TO THE COAST OP AMERICA. £9 



from thence to bend our courfe for Okhotzk. I fettled 

 this plan in hopes that I might difcover fome hitherto 

 unknown iflands fomewhere between the 40th and 50th 

 degree of longitude ; however by reafon of the unlucky 

 winds that almoft the whole fummer through kept in- 

 ceflantly blowing from the weft, I could not execute my 

 project ; but found myfelf under the neceffity of bear- 

 ing as direct as poffible for Okhotzk ; and even in this 

 I was greatly impeded by the contrary winds. On our 

 courfe we perceived of the chain of iflands the four 

 Berg-iflands and Amuchta, which, from their burning- 

 mountains, appeared to be all in flames. Being fre- 

 quently obliged to beat to windward, we alfo defcried 

 Siuganv Amulu, Atka and other of the Andreanoffki 

 iflands. On the 30th of July we call: anchor, for the 

 firft time, at the fore moil of the Kurilli iflands. The 

 1 2 ruffian workmen that I had on board with me, being 

 entirely laid up with the fcurvy, the Americans that 

 had come with me out of curiofity were obliged to work 

 the fhip, and on the 31ft of July we took in 40 cafks 

 of frefh water from thefe iflands. In regard to the fea 

 I obferved but one thing remarkable, that its current is 

 the ftrongefl round about Kamtfhatka ; and not only in, 

 windy weather, but alfo in a perfect calm, is fo violent, 

 that the vefTel was conftantly tofTed to and fro, with the 

 water even with her gunnel. 



On the 1 ft of Auguft we came to the ftrait between 

 the flrft Kurilli iflands. Here we were kept by a ftrong 

 contrary wind till the 5th, when we ran into the fecond 

 Kurilli-ftrait, and there put into an harbour. From 

 hence we parted on the 7th, and reached the mouth of 

 Bolfheretzk, over againft which we came to anchor on 



the 



