179?*
April.
Tuefday 24.
nity of the favorable gale at s. s.w. to continue my examination of the
coaft, in the confidence of foon finding a more convenient fhelter.
We flood off w . N.w. in order to fail round the outwardmoft of the
rocks, which we paffed at the diflance of about 3 or 4 miles, about four
o’clock; and again hauled in for the north fide of the low level land.
This land forms a very confpicuous point which I named P o in t S t .
G e o r g e , and the very dangerous clutter of rocks extending from thence,
the D r a g o n R o c k s . The outwardmoft of thefe lies from point St.
George, which is fituated in latitude 410 46,-j , and longitude 235°57—,
N. 52 w., 3 leagues diftant. The rocks above water are four in number,
with many funken ones, and numerous breakers ftretching from the out-
ermoft, (fouthward of point St. George,) towards the opening mentioned
at noon. This point forms a bay on each fide; that into which we flood
from the north fide is perfeffly open to the n.-w ., yet apparently fhel-
teredfrom the w. s.w. and fouthwardly winds by the Dragon rocks ; the
foundings we found regularly from 35 to 45 fathoms, black land and muddy
bottom: when at the former depth, point St. George bore by compafs
s. 33 e . 10 miles ; the northernmoft of the Dragon rocks s. 7 w. 4 miles-;
and the north point o f the bay, which I called S t . G e o r g e ’s B a y ,
n. 24 w. 6 or 7 miles diftant.
The furf broke with great violence all round the bay ; and although
■ yre were again in whitifh water, there was not any opening on this fide
of the point: the fhores of the northernmoft part of the bay, like the
coaft of the bay on the fouth fide of point St. George, rife very abruptly
from the fea, forming numberlefs gullies and chafms, which were covered
with a dull brownifh herbage, and produced little-or no wood.
North of the bay the fhores were again bounded with numberlefs fmall
rocks and rocky iftets, fimilar to thofe already mentioned; but the low
land of point St. George terminates in a fandy beach, from whence the
coaft takes a direftion n. 15 w.
Not finding a fituation here likely to anfwer our purpofe, we diredled
our route along the coaft until it was dark, when we hauled off fhore,
and fpent the night in the offing. The next morning the north point
of St. George’s bay bore, by compafs, eaft 2 leagues diftant. With a
favorable
favorable breeze at s .e . and lefs hazy weather, our furvey was continu- g f i j
ed to the northward along the fhores, which are compofed of high fteep 1---- -—
precipices and deep chafms, falling very abruptly into the fea. The inland
mountains were much elevated, and appeared, by the help of our
glades, to be tolerably well clothed with a variety of trees, the generality
of which were of the pine tribe ; yet amongft them were obferved fome
fpreading trees of confiderable magnitude. Although fome of thefe
mountains appeared quite barren, they were deflitute of fnow; but
on thofe at the back of cape Mendocino, which were further to the
fouth, and apparently inferior in point of height, fome fmall patches
o f fnow were noticed. The fhores were flill bounded by innumerable
rocky iflets, and in the courfe of the . forenoon we paffed a
clufter of them, with feveral funken rocks in their vicinity, lying a
league from the land; which, by falling a little back to the eaftward,
forms a fhallow hay into which we fleered. As the breeze that had
been fo favorable to our purfuit fince the preceding funday died away,
and as a tide or current fet us faft in fhore, we were under the neceffity
of coming to an anchor in 39 fathoms water, black fand and mud.
The latitude of this ftation was found to be 42“ 38', longitude 235” 44^
In this fituation, the outermoft rock of the duller before mentioned bore,
by compafs, s. 16 e . 6 miles diftant; a remarkable, black rock, the
nearefl fhore being N. 64 a. 3-5- miles ; a remarkably high black cliff refem-
bling the gable end of a houfe, N. 1 E .; the northernmoft extremity o f the
main land, which is formed by low land projedling from the high rocky
coaft a confiderable way into the fea, and terminating in a wed^e-like
low perpendicular cliff, N. 27 w. This I diftinguifhed by the name of
C a p e O r f o r d , in honor of my much refpefted friend the noble
Eari (George)1 of that- title: off it lie feveral rocky iflets,. the outward-
moft of which1 bore n . 38 w.
Soon after we had anchored a canoe was feen paddling towards the
{hip; and with the greateft confidence, and without any fort of invitation,
came immediately alongfide. During the afternoon two others
vifited the Difcavery, and fome repaired to the Chatham, from different
parts of the coaft in fight; by which it appeared, that the inhabitants
D d 2 who