406
*793- by which the launch was towed broke, and had this accident happened
«__,_1 before, in the dark o f the night, whilft we were turning through the
* narrow channel, it would, in all probability have been attended with her
total lofs; which, next to that of one of the veflels, would have been
the fevereft we could polfibly have fuftained. Having now plenty of
fea room, on the dawning of the day we brought to, and the boat
was foon recovered. By this time the ftrength of the fouth-eaft gale
hadfo increafed as to oblige us to clofe-reef-the topfails, and get down
the top-gallant yards.
Under the unfavorable circumftances of fuch weather, in this intricate
navigation, where anchorage is fo precarious and difficult to be
found, and where innumerable-fteep lurking - rocks, as well beneath as
riling to different heights above the furface o f the fea, were conftantly
prefenting themfelves, it mud ever be regarded as a very happy circuni-
ftance that we had to leeward of us the great north-weft branch, o f which
fome information had been gained by Mr. Johnftone having pafled
through it; and, as far as he had been able to obfe'rve, he had confi-
dered it as free from danger. The gale being' attended with thick
mifty weather, rendered it however moft prudent to lie to, until about
ten in the forenoon ; when, the wind abating, and the weather in a
great meafure clearing up, we bore away along the north-eaft fhore of
the north-Weft branch, and at noon obferved the latitude to be 5 50 44',
longitude 227°54'. The fouth-weft fhore of the branch, in this fitua-
tion, bore by compafs from s. 64 w . to s. 42 E., and the north-eaft fhore
N. 40 w. to s. 50 E , ; the neareft part o f the former fhore s.w., diftant
four miles, and that of the latter, being point LeMefurier, N;E. by N.,
three'miles. The wind continuing to be favorable, we made a great
progrefs until near dark, when we anchored for the night in 7 fathoms
water, on the north fide of a fmall ifland, clofe under the fhores of the
Duke of York's iflands, in latitude 56° f j , longitude 227° 34T-, having
fome rocky iflets between it and the above fhores. This lituaiion is tolerably
well fheltered from the foutherly and fouth-eaft. winds, but the
foundings are 'irregular, and the bottom in fome places is rocky. ■
The
The night was fqually with much rain, but the next morning thé wea- 1793-
ther was more favorable, and about four o'clock we d'ireCted our courfe ,Seplember',
towards point Nefbitt, pafling a clufter o f low rocks nearly in mid- SituriaE 7-
channel, and alfo a ledge, extending fouthward from that point about
two miles; thefe are very(ftmgerous, as moft of them feemed as if they
were only vifible at low tide. We were well advanced by noon in the
paflage between the Duke of York’s iflands and Bufhy ifland, having a-
breaft of point Nefbitt foundings from 20 to 12 fathoms. By an indifferent
obfervation the latitude was found to be 56° 16', the longitude
227° 20'. The wind having veered to the north, we were under the
neceffity of turning through this paflage, and in fo doing the foundings
.were found to be irregular, from 10 to go fathoms; and the bottom in
fome places rocky. The ebb tide, which commenced about noon, was
favorable to our purfuit, as it fat to the north and north-weft, fo that
about three in the ,afternoon we reached the fpacious branch leading to
the fouth and fouth-weftward; towards this quarter our route was now
direfted. The clearnefs of the weather gave us a very perfeCt view o f
the adjacent fhores bounding the horizon in every direction. T o the
weftward, the diftant land was moderately elevated, and appeared to be
fimilar to that we had generally found along the fea coaft; o f an uneven
furface, and very much divided by water; Thefe circumftances, together
with the .ebb tide fetting ftrong to the weftward, left little doubt of
our finding a paflage to the ocean by that route, though not without the
profpeCi of its' being dangerous and intricate; for befide the broken appearance
of the diftant land, this fpacious branch feemed to be fpotted
with feveral iflets and rocks, juft even with the furface of the water;
but more particularly fo between us and the northern fhore. Our
foundings were very irregular, fhoaling fuddenly from 45 107, 11, and
g fathoms; then deepening to 50 fathoms, and then no bottom with 110
fathoms of line, as quick as the lead could be thrown. This we experienced
three diftinft times in the courfe of the afternoon, which was for
the moft part calm, confequently our motion was flow, and was governed
in a great degree by the tides or currents; thefe making greatly
againft us, about eight in the evening, with the afliftance o f our boats,