mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i4-040

-- 149 --

We left the cape about ten o'clock and had scarcely made
a few hundred sazhens when we were overtaken by a horrible
squall from the W with hail, snow, and rain. As it swept
straight into our direction, we welcomed it more than the
former calm. The squall continued for a full hour and a half,
and then started to quiet down. Such a thick snow fell from
the accumulated clouds that the sailors were hardly able to
throw it overboard, and we could not distinguish objects the
length of the longboat. But this did not continue for long,
and the sky cleared completely. With the help of this squall
we flew like a bird, and the shore flashed by before us.
Passing one more cape we entered a channel about a mile wide,
which we mistook for the mouth of the Great River, especially
since we encountered a strong contrary current here, but soon,
because of the taste of the water, we were convinced that we
were mistaken. The water was as salty as in the sea. Farther
away the shores came together even more. The southern one is
high, hilly, and overgrown with forest, and the northern one,
although also hilly, is completely devoid of forest, and on
it grazed a multitude of deer, who, at our approach, quickly
retreated.

In the meantime, the wind died down completely, and we
were forced to take to oars in order not to be carried out by
the current. Here we got into a whirlpool formed by eight
strong contrary currents, of which one went in its regular
direction, and another, separating from it, hit the shore