42 
SARYTSCHEW’S TRAVELS. 
but tlie west side, on. the contrary, was entirely clear; which 
led us to the conclusion that on the shore of America opposite 
to the former, a large river, after running through a woody 
tract of country, disembogued itself into the sea. 
Towards evening we weighed anchor, and stood out to the 
north, when a thick mist completely veiled both the islands from 
Oirr view. The depth was 40 fathoms, but decreased as w e 
proceeded northerly : we'found the bottom muddy. 
On the ]6th, we had only 27 fathoms water, and a sandy 
bottom. According to . our calculation, we ' were then in the 
vicinity of St. Laurence's Island, called by the English Clark’s. 
Island. We lay at anchor the whole night. 
On the 17th we’weighed* anchor, notwithstanding the'whole 
sea was covered with a thick mist; and after beating about in 
various depths of water, we found ourselves, at three in the 
afternoon, in only six fathoms water with a sandy bottom. 
We cast anchor with a quarter of the cable, but it did not 
bite; we then threw out a second, but with nO' better success. 
From the depth, which was then only 4J fathoms at our poop, 
we concluded that we could not be far from land, and al¬ 
though enveloped in a thick fog, we were but too well ap¬ 
prized of our danger from the impetuosity of the beating waves, 
which increased every hour as the wind blew stronger, and 
the surge grew more violent. 
In the mean time, we ggve our anchors an equal length 
of cable, and remained all night in safety; but the next morn¬ 
ing a large wave struck with immense force against the beak of 
our ship, and tore a cable in pieces. We then cast two an¬ 
chors more, but could place little or no reliance on the cables, 
which were made of bad materials, and almost rotted away 
from the continual damp weather. 
On the 20th, the wind was somewhat abated, and the mist 
began to disperse, upon which we discovered abaft of us, at the 
distance of a mile, a level, shore ; our latitude being now 1 63° 24'. 
In the afternoon we saw two islanders on shore, who lifted a 
vest up on a pole, and seemed to sway it backward and forward 
by way of invitation. We sent JBakow the boatswain to them 
in a baidar with presents; but without waiting his approach, 
they immediately went away. Being prevented by thp surf from 
landing, h.e was obliged to return. 
We found the declination of the needle to-day, according to 
the azimuth, to be 24° 1 r easterly. 
On the 21st, the wind dropped entirely, and the atmosphere 
became perfectly clear, which afforded us an opportunity of 
descrying, directly opposite to our vessel, a remote shore, 
stretching far to the cast, beyond which we perceived from the 
