4 liiissian Expedition to Japan. 



Sandwich islands are too well known for me to regret 

 having been prevented by want ot" time from touching at 

 them. The changes, however, which have taken place in 

 these islands since the tin)e of V'ancouver, and which must 

 be considerable, will be accurately described by capt. Lisi- 

 anski, as be undertook to remain there at least a fortnight. 

 It appeared to me of stniie importance to examine Easter 

 Island : the information which Roggewein and La Perouse 

 have given us lespccting it (for the Spaniards have published 

 no account of it) proves that it has experienced great changes. 

 1 const'c^uently was desirous to ascertain whether the bene- 

 volent views of the French voyage of discovery in regard to 

 this island had been accomplished, and therefore resolved 

 to come to anchor there for some time ; but the strong 

 north winds rendered this impossible, or at least prevented 

 us from doing it \\ ithout considerable loss of time, — a sa- 

 orifice which in my present situation I could not venture to 

 make. Capt. Lisianski, from whom we separated when we 

 doubled Cajje Horn, remained some days in the neighbour- 

 hood of it, but without coming to anchor, and without 

 having any conmnmieation with the inhabitants, who pro- 

 bably, for want of canoes, of which thev had some in tiie 

 time of Cook and of La Perouse, did not come on board. 

 My passage from this place to Japan will exhibit no variety^ 

 for on account of the lateness of the season I must use as 

 much dispatch as possible to arrive in proper time at Nan- 

 gasaki. Bat, if circumstances permit, } hope that my re- 

 turn from Japan will prove of some benefit to geography. 



Journal of the Voyage from Brazil to Kamtchaika; ex- 

 tracted from a Letter of Dr. Es pen berg, dated the 

 Harbour of St. Peter and St. Paul, August 24, 1804. 



* That we were obliged to remain at the island of St. Ca- 

 tharine from the 21st of December to the 4th of February, 

 because the Neva stood in need of two masts, is already 

 known to you. On the 4th of February we hove up oui 

 anchors, and as soon as we had got to a sufficient distance 

 from the land we directed our course southwards. On the 

 23th we saw land at a great distance : it proved to be Cape 

 St. John, the eastern extremity of Staaten Land. This land 

 is exceedingly high, and in consequence of the great di- 

 stance looked Mke a cloud. People unacquainted with nau- 

 tical affairs, to Vvfliich class our naturalists belong, were ex- 

 tremely sorry that the sl>i[) did not approach the land. I 

 niygelf was at first in the same situation ; but (he captain 

 assured me that the winds near the land are very changea- 

 ble, 



