18 and 20 fathoms water. Beyond this, which is the narrowed: part of
the channel, formed by a high round projefling part o f the fouth-wed
fliore, appearing like an ifland ; the arm widened to near half a league,
and an extenfive opening, taking a foutherly direttion, indicated a communication
with the ocean.
The wind continuing favorable, and the weather pleafant, we made a
tolerably good progrefs along the continental fhore until about nine in
the evening, when we anchored in 58 fathoms water, within about , half
a cable’s length o f the fouth point of an opening leading to the ead-
ward, where the tides were very drong and irregular. The region we
had been navigating fince noon, had gradually increafed in its elevation,
and we were again encompalfed by high, deep, rocky, fnow-capped
mountains, forming various chafms, and producing a fored o f pine
trees nearly to their very fummits.
As I intended to profecute our examination thus along the darboard
fhore, until I fhould find fufficient employment for two parties to take
different direftions in the boats, we proceeded the next morning, hut it
being calm, with the utmod edorts of our boats a-head we gained only
half a league by noon. Soon after this time, the wind, though variable,
affided us, and we advanced about 2 leagues. Another opening was
paded on the darboard Ibore; and about feven in the evening we arrived
in a fituation N. 32 w . from our lad anchorage, where the main branch
of the inlet appeared to take two direftions, one to the north-wed, the
other to the wedward, with an idand lying at their jun&ion; the two
branches being divided by a high ridge of deep mountains. O d the extremity
o f the darboard fhore, in the above line o f direftion, was a fmall
idet, and fouth o f it a little fandy bay, where we anchored, and deadied
the fhip with a hawfer to the fhore.
The following morning Mr. Whidbey with the large cutter, attended
by Mr. Humphrys in the launch, provided with fupplies for a week,
were difpatched to the openings we had left unexplored behind. And
Mr. Johndone in the Difcovery’s fmall cutter, attended by Mr. Barrie
in the Chatham’s launch, were fent to examine the branch leading to the
wedward and the larboard fhore, fo long as their week’s fupplies would
hold
hold out, or until the branch Ihould be found to communicate with the
fea, or bring the party back to the diip’s dation; in which cafe a report
was to be made on board, prior to undertaking the furvey of the north-
wed branch, as I intended that fervice for Mr. Whidbey’s execution
after he fhould have examined the openings to the fouthward, in the
event of his returning before Mr. Johndone.
The poifon which our people had received by eating the mufcles,
appeared by no- means of fo malignant a nature as to have remained
unfubdued, could proper remedies have been timely applied. The
means ufed for their recovery on their arrival on board was fird an
emetic; this operated very well; at bed time anodynes procured them
good red ; thefe were followed the next day by cathartics, which had a
powerful effeft, gave great relief, and produced confxderable abatement
in the unpleafant fymptoms; and with the adidance of diaphoretic
medicines, and a drift attention to the complaints in their bowels, fo
intirely removed the malady,. that one o f the men was able this day to
take his dation in the boat, but the others not being quite fo much recovered,
were exculed from duty fame days longer.
The melancholy event that attended the difcovery of the poifonous
quality in the mufcles, though it may probably be the means of preferv-
ing many lives in future, was to us, independently of the lofs we fuf-
tained, attended with circumdances additionally mortifying. Wherever we
had found thefe fifh, they were fure to afford us a pleafant and palatable
frelh meal. Prudence however nowdirefted that we fhould abdain from-
them ; which to perfons in our fituation, efpecially when detached from
the fhips, and frequently on a very fcanty allowance, was the privation
of no fmall comfort.
The weather enabled me to obtain fome good obfervations, and in the .
evening Mr. Whidbey returned, having found the fouthern opening to
extend N. 85 e . about 5 miles, and the other n . 72 E. about 3 miles,,
where each terminated as ufual. This afcertained and traced the continental
fhore completely up to this dation. A t four o’clock the next
morning, Mr. Whidbey with his party was again difpatched to the Sunday 23.
north-wed branch. This he had examined by eleven in the forenoon.
He