Auguli niiles in circuit. The fhores, that had been-nearly ftraight and compafft
'---- — i fince we had quitted the rocky arm above-mentioned, became again indented
with bays. and coves, bounded by many rocks and rocky
iflets.
In examining thefe broken parts of the fhore, the launch had preceded
the yawl whilft I was taking the neceffary angles. On our turning
fliarp round a point, I difeovered her endeavouring as I fuppofed to pafs
a mod tremendous fall o f water; the evening at this time was nearly
clofing in, and being now about high tide, the fall appeared to be adverfe
to their proceeding; but finding they continued to advance, I hailed, and
waved to them to defift. On our meeting, I found they had poffeffed but
fufficient ftrength and time to extricate themfelves from a very alarming
fituation. The diredlion o f the fail was in a contrary line to what they
had expefted, as the water was rulhing with great impetuofity through a
narrow rocky channel, and falling into a bafon whofe furface appeared
to be greatly beneath the level of the canal we wer-e navigating; on their
perceiving this, their utmoft exertions were required for a fhort time, to
prevent the boat from being drawn within its vortical influence. About
a mile from the above point, nearly in a fouth direftion, we brought to
for the night. _ ,,
'Friday s. In the morning of the 2d we fat out early, and pafled through a labyrinth
of fmall iflets and rocks along the continental fhore; this, taking
now a winding courfe to the fouth-well and weft, fhewed the fouth-
eaftern .fide o f the canal to be much broken, through which was a
paffage leading s.s. k. towards the ocean. We pafled this in the hope
o f finding a more northern and wefterly communication; in which
we were not difappointed, as the channel we were then purfuing was
foon found to communicate alfo with the fea; making the land to the
fouth o f us one or more iflands. From the north-weft point o f this land,
fituated in latitude 54* 4 5 5 ,,longitude 229° 28', the pacific was evidently
feen between n . 88 w . and s. 81 w , Off the point, at a little diftance
from the main land, was an ifland about half a mile from us; the op-
pofite, or continental fhore, lying north-eaft, not quite half a mile dif-
iant. Between this and the wefternmoft land in fight the fhores appeared
peared to be much divided, with fmall rocky iflets and breakers in moft ^79
directions. Between thefe and the continental fhore, our way was di- 1__.—
refted n. 26 w . ; at the diftance o f two miles we pafled a large deferted
village, on the north point o f a fmall cove; which point may alfo be
confidered as the fouth-eaft point o f entrance into a narrow arm, taking
nearly a north dire&ion; half a league to the northward o f this point
the eaftern fhore formed three fmall bays or coves, with four or five
iflets before them. On the point which divides the two fouthernmoft of
thefe coves, I obferved the latitude to be 54* 49', the longitude 229* 29';
from whence the inlet took a direftion about n. 8 w . ; the fhores became
nearly ftraight and compaff, and were in general about half a mile afun-
der. The furrounding land being of moderate height, and o f that uneven
furface generally exhibited by the infular countries lying on the fea coaft,
afforded reafonable grounds to believe the weftern fhore to be an ifland;
in which cafe We fhould have been enabled to trace the continental
boundaries a confiderable diftance to. the north. About fix in the evening
our hopes vanifhed, by our arriving at the head o f the arm, where
it terminated in a fmall frefh water brook, flowing from low marfhy
ground, in latitude 54° 56', longitude 2290 28'. Before it were feveral
rocks and fome rocky iflets.
This difappointment occafioned us no fmall degree of mortification,
fince we had already been abfent from the fhip a whole week, with the
fineft weather the feafon had yet afforded; and though our utmoft exertions
had been called forth in tracing the continent through this labyrinth
o f rocks, we had not advanced more than 13 leagues in a right line
from the fhips .to the entrance o f this inlet, and that in a fouth-weft di-
reftion; very different from the courfe we could have wilhed to have pur-
fued. It was alfo now evident that we had the exterior coaft to contend
with, and from the length o f time we had been indulged with fine weather,
we could not reafonably expeft its continuing much longer; indeed,
the appearance of the evening indicated an unfavorable alteration,
which made me apprehenfive, that probably the fineft part of the feafon
had been devoted, in our late purfuit, to a very perplexing objeft o f no
great value or confideration.
VOL. II. Y y On