Departure from Alexandria--Boat forced into a bay by the weather, and
hauled on shore--Obliged, by want of provisions, to leave the bay--A
snow storm--The boat springs aleak--Is run on shore, and goes to
pieces upon the rocks--A hut discovered, in which the crew pass the
night.
We quitted the harbour of Alexandria on the morning of the 9th of
January, (O. S.)[14] on our voyage back to Halibut island.
[14] The dates in this part of the work, are according to the Russian
style.
With a fine breeze of southerly wind we coasted along the northeast
shore of Kodiak, leaving on our right a cluster of islands which lie to
the eastward. Upon the largest, which is called Afognac, I was informed
there are several Russian settlements.
This is the finest part of the island I have seen, the country being
covered with wood, chiefly of the pine tribe, and many of the trees of
great size. The other islands are also well wooded.
In the evening the wind died away, and the tide turned against us when
nearly half way through the straits. We anchored for the night in a
cove on the larboard side.
Next morning at daylight, we weighed, with a strong breeze from the
east, which soon carried us clear of the strait. Upon reaching the open
sea, we shaped our course to the northwest.
The headland or cape, which forms the extremity on the starboard hand,
is perfectly level on the summit for nearly a mile, and terminates in a
lofty perpendicular cliff.
On the following day the wind changed to the northwest, and blew hard,
with a heavy sea; as it was directly against us, with every appearance
of a gale coming on, we were obliged to bear away for a harbour. At
noon, we reached a well sheltered bay, on the northern side of Kodiak.
From the threatening appearance of the weather, it was judged prudent
to haul the boat on shore; and there being no habitations within reach,
we were under the necessity of living on board.
The bay was surrounded by high mountains, with a rocky shore, except
at our landing place, where there was a small extent of sandy beach.
The whole country was at this time, many feet deep with snow, which
prevented us from making any distant excursions. At this place we were
forced by the weather to remain ten days.
The dread of famine at last obliged us to put to sea, although the
state of the weather was by no means favourable for the prosecution
of our voyage. The surrounding country produced no food of any kind,
and our stock of provisions was nearly expended. We left the bay, in
hopes of reaching a settlement called Karlouski, which lay at no great
distance to the west.
We launched the boat on the morning of the 21st, and stood over towards
the main land. When about mid-channel, we discovered that the boat
had sprung a leak; at the same time a heavy fall of snow came on,
accompanied with violent squalls. The leak gained so much upon us, that
it became absolutely necessary to run for the nearest shore.--Had the
day been clear, we might have got back to the harbour we had quitted in
the morning; but the snow rendered it so dark that we could scarcely
see a boat’s length ahead; we had therefore no resource but to put
before the wind, and trust our lives to Providence.
The first view we had of the shore was most alarming; we were
completely embayed, with a heavy surf breaking amongst the rocks,
whilst, at the same time, the violence of the gale, and the state
of the boat, were such as to preclude any hopes of working out of
the bay. We therefore turned the bow to that part of the shore which
seemed clearest of rocks, and a sea carried us so far up, that when it
retired, we were left almost dry; the next wave carried us a little
further, upon which the second mate imprudently let go the anchor; when
it retired we all jumped out, and reached the shore in safety. Upon the
return of the swell, the boat swung round, with her head to the sea,
and being prevented by the anchor from driving farther up, she almost
immediately went to pieces upon the rocks.
That part of the island on which we were cast was quite barren, and
many miles distant from the nearest settlement, the path to which lay
across mountains covered with snow.
After collecting what we could save of the wreck of the boat, we
set out in search of some place to shelter us for the night, and
fortunately discovered, at no great distance, one of those huts that
are constructed for the use of the fox and bear hunters. It was too
small to admit of a fire in the inside; but the number of people
crowded into it rendered the cold less intense; and we lighted a fire
in the open air, at which we made ready our provisions.
Upon examining our remaining stock, we found, that with the utmost
economy, it would not last above three or four days; it became
therefore necessary to form some plan to extricate ourselves from so
deplorable a situation.
The bay in which we were wrecked was surrounded with high mountains,
which ran down to the shore, terminating in a steep range of rocks,
or what sailors call an iron bound coast. Karlouski, the nearest
settlement, lay, as we were informed by our Russian companions, at a
considerable distance to the west. We deliberated whether we should
attempt to reach it by crossing the mountains, or by going along shore
at low water. The danger and difficulty of making our journey over the
snow deterred us from adopting the first plan: we therefore fixed on
the latter, and determined to set out on our journey next morning.