Sunday 26.
Monday 27.
c h a p t e r II.
■ Anchor, i}i R cjlorafyon Cove—r A ccou n t o f tzvo^ bout expeditipus:— A Jlro lioin ical
and n a u tica l obfervcitions— Proceed, tq ik e n o r thw a y i-^ V ijted by .many
' o f th e ' n a tives— T h e ir ch a ra tter— A cco u n t o f the boais ex cu rjio n— S e p ta n
p o ifon ed by m ufcles.
A s many neceffary repairs in and about the Difcovery demanded our
immediate attention, and that no time might be loft; I determined, that
whilft thofe on board were employed on the requifite duties, two boat parties
Ihould be difpatched to profecute the examination o f the broken region
before us. Recollecting there was a large cove to the northward, that
I had noticed on our former villt, arid fuppofing it more likely to an-
fwer all our purpofes than the ftation we had taken, I fat out after
dinner to take a view of it, and finding it a very eligible place, I returned
111 the evening, and with the flood tide, the following morning,
we flood towards this bay or cove, bearing by compafs n . 28 e . , diftant
five miles.
The flood tide aflifted our progrefs but a little way up the arm, after
which we had to contend with thofe counter currents, that have been
before ftated as not only rendering the veflfel nearly ftationary, but totally
ungovernable. It was not until two in the afternoon that we anchored
m 12 fathoms water, and with a hawler moored the {hip to the trees
on the ftiore; this was a fine fandy beach, through which flowed an excellent
ftream of water into the cove, clofe to the ftation we had taken.
Near this ftream, by the felling o f a few trees, a very good fituation
was obtained for the obfervatory and tents. The feine was hauled with
tolerable fuccefs, fo that we had a prolpcct o f much convenience, and
_ . of
of acquiring fpme refreffiment fijotp, the fea. Thefq were qdvantages
beyqndj our! expefjlatipns, in. this defplate regipn, where the rain had
been almoft inceflantly pouring down in torrents ever fince our arrival
q ii it, '
• , On tuefday. oqjj feyer^; repairs were begun. The leak in. the bows
qf: tfe ftftP: clajmgd o$ir; firft attgnripn ; by ripping the copper off down
water’s edge tJ)isAfeeijied ljjcely, to, be got at, arid to be completely
flopped, Tflg after-part of the . fhip required, caullying, the launch flood
in, need; of repair, the fails in ufe. wanted, mending, the powder airing,
andj.-feveraf fpars, wer.e required; to, replace thofe we.had carried, away
flnqe, pur laffc departure frpm. this coaff; but the rainy wqather, ftill continuing,
wp proceeded- very flowly in, thefe feyqraj fervipes.
On the.agth, Mr, Johnftpne was difpatched in thp. Chatham’s cutter
a-ttendgd.by our finajl.one, to finifli the examination. of this inlet, which
he wajS,prevented doing Iaft yfiai; by the badqefs, o f the, w ith e r . The
next morning,, accompanied; by Lieutenant Siwainp in the. cutter, I fat
out in the yawl to examine the main arm o f this inlet, that appeared
to take its dire&ign, northerly tq the weft of, or without, the-arm in
which the Ihips-were at anchor. This,, after the Right Honorable Edmund
Burke, I named.B;Ur k e ’s C a n a l .
On this, oecafion I deemed, it, expedient, that thofe employed on boat
fer.vice Ihould be fuppjifed.with an additional quantity of wheat, and porr
table foup, fufficient to. afford them two hot meals; every day during
their abfence; and, in ccm.fequence of their being much, exppfed, to the
prevailing inclement weather, an additional quantify of fpirits, to be
tiffed at the difcretion.pf the officer commanding each party ; a. praftice
that was found.neceffary to be continued throughout the feafon.
About nine in the forenoon we arrived in what, appeared to be the
main branch of the inlet, leading, to the north, from Eitzhugh’s found.
After a much-relpe&ed friend, I named, this Fish e r ’s C a n a l . Some
detached rocks were paffed, that lie n„ 14 w., about a league from, the
north-weft point of entranceinto Burke’s, canal, which obtained the name
of Poin t Wa l k e r ; it.is fituatedin latitude.,§;i°g(Jr/, longitude g3g?g',;
its oppofite point o f entrance, named P q in t E dmund, lies from it
s. 69 E.,
Tuefday 28,
Wednef. 29.
Thurfday3o*