Jum tinuation o f the fame inclement weather detained them until the 26th,
— 1 when, it becoming rather more moderate, they had for the firft time a
tolerably diftindl view-of their fituation. This was in a fpacious channel
about 2 miles in width, ftretching in a wefterly direflion, which they
followed about a league, when it opened to their view another ftill more
extenlive, taking a north-weft and fouth-eaft courfe, and bounded by
land near 2 leagues diftant; this Mr. Johnftone concluded to be Banks’s
illand, fo named by fome of the traders ; and under that impreflion a paf-
fage to the ocean was deemed certain of being found by that route ; for
which reafon; after Mr. Johnftone had obferved the latitude on the fouth-
weft point of the wefterly channel, off which lie an iflet and fome rocks
about a mile from the fhore, to be in 53° 10', and its longitude 230° 41',
he commenced his return to the fhip.
Mr. Johnftone had little doubt that the land, forming the weft fide
of the channel that led him to the fouthward as he proceeded to his
laft ftation, and the eaft fide of that which led him to- the north-
weftward, was an illand; and if his conje&ures were right, a more
direft paffage to the veffels would neceffarily be found,’ by which
they might proceed to fea. Thefe ideas proved- in the fequel to be
correft, and the illand was found to be 5 -leagues long in a north and
fouth direction, and 5 miles in breadth ; o f a moderate though uneven
height, compofed chiefly o f rocky materials, covered with pine trees of inferior
growth, and having to the north and north-weft o f it much broken
and divided land. About noon on the 26th the weather, again became
rainy and boifterous; this continued until noon the next day, when
they arrived at the north point of the above illand, and obferved its
latitude to be 530 18', longitude 230° 53^'. From hence, with fair
pleafant weather, they made the beft o f their way towards the lhips,
where they arrived as before ftated. The country that had fallen under
their obfervation, differed little from the general chara&er of the furrounding
region. That on the fea coaft was fome what lefs mountainous,
chiefly covered with wood, and lefs encumbered with fnow than
the barren jugged fummits of the mountains of the interior country.
2 Thofc
Thofe parts that had lately Occupied Mr. Johnftone’s attention, appeared
to be the fame that had been: vifited by Mr. Duncan, and called
Nepean’s found; Sen1- Caamano had alfo reforted thither the preceding
year, and had named the illand which Mr. Johnftone' circumnavigated,
Ifle de Gff. Thele names I accordingly adopted.
As this report rendered our flay here no longer neceffary, I determined
to proceed immediately to the weftern arm, where, on the continental
fhore; Mr. Johnftone had obferved a bay that appeared likely to afford
good anchorage, and which was fofituated, that Mr.Whidbeyon his return
mull neceffarily perceive the fhips; in the event, however, of his paffing
that ftation in the night, or in thick weather, I left a letter, fealed up,
in a bottle, in a fituation that had been agreed upon between us before his
departure, containing fuch information and directions as fhould be
neceffary for his government.
By the time our brewing utenfils and other matters were brought from
the fhore, the wind blew a ftrong gale from the s . e ., attended with
heavy fqualls and thick rainy weather. This continued until, the morning
o f the 29th ; when, about ten in the forenoon, with the afliftance
of the tide, we towed out o f the cove, and, a light breeze fpringing up
from the eaftward, we failed up the weftern arm. Whilft we had remained
at anchor only two fmall canoes, with three perfons in each,
had vifited u s ; one on the preceding funday, bringing nothing to dif-
pofe of, the other juft before our departure, which brought three fea-
otter fkins and a few falmon, that were exchanged principally with iron.
In this dreary and uninterefting place nothing further attracted our
attention. The aftronomical and nautical obfervations made there were
very fatisfa&ory, and by the former the cove was found to be fituated
in latitude 53010', longitude 231° 26'. The variation of the compafs,
by fixteen fets o f azimuths taken on fhore, fhewing from 19° to 24°,
gave a mean refult o f 21“ 37' eaftwardly ; and, independently o f the influence
that the ftormy weather feemed to have upon the tide, at the
fprings, the day tide rofe fifteen feet three inches, the night tide about
fix inches higher, and was high water io h 15' after the moon paffed the
meridian,
Vol. 11. Q q
Saturday 29.
We