324 A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
June! 4 | spend ing gale from the s. e . , combined to give this unexplored
•------' channel an appearance fo forlorn, as fcarcely to admit the idea o f its
being navigable. I was {till very unwilling to abandon the profpect
we now had, o f fpeedily arriving at the ftation to which our boats had
already traced the boundaries o f the continental fhore; and for this rea-
fon I direfted our courfe towards the intricate inholpitahle labyrinth, lying
between us and the point I was fo anxious to gain; in the hope, that
amongft the numerous iflets and rocks, fome place o f fecure anchorage
might be found, until the weather foould become more favorable to
our views. As we advanced our profpefis became lefs flattering. The lucid
intervals o f the mill only exhibited our fituation to be more intricate
and dangerous, by difeovering rocks and breakers that had not been
been before. In this painful fituation o f care and apprehenfion, I experienced
no fmall degree o f relief, by unexpectedly difeovering a whaleboat
rowing towards the {hip ; we inftantly brought to, and on the officer
coming on board, I learned, that he belonged to the Butterworth of
London, then at anchor in a very commodious place, on the eaftern fide
o f the rocky group before us, whither he very civilly offered to conduct
us. We made fail immediately, for the channel we had before been fteer-
ing for, which was the fame as that by which the Butterworth had entered
the found, between the northernmoft o f the aboye.group of iflets,
breakers, and rocks, and a ledge o f funken rocks, to the north, on which
the fea broke only at intervals* We reached our promifed ftation about
fix in the evening, and anchored, in company with the Chatham, in
36 , fathoms water. The Butterworth, Prince Lee Boo, and Jaekall
fchooner, belonging to the fame concern, we found riding here, under
the orders of Mr. Brown, commander of the Butterworth, who faluted
us with feven guns, which compliment was returned by five.
Soon after we had anchored, Mr. Brown vifited the Difcovery, and I
believe I may venture to affert, that the. fatisfa&ion arifing from meeting
with our fellow countrymen in fuch diftant regions o f the globe was
very mutual on this oceafion. Mr. Brown informed me, that he had
fpent fome time in this immediate neighbourhood, and on coming out
o f a harbour that lies to ..the n . n .w , of this:, ftation, about 3 leagues
diftant,
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 325
diftant, his (hip had ftruck upon a rock that feemed to be a fmall pinnacle
fituated by itfelf, às no fotmdings were gained near it ; the ffiip
remained but a ffiort titne upon the rock before the rifing o f the fea
difengaged her, though not without knocking off her rudder. This
however was fortunately recovered, and its damages were nearly repaired.
1
Whilft the Butterworth had remained ftationâry, Mr. Brown had
been employed in his fmall veffel's in various direflions; and to fome
extent; about this coaft, particularly to the north-weftward, in procuring
o f furs. He very obligingly communicated tô me every information
he had been ab'1'è to obtain. The principal circumftance was that o f
his having failed up a large opening, whofe fouthern entrance was in
latitude 54“ 4-5'".
This is probably the fame as that laid down in Senr* Caaniano’s chart,
named'Ejlrcchà de Almirantc Fuentes. Mr. Brown found it extend to
the north-weftward," with feveral arms branching'from it in various di-
reffions to the latitnde'of 56°" 20' ; where, in a fouth-wefterly direftion,
it again communicated with the north pacific. He had undérftood, from
the natives, that there was in this neighbourhood a very extenfive inland
navigation, commufficating‘with a Tea to' the northward, that employed
the inhabitants nearly thrëe months in reaching'its extent, where they
traded" " for whale oil, fèa otter flans, and other marine productions.'
This inland navigation Mr. Brown' fuppofed to be in an extenfive arm,
lying from hence ‘towards th ^ tf. i . about 9 leagues diftant; the entrance
of which he had vifitfed,' and found it fpacious and large, but
had not’ penetrated any diftàbce intuit. At its fouth-eaft point of entrance
a fmall branch extended to the fouth-eaftward, up which he proceeded
with his {loop and fclïdôhèi about 6 miles, where they anchored
before "a village of the natively whole improper conduft made it necef-
fary to fire upon them from the veffels, which was attended with fome
flaughter;
As thefe openings were near the continent, fome. leagues to the northward
of Mr. Whidbèy’s late excurficin; they would, it was probable, fall under
our future infpefilion ; this" made mé particular in my inquiries refpeft- ‘
ing