's being greater here than at other parts of
this coast, is easily accounted for. The mouth of the river being
situated in a corner of the coast, the flood that comes from the ocean
is forced into it by both shores, and by that means swells the tide to
a great height.

The variation of the compass was 25 deg. 40' E.

SECTION VII.

_Discoveries after leaving Cook's River.--Island of
St Hermogenes.--Cape Whitsunday.--Cape Greville.--Cape
Barnabas.--Two-headed Point.--Trinity Island.--Beering's Foggy
Island.--A beautiful Bird described.--Kodiak and the Schumagin
Islands.--A Russian Letter brought on Board by a Native.--Conjectures
about it.--Rock Point.--Halibut Island.--A Volcano
Mountain.--Providential Escape.--Arrival of the Ships at
Oonalaschka.--Intercourse with the Natives there.--Another Russian
Letter.--Samganoodha Harbour described._

As soon as the ebb tide made in our favour, we weighed, and, with a
light breeze, between W.S.W., and S.S.W., plied down the river, till
the flood obliged us to anchor again. At length, about one o'clock
next morning, a fresh breeze sprung up at W., with which we got under
sail, and, at eight, passed the Barren Islands, and stretched away
for Cape St Hermogenes. At noon, this cape bore S.S.E., eight leagues
distant; and the passage between the island of that name, and the main
land, bore S. For this passage I steered, intending to go through it.
But soon after the wind failed us, and we had baffling light airs
from the eastward, so that I gave up my design of carrying the ships
between the island and the main.

At this time we saw several columns of smoke on the coast of the
continent, to the northward of the passage; and, most probably, they
were meant as signals to attract us thither. Here the land forms a
bay, or perhaps a harbour, off the N.W. point of which lies a
low, rocky island. There are also some other islands of the same
appearance, scattered along the coast, between this place and Point
Banks.

At eight in the evening, the island of St Hermogenes extended from S.
1/2 E. to S.S.E. 1/4 E., and the rocks that lie on the N. side of
it bore S.E., three miles distant. In this situation, we had forty
fathoms water over a bottom of sand and shells. Soon after, on putting
over hooks and lines, we caught several halibut.

At midnight, being past the rocks, we bore up to the southward, and,
at noon, St Hermogenes bore N., four leagues distant. At this time,
the souther