THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 389 



able to approach it nearer than we had done at noon : and *p?- 



r ' October. 



were, therefore, obliged to be contented with endeavouring < ,— — » 



to afcertain its fituation at that diftance. We place the South 

 end of the ifland in latitude 49 58' ; the North end in lati- 

 tude 50 46', and in longitude 10' Weft of Lopatka ; and as 

 this pofition is found not to differ materially from that given 

 by the Ruffians, it is probably very near the truth. Whilfl 

 we were abreaft of this ifland, we had a very heavy fwell 

 from the North Eaft, though the wind had, for fome time, 

 been from the Weftward ; a circumftance which we have 

 already remarked more than once during the courfe of our 

 voyage. In the night we tried for foundings, but found no 

 ground with fifty fathoms of line. 



On the 14th and 15th, the wind blowing fteadily and frefh Thurfday i 4 . 

 from the Weftward, we were obliged to ftand to the South- Frlda y •*■ 

 ward ; and confequently hindered from feeing any more of 

 the Kurile iflands. At noon of the 16th, the latitude, by Saturday 16. 

 obfervation, was 45 27'; the longitude, deduced from a 

 number of lunar obfervations taken during the three days 

 paft, 1 55 30'. The variation 4 30' Eaft. In this fituation, we 

 were almoft furrounded by the fuppofed difcoverics of 

 former navigators, and uncertain to which we mould turn 

 ourfelves. To the Southward and the South Weft were 

 placed, in the French charts, a groupe of five iflands, called 

 the Three Sifters, Zellany and Kunafhir. We were about 

 ten leagues, according to the fame maps, to the Weft- 

 ward of the land of De Gama, which we had pafled to 

 the Eaftward in April laft, at a diftance rather lefs than 

 this, without feeing any appearance of it j from which 

 circumftance we may now v conclude, that, if fuch land 

 exift at all, it muft be an ifland of a very inconfiderablc 

 3 iize, 



