This circumftance, in fome meafure, favored the aflertion in Mr.
Mears’s publication, that a palfage to the ocean would be found by
perfevering in our prefent courfe; though this was again rendered
very doubtful, as we had underftood, from our Spanilh friends, that,
notwithftanding the Spaniards had lived upon terms of great intimacy
with Mr. Gray and_other American, traders at Nootka, they had no
knowledge of any perfon having ever performed fuch a voyage, but from
the hiftory of it publifhed in England j and fo far were thefe gentlemen
from being better acquainted with the difcoveries of De Fuca or De
Fonte than ourfelves, that, from us,, they expefled much information as
to the truth of fuch reports. Senr- Valdes, who had been on the coaft
the preceding year, and fpoke the Indian language very fluently, under-
flood, from the natives, that this inlet did communicate with the ocean
to the northward, where they had feen fhips. He was, however, too
well acquainted with their characters as reporters, to place much dependence
on their information, which was incompetent to the forming
o f any idea how far remote fuch ocean might be.
A gentle gale fpringing up from the eaftward, foon after' mid-day,
we brought to for the Spanilh veflels, who were at fome diftance aftern.
When they came up, we were honored with the company of the commanders
to dinner ; and then made fail, direfling our courfe through the
canal del Neuftra Signora del Rofario, whofe whole extent nearly in a dire
ftion N.53 w. , is about xoleagues from point Upwood, the s.e . point,
to P o in t M a r s h a l l , the n .w . point of the ifland of Feveda; which
point is lituated in latitude 43”48', longitude 235°473-. From Scotch-
fir point, the Chores o f the canal approximated, until they became
within two miles of each other, at its weftern end; and are, as well
on the ifland, as on the continental fide, nearly ftraight, perfeflly com-
paft, and rife gradually, particularly on the continental fhore, from a
beach o f fand and fmall Clones, to a height that might be confiderfed rather
elevated land, well clothed with wood, but without any figns of being
inhabited. From hence, the continental Chore took a N.w. direflion.
From point MarChall N. 35 w. , about a league diftant, lies an ifland
o f a moderate height, four miles in circuit, with a fmaller one about a
mile
mile to the s.w. of it: between this, which I named H a r w o o d ’s Sjgfe-
June.
I s l a n d , and point Marfhall, are fome rocky iflands and funken i —
rocks.
On the coaft of the main land oppofite this ifland is a fmall broolt,
probably of frelh water; from whence, as we advanced, the Chores put
on a very dreary afpefl, chiefly compofed o f rugged rocks, thinly
wooded with fmall dwarf pine trees* The iflands, however, which appeared
before us, were of a moderate height, and prefented a fcene more
pleafing and fertile. About five in the evening we paffed between the
main and an ifland lying in an eaft and weft direflion, which I named
S a v a r y ’ s I s l a n d , about 2 leagues long, and about half a league
broad: its n . e . point, fituated in latitude 49° 57'!-, longitude 2350 54'A,
forms a palfage with the continental Chore, along which, in a N.w.
direflion, we continued at a diftance from half a mile to half a league.
On the Couth fide of Savary’s ifland were numberlefs funken rocks,
nearly half a league from its Chores, vifible I believe only at low water.
We feemed now to have forfaken the main direflion of the gulph, being
on every fide encompalfed by iflands and fmall rocky illets ; fome lying
along the continental Chore, others confufedly fcattered, of different forms
and dimenfions. .South-weftward of thefe iflands, the main arm of the
gulph extended in a north weft direflion, apparently 3 or 4 leagues wide,
bounded by high though diftant land. Through this very unpleafant
navigation we failed, dill keeping clofe to the continental lhore, which
was compafl. About dark we entered a fpacious found ftretching to the
eaftward. Here I was very defirous o f remaining until day light; but
foundings could not be gained though dole to the Chore.
The night was dark and rainy, and the winds fo light and variable, that «
by the influence of the tides we were driven about as it were blindfolded in
this labyrinth, until towards midnight, when we were happily condufted
to the north fide of an ifland in this fuppofed found, where we anchored in
company with the Chatham and the Spanilh veflels, in 32 fathoms water,
rocky bottom. At break of day we found ourfelves about half a mile Tuefday 26.
from the Chores of a high rocky ifland, furrounded by a detached and
broken country, whofe general appearance was very inhofpitable. Stupendous