»7 93- til the boat landed, but when he arofe to go on fhore he fell down, and
never more got up, but by the affiftance of his companions. From
his firft being taken his pulfe were regular, though it gradually grew
fainter and weaker until he expired, when his lips turned black, and his
hands, face, and neck were much fwelled. Such was the foolilh obfti-
nacy o f the others who were affefied, that it was not until this poor
unfortunate fellow refigned his life, that they could be prevailed upon
to drink the hot water; his fate however induced them to follow the ad--
vice of their- officers, and the defired effeCt being produced, they all obtained
great relief; and though they were not immediately reftored to
their former ftate of health, yet, in all probability, it preferved their
lives. From Mr. Barrie’s account it appeared, that the evil had arifen,
not from the number o f mufcles eaten, but from the deleterious quality
o f fome particular ones; and thefe he conceived were thofe gathered
on the fand, and not thofe taken from the rocks. Mr. Barrie5:had
eaten as many as any o f the party, and was the leafl affefted by them.
This very unexpected and unfortunate circumftance detained the boats
about three hours ; when, having taken the corpfe on board, and re-
frefhed the three men, who ftill remained incapable o f affifting themfelveS;
with fome warm tea, and having covered them up warm in the boat,
they continued their route, in very rainy, unpleafant weather, down the
fouth-wefl channel, until they flopped in a bay for the night, where
they buried the dead body. T o this bay I gave the name o f C a r t e r ’ s
B a y , after this poor unfortunate fellow; it is fituated in latitude ^
48', longitude 2310 42': and to diflinguifh the' fatal fpot where the
mufcles were eaten, I have called it P o i s o n C o v e , and the branch
leading to it M u s c l e C a n a l .
In the morning of the 16th, having advanced a fmall diftance from
Carter’s bay, they found the arm divide into two branches; one taking a
foutherly direction, about two miles wide, had the appearance of communicating
with the ocean, the other took a north-weflerly direction
along the fhores of the continent; and, from the appearance of the
neighbouring mountains, it feemed likely to prove extenfive. But, from
the reduced ftate o f the party, Mr. Johnflone, very judieioufly, did not
think
think it advifeable to undertake its examination, but purfued that lead- |‘
ing to the fouthward; convinced that this, if found to communicate 1_1
with the channel they had been in leading to fea, would be by far the
moft eligible route for the vefTels or boats to purfue, in carrying into
execution the further furvey o f the continental fhore.
This branch foon took a fouth direction, the fhores on both fides
were much broken, and each had the appearance of compofing an archipelago
o f iflands. The wind being againft them their progrefs Was
flow; however before dark they gained a Very fatisfaClory view of the
ocean, "being now further advanced to the weftward, in the fame
channel from whence it had been before obferved. The next morning
they pafled the narrow channel they had been obliged to enter on
the 12th, and arrived on board, as before flated. The very unfavorable
weather, during their abfence, hadliot afforded them one fair day,
of an opportunity of afcertaining the latitude, either by a meridional or
double altitude.
M’Alpin and Thomas, by this time, as well as the man belonging to
the Chatham, were a little recovered ; they Were; exceflively weak, and
ftill complained of numbnefs-and dizzinefs, as alfo of a violent pain in
their bowels. Th ey were inftantly taken under the.furgeon’s, care,, and
treated with every attention and affiftance which the nature of their
fituation required.
CH A P T E R