jam' riofity. In other refpefts they differed little from the generality of the
t- —.—~J natives we had feen: they polfeffed.no European commodities, or trinkets,
exceptinig feme rude ornaments 'apparently made from fheet copper
; this circumftance, and the general tenpr of their behaviour, gave
us reafon to conclude that we were the firft people from a .civilized
country they'had yet feen. . Nor. did it appear that they were nearly
conne&ed,. or had much ihtercourfe with other Indians, who traded
with the European or American adventurers.
The fliores -in this fituation were formed by fteep rocky cliffs, that
afforded no convenient fpace Tor pitching our tent, which compelled us
to fleep in the boats. Some o f the young gentlemen however preferring
the flony beach for their couch, without duly confidering the line
o f high water mark, found themfelves incommoded b y the flood tide, of
which they were not apprized until they were nearly afloat; and one of
them flept fo found, that I believe he might have been Conveyed to
dome diftance, had he not been awakened by his companions.
Perfectly fatisfied with our refearches in this branch o f the’ found, at
Thurfday 14. four the next morning we retraced our paffage in ; leaving on the northern
fhore, a fmall opening extending to the northward with two little
iflcts before it of little importance,- whilfl we had a grander object in
contemplation ; and more particularly fo, as this arm or canal could not
be deemed navigable for Shipping.. The tide caufed no ftream; the colour
o f its Water after we had .pafled the ifland the day before, was
perfectly clear, whereas that in the main branch of the found, extending
nearly half over the gulph, and accompanied by a rapid tide, was nearly
colourlefs, which gave us fome reafon to fuppofe that the northern branch
of the found might- poflibly be difeovered to terminate in a river, of
confiderable extent.
As we palfed'the fituation from whence the Indians had'firft vifited us the
preceding day, which is a fmall border of low marlhy land on the northern
Ihore, interfefted by feveral creeks of frelh water, we were in expectation
of their company, but were difappointed, owing to our travelling
fo Toon in the morning. Moft of their canoes were hauled up
-into the creeks, and two or three :ohly o f the :natives were feen ftraggling
gling about on the beach. None of their habitations could be difeo- -wavered,
whence we concluded that their village was within the foreft. ■ ■
Two canoes came off as we pafled the ifland, but our boats being under
fail, with a frelh favorable breeze, I was not inclined to halt, and they
almoft immediately returned.
The fliores of this canal, which after Sir Harry Burrard o f the navy
I have diftmguifhed by the name o f B u r r a r d ’s C a n a l , may be con-
fidered, on the fouthern fide, o f a moderate height, and though rocky,
well covered with trees of large growth, principally of the pine tribe.
On the northern fide, the rugged fnowy barrier, whofe bafe we had now
nearly approached, role very abruptly, and was only proteHed from the
walh of the fea by a very narrow border o f low land. By (even o'clock
we had reached the N.w.- point of .the canal, which forms alfo the fouth
point of the main branch of the found: this alfo, after another particular
friend, I called P oin t A t k Tn so n , fituated north from point
Grey, about a league diftant. Here the oppofite point o f entrance into
the found bore by-compafe weft, at the diftance o f about 3 miles; and
nearly in the center between thefe two points, is a low rocky ifland producing
fome trees, to which the name of P a s s a g e I s l an d was given. We
pafled in an uninterrupted channel to the eaft of it, with the appearance
of an equally good one on the other fide.
Quitting point Atkinfon, and proceeding up the found, we pafled on the
weltem Ihore fome fmall detached rocks, with fome funken ones amongft
them, that extend about two miles, but are not fo far from the Ihore as to
impede the navigation of the found ; up which we made a rapid pro-
grefs, by the - afliftance of a frelh foutherly gale, attended with dark
gloomy weather, that greatly added to the dreary profpeft of the furrounding
country. The low fertile fhores we had been accuftomed to fee,
though lately with fome interruption, here no longer exifted; their
place was now occupied by the bale of the ftupendous fnowy barrier,
thinly wooded, and riling from the fea abruptly to the clouds; from
whole frigid fummit, the dilfolving fnow in foaming torrents rufhed
down the fides and chafms of its rugged furface, exhibiting altogether a
fublime, though gloomy fpeftacle, which animated nature feemed to
have