C H A P T E R Vn.
Quit Admiralty inlet and proceed to the northward— Anchor in Birch bay—
Profecute the farvey in the boats— Meet two Spanifh vejfels—AJlronomical
and nautical observations.
June. A Light breeze fpringing up from the n . w . about feven in the
morning of tuefday the 5th of June, we failed down PoiTeffion found.
This wind brought with it, as ufual, ferene and pleafant weather. Whilft
we were paffing gently on, the chief, who had {hewn fo much friendly
attention to Mr. Whidbey and his party, with feveral of his friends came
on board, and prefented us with fome fruit and dried filht He entered
the {hip with fome reluftance, but was no fooner on deck than he feemed
perfeftly reconciled; and with much inquilitive earneftnefs regarded the
furrounding objefls, the novelty o f which feemed to fill his mind with
furprife and admiration. The unaffefted hofpitable attention' he had
{hewn our people, was not likely upon this occafion to be forgotten.
After he had vifited the different parts of the {hip, at which he expreffed
the greateft aftonifhment, I prefented him and his friends with an af-
fortment of fuch things as they efteemed to be moft valuable ; and then
they took their leave, feemingly highly pleafed with their reception.
The n .w . wind was unfavorable after we were clear of Poffeffion
found, and obliged us to work to windward, which difcovered to us a
lhoal lying in a bay, juft to the weftward o f the north point o f entrance
into the found, a little diftance from the {hore. It {hews itfelf above
water, and is difcoverable by the foundings gradually decreafing to 10,
7, and 5 fathoms, and cannot be confidered as any material impediment
to the navigation of the bay. A s the ebb-tide was greatly in our favour,
I did
I did not wait to examine it further, but continued plying to windward ‘ 79^-
until midnight, when being unable to gain any ground againft the <— r—*
ftrength o f the flood, we anchored in 22 fathoms water about half a
mile from the weftern {hore of Admiralty inlet, and about half way between
Oak cove and Marrow-ftone point; the Chatham having anchored
before us fome diftance aftem.
The ebb again returned at the rate o f about 3 miles per hour; but
as it was calm we did not move until the n .w . wind fet in about feven in Wednef. s.
the morning, when we worked put of the inlet.
Having reached its entrance, we were met by feveral canoes from the
weftward. Some o f the headmoft, when they had advanced near to the
{hip made figns of peace, and came alongfide, giving us to underftand
that their friends behind wiftied to do the fame, and requefting we would
Ihorten fail for that purpofe. They feemed very folicitous to diffuade
tis from proceeding to the northward by very vociferous and vehement
arguments ; but as their language was completely unintelligible, and
their wifhes not appertaining to the object of our purftiit fo far ;as we
■ were enabled to comprehend their meaning, we treated their advice
with perfefil indifference, on which they departed, joined the reft of their
countrymen, and proceeded up Admiralty inlet, whofe north point, called
by me P o i n t P a r t r i d g e , is fituated in latitude 48° 16', longitude
237° 31', and is formed by a high white fandy cliff, having one o f the verdant
lawns on either fide of it. Paffing at the diftance o f about a mile
from this point we very fuddenly came on a fmallTpace of 10 fathom water,
but immediately again increafed our depth to 20 and 30 fathoms.
After advancing a few miles along the eaftern {hore o f the gulph, we
found no effea either from the ebb or flood tide, and the wind being
light and variable from the northward, at three in the afternoon we were
obliged to anchor in 20 fathoms water, fandy bottom.
In this fituation New Dungenefs bore by compafs s. 54 w . ; die eaft
point of Protedion ifland s. 15 w . ; the weft point of Admiralty inlet,
which after my much efteemed friend Captain George Wilfon o f the .
navy, I diftinguifhed by the name of P o i n t W i l s o n , s . 35 e . fitu-
ated in latitude 48° 10', longitude 237-31'; the neareft ffiore eaft, two
P p 2 leagues