177S- T HE TACIFIC OCEAN. 353 



be wholly unconnected with the land seen by us'the 

 preceding day. In the chart above mentioned, there 

 is here a space, where Beering is supposed to have 

 seen no land. This also favoured the latter account 

 published by Mr. Staehlin, who makes Cape St. Her- 

 mogenes, and all the land that Beering discovered to 

 the south-west of it, to be a cluster of islands ; plac- 

 ing St. Hermogenes amongst those which are desti- 

 tute of wood. What we now saw seemed to confirm 

 this ; and every circumstance inspired us with hopes 

 of finding here a passage northward, without being 

 obliged to proceed any farther to the south-west. 



We were detained off the cape by variable light 

 airs and calms, till two o'clock the next morning, 

 when a breeze springing up at north-east we steered 

 north-north-west along the coast; and soon found 

 the land of Cape St. Hermogenes to be an island, 

 about six leagues in circuit, separated from the adja- 

 cent coast by a channel one league broad. A league 

 and a half to the north of this island lie some rocks, 

 above water ; on the north-east side of which we had 

 from thirty to twenty fathoms water. 



At noon, the island of St. Hermogenes bore south- 

 east, eight leagues distant ; and the land to the 

 north-west of it extended from south -- west to 

 near west. In this last direction it ended in a low 

 point, now five leagues distant, which was called 

 Point Banks, The latitude of the ship, at this time, 

 was 58 41', and its longitude 207 44/. In this situ- 

 ation, the land, which was supposed to connect Cape 

 Elizabeth with this south-west land, was in sight, bear- 

 ing north-west - north. 1 steered directly for it ; 

 and, on a nearer approach, found it to be a group of 

 high islands and rocks, entirely unconnected with 

 any other land. They obtained the name of Barren 

 Isles from their very naked appearance. Their situ- 

 ation is in the latitude of 59, and in a line with Cape 

 Elizabeth and Point Banks ; three leagues distant 

 from the former, and five from the latter. 



VOL. VI. A A 



