238 cook's voyage to july, 



before the winter should set in, and render all other 

 efforts toward discovery impracticable, to explore the 

 coast of Japan. 



I will not endeavour to conceal the joy that bright- 

 ened the countenance of every individual, as soon as 

 Captain Clerke's resolutions were made known. We 

 were all heartily sick of a navigation full of danger, 

 and in which the utmost perseverance had not been 

 repaid with the smallest probability of success. We 

 therefore turned our faces toward home, after an 

 absence of three years, with a delight and satisfac- 

 tion, which, notwithstanding the tedious voyage we 

 had still to make, and the immense distance we had 

 to run, were as freely entertained, and perhaps as 

 fully enjoyed, as if we had been already in sight of 

 the Land's-end. 



On the 28th, we kept working to windward with a 

 fresh breeze from the south-east, having the coast of 

 Asia still in sight. At four in the morning, the 

 cape, which, on the authority of Muller, we have 

 called Serdze Kamen, bore south south-west, distant 

 six or seven leagues. We saw, in different places, 

 upon the tops of the hills, which rise inland on both 

 sides of the cape, protuberances of a considerable 

 height, which had the appearance of huge rocks, or 

 pillars of stone. 



On the 29th, the wind still continuing contrary, 

 we made but slow progress to the southward. At 

 midnight, we had thick foggy weather, accompanied 

 with a breeze from the north north-west, with which 

 we directed our course to the south south-east, 

 through the straits, and had no land in sight till seven 

 in the evening of the 30th ; when the fog clearing 

 away, we saw Cape Prince of Wales bearing south 

 by east, distant about six leagues ; and the island St. 

 Diomede south-west by west. We now altered our 

 course to the west, and at eight made the east cape, 

 which, at midnight, bore west by north, distant four 



