TO KAMTSCIIATKA. 17 1 



without perceiving the least spot of land. Our 

 longitude, by our clu'onometer, which was com- 

 pared with observations only the day before, 

 and whose accuracy we could not doubt, amounted 

 to 187° 47' iV. After we had in vain looked 

 round for land, I steered directly to the west, sup- 

 posing that the longitude of the island was, per- 

 haps, incorrect on the map ; but when we had 

 sailed fifteen miles in this direction also, without 

 seeing land, I turned the ship towards the north, 

 for fear of losing the chain entirely, if we pro- 

 ceeded further. On another very accurate inves- 

 tigation of the chart, it appeared to me very little 

 to be depended upon ; the opening between 8° 

 and 9° must be larger than is marked on it, as we 

 could otherwise in no case cross the chain without 

 seeing land. We sailed towards the nortli till sunset, 

 and tacked during the night, that we might not be 

 wrecked in the dark on the coral reefs. The night 

 was uncommonly gloomy, violent gusts of wind 

 incommoded us ; and one of them, while the N.E. 

 monsoon was blowing, struck the Rurick so vio- 

 lently on the opposite side, that all the sails, which 

 could not be shifted quick enough, w^ere dashed 

 against the masts. This accident, which might 

 easily prove dangerous, had no worse effect for us, 

 than to tear some of the sails, and one of the ropes, 

 broken by the fury of the wind, gave me a blow 

 on the forehead, which struck me senseless to the 

 ground j in a quarter of an hour, I indeed came 



