>793- The fituation pointed out by him, where we might be allowed to
.-November,. fuch of the 'pr0vifions and (lores as required to be landed, was not
only inconvenient on account o f the furf which generally ran very high
in its vicinity ; but the place piopofed for their reception, Was in the
midft o f the common flaughtering of all their cattle, the neighbourhood
o f which, to a confiderable diftance in all direftions, was rendered extremely
offenfive and unwholfome, by the offal having never been cleared
away, but left from time to time in a continual Hate o f p-utrefaftion. In.
addition to which, the {lores thus depofited were to be left every night
under the care of the governor’s troops, without any check on the fidelity
of thofe people, which I had fome reafon to believe would be very
neceffary. In the center o f this intolerable nuifanee we had alfo leave to
ere£l the obfervatory, and to attend to our aftronomical purfuits, but in
the day time only ; and in its vicinity, and within fight of it and the Pre-
fidio, we might be allowed to recreate ourfelves on fhore.
On due confideration of all thefe circumftances, I declined any further
correfpondence with, or accepting the incommodious affiftance proffered
by, Sen'- A rrillaga; and determined, after finifhing our inve-ftigation o f
thefe fhores, to retire to the Sandwieh iflands, where I had little doubt
that the uneducated inhabitants of Owhyheê, or -its neighbouring ifles,
Would cheerfully afford us that accommodation which had been unkindly
denied us at St. FranCifco and Monterrey-.
The obfervations made on fhore by Mr. Whidbey, with the artificial
horizon for afeertaining the longitude by the chronometers, allowing the
prefumed rate and error as fettled off Scot’s iflands, and in Noötka
found, {hewed by fix fets of obfervations made on two different days at
St. Francifco, that Kendall’s chronometer was n ‘ 10"; Arnold’s No. 14,
16' 48"; and No. 176, 6' 18" ; to the weftwa'rd of the truth, and by four
fets of Obfervations made on two different days at this, place, Kendalls
chronometer was found to be 4'34", and Arnold’s No. 14, 14' 13 ' to the
WeflWard; and No. i 76, 15' 47" to the eaflward o f the truth. Hence
it appeared that Arnold’s No. 14* was going with greater regularity
than any of the others.
• As
. As our fituation afforded no .better means of afeertaining a point of fo ^ov"e^ er-
interefting a nature, the above rate and error was of neceffity adopted; ' ^ '■
fubjeft however to correftion by fubfequent obfervations, which was
accordingly done, and the longitude fo correfted is affixed to all our future
fituations, as alfo to the pofition of the coafl and adjacent iflands,
until our departure from New Albion. _, ■ ; . .
In- the forenoon we unmoored, and about ten at night, with a light Tuc > 5-
foutherly breeze, we weighed and failed out of the bay ; but the wind
continuing light and variable, we made little progrefs until the forenoon
of- the 6th, when, with the regular northerly breeze, we hauled in clofe Wed«C6.
to point Pinos, and there recommenced our Survey of this coafl fouth-
caflward from Monterrey. ■ ; ■ -
Point Pinos, as already deferibed to form the fouth-eaft point of Monterrey
bay, is a low projefting point of land, covered; with- trees, chiefly
the done-pine. From hence the exterior coafl takes a direftipn s. 28 w .,
about four miles to the north point o f the bay of Carmelo, which is a fmall .
open and expofed fituation, containing fome detached rocks; and having
a rocky bottom is a very improper place for anchorage. Into this bay
flows the river Carmelo, paffing the miffion o f St. Carlos, and at a little
diftance from the fea, it is faid to abound with a variety of excellent fiffi.
In a.direftion about E. by s. from St. Carlos, at the diftance of about
15 leagues, is the million of St. Antonio, eftablifhed in the year 179.2*
From the north point of the bay of Carmelo, the coafl takes a direction
s. b y e . 4 leagues, to a fmall, high, rocky lump of land, lying
about half a mile from the ffiore, which is nearly barren; indeed, the
trees from point Pinos extend a little way only to the fouthward of the
bay of Carmelo, where the mountains rife rather abruptly from the fea;
and the naked ffiores, excepting one or two fandy beaches, are intirely
compofed of fteep rocky cliffs.
Southward from the detached lump of land, the coafl, which takes a
direftion s. 40 E., is nearly ftraight and compaft; the mountains form
one uninterrupted, though rather uneven, ridge, with chafms and gullies
on their fides; the whole to all appearance nearly deftitute of vegetation.
3 L 2 In