the _kasatka_, or sword-fish, described by Krascheninnikoff, 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
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