416
‘ 793- ' the frmfoernmoft bay, which lies from point St. Albans s. 72 w ., diftant
^Septemte , miles ; where they pafled a very rainy and uncomfortable night.
' Although the rain had ceafed on the next morning, yet the weather
continued very hazy and unfavorable ; the party however embarked, and
after proceeding about four miles along the continental foore in a fouth-
erly direftion, the fog obfeured every objeCl from their view ; but as they
continued their route towards the fouthemmoft part of the main land
they had before feen, they found themfelves on a fudden within the influence
o f a very- heavy long rolling fwell, coming from thé weftwardj,
and indicating their being arrived in, or very near to, the ocean.
Being anxious to. acquire every poffible information o f the region before
them, and of the caufe of fois hidden alteration, they remained fta-
tionary from eight in the morning until two in the afternoon, without the
leaf! appearance of the fog clearing away ; on which they retired to a
cove about a mile north of the point, which was (hekered by fome iflets
and rocks lying before it. Here foe fog prevented their departure, until
feven o’clock in foe morning o f the 18th, when foe weather in fome mea-
fure clearing up, they returned to foe point, where they landed with fome
difficulty, and found it to be a very confpicuous promontory, extending
in a fouth direftion to the ocean. From this promontory, foe moft
northern extremity of foe fea-coaft was feen to lie n. 58 w ., and foe
moft fouthern s. 54 w . ; the former about 7 leagues diftant, and foe latter,
which is foe weftern extremity of an Aland of fome extent, about
eight miles. From the north-eaft point of this ifland, which liés from
foe promontory s, 10 E., diftant four miles, is a rangé o f rocky iflets. ex,
tending to foe north, within half a league from foe main land, that obfeured
the channel before noticed as leading to the fea.
The intermediate fpaqe between foefe iflets and the promontory, appeared
to form a paflage free from interruption ; but the more fpacious
channel to the call ward of foe range, feemed to be far, foe moft eligible
for veffels bound to the fouth or eaftward. Thofe going to foe north-
weft, may poflibly. find no inconvenience in navigating fois palfage ;
in which cafe a very great circuit will be avoided, and thèy will much
fooner arrive in a clear ocean ; as no rocks or breakers were feen
3 near
hear its fliores; that were hot to be êafily avoided ; and the only inter- gAjflJbea
ruption to the view towards foe fea, was a group of fmâll i(lands, lying i— v— >
tö thé w. s. w.', that wère fuppofed to be foofe called foe Hazy ides, by
fome of thé traders.
The party having now accompliftied foe principal objëS of their expedition,
ft remained at Mr. Whidbey’S option to profecutè his refearchès
further along foe exterior cóaft, or to d'elift from the purfuit. The
frequent and long delays that had attended them fous’ far, left little probability
o f their now making any great progrefs' along an open coaft,
efpecially as the very unfcttlcd ftatë of foe weather was by no means
favorable to foe undertaking. Mr.Whidbey therefore very prudently
declined foe p'rofecutïóri of his' examination, and made the beft of his way
back towards foe (hip's,’ ftop.pihg for foe night in a cove a little to .the
fouth of that in Which they had taken ftiëlter during foe fform, and which
had foe appearance of being fufficiently fereened by rocks and iflets to
afford them protefiion f in this’ opinion however they were miftaken, for
during the night fo heavy, a fwell rolled in from the fouthward, as to call
forth their htmoft'exertions to prevent foe boats from being dalhed to
precés againft1 die' rocks. Here foe party was detained until ten in the forenoon
o f the following day, before they could embark foe tents and othef
màfterS that had been landed ; and after this was accompliftied, it was with
no little difficulty that they extricated themfelves from the furrounding rocks
and breakers, when they returned to port Protection as already dated.
The communication of this intelligence, foe boifterous ftatë o f the weather,
the advanced feafon of the year, and foe approach of long and dreary
nights, left' hie' with no doubt concerning the meafures that ought to be
now adopted ; efpecially as foe tracing of foe continental boundary would
now be expofed to the numerous inconveniences, attendant on an open
unexplored fea coaft; and if after our utmoft endeavours it ffiould not
be effë&ed'with that accuracy that had hitherto been obferved, our anxious
labours and e'xertioris would be rendered very incomplete..
NotWifoftanding that I was by no means fatisfied with -the progrefs'
we had made in,Our furvey during foe fummer, yet as we had an extend
vè fpace to' examine, that would occupy a great length of time, to
V o l . II. 3 II the