C H A P T E R XI.
Depart from Nootka Jbund— Proceed to the fouthward along the coaft— Thc
Daedalus enters Gray's harbour— The Chatham enters Columbia river—
Arrival o f the Difcovery at port St. Francifco.
Oftober. T h e inclemency o f the weather prevented our proceeding in our fe-
Friday 12. veral occupations, and detained us here until the afternoon of the 12th,
when, in company with the Chatham and Daedalus, we hauled out of the
cove, in order to take the advantage o f the land wind, which about ten
o’clock enabled us to fail out o f the port o f Nootka; but the Chatham
and Daedalus not following, we brought to about midnight, to wait their
coming up. This however did not take place during the night, which was
ferene and pleafant, though we had a very heavy and irregular fwell
which drove us fo far to the weftward, that by day-light we were not
more than 2 miles to the fouthward of the ledge of rocks which lie 2
leagues to the weftward of the weft point of entrance into Nootka ; our
foundings were from 25 to 30 fathoms.
Saturday 13. About nine the next morning the Chatham and Daedalus joined company.
The Chatham, by the weather falling calm juftas Ihe had weighed
anchor, became under no command, and was fwept by the tide on the
rocky point of the cove> where the fea broke witji great violence; but
by proper exertions, and immediate affiftance from the Daedalus, which
was in a fortunate fituation for that purpofe, Ihe got off without receiving
any apparent damage, though Ihe had ftruck very heavily.
It is neceffary here to ftate, that on the day previous to our failing,
I received on board two young women for the purpofe of returning
them to their native country, the Sandwich iflands ; which
they
they had quitted in a veffel that arrived at Nootka on the yth inftant, o^792-
called the Jenny, belonging to Briftol. But as that veffel was bound I -, - '
from hence ftraight to England, Mr. James Baker her commander very
earneftly requefted, that I would permit thefe two unfortunate girls to
take a paffage in the Difcovery to Onehow, the illand of their birth and
refidence ; from whence it feems they had been brought, not only very
contrary to their wifhes and inclinations, but totally without the knowledge
or confent o f their friends or relations; and of which tranfaftion
fome particulars will hereafter be noticed, where they will not interfere
with the regular progrels of our narrative; which I now refume by ob-
ferving, that after fo long a continuance of unfettled weather, the pre-
fent apparent re-eftablilhed ferenity encouraged me to hope I might be
enabled in our route to the fouthward to re-examine the coaft o f New
Albion, and particularly a river and a harbour difeovered by Mr. Gray
in the Columbia between the 46th. and 47th degrees o f north latitude,, o f
which Sen" Quadra had favored me with a fketch. For this purpofe our
courfe was directed along fhore to the eaftward, which would alfo afford
an opportunity o f examining the Spanilh furvey between Nootka and
De Fuca’s ftraits.
Some obfer-vations were made to afeertain i f any error had taken
place'in the chronometer fince they had been received from the Ihore,
and I had the fatisfa&ion to find them all anfwer very well. Kendall’s in
particular was very exaft, and its excellency having already been proved,
I was determined to depend principally upon it until a further opportunity
Ihould offer for afeertaining the going of the others.
A t noon our obferved latitude was 490 23', the longitude 233° 28'.
The northernmoft land in light by compafs bore N .w .; Nootka s .8 w . ;
the eafternmoft land in fight N. 88 E .; and point Breakers, our neareft
fhore, N. 30 E. diftantfour miles ; whence that point is fituated according
to our obfervations, which were very good, made by different per-
fons, and agreeing to a great nicety, in latitude 49° 25', longitude 2330
32'. Captain Cook ftates the latitude of point Breakers to be 49° 15'.
The difference of 10' is decidedly an error o f the prefs, as by my own
obferva-
JL