fon to fuppofe we fliould find it (till more extenfive. Whilft employed
in arranging our matters for the night, we difcovered, coming out of
the fouthernmoft opening, two fmall veflels, which, at firft, were taken
for Indian canoes, but, on ufing our glaffes, they were confidered to be
our two boats. The evening was cloudy; and, doling in very foon,
prevented a pofitive decifion. The original idea was, however, Somewhat
confirmed on firing two mufltets, which were not anfwered.
During the night, we had fome rain, with a frelh gale from the s.E.
which abated by the morning ; the rain ftill continued, but not fo vio-
Sunday »7. lently as to prevent our proceeding. A t four o’clock on funday morning,
we again embarked, and fleered about s.w. by s . ; in which di-
reftion the inlet feemed to ftretch to fome diftance; and the appearance
of the fouthern land gave rife to an opinion of its terminating
in a river. The fpace we had fo confidered was, by feven o’clock, proved
to be a low fwampy compaft Ihore, forming the fouthern extremity
o f the inlet in this direftion, about 2 leagues from our laft retting place.
The inlet here terminated in an expanfive though Ihallow bay, acrofs
which a flat of fand extended upwards o f a mile from its Shores ; on
which was lying an immenfe quantity of drift Wood, confifting chiefly
o f very large trees. The country behind, for fome diftance, was low,
then rofe gradually to a moderate height; and, like the eaftern Ihores
of the inlet, was covered with wood, and diverfified with pleafant inequalities
of hill and dale, though not enriched with thofe imaginary
parks and pleafure grounds we had been accuftomed to behold nearer
to the fea coaft; the whole prefenting one uninterrupted wildernefs.
From hence the direftion of the inlet was about N.w. by N., ftill prefer-
ving a confiderable width ; the weftern Ihore appearing to be formed b y
a group o f iflands. Our progrels was a little retarded by the rain in
the forenoon; but, about mid-day the clouds difperfed, though not Sufficiently
early to procure an obfervation for the latitude. We had now
reached a point on the larboard Ihore, where the inlet was again divided
into two other large branches, one leading to the fouth-weftward,
the other towards the north. As my plan was to purfue the examination
of the larboard Ihore, the fouth-weft branch became our firft object
This
This we found divided into two narrow channels, leading to the fouthward,
with the appearance of two fmall coves to the northward. Up v_____>
the wefternmoft of the former, about fix miles, we took up our abode
for the night, which was ferene and pleafant.
Early in the morning we again ftarted, and foon found the canal Monday 28.
to terminate about a league from the place where we had Slept the
night before, as the reft had done, in low fwampy ground, with a Shallow
fandy bank extending to fome diftance into the canal. Here we
met, as had been frequently the cafe, a few miferable Indians in their
temporary habitations ; thefe either had nothing to difpofe of, or were
not inclined to have intercourfe with us ; the latter feemed moft probable,
as our vifit was not attended with that cordial reception we had
generally experienced-.1 This however might have been occafioned by
our having difturbed them unufually early from their reft; we made
them fome prefents which they accepted very coolly, and having latis-
fied ourfelves with the extent of the inlet in this direftion we returned,
and about nine o’clock landed to breakfaft about two miles within the
main entrance of the fouth-weft branch. We left behind us to the weft-
ward the appearance of two or three fmall iflands or points, that might
form fimilar inlets to thofe we had already examined, leading to the
fouth. Thefe could be of little extent, as fcarcely any vilible tide was
found in the narroweft parts.
: From'the length of time alfo that the other boats had been abfent previous
to our departure from the Ihips, together with the appearance and direftion
of the inlet, I entertained little doubt that the greater part of what
we had feen, as alfo that which we were now leaving unexplored, had undergone
the examination of Mr. Puget and Mr.Whidbey. This induced me
to return on board, confidering we were now pafling our time to little pur-
pofe; and as the branch of the main inlet before us ftretching to the northward,
prefented every profpeft of communicating with fome of thofe wd
had pafled on faturday evening, we purfued that route. The fituation we
quitted this morning, according to my furvey, was in latitude 47° g',-
longitude 297° 18’, about 17 leagues from the fea coaft of New Albion,
towards which, from the moderate height of the country, there could
V ol. I. N n be