Se 'temb-r *nS" At the dawn of the following day we continued along the coaft,:
v— ,--- ’ corapoled of fteep mountainous precipices, divided from each other by
ne ‘ ~s‘ the water; thefe feemed to have gradually increafed in height from
point North, from whence along the Ihores to this extent, were fame
fcattered iflets and rocks at a fmall diftance from the land. Our pro-
grefs was flow, the wind being light, accompanied with pleafant weather.
A t noon, in the obferved latitude o f 53* 2', longitude 227“ 22', Hippa
ifland by compafs bore n. 42 w . ; and a confpicuous proje&ing point,
nearly the fouthernmoft land in fight, which I named Cape H e n r y ,
s. 82 e. ; thefe forming the outline o f the coaft, lie from each other s.
32 E. and N.32 w., 15A leagues apart. This cape, fituated in latitude
52° 53', longitude 227“ 45-J', forms the fouth point of a deep bay or found,
its Ihores apparently much broken; to this I gave the name of E ngle*
field B a y , in honor of my much efteemed friend Sir Henry Engle*
field. Its north point o f entrance lying from cape Henry N; 27 w „ at
the diftaiice of feven leagues, I called P oint B uck ; which alfo forms
the fouth point o f entrance into a found falling deep back to the eaft-
ward, named by me Ca r tw r ig h t ’s; Sound. Its north point.of- entrance,
which likewife after my very particular friend and phyfieian I
named P oint H unt er, lies from point Buck’, n. 25 w., diftant ten
miles.; and a little within this line of direction is an ifland near the northern
fliore.
From cape Henry, which we paffed in the afternoon, at the diftance
of four or five miles, the flroresy fo far as we had reacted by fun-fet,.
feemed to be compafit, and to take a more eafterly direction. The fouthernmoft
land in fight bore by compafs s. 72 E., the neareft fliore N.N.L.,
live miles, and the northernmoft land in fight N. 33 w. During the
night the wind was light and variable, by which means our diftance,
from the coaft was increafed greatly beyond what I had intended. A t
ThurHjv,=fi. day-light the land, neat the fouth extremity of Oueen Charlotte’s iflands,
which is named by Mr. Dix-on cape St. James, was feen bearing by
compafs s. 87 e . , the northernmoft land in fight N, 68 w., and the hear*
eft (hone N. 11 w., 4 or | leagues diftant.
With a favorable though light breeze, our courfe was direSed along
the fhore, but at too great a diftance to admit of our making any particular
cular or exact delineation of i t ; nor is the fketch we were enabled to
-obtain o f thefe iflands to be confidered as correft, or to be depended upon, 1— — >
becaufe their numerous divifions would have demanded a furvey that
would have occupied infinitely more time than we had now to beftow.
Our examination was wholly confined to the general dire&ion o f the
Ihores, and to afcertain the pofition o f their confpicuous projecting
points. Towards cape St. James the land was very moderately elevated,
but, like that on the northern part of the iflands, it rofe gradually to rugged
and uneven mountains, which occupied the center o f the country,
defcending towards its extremities to a lefs height, and is of a more uniform
appearance.
The wind blew a gentle breeze from the w .n . w ., attended with
clear and pleafant weather. A t noon pur obferved latitude was 52^ 3-J',
longitude 228° 29'. In this fituation cape St. James bore by compafs
N . 76 E ., the neareft fhore N . 53 E ., diftant 5 or 6 leagues; and the northernmoft
land in light n . 42 w . ; thefe, with otter angles taken in the courfe
o f the day, fhewed cape St. James, according to our obfervations, to be
in latitude 51*58', longitude 229° 6J'; although by Mr. Dixon’s chart
it is placed in latitude 51“ 48', longitude 230°. Thefe iflands are alfo
defcribed by him to occupy an extent o f 2° 36' in latitude, and 3* 24' in
longitude; whereas by our eftimation they include only 2° 22' o f latitude,
and 2° 7' of longitude. This difference appears to have originated in
fixing the pofition of Rennell’s found, and to have increafed uniformly
to cape St. James.
From cape St. James fome rocks and rocky iflets extend between the
direftions of s. 22 e . and s. 35 e., at the diftance o f about a league ;
though Mr. Gray, in the Columbia, ftruck and received fome material damage
upon a funken rock, which he reprefented as lying at a much
greater diftance, though nearly in the fame line of direftion.
The prevailing breeze favoring our willies, the Chatham’s fignal was
made to lead during the night; in which fo little progrefs was made, that
on the following morning the land about cape St. James was ftill in fight. Friday 17.
A t noon the obferved latitude was 51*15', longitude. 229*40'. The
winds were ftill favorable, though very gentle, attended with delightfully
3 I 2 pleafant