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

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Chapter 3

Part 1 of Hillsen's Journal, "Journey of the sloop, 'Good Intent' to explore the Asiatic and American shores of Bering Strait, 1819 to 1822"*

On March 16, 1820, having checked the chronometers and completed repairs to the rigging that was damaged by prolonged and heavy storms during the long trip from Cape of Good Hope to New Holland [Australia] , and taking on a substantial quantity of various provisions since we would be directing our voyage for a long period of time to countries

-------------------------- *This voyage, so far not described by anyone, either in whole or in part, although completed 27 years before, contains so much that is curious, both in its goals and results, that its description will always arouse the most intense interest, the more so, because there was none completed similar thereafter.

The expedition, the exploits of which are described in this article, consisted of two sloops "Discovery" and "Good Intent" under command of Captain-Lieutenant (subsequently Vice-

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where there would be no hope of obtaining such things, we sailed from Port Jackson [Sydney, Australia] , a charming and unique land that has nothing in common with other parts of the world either in the animal or the plant kingdom.

Upon leaving this port, our commander, Captain-Lieutentant Shishmarev, announced instructions received from the commander of the sloop "Discovery" and of the whole expedition, Captain-Lieutenant Vasilev, to sail separately to New California to stock up on wheat needed for biscuits, of which there was a shortage, because the greater part of them taken

--------------------- Admiral and General-Commissioner of the Fleet), Mikhail Nikolaevich Vasilev, and had the purpose of exploring the shores of America northward as far as possible beginning with the Alaska Peninsula, and the shores of Asia only from East Cape. The expedition reached the latitudes practicable in the two summers in the Arctic Ocean, overcoming almost insurmountable obstacles, and resolving the question concerning the feasibility of penetrating from this side [Asia?] as far north as the point reached by its vessels.

The author, Mr. Hillsen, chose as the beginning of his narrative the time of sailing from Port Jackson because places hitherto visited by him such as Brazil, Cape of Good Hope, and New South Wales are already well known.