Page:Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world in the years 1791-95, volume 3.djvu/107

Rh the even by com- iles, with ation the lifcover), as during thought I order to ly would ercury at morning ; urrent to lad paHed irvations, longitude fince the 1 the lon- depih of le north- leagues ; • neareft 2 leagues fouthern, U irregu- its weft- of being s. 66 w., ledge of ervations eary and led to be iulircly i

Jntircly deftitute of trees or flirubs, or they were hidden beneath its win- ter garment of fnow, which appeared to be very deep about its fbuih- eaftcrn parts, confiding of high flecp cliffs ; but on its wedern fide, which was confiderably lower, this appearance was not fo general. About its (horcs were fomc finall whales, the firfl: wc had noticed during this paf- (ago to the north. From the relative fituation of this ifland to the con- tinent, I was inclined to believe it to be that which Bcering called I'oggy ifland; but as Captain Cook gave that name to another idand not far diftant to (he welhvard, I have in honor of Becring's companion Tfche- rtkoxo, whofe labors in the arduous tafli of difcovery do not appear to Jiavc been thus commemorated, called this illand after him Tsciick:- KOV/'s Isi.AXD. In our route from the Sandwich iflands to this ftation it may be feen, that whenever the winds would permit, our courfe was dirc6lcd far to the wcRward of the entrance into . Cook's river, as delineated by that able navigator. My reafon for fo doing, in the event of circumllanccs per- mitting, was to fall in with thofc parts which Captain Cook was pre- vented from feeing between Foggy cape and cape Trinity; as I much wiflied to afcertain whether that fpace was occupied by land, or whether it comniunicatrd with Smoky bay, as has been reprcfented in fome late publicati<nis, though in a manner not eafily to be underflood. The winds and weather had, however, been adverfe to this defign ; and al- though the latter prefented now a more favorable profpeft, yet the wind, at n.w., blew in the very diref^i jn I wifhed to (leer for that pur- pofe. But as it was favorable for con'snuing along the exterior coaft, and as we had already been greatly retarded in our general operations, by adxerfe winds and other untoward circumflances, I was induced to forego the objc£l I had in view, left fimilar inconvenience (hould conti- nue to attend us, and caufe delays that we could ill afford in the profe- cution of our furvey. Thefe confiderations induced me to make all fail, fleering with the wind at n. n.w. during the afternoon to the n. e. ; and having at fix in the evening made our courfe good from noon, n. 6^ e., .o miles, Trinity idand v.'as feen bearing by compafs from n. 5 e. to N. J J w., and aihothcr ifland from w, ^ n. to w. by s. The latter I took to