5 $ A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
then ftretch nearly' e. n. e . From this point was feen the center of a deep
Bay, lying at the diftance o f 7 miles, N. 26 e. This Bay terminated the
refearches of Mr. Gray ;. and to commemorate his difcovery it was named
after him G r a y ’s B a y . Mr. Broughton now returned on-board-, in the
hope of being able to proceed the next flood tide higher up the inlet,
In the afternoon he reached the Chatham, finding in his. way thither a
continuation of the fame fhoal on which fhe had grounded, with a narrow
channel on each fide, between it and the fhores of the inlet; .on this
middle ground the depth of water was in overfals from 3 fathoms, to 4
feet. Mr. Broughton got the Chatham immediately under weigh, with
a boat a-head to direft her courfe. His progrefs was greatly retarded by
thé lhoalnefs of the water. A channel- was found clofe to- the northern
fhore, where, about dark, he anchored for the night in, 7 fathoms water,
about 2 miles from the former place of anchorage; Before day-break
the next morning (óÉlober 24th) the veflel, in tending to the tide, tailed
on a bank ; this however was of nnconfequenee, as on heaving Ihort (he
was foon afloat again. A t day-light Mr. Manby was fent tQ found-the
channel up to Gray’s bay, where in Mr. Gray’s (ketch, an anchor is placed;
but on Mr. Manby’s return he reported the channel to be very intricate,
and the depth of water in general very fhallow, This induced Mr.
Broughton to- give up the idea of removing the Chatham .further up the
inlet, the examination of which he determined to purfue in the boats.
After afeértaining the veffel’s ftation to be in latitude 46° 17V longitude
236° l 7i> he departed with the cutter and launch, with a week’s provi-
fions, to carry his determination into efieft. A ftrong eafterly gale attended
with fqualls was againft them,, but the flood tide favored their
progrefs until fix in the evening, when, on the ebb making, they took up
their abode for the night on the weftern fide of Gray’s bay. They rowed
acrofs the Bay the next morning, in fqually unpleafant weather, with
regular foundings of 4 , 5, 6, 7, and 8- fathoms. The depth of water
within the Bay was not more than 2 fathoms, interfperfed near the bottom
o f the Bay with frequent overfals o f 4 fathoms. After pafling Gray’s
bay, the continental fhores became high, and rocky. About a mile s,w.
byw. from the eaft point of the Bay, which lies from its weft point
N.78 £.
m. 78 e . at the diftance of 4 miles, commences a range o f five fmall low |5jj|£v
fandy iflets, partly covered with wood, and extending about five miles to i_ - 1
the eaftward. The eafternmoft, which was alfo the largeft, was nearly at
the extremity o f the fhallow fpace they had thus examined. Between the
ocean and that which fhould properly be confidered the entrance o f the
river, is a fpace from three to feven miles wide, intricate to navigate on
account o f the fhoals that extend nearly from fide to fide; and ought
rather to be confidered as a found, than as conftituting a part o f the
river, fince the entrance into the river, which they reached about dark,
was found not to be more than half a mile wide, formed by the con-
trafting fhores o f the found. Between the points o f entrance, lying from
each other n, 50 e . and s. 50 w. there were 7 fathoms water. The
northernmoft point is fituated in latitude 46° x8-y, longitude 236? 34—',
from whence the river takes a direction about s. 45 e . From the eaft
point o f Gray’s bay to this ftation, the fhore is nearly ftraight and compact,
and lies in a direction s. 87 w . They flopped to dine about three
miles from the eaft point o f the Bay, on the fide o f a high fteep hill,
on the northern fhore, facing one of the above low iflets ; from whence
extended a long, fandy, fhallow fpit, down the channel, inclining
towards the oppofite or fouthern fhore, which was low, and appeared
alfo very fhoal. From this fteep hill a remarkable pillar rock lies
s. 79 w. about a mile from the fhore, on the ftarboard or fouthern
fide of entrance into the river. Not only within, but without this rock, '
the water is very fhallow, with oyerfals from to 6 fathoms; but by
keeping the northern fhore on board from Gray’s bay, a fufficient depth
of water will be found. The two points of entrance , into the river are
formed by low marfhy land, the fouthernmoft feemed. to be an ifland;
and to the N.w. of the moft northern, a branch took a northerly direction,
which was named O r c h a r d ’s R i v e r ; in one of thefe the party
paffed a very uncomfortable night, owing to the dampnefs of theft
fituation.
At day-light the next morning (26th ohlober), with the firft o f the
flood, Mr. Broughton proceeded up the river, whofe width was nearly
half a mile. The fhores on either fide were low and marfhy; on the
■ f t i . ; I N . E .