1792. June.
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clofed in every direction, excepting that by which we had entered; but
as foundings could not be gained with 50 fathoms of line, we continued
our courfe up the inlet until about two o’clock, at which time we had
advanced 6 miles from the entrance; and being perfectly fatisfied that
the inlet finifhed in the manner common to all we had hitherto examined,
the fignai was made for the Chatham to bring up, and we Ihort-
ened fail accordingly. In a few minutes fhe was difcovered to be
a-ground, and had made the fignai for afliftance. On this we flood towards
her, and anchored about a mile from her in 20 fathoms water,
landy bottom, and about half that diftance from the eaftern fhore, which
was the neareft land. Our boats were immediately font to her relief ;
but as the tide fubfided very faft, they could only lay out anchors for
heaving her off on the returning flood. Although the upper part o f the
inlet had appeared to be perfeftly clofed, yet it was not impoflible a
channel might exift on the weftern or oppofite lhore, which by interlocking
points might have been invifible to us on board, and through
which our abfent party might have found a paffage. T o afcertain this
faft, I went in the yawl, and found the depth of water fuddenly to de-
creafe on leaving the fhip to ia , 7, and 2 fathoms. We continued our
refearches in 1 and 2 fathoms water to the oppofite fide, where we
landed nearly a-breaft o f the fhip, and found the Ihores of the inlet to be
ftrait, compaft, and about two miles apart. In feveral places we attempted
to land near the upper end, but found ourfelves as often re-
pulfed by a flat fandy Ihoal, which extended direftly acrofs. The land
there feemed of a fwampy nature, was thinly wooded, and thought it, was
the appearance of a fhallow rivulet falling into the lea ; further back it
was more elevated, and the furrounding country being covered with a
fimilar growth of timber to that before noticed, made us conclude the
land to be equally .fertile.
This examination perplexed me extremely to account for an error that
had certainly taken place. For under thé conviftion that this inlet had
been found navigable by the boats, I Ihould not have hefitated to have
profecuted my way hither in the fhip at midnight, in confequence of
the party not having made any report to the contrary. This could only
be
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be attributed to a mifunderftanding o f the orders given, or to fome unfortunate
accident having befallen them. The latter we had no reafon
to apprehend, unlefs from an attack of the Indians, which was not very
likely to have happened, as we faw not the leaft indication, of either permanent
or temporary habitations. I called on board the Chatham on
my return, and was happy to underhand that there was little probability
of her receiving any injury, having grounded on a muddy bank;
and that there was every profpeft of her floating off the next tide. In
founding, to, lay out their anchors, it became evident that in the very direction
in which they had failed to their then ftation, they had run upwards
of half a mile on this bank in 2 fathoms water, in confequence
o f the unpardonable negligence of the man at the lead, who had announced
falfe foundings, and for which he -was defervedly punifhed.
She was hove off about midnight, and anchored near us without having
received the leaft damage.
The Chatham being in readinefs by ten the next morning, with a
light northerly breeze, attended with gloomy weather and fome rain, we
direfted our route back by the way we had come, and it was not until
three o’clock that we reached the found, where we again anchored in 50
fathoms, a quarter of a mile from the eaftern lhore, and about fix times
that diftance to the eaftward o f the arm we had quitted, which forms
an excellent harbour, well Iheltered from all winds ; but during our Ihort
ftay there we faw no appearance of any frelh water.. Here our pofition
was before a fmall bay, into which flowed two excellent ftreams, but
thefe were fo nearly on a level with the fea, that it became neceffary
either to procure the water at low tide, or at fome diftance up the
brook; which latter was eafily effefted, as our boats were admitted to
where the frelh water fell from the elevated land. In this fituation the
obferved latitude was 48° 2'^, longitude 237° 57'i, being 6 miles s, s. e .
from our laft anchorage.
. As there was little doubt now remaining that the party had proceeded
to the examination of the other inlet, and as the weather was thick and
hazy with fome rain, a gun was now and then fired to direft them to
the Ihips in cafe they Ihould be on their return.
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