ns, 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
mate 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 deg. 47', and
longitude 150 deg. 30'; and steering W. by S., with a moderate breeze from
S.E., 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 N.W., 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 top-sails; but the wind, still continuing to blow
from the N.W., baffled all our endeavours to make the land, and obliged us,
at last, to give up all further thoughts of discovery to the N. 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 section, 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
topsails 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