ey crossed over to the west side
with no better fortune, for on the 26th they found themselves embayed in
the field with large quantities of heavy loose ice along the edges.
Having sighted Cape North on 29th August, Cook decided the season was too
far advanced, and that it would be better to proceed to winter quarters,
and accordingly ran down the Asiatic coast in search of wood and water,
of which he stood in need; but was disappointed, and making over to the
other side was fortunate to find a considerable quantity of driftwood
which served his purpose. Before leaving the straits, Cook remarks:

"In justice to Behring's memory, I must say he delineated this coast very
well, and fixed the latitude and longitude of the points better than
could be expected from the methods he had to go by."

SALMON PIE.

Anchoring in Norton Sound, Cook sent away the boats to explore, and set
to work to determine between the correctness of the chart drawn by
Stocklin and his own observations, and after a series of no less than
seventy-seven sets of observations he was able to show that Stocklin was
wrong. It was at this place that he decided to winter in the Sandwich
Islands, as a port in Kamtschatka would oblige his crews to remain idle
for nearly six months before further exploration to the north could be
undertaken. The course was now set for Samgoonoodha Harbour, but they did
not arrive there till 3rd October, having met with very heavy weather, in
which the Resolution again began to leak badly. On 8th September an
Indian brought a singular present in the form of a pie made like a loaf,
containing some highly seasoned salmon, accompanied by a letter in
Russian. In return Corporal Ledyard of the Marines, "an intelligent man,"
was sent with a few bottles of rum, wine, and porter, to obtain further
information, and with orders, if he met with any Russians, he was to
"make them understand that we were English, Friends, and Allies." On the
10th Ledyard returned, bringing three Russian sailors, but as there was
no interpreter there was difficulty in understanding anything thoroughly.
One of the newcomers was understood to say he had been out with Behring,
but Cook thought he was too young. They appeared to have great respect
for that officer, and Ledyard said he had seen a sloop which he
understood was his ship. They stayed on the Resolution all night, and
promised to return with a chart of the islands that lay between that
place and Kamts