1/79. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 255 



be 19° E. From this time to the 17th, we were 

 making the best of our way to the south, without 

 any occurrence worth remarking, except that the 

 wind, coming from the western quarter, forced us 

 farther to the eastward than we wished, as it w r as our 

 intention to make Beering's Island. 



On the 17th, at half past four in the morning, we 

 saw land to the north-west, which we could not ap- 

 proach, the wind blowing from that quarter. At 

 noon, the latitude, by observation, was 53° 49', lon- 

 gitude 168° 5', and variation 10° E. The land in 

 sight bore north by west, twelve or fourteen leagues 

 distant. This land we take to be the island Mednoi, 

 laid down in the Russian charts to the south-east of 

 Beering's Island. It is high land, and appeared 

 clear of snow. We place it in the latitude 54° 28', 

 longitude I67 5 C 2\ We got no soundings with one 

 hundred and fifty fathoms of line. 



Captain Clerke was now no longer able to get out 

 of his bed ; he therefore desired that the officers 

 would receive their orders from me, and directed 

 that we should proceed with all speed to Awatska 

 Bay. The wind continuing westerly, we stood on to 

 the south till early on the morning of the 19th, when, 

 after a few hours rain, it blew from the eastward, and 

 freshened to a strong gale. We accordingly made 

 the most of it whilst it lasted, by standing to the 

 westward under all the sail we could carry. On the 

 20th, the wind shifting to the south-west, our course 

 was to the west-north-west. At noon, the latitude 

 by observation was 53° 7'> longitude 162° 49'. On 

 the 21st, at half past five in the morning, we saw a 

 very high-peaked mountain on the coast of Kamt- 

 schatka, called Cheepoonskoi Mountain, from its 

 lying behind the Noss, bearing north-west by north, 

 twenty-five or thirty leagues distant. At noon, the 

 coast extended from north by east to west, with a 

 very great haziness upon it, and distant about twelve 



