SAKYTSCHEW’S TRAVELS. 
5 8 
all sides with lofty perpendicular rocks and cliffs, concealed 
under the water, and resembled a haystack at a distance. 
This island, hitherto unknown, must have been very danger*” 
ous at night and in misty weather for the navigators of this 
ocean; and, if I conjecure rightly, the vessel which went in 
the September of the preceding year from Ochotsk to Kamt- 
schatka, and was never heard of after, was lost on this shore : 
for a boisterous wind and a thick mist arose on the third day 
from the south-east, which drove the ship perhaps this way, and 
dashed it on the rock. Such an accident might indeed have hap- 
pened on the shores of the continent or the Kurilian islands, but 
in that case it must have been discovered. We gave this land 
the name of Jonas, in honour of the saint whose feast was com¬ 
memorated on this day. The latitude of this place, by my ob¬ 
servation, was 56 ° 53 '; the depth 37 fathoms, and the bottom 
gravelly. The island was then fifteen miles towards the south¬ 
west of our course. 
While lying in the roads I observed that the sea-birds, and 
particularly the mews, flew every evening from the shore to the 
sea southward, and returned every morning early. From whence 
it is fair to conclnde, that they staid for the night on the island 
of Jonas, or some other rocky islets lying still nearer, where they 
find a secure retirement, free from every molestation. 
The wind continuing fair, we came in sight of the Alaid, the 
first of the Kurilian islands, on the twenty-seventh, lying rather 
sidewards, and, on that account, not properly belonging to the 
cluster. It consists of a single mountain, whose hoary head, 
eternally covered with snow, is concealed in the clouds. To us 
it had the appearance of a sugar-loaf, but from a south-east di¬ 
rection it seemed to extend itself more into a flat surface. It is 
said to smoke occasionally. Beyond the Alaid, the second 
Kurilian island breaks forth from its cloud of mist. 
Unacquainted as we were with this sea, we found it prudent 
to remove towards night from land islands, and on the dawn of 
day, approached the third Kurilian island, Schirinki, the left 
shore of which we passed towards noon. It is about two miles 
in extent, and encompassed with steep rocks, consisting of tall 
cliffs, covered with moss. From these w r e were visited by a 
number of urilas. They all flew alternately, one after the 
other, very close round our ship, not less than three times, as if 
they would eye us with proper attention; after which they re¬ 
turned to their nests. This curious bird is said to be a certain 
indication in a storm, that land is not far off, because it never 
goes ativ distance from the shore. 
From tiie third island we steered by the fourth, the Mamrish, 
which mountainous and rocky, into the straight between the 
