NAUTICAL DIFFICULTIES. 
clay. Both vessels were laid at anchor in Ochota, opposite the 
town, and the utmost exertions possible used to fit them out 
complete for sailing; but this was attended with infinite diffi¬ 
culty for want of proper hands to execute the business. The 
Kosaks, who had been sent us instead of sailors from all parts 
of Siberia, were not only total strangers to the sea, but to every 
thing belonging to a vessel ; and were not very expert in learn¬ 
ing this new calling. Nor did we derive much greater assist¬ 
ance from the sailors in the haven of Ochota, who were alto¬ 
gether unused to the equipment of vessels like ours. 
CHAP. IX. 
THE TWO VESSELS GO INTO THE ROADS.—DESTRUCTION 
OF THE DOBEOE NAMERENiE, - SAILING OUT OF THE 
OCHOTSK ROAD.-DISCOVERY OF THE ISLAND JONAS.— 
NAVIGATION BETWIXT THE KURIL1AN ISLANDS.—• 
ARRIVAL AT THE BAY OF AWATSKA.—ENTRANCE INTO 
THE HARBOUR OF PETROP A ULO WSIv. 
A PIE ship Slawa Rossii was, notwithstanding every impedi¬ 
ment, completely equipped in August; but we could not load 
her deeper than 8J feet, as there are many sand-banks at the 
mouth of the Ochota, which are not above nine feet deep. 
These sand-banks, which we were obliged to pass, extended a 
verst and a half, and although we could have easily effected this 
in half an hour with a good wind and full sails, yet we were 
obliged to tow the ship along the shore for some days, and to 
stop twice a day, about eleven o’clock, by the shallow places. 
Not to mention that our towing was sometimes of no avail, 
when the bottom was extremely uneven, and the tide very 
strong. 
After we had succeeded in getting the vessel over the sands, 
we turned off from the shore of the river Kuchtin, to the other 
side of the two united rivers, where we found it a suitable depth. 
We threw out all our anchors for the sake of security, and 
thus, for two days, remained quiet; but on the third, as the 
tide fell, the stream was so violent as to tear the vessel from its 
anchors, although it w^as fastened by a cable to the shore. We 
were accordingly obliged to remain 12 hours lying on a shoal, 
from which we were released by the return of the tide on the 
following day, and cast anchor against the side of the' river. 
On the 27th of August, this vessel went out, with a favour¬ 
able wind, into the roads, and anchored four versts from the 
shore, in six fathoms. The captain went on land, consigning 
the manage meat of the landing, and every thing else, to my care. 
