fequence of our unexpected abfence. The fwivels fired from our
boat and that o f the Chatham’s the morning after our departure,
were heard on board, and were the caufe of much alarm after the
expiration of the time appointed for our return. Such attention had
been paid to the feveral common occupations going forward when
I left the Ihips, that I had the fatisfaflion to find every thing accom-
plilhed. But from Mr. Whidbey I underftood, that the weather had been
fo unfavorable to our aftronomical purfuits, that he had not been able to
obtain any lunar diftances, though he had fucceeded in afcertaining the
rate of the chronometers. Having, however, acquired fufficient authority
o f this nature for correfting our furvey, and carrying it further into execution,
I determined to depart as foon as the weather fhouid break up.
Thurfday'17. This did not happen until thurfday afternoon; when’ the tents and ob-
fervatory were re-embarked, and every thing got in readinefs for failing
Friday 18. the next morning. A light air from the -s -.e . and pleafant weather, favored
our departure ; and about breakfaft time, the Ihip arriving at the
entrance o f the port, I landed on the eaft end of Prote&ion illand, in order,
from its eminence, to take a more accurate view of the furrounding fhores.
In moll dire&ions they feemed much broken, particularly in the northern
quarter, being there occupied by an archipelago of iflands of various
fizes. On my return on board, I direfted Mr. Broughton to ufe
his endeavours, in the Chatham, to acquire forne information in that
line, whilll I continued my examination with the Difcovery up the inlet
which we had difcovered in the boats, to the eaftward of Foulweather blufF;
appointing the firft inlet to the fouth-eallward of that point on the {larboard
or continental Ihore, as our place of rendezvous. We parted
about noon in pleafant weather, and with a fine breeze direfted our
velfels agreeably to our refpeflive purfuits.
As a more particular defcription o f port Difcovery and the furrounding
country would have interfered with our primary object of afcertaining
the boundary o f this coalt, I fhall referve it for the fubjefl of the
following Ihort chapter; and lhall conclude this with fuch aftronomical
and nautical obfervations as circumftances permitted us to make whilft in
port, as well as thofe made previous to our arrival and after our departure
;
ture; which have aflifted in fixing its longitude, as well as that o f the
exterior coaft of New Albion fouthward to cape Mendocino.
A part of this coaft, prior to our vifit, had been feen by different navigators,
and the pofition of certain head lands, capes, &c. given to
the world. Several of thefe I have found myfelf under the neceflity of
placing in different latitudes and longitudes,; - as well thofe feen by Captain
Cook, as others laid down by the different vifitors who. have followed
him. This, however, I have not prefumed to do, from a confciouf-
nefs of fuperior abilities as an aftronomer, or integrity as an hiftorian;
but from the conviflion, that no one of my predeceffors had the good
fortune to meet fo favorable an opportunity for the examination : under
the happy circumftances of which I have been induced to aflign, to the
feveral confpicuous head lands, points, &c. the pofitions afcertained
by the refult of our feveral obfervations; from which; as it evidently appeared
that our chronometer had materially accelerated on its Otaheitean
rate, it may not be unacceptable to ftate the mode I adopted for the
correftion of that error.
In our paffage towards, and during our flay amongft, the Sandwich
iflands, thé chronometer, agreeably to its Otaheitean rate, feemed to
have been accurate to a fcrupulous degree of nicety ; but, by fome obfervations
made prior to the 26th of march, it appeared to have deviated
manifeftly from the truth. The obfervations made on that day
were the mod remote ones I made ufé of on this occafion; and, by the
mean refult of .all made lince in port Difcovery, inftead of the chronometer
gaining at the rate of 4" 3"' per day only, it was fouud to be gaining
1 i" 55“ per day ; and therefore, inftead of the allowance o f the former
rate, from the 26th of march to'our arrival on the coaft, it was in-
creafed to 8" per day ; and from the 17 th of april, 1 i"3o"' were allowed
as the rate of the chronometer, for the purpofe of reducing all our obfervations
from that period to our arrival in port Difcovery; which
medium, I truft will hereafter be found fully to anfwer my expefita-
tions. The following will ferve to exhibit the different obfervations
made to eftablifh this point, comprehending two hundred and twenty
fets of lunar diftances, each fet containing fix obfervations, taken by the
feveral officers and gentlemen on board, as follow:
Mr.