1794- (now was difcerned, bearing by Compafs N. by e . By feVen in the even-
'— y -—1 ing this was plainly difcovered to be an ifland, extending by. compafs
from N. 2 w . to n . 32 w .,.a t the diflance of thirteen miles, with
fotne detached rocks lying off its Weftern extremity. In this fituation the
depth of water was 75 fathoms, fand and Ihelly bottom.
Although I did not c'onfider; this ifland as altogether a new difcovery,
yet as its lituation had not hitherto been well afcertained, and as during
the laid three days.our obfervations had been but indifferent, I thought
it proper to pafs the night in Handing backward and forward, ■ in order to
gain a nearer view of it, and in the hope that the following day would
be more favorable to our wifhes for this purpofe: B$
.With the wind at N. w. blowing a moderate breeze, the mercury at
Friday 4. 27, and extremely cold, we made all fail for the. land the next morning;
but in confequence of our having been fet by a very ftrong current to
the s.w., we were fo far diftant, that it wasinear noon before we had paffed
its fouthern point. We were fortunate in gaining excellent obfervations,
which at noon determined our lituation to be in latitude 55° 48', longitude
205—16'; this fhewed a conftderable error in our reckoning fmce the
firft day of the month, the latitude being 22' further north, and the longitude
.72' further eaft, than had appeared by the log. The depth of
water at this time was 23 fathoms, fine black fandy bottom. The nonhead
point of the ifland bore by compafs n. 55 w., diftant about 2 leagues;
its eaftern extremity, which is a low rocky point, and was our neareft
fhore, s. 66 w., two miles; and its fouthpoint, s. 30 w., about 2 leagues
diftant. In the point of view in which we faw the fouth-weft, fouthern,
and eaftern fides of this ifland, it appeared to form a fomewhat irregular
four-fided figure, about 10 leagues in circuit; having from its. weft-
ern .part, which is low and flat, and which had the appearance of being
infular, a remarkably high, flat, fquare rock, lying in a direflion s. 66 w.,,
at the diftance of two miles, between which and the ifland is a ledge of
fmaller rocks. The center of the ifland appeared by our obfervations
to be in latitude 55° 49, longitude 205° 4'.
The feafon of the year greatly contributed to increafe the dreary and
inhofpitab'le afpeft of the country; in addition to which it feemed to be
intirely
intirely deftitute of trees or fhrubs, or they were hidden beneath its win- j^794-
ter garment of fnow, which-appeared to be very deep about its fouth- 1---- ^— ’
eaftern parts, confiding of high fteep cliffs ; but on its weftern fide, which
was confiderably lower, this appearance was not fo general. About its
fhores were fome fmall whales, the firft we had noticed during this paf-
fage to the north. From the relative fituation of this ifland to the continent,
I was inclined to believe it to be that which Beering called Foggy
ifland; but as Captain Cook gave that name to another ifland not far
diftant to the weftward, I have in honor of Beering’s companion TJche-
rikow, whofe labors in the arduous talk of difcovery do not appear to
have been thus commemorated, called "this. ifland after him T scheri -
k o w ’s I s l a n d . -
In our route from the Sandwich iflands to this ftation it may be feen,
that whenever the winds would permit, our courfe was direfted far to the
weftward of the entrance into Cook’s river, as delineated by that able
navigator. My reafon for fo doing, in the event of circumftances permitting,
was to fall in with thofe parts which Captain Cook was prevented
from feeing between Foggy cape and cape Trinity; as I much
withed to afcertain whether that fpace was occupied by land, or whether
it communicated with Smoky bay, as has been reprefented in fome late
publications, though in a manner not eafily to be underftood. The
winds and weather had, however, been adverfe to this defign; and although
the latter prefented now a more favorable profpefl, yet the
wind, at N.w,, blew in the very direftion I wifhed to fleer for that purpofe.
But as it was favorable for continuing along the exterior coaft,
and as we had already been greatly retarded in our general operations,
by adverfe winds and other untoward circumftances, I was induced to
forego the objeft I had in view, left fimilar inconvenience fhould continue
to attend us, and caufe delays that we could ill afford in the profe-
cution of our furvey. Thefe confiderations induced me to make all fail,
fleering with the wind at n . n .W i during the afternoon to the n . e . ; and
having at fix in the evening made our courfe good from noon, N. 65 E.,
40 miles, Trinity ifland was feen bearing by compafs from N. 5 E. to n .
15 w., and another ifland from w. a N. to w, by s. The latter I took
to