— 1
1779;
. ! A u g u ft.
-Tfvurfdàÿ i g.
Friday zó.
Sa tu rd a y 2 1 .
Su n d a y 2
the 19th, when, after a few hours rain, it blew from the
Eaftward, and freihened to a ftrong gale. We accordingly
made the moft o f it whilft it lafted, by Handing to the Weft-
ward, under all the fail w e could carry. On the 20th, the
w i n d fhifting to the South Weft, o u r c o u r few a s to the Weft
North Weft. At noon, the latitude, by obfervation, was
«3° 1', longitude 162,° 49V On the 21ft, at h a lf paft five in
the morning, we faw a very high peaked mountain on the
coaft o f Kamtfchatka, called Cheepoonikoi Mountain, from
its ly in g behind the Nofs, bearing North Weft by North,
twenty-five or thirty leagues diftant. At noon, the coaft
extended from North by Eaft to Weft, with a very great ha-
zinefs upon it, and diftant about twelve leagues. We had
ligh t airs the remaining part o f this and the fo llow in g day,
and got no foundings with one hundred and forty fathoms
o f line.
On the 22d o f Auguft, 1779. at nine o ’clock in the morn-
■ in g , departed this life Captain Charles Clerke, in the thirty-
eighth year o f his age. He died o f a confumption, which
had evidently commenced before he left England, and o f
w h ich he had lingered during the whole voyage. His very
grad ual decay had long made him a melancholy objedt to
his friends ; yet the equanimity with which he bore it, the
conftant flow o f good fpirits, which continued to the laft
hour, and a cheerful refignation to his fate, afforded them
fome confolation. It was impoflible not to feel a more than
common degree o f compaffion fo r a perfon, whofe life had
been a continued fcene-of thofe difficulties and hardfhips, to
w hich a feaman’s occupation is fubjedt, and under which
he at laft funk. He was brought up to the Navy from his
earlieft
earlieft youth, and had been in feveral aftions during the
w a r which began in 1756, particularly in that between the e .
Bellona and Courageux, where being ftationed in the m izen-
top, he was carried overboard with the mail, but was taken
up without ha vin g received any hurt. He was Midftiipman
in the Dolphin, commanded b y Commodore Byron, on her
firft Voy ag e round the world, and afterward ferved on the
American ftation. In 1768, he made his fecond voyage
round the world, in the Endeavour, as Mailer’s Mate, and
b y the promotion, w h ich took place d u r in g the expedition,
he returned a Lieutenant. His third voya ge round
the world was in the Refolution, o f which he was ap pointed
the Second Lieutenant : and foon after his return,
in 177S) he was promoted to the ran k o f Mailer and Commander.
When the prefent expedition was ordered to be
fitted out, he was appointed to the Difcovery, to accompany
Captain Cook ; and, b y the death o f the latter, fuc-
ceeded, as has been already mentioned, to the ch ie f command.
It would be doing his memory extreme injuftice not to
fay, that during the fhort time the expedition was under his
diredtion, he was moft zealous and anxious for its fuccefs.
His health, about the time the principal command devolved
upon him, began to decline ve ry rapidly, and was every
w a y unequal to encounter the rigours o f a h igh Northern
climate. But the vigour and activity o f his mind had, in no
ihape, fuffered b y the decay Of his body : and though he
knew, that b y delaying his return to a warmer climate, he
was g iv in g up the on ly chance that remained for his recovery,
yet, careful and jealous to the laft degree, that a regard
V o l . III. O o t0