a 8 



VOYAGE FROM OKHOTZK 



north and weft; from the eaft very rarely; and from 

 the fouth fcarcely once during the whole winter. Rain 

 fell in winter very feldom ; on the other hand much 

 fnow, which, in thofe places where the wind could not 

 come, lay upwards of an arfhine in depth. 



On the 2 2d of May 1 failed, accompanied by fome 

 Tiens from America, Kuktak and other iflands, and 

 the ben: people of Konseges ; and in the fame hour we 

 defcried on the fea our third galleot the St. JVlichael, 

 which, with out-fpread fails, was haftening to the har- 

 bour. I immediately went on board of her, changed 

 her captain, and brought her into the harbour ; where 

 I gave orders to him I had appointed commander there, 

 to take this galleot to the fortified harbour at Aphag- 

 nak. In regard to th£ galleots, I made this difpofition : 

 One of them I entrufted to my faithful Samoilof, with 

 directions to navigate from the 40th to the 47th degree 

 of longitude of the meridian of Okhotzk, which I 

 adopted for the firft; and of latitude from the 40th to 

 the 60th degree ; in order to examine the feas of thofe 

 parts : the fecond I commiffioned to fail to the north, 

 where the two quarters of the world approximate each 

 other, for the purpofe of difcovering places and illands 

 as yet unknown; the third, on which I failed from 

 Kadyak, was altered into a tranfport-veffel, in which 

 I intended every year to perform the agreeable office of 

 carrying intelligence to the government of the accounts 

 of our enterprifes in thefe parts. Thus we quitted Ame- 

 rica, in the delign of failing as far as the 45 th degree 

 of latitude ; and in that direction to keep towards the 

 weft, till we mould be oppofite to the promontory of 

 Kamtfhatka, then to proceed to the Kurilli ftraits, and 



from 



