VOYAGE OF THE "ST. PAUL" 345 



the St. Paul at noon on July 17, checked by her observed lati- 

 tude, the bearings of the land given in the log, and the traverse 

 table from the previous noon, was latitude 57 39', longitude 

 136 34' W, about 10 miles SW by W from Cape Edward. Three 

 hours and a half later (3:30 p.m., July 18) the longboat was sent 

 ashore, and in that time the St. Paul had made good 8 miles N, 

 true, which placed her about 5 miles WSW, true, from the 

 entrance to Lisianski Strait. On the 24th when the small boat 

 was sent ashore the weather was clear, and Chirikov took a noon 

 observation close to the mouth of the bay and found the latitude 

 to be 57 50'. This is the correct latitude of Lisianski Strait. On 

 other occasions where it has been possible to check Chirikov's 

 observed latitude with the definitely known position of the ship, 

 his noon sights have proved to be very good, and there is no 

 reason to doubt the general accuracy of his observation on this 

 occasion. Mr. Davidson states 8 that Chirikov designated the 

 place as "a great bay in latitude 57 15'." Chirikov in his report 

 simply refers to a bay with nothing to indicate particularly 

 whether it was large or small. The log book which was kept by 

 Chirikov records the latitude as 57 50' and gives the impression 

 that the bay was considered small. The entry in the log for July 

 18 recites that "At 3 30 stood for the land as near as we dared and 

 sent ashore in the boat the Fleet Master Dementiev and ten 

 armed men. . . . He carried a written order which, among 

 other things, told him to make for the opening, which seemed to us 

 a bay, and take its bearings." 



Another entry on the same day recites that "According to the 

 reckoning at 4.30 in the afternoon, taking also into consideration 

 the position of the bay into which Dementiev was sent, we set 

 down the position of the said bay as 57 23' N, longitude from 

 Vaua59°36'. . . . By correction the latitude is 57 50', longitude 

 58 54'. The true latitude we got by observation on the 24th." 



Chirikov's observed latitude, the traverse table, the bearings 

 taken during the several days the St. Paul remained in the 

 vicinity, and the references in the log all point with certainty to 



8 P. 19 of work cited in footnote 5, p. 334. 



