November. t*on’ The land further fouth is high, fteep to the fea, and prefented a
v— ‘ rude and barren afpeft. Our foundings were 75 and 70 fathoms. The
calm of the afternoon was fucceeded by a s . e . wind and its ufual attendant,
a heavy rain, which prevented our acquiring any further know-
Monday 12. ledge o f the coaft until the 12th, when on the return of a favorable
gale we flood for the land, which at noon extended by compafs from
N. 15 -w, to s. 77 e . ; the neareft fhore bore N. e . about 5 leagues dif-
tant, latitude 38° 17', longitude 236° 59'. As we approached the fhore,
advancing to the fouthward, the country became nearly deftitute of
wood and verdure, at leaft that part of it in'the vicinity of the fea fhore,
which was nearly ftraight and compafl. The more interior hills, riling
behind thofe forming the coaft, were tolerably well wooded.
Being near the afflgned fituation o f the bay in which Sir Francis
Drake anchored, and that of a port called by the Spaniards Bodega,
our attention was direfted to the appearance o f a port to the eaftwarel-
for which we immediately fleered. By fun-fet we were clofe in with the-
fhore, which extended from N .w . by w . to s. s. e . a e ., fo that we were-
confiderably embayed. We were now off the northern point o f an inner
bay that feemed divided into two or three arms, the foundings had
heen regular from 40 to 28 fathoms, the bottom a bed o f coral rock,
fand, and fhells. Being anxious not to have any opening on the coaft
unexamined, and as the evening was ferene and pleafant, I was induced-
to anchor, though on a rocky bottom, off this point for the night,
which bore by compafs from us N. E. by e , 2 miles diftant, that my
defign might early in the morning be carried into execution. Our fitu-
ation here was by no means pleafant; during the night two deep fea lines-
TueTday j8. were cut through by the rocks, and at four in the morning the buoy was
feen drifting paft fhip, and was proved to have been fevered in the fame
way. Left the cable fhould fhare the fame fate, no time was loft in-
weighing the anchor; fortunately however the cable had not received
any injury. A light breeze from the land permitted us to ftand acrofs
the bay, which we foon difcovered to be port Bodega ; its north point
according to our obfervations is fituated in latitude 38° 2 1 '; longitude
237° 2 1 '. This point is formed of low fteep cliffs, and when feen from-
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 429
the fouth has the appearance o f an ifland, but is firmly connected with 1792.
the main land. To the eaft the land retires and forms a fmall inlet, appa- ,N°vember,l
. rently favorable to anchorage; it has a flat rock on which the water
broke in its entrance, and has not any other vifible danger excepting
that of being much expofed to the fouth and s . e . winds. Not beino-
able to fail into the bay, we flood towards its fouth point, which lies
from the north point s. 30 E. at the diftance o f 7 miles. Within thefe
limits appeared three fmall openings in the coaft, one already noticed to
the eaft ward of the- north point, the other two immediately within the
fouth point; acrofs thefe a connebled chain o f breakers feemed to extend,
with three high white rocks,, which nearly blockaded the paflage.
Although very folicitous of gaining more intelligence, this was all the information11
was able to procure-of this place, which required to be minutely
furveyed by our boats before the veffel fhould-enter; the ftate of
the weather was ill calculated for fuch fervice; it was very dark and gloomy
and the depreflion o f the mercury in 'the barometer indicated an approach-
ing ftorm. Our foundings- when-under 35 fathoms were ori a rocky bottom,
and confidering that any further examination at- this time was not important,
I fleered, along the coaft- to the fouthward for point-de los Reys, fo
named by the Spaniards, which at noon bore by compafs, s . 2 2 e . diftant
about 2 leagues ; the latitude by an indifferent obfervation, 38° 7'
My apprehenfions- oF bad weather were not ill founded ; after a few
hours calm we were- again vifited- by a s. s . e , gale, attended as before
with heavy rain; this Toon- reduced us to clofe-reefed topfails, and
brought with it a very heavy fea. Soon after midnight the wind fud-
denly fhifted to the weftward, the fky became clear, and we again
fleered for the land; about nine the next morning we paffed point de los Wednef. 14.
Reys, which I found to be fituated in latitude 38° 0', longitude 237° 24'..
This is- one- of the moft- confpicuous promontories fouthward from
cape Flattery, and cannot eafily be miftaken; when feen from the north,
or fouth, at the diftance of 5 or 6 leagues; it- appears infular, owing to
its projefiling into the fea, and the land behind it being lefs high than
ufual near the coaft; but the interior country preferved a more lofty
appearance, , although thefe mountains extended in a direflion further
m
! »
NIsbi