Sunday 22,
Monday 23.
docino bore s. 60 e ., xi miles diftant. In this fituation, no bottom
could be reached with 120 fathoms of line.
The fog, with calms, or light variable winds, continued until about
ten the next forenoon, when the weather fuddenly altered, and brought
with it a fine pleafant gale from the fouth. AH fail was now made for
the land; at noon the fouth promontory of cape Mendocino bore by
compafs, s. 64 E., diftant g leagues ; its north part N. 88 e ., 6 leagues.;
the northernmoft of the rocky iflets N, 71 e . , 5 or 6 leagues ; and the
northernmoft land in fight, n .e . ; the obferved latitude 40° 3 2 '; longitude
235° 28', and the variation of the compafs 16° eaftwardly.
From cape Mendocino the coaft takes a dire&ion n . 13 e , ; along
which we ranged at the diftance of about two leagues. After pafting
the above iflets, the fhores became ftrait and compaft, not affording the
fmalleft (helter; and, although riling gradually from, the water’s edge
to a moderate height only, yet the diftant interior country was compo-
fed of mountains of great elevation; before which were, prefented ? a
great variety of hills and dales, agreeably interfperfed with wooddand,
and clear fpots, as if in a ftate of cultivation; but we could difcern
neither houfes, huts, fmokes, nor other figns of its being inhabited.
The coaft we had paffed this afternoon, feemed to be generally defended
by a fandy beach; but the evening brought us to a country of a very
different defcription, whole fhores were compofed of rocky precipices,
with numberlefs fmall rocks and rocky iflets extending about a.mile.into
the fea: the molt projefting part, which is fituated in latitude 41° 8',
longitude 236°5', obtained the name of R o c k y P o in t . This, atfeven
in the evening, bore by compafs N. 18 E. 6 miles diftant; the neareft
fhore eaft 4 miles ; and the northernmoft land in fight n,6 e. .We fpent
the night in preferving our fituation with the land, and the next morning
again purfued our courfe along the coaft, which from Rocky point
takes a dire&ion n. g w . The wind at fouth was light, the weather
was cloudy with feme little rain. A t eight o’clock, Rocky point bore
by compafs s. 40 e ., 5 or 6 miles ; the neareft fhore, n.e. by e . 3 miles
diftant; and a detached rocky illet n. 1.8 w . ; within which we, afterwards,
paffed in 35 to 50 fathoms water, black fandy bottom. This
rock
rock is a high round lump about half a mile in circuit, apparently fteep ' J B
to, and lies from Rocky point N. i t w. diftant 13 miles, and about v. —,--- ;
half a league from the Ihore. When abreaft of Rocky point, the colour
of the fea fuddenly changed from the oceanic hue to a very light
river-coloured water, extending as far a-head as could be difcerned. This
gave us reafon to fuppofe fome confiderable river or rivers were in the
neighbourhood.
A frefh gale from the fouth permitted our failing along the coaft within
a league of the fhore, which appeared to be deftitute of any opening,
and fimilar to that which we had paffed the preceding evening, bounded by
innumerable fmall rocks and rocky iflets. The face of the country may
be confidered as mountainous, and did not appear fo pleafing as that lying
to the fouth of Rocky point. In this refpeft however we were able to fay
but little, as the land was nearly obfcured by the hazinefs of the weather,
excepting immediately on the fea-fhore ; which being compofed o f fteep
rocky precipices broken by deep gullies, at a diftance would put on the
appearance of harbours, or breaks in the land. At noon, we were
again in oceanic-coloured water; the obferved latitude 4t° 36'; longitude
235°g8' ; and variation of the compafs- 16° eaftwardly. In this
fituation, the fouthernmoft land in fight bore by compafs s.s.E.; the
neareft fhore n .e . four miles diftant; and the northernmoft extremity in
fight, (being a clufter of remarkable rocky hummocks at the termination
o f a confiderable traft of low level land, that at a diftance feemed to
be an ifland;) bore N. 15 w . A t the junflion of the low level land with
the high rocky coaft, a fhallow bay is formed; at the bottom o f which
was an appearance of a fmall harbour or opening, which bore N. 5 e .
Here I entertained hopes of finding fhelter; but the number o f breakers
along the fhore of the low level land, fome of which were detached
and lie at a confiderable diftance from the fhore, together with a ledge
of rocks and rocky iflets feen from the maft-head, extending as far to
the weftward as N.w., and a fky bearing the fame dull..and gloomy
afpefft as that which preceded the former gale, induced me to confider’
it molt prudent to decline any attempt; and to embrace the opportu-
V o l . L D d ■ riit-y