LANDFALL: KISKA ISLAND 121 



mate Yushin's, 122 miles from Avacha.274 We were gradually 

 Hearing the parallel of 53° because it was believed that there was 

 no more land in the way, and the decision was made to keep 

 steadily on 52°, so that, in case of eventual extreme lack of water, 

 we might be in a position to make use of any wind blowing along 

 the land of Kamchatka. If the wind should become northerly, 

 we would run between the first and second Kurile Islands and 

 anchor there; however, if the wind should come from the south 

 we could make the port of Avacha with even less difficulty; 

 besides, easterly winds would be advantageous in all events. 

 This project, brought upon the tapis by Lieutenant Waxel, was 

 indeed the most reasonable, in case they wanted to go to Avacha 

 without letting themselves be turned away by something else. 

 But time will tell how constant they were in this matter and why, 

 likewise at whose instigation, five days later, without any reason 

 whatsoever they wickedly deviated from it, which might have 

 been the destruction of many [men] and of the vessel, nay of us 

 all, if God, manifestly by a miracle, had not preserved us, wherein 

 the officers had as little part as their own understanding and 

 conscience probably has persuaded them that they have. — 

 Moreover, misery and death suddenly got the upper hand on our 

 ship to such an extent that not only did the sick die off, but those 

 who according to their own assertion were well, on being relieved 

 at their posts, dropped dead from exhaustion. The small allow- 

 ance of water, the lack of biscuits and brandy, the cold, damp- 

 ness, nakedness, vermin, fright, and terror were not the least 

 important causes. 



On October 25 we had very clear weather with sunshine. 

 Still, there were occasional hailstorms in the afternoon. In the 

 morning we discovered to our astonishment to the north of us, 

 on the 51st parallel, a large and high island 2^5 which on the 



274 For the day's run to noon of October 24 the log book as pubHshed 

 in Vol. I (p. 197). which is the one kept by Yushin, records a distance of 

 142^ miles. 



2« Probably Kiska Island. As to the basis for this identification, see 

 Vol. I, p. 199. footnotes iii and 1 10. 



