20 
S A RYTSCHEW*S TRAVELS. 
now in a latitude of 57 Q 25', and a longitude of 207° 15', at 
a distance of fifteen miles from the north-eastern cape of 
Kadjak, marked on the English maps by the name of Cap© 
Greville, thirteen miles more to the south. Commodore 
Behring saw it on his return from Cape St. Elias, and called 
it St. Hermogenes ; the Russian hunters call it Jelourgi, or 
the fir-mountains, from its quantity of wood. 
On the 8th, we came within sight of the small island of 
Ewrawirtschig, which is two miles distant from Aphognak. 
We were then in latitude 58° 10', and longitude 207° 4 o', the 
above island being 55°, to the north-west, about ten miles 
from us. Captain Cook entitled this St. Hermogenes, and 
fixed its position fifteen miles more southward ; from whence 
we should conclude, that a thick mist had given rise to this 
error in his calculation of the latitude. 
Towards evening we descried the islets lying at the mouth of 
the Kenaiskish bay, or in Cook’s River, and at a distance Cape 
Elizabeth. The approaching night, and contrary winds, pre¬ 
vented us from going nearer, and afterwards being driven by the 
tide far towards the east, a thick mist continued to intercept 
our view. 
On the 12th the fog dispersed, and we discovered at a 
distance of five miles northward, the mountainous shore of 
America. We soon after saw two Americans, rowing up to us 
in a single-seated baidar. Before they got up to our ship, they 
made a stop, and extending their arms, repeated the word 
Cali! call! We invited them by our interpreter to come on 
board, but they appeared to be long irresolute ; and when in¬ 
duced by our repeated assurances to venture, they complied with 
manifest signs of apprehension. 
From these Americans, w'e learned, that the bay ahead of us 
was called Nuka, and the cape that presented itself on its 
eastern side, belonged to an island, which was separated from 
the main land only by a strait. They added, moreover, that in 
this bay were several of an inferior size, with sandy bottoms, 
which furnished good stations for shipping. Their habitations 
lay in one of these havens, to which they invited us with much 
cordiality. Captain Billings ordered the ship to tack, and 
put into the bay, after which w r e bore up to the island in 
question, passing a rock to the left that was about two miles 
distant from it. On arriving at the bay, Captain Billings found 
it most prudent not to advance. We accordingly tacked about 
again, and soon gained the open sea. In the mean time, the 
Americans left us. 
JN uka bay is seven miles and a half broad at its entrance. It 
extends nine miles in length, having mountainous and woody 
