After passing the cape, I steered S.W. 1/2 W., for the northern point of St Laurence Bay, in which we had anchored on the 10th of last month.  We reached it by eight o’clock next morning, and saw some of the inhabitants at the place where I had seen them before, as well as several others on the opposite side of the bay.  None of them, however, attempted to come off to us, which seemed a little extraordinary, as the weather was favourable enough; and those whom we had lately visited had no reason, that I know of, to dislike our company.  These people must be the Tschutski; a nation that, at the time Mr Muller wrote, the Russians had not been able to conquer.  And, from the whole of their conduct with us, it appears that they have not, as yet, brought them under subjection; though it is obvious that they must have a trade with the Russians, either directly, or by means of some neighbouring nation, as we cannot otherwise account for their being in possession of the spontoons, in particular, of which we took notice.

This bay of St Laurence[3] is, at least, five leagues broad at the entrance, and four leagues deep, narrowing towards the bottom, where it appeared to be tolerably well sheltered from the sea-winds, provided there be a sufficient depth of water for ships.  I did not wait to examine it, although I was very desirous of finding an harbour in those parts, to which I might resort next spring.  But I wanted one where wood might be got, and I knew that none was to be found here.  From the south point of this bay, which lies in the latitude of 65 deg. 30’, the coast trends W. by S., for about nine leagues, and there forms a deep bay, or river, or else the land there is so low that we could not see it.

[Footnote 3:  Captain Cook gives it this name, having anchored in it on St Laurence’s day, August 10.  It is remarkable, that Beering sailed past this very place on the 10th of August 1728; on which account, the neighbouring island was named by him after the same Saint.—­D.

But Dr Douglas seems to err in this observation.  At least, according to Mr Coxe’s account, it would appear, that it was the island of St Laurence, which we shall immediately find Captain Cook afterwards fell in with, and not the bay so named, which Beering passed on the 10th August.  This, however, is a trivial correction, if even the imperfect relation we possess of Beering’s progress could prove it to be one.—­E.]

At one in the afternoon, in the direction of our course, we saw what was first taken for a rock; but it proved to be a dead whale, which some natives of the Asiatic coast had killed, and were towing ashore.  They seemed to conceal themselves behind the fish to avoid being seen by us.  This was unnecessary, for we pursued our course, without taking any notice of them.