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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Typescript of Chapter Five for a book Dorothy Jean Ray planned to write about the Vasilev-Shishmarev Expedition of 1819-1822. Contains the translation from the Russian by Rhea Josephson of part three of Karl K. Hillsen's journal, Journey of the sloop "Good Intent" to explore the Asiatic and American shores of Bering Strait, 1819 to 1822 (Puteshestvie na shliup︠i︡e Blagonam︠i︡erennyĭ dl︠i︡a issl︠i︡edovani︠i︡a beregov Azii i Ameriki za Beringovym prolivom s 1819 po 1822 goda).

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Marini, he showed less income than there was in reality, and he did not show the entire amount collected in the pots. The natives like the first one because he did not harm them and did not lord over them. But they hated the second, and several times during our stay on the island burned his hut, by which they expressed their indignation against him.

The recovered queen, Kahummanna, visited us on the 29th, and brought 20 pigs and a large quantity of fruit and vegetables as a gift to each sloop. She wore a black velvet dress, but the whole court retinue accompanying her, consisting of eight women, had no other clothes except a kind of skirt covering the body and made of a piece of the above described cloth of a bright yellow, green, or crimson color, which was wrapped around the body several times. Their hair, in the back, was braided into two braids, and in front, cut short and smeared with lime near the forehead. During the dances, which consisted of various body movements and gestures, the men sand and kept time with a short stick on a long one, which produced very unpleasant sounds, and either high or low tones depending on their length. The women sometimes dressed up even more, and in such a case, put on over the ordinary pau, a festooned multicolored one. In such a case, they wear on their heads and round their neck, garlands woven from red, yellow, and black feathers, and near the shoulders in the back were tied banana leaves. They wrap in ivy the feet above the ankle, and the hands above the wrist. Dancing,

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they stand in three rows, and all suddenly make the same body movements according to the rhythm. The musicians, or singers, stood behind them.

This was the political, moral, and social condition of the Sandwich or Hawaiian Islands in 1821, having undergone big changes in every respect since that time.

The Sandwich language is soft, pleasant to the ear, and every easily pronounced by foreigners. It has very many vowels in its words, but "r" is almost not heard at all. On all the islands, they speak a common language, and some differ only in pronunciation or lack of letters, as for instance, on Vahu Island where there is no letter "k" at all, they instead, use a "t"; for instance on Ovahi, a priest is called kahuna and on Vahu, tahuna; on it, too, the queens, Kahumanna and Kalihameha are called Tahumanna and Talihameha.

On April 3rd, we were ready to sail, but then the king sent someone to summon our doctors. His favorite wife, Queen ]]Kalihameha]] [Kamamalu] suddenly fell sick. Immediately we dispatched both doctors on shore. They found that the attacks were really dangerous, whereupon our sailing was postponed. She was in danger until the seventh, then she recovered, and we hastened to leave this beautiful island, having the best climate on the globe and freed from all the tormentors of the human race living in the tropics such as mosquitos, poisonous gnats, snakes, and others, to go back to the North for misery and deprivations.

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Sailing northward to Sitka

Leaving the harbor with the "Discovery" we set a course N and saw at dawn of the 8th Atio Island. This island, although it is hilly, is incomparably lower than the others. Its northern part is low, and only on the southern end rises a rather high conically shaped mountain. Although it is much lower than Mono-Roa and Mono-Kaa mountains, nevertheless, it can be seen from far away at sea, and, standing completely apart, serves sailors as a good point of orientation.

Passing Atoi Island we were met by the northeast trade winds, which slowed down our sailing considerably until we reached latitude 39°, where, after a considerable storm we got the SW. Here an innumerable quantity of sea swallows wheeled over us, which generally do not venture into the ocean far from shore, whereupon we considered their appearance as a sign of some island. But as the purpose of our voyage did not permit us to waste time on explorations in the ocean, we took advantage of the mentioned wind to reach Sitka as speedily as possible.

On May 8th, we were at latitude 53°. Here a thick fog seperated us from the "Discovery," but this did not prevent us continuing our voyage so that on the 12th we saw Mt. Edgecumbe, which we approached toward evening, but hindered by headwinds, could not enter the Sound until the 14th.

On this day we safely crossed the middle passage and cast anchor directly opposite the fort, which saluted the

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military flag as soon as we came from behind Japonski Island (such is called one of the small islands forming the protected harbor from the sea). We were very surprised that the "Discovery" had not yet arrived, because it was moving much better than we.

Into our sight came a completely finished and rigged boat on the ways. Lieutenant Ignatev came to our sloop with Captain Muravev and regretted very much that circumstances had detained him in Sitka, whereas we had the opportunity to be in lands endowed by generous nature with all the delights of warm lands. We waited impatiently for the arrical of the "Discovery" to lower the boat and move off from the lamentable Sitka; lamentable, indeed, because of incessant rains predominating here. Finally, we saw the "Discovery" toward evening of the 18th. It anchored near Battery Island in the western harbor a long way from us.

On the 19th after singing a Te Deum we lowered the newly built boat from the slip, and it swam like a little duck toward the "Discovery" and stopped at anchor beside it. Lieutenant Ignatev was named its commander, and an executive officer, a medical officer, and ten sailors were detailed to him.

The commander of the colonies, Captain Muravev, intended to go out to inspect Kadiak and Unalashka. For this, they equipped a company vessel, "Golovin," which was commanded by Madshipman Khramchenko. Mr. Muravev wanted to remain in Kadiak for some time, sending in the meantime Khramchenko

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north also for explorations. The result of this undertaking is not known to me.

During our stay we were again, like the first time, visited by Koloshi who now settled themselves in large numbers near the fortress for fishing in anticipation of the herring run.

On May 29, taking a Kamchadal who was here and an Agalakhmiut as interpreters, we weighed anchor and safely went out to sea. The boat, taken in town by the "Discovery," delayed us considerably so that even with a constantly favorable wind, we saw the chain of Fox Islands [ Aleutian Islands ] only on June 13. Here we were met by fog and contrary winds, not permitting us until the 7th to cross Unalashka Strait. Entering the Kamchatka Sea we were compelled to struggle with calms and strong winds until Unalashka. Finally, on the 21st we were able to enter Captains Bay, casting anchor for the third time across from the settlement, Illiuliuk. Immediately our old acquaintances came to us, and a few new faces sent here from Sitka. Knowing about our arrival from neighboring islands, a large number of Aleuts and Russians gathered in Unalashka to have our priest give communion, marry, and baptize them.

The last strong wind damaged our fore-topmast and the long crosstreees near the foretop. For repair of the first and changing of the other, we lowered it. This delayed us until the 27th.

Going north from here, where nasty weather, cold, and

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