by ; but none o f them ventured off, though feveral of their canoes were
feen on the beach. Here the inlet divided into two extenlive branches,
one taking a fouth-eaftwardly, the other a fouth-weffern direftion. Near
this place was our appointed rendezvous with the Chatham; and, under
a fmall iflandto the s.w. of us, appeared an eligible fpot, in which,
with fecurity, we might wait her arrival; but, on approaching it, we
found the depth o f water no where lels than *6o fathoms, within a: cable’s
length of the Ihore. This obliged us to turn up towards the village
point, where we found a commodious roadftead; and about feven.
o ’clock in the evening, anchored about a mile from the Ihore in 38 fathoms
water,, black fand and muddy bottom. The village point bore
by compafs N. 4 E., the neareft oppofite Ihore o f the main inlet N.52 E.
about a league diftant; and the direction of its fouthern extent s.E. ; the
above illand, lying before the branch leading to the fouth-weftward, bore
from s. 36 e . to fouth, about half a league diftant; and the appearance
o f a fmall inlet, or cove, weft, about the fame diftance. We had no
fooner anchored than a canoe; in which were two men, paddled round the
fhip. We attempted to induce them, but they were not to be prevailed
upon, to enter the veffel; and, having fatisfied their curiofity, they haftily
returned to the Ihore. Before the evening chafed in, I proceeded to
acquire fome information refpefting the fmall opening to the wellward.
It was nearly dark before I reached the Ihore, which feemed to form a,
fmall cove about half a mile in width, incircled by com pact ftrores, with
a duller of rocks above water, nearly in its center, and little worthy of
further notice. On my return on board, I dire&ed that a party, under
the command of Lieutenant Puget and Mr. Whidbey, ftiould, in the
launch and cutter, proceed, with a fupply of provifions for a week, to
the examination of that branch o f the inlet leading to the fouth-weftward;
keeping always the llarboard or continental Ihore on board;
which was accordingly carried into execution, at. four o’clock the next
morning.
Our fituation being fomewhat incommoded by the meeting of different
tides, we moved nearer in, and anchored in the fame depth, and on
the fame bottom as before, very conveniently to the Ihore. Our eaftern
view was now bounded by the range o f fnowy mountains from mount
Baker, bearing by compafs north to mount Rainier, bearing N. 54 E. *-----.---- >
The new mountain was hid by the more elevated parts of the low land ;
and the intermediate fnowy mountains in various rugged and grotefque
Ihapes, were feen juft to rear their heads above the lofty pine trees, which
appearing to compofe one uninterrupted foreft, between us and the
fnowy range, prefented a moft pleating landfcape; nor was our weftern
view deftitute of fimilar diverfification. The ridge o f mountains on which
mount Olympus is fituated, whofe rugged fummits werefeen nalefs fancifully
towering over the foreft than thofe on the eaftern fide, bounded to- a
confiderable extent our weftern horizon ; on thefe however not one con-
fpicuous eminence arofe, nor could we now diftinguilh that which on the
fea coaft appeared to be centrally fituated, and forming an elegant bi-fork-
ed mountain. From the fouthern extremity o f thefe ridges of mountains,
there feemed, to be an extenlive traft of land moderately elevated and
beautifully diverfified by pleaftng inequalities of furface, enriched with
every appearance of fertility.
In the meadow and about the village, many of the natives were feen Sumfey jo.
moving about, whofe curiofity feemed little excited on our account.
One canoe only had been near us, from which was thrown on board the
Ikin of fome fmall animal, and then it returned inftantly to the Ihore.
Our carpenters were bufily engaged in replacing the topfail yards
with proper fpars, which were conveniently found for that purpofe.
Some beer was brewed from the fpruce, which was here very excellent,
and the reft of the crew were employed in a variety of other elfential
fervices. The gentle n.w . wind generally prevailed in the day, and
calms or light foutherly breezes during the night.
Towards noon I went on Ihore to the village point, for the purpofe of
obferving the latitude ; on which occafion I vifited the village, - if it may
be fa dignified, as it appeared the moft lowly and meaneft o f its kind.
The beft of the huts were poor and miferable, conftru&ed foifiething
after the falhion o f a foldier’s tent, by two crofs fticks about five feet
high, connected at each end by a ridge-pole from one to the other, over
fome of which was thrown a coarfe kind of mat, over others a few loofe
branches
(