Three Accounts of the Vasil'ev-Shismarev Expedition of 1819-1822

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[Karl Karlovich Hillesem]	Helinsgem	(This is K. K. Hill
		sen) [Good Intent]

Pilots:
[Mikhail Rydalev]	Rydalev	[Discovery]
[Vladimir Petrov ]	Petrov	[Good Intent]

Astronomer
[Pavel Tarkhanov]	Tarkhanov

Naturalist
[Fedor Shtein]	Shtein

The Voyages of 1820

Captain Vasilev, with the sloop entrusted to him, arrived safely at Kamchatka. He sent Cap. Lieut. Shishmarev to Unalashka [ Unalaska ] Island to take on interpreters, instructing him to sail from there to the shores of America to the sound described by Lieutenant Kotzebue in 1816.

On June 27, 1820, Cap. Vasilev left the harbor of Petropavlovsk and made his way toward Bering Strait. Near St. Lawrence Island he sighted an American brig [the Pedler] and upon questioning it, learned that it had come here from the Sandwich Islands [ Hawaiian Islands] to buy furs from the Chukchi. On June [July] 16, Cap. Vasilev arrived at Kotzebue Sound where he found Cap. Lieut. Shishmarev, who had been at anchor near Chamisso Island for five days.

Captain-Lieutenant Shishmarev reported to Cap. Vas., that on June 32d he had arrived at Unalashka Island and re-

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Chapter 5 Part Three of Hillsen's Journal

In the Hawaiian Islands

Leaving the port of San Francisco we took a course to the SW and followed it with variable winds to latitude 27. Reaching this parallel, we started to hold to it as far as possible, continuing our voyage to the W. The purpose of this action was the intention of finding two islands, Rico d'Ora and Rico-plata, put on the map near this latitude by two Spanish navigators, islands that were not found by anyone, not Cook, nor Clerke, no Vancouver. Our efforts, too, were futile, although twice we had signs of a coast nearby, because shore birds flew toward us, and the sea was covered with grass and driftwood, but the shore itself we could not see. Therefore, reching longitude 202 we bore away south toward the island of Ovaihi, or Hawaii.

We saw this island on March 17.¹ The wind blew strongly from the NE, and so successfully pushed us ahead that at about midday we crossed the strait between the islands of Ovaihi and Muve [Maui]/ Both of these islands are part of the highest of the whole chain. On Atoi [Kauai] Island ^{[ Ovaihi Island?]} the farthest one to the north, rise three high mountains called Mona-Roa

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succeeded in nearing the shore, but the calm again detained us at the sea and we were forced to remain another 24 hours under sail, in sight of the quiet, beautiful harbor.

On the 21st we were so close to shore that we were able to take advantage of the rising sea breeze* and enter the harbor, but as it was formed of a coral reef covered with water during high tides and extending in a wide arc from north to south--and we knew that the entrance was loctaed only on this latter side--then our captain, for safety, ordered our raising the kaiser flag on the fore-topgallant mast and firing a cannon to request a pilot.

Soon we saw several pirogues rowing toward us from the harbor. On one of them were two Englishmen, the sailors, Bottle [Harbottle] and Yorn. The first one, coming on deck, introduced himself as the pilot of His Hawaiian Majesty in Hanaruro [ Honolulu ] Harbor, and introduced Yorn as his apprentice. The latter immediately returned ashore to report to the governor of the island by name of Poki [Boki] about the arrival of a Russian naval vessel, and to request permission to guide it into the harbor. Meanwhile, the wind started to

*Near the shore of the southern regions of the globe, generally, if not prevented by severe storms or hurricanes, the wind blows from the shore at night and to the shore in the daytime, reaching its greatest velocity toward midnight and noon.

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died with him in England.

The late king, Tameamea I, during his lifetime, despite his enlightened state of mind concerning religion, did not wish to introduce a new faith into the islands subjugated by him, but on his deathbed, he bequeathed to his son and to the regent, Kahumanna, the tast of doing it gradually. Upon his death, their first concern was to abolish the tabu,* burn the idols, and destroy the morai [place of worship]. Thus the inhabitants had no religion at all, because, having abolished the old one, they did not accept the Christian faith, although they already had teachers. The missionaries about whom was spoken previously were called, Biniam [Hiram Bingham], the senior, and Ferster [Asa Thurston], the junior. They had with them a kister [catechist?] or clerk, by the name of Lamis [Elisha Loomis], and a farmer. Lamis, in addition to his duties, managed a small printing establishment where was printed a short catechism and an alphabet of Latin letters, translated at that time by the missionaries into the Hawaiian language. Upon their arrival in 1818 [1820], the king granted them lands and gave them laborers, permitted them to preach Christianity, and to baptize whoever wanted it, but he did not embrace the faith, from laziness I suppose.

The missionaries started a school where about 30 children were taught writing, reading, the beginning of holy

*I consider it unnecessary to describe the meaning of this word because it was explained by many travelers before me.