called partridge-berry; and another brown berry, unknown to us. This has somewhat of the taste of a sloe, but is unlike it in every other respect. It is very astringent, if eaten in any quantity. Brandy might be distilled from it. Captain Clerke attempted to preserve some; but they fermented, and became as strong as if they had been steeped in spirits. There were a few other plants which we found serviceable, but are not made use of by either Russians or natives; such as wild purslain, pea-tops, a kind of scurvy-grass, cresses, and some others. All these we found very palatable, dressed either in soups or in salads. On the low ground, and in the valleys, is plenty of grass, which grows very thick, and to a great length. I am of opinion that cattle might subsist at Oonalashka all the year round, without being housed. And the soil, in many places, seemed capable of producing grain, roots, and vegetables. But at present, the Russian traders and the natives seem satisfied with what nature brings forth.

Native sulphur was seen amongst the inhabitants of the island; but I had no opportunity of learning where they got it. We found also ochre; a stone that gives a purple colour, and another that gives a very good green. It may be doubted whether this last is known. In its natural state, it is of a greyish-green colour, coarse and heavy. It easily dissolves in oil; but when put into water, it entirely loses its properties. It seemed to be scarce in Oonalashka; but we were told that it was in greater plenty on the island of Oonemak. As to the stones about the shore and hills, I saw nothing in them that was uncommon.

The people of Oonalashka bury their dead on the summits of hills, and raise a little hillock over the grave. In a walk into the country, one of the natives who attended me pointed out several of these receptacles of the dead. There was one of them by the side of the road leading from the harbour to the village, over which was raised a heap of stones. It was observed, that every one who passed it, added one to it. I saw in the country several stone hillocks that seemed to have been raised by art. Many of them were apparently of great antiquity. What their notions are of the Deity, and of a future state, I know not. I am equally unacquainted with their diversions; nothing having been seen that could give us an insight into either.

They are remarkably cheerful and friendly amongst each other, and always behaved with great civility to us. The Russians told us, that they never had any connexions with their women, because they were not Christians. Our people were not so scrupulous; and some of them had reason to repent that the females of Oonalashika encouraged their addresses without any reserve, for their health suffered by a distemper that is not unknown here. The natives of this island are also subject to the cancer, or a complaint like it, which those whom it attacks are very careful to conceal. They do not seem to be long-lived. I nowhere saw a person, man or woman, whom I could suppose to be sixty years of age, and but very few who appeared to be above fifty. Probably their hard way of living may be the means of shortening their days.

I have frequently had occasion to mention, from the time of our arrival in Prince William's Sound, how remarkably the natives on this north-west side of America resemble the Greenlanders and Esquimaux, in various particulars of person, dress, weapons, canoes, and the like. However, I was much less struck with this than with the affinity which we found subsisting between the dialects of the Greenlanders and Esquimaux, and those of Norton's Sound and Oonalashka. This will appear from a table of corresponding words, which I put together, and will be inserted in the course of this work. It must be observed, however, with regard to the words which we collected on this side of America, that too much stress is not to be laid upon their being accurately represented; for after Mr. Anderson's death, we had few who took much pains about such matters, and I have frequently found, that the same words written down by two or more persons, from the mouth of the same native, on being compared together, differed not a little. But still enough is certain to warrant this judgment, that there is great reason to believe that all these nations are of the same extraction; and if so, there can be little doubt of there being a northern communication of some sort by sea, between this west side of America and the east side, through Baffin's Bay;

• It will be found amongst other vocabularies, at the end of the volume.

which communication, however, may be effectually shut up against ships, by ice and other impediments. Such, at least, was my opinion at this time.

I shall now quit these northern regions with a few particulars relative to the tides and currents upon the coast, and an account of the astronomical observations made by us in Samganoodha Harbour. The tide is nowhere considerable but in the great river*. The flood comes from the south or south-east, everywhere following the direction of the coast to the north-westward. Between Norton Sound and Cape Prince of Wales, we found a current setting to the north-west, particularly off the cape, and within Sledge Island. But this current extended only a little way from the coast; nor was it either consistent or uniform. To the north of Cape Prince of Wales, we found neither tide nor current, either on the American or on the Asiatic coast, though several times looked for. This gave rise to an opinion, entertained by some on board our ships, that the two coasts were connected either by land or by ice; which opinion received some strength by our never having any hollow waves from the north, and by our seeing ice almost the whole way across.

The following are the results of the several observations made ashore during our stay in the harbour of Samganoodha.

The latitude, by the mean of several observed meridian altitudes of the sun

53° 5' 0"

By the mean of equal altitudes of the sun, taken on the 12th, 14th, 17th, and 21st, the timekeeper was found to be losing on mean time 8′′, 8 each day; and on the last of these days, was too slow for mean time 13h 46m 43, 98. Hence the timekeeper must

have been too slow on the 4th, the day after our arrival, by 13h 44m 36°, 62; and the longitude, by Greenwich rate, will be 13h 23m 53, 8 By King George's (or Nootka) Sound rate, 12h 56m 40, 4 The 30th June, the timekeeper, by the same rate, gave The error of the timekeeper at that time was

The error of the timekeeper between our leaving Samganoodha and our return to it again, was

On the 12th of Oct. the variation

By the mean of three compasses

A.M. 20° 17 2
P.M. 19 41 27

Mean

CHAPTER XII.-DEPARTURE FROM OONALASHKA, AND FUTURE VIEWS. THE ISLAND AMOGHTA.-SITUATION OF A REMARKABLE ROCK.-THE STRAIT BETWEEN OONALASHKA AND OONELLA REPASSED.— PROGRESS TO THE SOUTH.- MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT ON BOARD THE DISCOVERY.-MOWEE, ONE OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS, DISCOVERED.-INTERCOURSE WITH THE NATIVES.-VISIT FROM TERREEOBOO.—ANOTHER ISLAND CALLED OWHYHEE, DISCOVERED. THE SHIPS PLY TO WINDWARD TO GET ROUND IT.-AN ECLIPSE OF THE MOON OBSERVED.-THE CREW REFUSE TO DRINK SUGAR-CANE BEER.-CORDAGE DEFICIENT IN STRENGTH.-COMMENDATION OF THE NATIVES OF OWHYHEE.-THE RESOLUTION GETS TO WINDWARD OF THE ISLAND.-HER PROGRESS DOWN THE SOUTH-EAST COAST.—VIEWS OF THE COUNTRY, AND VISITS FROM THE NATIVES. -THE DISCOVERY JOINS.-SLOW PROGRESS WESTWARD.—KARAKAKOOA BAY EXAMINED BY MR. BLIGH.-VAST CONCOURSE OF THE NATIVES.-THE SHIPS ANCHOR IN THE BAY.

In the morning of Monday the 26th, we put to sea from Samganoodha Harbour, and as the wind was southerly, stood away to the westward. My intention was now to proceed to Sandwich Islands, there to spend a few of the winter months, in case we should meet with the necessary refreshments, and then to direct our course to Kamtschatka, so as to endeavour to be there by the middle of May, the ensuing summer. In consequence of this resolution, I gave Captain Clerke orders how to proceed in case of separation; appointing Sandwich Islands for the first place of rendezvous, and the harbour of Petropaulowska, in Kamtschatka, for the second.

Soon after we were out of the harbour, the wind veered to the S.E. and E.S.E., which, by the evening, carried us as far as the western part of Oonalashka, where we got the wind at S. With this we stretched to the westward, till seven o'clock the next morning, when we wore, and stood to the E. The wind, by this time, had increased in such a manner as to reduce us to our three courses. It blew in very heavy squalls attended with rain, hail, and snow. At nine o'clock in the morning of the 28th, the island of Oonalashka bore S.E., four leagues distant. We then wore and stood to the westward. The strength of the gale was now over, and toward evening, the little wind that blew insensibly veered round to the E., where it continued but a short time before it got to N.E., and increased to a very hard gale with rain. I steered first to the southward, and as the wind inclined to the N. and N.W., I steered more westerly.

On the 29th, at half-past six in the morning, we saw land extending from E. by S. to S. by W., supposed to be the island Amoghta. At eight, finding that we could not weather the island, as the wind had now veered to the westward, I gave over plying, and bore away for Oonalashka, with a view of going to the northward and eastward of that island, not daring to attempt a passage to the S. E. of it, in so hard a gale of wind. At the time we bore away, the land extended from E. by S. S. to S. S. W., four leagues distant. The longitude by the time keeper was 191° 17', and the latitude 53° 38'. This will give a very different situation to this island from that assigned to it upon the Russian map. But it must be remembered, that this is one of the islands which Mr. Ismyloff said was wrongly placed. Indeed it is a doubt if this be Amoghta*; for after Ismyloff had made the correction, no land appeared upon the map in this latitude; but as I have observed before, we must not look for accuracy in this chart. At eleven o'clock, as we were steering to the N. E., we discovered an elevated rock, like a tower, bearing N. N. E. E., four leagues distant. It lies in the latitude of 53° 57′, and in the longitude of 191° 2′, and hath no place in the Russian map †. We must have passed very near it in the night. We could judge of

On the chart of Krenitzen's and Levasheff's voyage, in 1768 and 1769, which we find in Mr. Coxe's book, p. 25, an island called Amuckta is laid down, not very far from the place assigned to Amoghta by Captain Cook. Though this rock had no place in the Russian map produced by Ismyloff, it has a place in the chart of Krenitzen's and Levasheff's voyage, above referred to.

The chart also agrees with Captain Cook's, as to the general position of this group of islands. The singularly indented shores of the island of Oonalashka are represented in both charts much alike; these circumstances are worth attending to, as the more modern Russian maps of this archipelago are so wonderfully erroneous.

its steepness from this circumstance, that the sea, which now ran very high, broke no where but against it. At three in the afternoon, after getting a sight of Oonalashka, we shortened sail, and hauled the wind, not having time to get through the passage before night. At day break the next morning, we bore away under courses, and close-reefed top-sails, having a very hard gale at W. N. W., with heavy squalls, attended with snow. At noon, we were in the middle of the strait, between Oonalashka and Oonella, the harbour of Samganoodha bearing S. S. E., one league distant. At three in the afternoon, being through the strait and clear of the isles, Cape Providence bearing W. S. W., two or three leagues distant, we steered to the southward, under double-reefed top-sails and courses, with the wind at W. N. W., a strong gale, and fair weather.

On Monday the 2d of November, the wind veered to the southward, and before night blew a violent storm, which obliged us to bring to. The Discovery fired several guns, which we answered, but without knowing on what occasion they were fired. At eight o'clock, we lost sight of her, and did not see her again till eight the next morning. At ten, she joined us; and, as the height of the gale was now over, and the wind had veered back to W. N. W., we made sail, and resumed our course to the southward. The 6th, in the evening, being in the latitude of 42° 12', and in the longitude of 201° 26', the variation was 17° 15' E. The next morning, our latitude being 41° 20′, and our longitude 202°, a shag, or cormorant, flew several times round the ship. As these birds are seldom, if ever, known to fly far out of sight of land, I judged that some was not far distant. However, we could see none. In the afternoon, there being but little wind, Captain Clerke came on board, and informed me of a melancholy accident that happened on board his ship, the second night after we left Samganoodha. The main tack gave way, killed one man, and wounded the boatswain and two or three more. In addition to this misfortune, I now learned, that on the evening of the 3d, his sails and rigging received considerable damage; and that the guns which he fired were the signal to bring to. On the 8th, the wind was at north; a gentle breeze, with clear weather. On the 9th, in the latitude of 391°, we had eight hours calm. This was succeeded by the wind from the south, attended with fair weather. Availing ourselves of this, as many of our people as could handle a needle were set to work to repair the sails; and the carpenters were employed to put the boats in order.

On the 12th at noon, being then in the latitude of 38° 14′, and in the longitude of 206° 17', the wind returned back to the northward; and on the 15th, in the latitude of 33° 30′, it veered to the east. At this time, we saw a tropic bird, and a dolphin; the first that we had observed during the passage. On the 17th, the wind veered to the southward, where it continued till the afternoon of the 9th, when a squall of wind and rain brought it at once round by the west to the north. This was in the latitude of 32° 26', and in the longitude of 207° 30'. The wind presently increased to a very strong gale, attended with rain, so as to bring us under double-reefed top-sails. In lowering down the main-top-sail to reef it, the wind tore it quite out of the foot-rope; and it was split in several other parts. This sail had only been brought to the yard the day before, after having had a repair. The next morning, we got another top-sail to the yard. This gale proved to be the forerunner of the trade-wind, which, in latitude 25°, veered to east, and east south-east.

I continued to steer to the southward, till daylight in the morning of the 25th, at which time we were in the latitude of 20° 55'. I now spread the ships, and steered to the west. In the evening, we joined; and at midnight brought to. At daybreak, next morning, land was seen extending from south south-east to west. We made sail, and stood for it. At eight, it extended from south-east half south, to west; the nearest part two leagues distant. It was supposed that we saw the extent of the land to the east, but not to the west. We were now satisfied, that the group of the Sandwich Islands had been only imperfectly discovered; as those of them which we had visited in our progress northward, all lie to the leeward of our present station. In the country was an elevated saddle hill, whose summit appeared above the clouds. From this hill the land fell in a gentle slope, and terminated in a steep, rocky coast, against which the sea broke in a dreadful surf. Finding that we could not weather the island, I bore up, and ranged along the coast to the westward. It was not long before we saw people on several parts of the shore, and some houses and plantations.

The country seemed to be both well wooded and watered; and running streams were seen falling into the sea in various places.

As it was of the last importance to procure a supply of provisions at these islands; and experience having taught me that I could have no chance to succeed in this, if a free trade with the natives were to be allowed; that is, if it were left to every man's discretion to trade for what he pleased, and in the manner he pleased; for this substantial reason, I now published an order, prohibiting all persons from trading, except such as should be appointed by me and Captain Clerke; and even these were enjoined to trade only for provisions and refreshments. Women were also forbidden to be admitted into the ships, except under certain restrictions. But the evil I meant to prevent, by this regulation, I soon found, had already got amongst them.

At noon, the coast extended from S. 81° E. to N. 56° W.; a low flat, like an isthmus, bore S. 42° W.; the nearest shore three or four miles distant; the latitude was 20° 59′, and the longitude 203° 50′. Seeing some canoes coming off to us, I brought to. As soon as they got alongside, many of the people who conducted them came into the ship, without the least hesitation. We found them to be of the same nation with the inhabitants of the islands more to leeward, which we had already visited; and, if we did not mistake them, they knew of our having been there. Indeed, it rather appeared too evident; for these people had got amongst them the venereal distemper; and, as yet, I knew of no other way of its reaching them, but by an intercourse with their neighbours since our leaving them. We got from our visitors a quantity of cuttle-fish, for nails and pieces of iron. They brought very little fruit and roots; but told us that they had plenty of them on their island, as also hogs and fowls. In the evening, the horizon being clear to the westward, we judged the westernmost land in sight to be an island, separated from that off which we now were. Having no doubt that the people would return to the ships next day, with the produce of their country, I kept plying off all night, and in the morning stood close in-shore. At first, only a few of the natives visited us; but toward noon, we had the company of a good many, who brought with them bread-fruit, potatoes, tarro, or eddy roots, a few plantains, and small pigs; all of which they exchanged for nails and iron tools. Indeed, we had nothing else to give them. We continued trading with them till four o'clock in the afternoon, when, having disposed of all their cargoes, and not seeming inclined to fetch more, we made sail, and stood off-shore.

While we were lying to, though the wind blew fresh, I observed that the ships drifted to the east. Consequently, there must have been a current setting in that direction. This encouraged me to ply to windward, with a view to get round the east end of the island, and so have the whole lee-side before us. In the afternoon of the 30th, being off the north-east end of the island, several canoes came off to the ships. Most of these belonged to a chief named Terreeoboo, who came in one of them. He made me a present of two or three small pigs; and we got, by barter, from the other people, a little fruit. After a stay of about two hours, they all left us, except six or eight of their company, who chose to remain on board. A double-sailing canoe came, soon after, to attend upon them; which we towed astern all night. In the evening, we discovered another island to windward, which the natives call Owhyhee. The name of that off which we had been for some days, we were also told, is Mowee.

On the 1st of December, at eight in the morning, Owhyhee extended from south 22° E. to S. 12° W.; and Mowee from N. 41° to N. 830 W. Finding that we could fetch Owhyhee, I stood for it; and our visitors from Mowee not choosing to accompany us, embarked in their canoe, and went ashore. At seven in the evening, we were close up with the north side of Owhyhee; where we spent the night, standing off and on. In the morning of the 2d, we were surprised to see the summits of the mountains on Owhyhee covered with snow. They did not appear to be of any extraordinary height; and yet, in some places, the snow seemed to be of a considerable depth, and to have lain there some time. As we drew near the shore, some of the natives came off to us. They were a little shy at first; but we soon enticed some of them on board; and at last prevailed upon them to return to the island, and bring off what we wanted. Soon after these reached the shore,