C H A P T E R VI.
Quit Obfervatory inlet—Proceed to the north-weft— Defcription o f Port
Stewart—Viftted by the natives— Account o f two boat excurftons.
Auguft. T H E route by which the velfels had advanced to Salmon cove, being
' infinitely better for them to purfue towards cape Caamana, than the
intricate channel through which I had palled in the boats, we weighed
Saturday 17. with the intention of direfting our courfe thus about fix in the morning ;
but having a llrong gale from the fouthward, we made little progrefs
windward.
On heaving up the bell bower anchor, we found the cable pearly divided,
and although this cable had been very little ufed, it was intirely
worn out; under this circumllance, I thought we were very fortunate
in faving the anchor, which, had the cable broke, mull have fallen to
a fathomlels depth.
By eight in the evening, we had advanced about feven miles; from
Salmon cove, where we anchored for the night, near fome rocks on the
weltern Ihore, in 85 fathoms water, and lleadied with a hawfer to the
Sunday 18. trees on the Ihore. A t five the following morning, we again made lail
with the tide in our favor, but with a llrong unfavorable gale from the
fouthward, with fqually and milty weather ; and, notwithftanding the
wind was very powerful, the Ihip was fo much affefted by counter currents,
that both Haying and wearing were attended with many difap-
pointments, and accomplilhed with great difficulty. Thefe very un-
pleafant interruptions conllantly attended our navigating this broken
region. The Chatham drew three feet lefs water only than the Difcovery;
covery; and it is a circumllance worthy o f remark, that Ihe but feldom
felt, and never in an equal degree, the influence of thefe contending (---- ,---- 1
Breams, by whieh we had been fo continually annoyed. Thefe were fome-
times indicated by ripplings on the furface o f the water, but at others
we felt their efleft, though there were no vifible figns o f their exiltence.
As we palfed the fmall rivulet that Mr. Johnltone. had vifited, we
again obferved the fea to be covered, to the depth of two or three feet, by
a very light-coloured muddy water, under which it. .evidently retained
its oceanic colour and qualities;.
The Indians, inhabiting the neighbourhood, approached us without ~
fear, and feemed very friendly difpofed, but no one of them would accompany
us to the oppofite Ihore;. where, about three in the afternoon,
on the flood-tide making again!! us, we anchored in 45 fathoms water,
and, as before, lleadied by a hawfer to the trees. During the afternoon
the wind blew llrong from .the fouthward, and our time.was employed
in replacing our difahled cable with a new one. A want o f wind,
and the flood-tide;' prevented our weighing until nine the following morn- Monday 13.
ing, when, with the ebb-tide, we again proceeded;, but did not reach the
entrance of Obfervatory inlet until two- o’clock in the morning of the.
20th; a diftance of not more than 13 leagues from- Salmon cove. Tuefday 20.
■ The well point of Obfervatory inlet I daftinguilhed- by calling, it Po i n t
W a l e s , after my much-elleemed friend Mr.Wales, of Chrift’s Hofpital;.
to whefe kind inllruflion, in the early part of my life, I am indebted
for that information which has: enabled, me to. traverfe and delineate thefe.
lonely regions.
Having again reached! Chatham’s found, we lay to until day-light,
when our courfe. was direfled along the northern Ihore, to the fouthward.
of the illets and rocks that.lie.off cape Fox, pafling between two and
three miles of the north fide-of Dundas’s. ifland, along, which are a great
number of rocks; W. by a. three miles from its north-well point, which
is fituated in latitude 54° 38', and longitude- 229“ 20', lies: a fmaller, ifland,
furrounded by many- rocks ; -it appeared to be about 2 leagues- in circuit,
and is called in Sen'. Caamanoh, chart, the Ille de Z.ayas. A. favorable,
breeze now. attended, us ; and, by our obfervations, the latitude at noon
3 C 2. was,