young to say
to me as follows : " The gods are our witnesses,
that we never did the Russians any injustice, and
yet they rendered us evil for good !" I assured
him that every thing done here by Scheffer (about
whom he particularly complained) had been con-
trary to the will of our emperor, and tried to make
him easy respecting the future, which he still
dreaded. Our conversation ended in his promising
me thatTamaahmaah's commands,which were sacred
to him, should be obeyed ; and that to-morrow
morning, at four o'clock, I might fire a gun as a
signal for the boats which were to bring me into
the harbour. Hereupon we parted on friendly terms.

Y 2

324 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

Tliere were three ships lying in the liarbour, two
of which, a hirge three-masted vessel, and a hand-
some brig, belonged to Tamaahmaah, who had pnr-
chased them in exchange for sanders-wood. The
three-masted vessel, which bears the name of
Albatross, serves at present as a transport for pro-
visions from Woahoo to Owhyee, but will in future
be sent under Tamaahmaah's flag with sanders-wood
to Canton, to exchange it for Chinese goods. The
English government has engaged to respect his flag
everywhere, and to support his trade in Canton,
and these islanders will undoubtedly make rapid
advances in civilization if their trade with Can-
ton prospers. The brig bears the name of the
Queen Kahumanna ; and, according to its size,
can carry eighteen guns : it is built like a ship of
war, for quick sailing ; and, at present, serves
Tamaahmaah in the place of such a ship. This
brig, which is said to sail very fast, was originally
built by the French as a privateer, and at that
time bore the name of La Grande Guimbarde. She
was taken by the English, and sold to English
merchants, who gave her the name of the Forester
of London. Captain Piggot, who had made many
voyages in this ship from Western America to
Canton, came with her to the South Sea, where
the oargain with Tamaahmaah was concluded, as
already mentioned. After the sale of the ship,
Alexander Adams, Captain Piggot*s second offi-
cer, entered into the king's service, became h er

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 3Q5

commander, and, as such, receives a salary of fifty
piastres a month, and all kinds of provisions, which
are daily sent to him gratis. The crew consists of
six Europeans and several natives. The third ship,
the Traveller of Philadelphia, under the American
flag, was just sailing when I arrived with the
Rurick. The owner, whose name is AVilcox,
brother to the American consul in Canton, came
to pay me a visit. Mr. Wilcox had left Canton
several years, and loaded his ship with a cargo of
Chinese goods, to carry on a contraband trade with
the Spanish colonies, on the west coasts of Ame-
rica J but he w'as very luifortunate. In Valparaiso
he was in danger of losing his ship, and only a for-
tunate chance saved him from imprisonment. After
many fruitless and dangerous attem})ts to dispose
of his cargo in South America, he sailed, exhausted
by the long voyage, to Botany Bay, to recover him-
self, and to take in provisions ; and there the go-
vernor of Port Jackson gave him a letter from the
King of England to Tamaahmaah, with several pre-
sents, among which were some handsomely em-
broidered uniforms. Mr. AVilcox further told me,
that a very fine ship was building at Port Jackson,
by order of the English government, for Tamaah-
maah. From all this it must be concluded that Eng-
land has taken the Sandwich Islands under her par-
ticular protection, perhaps already, in silence, con-
siders them as her property, and will certainly take

Y '3

SQG from CALIFORNIA TO

entire possession of them as soon as circumstances
shall permit. Mr. Wilcox was now determined
to sail to the coast of California, to try his fortune
there. Before we parted, he gave me an account
of a group of islands discovered, in 1814, by the
ship America, from the United States, commanded
by Captain Andrew Walther, in a voyage from the
Marquesas to Canton. This group, he said, con-
sisted of low coral islands, overgrown with w^oods,
and was about thirty miles in circumference. The
captain found a convenient anchoring-place, on the
west side, where he landed to leave some goats
in the island. The latitude, by observation, is
S° 48' N. J longitude, according to the chronome-
ters, 159° 15', west of Greenwich.

The 28th of November. At day-break we fired
a gun, and soon after saw the royal pilot, Mr,
Hebottel, accompanied by eight double canoes,
each manned by sixteen or twenty rowers. In each
of them was the owner, here called by the English
Jerri or chief, to see that order Avas preserved in
towing. Young sat in a small light boat, and di-
rected the whole. The scene on board the boats
was very entertaining ; they laughed and joked,
and even their work was done as if in play, and
the islanders appeared Uke sportive children. We
had a perfect calm ; the anchors were weighed,
and the canoes towed with such strength, that the
Rurick, by the log, made three miles an hour. In
half an hour we reached the harbour, and cast an-

1()

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 327

chor, at a musket-shot from the shore, opposite the
fortress, in eight fathoms water. Young now came
on board, to inform me that the canoes did not
belong to the king, and that we must pay every
owner three piastres j but, on tlie other hand, I,
as commander of a ship of war, was exempted from
paying anchorage. * Though 1 thought it singidar
that I should not have been informed of this be-
fore, I was obliged to submit to the laws, and pay
forty piastres. We had scarcely cast anchor when
a great number of native women surrounded the
Rurick, some in boats, and others swimming j they
all wanted to come on board, and were angry at
being refused admittance. I had declared the
ship taboo for some days, to be able to do some
necessary work. The amiable nymphs sang to us
some love-songs, and turned back much astonished
at our cruelty.

The 29th. They began to-day to supply us with
provisions, according to Tamaahmaah's order.
We daily received taro, yams, cocoa-nuts, bana-
nas, and water-melons, in abundance. The hogs
are so large, that the whole crew could not eat one
in two days, so that more than half of what we re-
ceived remained over, part of which I salted, and
took the other part with me alive. Pork is salted
here so very excellently by a Spaniard of the name

* It is a law here, that all merchant vessels must pay, accord-
ing to their depth, one piastre per foot anchorage.

y 4-

3i^8 FROxM CALIFOUNIA TO

of Marini, (who has been many years on the island,
and was formerly a favourite with tlie king,) that
I brought some of it to St. Petersburg in the best
condition. In the Spanish colonies, in America,
they do not &alt meat, imagining that it begins to
corrupt even while salting. In Chili they take for
ship-provisions flesh dried in the sun, which is hard
and insipid. Particular care must be taken in salt-
ing meat in hot climates, to take out the bones,
and press out the blood by means of heavy weights.
A misunderstanding enraged the people against
us to-day ; they were already taking up their arms,
and the affair might have proved serious, if Young
had not interfered in time. The following was the
cause : as the harbour of Hana-rura had never
been surveyed by any body, as far as I know, and
was certainly known but to very few navigators,
I determined to make a plan of it ; and therefore
sent my first mate, Chremtschenko, who fixed up at
certain points long poles, with flags fastened to
them. The appearance of these flags incensed the
islanders, because Schefter had once put up the
Russian flag, with these words : *' I take possession
of the island 1" and they did not doubt that I also
had taken the first step towards the conquest.
Young came to me, and earnestly entreated me to
remove the flags. I explained my innocent mo-
tives, exchanged the ominous flags for brooms, and
thus tranquillity was restored. The more to con-
ciliate the confidence of the people, 1 invited Ka-

THE SANDWICH ISLAN'DS. 3^0

reimoku to honour the Riirick witli iiis presence
the next day to dinner. The Albatross, com-
nianded by Europeans, and manned with natives,
left Woahoo to-day, to bring provisions to
Owhyee.

The 30th of November. Kareimoku had accepted
my invitation, and came, towards noon, with his
wife, Mr. Young, and the principal noblemen (jer-
ries), among whom was the brother of the queen,
Kahumanna. Young brought his wife with him ;
she is nearly allied to Tamaahmaah. Kariemoku*s
seriousness, now that his distrust was removed, was
succeeded by the most friendly manners; he shook
me cordially by the hand, and exclaimed several
times, Aroha ! (God bless you.) My guests had
all dressed themselves in their best attire. I
scarcely recognized Kareimoku, who shone in the
dress of an English pilot, with polished boots, and
a cocked hat ; but all his things were so tight, that
he could scarcely move a limb, and the noon-day's
heat threatened to stifle him in his costume. Not
less proud, but equally distressed, the other jerries
moved in their European dresses ; and we saw here,
sailors, coxcombs, and Moravians, confusedly
mixed together. They were in the most painful
situation in their gala-dress, and put me in mind
of dressed-up monkies. In comparison with this
the dress of Tamaahmaah's ministers is preferable,
as it merely consisted of a frock. This mode has
arrived to such a pitch, that some article of Eu-

330 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

ropean dress has become a matter of necessity,
even to the meanest individual ; some wear only a
shirt, another has trowsers, and a third parades in
a waistcoat. The Americans certainly buy up
in their cities all the clothes which are out of
fashion, and sell them here to great advantage.
One of my guests had on an immensely long coat,
with buttons of the size of a tea-cup, which he
contemplated with evident pleasure. The ladies*
on the contrary, clothe themselves in stuffs (tappa)
of their own manufacture, and only the neck is
adorned with a silk handkerchief. Mrs. Young,
as the wife of an European, is an exception, and
dresses in the European fashion, in the most costly
Chinese silks. Her pleasing countenance, and her
very becoming behaviour, for a half-savage, made
an agreeable impression ; whereas Kareimoku*s
wife, tall and rough, behaved in a very unfeminine
manner. As the cabin did not afford room enough
for so numerous a company, the table was set out
on the quarter-deck ; but our cooks had, in vain,
exerted all their skill to give the islanders a very
high opinion of a Russian repast: they ate nothing.
Unhappily, I did not know that the pork must
first be consecrated in the morai, before it is
touched by them ; now, not only the pork, but all
the dishes were taboo, because they had been
dressed over the same fire. There sat my guests
in their droll costume, and were fasting spectators
of an European dinner, till they were induced, at

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS, SSl

last, on my repeated solicitation, to partake of some
biscuits, cheese, and fruit j wine and brandy did
not seem to be taboo, for they diligently emptied
their glasses. The islanders are, unhappily, pas-
sionately fond of spirituous liquors; the Europeans
have not neglected to diffuse this poison here, and
set them a bad example. They, without difficulty,
swallowed a bottle of rum in one draught, and it is
beyond conception how much they are able to
bear of it. The ladies, who were not allowed to
eat any thing, as their husbands were present, did
the more justice to the wine. Kareimoku did not
forget to propose the health of our emperor and
Tamaahmaah. The ship, particularly the inte-
rior arrangements, was very much admired by all ;
but Kareimoku surveyed it with the most particu-
lar attention. My father*s portrait, which hung
up in the cabin, being finely painted, deceived my
guests so much, that they could not be convinced,
till they touched it, that it was not alive. M. Cho-
ris showed them Tamaahmaah*s portrait, which
they immediately recognized, and which gave them
a great deal of pleasure. When it was known on
shore that we had Tamaahmaah on paper, we were
visited daily by a great number of people to see
him. At four o'clock my guests left the ship,
much pleased at their reception, as I had endea-
voured to compensate by presents for the unfortu-
nate dinner. To-day, at sunset, a taboo began for
Kareimoku and his most distinguished jerries.

S3'2 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

which lasted a night and two days ; tiie higher a
person's rank is, the more sacred are the duties he
has to perform, and at every new and full moon
such a taboo takes place. As soon as the sun ap-
proaches the horizon, they go into the moral, and
do not leave it till the fixed time has expired.
M. Chamisso, at his request, obtained leave from
Kareimoku to perform the whole taboo in the
moral. Without doubt he is the first European to
whom this permission has been extended; and the
reader will learn, from his contribution to this
voyage, what occurred to him in that sacred place.
After having been visited by Kareimoku, the in-
habitants were convinced of my friendly intentions,
and I could go on shore without any danger. As
soon, therefore, as my guests had left the Rurick, 1
went to Hana-rura, where the inhabitants con-
ducted themselves with great propriety, and were
much pleased when I entered their houses, to sa-
tisfy my curiosity ; the whole family then assem-
bled round me, presented me with refreshments,
and were very talkative, and played like children.
Tobacco-pipes are found in every hut, and smoking
seems to have become an indispensable enjoyment.
The houses in Hana-rura, which are sometimes
joined together in long rows, and sometimes lie
scattered, resemble those of Owhyee. Some Eu-
ropeans who have settled here, live in houses,
which may pass for a kind of medium between
those of Europe and of this country. The Spaniard

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 3S3

Mariiii, who lias built a stone house, is to be recom-
mended to every body who visits the island Woa-
hoo. He has introduced many useful plants, to the
growth of which he pays attention, and is the only
one who possesses a tolerably large herd of oxen,
cows, and sheep. There are many oxen in the
interior of the island, brought many years ago by
Europeans ; they are said to increase very much,
but are now grown so wild, that people go into
the mountains to shoot them with muskets. A
naked islander every evening drives home JVTarini^s
herd, among which are several horses which he
has got from America.

There has lived on this island, for above thirty
years, an Englishman of the name of Holmes, who
formerly occupied Kareimoku's place, and whose
honesty is generally known. As all the Euro-
peans who settle here marry native women, the
primitive race must one day be lost. My inten-
tion of going into the fort was frustrated by the
sentinel calling out to me the word taboo ! I
afterwards learnt that access is prohibited to all
strangers, particularly Europeans. Kareimoku al-
ways resides in the fort, which is not yet finished ;
and as they are not expert in the use of the can-
non, they have chosen for a commandant an Eng-
lishman, of the name of George Bekley (Berkley?),
who formerly served in a merchantman. The fort
itself is nothing mpre than a square, provided with
embrasures ; the walls are two fathoms high, made

S3I« FROM CALIFORNIA TO

of coral stone. I paid a visit to Mr. Young, who
gave me to read, the letter from King George to
Tamaahmaah ; the same which Mr. Wilcox had
brought from Port Jackson. It was written in the
English language, and Tamaahmaah was styled
<* His Majesty." The following, are the principal
contents : " King George of England sends to
His Majesty, the King of the Sandwich Islands,
his sincere thanks for the feather-cloak, sent to
him by the frigate Cornwallis. He assures him of
his friendship and protection, and says, that he
has commanded all his English navy to respect all
ships under the flag of His Majesty, King Tamaah-
maah." At the conclusion of the letter, mention
is made of the ship building for him in Port Jack-
son, and of presents sent to His Majesty ; and the
whole clearly shows, that Tamaahmaah is recog-
nized as a real king by the English government.
All the letters which he receives, are given to the
care of Mr. Young, who possesses the particular
confidence of the king, as well as of the people ;
but as he is already old and infirm, it is probable
that he may soon follow to the grave his comrade
Davis, mentioned by Vancouver. The sun had
nearly set, when I passed the moral, where
Kareimoku, accompanied by Chamisso, and
several jerries, w-as just about to enter. This morai
was very quickly erected, near Hana-rura, because
the natives were obliged to destroy the old one,
w^hich had been profaned by the entrance of

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. SS5

Sclieffer's people. The fury of tlie natives was at
that time without bounds ; and SchefFer*s servants
would certainly have lost their lives, but for the
interference of Young. The procession, on enter-
ing the morai, observed the strictest silence ; soon
after several persons came out from all the four
sides, lifted their hands to heaven, seemed to in-
voke somebody, by a loud cry, and withdrew, after
ha\'ing repeated this several times. Two fellows
now furiously rushed out, ran round the morai in a
large circle with all their strength in opposite
directions ; and I retired, that I might not fall in
with them, for in this case their sanctity would
have been imparted to me, and I should have been
forced to perform taboo in the morai, an enjoy-
ment W'hich I chose to avoid, as my curiosity
might be fully gratified by M. Chamisso.

The 4th of December. As I had often ex-
pressed a desire to see a Woahoo dance, Kareimoku
invited us to one to-day. We w^ere conducted to
his house, before which a large space was pre-
pared for the festivity, and which was already sur-
rounded by a number of spectators. Mats had
been laid for us on the ground, in the middle of
the circle. I observed, that the host was not pre-
sent, but Young soon came up to me, and said :
" The Governor begs to be excused for his ab-
sence ; but his lady is so very tipsy, that he cannot
leave her.** Singular as this excuse seemed, it w^as
not the less true, and I was obliged to accept it.

3S0 -FROM CALIFORNIA TO

The women here are more addicted to driiikhig
than the men. We took onr seat, and the dance
immediately commenced. The musicians were
four men, who beat with small sticks on a hollow
gourd, which produced a noise, that might serve
for time to the song. Three dancers by profes-
sion, who go from one island to another, and show
themselves for money, now stepped forward, en-
tirely naked, except bracelets of hogs* tusks, and
half armour for the feet, made of dog*s teeth. They
placed themselves opposite to us, close to each
other ; and expressed the words to the accom-
panying song, by the skilful movements of the
whole body. They were particularly skilful in
changing their faces every moment, to suit them
to the motions of the body. The spectators were
enraptured, and at every pause, entered the circle
to make presents to the dancers ; and, in the end,
in their enthusiasm, gave even their silk handker-
chiefs. After the men had sufficiently distinguished
themselves, the scene changed, and a number of
young girls arranged themselves in three rows.
Their heads and shoulders were tastefully orna-
mented with wreaths of flowers 9 the neck adorned
with pearls, and various fantastic things ; besides
this, they had only the lower part of their body
covered with a coloured tapa. This group had a
very pleasing effect, as they accompanied the
monotonous music with graceful movements. The
last rows conformed to the first, and always imi-

THE J^AXDWICH ISLANDS. 337

tated the movements of the foremost dancers. The
whole bore the impression of pure nature, and de-
lighted me more than a skilfully executed European
ballet. The theatre was inclosed with a fence of
bamboo canes, behind which a small house lay con-
cealed J before it promenaded a large hog, guarded
by two Kanakas, and which was stroked with much
fondness by the higii persons who passed by. I
was surprised at these caresses, and was informed
by Young, that in that house, resided a son of
Tamaahmaah, a child of nine months old, who had
been enti'usted to the care of Kareimoku for his
education ; and that this was the taboo hog, which
would be sacrificed to the gods, when the young
prince, for the first time, performed his sacred
duties in the moral. The dance had been given
to-day, in honour of the young prince ; for, though
he is not able to take part in the festivities, and is
besides not allowed to be seen before a certain
age, yet his high birth requires that feasts should
often be given in his honour.

The (ith of December. The repairs of our
ship went on rapidly, but we observed that the
copper had been again damaged in many places,
and that, too, in a part which was so deep in the
water that the cleverest diver only would be able
to repair it. After my best swimmer had in vain
repeatedly tried to nail on a copper-plate, Karei-
moku sent us one of his men, who happily accom-
plished the work. To our great astonishment he

VOL. I. z

33S FROM CALIFORNIA TO

remained under water from three to four minutes,
then came up for a moment to take breath, and
immediately dived again. His companion handed
him the nails, but embraced the opportunity while
they were being hammered in to take breath above
water. The skilful diver found, on examination,
many bad places in the ship*s bottom, which could
only be repaired by careening.

We were on the very best terms with the inha-
bitants of Hana-rura j w^e were daily visited by a
great many Jerris, who alone had the permission
to come to the Rurick at pleasure, and often
brought us presents without accepting any in re-
turn. The ship was surrounded by the fair sex
from morning to evening. Our sailors, who re-
mained on shore for days together, never had
cause to complain of the natives, who always hos-
pitably received them, and even suffered them to
remain alone with their wives without any jealousy.
As no danger seemed to threaten us on shore, 1
resolved to make a little excursion on foot, to what
the English call the Pearl River, situated about
half a day's journey west of Hana-rura. The pearl
fishery is prohibited on pain of death, and the king
has the sole profits of it. Kareimoku made me a
present of some pearls found in this river, which
are very beautiful. I informed Kareimoku of my
wish to make a journey thither, for which he readily
granted permission, and gave me two men for my
protection. M. Von Chamisso, who likewise re-

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 339

ceived a companion, made an excursion into the
interior of the island.

The 8th of December. At nine o'clock, pro-
vided with a small compass and a pocket-sextant,
I began my journey with Dr. Eschscholtz, and first
mate, Chramtschenko, who was to assist in survey-
ing and making plans of the coast. We called at
the house of Commandant Beckly, who was to
accompany us, where the two soldiers were also
ready ; they were a couple of robust men, who,
for convenience, had divested themselves of all
their apparel, and merely retained a silver mounted
cutlass as a sign of their profession. As soon as
we had quitted Hana-rura, we were obliged to
cross a river of the same name, which rises in the
mountains, and forms the western boundary of the
village. Its breadth, in many places, is fifteen
fathoms, and its depth is sufficient to carry the
boats which are sent there to take in water. It is
the only place where you can take in a stock of
water, and would be very convenient for that pur-
pose, if it did not become too shallow at its mouth
at the time of the ebb. Regard must therefore
be had, in dispatching the boats, to the turn of the
tide, so as to contrive that they may return at high
water, otherwise they will have to lie twelve hours.
The water is wholesome, and of an agreeable taste.
The way now lies to the west, through a beauti-
fully cultivated valley, which is bounded towards

z 2

340 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

the north by romantic scenery of woody moim»
tains, and on the south by the sea. The artificial
taro fields, which may justly be called taro lakes,
excited my attention. Each of them forms a
regular square of l60 feet, and is enclosed with
stone all round like our basins. This field, or
rather this pond, for such it really may be called,
contains two feet of water, in the shmy bottom of
which the taro is planted, as it does not thrive
except in such a wet situation ; each pond has
two sluices, to let in the water on one side, and out
again at the other, into the next field, and so on.
The fields are gradually lower, and the same water
which is led from an elevated spring or rivulet, can
water a large plantation. When the taro is planted,
the water is let off to the depth of half a foot,
and a slip of a plant already cut, stuck in the
«lime, which immediately takes root, and may be
gathered in three months. The taro requires much
room, because it has very large roots ; it has long
stalks and large leaves, which, when swimming on
the surface of the water, have a singular appear-
ance. In the spaces between the fields, which are
from three to six feet broad, there are very plea-
sant shady avenues, and on both sides bananas and
sugar-canes are planted. The taro fields afford
another advantage ; for the fish which are caught
in distant streams thrive admirably when put into
them. In the same manner as they here keep
river-fish, they manage in the sea with sea-fish^

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 341

where they sometimes take advantage of the out-
ward coral reefs, and draw from them to the shore
a wall of coral stone, which makes, even in the
sea, good reservoirs for fish. Such a reservoir costs
much labour, but not so much skill as the taro
fields, where both are united. I have seen whole
mountains covered with such fields, through which
the water gradually flowed ; each sluice formed a
small cascade, which ran through avenues of sugar-
cane, or banana, into the next pond, and afforded
an extremely picturesque prospect. Sugar planta-
tions and taro fields alternately varied our way,
with scattered habitations, and w^e had gone un-
awares five miles to the large village of Mouna
Roa, which lies in a pleasant valley on the declivity
of a mountain. A rapid stream of the same name,
which is seen in the distant landscape picturesquely
meandering between the rocks and mountains, falls
here into the sea. Before the village, which con-
sists of pretty, small houses, built of rushes, lie two
groves of cocoa and bread-fruit trees, through
which we passed to repose ourselves on the oppo-
site hill. We had here an extended view of the
harbour ; the compass was set up, and I took some
angles with my sextants, at which the inhabitants
were thrown into great alarm, because, as Beckly
informed us, they now expected to see some work
of conjuration. As these islanders seldom see an
European, they viewed us with the greater curio-
sity ; they were otherwise a very obliging people,

z 3

342 FItOM CALIFORNIA TO

who did their utmost to show us every attention,
danced and rejoiced at our little presents, and were
much dissatisfied that we left them so soon. In
several houses we heard loud lamentations, and
learnt that there were sick men in them, who were
bewailed by their wives. A custom prevails here,
that as soon as a man becomes ill, his wives and
female relations assemble around him, loudly
lament his misfortune, tear their hair, and lacerate
their faces in the hope of affording him relief, and
perhaps effecting his cure ; and the custom when
a Jerri dies, of burying his chief favourite with
him, still prevails. Beckly informed me that the
priests had already fixed on those who are to
accompany Tamaahmaah, and had not concealed
their fate from them, because these victims, proud
of their destination, joyfully purchased the honour
by the most terrible death. I have myself seen
one of the victims, in Woahoo, a man who was
always cheerful and happy. On the king's death
they are brought bound into the royal morai,
where, after various ceremonies, they are deprived
of life by the priests.

The river Mouna Roa, which is said to be one
of the broadest in the country, has derived its name
from the mountain Mouna Roa, in the island of
Owhyee, and means, literally translated, " Moun-
tain high." There is said to be a convenient
harbour opposite the village, but which has a
dangerous entrance between the reefs. After we

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 84;$

had rested ourselves, we pursued our journey, left
the shore, and crossed a tongue of land, extending
far into the sea, where the road led us over a high
mountain. On this height, the monsoon from
N. E. cooled the scorching heat, but blew some-
times so violently, that it threatened to precipitate
us from the steep declivity. We observed here,
several tapa plantations ; a tree, of the bark of which,
the cloth of this country is manufactured. The
preparation of this stuff is very tedious, as. the bark
must be beaten in water till it becomes sufficiently
fine. The old women are employed in this, while
the young ones live in idleness, and spend their
time in receiving court from the men. Thus, this
heavy work is added to the burthen of old age ; and
the poor old women have nothing left them but
the remembrance of their happily spent youth.

After we had walked on two hours, our way led
us through a romantic valley, where we seated
ourselves under shady bread-fruit trees, on the
banks of a salt lake, the owner of which, a dis-
tinguished Jerri, derives considerable profit from
it, as the banks of this lake are covered with the
finest salt. There were on it a species of divers*
who, though they are unable to fly, are, however,
. very difficult to be shot, because, the moment the
powder flashes in the pan, they dive. As I wished
to have some for our collection of natural history*
I sent my companion, who, by shooting a couple
of them, proved that the Sandwich islanders are

z 4

344 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

very good marksmen. Mr. Beckly mentioned to
me a species of wild duck, such as we have in
Europe, which come here in January, from the
north, and brood here, and return home in the
beginning of spring. This information, which I
could not doubt, as Beckly, from his love of the
chase, often remains for days on this lake, led me
to suppose that there must be some undiscovered
land in about latitude 45°, whence these birds of
passage come ; for it is scarcely possible to imagine,
that they should come the long way from the
Aleutian islands, or North America, to enjoy here
a second summer.

After having partaken of some refreshment, we
again ascended a high mountain, and were, soon
afterwards, in a beautifully-cultivated plain, among
taro fields, sugar plantations, and banana trees.
At this distance from Hana-rura, the capital, we
were objects of the greatest curiosity to the in-
habitants. A pretty little girl, about six years old,
tripped fearlessly around us, and called to the
others, who were older, but much more timid:
" Come here, and look at these strange white men ;
what handsome tapa they have on, and what bright
things they wear ! Don't be so foolish, come here !"
I was pleased with the simplicity of this child,
and hung a string of beads round her neck, an or-
nament which embarrassed her. The other children
now came up to express their admiration, by clap-
ping their hands, while she regarded iierself with

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 345

silent pleasure. The scenery is here uncommonly
picturesque ; fields and villages intermingled with
woods of cocoa and banana trees : now an exten-
sive and romantic prospect opened upon us from
some eminence, and then we descended again into
a peaceful valley. We now walked through an
avenue of aloes, as I thought ; it was twice as high
as a man, and bore a round red fruit ; my com-
panion, who observed my attention, immediately
plucked some, and begged me to eat them, without
guessing how foreign they were to me. I attempted
to bite one, but was punished for my lickerishness,
for, though I found the taste agreeable, I had my
mouth full of little thorns, which gave me pain till
the next morning. He regretted, now it was too
late, that he had not informed me that the skin
must be taken off before they can be eaten. Dr.
Eschscholtz, who had remained behind, and did
not return till after my accident, was perfectly
acquainted with the fruit, and told me that it was
no aloe, but a cactus, or Indian %. We passed
the possessions of Young and Holmes, which the
king had given them ; and which were very consider-
able, and well cultivated. Though the sun was
still high above the horizon, the air was filled with
a small species of bats, differing from ours. I shot
one flying ; the animal fell, and my skill excited
general astonishment among the villagers. At
five o'clock, we reached our night's quarters,
having walked about ten miles, but only six in a

S-iG FROM CALIFORNIA TO

direct line from Hana-rura. We were now in a
neat village belonging to Kareimoku, which re-
ceives its name of Wanjau, from a rapid rivulet
which flows into the sea at this place. I wished
to stay there for the night, to embark in the morn-
ing for the Pearl River, which was near, and, there-
fore, ordered my guides immediately to hire a boat;
but they looked for one in vain, as the inhabitants
had left the coast for some days, to fish. There
was but a single boat, which belonged to a Jerri in
Hana-rura ; and as his people would not venture
to let us have it, I was obliged to wait patiently
till the following day. The villagers had received
orders from Kareimoku to treat us well, and tliey,
therefore, made it their first duty to provide us
with a dinner. A young pig was baked in the
ground, with taro and potatoes; the taro fields
furnished fresh fish ; we had provided ourselves
with wine; we had an excellent appetite; and our
repast, accordingly, seemed princely. Curiosity
had attracted a great number of spectators ; we
gave some of them wine, which they liked ex-
tremely, though it was the first time they tasted
it; a spirit of cheerfulness animated our guests,
and the evening was spent in singing and dancings
We afterwards discovered, that, in spite of all our
precaution, a knife had been stolen ; and the guides
given me by Kareimoku, who were to be answer-
able for the conduct of the inhabitants, endea-
voured, in vain, to discover the thief. The Sand-

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 34-7

wich islanders very seldom rob each other, and

such a deed is always punished by the contempt of

every body, and sometimes with death ; but to rob

an European of any thing, acquires them much

honour, and they boast of it. The islanders have

a very high idea of writing, and a letter is a thing

of great value among them ; of which, Beckly

gave me the following instance. When he resided

at Owhyee, he wrote a letter to a friend at Woahoo,

and gave it to a Kanaka (peasant) who was going

to Woahoo, and who joyfully promised to take

charge of it ; but he kept it, and preserved it as a

valuable curiosity. Some months afterwards, an

European ship arrived; the Kanaka did not neglect

to hurry with his treasure on board, and to offer it to

the captain for a high price. He was, fortunately,

an old acquaintance of Beckly's, who recognized

his writing, and purchased the letter, which came,

by these means, again into the hands of the writer.

Sleeping-places had been prepared for us on very

clean matsj the rats, however, which ran over our

faces, deprived us of rest, and, after a sleepless

night, we received the disagreeable intelligence,

that we could by no means obtain a canoe, and

were obliged to return home without having seen

the Pearl River. In the mouth of this river are

several islands ; it is so deep, that the greatest

ship of the line can lie at anchor a few fathoms

from the shore; and so broad, that a hundred vessels

can conveniently lind room in it. The entrance

548 FIIOM CALIFORNIA TO

into the Pearl River is in the same situation as the
harbour of Hana-ruraj but the windings between
the reefs are, however, said to render a passage
more difficult. If this place were in the hands of
the Europeans, they would certainly employ means
to make this harbour the finest in the world. In
the Pearl River there are sharks of remarkable
size, and there have been many instances of their
having swallowed people while bathing. The na-
tives have made on the banks an artificial pond of
coral stones, in which a large shark is kept, to
which, I was told, they often threw grown-up people,
but more frequently children, as victims. On my
journey back I observed half-putrefied swine hang-
ing on different trees ; and learnt, that this was a
precaution of the herdsmen to prove to their masters
that they had died, and had not been killed by
them. In the evening, we returned safe to the
Rurick.

The 9th of December. To-day, I received an
invitation from Kareimoku, through Manuja, to
witness a lance-fight. Young, who was very much
astonished that the Governor had yielded to my re-
quest in this respect, considered it as a mark of very
particular favour, and was of opinion that I owed
it to my rank as commander of the first ship of
war that had been seen at Hana-rura. The Sand-
wich islanders, as I had frequent opportunities of
observing, make a great distinction between a ship
of war and a merchantman. They take all kinds of

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 349

liberties on board the latter, for they perceive the
endeavours of the European merchants to cheat
them in every way, and they have, therefore, en-
tirely lost their esteem. Kareimoku would have
had very sufficient reason for refusing me the exhi-
bition of the lance-exercise, for, since the conquest
of the island of Woahoo, by Tamaahmaah, the in-
habitants are always disposed to insurrection, and
seize every opportunity that offers. Only persons
of distinction are allowed to take part in this ex-
ercise, which generally proves serious, as it seldom
terminates without some killed, or wounded. Two
years ago, when Tamaahmaah ordered one of these
warlike spectacles, he had his soldiers at hand,
with loaded muskets, who soon put an end to the
rising fury. From this it appears, that Kareimoku
had reason not to grant me this spectacle, till I
promised to aid him with all my crew. The day
intended for the combat, is fixed beforehand, that
the nobles from all parts may assemble to display
their courage and dexterity. There are sometimes
above a hundred, who divide themselves into equal
parties, and occupy a large place for the scene of
combat. Both parties take their positions, and the
leader of each advances to the middle of the place.
These two, then, endeavour to hit each otlier with
their lances, of which they have several in their
hand; each of them tries to avoid the lance of his
opponent, by dexterous turns of the body, and both
are in constant motion, springing backwards and

350 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

forwards, stooping, and, at the same time, always
throwing their lances. The parties in the mean-
time, stand motionless, awaiting the issue ; a high
spirit animates the party whose leader is victorious,
which they consider as a good omen. After this
prelude, both sides become animated ; troop ad-
vances against troop ; in a moment, all is activity,
and the air is full of blunted lances, for such only,
are allowed in this combat. Their art of war con-
sists in breaking the lines of the enemy, in attacking
single parts with superior force, and making prison-
ers; for this reason, a skilful leader never fails to
take advantage of his opponent's mistakes, or to
induce him by a stratagem to draw his main force
to one side, and so to expose the weaker part. If
these stratagems succeed, the victory is decided,
and the party out-manoeuvred submits. The method
of proceeding in real battles is precisely the same,
with this difference, tliat the lances are so pointed,
as to pierce tlie enemy at a distance often paces;
they also hurl stones in their battles, and make
use of large clubs of heavy wood. As fire-arms
have now been introduced, the use of lances will
probably soon go out of fashion. Tamaahmaah
is universally acknowledged to be the most skilful
lance thrower ; he has often, to prove his dexterity,
suffered fourteen lances to be aimed at his breast,
where every throw would have been fatal, and
avoided them all with the greatest dexterity. The
renown of his invincible valour made the conquest

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 351

of the islands easy to him. When he appeared with
his fleet before Woahoo, the king of that island,
fled into the mountains, being convinced that the
custom of putting the vanquished to death would
be practised upon him. *' I must die," said he, to
one of his confidential friends ; ** but not by the
hands of my conqueror ; for I will not let him enjoy
this triumph. I will sacrifice myself to the gods.**
His corpse was afterwards found in a cave on the
summit of a mountain.

In the afternoon, we rowed on shore, and found,
on the appointed place, above sixty Jerris assem-
bled ready for combat, but their lances, made of
the top of sugar-cane, were pretty harmless. They
divided themselves into two parties; the combat
began, and though Kareimoku, who took a share in
it, would not let it come to a decisive battle, there
were found, at the conclusion of it, several very
dangerously wounded. The sight of this spectacle
is very interesting.

The 10th and 11th of December. The Rurick was
ready to sail, and nothing detained us at Woahoo
but the bad weather, which, during these two days,
prevented us from taking on board the provisions,
M'hich lay ready for us.

The 13th. As the fine weather set in again,
w hich had always favoured us during our stay here,
we hastened to get the provisions on board, which
were in such abundance, that the Rurick could
scarcely contain them. We received taro, bread-

352 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

fruit, yams, potatoes, cocoa-nuts, sugar-cane, and
water-melons, besides seventeen swine, some goats,
fowls, and ducks. The pork is much better fla-
voured than the European, which is probably
owing to their food, which consists of sugar-cane.

Captain Alexander Adams dined w4th us to-day,
whose conversation, as he was very sensible, and
had travelled a great deal, delighted us very much.
He told me, among other things, that some years
ago an island had been discovered by Americans
from the United States, on the coast of California ;
which, on account of the great number of sea-otters
found there, has been named Sea-Otter Island.
Its southern point lies in 33° I7' nortli latitude ;
longitude, by lunar distances, 240° 50' east of Green-
wich. Its circumference is between fifty and sixty
miles, and there is a very dangerous reef N.N.W.
of this island. He farther observed, that while
Europe v/as taking pains to abolish the slave-
trade, the Americans are endeavouring to extend
it. To purchase slaves they go in American ships
to the N.W. coast of America, in latitude 45°,
where there is a very numerous population. The
savages in those parts, who perceive that they
are better paid for men than for skins, pursue
this terrible chase, and as they are all provided
with fire-arms by the American merchants, it is
easy for them to overpower the unhappy races in
the interior of the country, and then exchange
them on board the ships for clothing. Affecting

15

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 353

instances of filial love are often met with there, and
the monsters even profit by it. For example, when
a son hears of the captivity of his father, he has-
tens to oflfer himself in exchange, and they accept
this generosity, as they prefer the youth to the old
man. When the ship has been thus filled, it goes
to the north, in latitude 55°, w^hcre the inhabitants
of the coasts purchase the wretches for their service
with sea-otter skins, which the Europeans*, rejoic-
ed at the scandalous bargain, sell very dear in
China. They also like to abuse Tamaahmaah's
confidence, and an American captain, whom he
once entrusted witli a ship with sanders-wood to
bring to China, has not returned. Every year
several sailors, on account of bad conduct, are dis-
charged; and as they give only a bad example,
and cause nothing but mischief, it is to be expected
that the good disposition of the Sandwich islanders
will soon be entirely corrupted. The missionaries
do them almost more injury, because, by tlie reli-
gious hatred whicli they excite, they destroy wliole
nations, t Adams is possessed of the king's highest

• Quaere, Americans ? — Note of Translator.

■f Looking over Adams's journal, I found the following
notice: — "Brig Forester, the 24th of March, 1815, in the sea
near the coast of California, latitude 32° 45' north, longitude
233° 3' east. During a strong wind from W.N.W., and rainy wea-
ther, we descried this morning, at six o'clock, a ship at a small
distance, the disorder of whose sails convinced us that it stood
in need of assistance. We immediately directed our course to
it, and recognized the vessel in distress to be a Japanese, which
VOL. I. A A

354 FROM CALIFORNIA TO

confidence, and has been sent by him, with the brig
which was formerly kept at Owhyee, to Woahoo,
to prevent any insurrection occurring there. He
did not fear any thing in Owhyee, as he was born
there, and the gods themselves ordained him king ;
but the inhabitants of Woahoo seemed very dan-
gerous to him as conquered subjects.

It was made known in Hana-rura that we intend-
ed to leave Woahoo to-morrow. We therefore had
to-day many visits from distinguished people, who
brought us presents, and wished us a happy voyage.
The women swimming, surrounded our ship the
whole day, and bid their friends a tender farewell.
Kareimoku sent to request me, through Mr. Beckly,
to salute the fort in sailing past, by which he would
in some measure consecrate it ; which I readily
promised to do.

The 14th of December. At six o'clock this morn-

had lost her mast and rudder. I was sent by the captain on
board, and found in the ship only three dying Japanese, the
captain and two sailors. I instantly had the unfortunate men
carried to our brig, where they were perfectly recovered, after
four months' careful attendance. We learnt from these people,
that they came from the port of Osaco (in Japan), bound to
another commercial town, but had been surprised immediately
on their departure by a storm, and had lost their mast and
rudder. They had been, up to this day, a sport of the waves for
seventeen months ; and of their crew of five and thirty men only
three had survived, who would have died of hunger." This note
is so far remarkable, as it proves that the currents in these seas,
i. e. north of the tropics, always keep their direction from west
to east.

THE SAxNDWICII ISLANDS. 355

ing, we asked for a pilot by firing a cannon, who
immediately appeared, accompanied by several
double canoes. The anchors were weighed, the
Rurick towed out, and as Kareimoku came now
on board, I ordered him to be saluted with seven
guns, which gave liim so much pleasure that he
embraced me several times. The fort did not
neglect to return my politeness ; and, when it was
finished, the royal brig Kahumanna saluted us;
which we returned by an equal number of guns
on our side. The European custom had now been
introduced into the Sandwich islands. It gave me
much pleasure to be the first European who liad
exchanged salutes with a fort there, and when
Hana-rura has once become a flourishing city, peo-
ple may say, the Russians have consecrated our
fort, and its first shot was fired in honour of their
emperor, Alexander the First.

At eight o'clock we were out of the harbour ;
Kareimoku promised to intreat the gods that the
sun might guide us by day, and the moon by
night, and left us with his companions, who, as
they were putting off, gave us three cheers. With
a faint easterly breeze we left the shore, and as
1 was steering S.W., had already lost sight at noon
of the highest point of the Island of Woahoo.

According to my instructions, I was to pass the
winter months in the neighbourhood of the imper-
fectly known Coral islands, to make discoveries
there. I did not make a long plan of the voyage,

A A 2

35G FROM CALIFORNIA TO

as I knew by experience how difficult it is to fol-
low it ; if the chief points are but determined, the
rest will be filled up during the voyage. 1 now
determined to direct my course from the Sandwich
islands in such a manner as to be able to see the
two small islands discovered in 1807 by the frigate
Cornwallis, on its passage from the Sandwich
Islands to Canton. I had reason to believe that
their situation had not been accurately laid down,
because Captain Krusenstern, in 1804, when they
were not discovered, sailed with the Nadeshda
directly over the point where they are marked
down on the chart. The number of sea-fowls which
surrounded the Nadeshda seemed to be an indica-
tion of land near it. After I had found these, I
intended to take my course to the KutsuofF and
Suwaroff islands, the inhabitants of which possess
large boats, which seemed to indicate that there
are other islands in the neighbourhood ; I hoped
to discover these also, and after this I determined
to sail to the Carolines.

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 357

OBSERVATIONS MADE DURING OUR STAY AT
WOAHOO.

Tlie mean of our daily observa-
tions gave, for the latitude of
our anchoring place, - 21° 17' ^1" N.

The mean of lunar observations,
which were repeated for seve-
ral succeeding days, gave for
the longitude of our anchor-
ing place, - - .

Variation of the magnetic needle,

Dip of the magnetic needle,

The mean of our observations in Woahoo, gave
for the time of high water, at new and full moon,
two hours and fifty-five minutes. The greatest
difference in the height of the water was six feet.
The mean height of the barometer twenty-nine
inches, eighty lines. The mean height of the
thermometer 7<5° 0 Fahrenheit. The following is
the latitude and longitude of a small island which
is said to have been lately discovered. Latitude
28° 15' N., longitude 172° 30' W. I must also
add, that Manuja, during our stay in Woahoo,
punctually obeyed the orders of the king. He
never lefl the ship without my permission, guarded
us against robbery, and was very serviceable in
purchasing native curiosities. When I was in want

157

52

00 W.

10

57

00 E.

43

39

00

358 FROM CALIFORNIA, &C.

of any thing, he immediately jumped into the wa-
ter, and would not rest on shore till he had fulfilled
my wishes. For my stock of wood he instantly
collected a hundred islanders, w^ho felled, brought
it us, and cut it up, which would have fatigued
my sailors very much in this hot climate. We
made him many presents on parting : he felt him-
self particularly honoured in being allowed to take
charge of the presents which I sent to Tamaah-
maah.

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

London:

Tiintcil by A. & R. Sponiswooilf,

Nt'w-Strcct-Snuarc.

r

ndf \VHt

ii-oiu (i

Jiru,r,„>,f l.y Si./" //.,ll ,fi„rv ..V//A7..,.,,,-/.'

-I — —^' ' ' '

/

^-

'Us

/

^^m

Ut

//^; ////> ^

;.pfj.,//.s.,./,,:

f />

:/'

^•^ ';^:

A? - .^^

<^.?^ ^

%:»•

^it^'^y