Augaft P°*n t ° f the main, in fomewhat lefs than five fathom, and
—£--- 1 at about the diftance of a mile from the fhore. Gape Flattery
now boreS. E. diftant three leagues and an half. As foon as
the fhip was at anchor, I went afliore upon the point, which
is high, and afforded me a good view o f the fea coaft, trending
away N. W. by W. eight or ten leagues,1 which, the weather
not being very clear, was as far as I could fee; Nine of
ten fmall low iflands, and fome fhoals, appeared off the
coaft; I faw alfo fome large fhoals between the main and the
three high iflands, without which, I was clearly of opinion
there were more iflands“, and not any part of the main. Except
the point I was now upon, which I called Point L ooko
u t , and Cape Flattery, the main land, to the northward of
Cape Bedford, is low, and chequered with white fand and
green bufhes, for ten or twelve miles inland, beyond which
it rifes to a confiderable height. To the northward of Point
Look-out, the coaft appeared to be fhoal and flat, for a confiderable
diftance, which did not encourage the hope that
the channel we had hitherto found in with the land would
continue. Upon this point,“which was narrow, and con-
fifted of the fineft white fand we had ever feeri, we difcovered
the footfteps of people, and we faw alfo fmoke and fire at a
diftance up the country.
In the evening, I returned to the fhip, and refolved the
next morning to vifit on.e of the high iflands ip, flhft offing,
from the top of which, as they lay five league?-out to fea 1
hoped to difcover more-diftinCUy the fituation|of the fhoals,
and. the channel between them-
Saturday n. In the morning therefore, o f the 11 tb, I fet out ln't-he pinnace,
accompanied by Mr. Banks, whofe fortitude and tufi-
ofity made him a party in every expedition, for the norrher-
moft and largeft of the three iflands, and*at the'fame time I
fent
fent the Mafter in the yawl to leeward, to found between the «770-
low iflands and the main, , In my way, I palled over a reef ■ A"gnlt’ -
of coral rock and fand, which lies about two leagues from *'•
the ifland, and I left another to leeward, which lies, about
three miles from it: on the, north .part of the reef, to the fee-
jWard,,' thqre is a low fendy iflghd, with trees upon it; and
upon the reef which we palled oyer, we faw feyeral turtle:
we chafed .ope or two, but haying little time to fpare, and
the wind blowing frefh, we. did not take any.
About ope,oiclock, we reached ,the;ifland, .and immediately
afcended, the higheft hill, vyith, a mixture of hope and fear,
proportioned to the importance o f our bufinefs, and the uncertainty
of the event: when,I looked round, I difeovered a
reef of rocks, lying.between two and; three leagues without
the,iflands, and extending in a line N- W- and S.:E. farther
than I could fee, upon /which the fea. broke in a dreadful
furf j this however made,me,think that there were no fhoals
beyond them, and I conceived hopes, of getting without
thefe; as I perceived fevpral breaks or openings in the reef,
and deep water between that and the iflpnds. I continued
upon this hill till funfet, but the weather was fo hazy during
the whole time that I came down much difappointed. After
reflecting upon what I had fecn, and .comparing the intelligence
I had gained with what I expeCted, I determined tq
ftay upon the ifland all night, hoping that the morning
might be clearer, and afford me a more diftinCt and compre-
henfive view. We therefore took up our lodging under the
fhelter of a bufh which grew upon the beach, and at three,
in .the,morning, having fent the. pinnace with one of the-Sunday i2.
Mates whom I had brought out with me, to found between
the ifland and the reefs, and examine what appeared to be'a
channel through them, I climbed the hill a fecond time; but
to my great difappointment found the weather much more
Vol. III. B b hazy