C H A P . XI.
Difcoveries after leaving Norton Sound.— Stuart s I f and.
■— Cape Stephens.— Point Shallow-Water.— Shoals on
the American Coaf.— Clerkes I f and.— Gore's I f and.—
Pinnacle I f and.— A rrival at Oonalajhka.— Intercourfe
with the Natives and Ruffian Traders.— -Charts o f the
Ruffian Difcoveries, communicated by M r. Ifmyloff.—
Their Errors pointed out.— Situation o f the Ifands vifit-
ed by the Ruffians.— Account o f their Settlement at Oonalajhka,—
O f the Natives o f the I f and.— Their Perfons.
— D refs.— Ornaments.— Food.— Houjes and domeflic '
Utenfils.— Manufa&ures.-— Manner of producing Fire.
— Canoes.— Fijhing and Hunting Implements.— Fijhes,
and Sea Animals.— Sea and Water Fowls, and Land
Birds.— Land Animals, and Vegetables.— Manner o f
burying the Dead.— Refemblance o f the Natives on this
Side o f America to the Greenlanders and Ffquimaux —
Tides.— Obfervations fo r determining the Longitude of
September T T A V I N G weighed, on the 17th in the morning, with
.---- 1 X i a light breeze at Eaft, we fleered to the Southward,
kurfdayi7. attempted to pafs within Befborough Ifland; but, though
it lies fix or feven miles from the continent, were prevented,
b y meeting with fhoal water. As we had but little wind all
the
the day, it was dark befdre we palled the iflan d : and the n
■ 1 r j Septem bei n ight was ipent under an ealy fail. ,_.
We refumed our courfe, at day-break on the 18th, a long Friday is.
the coaft. At noon, we had no more than five fathoms water.
At this time the latitude was S3“ 37'. Befborough Ifland
now bore North 43“ Eaft; the Southernmoft land in fight,
w hich proved alfo to be an ifland, South 66° W e ft; the paf-
fa g e between it and the main, South 40° Weft; and the near-
eft land about two miles diftanr. I continued to fteer for this
paffage, until the boats, which were ahead, made the fig-nal
fo r having no more than three fathoms water. On this we
h au led without the ifland; and made the fignal for the Re-
folution’s boat to keep between the Ihips and the ihore.
T h is ifland, which obtained the name o f Stuart's Ifland,
lies in the latitude o f S3“ 35', and feventeen leagues from
Cape Denbigh, in the direction o f South 27“ Weft. It is fix
■or feven leagues in circuit. Some parts o f it are o f - a
middling h e ig h t ; . but, in general, it is low ; with fome
-rocks ly in g o ff the Weftern part. T h e coaft o f the continent
is, for the moft part, low land ; but we law high land up .
the country. It forms a point, oppofite the ifland, which
was named Cape Stephens, and lies in latitude S3“ 33', and in
longitude 197“ 41'. Some drift-wood was feen upon the
ihores, both of the ifland and o f the con tin en t; but not a
tree was perceived g row in g upon either. One might anchor,
upon occafion, between the North Eaft fide o f this
ifland and the continent, in a depth o f five fathoms, fhel-
tered from Wefterly, Southerly, and Eaflerly winds. But
this ftation would be wholly expafed to the Northerly winds,
the land, in that direction, being at too great a diftance to
afford any fecurity. Before we reached Stuart’s Ifland, we
V ol. II. 3 i l pailed