172 FROM CONCEPTIOK BAY 



to myself, but remained for a whole hour after in 

 a state bordering on madness, and it was only to- 

 wards morning that I entirely recovered by the 

 assistance of our skilful physician. 



May 20th. We continued our course to the 

 N.N.W. with a faint N.E. wind, and found by a 

 good meridional observation, the latitude to be 

 9° 26' 21" north, longitude 180° 19' &' west. I 

 now gave up sailing further to the north, and 

 steered directly to the west ; because, to judge by 

 the chart, it still appeared probable that the islands 

 might be found in this parallel. I persevered in 

 this course till six o'clock in the evening, when 

 we had made thirty-five miles, but again to no pur- 

 pose ; we discovered nothing. As time would not 

 permit me to remain here any longer, I now bent 

 my course to Kamtschatka, and put off my further 

 examination of these parts till my return from 

 Beering's Straits. In spite of the dangers of these 

 parts, and the very dark night, I resolved, in order 

 to lose no time to hasten forwards, and steered to 

 the N.W.N, under full sail. It was not till the 

 following year that we discovered the dangers 

 which we so wonderfully escaped in this night, 

 having happily passed between low groups of 

 islands at a very small distance. 



On the 21st, land to the N.W. was descried 

 from the mast-head, which consisted of several 

 coral islands, and resembled Rurick's chain. At 

 two o'clock, when we were still a mile and a 



