PLAN OF OUR FUTURE PROCEEDINGS.—COURSE TO THE SOUTHWARD, ALONG THE COAST OF KAMTSCHATKA.—CAPE LOPATKA.—PASS THE ISLANDS SHOOMSKA AND PARAMOUSIR.—DRIVEN TO THE EASTWARD OF THE KURILES.—SINGULAR SITUATION WITH RESPECT TO THE PRETENDED DISCOVERIES OF FORMER NAVIGATORS.—FRUITLESS ATTEMPTS TO REACH THE ISLANDS NORTH OF JAPAN.—GEOGRAPHICAL CONCLUSIONS.—VIEW OF THE COAST OF JAPAN.—RUN ALONG THE EAST SIDE.—PASS TWO JAPANESE VESSELS.—DRIVEN OFF THE COAST BY CONTRARY WINDS.—EXTRAORDINARY EFFECT OF CURRENTS.—STEER FOR THE BASHEES.—PASS LARGE QUANTITIES OF PUMICE STONE.—DISCOVER SULPHUR ISLAND.—PASS THE PRATAS.—ISLES OF LEMA, AND LADRON ISLAND.—CHINESE PILOT TAKEN ON BOARD THE RESOLUTION.—JOURNALS OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN SECURED.

Our instructions from the Board of Admiralty having left a discretionary power with the commanding officer of the expedition, in case of failure in the search of a passage from the Pacific into the Atlantic Ocean, to return to England, by whatever route he should think best for the farther improvement of geography, Captain Gore demanded of the principal officers their sentiments, in writing, respecting the manner in which these orders might most effectually be obeyed. The result of our opinions, which he had the satisfaction to find unanimous, and entirely coinciding with his own, that the condition of the ships, of the sails and cordage, made it unsafe to attempt, at so advanced a season of the year, to navigate the sea between Japan and Asia, which would otherwise have afforded the largest field for discovery; that it was therefore adviseable to keep to the eastward of that island, and in our way thither to run along the Kuriles, and examine more particularly the islands that lie nearest the northern coast of Japan, which are represented as of a considerable size, and independent of the Russian and Japanese governments. Should we be so fortunate as to find in these any safe and commodious harbours, we conceived they might be of importance, either as places of shelter for any future navigators, who may be employed in exploring the seas, or as the means of opening a commercial intercourse among the neighbouring dominions of the two empires. Our next object was to survey the coast of the Japanese Islands, and afterward to make the coast of 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 case of separation, to proceed immediately to Macao; and at six o’clock in the evening of the 9th of October, having cleared the entrance of Awatska Bay, we steered to the south-east, with the wind north-west and by west. At midnight, we had a dead calm, which continued till noon of the 10th; the light-house, at this time, bearing north half west, distant five leagues, and Cape Gavareea south by west half west. Being luckily in soundings of sixty and seventy fathoms’ water, we employed our time very profitably in catching cod, which were exceedingly fine and plentiful; and at three in the afternoon a breeze sprung up from the west, with which we stood along the coast to the southward. A head-land bearing south by west, now opened, with Cape Gavareea, lying about seven leagues beyond it. Between them are two narrow but deep inlets, which may probably unite behind what appears to be an high island. The coast of these inlets is steep and cliffy. The hills break abruptly, and form chasms and deep valleys, which are well wooded. Between Cape Gavareea (which lies in latitude 52° 21', longitude 158° 38') and Awatska Bay, there are appearances of several inlets, which at first sight may flatter the mariner with hopes of finding shelter and safe anchorage: but the Russian pilots assured us, that there are none capable of admitting vessels of the smallest size, as the low land fills up the spaces that appear vacant between the high projecting head-lands. Toward evening, it again became calm; but at midnight we had a light breeze from the north, which increased gradually to a strong gale; and at noon the next day, we found ourselves in latitude 52° 4', longitude 158° 31', when Cape Gavareea bore north by west one quarter west; the south extreme south-west half west. We were at this time distant from the nearest shore about three leagues, and saw the whole country inland covered with snow. A point of land to the southward, which we place in latitude 51° 54', formed the north side of a deep bay, called Achachinskoi, in the distant bottom of which we supposed a large river to empty itself, from the land behind being so unusually low. South of Achachinskoi Bay, the land is not so rugged and barren as that part of the country which we had before passed.

During the night, we had variable winds and rain; but at four in the morning of the 12th, it began to blow so strong from the north-east, as to oblige us to double-reef the top-sails, and make it prudent to stand more off the shore. At six, the weather becoming more moderate and fair, we again made sail, and stood in for the land. At noon, our latitude was 51° 0', longitude 157° 25'. The northernmost land in sight, being the point we have mentioned as first opening with Cape Gavareea, bore north north-east. A head-land with a flat top, which is in latitude 51° 27', and makes the south point of an inlet, called Girowara, bore north one quarter east, and the southernmost land in sight west three quarters north, distant six leagues. At this time we could just perceive low land stretching from the southern extreme; but the wind veering round to the north-west, we could not get a nearer view of it. At six in the afternoon, we saw from the mast-head, Cape Lopatka, the southernmost extremity of Kamtschatka. It is a very low flat cape, sloping gradually from the high level land that we saw at noon, and bore west half north, about five leagues distant; and the high land north-west by west half west. As this point of land forms so marked an object in the geography of the eastern coast of Asia, we were glad to be able, by an accurate observation, and several good angles, to determine its precise situation, which is in latitude 51° 0', longitude 156° 45'. To the north-west of it we saw a remarkable high mountain, the top of which loses itself in the clouds; and, at the same time, the first of the Kurile Islands, called Shoomska, appeared in sight, bearing west half south. The passage between this island and Cape Lopatka, the Russians describe as being three miles broad, and very dangerous, on account of the rapidity of the tides, and the sunk rocks that are off the Cape. From Cape Gavareea to Lopatka, the coast trends south-east, south of Achachinskoi, the land is not so high and broken as between that bay and the mouth of Awatska, being only of a moderate elevation toward the sea, with hills gradually rising farther back in the country. The coast is steep and bold, and full of white chalky patches.

At noon, the weather falling again to a calm, afforded us an opportunity of catching some fine cod. We were at this time, in forty fathoms’ water, and about five or six leagues from Cape Lopatka. Both in the fore and afternoon, we had observations, with different compasses, for the variation, and found it to be 5° 20' E.

We stood on all night, under an easy sail, to the south south-west, having the wind westerly. At midnight we sounded, and had sixty fathoms; and at day-break of the 13th, we saw the second of the Kurile Islands (called by the Russians Paramousir), extending from north-west by west, to west half south. This land is very high, and almost entirely covered with snow. At noon, the extremes bore from north north-west half west, to west north-west half west; and a high-peaked mountain, from which some thought they saw smoke issuing, north-west by west half west, about twelve or fourteen leagues distant. At this time our latitude, by observation, was 49° 49', and our longitude 157° 0'. In the course of the day we saw many gulls and albatrosses, and several whales.

Paramousir is the largest of the Kuriles under the dominion of Russia, and well deserves a more accurate survey, than we were at this time allowed to take. For, in the afternoon, the gale increasing from the west, we were never able to approach it nearer than we had done at noon; and were, therefore, obliged to be contented with endeavouring to ascertain its situation at that distance. We place the south end of the island in latitude 49° 58'; the north end in latitude 50° 46', and in longitude 10'W. of Lopatka; and as this position is found not to differ materially from that given by the Russians, it is probably very near the truth. Whilst we were abreast of this island, we had a very heavy swell from the north-east, though the wind had, for some time, been from the westward; a circumstance which we have already remarked more than once during the course of our voyage. In the night we tried for soundings, but found no ground with fifty fathoms of line.

On the 14th and 15th, the wind blowing steadily and fresh from the westward, we were obliged to stand to the southward; and consequently hindered from seeing any more of the Kurile islands. At noon of the 16th, the latitude, by observation, was 45° 27'; the longitude, deduced from a number of lunar observations taken during the three days past, 155° 30'. The variation 4° 30'E. In this situation, we were almost surrounded by the supposed discoveries of former navigators, and uncertain to which we should turn ourselves. To the southward and the south-west were placed, in the French charts, a group of five islands, called the Three Sisters, Zellany and Kunashir. We were about ten leagues, according to the same maps, to the westward of the land of De Gama, which we had passed to the eastward in April last, at a distance rather less than this, without seeing any appearance of it; from which circumstance we may now conclude, that, if such land exist at all, it must be an island of a very inconsiderable size.^[66] On the other hand, if we give credit to the original position of this land, fixed by Texiera^[67], it lay to the west by south; and as the Company’s Land^[68], Staten Island^[69], and the famous land of Jeso^[70], were also supposed to lie nearly in the same direction, together with the group first mentioned, according to the Russian charts, we thought this coast deserved the preference, and accordingly hauled round to the westward, the wind having shifted in the afternoon to the northward. During this day, we saw large flocks of gulls, several albatrosses, fulmars, and a number of fish, which our sailors called grampuses; but, as far as we could judge, from the appearance of those that passed close by the ships, we imagined them to be the kasatka, or sword-fish, described by Krascheninicoff, to whom I refer the reader, for a curious account of the manner in which they attack the whales. In the evening, a visit from a small land bird, about the size of a goldfinch, and resembling that bird in shape and plumage, made us keep a good look out for land. However, at midnight, on trying for soundings, we found no ground with forty-five fathoms of line.

On the 17th, at noon, we were in latitude 45° 7', by observation, longitude 154° 0'. The wind now again coming to the westward, obliged us to steer a more southerly course; and, at midnight, it blew from that quarter a fresh gale, accompanied with heavy rain. In the morning, we saw another land bird, and many flocks of gulls and peterels bending their course to the south-west. The heavy north-east swell, with which we had constantly laboured since our departure from Lopatka, now ceased, and changed suddenly to the south-east. In the forenoon of the 18th, we passed great quantities of rock-weed, from which, and the flights of birds above mentioned, we conjectured we were at no great distance from the southernmost of the Kuriles; and, at the same time, the wind coming round to the south, enabled us to stand in for it. At two, we set studding-sails, and steered west; but the wind increasing to a gale, soon obliged us to double reef the top-sails; and, at midnight, we judged it necessary to try for soundings. Accordingly we hove to; but finding no bottom at seventy-five fathoms, we were encouraged to persevere, and again bore away west, with the wind at south-east. This course we kept till two in the morning, when the weather becoming thick, we hauled our wind and steered to the south-west till five, when a violent storm reduced us to our courses.

Notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the weather left us little prospect of making the land, we still kept this object anxiously in view; and at day-light, ventured to steer west by south, and continued to stand on in this direction till ten in the forenoon, when the wind suddenly shifting to the south-west, brought with it clear weather. Of this we had scarcely taken advantage, by setting the top-sails, and letting out the reefs, when it began to blow so strong from this quarter, that we were forced to close reef again; and at noon, the wind shifting two points to the west, rendered it vain to keep any longer on this tack. We, therefore, put about, and steered to the southward. At this time, our latitude, by observation, was 44° 12', and longitude 150° 40'; so that, after all our efforts, we had the mortification to find ourselves, according to the Russian charts, upon a meridian with Nadeegsda, which they make the southernmost of the Kurile islands, and about twenty leagues to the southward.

But, though the violent and contrary winds we had met with during the last six days, prevented our getting in with these islands, yet the course we had been obliged to hold, is not without its geographical advantages. For the group of Islands, consisting of the Three Sisters, Kunashir, and Zellany, which, in D’Anville’s maps, are placed in the track we had just crossed; being, by this means, demonstratively removed from that situation, an additional proof is obtained of their lying to the westward, where Spanberg actually places them, between the longitude 142° and 147°. But as this space is occupied in the French charts by part of the supposed land of Jeso and Staten Island, Mr. Muller’s opinion becomes extremely probable, that they are all the same lands; and as no reasons appear for doubting Spanberg’s accuracy, we have ventured, in our general map, to reinstate the Three Sisters, Zellany, and Kunashir, in their proper situation, and have entirely omitted the rest. When the reader recollects the manner in which the Russians have multiplied the islands of the Northern Archipelago, from the want of accuracy in determining their real situation, and the desire men naturally feel of propagating new discoveries, he will not be surprised, that the same causes should produce the same effects. It is thus that the Jesoian lands, which appear, both from the accounts of the Japanese, and the earliest Russian traditions, to be no other than the southern Kurile islands, have been supposed distinct from the latter. The land of De Gama is next on record, and was originally placed nearly in the same situation with those just mentioned; but was removed, as has been already suggested, to make room for Staten Island, and the Company’s Land; and as Jeso, and the southernmost of the Kuriles, had also possession of this space, that nothing might be lost, they were provided for, the former a little to the westward, and the latter to the eastward.

As the islands of Zellany and Kunashir, according to the Russian charts, were still to the southward, we were not without hopes of being able to make them, and therefore kept our head as much to the westward as the wind would permit. On the 20th, at noon, we were in latitude 43° 47', and longitude 150° 30'; and steering west by south, with a moderate breeze from south-east, and probably not more than twenty-four leagues to the eastward of Zellany, when our good fortune again deserted us. For, at three o’clock in the afternoon, the wind veering round to the north-west, began to blow so strong, that we were brought under our foresail and mizen stay-sail. We had very heavy squalls, and hard rain during the next twenty-four hours; after which, the horizon clearing a little, and the weather growing moderate, we were enabled to set the topsails; but the wind still continuing to blow from the north-west, baffled all our endeavours to make the land, and obliged us at last to give up all further thoughts of discovery to the north of Japan. We submitted to this disappointment with the greater reluctance, as the accounts that are given of the inhabitants of these islands mentioned at the end of the last chapter, had excited in us the greater curiosity to visit them.

In the afternoon the leach-rope of the Resolution’s fore-top-sail gave way, and split the sail. As this accident had often happened to us in Captain Cook’s life-time, he had ordered the foot and leach-ropes of the top-sails to be taken out, and larger fixed in their stead; and as these also proved unequal to the strain that was on them, it is evident that the proper proportion of strength between those ropes and the sail, is exceedingly miscalculated in our service. This day a land-bird perched on the rigging, and was taken; it was larger than a sparrow, but in other respects very like one.

The gale now abated gradually, so that in the morning of the 22d, we let out the reefs of the top-sails, and made more sail. At noon, we were in latitude 40° 58', and longitude 148° 17'; the variation 3° E. In the afternoon, another little wanderer from the land pitched on the ship, and was so worn out with fatigue, that it suffered itself to be taken immediately, and died a few hours afterward. It was not bigger than a wren, had a tuft of yellow feathers on its head, and the rest of its plumage like that of the linnet. The sparrow, being stronger, lived a long time. These birds plainly indicating, that we could not be at any great distance from the land, and the wind, after varying a little, fixing in the evening at north, our hopes of making the land, again revived, and we hauled up to the west north-west, in which direction, the southernmost islands seen by Spanberg, and said to be inhabited by hairy men, lay at the distance of about fifty leagues. But the wind not keeping pace with our wishes, blew in such light airs, that we made little way, till eight the next morning, when we had a fresh breeze from the south south-west, with which we continued to steer west north-west till the evening. At noon, we were in latitude 40° 35', longitude 146° 45'; the latter deduced from several lunar observations taken during the night. The variation of the needle we found to be 17' E. In the evening, we had strong squally gales attended with rain, and having passed in the course of the day, several patches of green grass, and seen a shag, many small land birds, and flocks of gulls, it was not thought prudent, with all these signs of the vicinity of land, to stand on during the whole night. We therefore tacked at midnight, and steered a few hours to the south-east, and at four in the morning of the 24th, again directed our course to the west north-west, and carried a press of sail till seven in the evening, when the wind shifted from south south-west to north, and blew a fresh gale. At this time we were in the latitude of 40° 57', and the longitude of 145° 20'.

This second disappointment, in our endeavours to get to the north-west, together with the boisterous weather we had met with, and the little likelihood, at this time of the year, of its becoming more favourable to our views, were Captain Gore’s motives for now finally giving up all farther search for the islands to the north of Japan, and for shaping a course west south-west, for the north part of that island. In the night, the wind shifted to the north-east, and blew a fresh gale, with hard rain and hazy weather, which, by noon of the 25th, brought us to the latitude of 40° 18', in the longitude 144° 0'. To-day we saw flights of wild ducks; a pigeon lighted on our rigging, and many birds like linnets flew about us with a degree of vigour that seemed to prove they had not been long upon the wing. We also passed patches of long grass, and a piece either of sugar-cane or bamboo. These signs, that land was at no great distance, induced us to try for soundings, but we found no ground with ninety fathoms of line. Toward evening, the wind by degrees shifted round to the south, with which we still kept on to the west south-west; and at day-break of the 26th, we had the pleasure of descrying high land to the westward, which proved to be Japan. At eight it extended from north-west to south by west, distant three or four leagues. A low flat cape bore north-west three-quarters west, and seemed to make the south part of the entrance of a bay. Toward the south extreme, a conical shaped hill bore south by west three-quarters west. To the northward of this hill there appeared to be a very deep inlet, the north side of the entrance into which is formed by a low point of land; and, as well as we could judge by our glasses, has a small island near it to the southward.

We stood on till nine, when we were within two leagues of the land, bearing west three quarters south, and had soundings of fifty-eight fathoms, with a bottom of very fine sand. We now tacked and stood off; but the wind dying away, at noon we had got no farther than three leagues from the coast, which extended from north-west by north three quarters west, to south half east, and was, for the most part, bold and cliffy. The low cape to the northward bore north-west by west, six leagues distant; and the north point of the inlet south, three-quarters west. The latitude, by observation, was 40° 5', and longitude 142° 28'. The northernmost land in sight we judged to be the northern extremity of Japan.^[71] It is lower than any other part; and, from the range of the high lands that were seen over it from the mast-head, the coast appeared evidently to incline round to the westward. The north point of the inlet we supposed to be Cape Nambu, and the town to be situated in a break of the high land, toward which the inlet seemed to direct itself.^[72] The country is of a moderate height, consists of a double range of mountains; it abounds with wood, and has a pleasing variety of hills and dales. We saw the smoke of several towns or villages, and many houses near the shore, in pleasant and cultivated situations.

During the calm, being willing to make the best use of our time, we put our fishing lines overboard in ten fathoms’ water, but without any success. As this was the only amusement our circumstances admitted, the disappointment was always very sensibly felt, and made us look back with regret to the cod-banks of the dreary regions we had left, which had supplied us with so many wholesome meals, and, by the diversion they afforded, had given a variety to the wearisome succession of gales and calms, and the tedious repetition of the same nautical observations. At two in the afternoon, the breeze freshened from the southward, and by four had brought us under close-reefed topsails, and obliged us to stand off to the south-east. In consequence of this course, and the haziness of the weather, the land soon disappeared. We kept on all night, and till eight the next morning, when the wind coming round to the north, and growing moderate, we made sail, and steered west south-west, toward the land; but did not make it till three in the afternoon, when it extended from north-west half west to west. The northernmost extreme being a continuation of the high land, which was the southernmost we had seen the day before; the land to the west we conceived to be the Hofe Tafel Berg (the High Table Hill) of Jansen. Between the two extremes, the coast was low and scarcely perceptible, except from the mast-head. We stood on toward the coast till eight, when we were about five leagues distant; and having shortened sail for the night, steered to the southward, sounding every four hours; but never found ground with one hundred and sixty fathoms of line.

On the 28th, at six in the morning, we again saw land twelve leagues to the southward of that seen the preceding day, extending from west south-west to west by north. We steered south-west obliquely with the shore; and, at ten, saw more land open to the south-west. To the westward of this land, which is low and flat, are two islands, as we judged, though some doubts were entertained whether they might not be connected with the adjacent low ground. The hazy weather, joined to our distance, prevented us also from determining whether there are any inlets or harbours between the projecting points, which seem here to promise good shelter. At noon, the north extreme bore north-west by north, and a high-peaked hill, over a steep head-land, west by north, distant five leagues. Our latitude at this time, by observation, was 38° 16', longitude 142° 9'. The mean of the variation, from observations taken both in the fore and afternoon, was 1° 20' E.

At half past three in the afternoon, we lost sight of the land; and, from its breaking off so suddenly, conjectured that what we had seen this day is an island, or perhaps a cluster of islands, lying off the main land of Japan; but as the islands, called by Jansen the Schildpads, and by Mr. D’Anville Matsima, though laid down nearly in the same situation, are not equal in extent to the land seen by us, we must leave this point undecided. Having kept a south-west course during the remaining part of the day, we found ourselves, at midnight, in seventy fathoms’ water, over a bottom of fine dark brown sand. We therefore hauled up to the eastward till morning, when we saw the land again, about eleven leagues to the southward of that which we had seen the day before; and at eight we were within six or seven miles of the shore, having carried in regular soundings from sixty-five to twenty fathoms, over coarse sand and gravel. Unluckily there was a haze over the land, which hindered our distinguishing small objects on it. The coast is straight and unbroken, and runs nearly in a north and south direction. Toward the sea the ground is low, but rises gradually into hills of a moderate height, whose tops are tolerably even, and covered with wood.

At nine o’clock, the wind shifting to the southward, and the sky lowering, we tacked and stood off to the east, and soon after we saw a vessel close in with the land, standing along the shore to the northward, and another in the offing, coming down on us before the wind. Objects of any kind belonging to a country so famous, and yet so little known, it will be easily conceived, must have excited a general curiosity; and, accordingly, every soul on board was upon deck in an instant to gaze at them. As the vessel to windward approached us, she hauled farther off shore; upon which, fearing that we should alarm them by the appearance of a pursuit, we brought the ships to, and she passed ahead of us, at the distance of about half a mile. It would have been easy for us to have spoken with them; but perceiving, by their manoeuvres, that they were much frightened, Captain Gore was not willing to augment their terrors; and, thinking that we should have many better opportunities of communication with this people, suffered them to go off without interruption. Our distance did not permit us to remark any particulars regarding the men on board, who seemed to be about six in number, especially as the haziness of the weather precluded the use of our glasses. According to the best conjectures we were able to form, the vessel was about forty tons burthen. She had but one mast, on which was hoisted a square sail, extended by a yard aloft, the braces of which worked forward. Half way down the sail came three pieces of black cloth at equal distances from each other. The vessel was higher at each end than in the midship; and we imagined, from her appearance and form, that it was impossible for her to sail any otherwise than large.

At noon the wind freshened, and brought with it a good deal of rain; by three it had increased so much, that we were reduced to our courses; at the same time, the sea ran as high as any one on board ever remembered to have seen it. If the Japanese vessels are, as KÆmpfer describes them, open in the stern, it would not have been possible for those we saw to have survived the fury of this storm; but as the appearance of the weather all the preceding part of the day, foretold its coming, and one of the sloops had, notwithstanding, stood far out to sea, we may safely conclude that they are perfectly capable of bearing a gale of wind. Spanberg indeed describes two kinds of Japanese vessels; one answering to the above description of KÆmpfer; the other, which he calls busses, and in which he says they make their voyages to the neighbouring islands, exactly corresponds with those we saw.^[73]

At eight in the evening, the gale shifted to the west without abating the least in violence, and by raising a sudden swell in a contrary direction to that which prevailed before, occasioned the ships to strain and labour exceedingly. During the storm several of the sails were split on board the Resolution. Indeed they had been so long bent, and were worn so thin, that this accident had of late happened to us almost daily in both ships; especially, when being stiff and heavy with the rain, they became less able to bear the shocks of the violent and variable winds we at this time experienced. The gale at length growing moderate, and settling to the west, we kept upon a wind to the southward; and at nine in the morning of the 30th we saw the land at the distance of about fifteen leagues, bearing from west by north to north-west one quarter west. It appeared in detached parts; but whether they were small islands or parts of Japan, our distance did not enable us to determine. At noon it extended from north-west to west, the nearest land being about thirteen leagues distant, beyond which the coast seemed to run in a westerly direction. The latitude, by observation, was 36° 41', longitude 142° 6'. The point to the northward, which was supposed to be near the southernmost land seen the day before, we conjectured to be Cape de Kennis, and the break to the southward of this point, to be the mouth of the river on which the town of Gissima is said to be situated. The next cape is probably that called in the Dutch charts Boomtje’s Point, and the southernmost, off which we were abreast at noon, we suppose to be near Low Point^[74], and that we were at too great a distance to see the low land, in which it probably terminates, to the eastward.

In the afternoon, the wind veering round to the north-east, we stood to the southward, at the distance of about eighteen leagues from the shore, trying for soundings, as we went along, but finding none with one hundred and fifteen fathoms of line. At two the next morning it shifted to west, attended with rain and lightning, and blowing in heavy squalls. During the course of the day, we had several small birds of a brown plumage, resembling linnets, flying about us, which had been forced off the land by the strong westerly gales; but toward the evening, the wind coming to the north-west, we shaped our course, along with them, to west south-west, in order to regain the coast. In the morning of the 1st of November, the wind again shifted to south-east, and bringing with it fair weather, we got forty-two sets of distances of the moon from the sun and stars, with four different quadrants, each set consisting of six observations. These agreeing pretty nearly with each other, fix our situation at noon the same day, with great accuracy, in longitude 141° 32', the latitude, by observation, was 35° 17'. We found an error of latitude in our reckonings of the preceding day, of eight miles, and in this day’s of seventeen, from whence, and from our being much more to the eastward than we expected, we concluded that there had been a strong current from the south-west.

At two in the afternoon, we again made the land to the westward, at the distant of about twelve leagues; the southernmost land in sight, which we supposed to be White Point^[75], bore west south-west half west; a hummock to the northward, which had the appearance of being an island, bore north north-west half west, within which we saw from the mast-head low land, which we took to be Sand-down Point.^[76] We stood in toward the land, till half past five, when we hauled our wind to the southward. At this time we saw a number of Japanese vessels, close in with the land, several seemingly engaged in fishing, and others standing along shore. We now discovered to the westward a remarkably high mountain, with a round top, rising far inland. There is no high ground near it, the coast being of a moderate elevation, and, as far as we could judge, from the haziness of the horizon, much broken by small inlets. But to the southward of the hummock island before mentioned, there appeared, at a great distance, within the country, a ridge of hills, stretching in a direction toward the mountain, and probably joining with it. As this is the most remarkable hill on the coast, we could have wished to have settled its situation exactly; but having only had this single view, were obliged to be contented with such accuracy as our circumstances would allow. Its latitude, therefore, we conceive to be 35° 20'; its longitude, estimated by its distance from the ships, at this time fifteen leagues, 140° 26'.

As the Dutch charts make the coast of Japan extend about ten leagues to the south-west of White Point, at eight we tacked, and stood off to the eastward, in order to weather the point. At midnight, we again tacked to the south-west, expecting to fall in with the coast to the southward, but were surprized, in the morning at eight to see the hummock, at the distance only of three leagues, bearing west north-west. We began at first to doubt the evidence of our senses, and afterward to suspect some deception from a similarity of land; but, at noon, we found ourselves, by observation, to be actually in latitude 35° 43', at a time when our reckonings gave us 34° 48'. So that, during the eight hours in which we supposed we had made a course of nine leagues to the south-west, we had in reality been carried eight leagues from the position we left, in a direction diametrically opposite; which made, on the whole, in that short space of time, a difference, in our reckoning, of seventeen leagues. From this error, we calculated, that the current had set to the north-east by north, at the rate of at least five miles an hour. Our longitude at this time was 141° 16'.

The weather having now the same threatening appearance as on the 29th of October, which was followed by so sudden and severe a gale, and the wind continuing at south south-east, it was thought prudent to leave the shore, and stand off to the eastward, to prevent our being entangled with the land. Nor were we wrong in our prognostications; for it soon afterward began, and continued till next day, to blow a heavy gale, accompanied with hazy and rainy weather. In the morning of the 3d, we found ourselves, by our reckoning, upward of fifty leagues from the land; which circumstance, together with the very extraordinary effect of currents we had before experienced, the late season of the year, the unsettled state of the weather, and the little likelihood of any change for the better, made Captain Gore resolve to leave Japan altogether, and prosecute our voyage to China; hoping, that as the track he meant to pursue had never yet been explored, he should be able to make amends, by some new discovery, for the disappointments we had met with on this coast.

If the reader should be of opinion that we quitted this object too hastily, in addition to the facts already stated, it ought to be remarked, KÆmpfer describes the coast of Japan as the most dangerous in the whole world^[77]; that it would have been equally dangerous, in case of distress, to run into any of their harbours, where we know, from the best authorities, that the aversion of the inhabitants to any intercourse with strangers has led them to commit the most atrocious barbarities; that our ships were in a leaky condition; that our sails were worn out, and unable to withstand a gale of wind; and that the rigging was so rotten as to require constant and perpetual repairs.

As the strong currents which set along the eastern coast of Japan, may be of dangerous consequence to the navigator, who is not aware of their extraordinary rapidity, I shall take leave of this island, with a summary account of their force and direction, as observed by us from the 1st to the 8th of November. On the 1st, at which time we were about eighteen leagues to the eastward of White Point, the current set north-east and by north, at the rate of three miles an hour; on the 2d, as we approached the shore, we found it continuing in the same direction, but increased in its rapidity to five miles an hour; as we left the shore, it again became more moderate and inclined to the eastward; on the 3d, at the distance of sixty leagues, it set to the east north-east, three miles an hour; on the 4th and 5th, it turned to the southward, and at one hundred and twenty leagues from the land, its direction was south-east, and its rate not more than a mile and a half an hour: on the 6th and 7th, it again shifted round to the north-east, its force gradually diminishing till the 8th; when we could no longer perceive any at all.

During the 4th and 5th, we continued our course to the south-east, having very unsettled weather, attended with much lightning and rain. On both days we passed great quantities of pumice-stone, several pieces of which we took up, and found to weigh from one ounce to three pounds. We conjectured that these stones had been thrown into the sea, by eruptions of various dates, as many of them were covered with barnacles, and others quite bare. At the same time, we saw two wild ducks, and several small land birds, and had many porpusses playing round us.

On the 6th, at day-light, we altered our course to the south-south-west; but at eight in the evening we were taken back, and obliged to steer to the south-east. On the 7th, at noon, we saw a small land bird, our latitude, by observation at this time, being 33° 52' and longitude 148° 42'. On the 9th, we were in latitude 31° 46', longitude 146° 20', when we again saw a small land bird, a tropic bird, porpusses, flying-fishes, and had a great swell from the east-south-east. We continued our course to the south-west, having the winds from the northward, without any remarkable occurrence, till the 12th, when we had a most violent gale of wind from the same quarter, which reduced us to the fore-sail, and mizen-stay-sail; and, as the weather was so hazy that we were not able to see a cable’s length before us, and many shoals and small islands are laid down in our charts, in this part of the ocean, we brought-to, with our heads to the south-west. At noon, the latitude, by account, was 27° 36', longitude 144° 25'. In the morning of the 13th, the wind shifting round to the north-west, brought with it fair weather; but though we were at this time nearly in the situation given to the island of St. Juan, we saw no appearance of land. We now bore away to the south-west, and set the top-sails, the gale still continuing with great violence. At noon, the latitude, by observation, was 26° 0', longitude 143° 40', and variation 3° 50' E. In the afternoon, we saw flying-fish and dolphins, also tropic birds and albatrosses. We still continued to pass much pumice-stone; indeed, the prodigious quantities of this substance which float in the sea, between Japan and the Bashee Islands, seem to indicate, that some great volcanic convulsion must have happened in this part of the Pacific Ocean; and, consequently, give some degree of probability to the opinion of Mr. Muller, which I have already had occasion to mention, respecting the separation of the continent of Jeso, and the disappearance of Company’s Land, and Staten Island.

At six in the afternoon we altered our course to the west-south-west, Captain Gore judging it useless to steer any longer to the south-south-west, as we were near the meridian of the Ladrones, or Marianne Islands, and at no great distance from the track of the Manilla ships. In the morning of the 14th, the weather became fine, and the wind, which was moderate, gradually shifted to the north-east, and proved to be the trade-wind. At ten, Mr. Trevenen, one of the young gentlemen who came along with me into the Discovery, saw land, appearing like a peaked mountain, and bearing south-west. At noon, the latitude, by observation, was 24° 37', longitude 142° 2'. The land, which we now discovered to be an island, bore south-west half west, distant eight or ten leagues; and at two in the afternoon, we saw another to the west-north-west. This second island, when seen at a distance, has the appearance of two; the south point consisting of a high conical hill, joined by a narrow neck to the northern land, which is of a moderate height. As this was evidently of greater extent than the island to the south, we altered our course toward it. At four, it bore north-west by west; but, not having day-light sufficient to examine the coast, we stood upon our tacks during the night.

On the 15th, at six in the morning, we bore away for the south point of the larger island, at which time we discovered another high island, bearing north three-quarters west, the south island being on the same rhomb line, and the south point of the island ahead, west by north. At nine, we were abreast, and within a mile of the middle island, but Captain Gore, finding that a boat could not land without some danger from the great surf that broke on the shore, kept on his course to the westward. At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 24° 50', longitude 140° 56' E.

This island is about five miles long, in a north-north-east and south-south-west direction. The south point is a high barren hill, flattish at the top, and when seen from the west-south-west, presents an evident volcanic crater. The earth, rock, or sand, for it was not easy to distinguish of which its surface is composed, exhibited various colours, and a considerable part we conjectured to be sulphur, both from its appearance to the eye, and the strong sulphureous smell which we perceived, as we approached the point. Some of the officers on board the Resolution, which passed nearer the land, thought they saw steams rising from the top of the hill. From these circumstances, Captain Gore gave it the name of Sulphur Island. A low, narrow, neck of land connects this hill with the south end of the island, which spreads out into a circumference of three or four leagues, and is of a moderate height. The part near the isthmus has some bushes on it, and has a green appearance; but those to the north-east are very barren, and full of large detached rocks, many of which were exceedingly white. Very dangerous breakers extend two miles and a half to the east, and two miles to the west, off the middle part of the island, on which the sea broke with great violence.

The north and south islands appeared to us as single mountains, of a considerable height; the former peaked, and of a conical shape; the latter more square, and flat at the top. Sulphur Island we place in latitude 24° 48', longitude 141° 12'. The north island in latitude 25° 14', longitude 141° 10'. The south island in latitude 24° 22', and longitude 141° 20'. The variation observed was 3° 30' E.

Captain Gore now directed his course to the west-south-west, for the Bashee Islands, hoping to procure at them such a supply of refreshments as would help to shorten his stay in Macao. These islands were visited by Dampier, who gives a very favourable account, both of the civility of the inhabitants, and of the plenty of hogs and vegetables, with which the country abounds; they were afterward seen by Byron and Wallis, who passed them without landing.

In order to extend our view in the day-time, the ships spread between two and three leagues from each other, and during the night we went under an easy sail; so that it was scarcely possible to pass any land that lay in the neighbourhood of our course. In this manner we proceeded, without any occurrence worth remarking, with a fresh breeze from the north-east, till the 22d, when it increased to a strong gale, with violent squalls of wind and rain, which brought us under close-reefed top-sails.

At noon of the 23d, the latitude, by account, was 21° 5', and longitude 123° 20'; at six in the evening, being now only twenty-one leagues from the Bashee islands, according to the situation in Mr. Dalrymple’s map, and the weather squally, attended with a thick haze, we hauled our wind to the north north-west, and handed the fore top-sail.

During the whole of the 24th it rained incessantly, and the wind still blew a storm; a heavy sea rolled down on us from the north, and in the afternoon we had violent flashes of lightning from the same quarter. We continued upon a wind to the north north-west till nine o’clock, when we tacked and stood to the south south-east till four in the morning of the 25th, and then wore. During the night there was an eclipse of the moon, but the rain prevented our making any observation; unfortunately, at the time of the greatest darkness, a seaman, in stowing the main top-mast stay-sail, fell over board, but laying hold of a rope which providentially was hanging out of the fore-chains into the water, and the ship being quickly brought in the wind, he was got on board without any other hurt than a slight bruise on his shoulder. At eight, the weather clearing, we bore away, but the wind blew still so strong, that we carried no other sail than the fore-sail, and the main top-sail close reefed. About this time we saw a land bird resembling a thrush, and a sugar cane; at noon the latitude, by observation, was 21° 35', and longitude 121° 35'.

As our situation in longitude was now to the west of the Bashee, according to Mr. Dalrymple’s maps, I perceived that Captain Gore was governed, in the course he was steering, by the opinions of Commodore Byron and Captain Wallis, with whom he sailed when they passed these islands. The former placing it near four degrees to the westward, or in longitude 118° 14'. In consequence of this opinion, at two we stood to the southward, with a view of getting into the same parallel of latitude with the islands before we ran down our longitude. At six we were nearly in that situation, and consequently ought to have been in sight of land, according to Mr. Wallis’s account, who places the Bashees near three degrees more to the eastward than Mr. Byron. The gale at this time had not in the least abated; and Captain Gore, still conceiving that the islands must undoubtedly lie to the westward, brought the ships to, with their heads to the north-west, under the fore-sail and balanced mizen.

At six in the morning of the 26th, the wind having considerably abated, we bore away west, set the topsails, and let out the reefs. At noon the latitude, by observation, was 21° 12', and longitude 120° 25'. We saw, this day, a flock of ducks and many tropic birds, also dolphins and porpusses, and still continued to pass several pumice-stones. We spent the night upon our tacks; and at six in the morning of the 27th again bore away west in search of the Bashees.

I now began to be a little apprehensive, lest, in searching for those islands, we should get so much to the southward as to be obliged to pass to leeward of the Pratas. In this case it might have been exceedingly difficult for such bad sailing ships as ours to fetch Macao, particularly should the wind continue to blow as it now did, from the north north-east and north. As I had some doubts whether Mr. Dalrymple’s charts were on board the Resolution, I made sail and hailed her; and having acquainted Captain Gore with the position of these shoals, and my apprehensions of being driven to the southward, he informed me that he should continue on his course for the day, as he was still in hopes of finding Admiral Byron’s longitude right; and, therefore, ordered me to spread a few miles to the south.

At noon the weather became hazy; the latitude, by reckoning, was 21° 2', and longitude 118° 30'; and at six, having got to the westward of the Bashees, by Mr. Byron’s account, Captain Gore hauled his wind to the north-west under an easy sail, the wind blowing very strong, and there being every appearance of a dirty boisterous night. At four in the morning of the 28th, we saw the Resolution, then half a mile ahead of us, wear, and immediately perceived breakers close under our lee. At day-light we saw the island of Prata; and at half past six we wore again, and stood toward the shoal, and finding we could not weather it, bore away and ran to leeward. As we passed the south side, within a mile of the reef, we observed two remarkable patches on the edges of the breakers that looked like wrecks. At noon, the latitude found by double altitudes was 20° 39', longitude 116° 45'. The island bore north three quarters east, distant three or four leagues. On the south-west side of the reef, and near the south end of the island, we thought we saw from the mast-head openings in the reef, which promised safe anchorage.

The Prata shoal is of a considerable extent, being six leagues from north to south, and stretching three or four leagues to the eastward of the island; its limit to the westward we were not in a situation to determine. The north-east extremity we place in latitude 20° 58', and longitude 117°; and the south-west in latitude 20° 45', and longitude 116° 44'.

For the remaining part of the day we carried a press of sail, and kept the wind, which was north-east by north, in order to secure our passage to Macao. It was fortunate that, toward evening, the wind favoured us by changing two points more to the east; for, had the wind and weather continued, the same as during the preceding week, I doubt whether we could have fetched that port, in which case we must have borne away for Batavia; a place we all dreaded exceedingly, from the sad havoc the unhealthiness of the climate had made in the crews of the former ships that had been out on discovery, and had touched there.

In the forenoon of the 29th, we passed several Chinese fishing-boats, who eyed us with great indifference. They fish with a large dredge-net, shaped like a hollow cone, having a flat iron rim fixed to the lower part of its mouth. The net is made fast with cords to the head and stern of the boat, which being left to drive with the wind, draws the net after it, with the iron part dragging along the bottom. We were sorry to find the sea covered with the wrecks of boats that had been lost, as we conjectured, in the late boisterous weather. At noon we were in latitude, by observation, 22° 1', having run one hundred and ten miles upon a north-west course since the preceding noon. Being now nearly in the latitude of the Lema Islands, we bore away west by north, and, after running twenty-two miles, saw one of them nine or ten leagues to the westward. At six, the extremes of the islands in sight bore north north-west half west, and west north-west half west; distant from the nearest four or five leagues; the depth of water twenty-two fathoms, over a soft muddy bottom. We now shortened sail, and kept upon our tacks for the night. By Mr. Bayly’s time-keeper, the Grand Lema bore from the Prata Island north 60° W. one hundred and fifty-three miles; and by our run, north 57° W. one hundred and forty-six miles.

In the morning of the 30th, we ran along the Lema Isles, which, like all the other islands on this coast, are without wood, and, as far as we could observe, without cultivation. At seven o’clock, we had precisely the same view of these islands, as is represented in a plate of Lord Anson’s voyage. At nine o’clock, a Chinese boat, which had been before with the Resolution, came alongside, and wanted to put on board us a pilot, which however we declined, as it was our business to follow our consort. We soon after passed the rock marked R, in Lord Anson’s plate; but, instead of hauling up to the northward of the grand Ladrone Island, as was done in the Centurion, we proceeded to leeward.

It is hardly necessary to caution the mariner not to take this course, as the danger is sufficiently obvious; for, should the wind blow strong, and the current set with it, it will be extremely difficult to fetch Macao. Indeed we might, with great safety, by the direction of Mr. Dalrymple’s map, have gone either entirely to the north of the Lema Isles, or between them, and made the wind fair for Macao. Our fears of missing this port, and being forced to Batavia, added to the strong and eager desires of hearing news from Europe, made us rejoice to see the Resolution soon after fire a gun, and hoist her colours as a signal for a pilot. On repeating the signal, we saw an excellent race between four Chinese boats; and Captain Gore having engaged with the man who arrived first, to carry the ship to the Typa for thirty dollars, sent me word, that, as we could easily follow, that expence might be saved to us. Soon after, a second pilot getting on board the Resolution, insisted on conducting the ship, and, without further ceremony, laid hold of the wheel, and began to order the sails to be trimmed. This occasioned a violent dispute, which at last was compromised, by their agreeing to go shares in the money. At noon, the latitude, by observation, was 21° 57' N., and longitude 114° 2' E.; the grand Ladrone Island extending from north-west half north, to north half west, distant four miles. The land of which the bearings are here given, we conceived to be one island; but afterward found the western part to be the island marked z in Mr. Dalrymple’s chart of part of the coast of China, &c. which, at that time, we unfortunately had not on board.

In obedience to the instructions given to Captain Cook by the Board of Admiralty, it now became necessary to demand of the officers and men their journals, and what other papers they might have in their possession, relating to the history of our voyage. The execution of these orders seemed to require some delicacy, as well as firmness. I could not be ignorant, that the greatest part of our officers, and several of the seaman, had amused themselves with writing accounts of our proceedings for their own private satisfaction, or that of their friends, which they might be unwilling, in their present form, to have submitted to the inspection of strangers. On the other hand, I could not, consistently with the instructions we had received, leave in their custody papers, which, either from carelessness or design, might fall into the hands of printers, and give rise to spurious and imperfect accounts of the voyage, to the discredit of our labours, and perhaps to the prejudice of officers, who, though innocent, might be suspected of having been the authors of such publications. As soon, therefore, as I had assembled the ship’s company on deck, I acquainted them with the orders we had received, and the reasons which I thought ought to induce them to yield a ready obedience. At the same time, I told them, that any papers which they were desirous not to have sent to the Admiralty, should be sealed up in their presence, and kept in my own custody, till the intentions of the Board, with regard to the publication of the history of the voyage, were fulfilled; after which, they should faithfully be restored back to them.

It is with the greatest satisfaction I can relate, that my proposals met with the approbation and the cheerful compliance both of the officers and men; and I am persuaded, that every scrap of paper, containing any transactions relating to the voyage, were given up. Indeed it is doing bare justice to the seaman of this ship to declare, that they were the most obedient, and the best disposed men I ever knew, though almost all of them were very young, and had never before served in a ship of war.