On the 17th, at noon, we were in latitude 45 deg. 7’, by observation, longitude 154 deg. 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 S.W.  The heavy N.E. swell, with which we had constantly laboured since our departure from Lopatka, now ceased, and changed suddenly to the S.E.  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 S., enabled us to stand in for it.  At two, we set studding-sails, and steered W.; but the wind increasing to a gale, soon obliged as 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 W., with the wind at S.E.  This course we kept till two in the morning, when the weather becoming thick, we hauled our wind, and steered to the S.W. 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 W. by S., and continued to stand on in this direction till ten in the forenoon, when the wind, suddenly shifting to the S.W., 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 W., 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 deg. 12’, and longitude 150 deg. 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 deg. and 147 deg..  But as the space is occupied, in the French