Sep»t7e9m3b*er.
Wednef. 4,
chorage, from 4 to 18 fathoms water, good holding ground. The communication
with the fhore is eafy, and wood and water may be conveniently
procured in the greateft abundance. Towards its head are two
very fnug coves, or bafons, one o f which is a continuation of the port,
the other formed by an indent in the land; the foundings are from 6 to 9
fathoms, admitting o f a navigable though narrow channel into them.
It has been ftated, that the iflets lying before this harbour admit of paf-
fages in feveral directions; thefe, however, are not very fafe, in confe-
quence of feveral rocks between and about their fhores, vifible only at
low tide. The bell paflage into port Stewart, through which we warped,
is between the fouthernmoft illet and the main land; this is perfecl-
Jy free from any obftruftion, with foundings from 4 fathoms at the fides.
to 11 fathoms in the middle. Thefe are the moll material circumftances
refpefling this harbour, which, from its interior fituation, and want of
inhabitants, does not feem likely to be much frequented; but Ihould
further information be required, reference may be had to the chart, which
I believe will be found liable to little if any error.
The Indians having obferved our motions, inquired if it were our
intention to vilit their place of abode ;. and as I thought it was probable
their relidence might lie in our route, I replied in the affirmative r
this appeared to give them great pleafure ; and having difpofed o f moll
o f their faleable cargo, they took their leave, and returned to the fouth-
ward.
The morning of the 4th brought no intelligence o f our boats, and
having underftood from Ononnijioy and his party, that there were many
inhabitants in the regions they were direfted to explore, who, like them,
were well provided with fire-arms, I began to be very folicitous for their
return. About noon, however, my anxiety was relieved, by the fafe
return o f Mr. Johnftone and all his party. He had not actually difeo-
vered a paflage to the ocean by the way he had purfued, but had brought
back fuch evidences as left little doubt, that the channel he had navigated
would ultimately be found to communicate with it.
The day on which they quitted the veffels was employed in reaching
cape Caamano, which they eff'elled by about dark, having been greatly
impeded
impeded by a ftrong foutherly gale, attended with a heavy fea, and a Se
great fall of rain. In addition to thefe delays, they were further retarded ,<
by carrying away one o f the boat’s malls, and getting moll of their things
wet. Their time was occupied until eight the next morning (25th
auguft), in putting thefe matters to rights, when they proceeded in
the examination of this channel, keeping the ftarboard or continental
Ihore on board. This, from cape Caamano, was found to take firft a
direftion N. 55 w ., near 2 leagues, then N .2 3 E . , to a point which,
after one o f the gentlemen of the Chatham, who generally attended
Mr. Johnftone, I named P o in t L e M e s u r i e r , and is fituated in latitude
55° 46', longitude 227°58'. The oppofite Ihore, which from the
hazinels of the weather was but indiftinflly feen, feemed to take a
more weftwardly direction, increafing the width of the channel; which
from cape Caamano s. 58 w., to its oppofite point of entrance, named
by me P o in t G r in d a l l , (after Captain Grindall, of the navy,)
is only from 4 to 5 miles acrofs ; though at this ftation it was 7
miles to the oppofite Ihore. This point projects from the -main
land to the weftward, with fome rocks and breakers extending about a
mile from it. Four or five miles to the fouth-eaft of it is a fmall bay, with
fome iflets and rocks lying off i t ; half way between it and cape Caamano
our party paffed a fmall illand lying near the fame Ihore, admitting of a
paflage between it and the main land.
From hence another branch o f this inlet, which I called after His
Royal Highnefs Prince Erneft, P r in c e E r n e s t ’s S o u n d , prefented
itfelf leading to the north-eaftward, and is nearly as fpacious as that they
were purfuing; its oppofite point o f entrance, which I called P o in t
O ns l o w , lies from point Le Mefurier n. 30 w. zfe miles diftant. This,
becaufe it led along the continental Ihore, became the objeft of their
immediate attention, and was the occafion of their quitting at that time
the other channel.
As they advanced in this purfuit, they found the general direflion of
the continental Ihore, from point Le Mefurier, N. 29 E., for- about
4 leagues, indented with feveral bays of different capacity, and along it
were fome fcattered rocks and rocky iflets. At this ftation, the oppofite
fide of Prince Erneft’s found approaches within two miles of the continent.