Expedition for making Difcoveries. tay 
wvanfporting from Jakutzk the materials and ftores neceflary 
for fitting them out. 
In the fummer of 1789, the two fhips were ready at 
Ochotzk for putting to fea; when, unfortunately, the fecond 
of them, the Dobrowa Namerine (the Good Intent), which 
was to be commanded by Capt. Hall, got on fhore juft at 
the mouth of the Ochochta; and as her keel was broken, it 
was neceflary to fet her on fire. On account of this mif- 
fortune, Capt. Billings, with his own veffel the Slawa Roffie 
(Ruffian Glory), was not able to leave Ochotzk till towards 
the middle of September; at which time he proceeded to 
Awaticha Bay, where he anchored in the month of O&eber, 
having made in this paflage a difcovery of very great im- 
portance to nautical geography, as about 300 werfts from 
Ochotzk towards the Kurile iflands, he fell in with a rock, 
an hundred. fathoms high and:a werft in circumference, 
furrounded by leffer rocks which were named Jonas Ifland, 
_andon which many of the fhips already loft have, in all 
probability, been wrecked. Prodigious flocks of fea-fowl 
come every morning from theie rocks to the coaft of Ochotzk, 
and return thither again in the evening to pafs the night. 
After wintering at Kamt{chatka, thefe navigators explored, 
in the fummer of the year 1790, the whole chain of the 
Aleutian iflands, which feem to be of volcanic origin, and 
afterwards the large eaftern iflands explored by Cook; Ona- 
lafchka and Kadjak ; the bay of Cape St. Elias, &c. and re- 
turned to winter at Kamtfchatka. In the fummer of 1791 
they proceeded on their grand expedition, to fearch for 2 
northern paflage through the Frozen Ocean; and haying 
landed on Gore’s and Clarke’s Ifland, purfued their route 
from thence to the Continent of America. 
As the fields of ice, which extend from the Eaftern Cape 
of America, rendered it impoffible for them to penetrate any 
farther, Captain Billings, in conjunction with Dr, Merck, 
_ accompanied by one of the pilots, the draftfman, two inter- 
preters, and four {camen, undertook an expedition of difcovery 
through 
