*793- B y noón ó f the- 4th the party reached point Afhton, where Mr.
—v-—J Whidbey on his former expedition had quitted the examination o f the
continental lhore. Having dined they proceeded round this point
along the continent, up the northern branch then left unexplored; and
found it, as it had appeared to be, divided into two fmall arms, the firft
fcarcely half a mile wide, taking a direftion N. 18 e ., about 4 miles,
where it terminated in low land, riling gradually to a moderate height
within the country. The eaft fide o f the arm bore a fimilar appearance,
indented with feveralTandy bays; but the weftern fide was high, fteep,
and rocky. The other branch of this opening, extending from point
Alhton n . lo w . , was about the. fame width; with an ifland fituated
nearly in its middle, and fome funken rocks on its eafhern lhore. This'
branch terminated by low fwampy land, furrounded on every fide by high
mountains, with deep gullies between them where the fnow had lodged,
and in fome places remained frozen, though not more than twenty feet
above the level o f the fea. Each fide of the arm was well wooded, but
compofed of fteep rocky Ihores. Having thus fatisfied themfelves the party
returned, and relied for the night in a fmall cove on the continental lhore,
three miles to thefouthward of point Alhton. From hence the continental
lhore firft took a direftion s. 31 w . fifteen miles ; here it formed a fmall
cove, in which is a frelh water brook; from thence it extended nearly
fouth, twelve miles; and having examined in their way a fmall bay
about a mile wide, and half a league deep, they entered a narrow opening
that firft took nearly a fouth-weft direction about a league, and then
s. 15 E., about 3-j miles further; where it again communicated with the
main channel, making the eaftern lhore a fmall ‘ifland about a league
and a half long, whofe fouth end was the appointed rendezvous. In
this neighbourhood Mr. Whidbey expedited to have found the velfels; but
being difappointed, he left the note as before mentioned, and profecuted
the examination o f the continent up the arm already pointed out, which
they entered about noon. During their morning’s excurfion they were
vifited by feven canoes, in which were about thirty of the natives, moll
o f whom Mr. Whidbey defcribed to be little old men; there were few
young men amongft them, and no women nor children. They brought
a very
a Very inferior aflortment o f fea otter, fkins to difpole of, and their general
appearance indicated them to be a very poor tribe; they Hayed
with our party about an hour, and conduced themfelves in a very
orderly manner.
At the fouth-eaft point o f entrance into this arm, which lies well about
two miles from the rendezvous point, and for two miles Within; the fea
abounded with fea otters. Thefe, in the moll fportive manner, played
about the boats, rearing themfelves half way out of the water, and’
holding up their young ones in their fore paws, as if to view the boats as!
they palled. The arm at this place was not more than half a mile wide,
with ftraight and compaft Ihores on each fide; they found its direftion
n. 40 w., until they had advanced’about twenty-four miles from the entrance,
when they arrived at a fmall harbour, or rather cove, on the
eaftern lhore, where they palled a very rainy and uncomfortable night.
A t day-light, in the morning of the 7th, fome rocks were found near
the head o f this cove, which was bounded by a fandy beach, having a
lagoon of water behind it. OIF its north-weft point was an ifland, from
whence the arm was found to continue its fame width and direftion about
four miles further. It then ftretched N. 27 w., about eight miles to the
fouth point o f an opening on the weftern or continental lhore, about
a mile wide; its- oppofite point o f entrance lying north. A t this point
the width of the main arm increafed to nearly half a league. OIF the'
fouth point lie many rocks, both above and beneath the furface of the
water. The Ihores, along which they had thus navigated from the entrance
of the arm, were mountainous on the eaft or continental fide,
but, on the oppofite fide, low and rocky ; both produced pine-trees, and
were interfperfed with bare and naked patches. From this point the
opening was found to take a courfe firft s. 37 e . for four miles, where
it ended in a fandy bay, in which were fome funken rocks; from thence
it extended n. 9 w., fix miles, where it finally terminated in the ufual man-:
ner, with fome rocky illets, and funken rocks, abojit'half way up. Immediately
within its north point o f entrance lies a fmall ifland, behind
which is a deep fandy cove. From this northern point the eaftern lhore *
took a direftion n. 45 w., three miles and an half, to a fmall cove, where
V o t . II. S f they