•79s- had difcovered; and in commemoration of whofe exertions was by me
July. , .
■ named J o h n s t o n e ’ s S t r a i t s ; and theifland defcribed by him on the
6th, was in compliment to Mr. Swaine, who commanded the other boat
diftinguiffied by the name of Hardwicke’s ifland, after the noble earl of
that title; towards which ftraits our courfe was now bent to the fouth-
ward, trailing we Ihould find a paffage into them to the wellward o f point
Mudge.
Little remains further to add refpefting the Ration we had juft quitted,
but to ftate the general fatisfaftion that prevailed on leaving a region
fo truly defolate and inhofpitable. During our ftay at that gloomy
place, I was enabled to take only ten fets of lunar diftances ; which, with
fix fets taken at our anchorage near the entrance of the found, gave a
mean refult for the longitude 2350 g' 30". Kendal’s chronometer, by ten
fets o f altitudes taken on different days, {hewed the mean refult, allowing
the Birch bay rate, to be 235° 21'. This I confidered to be nearer
the truth than that deduced from the few lunar obfervations above mentioned,
and have accordingly adopted it as the longitude of Defolation
found, whofe latitude by fix meridional altitudes of the fun was found
to be 50° x 1'. The mean refult of eighteen fets o f azimuths taken on
board, differing from 17° 45' to 230, gave a mean refult of ig° 16 eaft-
erly variation; feventeen fets taken on Ihore differed from 14° 26' to 1 tj“
30V gave a mean refult of x 6° variation in the fame direction. The irregularity
of the tides was fuch that no correft inferences could well be
drawn. They appeared to be principally influenced by local, or incidental
caufes; poflibly by the operation o f both. They were greatly affefted
by the direftion or force of the winds, which feemed as equally to act on
the rife and the fall, as on the current when there was any. This however
was not always the cafe ; as in the courfe of fome days there would
not be the leaft perceptible ftream ; and in others a very rapid one,
that generally continued in the fame direflion twenty-four hours, and
fometimes longer. The time o f high water was equally vague and un-
definable ; this I attributed to its infular fituation, nearly at the extremity
of the influence of two tides flowing from directly oppofite points,
caufing their divided ftreams to a£t, according to the incidental circum-
ftances that might operate upon them.
In
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 337
In this route we paffed through the affemblage of iflands and rocks ’ 792*
lying at fome diftance before the entrance into Defolation found; fome -— v—
o f which preiented an appearance infinitely more grateful than that of
the,interior country. Thefe w e r e moftly of a moderate height from the
fea, tolerably well wooded, and the Ihores not wholly compofed of rugged
rocks, afforded fome fmall bays bounded by fandy beaches. The
wind continued light from the northern quarter, and the weather being
ferene and pleafant, made a moft agreeable change. Numberlefs whales
enjoying the feafon, were playing about the fliip in every direction ; as
werealfofeveralfeals ; the latter had been feen in great abundance during
our refidencein Defolation found, and in all the remote excurfions
o f our boats, but they were, fo extremely watchful and Ihy, that hot one
could be taken. Thefe animals feemed to have had the exclufive poffef-
fion of the gloomy region we had juft quitted ; but the fcene now before
us was more congenial to our minds, not only from the different afpeft
o f the Ihores, but from the attention of the friendly Indians, who as we
were croffmg the gulph, vifited us. in feveral canoes, with young birds,
moftly fea fowl, fifti, and fome berries, to barter for our trinkets and other
commodities. Soon after mid-day we anchored about half a mile to the
northward of point Mudge in 37 fathoms water, on a bottom of black
fand and mud. A very ftrong flood tide came from the northward, and
although nearly convinced that our conjectures were right, the launch
and cutter with lieutenant Puget and Mr. Whidbey, were immediately
difpatched to examine the channel, as to its communication with John-
ftone’s ftraits; that in the event of there being any obftruCtions where
fuch rapid tides were running,, we might have fufiicient notice, and be
prepared to: avoid them.
From the village fituated on point Mudge, we were vifited by feveral
o f the natives, who brought filh and the wild fruits of their country,
.which they exchanged for our European articles, in a very fair and
honeft manner.
After dinner, accompanied by Mr. Menzies and fome of the officers,
I went on ffiore to return the vifit of our friends, and to. indulge our
curiofity. On landing at the village, which is fituated, a little to the
. . . V o l , L . X x N.w.
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