Dumber. We were vifited by one of the natives in a ftraw canoe like thofe
> •-</ ■■ ■■' ieen at St. Francifco, who pointed to the appearance of a cove in the
extenfive bay before mentioned, and laid that a million was lituated
there; though we could not difcern it with our glalfes. Some other
queltions were put to this man, but on finding we were not Spaniards
he became very referved, and after receiving fome beads returned
towards the fhore, direfting his courfe to the place where he had
given us to underftand the miffion was lituated. But having now palled
it, and it being alfo to windward of us, to have returned thither would
have occalioned a delay that I could not afford; and on that account I declined
the attempt, in full expectation of being able to land at the miffion
of St. Domingo formed in the year 1774, and faid to be near the
eoaft alfo, at the diftance of 14 or 16 leagues fouthward from El Rofario.
Our courfe was now directed to the weft ward of all the apparent
illands; the latitude at noon was 36“ 35', longitude 244° g i ' ; in this
lituation the northernmoft land in light bore by compals n. 28 w . ; cape
Colnett n. 26 w . ; the fouth point o f the extenfive bay named by me
P oint Z uniga , after the former commandant at St. Diego, on which
Hands a remarkable hummock in latitude 30° 30V, longitude 244? 16^',
and which had been confidered to be the northernmoft of the above-mentioned
illands, s . 6 6 e .; and theoutermoft of thofe illands, s. 56 e . to S.47E.
This laft was foon difcovered to be the only detached land of the whole
group, and according to the Spanilh charts is called.Ille de .Cenizas; it
is about four miles in circuit, o f a triangular form; its weftern fide is
formed by high fteep cliffs, but its north-eaft and fouth-eaft fides terminate
in low fandy land extending towards the continent, with a detached
rock lying ofF it. This, together with the colour o f the water between
it and the main land, were- not favorable indications o f - that paffage,
which is about half a league wide, being navigable for Ihipping.
The continental lhore fouthward from point'Zuniga, which had been
taken for illands, confifted o f five remarkable hummocks, nearly of.
equal height and fize, moderately elevated, with two fmaller ones clofe
to the water fide; the whole riling from a traft of very low and nearly;
level land, forming a very projecting promontory; this, like many
other
other places! 'Hot having been diftinguilhed by: any"name in the Spanilh De‘^ 3b’er,
charts, I have called PoiNtF ive Hummockst and.it is as confpicuous .— ¥— >
and remarkable as any projecting land the eoaft of; thefe. regions affords.
The Ihdres from point; Zuniga - take a -direction s . 2 2 e :, about eight
miles, where’,! from thefoiithernmoft of thefe hills, point Five Hummocks
terminatesin a low point of- land, 'forming the weft point of a bay or
inlet, -that on our firft approach had the appearance of .being extenfive;
before however we could obtain a complete view of it the day clofed in,
"when the wind dealing, • and having regular foundings from 23 to 14
fathoms, we anchored for: the nighty in order to obtain fome further
information of it the next morning. Day-light however prefented nothing Saturday 14.
very remarkable, or worthy of the leaff delay; the whole was an-open
and expofed bay, formed by the fea eoaft retiring a little to the north
and eaftward of point Five Hummocks, off which at a little diftance are
fome rocks and breakers. The north-weft part of the bay had an appearance
of affording tolerable lhelter from the weft and-fouth-weft
winds, provided a fufficient depth of water Ihoiild be found' to admit of
anchoring near the lhore, which from the view we thus procured feemed
to be very doubtful.
At noon we had advanced but a little diftance from our anchorage,
when the obferved latitude was 30° 19', longitude 244° 24'. The fouth-
ernmoft land in fight now bore by compafs s. 29 e , ; point Five Hummocks,
N. 43 w . ; the ifland of .Cenizas, N. 47W.; and a point having
behind it a remarkable mount of white barren fand, forming the fouth-
eaft point of the bay juft mentioned,; n . 67 e ., at the diftance of 6 miles.
The wind, chiefly from the fouthern quarter, was light and variable, fo
that we made no great progrefs along the eoaft; yet we advanced fuffi-
ciently to afeertain, that the fouthernmoft land feen at noon was lituated
in latitude 29° 54', longitude 244° 33'; that the eoaft between us and
that ftation, which by the evening was 4 or 5 leagues diftant, was com-
pofed of nearly a ftraight lhore, formed by fteep perpendicular cliffs moderately
elevated; and that the interior country was lefs mountainous
than that, which we had been accuftomed to fee further to the northward.
3 O 2 Having