C H A P . VIII.
Plan of our future Proceedings.— Courfe to the Southward,
along the Coafl of Kamtfchatla.—-Cape Lopatka.—
Pafs the Ifands Shoomfka and Paramoufir.— Driven to
the Eaflward of the Kuriles.— Singular Situation with
refpeEi to the pretended Difcovertes. of former Navigators.—
Eruitlefs Attempts to reach the Ifands North of
Japan.— Geographical Conclufons.— View of the Coafl
o f Japan.— Run along the Eafl Side.— Pafs two Ja-
panefe Vffels.— Driven off the Coafl by contrary Winds.
— Extraordinary EffeB o f Currents,— Steer for the
Bafhees.— Pafs large Quantities o f Pumice Stone._
Difcover Sulphur Ifland.— Pafs the Pratas.— Ifles of
Lema, and Ladron Ifland.— Chitiefe Pilot taken on board
the Refolution.— Journals o f the Officers and Men
fecured.
•779■
Oftober.
inftrudtions from the Board o f Admiralty having
9 ^eft a difcfetionary power with the commanding Of-
Satodayg. ficer o f the expedition, in cafe o f failure in the fearch o f a
paflage from the Pacific into the Atlantic Ocean, to return
to England, by whatever route he Ihould think belt for the
farther improvement o f g eo grap hy ; Captain Gore demanded
o f the principal officers their fendments, in writing,
refpedting the manner in which thefe orders might
2 o
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»779*
moil effedtually be obeyed. T h e refult o f our opinions, October»
which he had the fatisfadtion to find unanimous, and in-
tirely coinciding with his own, that the condition o f the
Ihips, o f the fails and cordage, made it unfafe to attempt,
at fo advanced a feafon o f the year, to navigate the fea between
Japan and Alia ; which would otherwife have afforded
the largeft field for difcovery; that it was therefore ad-
vifeable to keep to the Eaftward o f that ifland, and in our
w ay thither to run along the Kuriles, and examine more
particularly the iflands that lie neareft the Northern coafl o f
Japan, which are reprefented as o f a confiderable fize, and
independent o f the Ruffian and Japanefe governments.
Should we be fo fortunate as to find in thefe any fafe and
commodious harbours, we conceived they might be o f importance,
either as places o f ihelter for any future navigators,
who may be employed in exploring the feas, or as
the means o f opening a commercial intercourfe among the
neighbouring dominions o f the two empires. Our next o bject
was to furvey the coafl; o f the Japanefe Iflands, and afterward
to make the coafl o f China, as far to the Northward as :
we were able, and run along it to Macao.
This plan being adopted, I received orders from Captain
Gore, in cafe o f reparation, to proceed immediately to
M a cao : and at fix o’clock in the evening o f the jth o f Odto- Saturday 9.
her, having cleared the entrance o f Awatika Bay, we fleered
to the South Eafl, with the wind North Weft and by Weft.
At midnight we had a dead calm, which continued till
noon o f the io tli; the light-houfe, at this time, bearing Sunday io.
North h a lf Weft, diftant five leagues, and Cape Gavareea
South b y Weft h a lf Weft. Being lu ck ily in foundings o f
fixty and feventy fathoms water, we employed our time
very profitably in catching cod, which were exceedingly
Y o u III. 3 D fine
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