5792- pendous rocky mountains riling almoft perpendicularly from the fea,
i ' principally compofed the north weft, north and eaftern quarters; on thefe,
pine trees, though not of luxuriant growth, nor of much variety, were
produced in great numbers. The pleating profpe&s which the thores
on the eaftern tide of the gulph afforded by their contraft with the
mountains of the fnowy barrier, giving a grand and interefting character
to the landfcape, here no longer exifted; nor had we been enabled to
trace that range of mountains far to the north-weftward of Scotch-Fir
point, where the line of coaft forms a very confiderable angle with that
o f the barrier mountains. It is however probable, that at fome diftance
from our prefent anchorage, where the perpendicular precipices We were
now under, would no longer have obftruCled our view of the inland
country, their lofty fummits would have been ftill vifible. The tops
o f the rugged mountains that compofe thefe Ihores were not fufficiently
elevated to retain the fiiow in fummer, which, in all probability, clothe
them during the winter feafon.
The infinitely divided appearance o f the region into which we had now
arrived, promifed to furnifh ample employment for our boats.
T o Lieutenant Puget and Mr. Whidbey in the Difcovery’s launch and
cutter, I configned the examination of the continental Ihore, from the
place where we had loft fight of it the preceding evening. Mr. John-
ftone, in the Chatham’s cutter, accompanied by Mr. Swaine in her
launch, were direfted to inveftigate a branch of this found leading to the
north weftward; and Sen'- Valdes undertook the furvey of the intermediate
coaft ; by which arrangement the whole, or if not of a very confiderable
extent, would foon be determined. Whilft the boats were equip-
j ping, Mr. Broughton went in queft of a more commodious fituation for
the ftiips up the found to the north weft.
The weather, which was ferene and extremely pleafant, afforded me
an opportunity, in company with Sen'- Galiano and fome of our officers,
to vifit the Ihore of the ifland, near which we were at anchor, and
to determine the fituation of its weft point to be in latitude 50° 6', longitude
235° 26'. With the former Sen'- Galiano’s obfervations agreed,
but by his chronometer the longitude was made more wefterly. My obfervations
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 321
fervations being deduced from the watch, according to its rate as fettled -yjjjj.*
in Birch bay, which was not very likely to have yet acquired any mate- i---- -—
rial error, inclined me to believe we were probably the moft correct.
Early in the afternoon Mr. Broughton returned, having found a more
eligible anchorage, though in a fituation equally dreary and unpleafant.
The feveral gentlemen in the boats being made acquainted with the fta-
rion to which the ftiips were about to refort, departed agreeably to their
refpeftive inftru&ions.
The wind that fince noon had blown frelh from the s. e . attended with
heavy fqualls and much rain, drove us by its increafed violence from
our anchorage, and almoft inftantly into 70 and 80 fathoms water. The
anchor was immediately hove up, and we fteered for the rendezvous Mr.
Broughton had pointed out, where about fix in the evening we arrived
in company with Our little fquadron. Our fituation here was on the
northern fide of an arm of the found leading to the north weftward, a little
more than half a mile wide, prefènting as gloomy and difmal an afpeft
as nature could well be fuppofed to exhibit, had ftie not been a little
aided by Vegetation ; which though dull and uninterefting, fcreèned from
our fight the dreary rocks and precipices that cOmpofe thefe defolate
Ihores, efpecially on the northern fide; as the oppofite Ihore, though
extremely rude and mountainous, poffeffed a fmall fpace of nearly level
land, ftretching from the water fide, On which fome different forts of
the pine tribe, arbor vitae, maple, and the oriental arbutus, feemed to
grow with fome vigour, and in a better foil.
The very circumfcribed view that we had of the Country here, rendered
it impoffible to form the moft difiant idea o f any cifcumftances relative
to the fituation in which we had become ftationary ; whether compofed
o f iflands, or of fijcli arms of the fra as we had lately been employed
in examining, or how-long there was a probability of out remaining
in anxious expedition for the return of our friends; Our refidence
here was truly forlorn; ah aweful filence pervaded the gloomy fbrefts,
whilft animated nature deemed to have deferted the. neighbouring country,
whole foil afforded only a few fmall onions, feme famphire, arid
here and there bullies bearing a Icanty crop of indifferent, berries. Nor
-1 V o l . I. T t was