270 VOYAGE TO THE 



Sound. For the three preceding days the weather 

 had been cold, with heavy falls of snow ; and the sea- 

 men, the boat's crews in particular, suffered from their 

 exposure to it, and from the harassing duty which was 

 indispensable from the expeditious execution of the 

 survey. On this day, the 5th, the thermometer stood 

 at 25~°, and the lakes on shore were frozen. We ac- 

 cordingly weighed, but not being able to get out, pass- 

 ed a sharp frosty night in the entrance ; and next 

 morning, favoured with an easterly wind, weighed and 

 steered for the strait. As we receded from Point 

 Spencer, the difficulty of distinguishing it even at a 

 short distance accounted for this excellent port having 

 been overlooked by Cook, who anchored within a very 

 few miles of its entrance. 



As we neared Beering's Strait the wind increased, 

 and on rounding Cape Prince of Wales, obliged us to 

 reduce our sails to the close reef. On leaving the 

 port the wind had been from the eastward, but it 

 now drew to the northward, and compelled us to 

 carry sail, in order to weather the Diomede Islands. 

 Whilst we were thus pressed, John Dray, one of the 

 seamen, unfortunately fell overboard from the look- 

 out at the masthead, and sunk alongside a boat which 

 was sent to him, after having had his arms round two 

 of the oars. This was the only accident of the kind 

 that had occurred since the sh p had been in commis- 

 sion, and it was particularly unfortunate that it should 

 have fallen to the lot of so good a man as Dray. Pre- 

 vious to his entry in the ship he resided some time at 

 the Marquesas Islands, and was so well satisfied with 

 the behaviour of the natives of that place that he pur- 

 posed living amongst them ; but being on board a boat 

 belonging to Baron Wrangel's ship, at a time when 



