THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
383 
which he had the fatisfadtion to find unanimous, and en- 1779. 
tirely coinciding with his own, was, that the condition of the 
fhips, of the fails and cordage, made it unfafe to attempt, 
at fo advanced a feafon of the year, to navigate the fea be¬ 
tween Japan and Alia; which would otherwife have af¬ 
forded the largeft field for difcovery; that it w r as therefore 
advifeable to keep to the Eaftward of that ifiand, and in 
our way thither to run along the Kuriles, and examine 
more particularly the iflands that lie near eft the Northern 
coaft of Japan, which are reprefented as of a confiderable 
fize, and independent of the Ruffian and Japanefe govern¬ 
ments. Should we be fo fortunate as to find in thefe any 
fafe and commodious harbours, we conceived they might 
be of importance, either as places of fhelter for any future 
navigators, who may be employed in exploring the feas, 
or as the means of opening a commercial intercourfe 
among the neighbouring dominions of the two empires. 
Our next object was to furvey the coaft of the Japanefe 
Iflands, and afterward to make the coaft of China, as far 
to the Northward as we were able, and run along it to 
Macao. 
This plan being adopted, I received orders from Captain 
Gore, in cafe of feparation, to proceed immediately to 
Macao ; and at fix o’clock in the evening of the 9th of Oc- Saturday 9. 
tober, having cleared the entrance of Awatfka Bay, we 
fleered to the South Eaft, with the wind North Weft and 
by Weft. At midnight we had a dead calm, which con¬ 
tinued till noon of the 10th; the light-houfe, at this time, Sunday i 0 . 
bearing North half Weft, diftant five leagues, and Cape 
Gavareea South by Weft half Weft. Being luckily in founds 
ings of fixty and feventy fathoms water, we employed our 
time very profitably in catching cod, which were exceed¬ 
ingly 
