>798- having; no thermometer, its degree of heat could not be afcertained.
July. ° ° .
__> Some o f the feamen attempted to waffi their hands in it, but found the
heat inconvenient. It had a faltifh tafte, and Mr. Whidbey was o f opinion,
that the rapidity with which it flowed could fcarcely permit of
its receiving this favour from the fea water. Its colour and tafte were,
thought to referable much the waters at Cheltenham.
From hence Mr. Whidbey continued his route along the continental
fhore. This took a north-wefterly direftion to a point in latitude 53*
■ 32', longitude 2 31*5'; in their way to this ftation, about 2 leagues to
the fouth-eaft of it, a fmall branch was examined. It was about a mile
in width; its firft direction was N. 30 E. for about a league, and then
■ s. 68 E. about 2 miles further, where it terminated in a round bafon,
having near its center a fmall ifland on the fouthern fhore. Both lides
were compofed o f perpendicular cliffs covered with pine trees. The
breadth of the channel they had thus purfued was in general about half
a league, until they approached this point, where it decreafed to about
half that width. The Weftern Ihore was found to be nearly ftraight and
compact, until the party were abreaft of this point; there it formed a deep
bay, whole Ihores appeared to be a little broken at the bottom. From
this point the inlet taking an eafterly direction widened to about half a
league, and the continental fhore firft took a direction n . 75 e . about
four miles, where it left but a narrow neck of land between it and the
north fide o f the above-mentioned fmall branch. From thence it extended
N. 50 e . about four miles further, to a point where the width of
the inlet increafed to about 3J- miles, and it divided into two branches;
the principal one, or continuation o f the former branch, ftretched about
N. b y w . ; the other- s. e . by e ., about a mile wide. This ftation they
gained about breakfaft time on the 25th, after palling a very uncomfortable
night in confequence o f the tide having flowed into their tents
at the bottom, whilft a heavy torrent o f rain was falling over their heads.
This point was named by Mr. Whidbey P o i n t S t a n i f q r t h , and
is fituated in latitude 53° 34', longitude 231° 17'. The Ihores they had
palfed were in part compofed of lofty fteep mountains, that rofe nearly
perpendicularly from the Tea, and were covered from the water fide - to
their
their fummits with -pines and foreft trees. The other parts, equally
well wooded, were left elevated, and terminated in fandy beaches with
projecting points, forming feveral fmall bays and coves ; and before
they .reached.that part of the inlet which took an eafterly direction, Mr.
Whidbey obferved more drift wood than he had feen on any other part of
the coaft. After breakfaft the party entered the fouth-eafterly branch,
and found its Ihores compofed of mountains that were barren towards
their fummits, but well wooded near the water fide.. As they advanced,
its width increafed to about half a-league; and in a direHion s . 6 o e .
83 miles from point Staniforth, an ifland lies nearly in mid-channel,
where they flopped to dine. At the entrance into this arm a tide was
found in their favor, and not being more than half flood by the Ihore,
Mr. Whidbey was flattered with the profpeCt of carrying the flood tide
fome diftance; it however Ihortly turned, with a breeze, down the
arm, and they were fix hours advancing about 4 miles. They quitted
their dinner ftation, leaving unexamined a fmall arm extending from
the fouthern Ihore, and purfued the main -branch, taking a direction
from the ifland s.55 e . This was traced along the fouthern Ihore 10 miles,
until they arrived at a place that had the appearance o f being a fmall
b a y; here they flopped for the night, after having advanced through a
very defolate country, whofe inhofpitable Ihores -were -formed by fuch
■ fteep barren rocky precipices, as rendered the landing very difficult. A
very few trees were thinly difperfed, of a flender dwarf kind, produced
upon the naked rock.
The cutter having been very leaky during the afternoon, was inftant-
ly cleared and hauled up, when one of her planks under the larboard
bow was difcovered to have been ftove in by Tome means, of which no
one could form any conjeCture. A piece o f lead was nailed over the
injured part, and the boat was again made tight.
A t day-light on the 26th, their fituation was difcovered, inftead o f
•being in a fmall bay as had been fuppofed, to be a little way within the
entrance o f a fmall rivulet, about a cables length wide, admitting, for
about a fourth part o f that extent, a paffage o f 5 fathoms water. It took
a winding courfe to the s.w., between two mountains; the tide of flood
ran