Three Accounts of the Vasil'ev-Shismarev Expedition of 1819-1822

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succeeded in nearing the shore, but the calm again detained us at the sea and we were forced to remain another 24 hours under sail, in sight of the quiet, beautiful harbor.

On the 21st we were so close to shore that we were able to take advantage of the rising sea breeze* and enter the harbor, but as it was formed of a coral reef covered with water during high tides and extending in a wide arc from north to south--and we knew that the entrance was loctaed only on this latter side--then our captain, for safety, ordered our raising the kaiser flag on the fore-topgallant mast and firing a cannon to request a pilot.

Soon we saw several pirogues rowing toward us from the harbor. On one of them were two Englishmen, the sailors, Bottle [Harbottle] and Yorn. The first one, coming on deck, introduced himself as the pilot of His Hawaiian Majesty in Hanaruro [ Honolulu ] Harbor, and introduced Yorn as his apprentice. The latter immediately returned ashore to report to the governor of the island by name of Poki [Boki] about the arrival of a Russian naval vessel, and to request permission to guide it into the harbor. Meanwhile, the wind started to

*Near the shore of the southern regions of the globe, generally, if not prevented by severe storms or hurricanes, the wind blows from the shore at night and to the shore in the daytime, reaching its greatest velocity toward midnight and noon.