Ma3' vati°ns at that time; but I found no reafon to make any alteration in
i— - y— j its longitude. The neareft fhore to us bore by compafs n . 48 £., diftant
2 or 3 leagues. This was the moil wefterly prpjefting part of the
continent in this neighbourhood; from whence the (bores of the main
land take a N. N. E. and fouth-eaftwardly dire&ion, and make it a confpi-
cuous cape, terminating in rugged, rocky, low hummocks, that produce
fome dwarf pine, and other fmall trees and fhrubs. This cape, from
the dangerous navigation in its vicinity, I diftinguilhed by the name of
C a p e C a u t i o n ; it is in latitude 5 10 i,g',; longitude 232° 9'. Cape
Caution, though not named, was noticed on our former vifit, and erroneoufly
placed, from the caufes before flated, in latitude g i° 1,8', longitude
232° 8'. An error alfo at that time took place, in the Ctuation
o f the fouth point o f entrance into Smith’s inlet, now found to be in
latitude 519 18', longitude 232° 11^'. The fouth point of Calvert’s
ifland, being in latitude 51° 27, longitude 232’ 5', was found to he correctly
placed. The variation o f the compafs allowed in this lituation
was 18° eaflwardly. i
Soon after noon, fome very dangerous breakers were difcoyered,
over which the fea, at long intervals of time, broke with great violence.
Thefe had efcaped our attention the laft year, although we
mull have palfed very near them; they confift o f three diilinft patches,
and feemed to occupy nearly the fpace of a league. Their eaftern part
lies from cape Caution, N. 72 w ., diftant about 5 miles; but the rocks
that lie off the fhore to the northward of the cape, reduce the-width of
the channel between them and the breakers to about a league, through
which we palled without noticing any other obflruftion that was not
fufficiently confpicuous to be avoided.
With a gentle breeze from the e . n . e . we flood up Fitzhugh’s found
in the evening with all the fail we could fpread. This by four the next
Sunday a6. morning brought us oppofite to the arm leading to point Menzies, whofe
extent was left undetermined, and where in a cove on the fouth fhore,
about eight miles within its entrance, I expelled to join the Chatham ;
but the wind being unfavorable, and the ebb tide fetting out, we made
little progrefs until fix o’clock, when we worked up the arm with the
flood
flood tide, and a light eaflerly breeze, attended with much rain, and j j 93-
thick milly weather. < . y-
The Chatham was feen at eleven, and about noon we anchored within
about half a mile o f her in 60 fathoms water, gravelly bottom.
Mr. Puget informed me, that he had arrived here on the 24th, and that
nothing material had occurred fince he had left Nootka; and I had the
happinefs to underfland that himfelf, officers, and crew, were in a per-
fefi flate of health.