ENPages That Mention Kotzebue
The Chronological History of all the Voyages to the Arctic
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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 |
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 , 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-
Journey of the sloop Good Intent to explore the Asiatic and American shores of Bering Strait, 1819 to 1822. Part one
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there is no ground for anchorage and the high shores of Unalashka block out the light breezes from the NE all around through the S to the NW. The captain ordered us to fire the cannons, and in about three hours we observed three large baidars coming toward us from the harbor, which, joining our rowboats, took the sloop in tow and toward evening pulled it into the harbor to the northern end of the mentioned Amaknak Island. Here we dropped anchor until the next morning when, with a good NE wind we made the remaining seven miles to the Illiuliuk settlement [now the village of Unalaska], at a half mile distance from where we dropped anchor, and on the same day undertook necessary repairs. We hardly had time to cast anchor when the Company manager of the island came to see us. All the other Russian promyshlenniki,1 numbering six persons and the Aleutian toions, knew our captain who had been there twice on the brig "Riurik" with Captain Kotzebue.
I consider it superfluous to describe the island and the character and customs of its inhabitants because it would only be a repetition of what has been said by many travelers who were there before and after us. Having finished checking the movements of the chronometers and having repaired the rigging, we weighed anchor on the 15th at about noon during a light SE, but coming to the end of Amaknak Island, from which a long sandy spit extends into the harbor, the wind began to lessen, and at last, with the sunset, died down altogether so that we were forced to drop anchor again. Toward midnight, the wind
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o'clock we went through the Strait, and, entering the Arctic Sea, set our course for Kotzebue Sound. Having a favorable wind, we approached the entrance to this sound at ten o'clock on July 1, but found it blocked with ice. Having no way of entering it, the captain ordered us to turn again to Bering Strait to explore it and to verify the existence of the island seen by Captain Kotzebue and named Ratmanov Island by him.
Approaching the Gvozdev Islands, near which should have been situated Ratmanov Island, we determined, in completely clear weather, that this island did not exist, and Kotzebue was proably deceived by an ordinary phenomenon here, that is, an optical effect of light rays on clouds that are on the horizon. This was thought to be the case by our captain who was with him at that time on the brig "Riurik." Having corrected this error, we, under least sail, tacked to the sound, often encountering large thick blocks of ice, accompanied by almost constant fog. It lifted toward evening of the ninth, and we again saw the entrance to the sound still covered with ice. The wind was very light, and for this reason, in order not to be carried by the current, we dropped anchor at a depth of 12 sazhens. Near midnight, such thick ice started pressing against us that we were forced to cast off and go under sail. The rest of the night we spent in frequent tackings and shifting of our course to avoid being hit by an ice floe. Toward morning of the 10th, the sea cleared and we saw the entrance free. Not wasting time, we entered the harbor, but having a very
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light breeze, could get to the middle where we dropped anchor only toward evening.
Kotzebue Sound, from Cape Krusenstern to its northeastern end, extends for 75 miles, and its greatest width to 20. Its depth is from five to eight sazhens. The northern shore is hilly and high, and the southern, sloping and low. Fifty-six miles from the entrance to its very middle, at the place where the mouth begins to narrow, is an islet called Chamisso Island by Captain Kotzebue, after the naturalist and astronomer who was with him. From this island the bay widens again and appears to be a round lagoon, the eastern shores of which look blue in the distance.
We scarcely had time to drop anchor when we saw vistors in three large baidars. They stepped fearlessly on deck, and traded marten and otter skins for axes, cast iron pots, knives, and needles, but immediately went back without having traded even one tenth of their cargo. They took almost no tobacco and wanted only big knives, guns, powder, and lead, but as it was forbidden to sell them these articles, they stopped trading and returned to shore. 4
On the 11th, a light W wind started blowing. We weighed anchor and went farther into the sound. Passing Chamisso Island. and wishing to take refuge from the outer surf, we went to the other side of its high banks and dropped anchor at a
Journey of the sloop Good Intent to explore the Asiatic and American shores of Bering Strait, 1819 to 1822. Part three
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poorer than these island s. Incidentally, this attribute is common to all of Oceania. Of quadrapeds, there are rats and mice; of domesticated animals, the natives have pigs, goats, dogs, and cats. The last ones were brought in from the times of the discovery of the islands. Recenty, horses, horned cattle, and sheep were imported.
In those days reigned the king, Tameamea II [Kamahameha II] the son of the reformer and conqueror of the whole island group, Tameamea I,about whom Mr. Kotzebue, in the description of his voyage round the world on the brig "Riurik" talked in great detail. The son adopted the name of his father upon ascending the throne, and until that time he was called Rio-Lio [Liolio]. He was then about 25 years old, was of a very unattractive physical appearance, and did not distinguish himself like the rest of the nobility with tall stature and generally handsome figure. His mental abilities were also not outstanding, the reason why his wise father, knowing the weakness of his son, ordered on his deathbed that his favorite wife, the above mention queen, Kahumanna, should participate in ruling. Apparently, he[ Liolio ] was seemingly very contented with this order of his parent, and did almost nothing. He spent the whole day in his hut surrounded by his favorites, and sipping kava or rum, and occasionally madeira, which he preferred to all other wines. Sometimes, for a change,he got into his beautiful yacht and sailed among the islands in company of his favorite wife, Kamehameha [Kamamalu], who subsequently