re towing two whales they had killed; they were
somewhat shy, but had evidently seen ships before, and were more polite
than those previously met with. One was upset from his canoe, and Cook
took him down into the cabin and provided him with dry clothes; "he
dressed himself with as much ease as I could have done." His clothes were
of birds' skins, the feathers inside, and patched in places with silk,
and over all he wore a sort of shirt of whale's intestine, which, secured
round the edge of the hole in which he sat in his canoe, rendered him
practically waterproof. Whilst in this neighbourhood they received a
second letter in Russian, but having no one on board who could translate,
it was returned with some presents to the bearer, who retired bowing his
thanks. After some detention from fogs and adverse winds they got away
once more and pushed slowly northwards. On 3rd August Mr. Anderson the
surgeon, who had been ill for some months, died, and Cook, having named
an island, sighted soon after his death, Anderson's Island, "to
perpetuate the memory of the deceased, for whom I had a very great
regard," appointed Mr. Law to the Resolution and Mr. Samwell to the
Discovery as surgeons.

On 9th August, Cape Prince of Wales, 65 degrees 46 minutes North, 191
degrees 45 minutes East, was sighted, and they believed it to be the most
westerly point of North America. They landed on what, from Heydinger's
Chart, was the eastern end of the island of Alaska, but it afterwards was
found to be the eastern extremity of Asia. This chart, says Burney, was
found "not only to be incorrect but almost unintelligible." The country
was very desolate, neither tree nor shrub to be seen, and the inhabitants
seemed afraid of their visitors, though not absolutely unfriendly. They
were taller and stouter than those on the American side, and their
clothing very superior.

The ships fell in with the ice blink on the 17th, in 70 degrees 33
minutes North, 197 degrees 41 minutes East, rather earlier than had been
expected, and soon afterwards with the ice itself in the shape of a large
field extending as far as the eye could reach from west to east. Here
they got a supply of fresh meat in the shape of sea-horse, of which
animal they killed a good many. The flesh was fishy and indifferent
eating, but Cook says anything was preferable to salt meat.

They still slowly but steadily pushed north along the American shore,
but, being hampered by fog and ice, th