jeffions. Though he much regretted the loft opportunity o f returning
by the favorable gale that continued all night, he waited the approach
of day, and departing with the dawn, had his willies gratified by failing
through a clear and fpacious channel, in width about half a league,
without the fmaljeft interruption, or the leaft irregularity in the tides.
The fouthern lhore, which from the large village was nearly ftraight, afforded
fome few fmall bays, the land moftly riling in an abrupt manner
from the fea to mountains of conliderable height, divided by vallies that
appeared to extend a great way back into the country ; the Ihores were
tolerably well inhabited by the natives who lived in fmall villages near
the water fide. The northern lhore was neither fo high nor fo com-
p a f i ; feveral detached rocks were feen lying near it, and it was, generally
fpeaking, compofed o f rugged rocks, in the filfures o f which an
abundance of pine trees were produced, conftituting, as on the fouthern
lhore, one intire foreft. As they advanced in this channel, leading
nearly in an eaft and weft direftion, they obferved another which led to
the fouth, fouth eaftward, bearing every appearance of being clear, navigable,
and communicating with the gulph; and one alfo ftretching to
the north-eaftward, which they had little doubt was the fame they had
feen after palfing the narrows on the 4th, leading to the s.w. The
former of thefe they much wilhed to explore, but their provifions being
totally exhaufted, it became expedient they Ihould join the {hips without
further delay, and therefore purfued that leading to the north eaftward,
by which they arrived as already related.
This information left me -fcarcely a doubt that the channel Mr. John-
ftone had declined purfuing fouth eaftwardly towards the gulph, was the
fame our boats had entered leading to the northward from point Mudge,
and which, on comparing the Iketches of the feveral furveys, was as
nearly as pollible reduced to a certainty. I derived no fmall degree of
fatisfattion in. finding my expectations fo far anfwered, for had our efforts
proved ineffe&ual in difcovering a communication with the ocean, it
would have occupied the remaining part of the feafon, to have examined'
the numerous openings on the oppofite Ihores of the gulph, which
were now proved to form the north-eaftern fide of an extenfive illand
or
R O U N D T H E W O R L D .
or archipelago, on whofe fouth weftern coaft Nootka is fituate; hence
this talk now became unneceffary, and I was flattered with the hope of
yet extending our refearches during the fummer months a conliderable
diftance to the northward.
Sen"- Galiano and Valdes I made acquainted with our difcoveries.; and
with my intention o f departing, in confequence of the information we
had gained, the firft favorable moment.
When the village was pointed out where Maquinna was fuppofed to
have been, Sen'- Valdes was of opinion, that circumftance was highly
probable, knowing he had authority over an extenfive country to the
north-weftward of Nootka.
Thefe gentlemen received fuch information of all our difcoveries up
to this period as they-required, and now begged leave to decline accompanying
us further, as the powers they poffelfed in their miferable vef-
fels, were.unequal to: a co-operation with us, and being apprehenfivé
their attendance would retard our progrefs. Sen'- Galiano favored me
with a copy of his furvey, and other particulars relative to this inlet of
the fea, which contained alfo that part of the neighbouring Coaft extending
north-weftward from the ftraits of De Fuca,, beyond Nootka to the
latitudeof 50° 3', longitude 232° 48'. He likewife gave me a letter to
be forwarded to Sen'- Quadra at Nootka, by Maquinna, or any of his
people with whom we might chance to meet, together with an introductory
one to Sen'- Quadra, when I Ihould have the pleafure of meeting
him at Nootka. After an exchange of good wilhes, we bad each other
farewell, having experienced much fatisfaftion, and mutually received
every kindnefs and attention that our peculiar fituation could afford to
our little fociety. From thefe gentlemen we were, allured, that on our
arrival at Nootka we Ihould meet a rnoft cordial reception, and be more
pleafantly fituated than we could imagine, as the houfes had lately undergone
a thorough repair, and all the gardens had been put and kept in the
higheft order, for the purpofe of being fo delivered into our polfelfion.
With a light breeze from the northward, in the morning o f the 13th, Friday ,3.
we weighed and left our Spanilh friends at anchor, who intended to pur-
fue their refearches to the weftward through the channel Mr. Johnftone
had
I