434< cook's voyage to sept. 



could be expected from the methods he had to go by. 

 This judgment is not formed from Mr. Midler's ac- 

 count of the voyage, or the chart prefixed to his 

 cook ; but from Dr. Campbell's account of it in his 

 edition of Harris's Collection *, and a map thereto 

 annexed, which is both more circumstantial and ac- 

 curate than that of Mr. Muller. 



The more I was convinced of my being now upon 

 the coast of Asia, the more I was at a loss to recon- 

 cile Mr. Staehlin's map of the New Northern Archi- 

 pelago with my observations ; and I had no way to 

 account for the great difference, but by supposing, 

 that I had mistaken some part of what he calls the 

 Island of Alaschka for the American continent, and 

 had missed the channel that separates them. Admit- 

 ting even this, there would still have been a consider- 

 able difference. It was with me a matter of some 

 consequence to clear up this point the present season, 

 that I might have but one object in view the next. 

 And, as these northern isles are represented by him as 

 abounding with wood, I was in hopes, if I should 

 find them, of getting a supply of that article, which 

 we now began to be in great want of on board. 



With these views, I steered over for the American 

 coast ; and, at five in the afternoon, the next day, 

 saw land bearing three quarters east, which we took 

 to be Anderson's Island, or some other land near it, 

 and therefore did not wait to examine it. On the 

 6th, at four in the morning, we got sight of the 

 American coast near Sledge Island ; and at six the 

 same evening, this island bore north, 6 E.; ten leagues 

 distant ; and the easternmost land in sight N. 49 E. 

 If any part of what I had supposed to be American 

 coast could possibly be the island of Alaschka, it 

 was that now before us ; and in that case, I must 

 have missed the channel between it and the main, by 

 steering to the west, instead of the east, after we first 



* Vol. ii.p. lQ16 ? &c. 



