THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 391 



nearly in the fame direction, together with the group firft »?79- 



mentioned, according to the Ruffian charts, we thought this < . ' 



coaft deferved the preference, and accordingly hauled round 

 to the Weftward, the wind having fhifted, in the afternoon, 

 to the Northward. During this day we faw large flocks of 

 gulls, fcveral albatroffes, fulmars, and a number of fifh, 

 which our failors called grampufes ; but, as far as we could 

 judge, from the appearance of thofe that paffed clofe by 

 the ihips, we imagined them to be the kafatka, or fword-fifh, 

 dcfcribed by Krafcheninicoff, to whom I refer the Reader, 

 for a curious account of the manner in which they attack- 

 the whales. In the evening, a vifit from a fmall land bird, 

 about the fizc of a gold-finch, and refcmbling that bird in 

 fhapc and plumage, made us keep a good look-out for land. 

 However, at midnight, on trying for foundings, we found 

 no ground with forty-five fathoms of line. 



them to be one continent ; without having recourfe to the fuppofition of an earthquake, 

 by which Mr. Muller, from his defire to reconcile the opinion generally received, with 

 the later Rufiian difcoveries, conceives the fcveral parts to have been feparated. The 

 Journal then proceeds to give an account of the difcovery of Staten iJland and Com- 

 pany's Land, of which T have already given my opinion, and (hall have occafion to 

 fpeak hereafter. Having parted through the Straits of De Vries, fays the Journal, 

 they entered a vaft, wild, and tempeftuous fea, in which they fleered, through mills 

 and darknefsj to the 4.8 latitude North ; after which they were driven by contrary 

 winds to the Southward, and again fell in with land to the Weftward, in latitude 45% 

 which they unaccountably frill-imagined to be part of the continent of Jefo ; whereas, 

 whoever examines Janfen's map of their difcoveries (which appears to be exceedingly 

 accurate, as far as his information went), will, I believe, have no doubt, that they 

 were, at this time, on the coaft of Tartary. Having traced this land four degrees 

 to the Northward, they returned to the Southward through the Straits they had paiTcd 

 before. 



It is not neceflary to trouble the Reader with the Journal of the Brefkes, as it 

 contains no new matter, and has been already republifhed, and very fatisfactoiily 

 animadverted upon by Mr. Muller. 



Voyages from AJta to America^ &c. Englilh Tranflation, p. 78. 



On: 



