J793- to the fouthward o f cape Orford; but as their 'language was wholly
1---- unintelligible to ;us, without the lead affinity to the more northern dialects,
our curiofity could only be indulged m thofe few refpefts that
infpeclion gratified.
At noon the coaft was ;in fight, extending from s. 10 e . to n . 20 E.;
Rocky point bore by eompafs n . 40 e ., and the bay of Trinidad n . 62 e . f
our obferved latitude 410 T. The adverfe wind, having continued
fince we had made the land, gave us hopes that, .by keeping near the
Ihore, we might now and then acquire a favorable breeze; in : thefe
conjeftures however we were totally miftaken, having anchored three
fucceffive -nights within half a mile o f the coaft, and found not the leaft
advantage from land winds during the night. This determined me to
Hand out into the ocean, hoping the winds there would be more fuitable
to our northern deftination.
In the afternoon, a range o f very high inland mountains, were obferved,
in a parallel dire&ion to the coaft, behind Rocky point; rearing
their fummits above the mountains that compofe that Ihore, and -which
concealed them on our former paflage, when we were nearer in with
the land. As we proceeded to the weftward the wind gradually came
to about N.N. E,,- the weather gloomy and unpleafant, attended with
fleet and rain; the thermometer varying from 510 to 53°. The leak
in the bows increafed To much, as to keep us conftantly pumping and
baling, ■ -
Friday 10. On the loth-we had reached the latitude o f 45“; longitude ’226*. The
wind at n .-n . e . was moderate, the fea fmooth; and having at length
difcovered the leak to have been occafioned by the caulking being
walhed out of the rabbitting o f the Item that affifted in figuring the
wooden ends o f the ftarboard fide, we brought to, to apply fome term
porary remedy; which being accomplilhed, and finding the -winds no
lefs adverfe to our proceeding, although we were upwards o f 140
leagues from the land, we -again directed our eourfe to the eaftward,
with a continuation o f nearly the fame unpleafant winds and -weather,
Tuefday 14. until the 14th, in latitude 45° 5'; and, what I confidered to be the true
longitude, 231°. After a calm during the laft twenty-four hours, we
had
had a light air from the fouthward, attended by a cloudy Iky, and a much ' 793-
milder atmofphere. The thermometer rofe to 60°, the barometer that ■
had lately acquired its ufual regularity flood at 29° 95', and the variation
of the eompafs was 16° 42', eaftwardly.
The wind continued in the fouthern quarter, blowing light airs, or
gentle breezes; this day the; atmofphere affumed a degree o f ferenity, Wednef. 15.
and with the mildnefs of the air indicated the approach of a fummer
feafon; but in the evening the Iky was again overcaft; and in the night
we had much rain, with a heavy fwell from the fouth-weft, which was
alfo attended by very variable weather until the 17th, in latitude 47° 53',
Friday 17,
longitude 2330 17'. At this time the wind became fixed in the north-
weft, and blowing a moderate breeze'we flood with it to the n. n . e .,
and at day-light on the following morning, faw the coaft o f the
Saturday 18,
illand of Quadra and Vancouver, bearing by eompafs from n .w . to-
e . n . e .; the neareft Ihore n . n . e . about 4 or 5 leagues diftant. We
flood for the land until feven o’clock, when being within a league of
ponta de Ferron, we tacked. The eaft point of the entrance of Nitinat
bore by eompafs n .8 o e . and the eaft point o f Clayoquot, n . 51 w . ;
the air was very Iharp, and the atmofphere being clear and ferene,
afforded:a tolerable view of the country that compofes this part o f the
illand.
On the fea Ihore the land may be confidered rather as low, forming alternately
rocky cliffs, and fandy beaches, with many detached rocks lying
at a little diftance from the Ihore, that Teemed to be well wooded with
pine trees. The furface of this low country is very uneven, and at a
fmall diftance from the fea meets a compaft body of rugged dreary
mountains; whofe fummits were covered with fnow, which extended on
many, though not on all of them, a confiderable way down, and im-
preffed us with no great opinion o f their fertility.
About noon we again flood in Ihore; the coaft then bore by eompafs
from n .w . to e . by n ., ponta de Ferron bore n . 52 e ., and the eaft
point of Clayoquot, s . i o w . The latitude of thefe points, as laid down
from Spanilh authority, agreed very well with our obfervations of 48°
V o t . II. K k 48';