4 o6 AVOYAGETO 



'"79- dinary effect of currents we had before experienced, the 



November. ' * 



late feafon of the year, the unfettled ftate of the weather, 

 and the little likelihood of any change for the better, made 

 Captain Gore refolve to leave Japan altogether, and profe- 

 cute our voyage to China ; hoping, that as the track he 

 meant to purfue had never yet been explored, he mould be 

 able to make amends, by fome new dilcovery, for the dis- 

 appointments we had met with on this coaft. 



If the reader mould be of opinion that we quitted this ob- 

 ject too haftily, in addition to the facts already ftated, it 

 ought to be remarked, Kxmpfcr defcribes the coaft of Ja- 

 pan as the moft dangerous in the whole world*; that it 

 would have been equally dangerous, in cafe of diftrefs, to 

 run into any of their harbours ; where we know, from 

 the beft authorities, that the averfion of the inhabitants to 

 any intercourfe with Grangers, has led them to commit the 

 mod atrocious barbarities ; that our mips were in a leaky 

 condition ; that our fails were worn out, and unable to 

 withftand a gale of wind ; and that the rigging was fo rotten 

 as to require condant and perpetual repairs. 



As the ftrong currents, which fet along the Eaflern coaft 

 of Japan, may be of dangerous confcqucnce to the navi- 

 gator, who is not aware of their extraordinary rapidity, I 

 mall take leave of this ifland, with a fummary account of 

 their force and direction, as obferved by us from the ift to 

 the 3th of November. On the ift, at which time we were 

 about eighteen leagues to the Eafhvard of White Point, the 

 current fet North Eaft and by North, at the rate of three 

 miles an hour ; on the 2d, as we approached the more, we 



* Sec Kasmpfcr's Hid. of Japan, Vol. I. p. 92, 93, 94, and 102. 



found 



