PETCHORA 471 



sent her boat to us, and we found that in tacking we had 

 made but small progress, and were still only off Cape 

 Dvoinik, which we recognised by the description of the 

 wreck of the sloop which the Captain of The Blue Wave 

 had seen on his last tack. He was now searching for 

 the lightship ( ? ) and cutter at the bar. 



We had to tack out towards the eastward, and our 

 second tack brought us in sight of the wreck of the 

 Alexie and the beacon on the bank above, the latter only 

 seen indistinctly, and the former showing for a second or 

 two and again being concealed by the haze. 



' 'Bout ship ' to the north ; course due north (Engel 

 warned us of the current and told us to steer N.E. 

 by E.). The consequence was that about 6 p.m. we 

 came on 2 fathoms of water, having doubtless drifted 

 quite two points to the westward of the course and got 

 close upon the shoals of the Alexander Bank. 



"Bout ship' and again course S.E. and S.E. by E., 

 and thus again into deep water. This brought us up 

 about ten miles east of Cape Constantinovka, as closely 

 as we could judge, and at 8 o'clock p.m. again ' 'bout 

 ship on a northerly course N | E.' This time we should 

 sight the carabasse (light-ship) on the William Bank 

 and drift into the true course between No. 3 and 4. 

 Being considerably east of our former north course, 

 there is less necessity of steering much east. 



We had an excellent dinner off roast goose from 

 Dvoinik, stuffed with pounded biscuit flour and raisins, 

 and potatoes from Bo'ness (Firth of Forth !) 



A third tack was still unsuccessful, and brought us 

 back again to the bay east of Cape Constantinovka, so 

 that we were making but slow progress to the eastwards. 



Late in the day we sighted at last the Nos. 4 and 3 

 beacons and the lightship we had been so long trying 

 to sight on the William Bank. 



VOL. ii. 32 



