1779- fize o f a goofe’s e gg. T h is was all the news we had to in-
Auguft. ° °
>--------- » quire after, and all they had to t e l l ; excepting that o f the
arrival o f Sopofnikoff from Oonalafhka, who took charge o f
the pacquet Captain Cook had fent to the Admiralty, and
which,' it gave us much fatisfa&ion to find, had been fo rwarded.
Wednef. 25. In the morning o f the 25th, Captain Gore made out the
n ew commiflions, in confequence o f Captain C le rk e ’s death ;
appointing h im fe lf to the command o f the Refolution, and
me to the command o f the Difco v e ry ; and Mr. Lanyan,
matter’s Mate o f the Refolution, w ho had ferved in that capacity
on board the Adventure in the former voyage, was
promoted to the vacant Lieutenancy. Thefe promotions
produced the fo llow in g farther arrangements : Lieutenants
Burney and Rickman were removed from the Difcovery, to
be Firft and Second Lieutenants o f the Re folu tion ; and
Lieutenant Williamfon was appointed Firft Lieutenant o f
the Difcovery. Captain Gore alfo permitted me to take into
the Difcovery, four Midihipmen, w ho had made themfelves
u fe fu l to me in aftronomical calculations, and wbofe af-
fiftance was now particularly neceflary, as we had no ephe-
meris for the prefent year. And, that aftronomical obferva-
tions might continue to be made in both fhips, Mr. Bayley
took my place in the Refolution. The fame day we were
vifited by the Pope Romanoff Vereihagen, the worthy Prieft
o f Paratounca. He exprefled his forrow at the death o f
.Captain Clerke in a manner that did honour to his feelings,
and confirmed the account given by the Serjeant, refpe iting
the intended removal o f the church to the harbour; adding,
that the timber was actually preparing, but leaving thg
choice o f either place entirely to Captain Gore,
S The
•The Difcovery, as has been mentioned, had fuffered great A'Ug7uff
damage from the ice, particularly on the 23d day o f Ju ly ; v.
and having, ever fince, been exceedingly leaky, it was
imagined that fome o f her timbers had ftarted. Captain
Gore therefore fent the carpenters o f the Refolution to aflift
our own in repairing her ; and accordingly, the forehold
b e in g cleared, to lighten her forward, they were fet to work
to rip the damaged lheathing from the larboard bow. This
operation difcovered, that three feet o f the third ftrake, under
the wale, were ftaved, and the timbers within ftarted.
A tent was next erefted, for the accommodation o f fuch o f
our people as were employed on fh o re ; and a party were
fent a mile into the country, to the Northward o f the harbour,
to fe ll timber. T h e obfervatories were eredted at the
Weft end o f the village, near a tent, in w hich Captain Gore
and m y fe lf took up our abode.
T he farther we proceeded in removing the lheathing, the Thurfdayz6,
more we difcovered o f the decayed ftate o f the ihip’s hu ll.
T h e next morning, eight feet o f a plank in the w a le were
found to be fo exceedingly rotten, as to make it neceflary to
ih ift it. This left us for fome time at a Hand, as nothing .
was to be found, in either fliip, wherewith to replace it, un-
lefs w e ch o fe to cut up a top maft; an expedient not to be
had recourfe to, till all others failed. T h e carpenters were
therefore fent on fhore in the afternoon, in fearch o f a tree
b ig enough fo r the purpofe. L u ck ily they found a birch,
w hich I believe was the only one o f fufficient fize in the
whole" neighbourhood o f the bay, and which had been fawed
down by us when we were laft h e r e ; fo that it had the advantage
o f ha vin g lain fome time to feafon. This was ihaped'
on the fpot, and brought on board the next morning.
As