the eaftward, they examined, and found them to terminate alike in deep
bays affording good anchorage, though inconvenient communication
with the fhores; particularly towards the head of each bay, on account
of a fhallow flat of fand or mud, which met. them at a confiderable
diftance from the land. Having fixed the boundaries o f the continent
as far to the north as the latitude of this ifland, agreeably to their
direftions, they returned, leaving unexplored a large opening which took
a northern direction, as alfo the fpace that appeared to be the main
arm of the gulph, to the north-weftward, where the horizon was unbounded,
and its width feemed very confiderable. The country they
had feen to the nbrth-eaft of Deception paflage, is much divided by water,
and bore nearly the fame fteril appearance with that of our prefent
fituation; excepting near the heads of the two large bays, which they
had examined on the continental fhore. There the land-was of a moderate
height, unoccupied by rocky precipices, and was well wooded
with timber. In the courfe of this expedition, feveral deferted villages
had been feen, and' fome of the natives met with, who differed not, in
any material particular, as to their perfons nor in their civil and hof-
pitable deportment, from thofe we had been fo happy, on former occa-
fions, to call our friends.
As our prefent anchorage was much expofed, and fupplied us with
no fort of refrefhment, excepting a few fmall wild onions or leeks, I determined,
on this information, to proceed with the veflels up the gulph,
to the n .w . in quell of a"more commodious fituation, from whence Mr.
Whidbey might be difpatched, to complete the examination of the arm
which had been left unfinilhed, and another party, to profecute their
inquiries to the N.w., or in fuch other direftion as the gulph might
take.
With a light breeze from the s . e ., . about four o’clock the next morning
we quitted this flation, and paffed between the fmall ifland and the
north point of the bay to the north-weftward, through a clufler of numerous
iflands, rocks, and rocky iflets. On Mr. Broughton’s firft vifit hither,
he found a great quantity of very excellent llrawberries, which gave
it the name of Strawberry b a y ; but, on our arrival, the fruit feafon
was
was paffed. The Bay- affords good and fecure Anchorage, though fome-
what expofedV1 yet, fin fair weather. Wood and water may be eafily pro- C
cured. •' The ifland of Cyprefs is principally compofed of high rocky
mountains, and fleep perpendicular cliffs, which, in the center of Strawberry
bay., ■ fall a little back, and the fpace'between the foot of the mountains.
and the fea-fide is occupied by low marfhy land, through which
are-feveral Tmall runs o f moft excellent water, that find them way into
the bay b y oozing through the beach. It is fituated in latitude 48ag6'^,
longitude 237° 34'. . The variation of the compafs, by eighteen fets of
azimuths differing from 18° to 21° taken on board, and on fhore, fince
our departure from Admiralty inlet, gave the mean refult of 19° 5' eaft-
wardly. The rife and fall of the tide was inconfiderable, though the
ftream was rapid: the ebb came from the eafl, and it was high water
2* 37' after the moon had paffed the meridian.
We proceeded firft to the north-eaftward, pafling the branch o f the
gulph that had been partly, examined, and then direfted our courfe to
the n.w ., along that which appeared a continuation o f the continental
fhore, formed by low fandy cliffs, riling from a beach of fand and ftones.
The country moderately elevated, ftretched a confiderable diftance from
the n.w . round to the fouth-eaftward,: before it afcended to join the
range of rugged, fnowy mountains. This connefted barrier, from the
bafe of mount Baker, ftill continued very lofty, and appeared to extend
in a direftion leading to the weftward of north. The foundings along
the fhore,were Tegular, from 12 to 25 and 30 fathoms, as we approached,
or increafed our diftance from,. the land, which feldom exceeded two
miles: the oppofite fide of the gulph td the fouth-weftward, eompofed
of numerous iflands, was at the diftance o f about 2 leagues. : As the day
advanced, the's. E. wind gradually died away,'and,, for fome.hours, we
remained! nearly ftationaiy.
In the evening a light breeze favoring the plan. I had in contemplation,
we fleered for a bay that prefented itfelf, where about fix, o’clock
we anchored in 6 fathom water, fandy .bottom, half a mile from the
fhore. The points of the hay bore by compafs s. 3.2, w: and N.i 7.2 w..»
the wellernmoft part of: that which we eonfiderefl, to be the main land
V o l . I. Q q weft,
1792.
June.