A New Voyage Round the World, in the years 1823, 24, 25, and 26, Vol. 2Kotzebue, Otto von
History
A New Voyage Round the World, in the years 1823, 24, 25, and 26, Vol. 2
Kotzebue, Otto von
Discoveries in geography; Predpriiatie (Ship); Voyages around the world; Zoology
Finding that our anchorage would not be secure during the winter, if we
should be exposed to storms of this kind, we took advantage of the fine
weather on the following day, to sail some miles farther eastward, into
a little bay surrounded by a romantic landscape, where Vancouver
formerly lay, and which is perfectly safe at all seasons: the Spaniards
have named this bay _Herba buena_, after a sweet-smelling herb which
grows on its shores.
The arrival of Dr. Eschscholtz and the baidars from Ross was still
delayed, and I really began to fear that some misfortune had befallen
them in the tempest: my joy therefore was extreme, when at last, on the
12th of October, the baidars, twenty in number, entered the harbour
undamaged, and we received our friend again safe and well. The little
flotilla had indeed left Ross before the commencement of the hurricane,
but had fortunately escaped any injury from it, by taking refuge at a
place called _Cap de los Reges_, till its fury was expended; but the
voyagers had been obliged to bivouack on the naked rock, without shelter
from the weather, and with very scanty provisions. Dr. Eschscholtz,
however, not in the slightest degree disheartened by the difficulties he
had undergone, was quite ready to join the voyage I had meditated for
the examination of the adjacent rivers.
All our preparations were now completed; we again took on board our
pilot Marco, and a soldier from the Presidio, who offered to accompany
us. On the 18th of November the weather was favourable, and we set out
with a barcasse and a shallop, both well manned and provided with every
necessary, in company with the Aleutian flotilla. At first we took the
same course I have before described, towards the mission of St. Gabriel;
cutting through the waters of the southern basin, and working our way
between the islands into the northern portion of the bay; then adopting
an easterly course, so that St. Gabriel remained at a considerable
distance to the left in the north-east. We reached towards noon, at a
distance of thirty miles from our ship, the common mouth of the two
before-mentioned rivers, which here fall into the bay.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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