24 GVOZDEV'S VOYAGE 



could enter even if a big wave should strike it. He told us that Chukchi 

 lived in the "large country," where there were forests, streams, and 

 animals. We had no opportunity of going ashore, and from the distance 

 we could not tell whether all that he told us of the "large country" was 

 true or not. When he was gone the sailors spoke to me again about 

 returning to Kamchatka, and I answered them as before. Then they 

 held a council and drew up a petition addressed to me and the underpilot, 

 enumerating many reasons why we should go back. Taking these argu- 

 ments into consideration we decided to return and entered the mouth 

 of the Kamchatka River September 28. 



Outside of the islands enumerated we saw no others, and the reason 

 for not indicating their exact position is that the log book Fedorov 

 and I kept was sent to Okhotsk in 1733. Another reason is that Fedorov 

 when on watch often failed to make any observations in the journal. 

 On returning to Kamchatka I asked his aid in drawing up a map, but he 

 refused to join me; and it was impossible for me to undertake it alone, 

 for the reasons just enumerated. 



From his own account it is quite evident that Gvodzev was 

 not aware that he had sighted the American coast. He thought 

 he had discovered an island. He says that after anchoring near 

 the first and second islands he steered for the "large country" 

 [third island] and from there to the "fourth island." This is all 

 that is known of Gvozdev's voyage. 



