1793. nent, and from its entrance at point Onflow it appeared to be much
September, fcveval iflets about its (bores. Here the (horns o f the main
land inclined a little more to the eaftward. In the above dire&ion, about
.a league and a half from thence, is fituated the fouth point of an ifland,
in front of a bay on the continental fhore, in which are fome iflets and
rocks. This ifland extends n . 25 w., five miles, and is about half a
league in breadth; its weflernfide is much broken, and about its (hares
are feveral ifle$; notwithftanding thefe it admits o f a tolerably good,
channel between it and the (hore o f the continent, which from the north
point o f the above bay takes a direftion N. 13 w., 2■ §• leagues, to a
point which I named P o i n t W a r d k , fituated by obfervation in latitude
56° 9', longitude 228° to f'. The weftern (hore was feen to be very irregular
in its direction, and much broken by water, efpecially in-that
part oppofite to the ifland, where the found was nearly 6 miles acrofs ;
but here, its (bores which were in general moderately elevated, and were
covered with the ufual produ&ions, approached within a mile o f each
Other.
From point Warde the continental (hore took a (harp turn N. go E.,
four miles, to a point where this arm divided into two branches.. That
which took an eafterly dire&ion claimed their firft attention, and was found
to extend about 3 leagues ; and then winding to the N. E. by N. 2 miles,
further, terminated in the ufual way, in latitude 56“ 14%, longitude 228°
37'. Their examination of this branch, which I named B r a d f i e l d
C a n a l , occupied their time until noon of the 26th; the progrefs of
the party having been much impeded by adverfe winds, and very un-
pleafant Weather.
On fetting out in the morning, one canoe with three Indians, (the
firft inhabitants feen during this excurfion) accompanied them fome dif-
tance| but: on finding our party was bound up Bradfield canal, the
natives made figns that it was clofed, and that they would wait the return
o f the boats in a certain fituation, where, without any increafe
o f numbers, they were found in the evening.
In the morning of the 27th they continued their refearches in rainy
unpleafant weather up the other branch. This was not more than
, three
three quarters o f a mile wide, with a fmall ifland, and two iflets in its ’793-
entrance; it extended nearly in a -N.N.w. direftion, 3 leagues, to a ■' p(cnAfr~,
point where the latitude was obferved to be 56° 20', the longitude 228°
1 1 ' ; here this branch was again divided, one divifion ftretching about
N. 10 E., the other taking a wefterly direftion. The former, about half
a mile wide, terminated as ufual at the diftance o f about a league, from
its entrance, near which, and likewife before the entrance of the wefterly
branch, lie feveral rocks and fmall iflets. Here their Indian attendants,
after receiving fome trivial prefents, took their leave. This wefterly
branch was not more than a quarter of a mile in width, and extended
irregularly to the north-weft and fouth-weft, forming a paflage about a
league long to a point I called P o i n t M a d a n ; where it communicated
with a more fpacious channel, that took two direftions, one to the
s. s. w . through a broken infulated region; the other, ftretching to the
n . 28 w ., was nearly two miles in width.
Notwithftanding that the weather during the following day Was extremely
inclement, the party continued their examination, and found
the land that formed their weftern (hore to terminate in its northern direction
about fixteen miles from point Madan, by a very confpicuous point,
in latitude 56° 34', longitude 227“ 48'. T o this- point I gave the name of
P o i n t H i g h f i e l d ; and although through the badnefs of the weather
a diftinft view of their fituation was not obtained, yet it was manifeft that
they had now arrived at the confluence'of three extenfive branches. The
mod fpacious ftretched to the weftward; that which they had navigated
was the leaft, and the line of the continental (hore appeared Hill to continue
in the above direftion up the third branch, whole eaft point o f
entrance I diftinguifhed by the name o f P o i n t R o t h s a y . T o wards
this point their courle was direfted, but they- were foon
flopped by (hallow water, which obliged them to quit the (hores o f the
continent, and to proceed along the edge of the flioal, in nearly a weft
direftion; and having traced it about a league, in 6 to 9 feet water, it
was found to be connected with the north-eaft fide o f an ifland, lying;
from point Highfield n . 63 w. , diftant four miles. T o the fouth of the
(hoal and in its immediate vicinity, were four fmall iflands, and two
or