THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
387 
able to approach it nearer than we had done at noon ; and 1779. 
were, therefore, obliged to be contented with endeavouring 
to alcertain its fituation at that diftance* We place the South 
end of the illand in latitude 49 0 58 7 ; the North end in lati¬ 
tude 5 o° 46 / , and in longitude io 7 Weft of Lopatka; and as 
this pofttion is found not to differ materially from that given 
by the Ruffians, it is probably very near the truth. Whilft 
we were abreaft of this illand, we had a very heavy fwell 
from the North Eaft, though the wind had, for fome time, 
been from the Weft ward; a circumftance which we have 
already remarked more than once during the courfe of our 
voyage. In the night we tried for foundings, but found no 
ground with fifty fathoms of line. 
On the 14th and 15th, the wind blowing fteadily and frefti Thurfday 14.. 
from the Weftward, we were obliged to ftand to the South- Fnday IS< 
ward; and confequently hindered from feeing any more of 
the Kurile illands. At noon of the 16th, the latitude, by Saturday 16. 
obfervation, was 45 0 27"; the longitude, deduced from a 
number of lunar obfervations taken during the three days 
part, 155 0 30b The variation 4 0 30 7 Eaft. In this fituation, 
we were almoft lurrounded by the fuppofed difcoveries of 
former navigators, and uncertain to which we Ihould turn 
ourfelves. To the Southward and the South Weft were 
placed, in the French charts, a group of five iflands, called 
the Three Sifters, Zellany, and Kunafhir. We were about 
ten leagues, according to the fame maps, to the Weft- 
ward of the land of De Gama, which we had paffed to 
the Eaftward in April laft, at a diftance rather lefs than 
this, without feeing any appearance of it; from which 
circumftance we may now conclude, that, if fuch land 
exift at all, it muft be an illand of a very inconfiderable 
3 D 2 fize. 
