be 19° E. From this time to the 17th, we were making the best of our way to the S., without any occurrence worth remarking, except that the wind coming from the western quarter, forced us farther to the eastward than we wished, as it was our intention to make Beering's Island.

On the 17th, at half-past four in the morning, we saw land to the N.W., which we could not approach, the wind blowing from that quarter. At noon, the latitude by observation was 53° 49′, longitude 168° 5′, and variation 10° E. The land in sight bore N. by W. twelve or fourteen leagues distant. This land we take to be the island Mednoi, laid down in the Russian charts to the S.E. of Beering's Island. It is high land, and appeared clear of snow. We place it in the latitude 54° 28', longitude 167° 52. We got no soundings with one hundred and fifty fathoms of line.

Captain Clerke was now no longer able to get out of his bed; he therefore desired that the officers would receive their orders from me, and directed that we should proceed with all speed to Awatska Bay. The wind continuing westerly, we stood on to the S., till early on the morning of the 19th, when, after a few hours rain, it blew from the eastward, and freshened to a strong gale. We accordingly made the most of it whilst it lasted, by standing to the westward under all the sail we could carry. On the 20th, the wind shifting to the S.W., our course was to the W.N.W. At noon, the latitude by observation was 58° 7′, longitude 162° 49'. On the 21st, at half-past five in the morning, we saw a very high peaked mountain on the coast of Kamtschatka, called Cheepoonskoi Mountain, from its lying behind the Noss, bearing N.W. by N., twenty-five or thirty leagues distant. At noon, the coast extended from N. by E. to W., with a very great haziness upon it, and distant about twelve leagues. We had light airs the remaining part of this and the following day, and got no soundings with one hundred and forty fathoms of line.

On the 22d of August, 1779, at nine o'clock in the morning, departed this life Captain Charles Clerke, in the thirtyeighth year of his age. He died of a consumption, which had evidently commenced before he left England, and of which he had lingered during the whole voyage. His very gradual decay had long made him a melancholy object to his friends; yet the equanimity with which he bore it, the constant flow of good spirits which continued to the last

hour,

hour, and a cheerful resignation to his fate, afforded them some consolation. It was impossible not to feel a more than common degree of compassion for a person whose life had been a continued scene of those difficulties and hardships to which a seaman's occupation is subject, and under which he at last sunk. He was brought up to the navy from his earliest youth, and had been in several actions during the war which began in 1756, particularly in that between the Bellona and Courageux, where, being stationed in the mizen-top, he was carried overboard with the mast, but was taken up without having received any hurt. He was midshipman in the Dolphin, commanded by Commodore Byron, on her first voyage round the world, and afterward served on the American station. In 1768, he made his second voyage round the world in the Endeavour, as master's mate, and by the promotion which took place during the expedition, he returned a lieutenant. His third voyage round the world was in the Resolution, of which he was appointed the second lieutenant; and soon after his return in 1775, he was promoted to the rank of master and commander. When the present expedition was ordered to be fitted out, he was appointed to the Discovery, to accompany Captain Cook; and, by the death of the latter, succeeded, as has been already mentioned, to the chief command.

It would be doing his memory extreme injustice not to say, that during the short time the expedition was under his direction, he was most zealous and anxious for its success. His health, about the time the principal command devolved upon him, began to decline very rapidly, and was every way unequal to encounter the rigours of a high northern climate. But the vigour and activity of his mind had, in no shape, suffered by the decay of his body; and though he knew, that by delaying his return to a warmer climate, he was giving up the only chance that remained for his recovery, yet, careful and jealous to the last degree, that a regard to his own situation should never bias his judgment to the prejudice of the service, he persevered in the search of a passage, till it was the opinion of every officer in both ships that it was impracticable, and that any farther attempts would not only be fruitless but dangerous.

SECTION

SECTION V.

Return to the Harbour of Saint Peter and St Paul.—Promotion of Officers.-Funeral of Captain Clerke.-Damages of the Discovery repaired.-Various other Occupations of the Ships' Crews.-Letters from the Commander.-Supply of Flour and Naval Stores from a Russian Galliot.-Account of an Exile.-Bear-hunting and Fishing Parties.Disgrace of the Serjeant.-Celebration of the King's Coronation Day, and Visit from the Commander.-The Serjeant reinstated.—A Russian Soldier promoted at our Request. -Remarks on the Discipline of the Russian Army.-Church at Paratounca.-Method of Bear-hunting-Farther Account of the Bears and Kamtschadales.-Inscription to the Memory of Captain Clerke.-Supply of Cattle-Entertainments on the Empress's Name Day.-Present from the Commander. Attempt of a Marine to desert.-Work out of the Bay-Nautical and Geographical Description of Awatska Bay.-Astronomical Tables and Observations.

I SENT Mr Williamson to acquaint Captain Gore with the death of Captain Clerke, and received a letter from him, ordering me to use all my endeavours to keep in company with the Discovery; and, in case of a separation, to make the best of my way to the harbour of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. At noon, we were in latitude 53° 8' N., longitude 160° 40′ E., with Cheepoonskoi Noss bearing W. We had light airs in the afternoon, which lasted through the forenoon of the 23d. At noon, a fresh breeze springing up from the eastward, we stood in for the entrance of Awatska Bay; and, at six in the evening, saw it bearing W.N.W. W., distant five leagues. At eight, the light-house, in which we now found a good light, bore N.W. by W., three miles distant. The wind about this time died away; but the tide being in our favour, we sent the boats ahead, and towed beyond the narrow parts of the entrance; and, at one o'clock in the morning of the 24th, the ebb tide setting against us, we dropped anchor. At nine we weighed, and turned up the bay with light airs, and the boats still ahead till one; when, by the help of a fresh breeze, we anchored before three in the afternoon in the harbour of Saint Peter

and

and Saint Paul, with our ensign half staff up, on account of our carrying the body of our late captain, and were soon after followed by the Discovery.

We had no sooner anchored than our old friend the serjeant, who was still the commander of the place, came on board with a present of berries, intended for our poor deceased captain. He was exceedingly affected when we told him of his death, and shewed him the coffin that contained his body. And as it was Captain Clerke's particular request to be buried on shore, and, if possible, in the church of Paratounca, we took the present opportunity of explaining this matter to the serjeant, and consulting with him about the proper steps to be taken on the occasion. In the course of our conversation, which, for want of an interpreter, was carried on but imperfectly, we learned that Professor De L'Isle and several other gentlemen who died here, had been buried in the ground near the barracks at the estrog of Saint Peter and Saint Paul's; and that this place would be preferable to Paratounca, as the church was to be removed thither the next year. It was therefore determined that we should wait for the arrival of the priest of Paratounca, whom the serjeant advised us to send for, as the only person that could satisfy our enquiries on this subject. The serjeant having, at the same time, signified his intention of sending off an express to the commander at Bolcheretsk, to acquaint him with our arrival, Captain Gore availed himself of that occasion of writing him a letter, in which he requested that sixteen head of black cattle might be sent with all possible expedition. And because the commander did not understand any language except his own, the nature of our request was made known to the serjeant, who readily undertook to send, along with our letter, an explanation of its contents.

.

We could not help remarking, that, although the country was much improved in its appearance since we were last here, the Russians looked, if possible, worse now than they did then. It is to be owned, they observed, that this was also the case with us; and, as neither party seemed to like to be told of their bad looks, we found mutual consolation in throwing the blame upon the country, whose green and lively complexion, we agreed, cast a deadness and sallowness upon our own.

The eruption of the volcano, which was so violent when

we

we sailed out of the bay, we found had done no damage here, notwithstanding stones had fallen at the ostrog of the size of a goose's egg. This was all the news we had to enquire after, and all they had to tell, excepting that of the arrival of Soposnikoff from Oonalashka, who took charge of the packet Captain Cook had sent to the Admiralty, and which, it gave us much satisfaction to find, had been forwarded.

In the morning of the 25th, Captain Gore made out the new commissions, in consequence of Captain Clerke's death, appointing himself to the command of the Resolu tion, and me to the command of the Discovery; and Mr Lanyan, master's mate of the Resolution, who had served in that capacity on board the Adventure in the former voyage, was promoted to the vacant lieutenancy. These promotions produced the following farther arrangements: Lieutenants Burney and Rickman were removed from the Discovery to be first and second lieutenants of the Resolution; and Lieutenant Williamson was appointed first lieu tenant of the Discovery. Captain Gore also permitted me to take into the Discovery four midshipmen, who had made themselves useful to me in astronomical calculations, and whose assistance was now particularly necessary, as we had no ephemeris for the present year. And, that astronomical observations might continue to be made in both ships, Mr Bayley took my place in the Resolution. The same day we were visited by the Pope Romanoff Vereshagen, the worthy priest of Paratounca. He expressed his sorrow at the death of Captain Clerke in a manner that did honour to his feelings, and confirmed the account given by the serjeant respecting the intended removal of the church to the har bour, adding, that the timber was actually preparing, but leaving the choice of either place entirely to Captain Gore.

The Discovery, as has been mentioned, had suffered great damage from the ice, particularly on the 23d day of July; and having ever since been exceedingly leaky, it was imagined that some of her timbers had started. Captain Gore therefore sent the carpenters of the Resolution to assist our own in repairing her; and, accordingly, the forehold being cleared, to lighten her forward, they were set to work, to rip the damaged sheathing from the larboard bow. This operation discovered, that three feet of the third strake, under the wale, were staved, and the timbers within

started.