264 cook's voyage to sept, 



board some ballast, unhung the rudder, and sent it 

 on shore, the lead of the pintles being found entirely 

 worn away, and a great part of the sheathing rubbed 

 off. As the carpenters of the Resolution were not 

 yet wanted, we got this set to rights the next day, 

 but finding the rudder out of all proportion heavy, 

 even heavier than that of the Resolution, we let it 

 remain on shore, in order to dry and lighten. 



The same day, an ensign arrived from Bolcheretsk 

 with a letter from the commander to Captain Gore, 

 which we put into the Serjeant's hands, and, by his 

 assistance, were made to understand, that orders had 

 been given about the cattle ; and that they might be 

 expected here in a few days; and, moreover, that 

 Captain Shmalefi£ the present commander, would 

 himself pay us a visit immediately on the arrival of 

 a sloop which was daily expected from Okotzk. 

 The young officer, who brought the letter, was the 

 son of the Captain-lieutenant Synd, who commanded 

 an expedition on discovery, between Asia and 

 America, eleven years ago, and resided at thistime at 

 Okotzk. * He informed us, that he was sent to 

 receive our directions, and to take care to get us 

 supplied with whatever our service might require; 



* See all that is known of his voyage, and a chart of his dis- 

 coveries, in Mr. Coxe's Account of Russian Discoveries between 

 Asia and America. We were not able to learn from the Russians 

 in Kamtschatka, a more perfect account of Synd than we now find 

 is given by Mr. Coxe ; and yet they seemed disposed to commu- 

 nicate all that they really knew. Major Behm could only inform 

 us, in general, that the expedition had miscarried as to its object, 

 and that the commander had fallen under much blame. It 

 appeared evidently, that he had been on the coast of America to 

 the southward of Cape Prince of Wales, between the latitude of 64>° 

 and 65° ; and it is most probable, that his having got too far to the 

 northward to meet with sea-otters, which the Russians, in all their 

 attempts at discoveries, seem to have principally in view, and his 

 returning without having made any that promised commercial 

 advantages, was the cause of his disgrace, and of the great con- 

 tempt with which the Russians always spoke of this officer's 

 voyage. 



The cluster of islands, placed in Synd's chart, between the 



