Russian Expediiioji to Japan. 5 



hie, and that gales and calms often take place. In conse- 

 <]iience of these calms, vessels are often in danger of being 

 driven on shore by the currents and breakers, and therefore 

 it was not advisable without necessity, and merely for,the 

 sake of gratifying curiosity, to run such a hazard. At 

 Sbiuiten Land the current is remarkably strong. I was told 

 by the captain of an American ship at St. Catharine, that 

 be was once carried by the current through the strait of 

 Le Maire in one night, contrary to his intention, and with- 

 out knowing it. At one time he saw, to his great terror, 

 the land on both sides; but not long after he found himself 

 again in the open sea. If this be true, he was truly for- 

 tunate. 



We did not pass through this strait, but sailed to the 

 eastward, around Staaten Land. Prom St. Catharine to 

 this place nothing remarkable occurred. Between lat. 46*^ 

 and 33° south, we saw a great number of whales. One 

 night the Neva struck against something, which in all pro- 

 bability was a whale. The grcaiest southern latitude to 

 which we were obliged to proceed on accovmt of the wind 

 was 60 degrees. Whether we really doubled Cape Horn, 

 or not, in the proper sense of the term, I cannot with cer- 

 tainly affirm. On account of the north-west winds, which 

 blow here so incessantly, and with so much violence, the 

 captain is of opinion that navigators cannot be sure of con- 

 tinuing their voyage with safety in the ocean till they have 

 sailed round the whole of Terra del Fucgo. It is well known 

 that capt. Bligh, who advanced so far as 78" west longitude 

 from Greenwich, was obliged to return and steer for the 

 Cape of Good Hope, in order to reach the Sandwich islands. 

 On the GOth of March we were opposite to Cape Victoria 

 and the Straits of Magellan. Cape Horn is not entirely 

 undeserving of its bad name : it was stormy enough, and 

 the land verv high. How often we experienced storms I 

 cannot exactly say. The eye becomes accustomed to heavy 

 seas, and, by habit, the howling of the winds ceases to excite 

 alarm. During these storms the heavens were filled vvith 

 clouds ; in the course of one of them ,we were separated 

 from the Neva, and did not see her again till we reached 

 the Maiquesas, where she arrived three days after us. The 

 captain nitended to remain some days at anchor at Easter 

 Island, but the wind prevented us ; and, as we had resolved 

 to proceed first to Kamtchatka, he was unwilling to lose 

 time to no purpose. We therefore directed our course to 

 the Marquesas. 



On the Cth of May, early in the morning, we saw Hood's 

 A 3 Island, 



