A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xvii Part 17

On the 28th, at six in the morning, we again saw land, twelve leagues to the southward of that seen the preceding day, extending from W.S.W. to W.

by N. We steered S.W. obliquely with the sh.o.r.e; and, at ten, saw more land open to the S.W. To the westward of this land, which is low and flat, are two islands as we judged, though some doubts were entertained, whether they might not be connected with the adjacent low ground. The hazy weather, joined to our distance, prevented us also from determining, whether there are any inlets or harbours between the projecting points, which seem here to promise good shelter. At noon, the N. extreme bore N.W. by N., and a high peaked hill, over a steep headland, W. by N., distant five leagues.

Our lat.i.tude at this time, by observation, was 38 16', longitude 142 9'.

The mean of the variation, from observations taken both in the fore and afternoon, was 1 20' E.

At half-past three in the afternoon, we lost sight of the land; and, from its breaking off so suddenly, conjectured, that what we had seen this day is an island, or, perhaps, a cl.u.s.ter of islands, lying off the main land of j.a.pan; but as the islands, called by Jansen the Schildpads, and by Mr D'Anville Matsima, though laid down nearly in the same situation, are not equal in extent to the land seen by us, we must leave this point undecided.

Having kept a S.W. course during the remaining part of the day, we found ourselves, at midnight, in seventy fathoms water, over a bottom of fine dark-brown sand. We therefore hauled up to the eastward, till morning, when we saw the land again, about eleven leagues to the southward of that which we had seen the day before; and at eight, we were within six or seven miles of the sh.o.r.e, having carried, in regular soundings, from sixty-five to twenty fathoms, over coa.r.s.e sand and gravel. Unluckily there was a haze over the land, which hindered our distinguishing small objects on it. The coast is straight and unbroken, and runs nearly in a N, and S. direction.

Toward the sea the ground is low, but rises gradually into hills of a moderate height, whose tops are tolerably even, and covered with wood.

At nine o'clock, the wind shifting to the southward, and the sky lowring, we tacked and stood off to the E., and soon after, we saw a vessel, close in with the land, standing along the sh.o.r.e to the northward, and another in the offing, coming down on us before the wind. Objects of any kind, belonging to a country so famous, and yet so little known, it will be easily conceived, must have excited a general curiosity, and accordingly every soul on board was upon deck in an instant, to gaze at them. As the vessel to windward approached us, she hauled farther off sh.o.r.e; upon which, fearing that we should alarm them by the appearance of a pursuit, we brought the ships to, and she pa.s.sed ahead of us, at the distance of about half a mile. It would have been easy for us to have spoken with them; but perceiving, by their manoeuvres, that they were much frightened, Captain Gore was not willing to augment their terrors; and, thinking that we should have many better opportunities of communication with this people, suffered them to go off without interruption. Our distance did not permit us to remark any particular regarding the men on board, who seemed to be about six in number, especially as the haziness of the weather precluded the use of our gla.s.ses. According to the best conjectures we were able to form, the vessel was about forty tons burthen. She had but one mast, on which was hoisted a square sail, extended by a yard aloft, the braces of which worked forward. Half-way down the sail, came three pieces of black cloth, at equal distances from each other. The vessel was higher at each end than in the midship; and we imagined, from her appearance and form, that it was impossible for her to sail any otherwise than large.

At noon, the wind freshened, and brought with it a good deal of rain; by three, it had increased so much, that we were reduced to our courses; at the same time, the sea ran as high as any one on board ever remembered to have seen it. If the j.a.panese vessels are, as Kaempfer describes them, open in the stern, it would not have been possible for those we saw to have survived the fury of this storm; but, as the appearance of the weather, all the preceding part of the day, foretold its coming, and one of the sloops had, notwithstanding, stood far out to sea, we may safely conclude, that they are perfectly capable of bearing a gale of wind. Spanberg indeed describes two kinds of j.a.panese vessels; one answering to the above description of Kaempfer, the other, which he calls busses, and in which, he says, they make their voyages to the neighbouring islands, exactly corresponds with those we saw.[99]

At eight in the evening, the gale shifted to the W., without abating the least in violence, and by raising a sudden swell, in a contrary direction to that which prevailed before, occasioned the ships to strain and labour exceedingly. During the storm, several of the sails were split on board the Resolution. Indeed they had been so long bent, and were worn so thin, that this accident had of late happened to us almost daily, in both ships; especially when, being stiff and heavy with the rain, they became less able to bear the shocks of the violent and variable winds we at this time experienced. The gale at length growing moderate, and settling to the W., we kept upon a wind to the southward; and, at nine in the morning of the 30th, we saw the land, at the distance of about fifteen leagues, bearing from W. by N. to N.W. 1/4 W. It appeared in detached parts; but whether they were small islands, or parts of j.a.pan, our distance did not enable us to determine. At noon, it extended from N.W. to W., the nearest land being about thirteen leagues distant, beyond which the coast seemed to run in a westerly direction. The lat.i.tude, by observation, was 36 41', longitude 142 6'. The point to the northward, which was supposed to be near the southernmost land seen the day before, we conjectured to be Cape de Kennis, and the break to the southward of this point, to be the mouth of the river on which the town of Gissima is said to be situated. The next cape is probably that called in the Dutch charts Boomtje's Point; and the southernmost, off which we were abreast at noon, we suppose to be near Low Point,[100] and that we were at too great distance to see the low land, in which it probably terminates, to the eastward.

In the afternoon, the wind veering round to the N.E., we stood to the southward, at the distance of about eighteen leagues from the sh.o.r.e, trying for soundings as we went along, but finding none with one hundred and fifteen fathoms of line. At two the next morning, it shifted to W., attended with rain and lightning, and blowing in heavy squalls. During the course of the day, we had several small birds of a brown plumage, resembling linnets, flying about us, which had been forced off the land by the strong westerly gales; but toward the evening, the wind coming to the N.W., we shaped our coa.r.s.e, along with them, to W.S.W., in order to regain the coast. In the morning of the 1st of November, the wind again shifted to S.E., and bringing with it fair weather, we got forty-two sets of distances of the moon from the sun and stars, with four different quadrants, each set consisting of six observations; these agreeing pretty nearly with each other, fix our situation at noon the same day, with great accuracy, in longitude 141 32'; the lat.i.tude, by observation, was 35 17', We found an error of lat.i.tude, in our reckonings of the preceding day, of eight miles, and in this day's of seventeen; from whence, and from our being much more to the eastward than we expected, we concluded, that there had been a strong current from the S.W.

At two in the afternoon, we again made the land to the westward, at the distance of about twelve leagues; the southernmost land in sight, which we supposed to be White Point,[101], bore W.S.W. 1/2 W.; a hummock to the northward, which had the appearance of being an island, bore N.N.W. 1/2 W., within which we saw from the mast-head low land, which we took to be Sand- down Point.[102] We stood in toward the land, till half-past five, when we hauled our wind to the southward. At this time we saw a number of j.a.panese vessels, close in with the land, several seemingly engaged in fishing, and others standing along sh.o.r.e. We now discovered to the westward a remarkably high mountain, with a round top, rising far inland. There is no high ground near it, the coast being of a moderate elevation, and, as far as we could judge, from the haziness of the horizon, much broken by small inlets. But to the southward of the hummock island before mentioned, there appeared, at a great distance, within the country, a ridge of hills, stretching in a direction toward the mountain, and probably joining with it. As this is the most remarkable hill on the coast, we could have wished to have settled its situation exactly; but having only had this single view, were obliged to be contented with such accuracy as our circ.u.mstances would allow. Its lat.i.tude therefore we conceive to be 35 20', its longitude, estimated by its distance from the ships, at this time fifteen leagues, 140 26'.

As the Dutch charts make the coast of j.a.pan extend about ten leagues to the S.W. of White Point, at eight we tacked, and stood off to the eastward, in order to weather the point. At midnight, we again tacked to the S.W., expecting to fall in with the coast to the southward, but were surprised, in the morning at eight, to see the hummock, at the distance only of three leagues, bearing W.N.W. We began, at first, to doubt the evidence of our senses, and afterward to suspect some deception from a similarity of land; but, at noon, we found ourselves, by observation, to be actually in lat.i.tude 35 43', at a time when our reckonings gave us 34 48'. So that, during the eight hours in which we supposed we had made a course of nine leagues to the S.W., we had in reality been carried eight leagues from the position we left, in a direction diametrically opposite; which made, on the whole, in that short s.p.a.ce of time, a difference in our reckoning of seventeen leagues. From this error, we calculated, that the current had set to the N.E. by N., at the rate of at least five miles an hour. Our longitude, at this time, was 141 16'.

The weather having now the same threatening appearance as on the 29th of October, which was followed by so sudden and severe a gale, and the wind continuing at S.S.E., it was thought prudent to leave the sh.o.r.e, and stand off to the eastward, to prevent our being entangled with the land. Nor were we wrong in our prognostications; for it soon afterward began, and continued till next day, to blow a heavy gale, accompanied with hazy and rainy weather. In the morning of the 3d, we found ourselves, by our reckoning, upward of fifty leagues from the land; which circ.u.mstance, together with the very extraordinary effect of currents we had before experienced, the late season of the year, the unsettled state of the weather, and the little likelihood of any change for the better, made Captain Gore resolve to leave j.a.pan altogether, and prosecute our voyage to China; hoping, that as the track he meant to pursue had never yet been explored, he should be able to make amends, by some new discovery, for the disappointments we had met with on this coast.

If the reader should be of opinion that we quitted this object too hastily, in addition to the facts already stated it ought to be remarked, that Kaempfer describes the coast of j.a.pan as the most dangerous in the whole world;[103] that it would have been equally dangerous, in case of distress, to run into any of their harbours, where we know, from the best authorities, that the aversion of the inhabitants to any intercourse with strangers, has led them to commit the most atrocious barbarities; that our ships were in a leaky condition, that our sails were worn out, and unable to withstand, a gale of wind, and that the rigging was so rotten as to require constant and perpetual repairs.

As the strong currents, which set along the eastern coast of j.a.pan, may be of dangerous consequence to the navigator, who is not aware of their extraordinary rapidity, I shall take leave of this island, with a summary account of their force and direction, as observed by us from the 1st to the 8th of November. On the 1st, at which time we were about eighteen leagues to the eastward of White Point, the current set N.E. and by N., at the rate of three miles an hour; on the 2d, as we approached the sh.o.r.e, we found it continuing in the same direction, but increased its rapidity to five miles an hour; as we left the sh.o.r.e it again became more moderate, and inclined to the eastward; on the 3d, at the distance of sixty leagues, it set to the E.N.E., three miles an hour; on the 4th and 5th, it turned to the southward, and at one hundred and twenty leagues from the land, its direction was S.E., and its rate not more than a mile and a half an hour; on the 6th and 7th, it again shifted round to the N.E., its force gradually diminishing till the 8th, when we could no longer perceive any at all.

During the 4th and 5th, we continued our course to the S.E., having very unsettled weather, attended with much lightning and rain. On both days we pa.s.sed great quant.i.ties of pumice-stone, several pieces of which we took up, and found to weigh from one ounce to three pounds. We conjectured that these stones had been thrown into the sea by eruptions of various dates, as many of them were covered with barnacles, and others quite bare. At the same time, we saw two wild ducks, and several small land-birds, and had many porpoises playing round us.

On the 6th, at day-light, we altered our course to the S.S.W.; but, at eight in the evening, we were taken back, and obliged to steer to the S.E.

On the 7th, at noon, we saw a small land-bird, our lat.i.tude, by observation, at this time, being 33 52', and longitude 148 42'. On the 9th, we were in lat.i.tude 31 46', longitude 146 20', when we again saw a small land-bird, a tropic bird, porpoises, flying fishes, and had a great swell from the E.S.E. We continued our course to the S.W., having the winds from the northward, without any remarkable occurrence, till the 12th, when we had a most violent gale of wind from the same quarter, which reduced us to the fore-sail and mizen stay-sail; and, as the weather was so hazy, that we were not able to see a cable's length before us, and many shoals and small islands are laid down in our charts, in this part of the ocean, we brought-to, with our heads to the S.W. At noon, the lat.i.tude by account was 27 36', longitude 144 25'. In the morning of the 13th, the wind shifting round to the N.W., brought with it fair weather; but though we were, at this time nearly in the situation given to the island of St Juan, we saw no appearance of land. We now bore away to the S.W., and set the top-sails, the gale still continuing with great violence. At noon, the lat.i.tude, by observation, was 26 0', longitude 143 40', and variation 3 50' E. In the afternoon, we saw flying fish and dolphins, also tropic birds and albatrosses. We still continued to pa.s.s much pumice-stone; indeed, the prodigious quant.i.ties of this substance which float in the sea, between j.a.pan and the Bashee islands, seem to indicate, that some great volcanic convulsion must have happened in this part of the Pacific Ocean; and consequently give some degree of probability to the opinion of Mr Muller, which I have already had occasion to mention, respecting the separation of the continent of Jeso, and the disappearance of Company's Land and Staten Island.

At six in the afternoon, we altered our coa.r.s.e to the W.S.W., Captain Gore judging it useless to steer any longer to the S.S.W., as we were near the meridian of the Ladrones, or Marianne Islands, and at no great distance from the track of the Manilla ships. In the morning of the 14th, the weather became fine, and the wind, which was moderate, gradually shifted to the N.E., and proved to be the trade-wind. At ten, Mr Trevenen, one of the young gentlemen who came along with me into the Discovery, saw land appearing like a peaked mountain, and bearing S.W. At noon, the lat.i.tude, by observation, was 24 37', longitude 142 2'. The land, which we now discovered to be an island, bore S.W. 1/2 W., distant eight or ten leagues; and at two in the afternoon, we saw another to the W.N.W. This second island, when seen at a distance, has the appearance of two; the south point consisting of a high conical hill, joined by a narrow neck to the northern land, which is of a moderate height. As this was evidently of greater extent than the island to the south, we altered our course toward it. At four, it bore N.W. by W.; but, not having day-light sufficient to examine the coast, we stood upon our tacks during the night.

On the 15th, at six in the morning, we bore away for the south point of the larger island, at which time we discovered another high island, bearing N.

3/4 W., the south island, being on the same rhomb line, and the south point of the island ahead, W. by N. At nine, we were abreast, and within a mile of the middle island, but Captain Gore, finding that a boat could not land without some danger from the great surf that broke on the sh.o.r.e, kept on his course to the westward. At noon, our lat.i.tude, by observation, was 24 50', longitude 140 56' E.

This island is about five miles long, in a N.N.E., and S.S.W. direction.

The south point is a high barren hill, flattish at the top, and, when seen from the W.S.W., presents an evident volcanic crater. The earth, rock, or sand, for it was not easy to distinguish of which its surface was composed, exhibited various colours, and a considerable part we conjectured to be sulphur, both from its appearance to the eye, and the strong sulphurous smell which we perceived as we approached the point. Some of the officers on board the Resolution, which pa.s.sed nearer the land, thought they saw steams rising from the top of the hill. From these circ.u.mstances, Captain Gore gave it the name of _Sulphur Island_. A low, narrow neck of land connects this hill with the south end of the island, which spreads out into a circ.u.mference of three or four leagues, and is of a moderate height. The part near the isthmus has some bushes on it, and has a green appearance, but those to the N.E. are very barren, and full of large detached rocks, many of which were exceedingly white. Very dangerous breakers extend two miles and a half to the east, and two miles to the west, off the middle part of the island, on which the sea broke with great violence.

The north and south islands appeared to us as single mountains of a considerable height; the former peaked, and of a conical shape; the latter more square and flat at the top. Sulphur Island we place in lat.i.tude 24 48', longitude 141 12'. The north island in lat.i.tude 25 14', longitude 141 10'. The south island in lat.i.tude 24 22', and longitude 141 26'. The variation observed was 3 30' E.

Captain Gore now directed his course to the W.S.W., for the Bashee Islands, hoping to procure, at them, such a supply of refreshments as would help to shorten his stay in Macao. These islands were visited by Dampier, who gives a very favourable account, both of the civility of the inhabitants, and of the plenty of hogs and vegetables, with, which the country abounds; they were afterwards seen by Byron and Wallis, who pa.s.sed them without landing.

In order to extend our view, in the day-time, the ships spread between two and three leagues from each other, and during the night, we went under an easy sail; so that it was scarcely possible to pa.s.s any land that lay in the neighbourhood of our course. In this manner we proceeded, without any occurrence worth remarking, with a fresh breeze from the N.E., till the 22d, when it increased to a strong gale, with violent squalls of wind and rain, which brought us under close-reefed top-sails.

At noon of the 23d, the lat.i.tude, by account, was 21 5', and longitude 123 20'; at six in the evening, being now only twenty-one leagues from the Bashee Islands, according to the situation in Mr Dalrymple's map, and the weather squally attended with a thick haze, we hauled our wind to the N.N.W., and handed the fore top-sail.

During the whole of the 24th it rained incessantly, and the wind still blew a storm; a heavy sea rolled down on us from the north, and in the afternoon we had violent flashes of lightning from the same quarter. We continued upon a wind to the N.N.W. till nine o'clock, when we tacked, and stood to the S.S.E., till four in the morning of the 25th, and then wore. During the night there was an eclipse of the moon, but the rain prevented our making any observation; unfortunately, at the time of the greatest darkness, a seaman, in stowing the main-top-mast stay-sail, fell overboard, but laying hold of a rope, which providentially was hanging out of the fore-chains into the water, and the ship being quickly brought in the wind, he was got on board without any other hurt than a slight bruise on his shoulder. At eight, the weather clearing, we bore away but the wind blew still so strong, that we carried no other sail than the fore-sail, and the main-top- sail close-reefed. About this time we saw a land-bird resembling a thrush, and a sugar-cane; at noon, the lat.i.tude, by observation, was 21 35', and longitude 121 35'.

As our situation in longitude was now to the west of the Bashee, according to Mr Dalrymple's map, I perceived that Captain Gore was governed, in the course he was steering, by the opinions of Commodore Byron and Captain Wallis, with whom he sailed when they pa.s.sed these islands. The former placing it near four degrees to the westward, or in longitude 118 15'. In consequence of this opinion, at two, we stood to the southward, with a view of getting into the same parallel of lat.i.tude with the islands, before we ran down our longitude. At six, we were nearly in that situation, and consequently ought to have been in sight of land, according to Mr Wallis's account, who places the Bashees near three degrees more to the eastward than Mr Byron. The gale, at this time, had not in the least abated; and Captain Gore, still conceiving that the islands must undoubtedly lie to the westward, brought the ships to, with their heads to the N.W., under the fore-sail and balanced mizen.

At six in the morning of the 26th, the wind having considerably abated, we bore away west; set the top-sails, and let out the reefs. At noon, the lat.i.tude, by observation, was 21 12', and longitude 120 25'. We saw, this day, a flock of ducks, and many tropic-birds, also dolphins and porpoises, and still continued to pa.s.s several pumice-stones. We spent the night upon our tacks, and, at six in the morning of the 27th, again bore away west in search of the Bashees.

I now began to be a little apprehensive, lest, in searching for those islands, we should get so much to the southward as to be obliged to pa.s.s to leeward of the Pratas. In this case, it might have been exceedingly difficult for such bad-sailing ships as ours to fetch Macao, particularly should the wind continue to blow, as it now did, from the N.N.E. and N. As I had some doubts whether Mr Dalrymple's charts were on board the Resolution, I made sail and hailed her; and having acquainted Captain Gore with the position of these shoals, and my apprehensions of being driven to the southward, he informed me that he should continue on his course for the day, as he was still in hopes of finding Admiral Byron's longitude right; and therefore ordered me to spread a few miles to the south.

At noon, the weather became hazy; the lat.i.tude, by reckoning, was 21 2', and longitude 118 30'; and at six, having got to the westward of the Bashees, by Mr Byron's account, Captain Gore hauled his wind to the N.W., under an easy sail, the wind blowing very strong, and there being every appearance of a dirty boisterous night. At four in the morning of the 28th, we saw the Resolution, then half a mile ahead of us, wear, and immediately perceived breakers close under our lee. At day-light, we saw the island of Prata; and at half past six we wore again, and stood toward the shoal, and finding we could not weather it, bore away, and ran to leeward. As we pa.s.sed the south side, within a mile of the reef, we observed two remarkable patches on the edge of the breakers, that looked like wrecks. At noon, the lat.i.tude, found by double alt.i.tudes, was 20 39', longitude 116 45'. The island bore N. 3/4 E., distant three or four leagues. On the south-west side of the reef, and near the south end of the island, we thought we saw, from the mast-head, openings in the reef, which promised safe anchorage.

The Prata shoal is of a considerable extent, being six leagues from north to south, and stretching three or four leagues to the eastward of the island; its limit to the westward we were not in a situation to determine.

The northeast extremity we place in lat.i.tude 20 58', and longitude 117; and the south-west in lat.i.tude 20 45', and longitude 116 44'.

For the remaining part of the day we carried a press of sail, and kept the wind, which was N.E. by N., in order to secure our pa.s.sage to Macao. It was fortunate, that toward evening the wind favoured us, by changing two points more to the east; for had the wind and weather continued the same as during the preceding week, I doubt whether we could have fetched that port, in which case, we must have borne away for Batavia; a place we all dreaded exceedingly, from the sad havoc the unhealthiness of the climate had made in the crews of the former ships that had been out on discovery, and had touched there.

In the forenoon of the 29th, we pa.s.sed several Chinese fishing-boats, who eyed us with great indifference; They fish with a large dredge-net, shaped like a hollow cone, having a flat iron rim fixed to the lower part of its mouth. The net is made fast with cords to the head and stern of the boat, which being left to drive with the wind, draws the net after it with the iron part dragging along the bottom. We were sorry to find the sea covered with the wrecks of boats that had been lost, as we conjectured, in the late boisterous weather. At-noon, we were in lat.i.tude, by observation, 22 1', having run one hundred and ten miles upon a north-west course since the preceding noon. Being now nearly in the lat.i.tude of the Lema Islands, we bore away W. by N., and after running twenty-two miles, saw one of them nine or ten leagues to the westward. At six, the extremes of the islands in sight bore N.N.W. 1/2 W., and W.N.W. 1/2 W.; distant from the nearest four or five leagues; the depth of water twenty-two fathoms, over a soft muddy bottom. We now shortened sail, and kept upon our tacks for the night. By Mr Bayly's time-keeper, the Grand Lema bore from the Prata Island, N. 60 W., one hundred and fifty-three miles; and by our run, N. 57 W., one hundred and forty-six miles.

In the morning of the 30th, we ran along the Lema Isles, which, like all the other islands on this coast, are without wood, and, as far as we could observe, without cultivation. At seven o'clock, we had precisely the same view of these islands, as is represented in a plate of Lord Anson's voyage.

At nine o'clock, a Chinese boat, which had been before with the Resolution, came alongside, and wanted to put on board us a pilot, which, however, we declined, as it was our business to follow our consort. We soon after pa.s.sed the rock marked R in Lord Anson's plate; but, instead of hauling up to the northward of the Grand Ladrone Island, as was done in the Centurion, we proceeded to leeward.

It is hardly necessary to caution the mariner not to take this course, as the danger is sufficiently obvious; for should the wind blow strong, and the current set with it, it will be extremely difficult to fetch Macao.

Indeed, we might, with great safety, by the direction of Mr Dalrymple's map, have gone either entirely to the north of the Lema Isles, or between them, and made the wind fair for Macao. Our fears of missing this port, and being forced to Batavia, added to the strong and eager desires of hearing news from Europe, made us rejoice to see the Resolution soon after fire a gun, and hoist her colours as a signal for a pilot. On repeating the signal, we saw an excellent race between four Chinese boats; and Captain Gore, having engaged with the man who arrived first, to carry the ship to the Typa, for thirty dollars, sent me word, that, as we could easily follow, that expence might be saved to us. Soon after, a second pilot getting on board the Resolution, insisted on conducting the ship, and, without farther ceremony, laid hold of the wheel, and began to order the sails to be trimmed. This occasioned a violent dispute, which at last was compromised, by their agreeing to go shares in the money. At noon, the alt.i.tude, by observation, was 21 57' N., and longitude 114 2' E.; the Grand Ladrone Island extending from N.W. 1/2 N., to N.1/2 W., distant four miles. The land of which the bearings are here given, we conceived to be one island; but afterward found the western part to be the island marked Z in Mr Dalrymple's chart of part of the coast of China, &c. which, at that time, we unfortunately had not on board.

In obedience to the instructions given to Captain Cook by the Board of Admiralty, it now became necessary to demand of the officers and men their journals, and what other papers they might have in their possession, relating to the history of our voyage. The execution of these orders seemed to require some delicacy, as well as firmness. I could not be ignorant, that the greatest part of our officers, and several of the seamen, had amused themselves with writing accounts of our proceedings for their own private satisfaction, or that of their friends, which they might be unwilling, in their present form, to have submitted to the inspection of strangers. On the other hand, I could not, consistently with the instructions we had received, leave in their custody papers, which, either from carelessness or design, might fall into the hands of printers, and give rise to spurious and imperfect accounts of the voyage, to the discredit of our labours, and perhaps to the prejudice of officers, who, though innocent, might be suspected of having been the authors of such publications. As soon, therefore, as I had a.s.sembled the ship's company on deck, I acquainted them with the orders we had received, and the reasons which, I thought, ought to induce them to yield a ready obedience. At the same time, I told them, that any papers which they were desirous not to have sent to the Admiralty, should be sealed up in their presence, and kept in my own custody, till the intentions of the Board, with regard to the publication of the history of the voyage, were fulfilled; after which, they should faithfully be restored back to them.

It is with the greatest satisfaction I can relate, that my proposals met with the approbation, and the cheerful compliance both of the officers and men; and I am persuaded, that every sc.r.a.p of paper, containing any transactions relating to the voyage, were given up. Indeed, it is doing bare justice to the seamen of this ship to declare, that they were the most obedient and the best-disposed men I ever knew, though almost all of them were very young, and had never before served in a ship of war.

[92] As we have already exceeded the proportion of notes in the preceding pages, it would be improper, even if the importance of the remaining matter were more considerable than it is, to hazard farther commentary. The reader will find, as, indeed, he will naturally expect, that the condition of the vessels, &c. did not admit of much more research that could benefit navigation or geography. This, therefore, renders it less necessary to occupy attention in the results. Some additions have been made to our knowledge of Jesso, the neighbouring seas and islands, since the date of this voyage, and in no small degree, especially by the expedition under Krusenstern, from whose remarks we have already enriched our work. The additional observations will properly fall to be considered hereafter. It may be necessary, however, to state at present, that the able navigator, just now named, had it in his power, from more favourable circ.u.mstances, to correct the positions of some of the islands seen by Captain Gore, and a.s.signed to them in the following section, as Sulphur Island, North Island, &c. But the corrections, though important for nautical purposes, are not of so much consequence in a general point of view, as to justify any particular remarks on the text. It is enough, perhaps, to notice the circ.u.mstance here, and to take advantage of the improvements of Krusenstern or others on any map or chart it may be expedient to affix to a subsequent portion of this work. The result of K.'s labours, it may be remarked, will require a modification to no mean amount of all the maps and charts of the regions we are now contemplating.--E.

[93] From Muller's account of the course steered by Captain Spanberg, in his route from Kamtschatka to j.a.pan, it appears, that he must also undoubtedly have seen De Gama's Land, if it really has the extent given it in Mr D'Anville's maps. Walton, who commanded a vessel in the same expedition, seems also to have looked in vain for this land on his return from j.a.pan; and three years afterward, on account of some doubts that had arisen respecting Spanberg's course, Beering went directly in search of it, as low as the lat.i.tude of 46.--See _Voyages et Decouvertes_, &c. p. 210, et seq.

[94] This land was seen by the Dutchmen who sailed in the Castricom and Breskes, and imagined by them to be part of the continent of America.

There now remains scarce any doubt of its being the islands of Ooroop and Nadeegsda. See the journals of the Castricom and Breskes, published by Wetzer.

[95] This land was also discovered by the Castricom; and, from its situation, as described in the journal of that vessel, it appears to be the islands of the Three Sisters.

[96] The country of Jeso, which has so long been a stumbling-block to our modern geographers, was first brought to the knowledge of Europeans by the Dutch vessels mentioned in the preceding notes. The name appears, from the earliest accounts, to have been well known, both to the j.a.panese and the Kamtschadales; and used by them, indiscriminately, for all the islands lying between Kamtschatka and j.a.pan. It has since been applied to a large imaginary island, or continent, supposed to have been discovered by the Castricom and Breskes; and it may not, therefore, be improper to consider the grounds of this mistake, as far as can be collected from the journals of that expedition. The object of the voyage, in which those ships were engaged, was to explore the eastern sh.o.r.e of Tartary; but, being separated by a storm off the S.E.

point of j.a.pan, they sailed in different tracks along the E. side of the island; and, having pa.s.sed its northern extremity, proceeded singly on their intended expedition.

The Castricom, commanded by De Vries, steering northward, fell in with land on the third day, in lat.i.tude 42. He sailed along the S.E. coast about sixty leagues in a _constant fog_; and, having anch.o.r.ed in various places, held a friendly intercourse with the inhabitants. Thus far the journal. Now, as the islands of Matimai, Kunashir, and Zellany appear, from Captain Spanberg's discoveries, to lie exactly in this situation, there can be no doubt of their being the same land; and the circ.u.mstance of the fog sufficiently accounts for the error of De Vries, imagining them to be one continent; without having recourse to the supposition of an earthquake, by which Mr Muller, from his desire to reconcile the opinion generally received, with the later Russian discoveries, conceives the several parts to have been separated. The journal then proceeds to give an account of the discovery of Staten Island and Company's Land, of which I have already given my opinion, and shall have occasion to speak hereafter. Having pa.s.sed through the Straits of De Vries, says the journal, they entered a vast, wild, and tempestuous sea, in which they steered, through mists and darkness, to the 48 N. lat.i.tude; after which they were driven by contrary winds to the southward, and again fell in with land to the westward, in lat.i.tude 45, which they unaccountably still imagined to be part of the continent of Jeso; whereas, whoever examines Jansen's map of their discoveries, (which appears to be exceedingly accurate, as far as his information went,) will, I believe, have no doubt, that they were, at this time, on the coast of Tartary. Having traced this land four degrees to the northward, they returned to the southward through the Straits they had pa.s.sed before.

It is not necessary to trouble the reader with the journal of the Breskes, as it contains no new matter, and has been already republished, and very satisfactorily animadverted upon by Mr Muller.-- _Voyages from Asia to America_, &c. English Translation, p. 78.

[97] The only authentic survey of the eastern coast of j.a.pan, with which I am acquainted, is that published by Jansen in his Atlas, and compiled with great accuracy from the charts and journals of the Castricom and Breskes. I have therefore adopted, wherever the ident.i.ty of the situations could be nearly ascertained, the names given in that map to the corresponding points and head-lands seen by us along the coast.

Jansen places the northern extremity of j.a.pan in lat.i.tude 40 15'. The point seen by us was in lat.i.tude 40 27'.

[98] This town is called by Jansen, Nabo.

[99] Vide Muller, Fr. ed. page 215.